To the person's comment

I never thought that I would get a comment that was more than about 3 lines long. On my previous post, I recieved a comment that I think was someone's entire blog about how the world is coming to an end because of Oprah, Dr. Phil, and the richest 1% of the nation. To me, it just looks like a rant. The same things are said over and over again, and call me a nerd, but where is the source of this information? I mean, really. If you want me to believe that Oprah, Dr. Phil and Ellen Degeneres are all conspiring with the 1% of richest people in the USA, show me the sources. I want concrete evidence! I've been taught to be skeptical of information sources, and I am skeptical of people, but its because I know that there can be hidden adgendas. Trust me, I would love it if Dr. Phil was really the root of all evil! It would be AMAZING! Well, mostly its because I can't stand Dr. Phil, but thats besides the point. If you want to read what that person wrote, check the comments on the previous post, then be prepared to be there a while. Its a long post.

My chalenge is this: whoever posted the comment, show me the sources, and I mean legitimate, scholarly, REAL sources where this conspiracy theory came from. If you can show me the sources, and they do indeed show what you are ranting about, then I might believe you. Maybe.

I thought that we were done with fear...

I thought that with the end of the Bush administration, we would be done with fear, as in, done with constant threats of terror, SARS type threats, etc. This new "swine epidemic" seems like its just another SARS thing, where not that many people die, but yet its made out to be the worst thing ever. Sounds like the Killer Bees that were supposed to invade the US from, guess where? Mexico! Gee, how about that? Also, since the World Bank is lending Mexico $205 million, I wonder what measures they are attaching to it. Peso devaluation? Like Mexico wasn't already poor enough. Obviously its speculation, but banks like the IMF and the World Bank usually dont just lend money. They do so with interest, plus other stipulations, such as what the money can be used for, and currency devaluation is one of many other things that it stipulates. Were you aware that about 100 years ago, $1 would buy what $100 will buy? This is because of bank's insistance on monetary devaluation. I know this sounds all conspiracy theoryish, but think about it. I recently got a picture from my sister with a guy dressed in colonial cloths, with a poster saying "Remember Descent: the highest form of patriotic." It is true. If you just turn into sheep, or even lemmings, and justt follow the butt infront of you off the cliff, whats the point? It seems that its in human nature, but with so much information avilable, just take the time to look around, and stop just following. Following is easy. Take the path less traveled, and look at things from many sides.

Back to the point at hand though. Just over 8000 people suffered simptoms of SARS, and of those, 774 actually died. How was this such a huge deal? It just got politicized because the Chinese lied about it. It also made great scare TV. Driving a car is more dangerous than the SARS outbreak. According to a figure from 1994 from the NHTSA, there were 41,507 deaths from car crashes. Granted, its an old figure, but the point remains, you are more likely to die in a car crash than from SARS. As far as I am aware, its more likely you'll die in a plane crash than from SARS. Not by much, but it is a higher likelihood. Here is my point: Why do we insist on allowing ourselves to be told that every little incident is an end-all-be-all crisis? They rarely are. When are we going to stop allowing the media to rule us through fear? All I am asking is that you think. That's all! You have a brain, so USE IT!!

Today's Crisis...

So, I am finding all kinds of things that are quite similar to today's situation in the 1998 economic crisis in Russia. Ironic that one of the banks that when under this time (a few months ago, I think), was one that helped the Russian Oligarch banks use insider info to save their own hides and their fortunes, while letting the rest of the people suffer. Which bank is that? None other than Goldman Sachs. I think that the only thing that could have made it more Ironic would have been if Russian banks had bought them out when they crashed. The other bank that gave money was the IMF (International Monetary Fund). The more I read about the IMF, the more I really see them as an organization that is bad for the people. They money they loaned to Russia immediately prior to the loan default of 1998 also ended up in the Oligarch's pockets. Controversial, to say the least, and also some food for thought...

Thoughts after England

So, as I was riding the plane back, the train, then the metro, I have realized that I am way more comfortable in Russia than I was in England. I would say thats a really good sign. The other really good sign is that while I was in England, I kept thinking in Russia, and on the flight back, was getting excited to be back and speaking Russian again. Never thought I would hear myself say that. haha. I guess I really did just need a break from Russian to realize that I like it, love Moscow, and actually missed it when I was in England.

