The New USA -v- Russia Cold War. Seeing the Wood Through the Trees.

I’m not sure why anyone falls for the dishonest media spin from either side.

The current “cold war” situation owes more to an engineered conflict that is agreeable to both sides (EU/US and Russia) to distract the peasants from the domestic economic turmoil.

Creating political theatre and ‘threats’ allows governments to run loose economic policy and pour money into defence without taking a beating on the markets.

The ISIS/AQ threat is better persecuted by special forces. To be able to dump billions into new defence projects and soak up blue collared workers into a standing military you need a credible threat.… Click here to continue reading this article

BBC pressure leads Paxman to bin article criticising EU

This article first appeared in the Sunday Times. 

BBC pressure leads Paxman to bin article criticising EU

It is not easy to muzzle a journalistic pitbull, but Jeremy Paxman has withdrawn an article critical of the European Union from a forthcoming issue of Radio Times after coming under pressure from the BBC.

The article was commissioned by the magazine to coincide with Paxman in Brussels, a BBC1 documentary about the EU presented by Paxman and due for transmission on May 19.

Typically pugnacious, Paxman expressed doubts about the EU, its bureaucracy and, in particular, the loss of Britain’s sovereignty.… Click here to continue reading this article

The Reality About Estonia

I have been visiting Estonia for many years. Since the late 90’s.

I have a house there and (now) a Russian-speaking wife.

I think I have a unique perspective that locals  don’t have.

A bloke recently asked me:

What did you like/prefer then? (in pre-EU Estonia) Apart from being one of few foreigners in the country at the time.

Here is my reply:

There were always more foreigners around than you might think, but still relatively few.

I first went in 98 in pre-EU days, and went quite often with bits of business and later with dating.… Click here to continue reading this article

So, What’s The Story Behind Donald Trump’s ‘Surprise’?

So, What’s The Story Behind Trump’s ‘Surprise’?

I have been thinking about this Trump thing and how it has been that some folks have simply not been able to understand what was going on in front of their faces.

I don’t just mean the ordinary voters, but pundits, analysts and other politicians.

Here, I will make an aside and not that it is quite likely that many, perhaps most of these groups were fully aware of what was happening but their assigned task was to convince the main in the street that Trump was not as significant as he has been and will be.… Click here to continue reading this article

Where To Get Long Stainless Steel Barbecue Skewers BBQ

Where to buy long stainless steel Russian barbecue skewers.

Where to buy long stainless steel barbecue skewers? Finding good quality long barbecue skewers  in the UK can be a drag. But you are in the right place to find out more.

BBQ skewers are a sector of the market that cheap Chinese manufacturers and ‘pile em high, sell em cheap’ eBay and Amazon merchants have been all over for some time.

Finding the good stuff at the right price among all the cheap rubbish out there can be hard.

If you want long stainless steel barbecue skewers, you want stainless steel.… Click here to continue reading this article

Musing on the EU, the UK and Syrian “Refugees”.

I totally understand the situation faced by the innocent in Syria and its appalling.

Some of the footage caught on camera is truly heartbreaking and something positive needs to been done by the world community to stop the suffering.

That said, opening the back door to the EU and illegally allowing millions of unregulated economic migrants along with some refugees flood in, is simply scandalous.

It’s not the answer and for all the bleeding heart liberals out there demonising anyone who opposes this tidal wave of illegal immigration, they need to see the fruits of their ridiculous tree hugging ideology.… Click here to continue reading this article

Want the VAT Number of Tameside MBC?

So you want the VAT number for Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council?

So did I, they had billed me for an item I decided should have included VAT, and my accountant asked me to obtain the VAT number.

Easier said than done.

It took me some extensive searching to find it.

If you call them, they wont tell you.

There are no reverse search VAT number directories.

You can only check the validity of a VAT number you have. Not the other way around.

However, I am quite resourceful, so I eventually got it, and to be sure, I checked it with the EU VAT validation website.… Click here to continue reading this article

The Realities of Expat Living in Moscow 2016

The main thing about living anywhere in the world is your attitude.

