Windows to Russia

Pretty simple and since I just got back from getting a visa successfully from Ukraine, I will expound on the subject in this article…

First read this article:

To Enter The Russian Federation a Foreign Citizen Needs a Visa…

This will get you the basics and get you started on the way…

Now after you have read that other article of mine, I will stress a few things…

1. Use the electronic visa application form and only the electronic visa form…

2. Don’t just have a 3.5 X 4.5 cm picture taken, make sure the photo is exactly 3.5 X 4.5 cm physical dimensions, before you glue it to the application, or you will tear it off the application and cut it down and re-glue it again and it better still look good or you will start all over…

3. Americans do not need health insurance proof, nor did I need a HIV negative proof…

4. Cost for visa was 250 American dollars…

5. Tricky point of the Russian Invitation: A Telex is much higher in cost, but does not create need to have delay in getting visa. Walking in with Invitation in hand, could and most likely will entail a longer wait time, as they will send it off by snail mail request for verification of Invitation. So land mail is terrible and unreliable. Telex is the sure bet. Only high level Invitations are by Telex…

6. Make copies of everything, including your migration card received from the border. Did I say make copies? Plus extra copies of your passport will ensure no issues while running around Kiev with no passport for two weeks or more…

Now lets talk about how it all went…

First off, I will make clear that you will have an appointment to get in. Read my other article above and make sure that you get a verified (Personally call them! They do speak English!) appointment. The guard at the front door hates English and he only points at a sign that says, “Appointment Necessary!” Without an appointment and you are not dying on their steps! You will not get in…

I had an appointment and it still took almost an hour to get in…

Second have all paper work ready. If you have any doubts? Do not walk in the door. Get all of it ready before hand. Have it in a folder and have it ready to show anyone who asks about if you are ready. It seems that a crime is committed and all hell breaks loose if someone gets to the visa office and you are not ready…

I finally convinced them that I was an hour late for a verified appointment and they allowed me to go inside the consulate. Once inside I was asked for the twentieth time, “Is all your paper work ready?” I squelched a smile and said, “Dah” (Which means yes, but in my case it was all I could do and not put the American sarcasm in the word and say “DUH!”)

After all my trying to be ready, I failed at one thing and I took comfort in the fact that everyone who asked is my paperwork ready failed also. My photo was the wrong size…

As I talked about earlier, the photo has to physically be 3.5 X 4.5 cm, not almost that size, but exactly that size. They have a little template that they make you dismantle your application and cut the photo to the proper size. It is a good reason to have extra copies of everything. I am lucky that I have learned the hard way and by the time I was done, I just was able to satisfy the requirements…

I was told that I could pick up the visa on August 13th at 3:00 pm, 2012 and not one second sooner. Since I am American I have to wait the full amount of time and since I had a Telex, I did not have to wait 20 or 21 days to get my visa. The extra days is due to possible Invitation delays…

Tidbit of information: My visa was ready on the day I applied and it says so on the visa, but they delayed my entry into Russia until the 13th of August. So instead of a true 1 year visa, I sat in Ukraine 2 weeks and lost two weeks of my stay in Russia. Yes that is why I love Russia! They are govern-mentally challenged at times…

I paid my visa fee of 250 dollars and they keep your passport for the whole time. Hence make sure you have a copy of your passport…

Then you go and do what ever you want to do, within reason of course in Ukraine and wait patiently to get you passport back, with visa intact hopefully…

Now the day I went to pick up my visa, I had to sit outside for another hour waiting to get my visa and passport. Yes I had another appointment and such. It reminded me of doctor visits in the USA. Hurry up get to the doctor and two hours later he sees you for 10 minutes…

I finally got in to the visa office and  my passport was there, with visa and it was time to go home… 🙂

Lets reiterate the main things for a smooth visa session with the Russian Kiev consulate…

1. 3.5 X 4.5 cm photo

2. Electronic visa application from web

3. 250 dollars in American money

4. copies and more copies

5. Invitation: There is a whole variety of invitation in Russia and a tourist invitation will not work for a business visa. Now what you are buying when it comes to Invitation and believe you me a Telex Invitation is superior over all others…

