А сейчас слов от нашега спонсора....
Today's Pop, Folk, and Rock Music is brought to you by:
The Voshnesensky-Davidiva Monastery!
I was listening to my regular dose of Russian pop music today on this new radio station I discovered: Music Radio 101 FM, when I noticed there were four endorsements in the bottom of my Windows Media Player: (1) Rambler's Top 100 (they are basically one of the two Russian equivalents of yahoo) (2) Mail.ru toplist (they aren't as big as rambler, etc, (3) The Windows Media Player 8, and (4)The Voshnesensky-Davidiva Monastery.
I clicked on the The Voshnesensky-Davidiva Monastery banner, and sure enough, it takes you right to here.
There's probably some great Orthodox resources available from their page, along with several Russian Orthodox webrings.
Regards!
Basil
Friday, September 14, 2007
Freedom of Press and Freedom of Speech in Russia
We had a heated debate ("heated" by both whiskey, imagination, and the camp-fire) this summer when we were camping on the freedom of speech in Russia.
My friend seemed to suggest that they had no freedom of speech in Russia today. Whenever I pointed out some aspect of freedom of speech, my friend brought up various things done by Stalin... so I'm not exactly sure why I was loosing the argument, except for the fact that it was 2 against 1.
Anyway, I resolved to put together a compendium of sources of free speech in Russia when I got home, and post them on my blog. I've now got about 20 or 30 web sites of different news agencies in Russia, and several other web sites that have streaming news video, and audio. In addition to that there are dozens of free Russian blog and message board systems, each with hundreds to thousands of customers (bloggers and/or message board participants) giving Russians an unprecedented degree of freedom of speech and press.
However, I'm inclined to think we've become narrow minded with regards to freedom of speech. It really has almost nothing to do with the big mega-company news organizations, but much more to do with the common man and his ability to speak his mind. Freedom of speech has to do with what kind of art you can make, and what degree of government censorship there is for it. So, in my mind, it is not only the journalist (amateur or professional) but the musician, the film-maker, the professional comedian, the photographer, and so on.
Well, I don't have the time today to post a collection of links to independent Russian news sources, and other sources of public freedom of expression in the Russian Republic, but I would at least like to tell you about a couple of cool things:
The BBC has a great "Fact Page" on every country that lists the major news sources for that country. Here is Russia.
One of the deficiencies of the above list is that it is only the "major" news sources, and doesn't include local sources.
These days nearly every city in Russia (so think thousands) has it's own web portal sponsored by the local city business and civic leaders, with news from local news papers as well as blogs, forums, photo galleries, and so on.
Politics is complicated in Russia with hundreds of political parties. So many news sources have a "slant" in that they are connected with various parties or groups of parties, or companies, or unions, and so on. Not to mention the parties themselves have web pages and printed papers, radio broadcasts, and so on.
In my opinion it all SMACKS of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Another great resource, is this collection of streaming web sites:
* At World TV Radio
I've tried several of the streaming sites in the main part of Russia (think West), and can't really get a signal that I can stand listening to, however, I've found that the radio station in Vladivostock, Radio VBC, which also broadcasts on FM has a great streaming feed. I think when it comes to streaming, proximity really helps.
Regards!
Basil
We had a heated debate ("heated" by both whiskey, imagination, and the camp-fire) this summer when we were camping on the freedom of speech in Russia.
My friend seemed to suggest that they had no freedom of speech in Russia today. Whenever I pointed out some aspect of freedom of speech, my friend brought up various things done by Stalin... so I'm not exactly sure why I was loosing the argument, except for the fact that it was 2 against 1.
Anyway, I resolved to put together a compendium of sources of free speech in Russia when I got home, and post them on my blog. I've now got about 20 or 30 web sites of different news agencies in Russia, and several other web sites that have streaming news video, and audio. In addition to that there are dozens of free Russian blog and message board systems, each with hundreds to thousands of customers (bloggers and/or message board participants) giving Russians an unprecedented degree of freedom of speech and press.
However, I'm inclined to think we've become narrow minded with regards to freedom of speech. It really has almost nothing to do with the big mega-company news organizations, but much more to do with the common man and his ability to speak his mind. Freedom of speech has to do with what kind of art you can make, and what degree of government censorship there is for it. So, in my mind, it is not only the journalist (amateur or professional) but the musician, the film-maker, the professional comedian, the photographer, and so on.
Well, I don't have the time today to post a collection of links to independent Russian news sources, and other sources of public freedom of expression in the Russian Republic, but I would at least like to tell you about a couple of cool things:
The BBC has a great "Fact Page" on every country that lists the major news sources for that country. Here is Russia.
