Carte Blanche

From DW:

"Blueprint for Russian expansionism"

Russia is responsible for the protection of all Russians no matter where they live, comes the message from Moscow. That strikes fear into its former Soviet Republics - and reminds them of recent history.  There are flowers - bouquets and single roses - near the fence of the Ukrainian embassy in Riga, Latvia's capital. Demonstrators have put them there to protest Russian intervention in Crimea. Many Latvian feel close to the crisis in Ukraine. And they're concerned. "In 1991, we were also threatened by Russian tanks," says a passer-by, recalling Moscow's attempts to prevent Latvia's independence efforts after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Historically and ethnically, Latvia's situation is comparable in some respects to Ukraine's. Latvia also has a large Russian minority: nearly 27 percent of its population generally, and in the capital, upwards of 50 percent. Most of them arrived in Latvia during the Soviet era. Today, Latvia's society is virtually divided, says Latvian sociologist Arnis Kaktnis. There are Latvian schools and Russian schools. Russian-speaking Latvians have their own theaters and their own media, the latter of which reports its own reality of the crisis in Crimea. Russian media, primarily financed by Moscow, praise the intervention in Crimea - all while the Latvian press reports on protests against Vladimir Putin in Riga. "The Russians in the country admire Putin and love Russia. The Latvians on the other hand are very afraid of Russia, due to the traumatic history," said Kaktins in an interview with DW. Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, who directs the German non-profit Konrad-Adenauer Foundation office in Riga, says those recollections are vivid. "Latvia's remembrance and the collective memory of Soviet policy after 1940 is still very much alive, and the older people especially clearly express that Russian policy on Crimea reminds them of that time," he told DW. That said, as a member of NATO and the EU, "the Latvians feel secure and trust that the alliance will be helpful." The situation in the Baltic states differs, however, from that in Crimea.

"The Russian speaking population [in Latvia] clearly says, 'We're Russian.' But they also say, 'We want to stay in Latvia, we don't want to go back to Russia'," said Beckmann-Dierkes. More than anything, they don't want give up the advantages Latvia offers them as an EU member, he says.

For Sabine Fischer at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, a Crimea-like development in the Baltic states is unlikely. "The Baltic states have been NATO members since 1999 and EU members since 2004," the political scientist told DW. "Here, there are facts which have been established which make it too dangerous for Russia to escalate the situation in the Baltic states.

But the situation in the Republic of Moldova, she says, is different. For Moldova, the former Soviet satellite at the far east of Europe, Ukraine's current predicament has been reality for 22 years. In 1992, Russian separatists declared an independent state, the Republic of Transnistria, after a short secessionist war east of the Dniester River. It is not internationally recognized. Russian troops of the 14th Army, officially a peace operation, have been stationed in Transnistria ever since. The territory, just 200 kilometers (124 miles) by and six kilometers wide, is economically dependent on Russia.

The conflict in Ukraine, and especially in Crimea, "will have negative effects on the situation of the Republic of Moldova and the Transnistria conflict," says Sabine Fischer. "It is very likely that, in the coming months, Moscow will try to exploit that conflict even more." The political scientist added that Moscow will be watching Moldova as the latter plans to sign an Association Agreement with the EU in August. Mike Rogers, chairman of the US Committee on Intelligence, has come to the same conclusion. He believes Putin wants to strengthen and expand the buffer zone around Russia. "His next target will be the Republic of Moldova, and other regions will follow," he said during a television interview. In the light of the developments in Ukraine, the fear of Russian intervention has increased in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital.  Recent events in southern Moldova are adding to those worries. In February, the autonomous region of Gagauzia voted by an overwhelming 98.5-percent majority for a tariff union with Russia. That result recalls the Soviet era, and observers don't rule out that Moscow was involved. But if Gagauzia asks Moscow for military protection, the Crimea crisis could become the blueprint for an expansionist Russian policy there. For former Soviet Republics, there's another warning sign: Russia is considering a law which would ease access to Russian citizenship for the Russian-speaking populations of the former Soviet satellite states. For Latvian political researcher Andirs Spruds from the n-ost Network for Reporting on Eastern Europe, the international community cannot be inactive when it comes to Russia's actions in Crimea, since doing so would only encourage Russia to "defend" the Russian-speaking population. Its motto, he says: "Nobody reacts - then we'll occupy the next country."

^ What everyone (including the Russians) need to remember is that the only reason the non-Russian former Soviet Republics have such sizeable ethnic Russian populations is because the native groups were deported by the Soviets and ethnic Russians sent to replace them. It is not a natural movement of people, but one of violence. It's clear that Russia is testing the US and EU on how far they can be pushed (and so far they  - the West - is failing.) Anyone who thinks Russia will merely stop at annexing the Crimea is an idiot who never learned basic World History. It's called appeasement and it has never worked. If countries had no will-power or back-bone (which the US clearly doesn't have under Obama) then they should stop trying to act tough and make baseless threats whether in the Ukraine, Syria or anyplace else. ^

http://www.dw.de/blueprint-for-russian-expansionism/a-17487876

Retailer Bigot

From USA Today:
"Alabama retailer turns away special needs kids"

An apparent misunderstanding between a local retailer and a group of special needs students from Montgomery Public Schools ended with the children and a teacher being asked to leave and the store's parent company issuing an apology. A store manager at the Eastdale Mall location of Bath and Body Works informed a group of Crump Elementary special needs students who were there on a school assignment that they couldn't shop in the store. A store manager then asked that the students and the teacher accompanying them leave through a side exit. But both L Brands, the parent company of Bath and Body Works, and MPS say that the manager was confused about what the students were doing in the store and was concerned that a continued influx of students not making purchases would throw off the store's customer-purchase count. "The mix-up at Bath and Body Works occurred when an employee apparently misunderstood the purpose of the visit," MPS spokesman Tom Salter said. "That issue has been resolved. We are looking forward to continuing to work with this community-focused company in this important work." Students from several special needs classes from different MPS schools were in the mall last Friday to participate in a life skills practice. Teachers split the students into groups of three and sent them on "scavenger hunts" to find and purchase different items.

"We work with many stores around Montgomery to provide students with special circumstances the opportunity to learn to find and purchase the things they need," Salter said. The mix-up at Bath and Body Works occurred when the store manager reportedly misunderstood teacher Dawn Ellis, taking her reference to a "scavenger hunt" to mean the students wouldn't be making purchases. Ellis declined to comment about the situation. According to L Brands, each Bath and Body Works store — along with many other retail stores — is equipped with a sensor to monitor foot traffic into each store. The foot traffic is matched with store purchases, and each location is expected to achieve a certain percentage of sales per the total number of customers. Worried that the scavenger hunt would throw off the count, the manager, whom L Brands didn't identify, asked the students and teacher to leave through a side door where no sensor was present. "We very much regret this misunderstanding and have personally met with Ms. Ellis and her students to offer our most sincere apology and welcome them in our stores at any time ," a statement from L Brands read, in part. A Bath and Body Works district manager visited Ellis' class at Crump Elementary on Monday to convey the store's apology. The store also offered the class a variety of free soaps.