How easily you can adapt to living outside your “comfort” zone, to how willing you are in accepting a new reality.

There are advantages and disadvantages to living anywhere. I think this goes without saying, but I obviously have to say it to put things into perspective for some.

I have often said that you cannot compare Russia to the established Western world. One has emerged from 75 years of Communism, not to mention a whole host of tragic historical and cultural norms, to a meshing of free market policies and a new world order in the 21st century.… Click here to continue reading this article

Parcel2go and Hermes (Evri) Overweight Parcel “Extra Payment Required” Rip Off.

Have you had the “Extra Payment Required” email from Parcel2Go or Evri?

As online sellers, we access the services of Hermes/myHermes (2022 edit – now Evri) sometimes direct, and sometimes through parcel2go.com – depending on which platform we are booking from.

Years ago, everyone used to book everything at 0.99kgs and anything up to about 3kgs would go through without a hitch. That was never going to last.

In the last 18 months, Hermes has started routinely weighing everything, so weights must be accurate. No big deal and not rocket science to make sure which band your parcel falls into, right?… Click here to continue reading this article

Shock News: Western Media Suddenly Decides Russia is the Good Guy.

When a propaganda channel like Fox News begins to make positive noises about Russia, we must wonder why the narrative has changed so fast and who is pulling the strings.

We all know about Fox News, often referred to as Faux News, the comedic American ‘news’ channel that pedals agenda-driven, Republican-leaning, bite size propaganda chunks to the unthinking, gun-toting masses over the pond.

Quite often, Russia Insider reports on their hysterical output; among which has been “He (Putin) has been repeatedly invading foreign countries…” and “If we don’t interfere in Ukraine he (Putin) will go after Lithuania, Estonia, he is out of control now”.… Click here to continue reading this article

Turkey Exposed as More than Terrorist Accomplices by Shooting the Russian Jet Down.

This article first appeared on RT.

Turkey has shown its hand by destroying the Russian warplane over Syria and followed through on its previous threats to Russia. We must now regard Turkey as a hostile state that supports terrorism.

As has been widely reported, on the 24th November, Turkey – an EU aspirant NATO member – shot down a Russian warplane on legitimate Syrian duties. As a result, one pilot is dead and the other was rescued by Russian Special Forces. Another soldier was killed during the rescue operation and Russia lost a rescue helicopter in the process.… Click here to continue reading this article

War Returns to Ukraine

This article first appeared on Russia Insider. 

Whilst all eyes are on Syria there has been a steady deterioration of the situation in Ukraine.

In violation of the ceasefire shelling of the territories of the two people’s republics has resumed, and the OSCE has confirmed that the Ukrainian military has moved heavy weapons back to the contact line.

The Ukrainians meanwhile have extended their ban of commercial flights to and from Russia by banning also transit flights.

Ukraine has placed Crimea under food blockade. To the intense embarrassment of its Western backers (see this editorial in the Financial Times, headlined “Kiev should act to end the blockade of Crimea”) it has enlarged this to an energy blockade.… Click here to continue reading this article

Review: Cau Didsbury, Manchester: “10% “Service Charge” Leaves a Bad Taste in the Mouth.

This is a review for CAU DIDSBURY, 700 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2DN. Tel: 0161 448 1883.

I *really* wanted to love this place (I used to go to the same building when it was Zizi). I have been to Cau in Amsterdam, but this one isn’t up to that standard.

They have only been open 4 weeks, so we should perhaps make allowances for that.

I trundled along here tonight with my two kids to try it out. After some consternation among the door staff as to where they might seat us, I was finally led through a half empty place to a booth.… Click here to continue reading this article

Putin: The Western Media’s Villain for Every Season.

This article first appeared at RT. 

As the hysterical outpourings of the Western media and their relentless anti-Putin narrative becomes ever more ridiculous. We look at why.

Vladimir Putin wants to cut off your internet. At least, if you are a reader of the New York Times, you may well believe this. The NYT recently reported that “Russian submarines and spy ships are aggressively operating near the vital undersea cables that carry almost all global Internet communications”.