One of the deficiencies of the above list is that it is only the "major" news sources, and doesn't include local sources.
These days nearly every city in Russia (so think thousands) has it's own web portal sponsored by the local city business and civic leaders, with news from local news papers as well as blogs, forums, photo galleries, and so on.
Politics is complicated in Russia with hundreds of political parties. So many news sources have a "slant" in that they are connected with various parties or groups of parties, or companies, or unions, and so on. Not to mention the parties themselves have web pages and printed papers, radio broadcasts, and so on.
In my opinion it all SMACKS of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Another great resource, is this collection of streaming web sites:
* At World TV Radio
I've tried several of the streaming sites in the main part of Russia (think West), and can't really get a signal that I can stand listening to, however, I've found that the radio station in Vladivostock, Radio VBC, which also broadcasts on FM has a great streaming feed. I think when it comes to streaming, proximity really helps.
Regards!
Basil
Monday, September 10, 2007
Everyone wants a piece or Russia...
Кредитная карта Ситибанка CASH BACK
http://www.citibank.ru/russia/cards/rus/cb_main.htm?ref=ad55
amusing, strange, disturbing?
Кредитная карта Ситибанка CASH BACK
http://www.citibank.ru/russia/cards/rus/cb_main.htm?ref=ad55
amusing, strange, disturbing?
Sunday, September 09, 2007
No (Every) Child Left Behind
My wife pointed out to me that she kept seeing the phrase "No Child Left Behind" in my the materials my daughter brought home from school the first day of classes this year.
Well, I didn't really know much about it, although you hear about the act in the news frequently. I googled for it, and you get a lot of info - if you want to read the essays of social workers and politicians (that is to say "professionals" - that is to say people who have never been, nor had, children...)
I found the best place to get a nutshell overview was at Wikipedia (as usual). Basically, it is this sort of crap: we will all go as slow as the slowest kid in class, and that way "no one will get left behind". You see, scientific research tells us that we will all be ahead if we all stay back with the slowest person.
Grrr..... !@#$F#@!#$ what a bunch of idiotic morons all our scientific social workers are these days.
I had grandiose thoughts for this post (to try and convince the reader how idiotic the concept of "no child left behind" is) for example, by pointing out that for centuries (all of human existence) there have been those who struggled to try to accomplish something, to try to dig-up the mysteries in the universe: to explore, to create, to discover, to invent, to struggle, to figure out... and then there have been those who really have no interest in all that work, and would rather just sit back and watch other people perform the great struggle.
The fact is, it is a small group of people who want to struggle for the improvement of mankind, and a rather larger group of people, in fact MOST people, who just want to sit back and watch it all.
If we follow the logic of "no child left behind" we will end up with a Nation of moronic couch potatoes...
Oh, wait a minute? Maybe that's how we got here!
~ Basil
My wife pointed out to me that she kept seeing the phrase "No Child Left Behind" in my the materials my daughter brought home from school the first day of classes this year.
Well, I didn't really know much about it, although you hear about the act in the news frequently. I googled for it, and you get a lot of info - if you want to read the essays of social workers and politicians (that is to say "professionals" - that is to say people who have never been, nor had, children...)
I found the best place to get a nutshell overview was at Wikipedia (as usual). Basically, it is this sort of crap: we will all go as slow as the slowest kid in class, and that way "no one will get left behind". You see, scientific research tells us that we will all be ahead if we all stay back with the slowest person.
Grrr..... !@#$F#@!#$ what a bunch of idiotic morons all our scientific social workers are these days.
I had grandiose thoughts for this post (to try and convince the reader how idiotic the concept of "no child left behind" is) for example, by pointing out that for centuries (all of human existence) there have been those who struggled to try to accomplish something, to try to dig-up the mysteries in the universe: to explore, to create, to discover, to invent, to struggle, to figure out... and then there have been those who really have no interest in all that work, and would rather just sit back and watch other people perform the great struggle.
The fact is, it is a small group of people who want to struggle for the improvement of mankind, and a rather larger group of people, in fact MOST people, who just want to sit back and watch it all.
If we follow the logic of "no child left behind" we will end up with a Nation of moronic couch potatoes...
Oh, wait a minute? Maybe that's how we got here!
~ Basil
Friday, September 07, 2007
My Stinky Left Side
...
