It Just Ain't Right

When you visit a foreign country there are things that just aren't right. Often it is hard to put into words, it's just a feeling. "It just ain't right." Here in Russia it is the Snickers bars. You can get the normal candy you expect, but instead of peanuts, you can also get hazel nuts.  It just doesn't taste right. Objectively, I would say it's superior, but it seems weird. The price seems odd too, 75 cents for a double Snickers bar. I need to be careful that I don't eat too many.

I had to count twice before I would believe it, but here in Russia eggs are sold in packages of ten. "It just ain't right." Obviously, this does not matter in the least. Following the customs of the ancient Babylonians, who did not use a base ten numbering system, but divided everything into 12's, is not followed in Russia. But yet even though it does not matter, it jars the psyche.

Population density is quite different here. I am in a city of about 100,000. It is not designed with the auto in mind, even the more modern apartments. Most people do not have autos. They ride the bus. For 17 roubles, about 25 cents, you can ride to the center of town. Instead of the expected suburbs, we are living in, and surrounded by, 5-story apartment blocks. Why 5 stories? In Russian law, if an apartment has more than 5 stories you have to have an elevator. 

Yes, here in Russia we walk to the store, we have our own bags, and when we travel to visit my wife's friends, we will travel by train. "It just ain't right." Intellectually, this seems far superior, but it just doesn't feel right.

I remember seeing a couple in Walmart in Branson, Missouri. I immediately thought, they are Russians.  I listened closely, and sure enough they were. How did I know? I am not sure, but the woman's heels were higher, her makeup heavier, they were thinner, and they were dressed too nice. They did not feel right.

No, this blog post is not a travelog. I am writing about the election and Donald Trump. I thought that Trump was not electable. While the Trump sex tape hurt his election chances, this no longer seems to be true. He might actually be elected. I underestimated the banality and unattractiveness of Clinton. But a far more important factor is that things just do not seem right. I see it everywhere I go. I expect it here in Russia, but I don't expect it in my home country. I have an unease I can't put into words. I feel alienated from my own society. Others must feel it as well. How else can one explain the fact that a reality show TV star is this close to being elected president?

"It just ain't right."

New Cold War

As NATO troops, including Germans, mass on the Russian border, the question is asked why? Here is the answer. 

Ukrainian Maiden Documentary

The documentary I posted last week was rather obvious in its viewpoint. This documentary was produced by the French Canal+ TV. The place I took the video from described the video this way:

Movie itself has been produced by high ranking agents of Kremlin inside of French Canal+ TV channel.

I found this rather humorous as the video was against the presence of Neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian government and the documentary only reported what was already well known. I do not think I would describe French television as a hotbed of pro-Russian activity. But yes, all documentaries are propaganda. As might be expected, this documentary was not well received by the Ukrainian government.

If you want to know who was the main driving force behind the Ukrainian revolution, watch this video.

A Documentary on Crimea

While I doubt too many will actually watch a two hour documentary in Russian with English subtitles about Crimea becoming a part of the Russian Federation, it is an interesting propaganda piece well worth the investment if one is interested in the Ukrainian situation. My own personal view is that one needs to watch all different kinds of information and viewpoints. No doubt the information here is shaded toward a "proper" view of the rejoining of Crimea with Russia, as Western news programs wish their viewers to also have a "proper" view.  

Note that the 97% vote in favor of Crimea joining is exaggerated, not through electoral fraud, but by a boycott of the election by some ethnic minorities--the Tatars in particular. This leads to the emphasis in the documentary of certain Tatars that supported the fight against the reestablishment of Ukrainian authority over Crimea. It is clear that the vast majority of Crimean citizens are totally in favor of being Russians, in fact they would say they always were.  

When I hear the US State Department comment that Crimea should be returned to Ukrainian sovereignty, I have to smile. It ain't going to happen. If you do decide to watch the documentary, that much will be clear. 

Of particular interest to me was the participation of the Cossacks in the Crimean situation, and the direct involvement of the Russian equivalent of the Hell's Angels--the Night Wolves. 

But in any event, here is the documentary.

Crimea: The Way Home - EN Subtitles - Full Documentary from Sott.net on Vimeo.

Food in Russia

I thought this little clip might be of interest. Food in Russia is of far superior quality, except for the beef, than the normal American fare. Most food there is organic because that is just the way things are done. You do note that fact that the fruit is not as artificially pristine as most US food, but it tastes better. It might be interesting if in the future the only way to get good food is to import it from Russia, or live there.