Windows to Russia

Russia arrests 8 hijackers of Arctic Sea vessel:
The Russian frigate Ladny has freed the Arctic Sea cargo ship in the Atlantic without firing a single shot and arrested eight alleged hijackers, Russia’s defense minister said on Tuesday.

Russian PM Putin to attend MAKS-2009 air show:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit on Tuesday the MAKS-2009 air show near Moscow and attend a meeting on the development of Russia’s aircraft industry.

More than 20 police died in south Russia blast – prosecutors:
More than 20 police were killed and seven people are still missing after a deadly suicide bombing in southern Russia’s Ingushetia on Monday, prosecutors said.

Blast in south Russia’s Dagestan injures four:
Four people were injured in an explosion in Dagestan early on Tuesday, the volatile southern Russian republic’s interior ministry said.

Russia, Mongolia hold joint military exercises:
Russia and Mongolia are holding joint tactical exercises to practice interoperability during peacekeeping operations, the press service for Russia’s Siberian Military District has said.

Death toll in Siberia hydropower plant accident rises to 12:
The death toll in an accident at Russia’s largest hydropower plant has risen to 12 people, with 64 still unaccounted for, the country’s emergencies minister said on Tuesday.

Czech Republic expels two Russian diplomats:
The Czech Republic has expelled two Russian diplomats, the CTK news agency reported on Monday.

LUKoil posts 3.4% rise in oil output, 12.4% drop in gas production:
Russia’s LUKoil posted on Monday a 3.4% rise in oil output year-on-year to 48.63 million metric tones and a 12.4% decline in natural gas production to 7.36 billion cubic meters.

Ingush leader accuses West of seeking to destabilize Caucasus:
The president of Ingushetia, who is recovering from an attempt on his life, accused on Monday the United States, Britain and Israel of seeking to destabilize the situation in the North Caucasus.

Train on autopilot: Russian Railways tests one-of-a-kind locomotive:
Moscow railway employees are testing an electric train that can operate almost unmanned. A computer system selects the optimum mode of operation and even monitors how the driver is working.

Non prescription medicine to become more widely available:
Russia’s Trade Ministry has proposed that grocers and supermarkets could start selling non-prescription medicines, with experts saying the new regulations may come to the rescue of troubled pharmacy chains.

Kids & alcohol: are drink producers & parents on equal terms?:
Curbing underage drinking is becoming a top priority for Russia. Police say family influence has more power than just punishing those who sell alcohol to minors. Is it really so? RT collects expert opinions.

Mushroom Cutlets: Mushroom dishes are loved in Russia. In Russia mushrooms gave a special taste to soups, pies, sauces and meat. Simply boiled, fried, stewed or pickled mushrooms have a special place in the hearts of Russian people. So it is natural that Russians would make a meal out of mushrooms. Today we will try a Mushroom recipe that makes the mushroom the main course and not a side dish…

Ingredients:
# 200 to 300 grams of mushrooms.
# 100 grams of cooked rice. (must cook rice first)
# 2 whole medium onions.
# 2 tablespoons of flour.
# salt to taste.
# ground pepper to taste.

Mix:
If Mushrooms are fresh then cook first in a lightly oiled skillet – If canned then drain very well.
Chop, dice, smash and squish the mushrooms into a very fine particles.
Chop onion finely (like mushrooms).
Mix mushroom with onion, rice, salt to taste, pepper to taste and flour in a mixing bowl. (should be like a ground meat style)
Form medium size balls and then shape into cutlets.

Cook:
Roll cutlet in flour again, then fry on both sides of cutlet in a skillet with a good layer of oil on medium heat, until the cutlet turns golden brown.

Lets Eat:
Perfect served with any salads made from fresh vegetables. I love them with a dab of sour cream on top of them…Yummy!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin support Russian Football in a Sochi bar:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin drop into a local bar to watch the Russian soccer team in action.

Medvedev, Merkel to focus on energy, investment at Sochi talks:
Energy cooperation and investment projects are set to dominate talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in south Russia’s Sochi on Friday.

Attackers on police post in Russia’s Dagestan identified:
Police have identified some of the militants who killed 11 people during an attack on a police post and nearby health center in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan last night.