Well, it has been three weeks now since I broke my ring-finger on my right hand, and sprained a knuckle on the hand part of the same finger. I'm coming to grips with (grips? no, sorry, no grip...) how to do things with my left hand. Some things are rather difficult to do with your left hand, like wiping your b...nevermind. You get the idea. Other things are impossible to do with your left hand, like washing your left arm and arm-pit in the shower.
To help you make a real fool of yourself in any attempt to wash your left side modern Medicine has come up with some incredibly great inventions. Well, at least one anyway: the full-arm-plastic-rubber-air-tight glove for instance.
I was so pleased when my doctor gave me this (and I use the word "gave" loosely, as I know I'll be getting a bill for it... or my insurance company will anyway). "Yeah," she said. "They are completely air-tight and water-tight. You can wear it in the shower, and it even has a separate place for your thumb so you can hold your bar of soap!
Why I didn't think of it then, I cannot imagine. Perhaps it was the excitement of something completely new: I've never broken anything before (bones, that is). Or perhaps it was my doctor's own enthusiasm for this modern medicinal marvel.
Anyway: think about it! Give me a break: holding a wet bar of soap in the shower with a rubber glove?????
Yeah, that's right folks: I spend more time chasing the bar of soap around the shower.
Well, at least they've finally thought of one thing anyway: how to make the thing so that no water leaks in. Pretty ingenious, really. At least I can even TAKE a shower! But never mind trying to hang onto your bar of soap!
So, that leaves me with the question: what to do about my left side?
I've finally gotten to where I can reach into places I never dreamed of with my left hand. Sometimes I'm nervous I'm going to tie my left arm in a knot trying to reach places. But there remains the unreachable: Left Underarm!
You see, I'm no monkey. I know monkeys can scratch their arm-pits with the same hand, but humans aren't designed that way.
Well, I've thought of a couple of ways to solve the problem:
a) wash cloth: yes you can actually hold a wet and soapy wash cloth in the shower with that enormous rubber glove. At least for a while. You just have to overcome the feeling that you are no longer manly if you use a wash cloth. Yes, next thing you know I'll be wearing white gloves, and keeping lace handkerchiefs in my pockets.
b) scrub brush: yes, well sometimes my arm pits need scrubbing out with a scrub brush anyway...
Then there are other miscellaneous left-side problems: like trying to get enough strength in your few free fingers of the right hand to clip the nails on your left hand, or worse: foot.
Then there is always the retrieving things from your pocket problem. I'm trying to put things into pockets that I can get at with my left hand, but every once in a while I forget, and cause an embarrassing scene trying to fish things out of a right pocket with my left hand. The other day I think someone almost called the police on me for public indecency.
I am at least learning how to type with only three fingers on one hand (that is, if you count the thumb as a finger --- ah, what the heck, they are all thumbs on that hand anyway.
Well, enough for now.
Regards!
Basil
...
Well, it has been three weeks now since I broke my ring-finger on my right hand, and sprained a knuckle on the hand part of the same finger. I'm coming to grips with (grips? no, sorry, no grip...) how to do things with my left hand. Some things are rather difficult to do with your left hand, like wiping your b...nevermind. You get the idea. Other things are impossible to do with your left hand, like washing your left arm and arm-pit in the shower.
To help you make a real fool of yourself in any attempt to wash your left side modern Medicine has come up with some incredibly great inventions. Well, at least one anyway: the full-arm-plastic-rubber-air-tight glove for instance.
I was so pleased when my doctor gave me this (and I use the word "gave" loosely, as I know I'll be getting a bill for it... or my insurance company will anyway). "Yeah," she said. "They are completely air-tight and water-tight. You can wear it in the shower, and it even has a separate place for your thumb so you can hold your bar of soap!
Why I didn't think of it then, I cannot imagine. Perhaps it was the excitement of something completely new: I've never broken anything before (bones, that is). Or perhaps it was my doctor's own enthusiasm for this modern medicinal marvel.
Anyway: think about it! Give me a break: holding a wet bar of soap in the shower with a rubber glove?????
Yeah, that's right folks: I spend more time chasing the bar of soap around the shower.
Well, at least they've finally thought of one thing anyway: how to make the thing so that no water leaks in. Pretty ingenious, really. At least I can even TAKE a shower! But never mind trying to hang onto your bar of soap!
So, that leaves me with the question: what to do about my left side?
I've finally gotten to where I can reach into places I never dreamed of with my left hand. Sometimes I'm nervous I'm going to tie my left arm in a knot trying to reach places. But there remains the unreachable: Left Underarm!
You see, I'm no monkey. I know monkeys can scratch their arm-pits with the same hand, but humans aren't designed that way.
