Windows to Russia

Don’t ask me why eating cow tongue reminds me of the USA being downgraded credit wise but it does. As I was sipping that morning cup of coffee I was enjoying a breakfast of cow tongue. I found a little shop that makes cow tongue sub sandwiches. They have cabbage leafs, slices of red and yellow peppers and a slice of cheese on a sub bun. They are delicious and fit for a king…

The Western attitude toward cow tongue would not be understood on this side of the world. For here cow tongue is considered far better than a cut of prime beef. It is an expensive part of the cow in Ukraine and Russia. I assume that in most of the ex Soviet world the desire for cow tongue is high on the list…

When I was growing up we as a family ate lots of cow tongue in the USA. We were poor and cow tongue could be bought dirt cheap or even free at times. Cow tongue was a food with a stigma attached to it. I remember taking cow tongue sandwiches to school and getting ridiculed for eating cow tongue. Only people who were farmers and poor ate cow tongue. It was considered beneath many people to consider such foods…

I was taken back by the fact that people here on this side of the world love cow tongue and they will pay a high price for it. I see stands at the market places that sell nothing but cow tongue and Sveta and I really like a good meal of cow tongue…

What does that have to do with the downgrade of the USA credit status? Well it just seems to make sense when I looked at the cow tongue sub sandwich that I was eating and thought of all those people in America who would cringe at the thought of eating a cow tongue sandwich. That one day that cow tongue sandwich might just be a delicacy in America also…

The implications of the downgrade are going to be far reaching and as the downgrades continue so will the crumbling of the Western financial empire. The cost of interest on the loans has just gone up and outlook is negative. This should have happened a long time ago but when you control the worlds money you can play games longer than most countries…

So breakfast was a great cup of coffee and a wonderful cow tongue sub sandwich. What was not so great was the news of the downgrade of America’s credit rating…

So I just ate my cow tongue sandwich in silence and sipped my coffee and did some thinking’s about the future of America…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

Pictures in order: Off the balcony of my room, the hotel, a boat I like, A boat I use to like that has been sunk and across the river from Kiev and the Cave Monasteries…

I got to take a much needed walk today and I took the old camera with me. My cell phone camera died just before I left and so I tossed this old Rekam camera in the bag. It still works and takes great pictures…

As I said in an earlier post that I am staying just out of the main city of Kiev. But a metro line runs out near me and that makes a perfect place to stay. It is a beautiful Soviet Hotel called the Slavvtich. One guy said it stands for beer. Several others agreed and they seemed happy with that statement so I guess it is the name of a beer…

I was disappointed to see one of my favorite boats has sunk. I have climbed on board in the past and it was an old relic. That is why it went down. No one cared or took care of her… 🙁

It is suppose to be a good weekend and I am going to take a whole bunch of pictures. Kiev is just too beautiful not to take pictures of her. I just love the river…

Have a great weekend everyone…

Kyle
Windows to Russia!

So the stock markets are crashing and the world finances are looking like 2008 all over again. With a big difference, all the tricks and treats are used up…

As I have said in the past on Windows to Russia. The stock market should be abolished. It is nothing but a game and games never end the way everyone likes them to end. There is always a loser with every winner. To me it is just another form of gambling and the house always wins…

I would like to know. Who would have hard earned money in the stock market? Money is too hard to come by to give to the rich and have it taken away at the drop of a hat. I have read article after article about the millions and billions of dollars that have been lost by normal people in this last week, as the DOW has dropped over 800 points…

I watched the Russian stock market this go around and it had an easier time of it and we will have to see if that holds true. Last time the Russian stock market was beat into oblivion and I was surprised that it ever came back. The Russian stock market was one bloody mess last time…

I suspect that it will not be long and we will see America drop another trillion dollars in bail (TARP) out money, for the too big to fail. While us little people become cattle fodder…

Then the fun will begin…

Windows to Russia!