6. Most important last things: Lots of patience and the top of the list; Make sure you get an verified appointment…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

I took a dozen videos and lots of pictures while sitting watching the world go by in a Russian train. What was I taking pictures and videos of? Good question…

I was filming the new factories and warehouses that have been built for hundreds of kilometers along the rail tracks. Brand new and in many places the rail lines have been doubled to handle the new loads of cargo…

I know about these changes, because I travel these tracks very often and I have watched 4 to 5 years of incredible growth happening. It was this trip that it all hit me and everything that I am watching happen this year now all makes sense. The grain games, the silent infiltration of farm equipment, no media on factory expansion, no media on warehouse expansion and in fact just plain silence on the huge growth that is happening in Russia…

Want a tidbit of news? I suspect that one day soon, you in America will see Russian chicken in the stores. Russia has silently increased chicken production 100 times and what with the WTO indoctrination. Soon there will be a Russian chicken in you pot. Just something that could happen. I know that we are flush with Russian chickens now and I do not see American chicken anymore anywhere…

Who is behind all this Russian chicken? Good question! I see Tyson as one of the big players, behind the scenes… (There goes more jobs from America…)

In fact Russia is working real hard to make sure that you (West) do not think anything is happening here at all and Western companies are behind it all. The fact is, Western companies are silently moving themselves into Asia and now Russia is prime game for cheap labor and taxes…

Don’t take my word on it! Look around and open your eyes…

Tiny example: Even an American company such as General Motors is made in the rest of the world: The head of GM bragged in a speech in China that 70% of GM’s cars are made outside the USA. We use our tax money to bail them out and we get to watch as cars are made in other countries for our use and there profit…

Russia is very silent, just as China was very silent for years about the growth and expansion. I fact the East does not believe in bragging about growth and they actually spend more effort to hide the fact that things are growing and going good…

I watch Russia do things and these things confused me at first, but now it is clear what is happening. Russia does not let a USA disaster go by and not use it too her advantage…

Example: In the USA the corn crops are really devastated and I have seen pictures from friends that prove this. I mean corn two foot high and brown and dead. Ears of corn with no kernels on them. Russia is not one to lay back and let a good drought happening in America to slip by. Russia declares that she is having a drought and grain will be effected. When in fact I see more land being harvested, more rain, more irrigation systems in effect and more grain than anytime I have every been here…

Then it all hit me, while I did some thinking’s on the train. Russia is learning to play hardball…

I grew up in America and watched Americans live by the rule of, “Never Waste a Good Crisis!”

While Russia still does not understand that concept very well, they are learning and I see that in things like, the Grain Situation…

Russia is starting to learn to not waste a “Good Crises from America!” Besides there is so many, that America makes it easy to pick and chose what crises that you can use to your advantage. China learned a long time ago how to do this, Russia is just a little slow…

Russia does not want you too know what is happening in reality, hence they do not like to shout about what is going on, but they have learned that they have to spout about somethings, to distract the West from other things… 🙂

Perfect example of USA bailout money expansion:

General Motors Making Russian Expansion – Having had success in China, General Motors is making plans for a major expansion in America’s other Cold War rival, Russia. Specifically, GM CEO Dan Akerson is hoping that the Russian market can bail out his ailing Adam Opel GP division. If successful GM’s Russian adventure will boost its stock by demonstrating that it can expand its overseas operations….

We used it successfully to expand in China and now lets do it in Russia!

And you people call me Un-America. The truth is I am pro-America, but anti-government and anti-corporate! If that makes me Un-American in your eyes, then so be it, but I want a strong America and I do not mean strong in debt and weapons. I mean strong in peace, harmony and morals!

America needs to join the world, not try to be the world…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

The USA officials who are familiar with reports of the submarine patrolling in the Gulf of Mexico said the vessel was a nuclear-powered Akula-class attack submarine, one of Russia’s quietest submarines. It was in the Gulf of Mexico for almost a month…

Are you scared yet? The Western media wants you to be and I will help them!

