Windows to Russia

The White House has a sad confused face and India put it there!

The Obama Administration bragged about how they had wined and dined India and that a new era of cooperation was at hand, In fact they went as far to say that America has become best buddies with India… (It was a real meal of a life time!)

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Moscow this week to negotiate a multibillion-dollar arms deal, meet the Russian President and Prime Minister and seal a new civilian nuclear deal with Russia — which the Indian press hailed as even more advantageous than India’s similar technology-sharing agreement with the U.S. Singh told a Russian news channel, “We have been able to get equipment and technologies from Russia which were not available to us from any (America) other countries.”

This is an important issue to note: Russia is a life long supporter of India and America has just now decided to acknowledge that India is a growing powerhouse. (This has something to do with America’s terrible financial habits.)

So what happened to that new era of Indo-U.S. friendship, celebrated so elaborately and so recently over gilded plates of collard greens and basmati rice? It certainly hasn’t been forgotten, but the ritual pomp and genuine goodwill of the Nov. 24 state visit to Washington have quickly made room for the realities of Indian politics. The Russian bear hug is a “note of caution” and a reminder of earlier American agreements gone sour, says G. Parthasarathy, a former Indian ambassador and visiting professor at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi.

I use to tell my managers in training: “Treat all people that you work with – with respect, Because one day they may be your Boss!”

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In America people like to mumble under their breath about the weather forecast and how wrong it was for the day! It is a well known joke that you just listen to the forecast and believe the opposite of what they say…

In Russia, especially Moscow Russia. Some still think that the Weather Man can and will not be wrong!

Mayor Yury Luzhkov, known for his attempts to control both the rain and the snow, lambasted weather forecasters Tuesday for failing to predict this winter’s first big snowfall, which caused traffic jams that even stunned drivers used to Moscow’s notoriously crowded streets.

The mayor “is extremely dissatisfied with the work of the [city] meteorological office, which was unable to make an exact forecast even on a short-term basis,” Luzhkov’s spokesman Sergei Tsoi said, Interfax reported.

Only 14 to 15 centimeters (less than 6 inches) of snow fell in a 24 hour period, But the catcher is that the city meteorologist forecast 1 to 2 centimeters! So…

As city wide traffic disintegrated to a halt and the roads became a living nightmare – 2700 accidents collapsed the already fragile rush hour traffic situation causing spectacular collisions along the major roads and at that point the drivers abandon their cars near metro stations and bus terminals. The news reported that people even left cars standing on the eight-lane wide Garden Ring Road and the Mkad Road that is the last ring around the city. (Link to 894km of traffic jam)

They say that enterprising guys walked through the jammed up traffic, (with cans of gasoline) selling fuel at double to triple the price!

This all created a backlash into the Mayors office from people wanting to know why the roads were in such bad shape?

So Mayor Yury Luzhkov – Blamed the Weather Man!

Who else you gonna blame? The Mayor… 🙂

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PS: I hope the weather man survives! I hear on the news that they are talking about making the cities meteorologist pay financially for their errors…

Russia to keep silo-based ballistic missiles in future:
Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will keep both silo-based and mobile ballistic missile systems in service until at least 2020, the SMF commander said on Tuesday.

Georgi Khaindrava: “Saakashvili is a drug addict”:
One of these days, leader of Democratic Movement – United Georgia Nino Burjanadze (see photo), a representative of the Georgian opposition’s uncompromising wing has recently shared her idea of the Georgian president’s plans, as well as her apprehensions related to his further stay in power. Nino Anzorovna has come to know her former Rose Revolution associate perfectly well. Perhaps, this fact makes her opinion worth.

Who undermines foundations of Georgian society?:
A new scandal is gathering pace in Georgia with the nation’s sanctum – Georgian church and Catholicos of All Georgia Ilia II – as protagonists. The opposition claims the authorities have deliberately initiated a defamation campaign against him. Party leaders support each other in their defense of the Patriarch. Are the authorities really at war with the church?

Russia reigns over its weather:
Russian scientists are decades deep into research on bending the weather to their will. They’ve melted away fog, dissipated the radioactive fallout from Chernobyl and called down rains fierce enough to drown unborn locusts threatening the distant northeastern grasslands.

Afghans condemn, protest against NATO for killing civilians:
Afghan citizens in the eastern Laghman province staged a shocking demonstration on Tuesday condemning NATO for killing civilians during a military operation near the provincial administrative center, local television reported.

Russian authorities foil 81 terror acts in N.Caucasus in 2009:
Police and other security forces have prevented 81 terrorist attacks in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus this year, the head of the Federal Security Service said on Tuesday.

Russian nightclub fire death toll rises to 118:
The death toll in a recent nightclub fire in Russia’s Urals climbed to 118 people on Tuesday following the death of another injured person in hospital, a local emergencies spokesman said.

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This is a great video even if it is in Russian!

You have to understand that Moscow maybe cold, cold and more cold, but lots of snow just is not very often on the menu!

So when we get snow over a few centimeters then “all you know what” breaks loose…

Try a 894km of traffic jam. The roads in Moscow were literally a nightmare. You could not even count all the wrecks!