Yushchenko “disappointed by Medvedev’s ‘unfriendly’ letter”:
Following Dmitry Medvedev’s open letter on Tuesday, President Yushchenko said he finds it strange that Russia has totally ruled out its share of responsibility for the worsening of Russia-Ukraine relations.

GM decision time enters home straight on Opel bids:
Canadian car parts group Magna, along with Russia’s Sberbank, have come up with a revised offer to buy General Motors German subsidiary, Opel, which will now go to GM’s board.

Prosecutors don’t let accused Russian arms dealer go, will file appeal:
Thai prosecutors plan to appeal a court ruling rejecting a US request to extradite Viktor Bout, a Russian accused of illegal arms dealing.

Putin Visits Breakaway Georgian Region, Unveils Plan for Military Base!

Dorothy: Lions?
Scarecrow: And tigers?
Tin Woodsman: And bears.
Dorothy: Oh my!

Did someone forget to tell the Western world that Russia was going to have military in South Ossetia and Abkhazia? I seem to have known about this and already forgotten about it two or three times or more…

Dorothy: Lions?
Scarecrow: And tigers?
Tin Woodsman: And bears.
Dorothy: Oh my!

Well now they know and Putin seems to be behind it all… Putin pledges $500 million for security purposes in Abkhazia!

Dorothy: Lions?
Scarecrow: And tigers?
Tin Woodsman: And Putin.
Dorothy: Oh my!

Things that make you go Hummmmmm!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Over the years we have watched many blogs come and go. I always wonder what happens and why? They never let you know why they quit posting and they just fade away.

It is easy to spot a blog that is dying and all you have to do is look for signs. Like comments go unanswered, posts become infrequent and topic changes from the original topic!

There are a few blogs that have stuck it out and have become great blogs in their own rights. I do not associate with so called high powered blogs that are the gift to blog heaven through SEO tricks and techniques. I believe that a blog is good by the energy that the owner puts into the blog.

It is a shame that Google can not see through the crud out here in the blogosphere. Most good blogs are left in the dust…

1. One fantastic blog that has owners with tremendous passion for what they write is Roberto and Lydia of the blog – Silver People Chronicles! They have been plodding along recording the history of the Panamanian region through the eyes of a West Indian. Roberto and Lydia have lived in America and decided to settle back in Panama to conduct their writings. I have had the pleasure to have found their blog from around day one and read it as the posts come on line.

They also have a blog – The Silver People Heritage Foundation This is another fantastic blog that has started to become stronger and stronger by the week.

So head on over to Roberto and Lydia’s they would appreciate it and the hospitality is fantastic.

2. I’ll Never Forget the Day I Read a Book! This is a wonderful surviving blog from an author named Clark that has a passion for books. Several other blogs of his have fallen to the wayside but this blog to my delight has survived and still is being posted every few weeks. I am an avid fan of reading and find a lot of good books to read through his assertions and efforts. I miss his blog Rotus and hope that one day he will be able to bring it back to life. Go see Clark and say Hi! Tell him Kyle sent you…

3. My life in Bergen, a photo-blog! You want to see a first hand eye on a beautiful country. Then this is the blog for you. Bergen, Norway is just stunningly beautiful and this blog is from a photographer (Bskaad) that lives there and sees life first hand. He is busy making a living as we all must do, but when it comes to his passion of taking picture he is top notch. Bskaad loves guests on his blog and enjoys when people find a picture that catches your fancy…

4. The 100% Unofficial Blog of the Russian President! This is another good Russian blog. It follows a slightly different path than my blog so we overlap very little. I enjoy reading what he posts and will leave the rest to you after you go on over to his site and try him out. He goes by Лжедмитрий!

5. Russian Video From Russia! My wife has a fantastic video blog that is ranked at the top of her category. But since Russian videos are not a big favorite in the world, her blog struggles to get new readership. Svet has a weekend movie that is a full length Russian movie from the Soviet Era, that are always a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. She also posts almost everyday a video that pertains to Russia. I am very proud of her and what she has accomplished in this blog. Her addition to Windows to Russia is part of the corner stone of the site.

