Windows to Russia

The missile defense plans of America in Poland and the Czech Republic was a bonehead idea from day one. I have written extensively about this subject and voiced my opinion that America needs to stay out of affairs on this side of the world.

The US is to abandon its plan to develop a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, the Czech prime minister has announced. (Link)

Good move – but when you do not have any money left as a country (USA), you have to start cutting expenses somewhere.

Now speaking of money the Czech Republic and Polish Governments will now whine and cry about how bad Russia is and that this missile defense guaranteed their security. The only thing they really cared about was the $Dollars$ that America was too spend in their countries…

I prefer my tax money to be spent in America and help America back home…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

This is a story of a lost ship that encompasses any imagination on what it was to have been carrying as a cargo….

The Arctic Sea has over 6,000 metric tons of timber on board, he said.

“As a result of the investigation, including a search of the vessel and a probe into its documents, it was established that the cargo vessel was carrying pine timber instead of the more valuable mahogany,” the sailor said. (Link)

Now if that is not a real bummer!

It was not even carrying the expensive wood (mahogany), it was carrying cheap wood (pine).

Now that really is a crime….

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Looks like a fire cracker waiting to be lit!

MOSCOW, September 15 (RIA Novosti) – Russian border guards will detain all vessels that violate Abkhazia’s maritime border, a senior border guards official said on Tuesday.

Get ready because all it is going to take is a spark and we could have a serious encounter in the waters near Abkhazia! Georgia has been causing trouble for other countries trying to deliver goods to Abkhazia…

Bang!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

On the anniversary of the financial meltdown, RT spoke to Gerald Celente, the founder of economic forecasters the Trends Research Institute, who predicted the crisis in early 2008. Gerald says, “There is no recovery from the crises!”

I listen to what he has to say and so far he is right and what he has been talking about is coming true all over the world. The Trends website is not a fortune telling site. It uses facts and information from the past to help see what will happen in the near future…

Makes me think and go Hummmmmm…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russia to decide on purchase of French warship by October:
Technical discussions between Russia and France on buying a Mistral class amphibious assault ship should be completed soon, with a decision on the purchase to follow from Moscow.

Georgia outraged by Abkhazia joining world business organization:
A Georgian opposition MP threatened Abkhazia with sanctions on Monday following the former Georgian republic’s move to join the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Russian PM Putin to visit France in November:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin intends to visit France in November, he said at a meeting with his French counterpart Francois Fillon on Monday.

Russia, Venezuela to invest $20 billion in Junin 6 oil field:
Venezuela and a consortium of Russian oil companies intend to invest $20 billion into the development of the Junin 6 oil deposit in the Orinoco River Basin.

Russian economy still needs modernization:
Russia must continue work to modernize the economy, despite the current need to channel resources into anti-crisis and pension programs, a deputy premier said on Monday.

Medvedev says global dominance is illusion, welcomes criticism:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that the idea of global dominance must be abandoned in world politics, and more intelligent policies adopted.

Russia Gives Up Mass Army:
Leading Russian military expert Vitaly Shlykov spoke during one of the sessions of the Valdai Discussion Club last week about the sweeping reform of the country’s armed forces, which begins in December and will cut the number of tanks from 20,000 to 2,000 and reduce the number or reservists to just 100,000. The reform, which Shlykov described as nothing short of a revolution, will significantly affect the Kremlin’s approach to the composition of and future cuts to the country’s military arsenal.

India keen to expand nuclear cooperation with Russia:
India is ready to cooperate with Russia not only on completing the Kudankulam nuclear power plant but on the construction of a new station, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Monday.

North Korean leader sends birthday greetings to Russia’s Medvedev:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il congratulated Russian President Dmitry on his 44th birthday on Monday, Pyongyang’s official news agency said.

Hello,

I walk the dog everyday 3 to 4 times because the dog needs it and I need it for my heart. If you read our blog, then you know that I like to post pictures of my walks with the dog (Boza). So today is no different and I thought that I would show you what I see on a 45 minute walk with the dog…

Above – That is a picture on the side of a utility building. That is a standard Russian washing machine. That is a cool picture and I just wish that kids would not write other things on top of such fantastic paintings….

Above – That is a huge section of Flats and is just about half of the part we live in…

Above – A sidewalk near our Flat…

Above – Just a road leading to our Flat…

Above – This is the woods that we walk in and is part of a huge Hospital…

Above – More boring sidewalk that Boza and I walk on…

Above – All kinds of shops and businesses line the bottom floor of our buildings with the Flats…

Above – Playgrounds everywhere in Moscow…

Above – This is the playground outside our Flat. Like I said playgrounds everywhere…

Above – To the left is our front door and the handicap ramp. All new buildings have this type of ramp now…

That is all for today and hope everyone has a wonderful week…

Kyle and Svet
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

The Western press have gone bananas over a statement that Putin made at the Valdai Discussion Club. I would expect the Russian press to do this but I really expect the main Western press to use reliable sources and not scrounge in the dirt for things…

So here I printed the real story…

MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he and President Dmitry Medvedev would come to an agreement before the 2012 presidential polls and would not compete with each other.

“There will be no competition. We will reach an agreement because we are of the same blood and of the same political outlook,” Putin said, answering a question from Nikolai Zlobin, a member of the Valdai Discussion Club.