^ It doesn't matter why those children were in the store (as long as they weren't stealing or breaking anything.) The store manager is completely in the wrong and is clearly a bigot against the disabled. He/she should be fired from the store, but instead Bath and Body Works treats it as something that was just "misunderstood" rather than something that is clearly illegal and discrimination. I would boycott not only this store, but all Bath and Body Works until the company starts taking this seriously and fires the manager and anyone else involved. Bigots will continue to discriminate against those they don't like until others show them that it is wrong, and in this case,  illegal. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/11/special-needs-kids-refused-service/6309495/

Sued Back Home

From USA Today:

"Teen back at home of parents she sued"

A press conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to announce that the New Jersey high school cheerleader who filed a lawsuit against her parents has reunited with them. The parents hired a new lawyer Tuesday who said the case does not belong in the court system and should be settled "in a swift and amicable" way. Rachel Canning, 18, "has returned home and reunited with her parents and siblings," the lawyer, Angelo Sarno, said Wednesday in a statement. "Her return home is not contingent on any financial and/or other considerations." The private lives of Sean and Elizabeth Canning of Lincoln Park, N.J., and their torn relationship with daughter Rachel were thrown open to international scrutiny since their daughter filed a lawsuit Feb. 24 in the Family Division of state Superior Court here. It claims her parents cut her off financially when she turned 18 on Nov. 1, mostly because she would not break up with her boyfriend. In her lawsuit, which lawyer John Inglesino, the father of Rachel Canning's best friend, had been financing, she had been seeking a declaration of non-emancipation — or continuing financial dependence on her family. Rachel Canning wanted Judge Peter Bogaard to award her $654 weekly in child support and make her parents pay her upcoming college tuition.  Inglesino, who has been taking a public bruising because of his involvement in what Sean and Elizabeth Canning contend is a private family matter, could not be reached immediately for comment. Rachel Canning's lawyer, Tanya Helfand, also was not immediately available. Rachel Canning, a Morris Catholic High School senior, claimed her parents "constructively abandoned" her. She moved out of their house and had been living with the Inglesinos in Rockaway Township, N.J., since the beginning of November. The law firm of Snyder & Sarno LLC in Roselawn, N.J. issued a statement Tuesday that said Sarno, a partner at the firm, now is representing the parents and requests privacy for them. "The case has received widespread national media coverage as it directly challenges the degree to which government may or may not intervene in the rules and decisions parents must inevitably make for their children in intact families," the statement said. "The case is without any legal merit," Sarno said. "Certain cases should not see the inside of a courtroom. This is one such case.  "Government cannot police the day-to-day financial affairs of parents and their children while the family is intact. The case must be resolved quickly between the parents and child, preferably without involvement of the court and/or legal counsel," he said. "The longer this case remains pending, the greater the divide created between parent and child will grow." The high school honor student and lacrosse player left home Oct. 30, two days before she turned 18, after a tumultuous stretch during which her parents separated and reconciled and the teen began getting into uncharacteristic trouble at school. She had asked that her parents be ordered to settle an outstanding $5,306 Morris Catholic tuition bill; pay her current living and transportation expenses; and commit an existing college fund to their daughter, who has received acceptance letters from several universities and has to make a decision this spring. Bogaard, who conducted a preliminary hearing here March 4, urged family therapy and reconciliation and said the case was in uncharted legal waters. Courts typically rule on college costs and college tuition fees when parents are divorcing. "It is the goal of the Cannings to be present at their child's graduations, her wedding and at the birth of their grandchildren," Sarno said. "The Cannings want this matter behind themn so they can begin the healing process with their family." The case is likely to be dismissed before it is scheduled for trial April 22. If the trial were to continue, the judge would have to decide whether Rachel Canning is non-emancipated and entitled to parental support or voluntarily emancipated herself in October by refusing to follow household rules and moving out.

^ This was a no-brainer from the start. If the 18 year old doesn't want to live with her parents and follow their rules than she can move out (legally) and start doing things herself. There is something clearly wrong with this woman and anyone who "advised" her to sue her parents. I wish that it had gone through the courts because she would have clearly lost and then would have to finally realize that she is a spoiled, selfish brat who can not do anything by herself. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/12/student-sues-parents-college-tuition/6321441/

Ending CDN's 12 Years

From the Globe and Mail:

"Canada wraps up 12-year military mission in Afghanistan"

The Canadian army has hauled down the flag in Afghanistan. An understated ceremony, held under sunny skies and heavy guard, at NATO headquarters in Kabul brought to an end just over a dozen years of military involvement in the war-wasted nation. Dignitaries — Canadian and allied alike — praised the country’s involvement and sacrifices.  “Your strength has protected the weak; your bravery has brought hope to hopeless; and the helping hand you have extended to the Afghan people has given them faith that a better future is within their grasp,” Deborah Lyons, the Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan told an assembly of the last 100 soldiers who served on a three year training mission. The war cost the lives of 158 soldiers, one diplomat, one journalist and two civilian contractors. “We can wish that the families of the fallen do not lament their fate, but we know that this is not the case. The only small comfort comes from the knowledge that the sacrifices of lost loved ones has been worthwhile, that they made a difference, and that their grief is shared by a grateful nation. “It is said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. You actions and those of your fallen colleagues have stopped the triumph of evil.”

Canadian commandos, hunting al-Qaeda, were the first troops to hit the ground in late 2001 and they were followed by as many as 40,000 more rotating through different campaigns, including the five-year combat mission in Kandahar. British Lt.-Gen. John Lorimer, the deputy commander of NATO in Afghanistan, said the Canadians “repeatedly proved their courage and capability” alongside coalition and Afghan troops, especially in Kandahar “where you not only fought hard, but you fought smart.”

Calling it the end of a significant era, Lorimer said he viewed the departure of the Canadians with “mixed emotions” given the shared experiences of the last 12 years. "I am sad to see you return home, yet grateful for opportunity to have served alongside such great Canadian leaders along the way,” he said. The last Canadian commander, Maj.-Gen. Dean Milner, said the training mission taking place over the last three years has been invaluable preparation for the Afghan army, but the progress made is not irreversible and the West needs to continue nurturing both military and civilian institutions. Lyons said Canada will remain engaged in Afghanistan and the focus will be on helping build the ruined nation’s economy, particularly in the resource sector.

^ Of course the only Canadians that will even know this took place today are the ones that were at the ceremony along with all the soldiers and their families that served. It's a shame when any country doesn't do more to recognize and support the men and women who fight and die so everyone else can have freedom. A lot more needs to be done by the Canadian Government, the Canadian Military and the Canadian people to make sure the soldiers, veterans and their families are not forgotten. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-wraps-up-12-year-military-mission-in-afghanistan/article17449862/

Russians For Ukraine

From the BBC:

"Ukraine crisis: Russians opposed to Putin"