Hey – you had an evil Russian Nuke Sub, swimming silently around around like in a goldfish bowl, in the Gulf of Mexico. It is brimmed with nukes and was undetected by the greatest technology in the world. No one knew it was there untill it wagged its tail at the USA and went to terrorize another part of the world…

You should be very scared and hide in your homes…

You should be very scared and spend trillions on weapons of mass destruction…

You should be! OMG run the Russians are coming…

Time to go home, nothing new here…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Help Playboy Sales?

The Western World makes it easy to understand and comprehend how in a state of stupor or stupefied it is. Playboy has asked its Ukraine branch to try to work out a deal and get some nude photos to help its sales…

Playboy magazine has offered a member of the Russian female punk band Pussy Riot, who is currently awaiting verdict in a trial in Moscow on hooliganism charges, to pose for its centerfold…

I am embarrassed to see this kind of stuff come out of the world I grew up in…

Maybe performing satanic rituals in the churches of America within the Playboy pages would be a good idea…

Go for it… 🙂

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

Update:

Three members of Russian girl punk band Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism by a Moscow district court on Friday.

Judge Marina Sirovaya said Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were guilty and would not be acquitted.

Everything went well and it was very smooth from picking up visa to crossing the border back to Russia. I am sipping that cup of wonderful coffee this morning and enjoying the terrific flavor of some Vietnamese coffee! Did you know that Vietnam is one of the world leaders in coffee? I did not and have now found that their coffee is very high quality and priced right…

So I am going to enjoy my coffee and do some thinking’s about my recent trip to Ukraine. I need to write an article on getting a visa for an American, outside of American borders and I need to talk about a few things going on in Kiev, Ukraine. That will all be this week at some point…

Today I will talk about my train trip back from Kiev to Moscow…

Started Monday after I checked out of the flat I stayed in and it was raining “Cats N Dogs”, as my grandma would have said. My sweety (Sveta) insisted that I get an umbrella, as she had heard that it was going to rain and rain and rain some more my last day in Kiev…

I finally gave in and bought an umbrella, you see I am a guy from America and umbrellas are for wussies and I can not be a wussy, you know? 🙂

But in this side of the world, umbrellas are like plastic bags. Everyone has one and everyone uses one, guy or gal. Just like guys carry a bag for papers and such. Wallets are so not in, in these countries…

It is a good thing that Sveta hounded me to get an umbrella, it rained so hard that you could not see two feet in front of your face for hours. While I still got wet, I was very dry compared to what I would have been without an umbrella and without is my normal travel mode…

I learned at this late stage of life to use an umbrella and use it good…

So once I navigated to the bus and then the metro and then the Russian consulate in Kiev. I then waited for two hours to get my passport back, so that I could get to the train station to wait another two hours to leave Kiev…

To top it all off, the train was very late and this grouchy American was sure he would miss his train and have to stay another, who knows how long until, he could get another ticket to Moscow. Finally I got on my train along with a whole bunch of grouchy Russians, because the train terminal neglected to tell us what was going on. You know; it is only a train to Moscow right?

So now since this was a long distance train that started elsewhere in Ukraine, it meant that most of the train was full when we got on…

A babushka and I had lower seats in our room and we found two drunken bums in our spots. So as per normal for a long distant train, we had to fight for our seats that were ours and paid for per ticket. Finally after being told “No! we won’t move! We sleeping!” I in my pissed off American cussing voice, rattled off a few nice American things to say and they went into shock as they realized that I was not an introvert Russian but an introvert American with a bad attitude when pressed the wrong way…

To say the least the Babushka and I got our proper seats and two drunks lay in the top bunks, passed out after finishing a huge bottle of vodka. They expressed a certain dissatisfaction for the English person in the car and why he had to show up! Then with pure luck, the drunks got off the train all of a sudden and after two more stops the conductor was looking for them and I told him that they left long time ago. He had a weird look on his face, of surprise and then I realized that our Ukraine border was next and I think some shenanigans happened…

After that we were alone and peace and quiet resulted, the rest of the trip. No drunks and a very nice, calm, peaceful and sweet babushka, was all I had to deal with, or all she had to deal with was me, I should say…

It was almost like a first class car…

When we got to the Russian border, I saw a Chihuahua run down the hallway of the train car. Now I see dogs all the time to sniff for drugs and explosives, but never a tiny Chihuahua!