Also, whoever said that the London Underground is pretty/ nice looking is a damn lair. haha. All I could think of when I was in the London Underground was, "Wow, this is really dirty, and its all tiled like its someone bathroom from the 70's." I have to say that the Underground was absolutely nothing special for me, and that if you want to see a beautiful metro, and I mean beautiful, come to Moscow! You will not be disappointed!!!

Isn't it sad...

Isn't it sad when someone is afraid being from their own country?

My Russian friend and I were walking today near the Kremlin. We were speaking a mixture of Russian and English. As we went to go through a gate way, my friend turned to me to say something, and it was in English. I then saw a police officer step out and pull us aside. It wasn't until he heard my friend speak in English that he turned to pull us aside. He then requested to see our passports, which we, of course, gave to him. He then started questioning my friend on her documents, where she was living, why she lived in a flat rather than in the dorm, etc. While doing this, he opened my passport, looked at it, then promptly handed it back. He didnt care about me. I was a foreigner, and my papers were in order, so it was not a problem, not to mention that I would have probably requested to go to the Embassy rather than be taken to the police station (although he didnt know that). Anyway, he continued to pepper my friend with questions, and she was becoming visibly upset by the whole process. At some point, he told her that he was going to have to take her to the station to make sure her papers were real, since apparently there were a lot of fake papers circulating. At this point she began to cry, partly because she was in shock at being interrogated on the street in her own country, but also because she was incredibly offended that this could happen. We were eventually let go. We talked about it later over lunch, and she made a comment that went something like this. "In Russia, if you're foreign, thats ok, but its not okay to be Russian in Russia." Granted, she was still upset by this event, but it really got me thinking. I have been thinking about Stalinism and the Russian system that always seems to revert to authoritarianism. There are still visual cues that Stalism is still around, but not as strong and not as obvious. This, to me, was one of them. During the Stalinist (Communist) period, it was typical for the police to stop Russian citizens and question them. It was also typical for the people to be afraid of the state, because they could seemingly do whatever they wanted, and the more I study modern Russia, the more I think that as things change, the more they stay the same. I am not necessarily saying that it is a bad thing, as a strong Russia is good for everyone. What I am saying is that while a lot has changed here, there is a lot in the back ground that has been overshadowed by other events. While, yes, they have a market economy now, the leaders from Yeltsin on have been reconsolidating power into a one man, or few men, show. Thats exactly what Stalin did in the 20's and 30's. I can't make any solid conclusions right now, but it is something that I am going to be thinking about a lot in the next month and a half.

English Lock Trees

So I got the opportunity to go to the "love bridge" yesterday with a few friends. Its a bridge next to a park in central Moscow. On the bridge are metal "trees" with loops in them for hanging "things." So what is traditional for newlyweds to do is to come to the bridge with a lock (a padlock, combination lock, etc.) with their names engraved on the lock. They then lock the lock to the tree to signify a long "locked" marriage. Its a cool tradition. I like it. If I get married in Moscow, Im going to do that! haha.

Nice April Fools Joke!

Yep, I got suckered into believing that spring was coming. Mother Nature gave me bait, and I took it hook, line and sinker. On April 1st, the weather wasn't great, but it was somewhat warm (maybe +5 C), and it was raining. This made me think, "oh, its the first time its raining since I got here, Spring must be on the way. " What a foolish thought. Yesterday it snowed all day. Today, its mostly clear, but its back to -2 C. So much for spring coming in Moscow.

Happy 200th Birthday!

Happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you,
happy birthday dear Gogol
Happy birthday to you!

Okay, so for those of you who are unaware, this is the 200th Birthday of Gogol, the 2nd greatest Russian writer (after Pushkin, of course). I happened to walk to the end of Gogol Boulevard today before I went to my class, and when I was about half way to the statue of Gogol, I noticed that there were probably 50-75 people just hanging out there, playing music, (drums in particular) and just enjoying being in the shadow of a great writer. This was, of course, before I knew what day it was. Just another cultural tidbit for you!