In an emotional speech in Kiev on Sunday, former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky - recently released from 10 years in jail - told the Maidan "there is another Russia", one opposed to military action in Ukraine. Russian writer and broadcaster Andrei Ostalski agrees but says it's a small and embattled community. On 2 March, one day after the Upper Chamber of the Russian parliament passed a motion allowing President Putin to use Russia's armed forces anywhere on Ukrainian territory, a Muscovite decided to stage a one-man protest. He knew it was a rather risky affair as the streets were full of "patriotically" minded people rejoicing and celebrating the prospect of a quick victorious war against their neighbour. Nevertheless, Alexei Sokirko found a place on the pavement on Nikolskaya Street and unfolded his "Stop the war" banner. Russian law allows one-man pickets to be staged without prior permission or advance notification so the police didn't do anything at first. In fact, they didn't need to as Alexei immediately started getting harassed by angry passers-by. To begin with they called him "fascist" and "scum". Then a woman spat at him. A few men started threatening him, and finally one of them snatched the banner from his hands and tore it up.  A scuffle followed - that was when the police intervened to arrest Alexei for violating public order. It was probably just as well, as he could have been seriously beaten. A woman then offered to fabricate a more serious charge against him. "I can testify that he was beating up a child," she suggested, enthusiastically. The policemen decided not to take her up on it.  The episode described on Alexei Sokirko's Facebook page is poignantly symbolic. Russians opposed to the invasion of Crimea are a lonely minority, seemingly powerless to influence the mob that surrounds them. According to one poll, about 70% of the population approves of Putin's policy towards Ukraine. Especially popular is the prospect of Crimea becoming part of Mother Russia - and all the indications are a majority wouldn't mind Russia sending tanks straight to Kiev. Dmitry Peskov, the president's press-secretary, claims Putin's ratings are at an all-time high.  It's become something of a mantra in Moscow to say that Russians are so pleased with the way their macho leader is "standing up to the West" and "defending compatriots abroad" that they are prepared "to forgive him everything" - from widespread poverty to endemic corruption and police brutality. The popular Russian novelist and scriptwriter Tatiana Sotnikova (pen name Anna Byerseneva) agrees that most of her compatriots support the Kremlin's actions, for now at least - she thinks it could change if Russia's isolation causes living standards to fall. She attributes their bellicosity mostly to the incessant propaganda of the national TV channels. "A total xenophobic brainwashing has been going on relentlessly for the last 14 years," as she puts it. She is one of a number of Russian writers who signed a letter expressing solidarity with their Ukrainian colleagues and protesting against Moscow's belligerent behaviour. The writers, all members of PEN International, are not entirely alone. One of the two Russian cinematographic unions joined in the condemnation. (It is a sign of the times that Moscow has another, more "patriotic" Union of Cinema Workers that would never dream of challenging the Kremlin line).  But the Russian Union of Writers announced its total support for any actions the president might undertake on Ukrainian territory, and echoed Kremlin rhetoric by calling the Maidan leaders "a bunch of fascists". There have been others, too, who have carried out their own version of Sokirko's protest. Andrei Zubov, a highly respected professor at the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations, wrote an article in Vedomosti newspaper comparing a Russian annexation of Crimea to the German Anschluss of Austria in 1938. He was immediately told to resign or face the sack but the threat was retracted after colleagues rushed to his support. One of the least expected objections came from a leader of the pro-Kremlin Spravedlivaya Rossiya party, Akexander Chuyev, writing on a liberal website.  Regardless of a person's political views and affiliations, supporting a war was immoral, he said, adding that he knew communists and nationalists who shared his view. "As a Russian and an Orthodox Christian I cannot support a decision which not only contradicts Russia's international obligations but can lead to a fratricidal war," he announced in a separate interview.  The editor of the influential Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Konstantin Remchukov, has meanwhile spoken out against the idea of holding an "illegal" referendum in Crimea. In a radio interview he also criticised, in no uncertain terms, the Russian establishment's apparent readiness to quarrel with the West. As he uttered those words listeners started calling in to brand him a "traitor" and worse.  One of Russia's most popular thriller writers, Boris Akunin, has also called on his compatriots to think again. "I want to ask the majority celebrating the annexation of Crimea: Do you have any idea about the price you will have to pay for this trophy?" he wrote on his Facebook page, predicting political and economic isolation.  "Thanks to his Crimea adventure, Mr Putin has guaranteed himself a life-term in office but I doubt that this term is going to be particularly long," he wrote. "In the absence of a legal mechanism for changing a bankrupt regime the mechanism of revolution switches on. And a revolution in a multi-ethnic country equipped with nuclear weapons is a truly frightening thing."  Akunin may well be proved right in the longer term, but at the moment there is little evidence of an anti-war movement spreading outside the thin layer of the Russian intelligentsia. To some it is even invisible. Khodorkovsky's comment about "another Russia" was picked on by Matvey Ganapolsky, one of Russia's most popular political commentators (and a Ukrainian by birth). "He failed to explain why this 'other Russia' is invisible and silent," Ganapolsky wrote in his blog.  Last week small improvised protests were held in some Russian cities. In St Petersburg, 75-year-old Igor Andreyev was fined 10,000 roubles for holding a banner saying "Peace to the World". In Moscow, hundreds of protesters were detained by police, many of them also later fined, though city authorities have now given permission for a bigger March of Peace, planned for Saturday.  So there is indeed another, thinking Russia, even if her inhabitants are not all that numerous. The worry is that if predictions of a further tightening of the screws by the Kremlin prove true, this important little community could be pushed into extinction.

^ It's good to see that not every Russian has sipped the Kool-Aid. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26531310

Israeli Integration

From USA Today:

"Israeli Christians seek more integration into country"

A growing number of Israel's 160,000 indigenous Christians are volunteering for the military even though they are exempt. Preparing his jeep for the short drive into the West Bank city of Hebron, where tensions between Palestinians and Israeli settlers often flare, Nabeel Sabbagh looked like every other Israeli Border Policeman serving at this hilltop base. He was probably the only one with a crucifix tucked under his uniform. An Arab Catholic from the northern Israeli city of Upper Nazareth, Sabbagh covered up the necklace "so it won't get caught on anything — not to hide my religion."