But alas it was not to be the tiniest drug/explosive dog in the world, as I saw momma run after the little escapee and drag him back protesting to his prison the train car room… 🙂

The Ukraine border goes fast for me, as they just look at me to see if I am who the passport says I am and 80% of the time now they recognize me, as I come and go by train so often, stamp my passport and I go back to bed…

This time though on the Russia border, I had a trainee and she got grouchy, because she did not like me using “Block Latin Letters” to fill out the migration card for crossing the border. I was just about to show her on the migration card, where it says that I can do that and in steps her trainer and he shows her what she has not been told about Americans crossing the border. She got to learn how to deal with that grouchy American, who fills out the migration card in English. Oh by the way, The Russians now have passport scanners to scan the chip embedded in your passport. It does make it much quicker and easier. No longer do they have this huge book or two to look up your name in, to see if you are a bad guy…

Now that the border crossing was all over, it was time to sleep and babushka and I slept. It was nice…

Then at around 6am babushka got up and the next thing I know, she has the table covered with bread, cheese, butter, tomatoes and other goodies. I am presented with a huge meal and in Russia or Ukraine, you never turn down a meal. It is the most important thing, especially when a babushka prepares it for you. So we sat at 6am and watched the world go by, as we ate a wonderful breakfast…

Time flew and before I knew it we were in Moscow. Sveta was waiting for me and at around 9am we got to the station. Sveta had another breakfast for me and I relished that one as much as the early one. Sveta is such a sweet heart and she picked up McDonald’s sausage muffins and coffee. We sat in the train station in Moscow and enjoyed our breakfast and then headed home…

It was so good to be home and Sveta is truly my sweety. I then collapsed as soon as I got home and slept all day trying to recover from the trip. I hate having heart troubles at time…

It is so good to be home to Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

“Cubic Media Analysis Center (CMAC): C-MAC provides clients an operational focus on local, regional and international media reporting to help determine impact on goals or objectives. Our team monitors the full spectrum of open-source media reporting (data collection); integrate and analyze appropriate reports and media themes (information); assess media trends, tone and objectivity, and provide recommendations (knowledge). Resident Media Specialists (RMS) residing in countries of specific interest help us better monitor foreign-language local newspapers, television, radio and Internet sites, and interpret “cultural” implications of media coverage that would otherwise be missed by U.S.-trained linguists.”

According to Timothy Hall, Director of Cubic Corporate Communication TrapWire, the application, is not part of Cubic’s product offerings even though Abraxas was purchased in December of 2010. “Good morning John, we have seen various erroneous stories connecting Cubic’s acquisition of Abraxas to TrapWire. Below is a link to a story which was published in 2007 outlining the spin-off of Abraxas Applications which is now known as TrapWire Inc. Cubic purchased the Abraxas Corporation five years after the spin-off was conducted. The sale did not include the TrapWire technology nor has there been any affiliation or association with the corporation. For credibility, you might want to note these facts. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions.”

So noted.

The response to Hall was this: “Well, as a PR person you know that this is a very muddled story.. Here in Washington DC Metro, as you know, there is a lot of, well, not conspiracy minded journalists, but rather those that know that in our nation;s political and military center that narratives from PR/PAO folks really have to be watched closely along with comments cited as being from government officials. .

So yes, there are transaction details that show Abraxas App was, ostensibly, spun off along with the TrapWire brand name. Around here we have heard many stories about spin offs from defense contractors (think of the Bell System as one of them…they seem to be back together again). Ultimately, no acquiring company is going to sell off innovative technology particularly when it meshes so well with the functions of a large and savvy organization like Cubic. Spin off, sure, but sacrifice the programming capabilities of Abraxas App and their significant contacts in areas that Cubic seeks business just does not make any balance sheet sense. The business synergies are too compelling.

Even your comment below indicates that Cubic purchased Abraxas 5 years after the spin off, in 2007, but that would make the purchase in 2012 not 2010 when it was recorded by the US government and trade press in Washington, DC: ‘Below is a link to a story which was published in 2007 outlining the spin-off of Abraxas Applications which is now known as TrapWire Inc. Cubic purchased the Abraxas Corporation five years after the spin-off was conducted.’

