Windows to Russia

I received an e-mail that was based on the latest suicide bombing in Turkey. This e-mail was rude, crude and socially unacceptable and it was all centered around how dumb I am to be going to Turkey on vacation, much less living in Russia…

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a gendarmerie post near the Turkish resort city of Antalya on Friday.

Yes we are going to Antalya. Yes – I read about this bombing and treated it the same, as I do all suicide bombings. With sadness and wonderment about how mentally ill some people are that do such things. But it in no way makes any difference in what Sveta and I intend to do for a vacation. Even though it was within a long stone throw of where we are going to be staying…

Sveta, like I, do not live our lives in fear. We do not live our lives in hiding. We take life as it comes. In fact life is a lot of fun when you are able to set aside the fear of something that is a tiny fraction of what can happen in life everyday…

That seems to be something that more than a few Americans are unable to do. As to the number of e-mails I have received on the subject of traveling to Turkey. For every e-mail that says, “Hey that would be fun!” I get 10 more that say, “You are crazy!”

Then when I get an e-mail as vile as the one I got this morning. I think about what Yoda said in a Star Wars movie:

Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. YODA

Now how true that is and then I think of this:

I used to think the reason I’d like to stop letting fear run my life was that it felt so bad to be afraid, and also that it was pointless–possibly wasted, if the feared thing never did materialize. But now that fear has packed its miserable bags and is running out the door, making slamming noises to call attention to itself, I begin to see how much room fear has occupied. What opportunity opens up! JAN FRAZIER

Today I realize that I feel sadness for people who are not able to explore the world and enjoy the sights and sounds of a society halfway around the world. I feel bad for people that have spent their whole lives in fear of something that might happen. I guess that I am lucky in the fact that my past gave me an opportunity to confront fear, along time ago…

I can’t wait for the e-mails that I get when we finally make our trip to Iran that we want to do… 🙂

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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Hello,

I was walking to day, (I must walk everyday, because of heart attacks). So I now take my camera. This time I went a different way and stumbled upon a beautiful Dove House. Now I have talked about this before in this link: Doves.

I would live in this dove house, This was a beautiful,well built and solid home. The Doves living in this place are treated like Royalty.

If You believe in Reincarnation, then coming back as a Dove in Russia would not be a bad life!

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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While Svet and I were traveling home from the Village this time, We came upon an area of Swallows (birds). So we had to take a look and see why there was so many Swallows. We found nests cut into the hill side of sand, with maybe 1000 birds. When we came up they all left in a flurry and a rush. That allowed us to take pictures. The biggest holes that you see are attempts made by Humans and their dogs and crows trying to dig out the nests.(lucky the holes are very deep and interconnected).

That upset me. The Swallows need safety from Humans and their dogs and the crows.

The Swallow eats all those mosquitoes that suck the life blood out of you in the Villages. So they are good to have! 🙂

As we left we stopped a distance away, The birds all came back! They were flying high in the sky waiting for the big bad Humans to leave. Well we left, but only after taking pictures of their homes. I find this fascinating and a wonderful part of nature.

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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Typhoon...

My thinking’s this morning were centered around the decommissioning of the Soviet Typhoon Submarines. I had all but forgotten about these beasts of a submarine. They are like a city under water, complete with the niceties of life. Lets see what Wikipedia says about the Typhoon…

The Project 941 or Akula, Russian “Акула” (“Shark”) class submarine (NATO reporting name: Typhoon) is a type of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine deployed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. With a submerged displacement of 48,000 tons, the Typhoons are the largest class of submarine ever built, large enough to accommodate decent living facilities for the crew when submerged for months on end. The source of the NATO reporting name remains unclear, although it is often claimed to be related to the use of the word “Typhoon” (“Тайфун”) by Leonid Brezhnev in a 1974 speech while describing a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine. Soviet doctrine for these vessels was to have them launch SLBMs while submerged under the arctic ice, avoiding the traversal of the GIUK gap to remain safe from the enemy attack submarines and anti-submarine forces. Technically Typhoons were also able to successfully deploy their long-range nuclear missiles while moored at their docks.

So as I was sipping that wonderful cup of chicory. I decided to do some research on this submarine. I have to say it is one big sub. The name that the Russians call it seems better; Shark class submarine. I would say Great White Shark if I named it…

After asking Yandex the Russian search engine about the submarine. I realized that the START III treaty makes this submarine unusable according to the treaty’s wording. Then I realized that Russia is having to make a big ado about this, so that the West will feel so much better about life, knowing that the old Soviet Death Sub is gone…

Myself, I don’t think that these submarines are going anywhere. With the exception of the three of them that are mothballed already. I think that they will tuck away three of these submarines nice n quiet and keep them for a rainy day. This is what the USA would and does do with many old forms of nuclear weapons and delivery vessels…