Sabbagh is one of the very small but growing number of Israel's 160,000 indigenous Christians who, despite being exempt from military service, choose to do it on a voluntary basis. Others spend the year after high school performing civilian National Service in places like schools and hospitals. Community leaders say the controversial trend stems from a desire to integrate more into the larger Israeli society, and the best way to do this, they believe, is by serving the country. A graduate of an Israeli military high school, Sabbagh, 21, said he volunteered "because Israel is my country. I was born here. I live here and I'll die here." Indigenous Christians say they can trace their roots back 2,000 years to the time of Jesus. But they complain that despite Israel's equality laws they feel sometimes like second-class citizens in the Jewish homeland and are denied top private-sector jobs and positions in government. Israel's legislature, the Knesset, voted recently to give Christians a seat on the Equal Employment Opportunities advisory council to address job discrimination, and the U.S. State Department has rapped Israel in past reports for alleged failure to guarantee the rights of all Christians living there. Christians here say they are treated better in Israel than anywhere else in the Middle East, but they want to be considered full citizens not only in the eyes of the law but of the people, as well. Joining in Israel's defense is one way to do that, they say. About 300 Christians are volunteering at any given time for two to three years in the Israel Defense Forces, not including the number of career soldiers serving, according to the Christian IDF Forum, a group created in 2012 to improve integration through military service. There are 1,500 Christians serving in the police and more than 100 in the paramilitary Border Police. "If we don't integrate we will remain marginalized," says Shadi Haloul, spokesman for the Christian IDF Forum. "This country protects us, gives us freedom of religion, so why shouldn't I defend it?" said Haloul, 38, a former Israeli paratrooper. Haloul is a Maronite Christian, followers of Christ who established a home in the northern mountains of Lebanon and trace their religious origin to Maron, a 5th-century monk and saint. Haloul said volunteering for the military is a way for indigenous Christians to forge their own identity, distinct not only from Israel's Muslims but from the Arab population as a whole. Most indigenous Christians claim they have an Arab heritage, but many like Haloul do not and the number who claim their own distinct ethnicity is growing. "People forget that we Christians were here centuries before the Arabs conquered the land and forced us to speak the Arabic language. We are not Arabs and we are not Palestinians," Haloul insisted. Israel is seen as encouraging this shift in thinking, seeing indigenous Christians as allied in maintaining a non-Muslim state amid the Muslim world. The Israeli government wants more Christians to serve in the IDF because "it strengthens the solidarity of Israel, and shows that not all of Israel's minorities are complaining," said Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon. "We respect them and see them as a role model," for all Israeli citizens. Danon speaks to groups of Christian high school students about their importance to the country, and he emphasizes the benefits, such as preferred mortgage rates for Israelis who perform military and national service. But not all Christians like it. In October, the Ministry of Defense held a pro-enlistment conference in Nazareth attended by more than 100 Christian youths. A Greek Orthodox priest who attended, Jibril Naddaf, was criticized by members of his own church for taking part. His son, who will be joining the IDF this spring, was physically assaulted, he said. Haloul said Christians looking to integrate in a country that is 80% Jewish face "many objections" and even harassment, mostly from Muslims but also from Christians. Not everyone is behind us," he acknowledged. Among the detractors are Palestinian Christians. The integrationists "do not represent us, do not represent our churches, and do not represent the Christians," according to the Palestinian Christian Initiative, a group that mobilizes Christians against Israeli policies in the disputed territory of the West Bank. Several of Israel's Arab parliamentarians have also come out against the campaign, insisting that it undermines Palestinian unity against Israeli policies. Israel has 1.7 million Arabs. Nearly all are Muslim and the vast majority are citizens of Israel who are eligible to serve in the military but not required to do so, and have the right to vote for representatives in the Knesset. Accompanying a contingent of Romanian clerics through the Old City of Jerusalem, where he serves as the Israel Police's liaison between various Christian denominations, Inspector Johnny Kassabri, a Catholic who grew up in Nazareth, believes indigenous Christians have an important role to play in Israeli society.  "There are people who see serving the country as something against the Palestinian people," said Kassabri, 39, who joined the police 17 years ago. "But I advise young people in the community to serve this country because we live in Israel, and that comes with both rights and responsibilities." Zaven Paynoyan, an Armenian Christian who lives in the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Haifa, said he encouraged his daughter, who studied in Hebrew-language schools, to do civilian National Service in the city's largest hospital "because it was a way for her to grow, and also because it helps the country. The hospital was full of Christian and Muslim volunteers." Yet few young people in his close-knit community do military service, because the neighbors wouldn't approve, he said. Nabeel Sabbagh, the Border Policeman, said some of his Arab neighbors consider him and others who serve "traitors. We see it in their eyes."

While many Christian soldiers don civilian clothes to avoid harassment when they go home, Sabbagh isn't one of them. He began to consider a military career during Israel's 2006 war with Lebanon, when Hezbollah militants sent rockets to Nazareth and other northern communities. "Two rockets hit my neighbor's house and killed two little children. They didn't care if they were killing Jews, Muslims or Christians. "There are a lot of people who support what I'm doing," he said. "They just won't say so in public."

^ I think Israeli Muslims, Christians and Jews need to work together to make Israel an even better country than it already is. Each side has its doubts and concerns about the others, but the rockets and missiles seem to only come from outside Israel and any one of those weapons can kill or wound an Israeli - regardless of their religion. I don't think I could live in Israel and not do something to help protect my friends and family from the constant attacks. That seems to be the current feeling of the Israeli Christians. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/11/israel-christians-military-service/5846019/

Western Appeals

From Yahoo:

"Ukraine appeals to West as Crimea turns to Russia"

Ukraine's government appealed for Western help on Tuesday to stop Moscow annexing Crimea but the Black Sea peninsula, overrun by Russian troops, seemed fixed on a course that could formalize rule from Moscow within days. With their own troops in Crimea effectively prisoners in their bases, the new authorities in Kiev painted a sorry picture of the military bequeathed them by the pro-Moscow president overthrown two weeks ago. They announced the raising of a new National Guard to be drawn from volunteers among veterans. The prime minister, heading for talks at the White House and United Nations, told parliament in Kiev he wanted the United States and Britain, as guarantors of a 1994 treaty that saw Ukraine give up its Soviet nuclear weapons, to intervene both diplomatically and militarily to fend off Russian "aggression". But despite NATO reconnaissance aircraft patrolling the Polish and Romanian borders and U.S. naval forces preparing for exercises in the Black Sea, Western powers have made clear that, as when ex-Soviet Georgia lost territory in fighting in 2008, they have no appetite for risking turning the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War into a military conflict with Moscow. Diplomacy seemed restricted to a war of words. The U.S. and Russian foreign ministers did speak by telephone. But the U.S. State Department said Moscow's position offered no room for negotiation and the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning U.S. financial aid to the "illegitimate regime" in Kiev, which it calls ultra-nationalists with "Nazi" links. That language echoed ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich, who gave a news conference in Russia insisting that he was still the legitimate head of state. Toppled by protests sparked by his rejection of closer ties with the European Union in favor of a deal from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yanukovich blamed his enemies for provoking Crimean secession.

Parliament in Kiev, whose position is backed by Western governments, dismisses plans for a referendum on Sunday to unite the region with Russia as illegitimate and resolved on Tuesday to dissolve Crimea's regional assembly if by Wednesday it had not scrapped the plebiscite. There seems no chance that it will. Moscow, which to widespread scorn denies its troops have any role in the takeover of the once Russian-ruled region, says people in Crimea, a small majority of whom are ethnic Russians, should have the right to secede. It has made much of anti-Russian sentiment among some Ukrainian nationalists - though many native Russian speakers in Ukraine are wary of Putin.

 U.S. lawmakers are preparing sanctions against Russia and European Union leaders could impose penalties, such as bans on visas for key officials, as early as Monday. By then, however, Crimea could already have voted - in a referendum not recognized by Kiev or the West - to seek union with Russia. The ballot paper offers no option to retain the status quo of autonomy within Ukraine. Voters among the two million population must choose either direct union with Moscow or restoring an old constitution that made Crimea sovereign with ties to Ukraine. On Tuesday, the regional assembly passed a resolution that a sovereign Crimea would sever links to Kiev and join Russia anyway.