6. Russian Photo Blog! Another blog of ours that Svet and I work on together is our photo blog. It is nothing but real pictures taken on life in Russia. Everything in the blog has been taken by Svet or I. Everything in the blog is Russia! We have hundreds of pictures in this blog. So stop by and take a peak at Russia…

7. Былое и думы! Челита (Chelita) a very avid blog owner loves to post in this blog about the happenings of her life in Israel. Челита is Russian and her husband Misha always have lots of fun in and with life. Svet and I traveled to see them in 2008 and they were the best hosts that anyone could ever have. This blog always has very interesting posts and she has a translator to translate into other languages. Stop on by and say Hi! You never know what Челита is going to post next…

That is it for today and I will post a few more tomorrow. The post got extra long and winded.

I do not follow the SEO rule of only connect to blogs that have the same content. I try to connect to who I read and enjoy…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

I was drinking that morning cup of coffee and thinking about the issue that came up yesterday. We had an interesting problem with our electricity and the main issue was communication. Svet and I have just been talking about when will the bill for the electric come. We had all bills except that one. 🙂

The picture above is our electric meter. Not like any meter that I have ever seen on my house before before. This is a state of the art electronic device that is programed to shut off the power when you are out of money. Other words, it is as the power company says: “Based on the same technology as many cell phones in Russia- prepaid.” You pay ahead for any electricity that you need…

That is fine and dandy and we have no problem with the system. But we had a problem with the fact that nowhere in any papers and or conversations did anyone mention. That you needed to make a two hour trip across town then two hours back, to get a special key to activate the meter after recharging it with money at the nearest bank…

The blue key hanging outside of the box in the picture above is the electronic key. The local bank takes you money and inserts the key in a machine and then the key is programed to transfer the sum to your meter when you insert said key at home. Great idea but we did not have a key!

After solving that problem – 6 and a half hours after finding out the power was shut off due to our problem. We had electricty again as easy as pushing a key into the slot. The big blue button above the key is used to check how much money you have left and other various functions.

I am use to the big glass meter system that is used in America and older Russian electrical systems. You know the type that can be turned around and run in reverse or use a magnet and stop the dial from spinning. I bet my son who is a computer whiz could reprogram this device to give free electricity. 🙂

Just doesn’t seem right that after all these years that this tiny little box controls all the power in the flat or house. I like watching the dial spin in the old meters.

Looks like the world is just going to become on big electronic device one day…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

After my trip this last time to Ukraine and what information I picked up from many Americans in Ukraine. America has reasserted its money and politics as we come upon this new presidential election in Ukraine.

Looks like Russia has responded heavily this week to the interference…

Russia has been angry with Kiev over various issues. Now it plans to wait till the 2010 elections before taking any serious steps, according to Ekaterina Kuznetsova from the Centre for Post-Industrial Society Research. (Video Above)

Though President Yushchenko says he has nothing against Russia, his actions are completely contrary – so the dialogue with him cannot be productive, says Dmitry Babich, a political analyst from RIA Novosti news agency. (Video Above)

President Dmitry Medvedev reveals the reasons behind refraining from sending the new Russian ambassador to Ukraine just yet, as well as the roots of strain in Russia-Ukraine relations in his new video blog message. (Video Above)

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Recovering Ingush leader targets return to work in month:
The president of the south Russian republic of Ingushetia, who survived an assassination attempt in June and was released from a Moscow hospital on Monday, plans to resume work in a month.

Medvedev delays sending Russian ambassador to Ukraine:
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced on Tuesday he was holding off sending Russia’s new ambassador to Ukraine over Kiev’s anti-Russian policies.

Alleged Russian arms dealer hopeful of ‘fair’ Thai court verdict:
Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who is facing extradition from Thailand to the United States for alleged illegal arms trafficking, said on Tuesday he was hopeful of a “fair” verdict.

Russian Proton-M carrier rocket set to orbit Chinese satellite:
A Proton-M rocket with a Chinese telecommunications satellite will be launched on Tuesday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federal Space Agency said.

Something extraordinary happened to missing Atlantic ship – expert:
A Russian maritime expert said on Monday that “something extraordinary” must have happened to a cargo ship that went missing off Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

“Russian authorities have lost hope with Yushchenko”:
Though President Yushchenko says he has nothing against Russia, his actions are completely contrary – so the dialogue with him cannot be productive, says Dmitry Babich, a political analyst from RIA Novosti news agency.

“We begin bombing Russia in five minutes” – anniversary of Cold War era joke:
During World War II there was a saying that “loose lips sink ships”. Twenty five years ago, the loose lips of an American President caused quite a stir in the Kremlin.