I was up early and running around Kiev with early birds. It was a good thing that I started early to get my work done. It has started to rain and does not seem likely to let up for many hours. I was going to take pictures this afternoon but we will wait and see what the weather does…

I stopped at McDonald’s and got my morning cup of coffee, Americana style of course! Something that I noticed today at McDonald’s is that people in Kiev were holding the doors for other people, so that the door would not smack them in the face. Then I took notice that people were looking back over their shoulders to see if anyone would be hit by a swinging door. Now this is in direct contrast to what I see in Moscow. In Moscow people will just let the door swing and break your nose if you are not careful and holding a door just does not happen…

There is a lot of differences in Kiev and Moscow but the biggest difference is size. Kiev seems so small and easy to transverse. The metro is tiny and very easy to understand. You can literally walk across town in Kiev and Sveta and I have done just that at times…

Kiev is a totally different world than Moscow. It is like the difference between Kansas City and New York. Both big cities but New York is just plain huge. Example is that in Kiev I can be walking around the center of Kiev in less than 20 minutes by metro and in Moscow it would take two hours to get to the center of the city. I am the same distance (as the crow flies) from Kiev as I live in Moscow. But Moscow is just such a massive vast city that trying to transverse it takes hours because of so much humanity to wade through…

I realized just a few minutes ago that I forgot to take my medication this morning. So after I started to have a few problems it came back to me that I had not taken my long acting nitro pill. That is what happens when I do not keep on a scheduled and being in a strange country and in a hotel room messes up my pattern a lot. But now I am back on track and have everything caught back up as of this morning. I took my pills even though late and will adjust my evening pills for the time difference…

I was also able to swing by the train terminal and purchase my return ticket to Moscow. So I officially leave on the 11th of August and will be back home on the 12th…

It looks like I will just take it easy for the rest of the day and with all the rain it looks like a good day to read a book…

Kyle
Windows to Russia!

It just dawned on me that Sveta had expressed to me that our part of Moscow was going through that time of the year that they turn off the hot water and all you get is cold water…

It is a normal part of life in Moscow and is done for maintenance. By the time I am back to Moscow the hot water will be turned back on. Now how is that for good timing?

Now do not get me wrong. I am in no lap of luxury. We get good hot water about two hours a day in this hotel. Then the rest of the time it is slightly warm. Never take hot water for granted in the Ex-Soviet countries

But I have warm water and can take a shower. Poor Sveta has to boil water to try to clean up. Or take a cold shower…

Usually we go to the village at this time of the year but as you know I am in limbo waiting without my passport to get my visa to Russia…

You know! I would rather be in Moscow with Sveta and Boza, taking cold showers and such. Because that is where my heart is and you know what they say? Home is where the heart is…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

After traipsing around Kiev and putting my nose into certain places. I found a acquaintance of of mine that I have mentioned before in an article several years ago. He works in the Embassy system for Ukraine and has lofty contacts. He corrected a few issues and then I was given the word of sorry, but time to shut your mouth…

I said okay after I tell everyone that all is back to normal and Windows to Russia is happy again. I will then shut my mouth and be happy also… 🙂

So now that all is good I think I will have an extra cup of coffee today. It will be decaff of course and then I will get back to business in Kiev…

Got to get to the train terminal, call Sveta and tell her what happened, take some pictures of Kiev, meet with a few new friends and get my work caught back up. Just about a week and I get to go home…

That is all I am going to say about that and Thank you Ukraine for correcting the issue… (cross my fingers)

Kyle

Windows to Russia!