The Russian parliament has already approved the accession in principle of Crimea, which was handed to Ukraine by Soviet rulers 60 years ago. Still, it is not clear whether or how soon Putin would formalize such a union as he engages in a complex confrontation with the West for geostrategic advantage. In disputes with Georgia, Russia has granted recognition to small breakaway states on its borders, a process critics view as annexation in all but name. It fiercely criticized Western recognition of the independence of Kosovo from its ally Serbia - a process which Crimea's parliament nonetheless cited as a legal precedent for its own forthcoming declaration of independence. There seems little chance that Crimea's new leaders, who emerged after Yanukovich's overthrow as Russian-backed forces took control of the peninsula, will fail to get the result they want. A boycott by ethnic Tatars, 12 percent of the regional population and deeply wary after centuries of persecution by Moscow, will have little effect as there is no minimum turnout. In Sevastopol, the Crimean home port of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Valery Medvedev, the chairman of the city's electoral commission, made no pretence at concealing his own preference: "We're living through historic times. Sevastopol would love to fulfil its dream of joining Russia. I want to be part of Russia and I'm not embarrassed to say that," he told reporters. There is little sign of campaigning by those opposed to the government line. Billboards in Sevastopol urge people to vote and offer a choice of two images of Crimea - one in the colors of the Russian flag, the other emblazoned with a swastika. It is unclear whether thousands of Ukrainian servicemen, many of whom are native Crimeans but are effectively trapped on their bases and ships by Russian troops and local militia allies, will take part in the referendum. One sailor, who declined to be named, said he would only vote if he got the order from his commander to do so, a position echoed by many other servicemen spoken to by Reuters. They all said they would vote for Crimea to remain part of Ukraine. Elena Prokhina, an ethnic Russian planning to vote for union with Moscow, said she feared the referendum could lead to conflict with others in Ukraine, notably nationalists in the Ukrainian-speaking west of the country of 46 million. "Knowing what I know about the fanaticism of the western Ukrainians, we will have to defend our rights after the referendum," she said. "They won't just let us leave." Around Sevastopol, Ukrainian military facilities remained under virtual siege on Tuesday. At an air defense base outside Sevastopol, dozens of men who looked like Russian soldiers were camping outside the gate, while an armed Ukrainian serviceman could be seen pacing the base's roof keeping a wary eye on them. In the port, two Ukrainian warships remained on alert but unable to set sail because of Russian vessels and a cable strung across the harbor by Russian forces. Relatives of the sailors come to the dockside every day to converse and provide food. A Ukrainian officer said there was a fragile understanding between the two fleets not to escalate the situation, but he said nerves were frayed: "The Russians have not troubled us until now," he said. "But all it takes is one order and they will open fire. We won't be able to hold out long". In parliament, the acting defense minister said that of some 41,000 infantry mobilized last week, Ukraine could field only about 6,000 combat-ready troops, compared to over 200,000 Russians deployed on the country's eastern borders. The prime minister said the air force was outnumbered 100 to one. Acting president Oleksander Turchinov warned against provoking Russia, saying that would play into Moscow's hands, as he announced plans to mobilize a National Guard, though he gave little detail of its size or expected functions. Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, who will visit the White House and United Nations Security Council this week, said the 1994 treaty under which Ukraine agreed to give up its Soviet nuclear weapons obliged Russia to remove troops from Crimea and also meant Western powers should defend Ukraine's sovereignty.

"What does the current military aggression of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory mean?" he said. "It means that a country which voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons, rejected nuclear status and received guarantees from the world's leading countries is left defenseless and alone in the face of a nuclear state that is armed to the teeth. "I say this to our Western partners: if you do not provide guarantees, which were signed in the Budapest Memorandum, then explain how you will persuade Iran or North Korea to give up their status as nuclear states." Parliament passed a resolution he had proposed calling on the United States and Britain, co-signatories with Russia of that treaty to "fulfil their obligations ... and take all possible diplomatic, political, economic and military measures urgently to end the aggression and preserve the independence, sovereignty and existing borders of Ukraine". But Western powers have been careful to note that Ukraine, not being a member of NATO, has no automatic claim on their help and Ukrainian officials gave no details on what they hoped for. The wording of the 1994 treaty indicates that help is only required if Ukraine is threatened by a nuclear attack.

^ It feels like Poland begging it's Western Allies for help after the Nazis invaded and occupied half of Poland and the Soviets invaded and occupied the other half in 1939. Back then the Allies declared war on Germany, but did nothing to aid Poland in its defense. It was a lot of talk back then and seems to be a lot of talk today in the Ukraine. Russia is using the 1994 treaty to justify its occupation of the Ukraine and yet the US and EU don't come to the Ukraine's aid. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/confrontation-ukraine-diplomacy-stalls-011314222.html

10 Years: 11-M

From the BBC:

"Spain remembers Madrid train bombings 10 years on"

Standing alongside him at an art exhibition commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Madrid bombings is 70-year-old Ciriaco Abad Martin, who was also on one of the commuter trains on that fateful morning.  Ciriaco was just a metre and a half away from one of the bombs. He lost his hearing in his right ear.  He and Amalio, 44, both say they live with "psychological damage that you can't repair". A decade on, Spain still carries the scars of what the country's interior minister describes as the country's "worst ever terrorist attack". To mark the anniversary, politicians of all parties have stood side-by-side, to remember the 191 people who died, and the more than 1,800 others who were injured. Tuesday 11 March 2014 is a day of remembrance - a time to reflect on the darkest day in Spain's recent past.  Perhaps rightly, on the anniversary itself, much of the Spanish media are not discussing the actions of the then government in the days following the 2004 attacks.  But behind the show of unity, there is deep resentment at the way former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar reacted to the attacks. More than 1,800 people were injured in the attacks It is true that the first reaction of many people in Spain, on hearing the news of bombings that morning, was that the Basque militant group Eta was to blame. Eta had killed more than 800 people over the course of its four-decade-long insurgency. But from the beginning, there was strong evidence, including the type of explosives used, that al Qaeda-inspired militants were behind the attacks.  For three days, Mr Aznar and his ministers kept pointing the finger of blame at Eta. Amalio, who survived the attacks, accuses Mr Aznar's Popular Party (PP) government of "lying". With elections just around the corner, he believes they manipulated the facts to suit their own ends. "They could not recognise that it was about our participation in an absurd war in Iraq." Despite this, the PP lost the general election four days after the bombings. According to a senior Spanish police source involved in investigating the bombings, there was "no doubt from the very start" that Eta was not involved.   But a decade on, there are those in Spain who still refuse to rule out the possibility Eta was involved. Helped by the fact that seven of the alleged ringleaders blew themselves up, in a flat surrounded by police, three weeks after the attacks, conspiracy theories about who was responsible have appeared in Spain's right-wing press on numerous occasions. One of those is El Mundo newspaper. The paper's founder, and director at the time, Pedro J Ramirez, was challenged on the subject in a recent interview. He still insists that the Basque militant group could have played some part in the attacks.  A colleague I met in a restaurant the other day went a step further - she is still convinced of Eta's involvement.  After the 9/11 attacks in the US and the 7/7 London bombings, politicians in the US and UK united in the face of a common threat.  But after the 11 March bombings in Madrid, Spain's political class divided over the then government's claims about who was responsible. A decade on and the PP is back in power.  And on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attacks, surrounded by art works, including a dove made out of 191 black ribbons, Spain's Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said it was "time to look at what unites us, not at what divides us". "We were all on those four trains," he added. That is the over-riding sentiment on the anniversary. Nowadays Spain's main opposition Socialist party is critical, but their leaders do not accuse Jose Maria Aznar's government of lies.  But lingering in the background will be memories of the political reaction to the attacks, and the deep political divisions in the face of crisis, which to some extent remain in today's Spain.

^ March 11th (or 11-M as the Spanish call it) is their 9-11. During and after September 11, 2001 the US came together and as a nation we went after Al-Qaida for killing the thousands of innocent people. The Spanish, on the other hand, took a different route. After their attack they closed ranks and rather than going after Al-Qaida for killing the almost 200 people they withdrew from Iraq and didn't really do a thing. I have relatives in Spain (athough none directly affected) and couldn't understand how you do not bring the terrorists to justice. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26526704

Replacing Fees

From Passport Canada:

"Notice – New fees effective March 31, 2014"

With over 65,000 Canadian passports lost or stolen in 2013, Passport Canada will implement a new service fee for replacement passports. As a cost-recovery operation, the Passport Program must charge the appropriate fees to cover its costs which will keep general passport fees down and maintain a high level of service for Canadians.

