From Russia: Air France Flight 447? (Is Gone!)


Hello,Windows to Russia!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I was thinking about the Air France Flight 447!

They can not find it, that sounds so impossible in this world today. What with all the satellites and surveillance that the world has.

Then you stop and realize that even though we say this is a small world because of the World Wide Web (WWW), you then after thinking a minute realize that it is a big ocean and a deep ocean.All of a sudden the world becomes a big place again. When something like this happens.

Air France Flight 447 carried 12 crew members and 216 passengers, a mix of nationalities: 61 French citizens and 58 Brazilians, but also nine Chinese, nine Italians, six Swiss, five British, five Lebanese, four Hungarians, two Americans, one Russian and others from a total of 32 countries, from Estonia to Gambia to Morocco to the Philippines.

Stop and say a prayer today – There seems to be a lot of death in the world lately…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

From Russia: Has North Korea Checkmated America?


Hello,
Windows to Russia!
This was a very good interview from a North Korea expert, Aleksandr Vorontsov who just came back from a trip to Pyongyang, North Korea.As international concern has grown to the talk of war, stimulated by the USA and South Korea increase in Alert levels…He talks about North Korea and her people. He also says that the issue of nuclear weapons is not a hot topic with the North Koreans and they have lots of other things that are more important.

North Korea is getting ready to fire another missile that the USA says is able to possibly reach America. Looks like another scare the Americans by American Government time.

On the one side the international community must react to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions but on the other, history shows that pressure does not work in regard to North Korea, says expert Aleksandr Vorontsov.

North Korea has sure stirred up a big tough country like America…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Dental Work in Russia Again! (Time to Fix a Filling!)


Hello,Windows to Russia!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia and just thinking about the weekend.

On Saturday morning we decided that I had to do something about a molar tooth that seemed to have issues. It had been filled almost twenty years ago and a piece of the filling had cracked out a few months ago. It started to hurt a month ago and finally was keeping me up at night.

We have a dentist near us with in walking distance. So Svet and I took a walk on Saturday morning and checked out the Dentist office. The idea was to just get an appointment to have a consultation about what was wrong. I had no intention of having the work done since dentist are always busy. 🙂

Well we got to the building and found a beautiful, clean, tidy and professionally run office. They (The receptionist and Dentist) told us that there is no charge for consultation. The consultation consisted of three x rays and lots of hums and haw’s!

After about 15 minutes it was decided between my expert translator of a Russian wife and the dentist, that I needed to have the old filling removed and refilled after fixing all issues. This exchange of communication was done very fast and the only thing that I really picked up on was something about men and they can not handle pain, you know!

By the way this was an all women dentist group, just like most doctors and dentist in Russia they are women. So as my wife, the receptionist and the dentist laughed at their jokes about men and ignored me. For I was just a man! 🙂

So at this point feeling like a bird caught in a cage, I then proceeded to have my tooth issue fixed.

I will say, the Lady Dentist was very good and she took meticulous care in her work. The office was of the highest standards of any American dentist and all the equipment was new and modern.

So out came the old Amalgam Filling from America that had lasted twenty years. They then found that there was a huge hole under the filling that came out and it was cracked badly. This turned into alot more drilling and cleaning up the bad tooth – hidden by the old filling.

Then in went a new Composite filling that matches the color of the tooth perfectly due to the dentist way of staining the filling with iodine as she layered the filling in. I have never had a Composite filling done before and this was a new experience for me. They use a ultraviolet light gun to set and harden the composite. Cool!

It was explained to me that American dentists like the Amalgam material and that is so old fashion. That the Russian way is to use the pretty new Composite materials and produce works of art to repair your teeth. I always smile inside when I hear words like this. Russian doctors and dentists are very proud of their occupations and they want me as an American to know that they are going to take care of me better than I would be taken care of in America. 🙂

Well the lady Dentist did take care of me and now I am pain free in my tooth.

Oh, lets talk about the cost?

The total procedure from beginning to end was 3000 rubles. That included consultation, 3 – x rays and all work done by the dentist. Around $90 American dollars. I thought that was pretty good since it was a weekend and no appointment.

Also I could have done it much cheaper (half cost) by insisting on a Amalgam filling. But since the ladies (Wife, receptionist and Dentist) were in control of my destiny at that point. I just went along for the ride and ended up a happy American.

