Category Archives: Politics & Random Musings

I have written on here recently suggesting that there are changes coming across the mail-order-bride industry. They are now on the horizon and looming rapidly into view. Some of you will have read the topic here: The Mail Order Bride Industry and IMBRA is Changing! (At least for Americans) where I discussed some of these changes in the pipeline.

In case you missed some of it, many states in the USA are going beyond the International Marriage Broker Act (IMBRA) and introducing their own state laws. We have some topics right here about individual states as an example; you can click the links below to go to the state topic:

• Texas International Marriage Broker Act
• Hawaii International Marriage Broker Act
• Washington International Marriage Broker Act
• Maryland International Marriage Broker Act

This in addition to a ramping up of the US governments stance against the mail-order bride industry.… Click here to continue reading this article

How many people signed the Downing Street petition to ask the government to look into Tameside General Hospital?

The answer is six hundred and four! Six hundred and four people who were so concerned by the alarming death rates and poor care at Tameside General Hospital that they wanted a government investigation.

Here was the petition submitted by Mr Paul Gallagher of the Manchester Evening News:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to order an independent investigation into a catalogue of failings at Tameside General Hospital.

The hospital has one of the highest death rates in the country.

The state of Hawaii has brought to law the “International Matchmaking Organization (IMO)” rules. Men in Hawaii now need to submit fingerprints in order to fulfil the rules if they want to seek out a foreign wife from overseas. This is an extension to the existing USA IMBRA laws that is specific to Hawaii.  Individual US states are now taking up the charge in regulating so called “International Marriage Brokers” — and their statutes are more onerous than the federal legislation. Here is more info on the Hawaii law in addition to what I posted earlier:

Hawaii

What is the law’s citation?

I have mentioned a few times of late that there are changes coming across the mail-order-bride industry. There are. They are now on the horizon and looming into view.

I believe the industry in its current form is dying a rapid death.

The majority of the English speaking Russian wife seeking market is located in the US. We all know about IMBRA. Hands up who thought it would be the tip of a very big iceberg?

The further plans for IMBRA are starting to develop. On October the 27th, there was an information pamphlet issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.… Click here to continue reading this article

Many of you will be trawling the net for information on the new Doctor Who Live show touring the UK before you splash out on tickets. Well, you just found it.

We saw this today with out lad — A Dr. Who fanatic — at the M.E.N. arena in Manchester and I thought I might let others know what to expect. Firstly, as it is called “Dr. Who live”, you probably expect that you are going to see the Doctor, aka Matt Smith, um… LIVE, yes? Wrong. Not in the flesh at least.… Click here to continue reading this article

Direct contact information at an early stage: A good thing for everyone?

Obtaining direct contact information at the earliest possible opportunity is usually one of the core pieces of advice given to men seeking to date a Russian or Ukrainian girl. (For Americans, this would only be after any IMBRA obligations are fulfilled.)

By so doing, one reduces the possibility of writing to a corrupt translator in some agency in the FSU and/or that your correspondent is a big hairy-arsed Yuri. Sounds good on the face of it, yes?

I was recently chatting to a guy connected to the international dating industry.… Click here to continue reading this article

The internet scammers have recently — somewhat distastefully — moved onto using the names of US military servicemen in Iraq in an attempt to prize money out the unsuspecting.

They probably know that Great Uncle Boogaloo in Africa with millions of dollars in a suitcase is getting old by now.

Here is one that landed in our inbox today:

Attention,

My name is Col  Mogul Mike, popularly called M2  I am a retired military  attache to 3rd infantry division battalion in Iraq. I am  desperate in need for assistance, I have summed up courage to contact you.

Truth be told, at your age, assuming 40’s or above, you are NOT the same as you were at 25.

These drugs are not aphrodisiacs, although, for many men, the revitalization that they can bring can act in much the same way, with the right woman and/or circumstances.

Some men respond better to one drug than another but they all work in much the same way. If you tried Cialis but felt only a hot flush then try Viagra.

Before you buy any of these drugs get yourself a checkup and ask your quack if he is willing to prescribe them for you, if he says ‘no’ then there is a reason and take heed.… Click here to continue reading this article

Old scam — new email. The Africans never tire of bombarding our inboxes with tales of great Uncle Boogaloo who just happened to fall off the twig with multiple millions of dollars stashed in some bank somewhere.

I wonder if people actually reply to these people? Maybe you know. Anyway, if you are Googling for the content of the email below that you received, be assured it is a scam.

A fresh one that dropped in our mailbox today was this little gem:

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY & REPLY BACK,

First and formost,I have to introduce myself to you.I

Friday 9th July

Wizzair, London Luton to Kiev, non-stop. Mercedes Benz, Kiev to Sumy, several stops. I didn’t take any photos of the plane sorry. From what I remember it was big and purple if that helps, and the car was black. You don’t get TV’s on Wizzair flights but surprising the Merc had one although rather worryingly it was set up for the driver to watch. I guess videos of semi naked Russian pop stars provide a welcome distraction to the regular monotony of near head on collisions and traffic cops waving small batons.… Click here to continue reading this article

I speak Russian. I wouldn’t say that I’m fluent, but I can carry on a conversation and know five thousand words. My grammar is quite accurate, even when using more complicated grammar concepts like passive participles and verbal adverbs. My reading and writing is pretty good. I don’t get the opportunity to speak and listen as much as I’d like, but I have no problem carrying on a conversation. I chat with Russian girls all the time on the phone in Russian. It’s not a problem as long as the connection is clear.… Click here to continue reading this article

So you get to the ripe old age of forty,  having never had ChickenPox, and your child suddenly develops the dreaded varicella zoster virus (VZV) having picked it up at school. The natural reaction is to try to keep the disease ridden offspring at arms length as much as possible during the infectious stage. However, that is easier said than done.  Another thought might be to ensure the younger sibling paws and frolics with the older one in order to be certain of infection and get it all over with together.… Click here to continue reading this article

Our wonderful wordpress blog here doesn’t accept Cyrillic text.

It doesn’t accept Estonian text. It doesn’t accept Polish text.

We want to blog in Russian Cyrillic text, Ukrainian Cyrillic text and Polish and Estonian Latin text. Yet wordpress doesnt seem to want us to do that.

After some Googling, I learned that one might insert some // before something in the wp-config folder, but that didn’t work.

I asked our host about it. First I got flannel:

UTF8 should work for the fonts. When was the website initially created? There was a recent change where we changed to UTF8.

Another eBay miscreant to write up here for the benefit of Google.  This one takes non-paying to a new level by not only not paying, but making excuses as well and then costing you money!

The name to block is 2009kclarke which is a user name with only nine feedbacks (need I say more?). His name is Kenneth J Clarke, he lives at 21 Tinagel Place, Berryhill, Stoke on Trent, ST2 0AP.  His number is 07933 538 604. His email address is: kenjohnclarke@googlemail.com

Here is the gag he pulled on us: He bid on a listing then completed checkout electing to pay by “credit cards”.… Click here to continue reading this article