The following new administrative services fees will take effect on March 31, 2014:

Service	New fee
Certified true copies of part of a passport or other travel document (one to three copies)	$45
Replacement of a valid lost or stolen passport or other travel document (in addition to passport fee)	$45
File transfer (to a different passport office in Canada)	$45*
Retention of a valid passport (in Government of Canada offices abroad during processing of the application for a replacement passport)	$45

* Additional fees will apply for standard, express or urgent pick-up.

Canada’s passport and travel document fee structure is set up to balance the costs and revenues of the program as a whole over a 10-year business cycle, including the basic cost of issuing passports and offering services, but also costs associated with the rental of buildings, investments in infrastructure, and new and emerging international security initiatives. Please visit the Canada Gazette website to read the complete Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations.

^ I don't see this as a very big increase especially considering it is for replacing passports and not getting a first passport or a renewal. ^

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/articles/20140305.aspx?lang=eng

Canadian Commonwealth

From: The Governor General of Canada Website:
"Commonwealth Day"

It is always a pleasure to mark Commonwealth Day, celebrating the oldest political organization of sovereign states. The theme for 2014 is “#TeamCommonwealth,” and it expresses the spirit of friendship and motivation that exists within the Commonwealth. This wonderful community of nations is based on common objectives and values that foster co-operation among its members. One of the driving forces that inspire this alliance of over two billion people is the promotion of democratic processes, respect for human rights, and sustainable development—concepts that Canadians hold dear. I believe it is important for each of us to think about the kind of society we would like to have, and to work tirelessly to achieve that vision of a better world. By working together and helping one another, I know we can all achieve our full potential. Indeed, I have just completed a highly productive State visit focussed on innovation, entrepreneurship and education. That visit was to India, the first republic with its own head of State to become a member of the Commonwealth. Today in Canada, as in all the other 53 member countries, we have an occasion to celebrate our historical ties with the United Kingdom. Let us use this opportunity to recognize the achievements and success of all those who have helped, and continue to help, to build a smarter, more caring world.

C’est un plaisir de souligner le jour du Commonwealth, le plus ancien regroupement politique d’États souverains.  Le thème de 2014 est « #TeamCommonwealth » et exprime l’esprit d’amitié et de motivation qui existe au sein du Commonwealth. Cette formidable communauté des nations repose entre autres sur des valeurs et des objectifs communs qui favorisent la coopération entre ses membres. Un des fils conducteurs qui inspire cette alliance de plus de deux milliards de personnes est la promotion des processus démocratiques, du respect des droits de la personne et du développement durable. Tous des concepts qui sont chers aux Canadiennes et Canadiens.  Je pense qu’il est important pour chacun d’entre nous d’imaginer le genre de société que nous aimerions avoir et d’œuvrer sans relâche afin de réaliser cette vision d’un monde meilleur. En travaillant ensemble et en nous entraidant, je sais que nous pouvons tous réaliser notre plein potentiel. Je viens d’ailleurs d’entreprendre une fructueuse visite d’État axée sur l’innovation, l’entrepreneuriat et l’éducation. Celle-ci s’est déroulée en Inde, la première république ayant son propre chef d’État à devenir membre du Commonwealth. Aujourd’hui, tout comme dans les 53 autres pays membres, nous avons l’occasion de célébrer des liens historiques avec le Royaume-Uni. Profitons-en pour reconnaître les réalisations et les succès de tous ceux qui ont contribué et qui continuent à édifier un monde toujours plus averti et bienveillant.

^ This is the official Canadian Government statement on Commonwealth Day (in English and French.) It is made by the Governor-General who is Queen Elizabeth 2nd's direct representative in Canada. ^

http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=15536

Creating Borders

From the DW:

"Under construction: Crossing the new 'border' into Crimea"

A makeshift border is now under construction between Ukraine's mainland and its Crimean peninsula. While it might be a sign of Russian confidence in Crimea, for now the ad-hoc "crossing" has the makings of a farce. Construction workers are busy on the narrow Isthmus of Perekop that connects Crimea to the Ukrainian mainland. The road leading to Simferopol, Crimea's capital, is jammed with concrete blocks, both on the Crimean side and on Ukrainian mainland a few dozen meters (120 feet) away. It looks like they're constructing a border crossing. The Ukrainian soldiers, Kalashnikov rifles in hand, their faces hidden by masks, look grim. A closer look reveals them as friendly, insecure young men. Just like the Russian soldiers 50 meters down the road. "Boys, please don't shoot!" I say, only half-joking. "Don't worry, we don't have orders to shoot," the young man on the Crimean side says, clearly a Russian officer. He declines to say who didn't give him orders to shoot - Moscow or Simferopol. He also won't let me take photos and informs me that he'll take away my camera if I do. The Ukrainians don't mind having their pictures taken I head toward Crimea's capital, Simferopol. The usually busy road is almost empty. But a group of Crimean Tatars waving Ukrainian flags are gathered at the Voikove city limits. "Russia go home", one of the placards reads. Another insinuates that Russian President Vladimir Putin suffers from botox poisoning. There have been Tatar demonstrations in other villages, too. The Muslim Tatars are, for the most, part pro-Western. Few women at the Voikove protest wear head scarves. They have applied make-up and don fancy clothes. "The Germans don't even know that we exist," one woman says, adding that her Tatar ancestors, together with Russia's ethnic Germans, survived deportation to Kazakhstan and Siberia, where they helped each other. Russia, she says, is a huge country, and Russians can live wherever they choose to. "But we, the Crimean Tatars, have only this small homeland - Crimea." The 50-year-old asks who will save them from being deported yet again when Putin comes. Roughly 500 demonstrators initially showed up for the protest in Voikove, but the bitterly cold wind from the east drove many away. Armed with banners and balloons, the remaining protesters, some pushing baby carriages, continue. Back to the strangely absurd border crossing: Dozens of concrete blocks force all vehicles to zigzag slowly. Mobile construction cranes are positioned on both sides, busily piling up even more barricades. When I ask what all this is for, the answer is: "We're following orders". Again, no answer as to who gave those orders. When I have no idea how to open my rental car's trunk, a friendly soldier simply tilts both back seats, and peers into the empty trunk. No weapons, no explosives. Russian TV in Simferopol reports that hundreds or even thousands of "fascists" are on the road to "blow up the rightful pursuit of the people in Crimea to be reunified with Russia." With the help of a power shovel and an ancient tank carrier from the next village, the Ukrainians have meanwhile dug in on the virtual border. They've set up a field kitchen, and rusty old Soviet Shiguli cars rattle along from neighboring villages bearing borscht soup, bacon and eggs. On the Ukrainian side, there are about 30 to 40 people; on the Russian, there are maybe three or four. But nobody knows how many Russians are holed up in the building off to one side. An elderly man wearing a striking Cossack hat looks out of a window, grinning. So far, there are no passport controls. Neither the Russians nor the Ukrainians asked to see my passport nor my driver's license. Obviously, no one along the absurd border between Ukraine and Ukraine has given the order.