I am always glad I keep my mouth shut, because my wife does always know better!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Opel is Officially Sold to Russia and Canada!


Hello,Windows to Russia!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I have been following the details of the Opel acquisition by Russia.

Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank and automotive giant GAZ – along with Canadian car parts firm Magna – are to buy Opel from US motor giant General Motors, which is filing for bankruptcy.

The Western press has been hard pressed to give any details about this transaction since it looked like Russia was going to get the Car company. All the Western media can say is that a Canadian parts firm is in the running for the car company and somehow leave out the most important part. Russian money from Sberbank.

So lets get a few facts known:

Russia’s Sberbank will take a 35% stake in Opel while Magna (Canada) will have a 20% stake (55% total). General Motors will retain a 35% holding, the remaining 10% will go to Opel employees. All four Opel factories in Germany will remain in operation while Russian car maker GAZ will produce over a million vehicles in Russia and Eastern Europe.

The situation is also set up with built in protection for Russia in case GM goes bankrupt and that looks to be happening at this moment. The protection keeps GM from taking the European Opel down the tubes as the American company goes belly up and sinks.

This is a great opportunity for GAZ to acquire modernization technicalities and a 1 million vehicles will be built by GAZ.

Russia: The Vultures Have Circled and Await the Remains of General Motors!

So Russia in the East, has now acquired another major chunk of the world’s Industry.

Lets hope it works out!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Rematch: Russia’s Nikolay Valuev Vs Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Chagaev! (Has Been Canceled)


Nikolai Valuev – Vs – Ruslan Chagaev

Hello,

This is the news of the day! (Well almost)

This Saturday (5-30-09) in Helsinki, Finland, will be the rematch that will settle the debate all over the world about who is the real champion between these two guys!

Valuev (The Russian Giant) is looking for revenge after a disappointing loss in 2007 to a smaller and faster Chagaev!

Valuev who is one foot taller and much more powerful is the slowest of the two. Chagaev seems to have greater boxing skills and definitely speed that may help him take the WBA belt back.

At the weigh-in the Russian Giant tipped the scales at 40.7 kilos heavier (143.1 kg to 102.4 kg) than Chagaev.

Little known fact about Valuev: In May, 2009 Nikolai Valujev killed a Wild Boar with his bare hands when the animal attacked his dog during a hunt in the area of St Petersburg, Russia.

Now that is cool…

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Update: Due to so far unofficial reasons: The WBA heavyweight fight between Russian Giant Nikolay Valuev against Uzbek White Tyson Ruslan Chagaev has been called off by Finnish organizers.

Officials said that “Chagaev has been unable to fulfill the Finnish Boxing Federation’s medical requirements.” However, the organizers refused to give more details of Chagaev’s condition as it is against Finnish law.

Finnish media have unofficially stated that Chagaev is suffering from a hepatitis infection. All 11 boxing bouts scheduled for the evening have been canceled.

Tidbits of News on Russia! (5-29-09)


Hello,Windows to Russia!

I was drinking my morning cup of wonderful coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I was thinking about some tidbits of information that had come to my attention.

The first thing that hit me this morning was the fact that the ruble had strengthened a lot against the dollar. It now has breached the 31 ruble per dollar mark. That is happening even thought the Kremlin is trying not to let it happen. That means the dollar is slipping badly and it is showing against world currencies. This is not a normal drop it is a drop that is in conjunction with a stock market drop. That means that people are pulling away from American finances. America is more and more becoming just a short term betting place for monetary issues.

The second tidbit that popped up was that Russia is looking for the CSTO to be developed into a counter balance to NATO. I have said before that the CSTO had a long term plan to be a huge security force. But all press releases have countered that until now. Now the glimmer of reality or at least Medvedev’s thoughts are starting to sneak out. Medvedev wants a new security organization that is better than NATO which is a defunct Cold War relic.

The third tidbit that popped up really goes along with the second item. Russia has officially approved a 49-year lease of the Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan, with an automatic prolongation every 25 years thereafter. The Kant base is intended to provide air cover for possible operations by CSTO joint forces in Central Asia. This is part of the variances in effect in Kyrgyzstan that also lead to the expulsion of the American airbase. The facts that the Western press leaves out is that America lost that base because they had the wrong attitude toward the Kyrgyzstan people.