The Metro and Road Police had a busy day yesterday!

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A period of three days has been declared for mourning in Perm due to the terrible tragedy that just occurred at a night club. Further more, Today Monday, December 7th, has been declared an official day of mourning throughout the country by President Dmitry Medvedev.

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Russian Video: Tragedy in Perm (Fire in Nightclub)!

Night Club in Perm “Lame Horse” was celebrating its 7th birthday. There were a lot of people a lot of fun and firework! Now there more than 100 died and over 130 people are hospitalized most of them in critical condition. Watch videos:The 7th of December is declared as mourning day in Russia for victims of Perm nightclub fire.Russian Video… (Follow Link to Russian Video!)

Russian cafe fire death toll rises to 112 – TV

At least 112 people were killed and 130 hospitalized in a fire that broke out late on Friday in the Urals city of Perm, the Vesti TV channel said on Saturday. You want pictures you have to follow Link. Use judgment on who sees the pictures to this tragedy…

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This Friday (today) marks the anniversary of the first defensive leg of the historic Battle of Moscow. In December 1941, the German army was stopped at the entrance to the Russian capital. (Link)

The Battle of Moscow a quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – “By early December, the lead German Panzer Groups stood less than 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the Kremlin, and Wehrmacht officers were able to see some of Moscow’s buildings with binoculars; but the Axis forces were unable to make further advances. On December 5, 1941, fresh Soviet Siberian troops, prepared for winter warfare, attacked the German forces in front of Moscow; by January 1942, the Soviets had driven the Wehrmacht back 100 to 250 km (60 to 150 mi), ending the immediate threat to Moscow and marking the closest that Axis forces ever got to capturing the Soviet capital.”

I can attest personally to the monuments erected to the defense of Moscow and when you travel Russia you will see thousands of monuments located in all towns, that tell the story of World War II and all the battles that occurred.

30 kilometers from the Kremlin! Svet and I live that far from the Kremlin right now.

That is not very far, but in this particular case it was far enough…

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Wanna know what wakes up the Western press about Russia? Two things – 1. Russia is evil! or 2. Putin makes a statement of some type!

Lions and Tigers and Putin – (Oh – My) :
Putin hints at return to presidency: Washington Post
RUSSIA Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday gave his strongest signal yet that he plans to return to Russia’s presidency, telling millions of TV viewers that he will consider running in 2012.

ABC, CNN, Washington Post, Drudge, Reuters and at least 100 other major players in the Western news press have run the same headline story about what Putin said. I even tracked it down to the local news stations and it was in many of the International and World news spots.

If the Swine Flu had spread as fast and complete as this story on Putin, then the world would have had a “crises” on its hands…

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Reform of the Russian Armed Forces:
By 2012, the military is to be downsized to 1 million personnel, a professional NCO corps is to be created, and its command and control system is to be streamlined.

Indian PM confident of quick return to full economic growth:
The Indian economy will overcome the consequences of the global credit crunch within the next two to three years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said ahead of his upcoming visit to Russia.

Vietnam could become key importer of Russian weaponry:
Vietnam could become a key importer of Russian weaponry if several contracts on the purchase of diesel submarines and aircraft are signed in the near future, a Russian newspaper said.

Russia to further cut Interior Ministry troops to 170,000 by 2020:
The numerical strength of Russia’s Interior Ministry troops will be reduced by 14,000 to around 170,000 personnel by 2020, the force commander said on Friday.

Transcript of Vladimir Putin’s question and answer session:
The full transcript of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s annual live TV and radio phone-in.

The Obama administration’s ‘reset button’ for Russia:
The interests of the Obama administration in improving ties with Russia, a policy metaphorically first described by Vice President Biden in February 2009 as ‘pressing the reset button,’ are principally driven by three goals.

Arms Treaty Likely to Expire Before New Pact Is Set:
American and Russian negotiators are racing to solve the remaining obstacles to a new arms control treaty that would cut the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals by up to a third and replace a cold-war-era pact that expires Saturday.

A day in the life of a person in a wheelchair:
Moscow wheelchair users have to face enormous challenges in their everyday occupations and activities, including shopping, crossing a street or going to the cinema. Gennady Rodin, a wheelchair-bound Moscow resident, offered a camera crew from RIA Novosti news agency the opportunity to follow him for a day.

The De-Russification of the Baltics Serves a Geopolitical Purpose:
The Baltic States occupy strategic territory along what, for two hundred years, was Russia’s Western coast-line. Their de-Russification now serves a simple geopolitical purpose – that of pushing Russia North and East, out of the European affairs in which she ought to be a natural player. This geopolitical push is a zero-sum game from which only the United States benefits.

Russia: Protecting Citizens Living Abroad:
Russian strategies resemble the policies used by the West for exerting its influence abroad like NATO invasion in Kosovo.

Revitalizing India-Russia ties:
The challenges of dealing with China’s rising power are encouraging India and Russia to reach out to each other. Indian diplomats have noted a perceptible warming towards India in the Kremlin as well. The two countries are rediscovering the values of their traditional friendship in the face of ongoing shifts in global political and economic equations.

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