Since I am not in Russia at this moment it would not be right to call them Russian thinking’s. Now would it? So with that morning cup of coffee I am going to place a post the best that I can. This proxy stuff is bull and it makes it hard to do. But it can and will be done…

So my thinking’s this morning are centered around a Skype call that I had with my son this morning. I told him to call me when he got back in from picking his son up. My grandson! That sounds good doesn’t it? The little tyke is going to preschool now and they grow so fast…

I am proud of my boy and he has done well for himself. He now has his own office and is hiring a staff to help run it. His company has opened a branch near where my son lives. Before this he did most of his work for them on line. By the way my son’s name is Lyle and grandson is Jayden…

We talked for one and a half hours and that time seemed like minutes. I miss the kid and it seems like just yesterday that he was the age of his own kid right now. Time screams by and just does not slow down for anyone or anything…

I saw myself in Lyle when I was younger and the work ethics are there that I tried to instill as part of growing up. I realized this morning that I raised a good kid and I should be very proud of him…

I always say what goes around comes around and as he told me about the grand-kid and how independent he is, I had memories of Lyle stirring at that age. I smiled and realized that, like grandfather, like son, like grand-kid…

It is a wonderful day in Ukraine and I think that I will have a second cup of that delicious coffee and do a little more thinking’s…

Cats In The Cradle:
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say “I’m gonna be like you dad
You know I’m gonna be like you”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home dad?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, “Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play
Can you teach me to throw”, I said “Not today
I got a lot to do”, he said, “That’s ok”
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, “I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
“Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while?”
He shook his head and said with a smile
“What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then son
You know we’ll have a good time then

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind”
He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you”

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin’ home son?
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then dad
You know we’ll have a good time then

Kyle Keeton

Windows to Russia!

Interesting happenings. I am writing through a proxy. I have spent all day trying to pin point where Windows to Russia is being blocked at. I have tried 5 different IP’s and the same result with all of them…

Ukraine has taken offense to something I have said and have blocked Windows to Russia. Now I can only verify this from Kiev and if anyone outside of Kiev in Ukraine can see my site then please let me know. I would like to know to what extent this is happening in Ukraine…

I am experimenting right now with a proxy service and will attempt to post this through that service. I find life such a wonderful challenge and very interesting. I have made and filed a few complaints, which I know will do no good, but hey what does it hurt to file them?

Looks like my last article about corruption hit the big time and got rocked on the hit department… 🙂

So lets see if this posts. If not I can promise that Sveta will get it posted from Russia because Russia does not censor me…

Check windowstorussia.com in You will see that Ukraine is blocking Windows to Russia! This is real censorship by a country that proclaims democracy…

I am going to try to get Sveta to get a picture of the blockage of the site and post it here…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

This is a picture.
And here are two links with report (I just don’t know how long host-tracker will keep them):
http://host-tracker.com/check_res_ajx/8492647-0/
http://host-tracker.com/check_res_ajx/8493413-0/

As I was sipping that wonderful cup of coffee this morning. I was thinking about how Ukraine has changed the way they present coffee…

The last three times that I have been to Ukraine. When you order coffee they will ask you American or Eastern style. Eastern style is a very small very strong coffee full of grounds. American is a large medium to weak strength coffee, no grounds and with lots of milk… (Sugar on the side!)

Actually the Americana style coffee is very good and they have done a good job trying to imitate American coffee. It looks like McDonald’s has had an awful lot to do with this changing trend in Ukraine. In Russia you still must be very specific and order large coffee with milk and you get something that resembles the new Ukraine American style coffee. Full of coffee grounds… 🙂

But this morning I sat in my hotel room and made my own coffee. Now that is the best way to do it. There was a cool breeze coming off the river this morning. The sky was clear, the sun was bright, he birds were singing and the cars going beep – beep…

The best coffee is still one that you make yourself. In this part of the world everyone carries a cup heater for boiling water in a cup. It is part of the necessary survival equipment that all good Easterners would never be with out…

I have learned to use the water glass that is supplied in the hotel room and make hot coffee right in the room. When I have to stay a while in Ukraine I just buy a 5 liter bottle of water and I can drink coffee when ever I feel like it. Which is every morning. Instant coffee is very plentiful in this part of the world and boiling water plus a water glass plus instant coffee equals a good start to the day…

But I find it interesting that Ukraine has Americana coffee. Interesting to watch changes in little things like that…

Just another reason that I enjoy Ukraine…

Kyle
Windows to Russia!

This excerpt below is a very good example of a desperate empire called the West (NATO)…