I just thought I would share what I saw this morning that had to do with Russia, while drinking my coffee.

I saw much more but I thought that we have all had enough of the daily reports of deaths in Iraq, Pakistan and other war zones.

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

Russian News From Russia: May 29th, 2009!


Russia News Source – RIA: May 29th, 2009!Windows to Russia!

Italian investors to develop tourism in Russia’s Altai Territory:
Investors from Italy’s South Tirol region have agreed to develop tourism in southwest Siberia’s Altai Territory, the Altai administration said.

Russia wants CSTO to be as strong as NATO:
Russia is planning to build a strong military contingent in Central Asia within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) comparable to NATO forces in Europe, a Russian business daily said on Friday.

Dollar down 34.16 kopeks, euro up 5.11 kopeks:
The official dollar rate set by the Russian Central Bank for May 30 is 30.9843 rubles, down 34.16 kopeks from Friday, the Central Bank said.

Russia’s richest man to build ‘seven star’ hotel in Turkey:
Metals magnate Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia’s richest man, has received permission to build a ‘seven star’ hotel near Izmir on Turkey’s Aegean Sea coast, national media reported on Friday.

UN chief rejects Georgia’s claim of ‘Russian blackmail’:
The head of the United Nations has dismissed a claim by Georgia that he was forced to amend a report on the UN Caucasus mission due to Russian “blackmail”, and called the allegation “unfortunate.”

Russia opens chemical weapons destruction facility in Siberia:
Russia opened on Friday the first unit of a chemical weapons destruction facility in Siberia’s Kurgan Region, and pledged to destroy 45% of existing stockpiles by the end of 2009.

NASA extends contract with Russia for trips to space station:
NASA has signed a $306 million deal with Russia’s Federal Space Agency Roscosmos extending the current contract for transporting crew to the International Space Station.

Nissan to open car factory in Petersburg on June 2:
Nissan will officially open a car factory in St. Petersburg on June 2, the Japanese car giant said.

Russia’s international reserves surge to $402 bln as of May 25:
Russia’s international reserves, which include foreign exchange and gold, have grown to $402 billion as of May 25, the Central Bank chief said on Thursday.

Russia: Lets Step Back in Time – Volga GAZ Model 21 and 24!


Hello,

Today I found a couple of videos that I thought were pretty cool. The first one is a step back in time. Lets go for a short ride from the back seat of a Volga GAZ Model 21!


Now lets take a short slide show and have a good picture look at the Volga Gaz Model 21 and then watch it become the next generation Volga GAZ Model 24, then on up the scale to the modern Volga!


As you know I think that the older Volga cars are some of the best cars ever made. My interest has been stirred again because we have a reader (Mark) who loves the Volga GAZ Model 21.

I am getting ready to paint our Volga and will get pictures taken as I proceed. We call our Volga – Nelly – and she is one tough car.

Our Volga 2410 – Nelly!


That is all today and I hope that you enjoyed the videos. Even though I think on the second one the music would have been better with the real Russian version and not the English version…

Link To Our Volga GAZ articles!

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.

From Russia: Digital Sky Technologies (DST) – Buys a Stake in Facebook!


Hello,Windows to Russia!

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee here in Moscow, Russia. I was thinking about the information that I have been following about the Russian company – Digital Sky Technologies (DST) buying a 2% stake in Facebook!

It evidently has become a reality and now Facebook who has never made any money yet but has signed up their 200,000,000 member not long ago, is looking at DST to help them turn a profit.

DST gets a turn at trying to direct Facebook in the correct fiscal direction after Microsoft gave a failed shot at doing just that in 2007, when they bought a 2% share.

I am new to Facebook myself and have several friends that are there also. I also have my son and his wife plus the grand kid on there. That is always a pleasure. 🙂

Quote direct from DST website:

DST has made a $200 million investment in Facebook in exchange for preferred stock at a $10 billion valuation. In addition, DST is also planning to offer to purchase at least $100 million of Facebook common stock from existing shareholders.

Now that is a deal: $200 million for $10 billion in stock?

I always say, “It takes money to make money!”

Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.