Well, I've thought of a couple of ways to solve the problem:
a) wash cloth: yes you can actually hold a wet and soapy wash cloth in the shower with that enormous rubber glove. At least for a while. You just have to overcome the feeling that you are no longer manly if you use a wash cloth. Yes, next thing you know I'll be wearing white gloves, and keeping lace handkerchiefs in my pockets.
b) scrub brush: yes, well sometimes my arm pits need scrubbing out with a scrub brush anyway...
Then there are other miscellaneous left-side problems: like trying to get enough strength in your few free fingers of the right hand to clip the nails on your left hand, or worse: foot.
Then there is always the retrieving things from your pocket problem. I'm trying to put things into pockets that I can get at with my left hand, but every once in a while I forget, and cause an embarrassing scene trying to fish things out of a right pocket with my left hand. The other day I think someone almost called the police on me for public indecency.
I am at least learning how to type with only three fingers on one hand (that is, if you count the thumb as a finger --- ah, what the heck, they are all thumbs on that hand anyway.
Well, enough for now.
Regards!
Basil
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Has China Declared War on the United States?
Unfair, unfair. If Russia had done this we would have introduced some sort of trade embargo (the heat of Europe not withstanding).
China: the only (major) country in the world where Christians are still persecuted and killed, where blue collar workers are treated like slave labor, where it is against the law to exercise freedom of speech and to have more than one child per family... China continues to get away with it's systematic and well planned undermining of western society:
We allow their government to hack into our Pentagon network infrastructure.
We allow them to poison our animals.
We allow them to kill our children. (the latest product recalls from Matel).
And we sit here and do nothing about it at all. Instead we waste our energy on insignificant problems (or non existent problems) in order to play upon public sympathies and increase political clout.
I'm sick of stupid garbage Chinese-made products that cost less money than products made in other countries that actually WORK. These inexpensive electric pencil sharpeners, stereos, and garden sheers, may cost less money in the short run, but they only last a few months (long enough that you no longer have the original box or the receipt). Because the markets are flooded with cheap products that don't work (or for long anyway) all of the products that aren't made in China are harder and harder to find, and therefore cost a lot more money. Can I afford to pay 10 times as much for a TV that will last 10 years instead of 1 year? No, actually I can't. I need my TV today and can't wait 10 years for it, thank you.
The Chinese are not beating us by their lead-tainted toys, and their chemical-laden food products: no, they are defeating us by filling our landfills with toxic substances that continue to pollute the environment for many hundreds of years.
But, what can I do?
I think I'll go pop some popcorn in my two-month-old-and-still-working Chinese-made microwave (still ticking), and sit down and watch a movie (printed no doubt in China in a Chinese-made DVD but what the heck, I've only watched that movie 6 times now so the DVD hasn't worn out yet...)
Cheers!
Basil
Unfair, unfair. If Russia had done this we would have introduced some sort of trade embargo (the heat of Europe not withstanding).
China: the only (major) country in the world where Christians are still persecuted and killed, where blue collar workers are treated like slave labor, where it is against the law to exercise freedom of speech and to have more than one child per family... China continues to get away with it's systematic and well planned undermining of western society:
We allow their government to hack into our Pentagon network infrastructure.
We allow them to poison our animals.
We allow them to kill our children. (the latest product recalls from Matel).
And we sit here and do nothing about it at all. Instead we waste our energy on insignificant problems (or non existent problems) in order to play upon public sympathies and increase political clout.
I'm sick of stupid garbage Chinese-made products that cost less money than products made in other countries that actually WORK. These inexpensive electric pencil sharpeners, stereos, and garden sheers, may cost less money in the short run, but they only last a few months (long enough that you no longer have the original box or the receipt). Because the markets are flooded with cheap products that don't work (or for long anyway) all of the products that aren't made in China are harder and harder to find, and therefore cost a lot more money. Can I afford to pay 10 times as much for a TV that will last 10 years instead of 1 year? No, actually I can't. I need my TV today and can't wait 10 years for it, thank you.
The Chinese are not beating us by their lead-tainted toys, and their chemical-laden food products: no, they are defeating us by filling our landfills with toxic substances that continue to pollute the environment for many hundreds of years.
But, what can I do?
I think I'll go pop some popcorn in my two-month-old-and-still-working Chinese-made microwave (still ticking), and sit down and watch a movie (printed no doubt in China in a Chinese-made DVD but what the heck, I've only watched that movie 6 times now so the DVD hasn't worn out yet...)
Cheers!
Basil
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