I also saw an article that was sneaked into the news. It said: A high-ranking source in the Russian Defense Ministry has denied rumors of a planned scrapping of Typhoon class strategic submarines in the near future. Several media sources reported recently that the Russian military had decided to scrap the world’s largest nuclear-powered subs by 2014. “The Defense Ministry has not made such a decision. The submarines remain in service with the Navy,” the official told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

I noticed that the MSN press did not take that news story and run with it. They really like the fact that the biggest and baddest submarine on earth is being decommissioned and that is that…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

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After a few days of wondering what is up! We discovered that the original travel agency that we booked through, freaked out over the fact that an American was traveling by them. They decided that maybe I was not able to do such a thing! Like travel to Turkey by Russia… 🙂

After they wasted several days and tried to get confirmation that someone of greater power would okay, that this lowly American is able to travel from Moscow to Turkey and no one would die from the transaction, it was too late and the hotel that we were going to was booked full until the end of the month of October… 🙁

I feel sorry for Russians and any people in general that are not able to think out of the box. In Russia this is an all too often occurrence because Sveta and I do things different. I am much different than most Americans in Russia. I cross Russian borders by car (Oh heavens!), I drive a Volga (Heaven forbid, why?) and now I am trying to go to Turkey! (Is that legal? :)) But Sveta and I being who we are. Had plan B all ready in action. Because in Russia you must have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and a Plan to alter all those plans. Plan B worked…

We have another place that is Britain shy and Russian and German abused. It is called Happy Dreams Beach Hotel. Well we are very happy with the second choice and as I write this we have our money back from the first travel agency and all paper work and tickets for the second (Plan B) vacation package. We literally got the last room for this whole month…

But back to the Freaking out Russians. It is interesting while I travel Russia. I many times am the first American that people have seen in lots of the areas that we travel through. Moscow may have its fair share of Americans and British people but when you are pulled over 1000km from Moscow by the cops. They most likely have never seen an American driving a car and especially a Volga of all cars, to be driving. I can tell the cops that have never seen an American drivers license. They pass it around as a new toy. Then sometimes they ask for my passport. They never are looking for trouble, they just want to see an American passport way out in the boonies of Russia…

So Sveta and I have a new destination. We now have found a much better tour agency called Natalies Tours. They have been wonderful to work with and had no problems with this American. If you read the link to them, you will find that they are one of the best in Russia and guess what they have sent Americans to Turkey… 🙂

We leave the same day and that is still this Sunday on the 2nd of October. Misha Sveta’s son is watching Boza at our place and we have Sveta’s mother as back up in case Misha gets in a bind. ..

Kyle and Sveta
Windows to Russia!

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Now while we have a news blog that garners around 100 posts a day and that really should be enough for everyone to keep up on what is happening with Russia. I like to list once in awhile what is happening around Russia in the Windows to Russia website…

Lets see what Russia is doing:

• A portrait of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was sold at a Moscow auction house for EUR200,000. The picture of the Russian prime minister by Georgian-born American artist David Datuna was bought by an anonymous Russian businessman during the Art-Moscow International Exhibition, which took place from the 21st to the 25th of September…
• Russia has rejected the third, tamed down, resolution on Syria that was submitted by the European countries. The Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said during the UN-held consultations that he was “; disappointed”; with the latest draft provisions, which, he said, fail to take account of Russia’s proposals…
• According to the Russian Government’s press service, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed an order to raise public sector workers wages by 6.5% as of October 1st. Civil servants wages have again started to grow as of this year following a long break caused by the world financial crisis…
• The Proton-M Russian launch vehicle has put the Mexican QuetzSat-1 satellite into designated orbit, with the satellite handed over under the contractor’s authority. This came in a statement for the Interfax news agency by an official of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre in Moscow…
• Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has given an interview to the heads of three federal TV channels: “Channel 1,” “Russia 1” and “NTV”. The recording was made on Thursday evening at the Presidential residence. The interview lasting 25 minutes will be aired today at 8:30pm simultaneously on the three channels…
• Russia is tightening monitoring of imports of U.S. meat after reported cases of contamination of ground beef with E. coli at “Tyson Fresh Meats Inc.” in Kansas. The latter plant has already withdrawn 60 tons of meat…
• Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday he decided not to run for a second term because Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had a greater political authority and higher ratings…
• The Palestinians are likely to receive observer status at the UN rather than full membership, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said…
• Cameras aimed at catching overzealous drivers are to start operating in Moscow on October 1. Anyone caught speeding will be sent a photo and fine by mail. The cameras will also be used to record other offenses, such as driving in the bus lane. Fines for traffic violations will be as high as 5,000 rubles. The majority of cameras are located near bus lanes and on the Third Ring Road, on which speeding is commonplace…
• President Dmitry Medvedev is going to change radically the government make-up, if he takes up the post of prime minister. “The government should be renewed. This is why, if the Russian people trust the United Russia Party with the formation of the government, i.e. if they vote for United Russia, if they vote for our presidential candidate, if the new government is to be created and I am assigned the job, it will be an entirely new government, a government made up of new people,” the President said in an interview with the 1st, Rossia and NTV TV Channels, due to be broadcast at 20.30 on Friday. “I think this is extremely important,” he added…
• The Russian navy is getting rid of its most powerful submarines, the Typhoon class. Designed to carry big nuclear warheads, the Typhoon-class submarines are the largest in the world. Their immense size, though, was the main reason why the country decided to decommission the underwater veterans. The vessels did not live up to the new START treaty, which was signed by the Russia and the US in the spring of 2010. The long-awaited treaty considerably limited the strategic arsenals of each country to 1,550 nuclear warheads…