As I stated in my piece, the purchase of Abraxas made sense..A severe weakness in our homeland defense are bus stations and train stations (and their transport vehicles) that are very difficult to monitor. Cubic’s synergy with transport, security paycards makes it suited to address this gap. Tracking technologies are part of life in these times..You might consult the novel WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin written prior to 1984 that is relevant to the USA in my view.

My statement, as you read, is more about accountability. Power and influence and esteem are addicting for all of us. There is little accountability here in DC Metro for our federal officials and the many companies that populate our nation’s seat of power..And when your home is about a kilometer from the Pentagon you get kinda pissed that a trillion dollar a year political and security apparatus–which I worked for and still believe in and teach about–really screwed up and in the end not one person lost a job. The theater here in DC post 911 was rather disgusting..So the facts, at least around here, are never as they seem.”

“Cubic is the world’s leading provider of automated payment and fare collection systems and services for the transportation industry.” One also wonders how closely Cubic, through its press monitoring services, works with the US government to monitor and shape environments around the globe, something that the US military and Corporations are keen to do. And with the battlefield everywhere, that means leakage into the US domestic scene.

Once again, the synergies, as Cubic put it in one of its press releases, from purchasing Abraxas were going to get it well placed in the national security and cybersecutiy markets. The capability to monitor media (open source) just adds to the murky nature of Cubic’s synergies. From media analysis, to pay cards, to RFIDs, to maritime port security, to defense and intelligence contracting, Cubic is a turn key security operation with global reach.

Cubic’s purchase of Abraxas in 2010 for $124 million (US) in cash made sense looking at where the $1.2 billion dollar Cubic Company does business. A large portion of that money comes from its Defense Systems and Mission Support Operations segments (where Abraxas is apparently operating). Roughly $415 million comes from its Transportation division.

Cubic’s acquisition of Abraxas and its magic bag full of electronic tracking/snooping tools—apparently devoid of TrapWire, was made two years prior to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. In 2011 The transit authority there had recently installed video cameras on all of its 191 buses.

According to a report in the London Free Press, “Big Brother is watching passengers on London buses. All 191 vehicles in the London Transit fleet have been fitted with surveillance cameras. Buses are equipped with three cameras recording the interior of the bus –above the driver, at the front entrance and at the rear exit –and one camera recording the vehicle’s exterior. Following the lead of other big-city transit systems, the $730,800 project started in September as a way to make buses safer for both passengers and drivers.”It creates a sense of safety and security,” said London Transit manager Larry Ducharme . A sign on the entrance to buses tells passengers they’re being recorded.”

Enter Cubic’s Abraxas

Cubic’s 2011 Annual Report notes the following:”For the London 2012 Olympic Games, our contactless payment solution will be widely deployed onboard the massive London bus fleet. Transport riders in the capital city will be able to use their credit or debit cards in the same way as the Oystercard. Ultimately, we will be providing similar capability in the United States, Europe, and Australia.”

Is a more advanced form of TrapWire integrated as part of Cubic’s rider payment system or as an additional contract add-on?
Back here in the USA Cubic has been very busy. “Cubic and PATCO have partnered to provide the Philadelphia/New Jersey region commuters with the world’s first prepaid transit branded Visa card.”

And probably have your picture taken too and then matched with travel patterns, purchases and life style portfolios.

Cubic also has a large presence in RFID markets around the globe. Its purchase of Safe Harbor Holdings back in June of 2010 gave it a stronger presence in the cybersecurity market. Cubic has made itself a one stop national security business. It is not Abraxas or the jettisoned TrapWire which should be the focus of concern for all of we “little people.” Rather attention should be turned to giants like Cubic that have a hand in nearly every aspect of daily life that are truly frightening. They make little distinction between civilian and national security practices and, in fact ,merge both as part of their business model. Then again its the same with the US government. Cubic donates 77 percent of its political cash to Republicans and defense related political action committees. Of course, the Democrats and Republicans are nearly one in the same.

Cubic like many of its corporate comrades have all the power bases covered. They have extraordinary powers bestowed upon them by the three branches of the US government.. And it all filters down to the state and local levels through fusion centers and who knows what other “classified” groups..