Medvedev, Putin’s hand-picked successor, was inaugurated in May 2008, and the former president became prime minister a day later, with the pair pledging to run the country in “tandem.”

Medvedev later proposed introducing Constitutional amendments to extend the presidential and parliamentary terms to six and five years, respectively. He signed them into law last December, after they were approved by the lower and upper houses of parliament.

“Putin said he felt comfortable with the amount of power he has as prime minister. He is in no competition with President Medvedev,” Zlobin said.

Good grief you would think that the world came to an end and Russia just exploded with all the turmoil that Putin has just caused by say a few words of truth…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

The EU can prove more useful in cooperation with Russia:
Alexandre Adler, a well-known French historian and columnist at Le Figaro and France Culture, for the first time participates in the Valdai Club Summit and shares his thoughts on the topics discussed this year.

Putin ‘optimistic’ about Obama relations:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has a favorable impression of U.S. President Barack Obama and his administration, a leading U.S. academic said Friday.

Russia switching vector of interest to Asia:
The vector of Russian interest is switching from Europe and the United States to Asia, a Canadian analyst said after a meeting with the Russian premier on Friday.

What the Russian papers say:
MOSCOW, September 11 (RIA Novosti) Medvedev rallies public support to change Putin’s development model / Venezuela’s Chavez recognizes Abkhazia, S.Ossetia / Moscow may help Washington deal with global challenges / New Opel owners to coordinate their plans with GM.

Russian Church commemorates Beheading of John the Baptist:
Russia is commemorating on Friday the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church held a liturgy in the cathedral in the Volga city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Kanaeva wins fifth gold medal at gymnastic world championships:
Russia’s Evgeniya Kanaeva won her fifth gold medal in the individual all-around event at the rhythmic gymnastic world championships in Japan on Friday.

Russia to call tender for foreign helicopter carrier:
Russia plans to hold an international tender for the purchase of a helicopter carrier, involving France, Spain and the Netherlands, the country’s Navy chief said on Friday.

Putin to reach agreement with Medvedev ahead of 2012 presidential polls:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he and President Dmitry Medvedev would come to an agreement before the 2012 presidential polls and would not compete with each other.

Putin offers condolences on anniversary of September 11 attacks:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin conveyed a message of condolences on Friday to the United States on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

“Initially, GM had serious reservations about Magna’s offer and seemed to favor a rival bid by the Belgian-based investor, RHJ International. One GM official said RHJ’s offer was “simple and elegant.” In particular, GM was uncomfortable with a Russian company getting its hands on Opel’s technical expertise and patents!“

I have followed this story from the beginning and have posted these articles on the subject:

http://kylekeeton.com/2009/05/opel-is-officially-sold-to-russia-and.html
http://kylekeeton.com/2009/08/is-gm-dragging-feet-because-russia-is.html

I waited to print this article even though it was splashed all over the Eastern Press. I am learning that many people can not accept any press but the Western press. (Sad but true!)

So finally the end is in sight for this transaction between GM and Magna – Sberbank! Germany had to push way too hard for this deal to happen and it just proved to Germany that the American Government could care less what is best for Germany! This had nothing to do with what is best for America or GM it was a anti-Russian situation plain and simple. 

GM retains a 35% holding in the Opel company and hopefully that will become 0% in a few years…

On Thursday, GM said the Magna-Sberbank group would acquire 55% of Opel. Employees will hold 10% of the German automaker, leaving GM with a 35% stake. (Link)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Lets have some facts about the World Trade Center reconstruction:

1. In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, with the ruins of the World Trade Center still smoldering, political leaders from New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani to President George W. Bush vowed to quickly rebuild the site, bigger and better than before.

2. Eight years later, the site known as Ground Zero remains mostly a giant hole in the ground. (How Come?)

3. A projected completion date has been pushed back years, if not decades. The project has been beset by repeated delays, changing designs, billions of dollars in cost overruns, and feuding among the various parties involved in the complex undertaking.

4. A 2005 design called for a spiraling glass skyscraper, named Freedom Tower, that would rise a symbolic 1,776 feet in the air. But after the design was unveiled, the New York Police Department said the new building would be too vulnerable to truck-bomb attacks and sent the architects back to the drawing board. A redesign moved the tower back from the street and placed it atop an impregnable 200-foot steel-and-concrete base.

5. This year, the name was changed to World Trade Center One, out of concern that Freedom Tower would become too tempting a target for terrorism.

6. By some estimates, the entire project involves more than a dozen government agencies and at least 100 construction companies and subcontractors.

7. The projected costs have soared far above the $15 billion budget, construction is years behind schedule, and Larry Silverstein, the developer of three towers, is locked in a dispute over financing with the Port Authority.

8. The ambitious plan now calls for four office towers, including World Trade Center One, with a memorial and two tree-lined reflecting pools standing on the footprints where the old twin towers stood. Cascading waterfalls lead down to a museum, 70 feet below ground level. The plan also includes a massive futuristic-looking transportation hub to rival Grand Central Terminal…. (What is wrong with just a beautiful memorial?)

9. What Ever….. This is a bad sign of the times for America! 8 years and they have a hole in the ground. Even Russia gave a beautiful memorial to America for 911…
http://kylekeeton.com/2009/03/from-russia-memorial-to-9-11-terrorist.html

Sad…

Please remember the dead at this tragic event and do not allow our memories to become like the government bureaucracy that has mired this project into oblivion.