Okay that is enough of that for today. Russia is never dull and I could print forever what she is up to, but that is what Russian News From Russia is for… 🙂

Windows to Russia!

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Did you see this? Most likely not! The MSN definitely wants this kept on a low profile. Russia does not care if it is low profile or not but those out of Russia should care. The loan is not very likely to see widespread use at first, but it is looking like the Russians are contemplating long term and that gold is a part of their thinking’s…

MOSCOW, Aug 26 (Reuters Africa) – Russia’s central bank will offer gold-backed loans for up to 90 days at an interest rate of 7 percent, it said in a statement on Friday, expanding its lending facilities for dealing with any future liquidity crunch in the banking system.

The gold-backed lending was approved by the board of directors at a meeting on Friday. The rate on the facility is in line with the central bank’s Lombard rate on borrowing secured against high-quality bonds.

“This measure fits the central bank’s policy of developing refinancing instruments within the banking system. The facility will be unlikely in strong demand, only at times of liquidity crunches,” said Maxim Oreshkin, chief economist at Credit Agricole in Moscow.

Levels of rouble liquidity remain at comfortable levels for now, with the overnight interbank rate having hovered within 3-4 percent range since early 2010 compared to more than 10 percent seen during the crisis of 2008-2009.

Alexander Morozov, chief economist at HSBC in Moscow, said the new instrument will likely only be used by up to 1 percent of the whole refinancing market in Russia.

Looks like a way of gathering some extra gold out of the populace. Interesting, I know that I am behind the times on this but like I said it has been very low profile. Just like the fact that Russia has been buying gold like there is no tomorrow. Oh yes and so has China for that fact…

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Hello,

Today while I was drinking my cup of chicory, I was thinking about the first time I saw Moscow around 5 years ago…

I had flown in with my Sweety (Svet) from America. The trip was long and I had gotten very sick! I tried my best and acted like life was great. I remember seeing Moscow from the Jet. I remember going through the passport check area. I remember no one cared if I had luggage or not. No one cared what I had to declare. I had five large bags (What was left of my American life!) and a pet carrier with a little dog. I remember being overwhelmed with wannabe taxi drivers. I remember that the airport was huge. I remember a McDonald’s on the main byway. I remember the most of all, The high-rise buildings that Moscow calls flats. I will never forget the high-rise after high-rise. I looked and looked for single family dwellings. None! I really remember not much else…

I was sick for two weeks, I could not get out of bed hardly. My sweety made me chicken noodle soup and nursed me back to health. I am not sure what illness I came down with, but I do remember my Sweety called a doctor. This doctor came to the flat! In America that would never happen! The Doctor gave me pills and in a few days I felt better…

So my coming to Russia, Moscow was not perfect. But what I do remember is that my Sweet (Svet) took care of me, and no one has taken care of me for a long time. A very long time!

Thank You (Sweety Pie)

Kyle Keeton
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Several Western nations at the UN (Particularly US, France and Britain) rejected what they called a Russian attempt to equalize government attacks on civilians with violent acts fomented by the opposition, while at the same time Russia speaks belittling of what it calls a stealth attempt by the West to bring about regime change in other countries…

It seems that the West does not like Russia’s draft of the resolution that Russia presented in counter balance to the resolution that the West is favoring…

I have to contemplate that the saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!” Has some real meaning for Russians with the way the West does political business…

Lets hope that Medvedev has really lost his starry eyes over the West, because he was definitely blinded for a awhile by the twinkles…

Kyle Keeton
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Working under the Putin-Medvedev tandem, many representatives of Putin’s government did not regard the president as their boss, which was evident from Kudrin’s statement, experts said.

“There are quite a few people in the government who consider themselves as no less important than Medvedev,” New Economic School Assistant Principal Konstantin Sonin said. But other ministers will not oppose Medvedev without being instructed to do so, Vinogradov conjectured.

Source: Analytical department of RIA RosBusinessConsulting

How true this information is and is what can happen when you have two equal in theory bosses…

But as they said, No one will oppose Medvedev now! It is just a little time and Medvedev is gone from President. Then we shall see what happens at that point…

RBC is a great news source by the way: http://www.rbcnews.com/ goes to the English version and they have a pretty good translation department that does a good job. Give them a try…

Kyle Keeton
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