^ This continues to show the absurd situation that the Russians are bringing about in their occupation of the Ukraine. ^

http://www.dw.de/under-construction-crossing-the-new-border-into-crimea/a-17486425

Crimean Voices

From the BBC:

"Ukrainian and Russian views on Crimea"

Ukraine's interim prime minister has warned the Crimean parliament "no-one in the civilised world" will recognise its referendum on joining Russia. Arseniy Yatsenyuk and others in the Kiev government have called the vote "unconstitutional" and "illegitimate". But the referendum has the support of the Russian parliament. BBC News readers express their views on the latest developments.

  

Stephen Yarnovich, Yalta, Crimea: 

I have lived in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for over nine years with my Crimean Russian wife. I have got to know the people here well. The people I have spoken to do not want, or recognise the government in Kiev, they wish only to govern themselves. There is no real tension here with our Tartar friends - they just want to carry on with their daily lives like everyone else. There are no army units here in Yalta, and the port is operating as normal.  There is a makeshift office by the statue of Lenin where people have been signing a petition for a week now. They're asking: "Do you want to be part of Ukraine, or separate?" Pretty much every person who signed it wants to be separate from Ukraine.  I have also spoken to many people on the streets and they all say the same - Crimea is Crimea, not Ukraine! We are Crimean people and proud to be so.  We do not recognise the current government as it seized power by a coup. There were no elections and they were not voted in as a legitimate government. It was the opposition who instigated the riots, leading to the deaths of so many people.

Dr Valentina Mordvintseva, Simferopol, Crimea:

It is more or less calm on the streets. There are some soldier-looking people, but near important places only. Every day there are meetings in two places to talk about Russia and Putin and against Nazism (poor people do not understand, why they use this word). I do not know who these people are and there are not a lot of them gathering. Among my friends there is nobody, who supports the idea of Russian aggression. But they prefer to stay at home, as do I. There are many people, who were not happy with the Ukrainian government and the situation which we see now is partly the result of an absence of real cultural politics in the previous government.  I realise this cannot change overnight but I don't know if this is the best way to go about it.

Ielyzaveta Boreiko, Mariupol, Donetsk:

 

The problem of Russian invasion is now starting to touch the eastern regions of Ukraine. I did not support Yanukovych. I do not support Putin and I do not support the government Ukraine has today.

I have not taken part in any mass protests or meetings so far. I am a Russian speaking Ukrainian and we are not hurt either in the East of Ukraine or in Crimea, as suggested by the Russian government.

Our local newspapers and TV channels are in Russian, in schools there are both Russian and Ukrainian classes and language has never been a problem. I can speak both languages.  Mass media shows a lot of people waving Russian flags and supporting Putin. Many of them came here from Russia. Buses with Russian plates were noticed near the gatherings of people who support Putin. I am a linguist and I can hear these people are Russian from their accent. In Mariupol people speak Russian, but the pronunciation is quite different from the native Russian pronunciation. There are people here who support Putin and the idea of separatism but there are extremely few of them.

I am sure that the majority of population of the eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea want to live in one indivisible Ukraine. Putin insists that a coup took place in Ukraine but it was a revolution of human dignity.

Anna Lidia, St Petersburg, Russia:

My mum lives in Ukraine. We all want calm. Ukrainians and Russians are all the same and love each other as a nation. I think the US should not get involved in this situation. Russia and Ukraine are like two fighting lovers and America is like a third unnecessary one! We love Putin he doesn't want anything bad to happen. It is hard to be a president and make everyone happy! But we are really strong and have brave hearts and big souls.  People should not be afraid of Russians, we are not bad. I have a British boyfriend who lives here with me and he feels the same. Everything is being dramatised and exaggerated. Most Russians and Ukrainians feel the same that everything here is OK and we need to be left alone to sort it and then everything will be fine.

Oleg Tsyganov, Kiev, Ukraine:

 

The Crimea should stay as part of the Ukraine. For a long time, before the recent events Yanukovych has always succeeded in pitting the eastern and western populations of Ukraine against each other. This was often to distract people from making policy in the country.  He promised to support Ukraine's accession to the European trade association, which would allow more trade and make the Ukraine become "closer to Europe". At the same time Yanukovych was trying to get regular cash from the International Monetary Fund. If these requirements are met the country receives money but have we seen it? I'm sure money received for such economic assistance has gone on Yanukovych's personal purposes or the construction of his own palace. As for Russia, I think Putin's goal is to stifle the emergence of a free neighbour so it can't affect his totalitarian rule. I think the Russian military in the Crimea are becoming nervous.

^ I love the people that say we shouldn't be afraid of Russia or the Russian people (when Russian troops are illegally occupying the Ukraine.) The same people that say they don't support the new government in Kiev because they came to power in a "coup" still support a government that is coming to power through an invasion. You can hear the brainwashing that some of these people have clearly gone through as they are merely repeating, verbatim, the Russian Government line. The best thing to happen for all the sides involved now is for the Russian troops to return to their bases, stop their occupation and let the Ukrainian (Russian-speaking and Ukrainian-speaking) people decide for themselves what is right for their country. That can't happen as long as Russian guns are pointed at innocent people in the Ukraine. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-26480616

Crimean Rubles

From the DW:

"Crimeans bet on Russian rubles"

When it rains in Simferopol, a city of 350,000 on the Crimean peninsula, the potholes in the streets turn into miniature lakes. But the cars don't slow down. They ruthlessly splash mud on nearby pedestrians. "Buy umbrellas. Spend your hryvnia!" a vendor at a small shop next to the train station shouts. Hryvnia is the Ukrainian currency. "Buy the most expensive umbrella!" he goes on. "Soon, we'll be using the ruble, anyway." In a grocery store, the saleswomen are diligently sticking new price tags on the goods. Irina stands in front of the shop. She's a doctor in a hospital for war veterans, and she doesn't want to give her full name. She says she speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English, and while she insists that she has an international and tolerant attitude, in Crimea she wants to speak Russian exclusively. In her view, the peninsula is and will remain Russian. Call me in a week, then I'll be a winner," she says in reference to the referendum as to whether the Autonomous Republic of Crimea will join the Russian Federation. The vote was originally planned for May 25 - the date set for Ukraine's new presidential election. But the referendum has been moved up to March 16. "Can I ask you for a cigarette?" a well-groomed man says. He is not begging but has rather run out of cash. "I have two bank cards. And I have money in my accounts, but no ATM accepts my cards. How can I explain to my girlfriend that I can't pay for the train tickets to Melitopol?" he asks. Melitopol is a Ukrainian city in the Zaporizhia region, less than 250 kilometers from Simferopol, the regional capital. Crimea's potential secession from Ukraine - a possibility the locals here are now counting upon - is already causing transaction problems. Suddenly, Ukrainian banks are no longer processing salary payments. Only the Russian banks are doing so. That's why many people now need new bank cards. "Stupid referendum," the taxi driver Vitali says angrily. "Who will count the votes? Who will control it? How is it possible to organize the referendum in just one week? But nobody cares!" Vitali believes that Putin already decided the outcome of the referendum. Many others in Simferopol believe the same.  Vitali is Russian. He says he doesn't care if the Crimean peninsula belongs to Russia or Ukraine. However, he feels fearful and ignored by both Moscow and Kyiv. The taxi driver watches exclusively Russian television, and he believes that radicals from western Ukraine took power in Kyiv. "They want to terrorize Crimea with truckloads of explosives. That's what they say in TV, so it has to be true." He doesn't have any problems with the Tatar minority. "It's an absolute lie when it's said that Russians and Tatars don't get along with each other. My neighbor is a Tatar. When he goes to a party, his children stay with me. And when I go for a drink, he looks after of my children," Vitali said. Among neighbors, coexistence between Russians and Tatars seems to work well. But many within the Tatar community are very worried about the possibility of Crimea joining Russia. Refat Chubarov, the leader of the Mejlis - the self-government of the Tatars - called for a boycott of the referendum. For him and many of like him, memories of the deportations during the Stalin era remain very much alive. But it seems the ethnic Russians on Crimea are now largely looking ahead to the future. One of their main concerns? Spending their last hryvnias and getting new bank cards.