Super-jet set to muscle into Russian aviation:
Russia’s new Super-jet passenger plane is likely to be one of the stars of the Moscow air show which starts next week. The government hopes its appearance will earn more orders from foreign as well as Russian airlines.

“Saakashvili will never acknowledge blame for the war”:
There is still a long way to go before Georgia recognizes its responsibility for the August conflict, says Mikhail Stolyarov of the Russian State Academy of Public Service, a leading research center.

Medvedev proposes changes to defense laws of Russia:
Changes to Russia’s defense laws are on the cards, a year after the country sent in the army to defend South Ossetia when it was attacked.

August 11, 2009

Relations between Russia and Ukraine: a New Era Must Begin:

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: A few days ago, I sent a letter to the President of Ukraine. It was not an ordinary document, I should say, as it contains a number of complex and unflattering characteristics of the actions by the top political leadership of Ukraine. In my today’s address I would like to explain the reasons behind my step.

There has been public concern in both Ukraine and Russia of late over the state of our bilateral relations. Ukrainian politicians themselves have admitted that relations are at an extremely low point today, and it is hard not to agree. The strain in relations between our countries has indeed hit unprecedented levels.

I have on many occasions stated that Russia seeks to be a predictable, strong and comfortable partner for its neighbors, all the more so for a country with which we share common historical and cultural roots. We are more than just neighbors; our ties are those of brothers.

Nikolai Gogol, the great writer and son of both Ukrainian and Russian peoples, said, “There are no bonds more sacred than the bonds of brotherhood”. As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Gogol’s birth, we remember these words once again. These celebrations are yet another vivid illustration of our peoples’ spiritual closeness.

Set against this background, the difficult – to say the least – relations our countries have been experiencing make an even stronger contrast. Let’s take a look at what is actually happening.

The leadership in Kiev took an openly anti-Russian stand following the military attack launched by the Saakashvili regime against South Ossetia. Ukrainian weapons were used to kill civilians and Russian peacekeepers. Russia continues to experience problems caused by a policy aimed at obstructing the operations of its Black Sea Fleet, and this on a daily basis and in violation of the basic agreements between our countries. Sadly, the campaign continues to oust the Russian language from the Ukrainian media, the education, culture and science. The Ukrainian leadership’s outwardly smooth-flowing rhetoric fits ill with the overt distortion of complex and difficult episodes in our common history, the tragic events of the great famine in the Soviet Union, and an interpretation of the Great Patriotic War as some kind of confrontation between two totalitarian systems.

Our economic relations are in a somewhat better situation and are developing, but we have not yet succeeded in tapping their full potential. Again, the problem is that Russian companies frequently face open resistance from the Ukrainian authorities. Bypassing Russia, Ukraine’s political leaders do deals with the European Union on supplying gas – gas from Russia – and sign a document that completely contradicts the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached in January this year.

But no matter what the complexes or illusions motivate the actions of individual Ukrainian officials, we will always value our fraternal ties with the Ukrainian people and will strive to strengthen our humanitarian cooperation. It is with this aim in mind that we plan to open branches of the Russian Science and Culture Center in several Ukrainian cities and will do all we can to support Ukrainians living in our country in their efforts to develop their national culture.

Patriarch Kirill’s recent pastoral visit to Ukraine was also an event of great significance. I had a meeting with the Patriarch following the visit, and he shared his impressions and said many cordial words. We both are of one and the same opinion that the two fraternal peoples may not be separated as they share common historical and spiritual heritage.

I am confident that our relations with Ukraine’s people will overcome any problems. They cannot be destroyed by politicians’ selfish interests, fickle changes in the global situation, or individual leaders’ mistakes, and all the more so, cannot be undone by empty words and pseudo-historic research.

I am certain that a new era will begin. Nevertheless, in the current situation, I have made a decision to refrain from sending the Russian ambassador to Ukraine. The new ambassador will commence his duties at a later stage, and naming the exact date for it will depend on the positive dynamics in bilateral relations.

There can be no doubt that the multifaceted ties between Russia and Ukraine will resume on a fundamentally different level – that of strategic partnership – and this moment will not be long in coming. I hope that the new leadership of Ukraine will be ready for the break through. We will in turn make our best for it to happen.

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.