The NYT didn’t bother to expand on how a submarine might go about acting ‘aggressively’ in the presence of inert under sea cables in international waters.… Click here to continue reading this article

Book Review: Exceptional – Why the World Needs a Powerful America by Dick Cheney

For fair disclosure, before you read this review, I will say that while I enjoy visiting America from time to time, I am disdainful of American foreign policy and its continual aggression, state-sponsored terrorism, wars and regime changes around the world.

I am a Russophile. I think Vladimir Putin is one of the worlds great leaders.

An American pal of mine gifted me this book recently. I promised him I would read it with an open mind. I think I have, but it hasn’t changed my opinion.

Here is some of the book blurb:

Exceptional – Why the World Needs a Powerful America by Dick Cheney

Former vice president Dick Cheney, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and his daughter Liz Cheney, former deputy assistant secretary of state, explain the unique and indispensable nature of American power, reveal the damage done by President Obama’s abandonment of this principle, and show how America can and must lead again.

… Click here to continue reading this article

US Complains As Russia Bombs its Terrorists

This article first appeared at journal-neo.org

The New York Times in its recent article, “Russians Strike Targets in Syria, but Not ISIS Areas,” attempts to frame Russia’s recent actions in Syria as dishonest and dangerous. It reports:

Russian aircraft carried out a bombing attack against Syrian opposition fighters on Wednesday, including at least one group trained by the C.I.A., eliciting angry protests from American officials and plunging the complex sectarian war there into dangerous new territory.

This of course would only make Russia’s actions dishonest or dangerous if groups trained by the US CIA were in fact the “moderates” the US claims they are.… Click here to continue reading this article

Taking the British Media to Task When They Lie About Russia

For the mainstream western media, lying about Russia is now just a routine part of the working day.

No British Sunday newspaper would be complete without the obligatory anti-Russian double page spread on the ‘threat’ Putin and Russia poses to somebody somewhere this week.

To get this right, one must not concern oneself with facts. Simply choose a country, any country will do, do some random Googling, make some stuff up to pad it out, but be sure to say you are “quoting a source” to absolve yourself of responsibility for what you write.… Click here to continue reading this article

America Is Using Bulgaria to Supply Arms to Ukraine

This article originally appeared at Novinite – Bulgarian news agency

The United States is delivering arms to Ukraine via Bulgaria, an article on RIA Novosti reads.

Bulgaria is also “producing ammunition for the Ukrainian army” with US money, and Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic are ready to take part in similar schemes, the text argues further.

Washington is doing so “despite official declarations” and has so far transferred about 200 sniper rifles and 400 assault rifles and 200 grenade launchers, the author, Aleksandr Hrolenko, notes [RU], arguing this “transit country” has been used for not less than 20 years “when necessary to hide traces”.… Click here to continue reading this article

How Britain’s Propaganda Machine Controls What You Think

This article originally appeared at TruePublica

On the one hand, just five individual Billionaires in Britain get to control 80% what you read in printed media and on the other hand, just five Internet Service Providers get to control what 87% of people get to see on their devices. Both are heavily influenced by government. It is no wonder what the public think is a misinterpretation of the truth. In fact, so far from the truth, it is more a departure from reality. Propaganda works!

Owen Jones’s book, “The Establishment and how they get away with it” focuses on how British democracy is threatened from within explained best by it’s own description;

“Behind our democracy lurks a powerful but unaccountable network of people who wield massive power and reap huge profits in the process.… Click here to continue reading this article

Putin’s New York Speech – the Text in Full.

This speech originally appeared on kremlin.ru

70th session of the UN General Assembly.

Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary meeting of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The UN General Assembly is the United Nations Organisation’s main consultative body and examines the principles for cooperation in ensuring international peace and security.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr. President,

Mr. Secretary General,

Distinguished heads of state and government,

Ladies and gentlemen,

The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is a good occasion to both take stock of history and talk about our common future.… Click here to continue reading this article