There is no end in sight as long as the War on Terror continues which means that there is no light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

The struggle is not to get off the grid. The fight is to somehow remain ambiguous on it since
there is no escape.

John Stanton is a Virginia based writer specializing in national security matters. Reach
him at cioran123@yahoo.com

The views of the above author are not strictly the views of Windows to Russia. They are an independent view from an outside source and country that brings a better light on the world in general and Windows to Russia is pleased to have John Stanton’s article on its pages today. It is hoped that we will have many more of his writings in the future…

Windows to Russia!

Ecuador has reportedly granted asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to the Guardian newspaper. The daily quotes officials close to the Ecuadorian President in the capital, Quito.

Assange requested political asylum after the British Supreme Court refused to reopen his appeal against extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning over alleged sex crimes. The WikiLeaks founder has been holed up in the country’s London embassy since June 19.

The asylum guarantees him safe passage from the UK to Ecuador, says Professor Donald Rothwell from the Australian National University College of Law.

http://www.rt.com/news/assange-granted-asylum-ecuador-298/

The question marks at the end of the title are there because, you never know what is going to happen…

I do not say it will happen because I have lived with “Murphy’s Law” all my life and he does not seem to be going away… 🙂

So after I check out from my flat and that will be at around 11:30 am. I will go to the train station here in Kiev and store my luggage. After I have had to deal with a stolen bag before that I left outside of the consulate, because they will not allow you to carry much inside with you. I will make my bag safe first and then at 3 pm I will be picking up my visa. Then back to the train station and around 6 pm, I will be on my train and heading home…

Yes we will see…

Have a good day and tomorrow at this time if it all goes as planned, I will be back in Moscow, Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

I just love Skype and by Skype you can communicate and not lose the bank account doing it…

I pulled this picture of my two biggest fans in the world off of Skype. Boza comes running when I call now and I am sure that he thinks, I have become stuck in the speaker, as that is what he concentrates on and that is where he hears my voice from…

I have talked about that Russian smile before and I want you to take this smile of Sveta’s as a perfect example of a Russian smile. Russians may not smile a lot and they may not seem to care to smile, but when they do smile, it is very sincere…

I am the luckiest guy in the world and I am not afraid to say it. Can’t wait to get home on Tuesday…

That photo is a really a big reason, why I love Russia…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

While we all know that China is buying gold at a furious pace and has been buying gold as fast as it can. There is new rumors out from the Chinese themselves, that China will be buying up to at least 5000 to 6000 tons of gold and they will be starting to buy during this year…

It is also probable that if China buys this much gold, that this will exceed production of gold in the whole world. Other words we do not have enough gold for China to buy that much and it will take China time to purchase this amount of gold…

By the way! It makes perfect sense, China knows it has to do something with all those dollars that it has. Those American dollars that are soon to become worthless paper. Well for right now that paper can buy gold and more gold…

I have been watching China buying up hard assets all over the world. They have been happily dropping billions of US dollars and acquiring land, companies, gold, silver and you name it. As long as it is a physical substance they are buying it. They also are buying in multiples of countries all over the world…

So we have a China who allows her people to be paid and use gold as currency. We also have a China that wants to buy as much gold as it can get. Seems China is working very long term here and we better wake up…

It is strange to me that the West just ignores the buying of gold by China, the west also ignores that Russia is buying gold at a fast pace also. I have written several articles to this effect and no one takes this seriously and smart ass remarks is the answer from the West…

Here is some news for you to take to the bank…

The world is working very hard to buffer itself from a Western collapse in the financial system. The world learned what would happen when everything almost fell completely apart years ago and that fact has driven China, Russia and many others to start isolating themselves from having that ever happen again as bad as it did this last time…

The signs all all there and no one wants to admit it yet, but everyday, many countries are changing the way they do business. They are creating new ways to transact and they are shifting money that is used for transactions with other countries…

The cold hard fact is that even the so called allies of the USA are starting to look at creative financing, to deal with the stupid sanctions that America slaps of half the world. One day those sanctions are going to bite back and that day is coming soon…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…