^ These are the same kind of people who rushed to exchange their national currencies for the German Reichsmarks during World War 2. We saw how that worked out. It seems that everyday this occupation becomes more and more like what the Nazis did to Czechoslovakia and Poland in the 1930s. The Russians were always so proud that they defeated Hitler (according to most Russians they did it all themselves) and yet here they are 70 years later following Hitler's guidebook to the letter. From "protecting the ethnic Russians" to changing their currency to a vote that won't be free (Hitler staged the same kind of vote in Austria after he annex the country - where the "Yes" on the ballet was 5 times larger than the "No.") Any vote held while Russia occupies the Ukraine won't/can't be free and fair. ^

http://www.dw.de/crimeans-bet-on-russian-rubles/a-17484806

Commonwealth Day!

Today is Commonwealth Day in the 53 countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. In most countries it is not an official holiday and the majority of the population have no idea what it is or when it is.

Here is what the Royal Commonwealth Society website states about the Commonwealth Day Observance of 2014

"In London, Commonwealth Day celebrations are focused around a multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey. The Commonwealth Day Act of Observance, to give it its formal name, is the largest of its kind in the UK, and possibly in the world. It takes place in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, senior politicians, High Commissioners, Commonwealth dignitaries and over 1,000 young people, with approximately 2000 people attending in total. The aim of the Commonwealth Day Observance is to celebrate the unity, diversity and linkages of the modern Commonwealth and foster greater understanding of the Commonwealth’s achievements and role, particularly among young people. In 2014, the theme will be Team Commonwealth. The theme is intended to stress the importance of teamwork and collaboration both within and between Commonwealth countries. It also sets the tone for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later in the year. This theme will be reflected in the Observance and the throughout Commonwealth Week. "

 ^ I agree with the message of this year's Commonwealth Day and only wish more people understood and celebrated the Commonwealth. Right now the Commonwealth of Nations (CoN) is an organization that doesn't really have a clear role in the 53 countries that participate in it. There are some political groups that want to strengthen the political and economical ties between the CoN to make it on par with the European Union. I don't know if that will happen as the majority of countries in the CoN are extremely poor (from Asia and Africa) and would strain the organization as a whole. Some parties want to only strengthen the "old Commonwealth countries" of: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and leave the "new Commonwealth countries" to the side. All I know right now is that the CoN isn't much of an international player (outside of proving consular support to the Commonwealth citizens around the world) and that needs to change if it wants to be a respected, important organization in the 21st Century. ^

A Fresh Ukraine

From USA Today:

"Difficult work ahead as Ukraine builds fresh start"

Yulia Sidorenko, 25, traveled three and half hours from Vinnytsya to Kiev on Sunday. She came to pay respects to Maxime Shymko, an artist from her hometown who died fighting in Maidan, the Ukrainian term for the central square here. She laid flowers and lit a candle at a shrine to him and dozens of other men and women posted on a blue and yellow banner, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

"What happened here showed the people have power and they can make change," Sidorenko said.

But Sidorenko and many other Ukrainians here on a bright and balmy Sunday had no illusions that the sacrifices are behind them. Russia, which supported the government they fought so hard to remove, is now a bigger threat than ever, threatening takeovers of some of the country's most valuable territory, or more. That's why the many groups that coalesced to fight their corrupt government remain encamped behind barricades of tires, wood and scrap metal. Men in flak jackets bearing clubs, who two weeks ago battled Ukraine's security services until their former president was ousted, have pledged not to leave. Not yet. Ukraine's national leaders seek to join a trade alliance with the European Union, which will require a potentially painful removal of economic subsidies. And they have yet to resolve a conflict with Russia, which has seized Ukraine's Crimean province and threatened economic warfare on Ukraine.  Sidorenko and others said they hope the Maidan revolution will empower the public to seize its government and the nation's assets back from the wealthy oligarchs who dominated its politics since Ukraine gained its independence in the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Like Russia, Ukraine's corrupt economy is dominated by wealthy men and women who acquired state industries during the breakup and used them to build personal fiefdoms of fortune and power. "All these people in government should be taken away," Sidorenko said. She hopes to see improvements in a few years. Others think it might take a while longer. "We all have high hopes, but nothing comes easy," says Luba Boychuk, 49, of Zhydachiv in Lviv province, who's been traveling to Maidan for months with her daughters and other women to staff a makeshift kitchen that provides hot ramen noodles, plates of red cabbage, sandwiches of sausage, pickles and cheese, and homemade pastries stuffed with berry jam. Boychuk works at a paper plant near Ukraine's border with Poland that has been almost decimated by government officials "who keep taking different parts of the plant," she said.  But now that Ukraine is getting ready to sign a trade agreement with the European Union, the country is on the road to greater transparency in government, greater accountability by officials and greater prosperity, Boychuk said, though she's not sure she'll see the benefits. "People will be free, and no one will be silent," she said. "Our children and our grandchildren will have good education and be able to talk to anyone." The road ahead will require building new political institutions and possibly a complete replacement of parliament, says Pavlo Rizanenko, a member of parliament in the Udar Party led by former boxer Vitaliy Klitchko. It may take 10 or 20 years, but historically speaking that's nothing, Rizanenko said. Unlike during the 2004 Orange Revolution, which overturned another pro-Russian government but resulted in reformist administration that lacked unity and failed to produce expected changes, Ukrainians now understand new leaders "will not make them happy overnight," Rizanenko said.  It's going to take an evolution that introduces rule of law, independent courts and complete privatization of state assets to quickly remove politicians' and authorities' ability to engage in corruption, he said. Rizanenko said Ukrainian leaders also need to stick to the path of reform from administration to administration, like leaders did in Poland, which in 2014 is forecast to have the fastest-growing economy in Eastern Europe, according to the European Commission. Poland's economy after the fall of the Iron Curtain was plagued with an inefficient economy dominated by heavy industry and a mountain of debt. Its leaders pushed through painful but effective reforms, referred to at the time as "shock therapy." Aided by U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs, they sold off state enterprises, created a stock exchange and a new currency that could be traded and eliminated price controls and cut subsidies and budgets. The approach came at a high price in the short term, including a 30% reduction in industrial output and rising unemployment, which author Naomi Klein described as a "full-blown depression." But it also had results: The Polish economy quickly matched the capitalist institutions of Western Europe and two decades later was in position to make use of a cash infusion that helped it pull ahead of the economic pack. Some people in the square were more concerned about Ukraine's political independence than economics. Yuriy Boykov, 45, stood guard at the Maidan security headquarters, smoke wafting by from an open fire. The Russian seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region, under the pretext that ethnic Russians there need protection from radicals who had seized power in Kiev, will lead to a people's war, Boykov said. "I don't know about Ukraine going to war, but the people will," he said. "People will not agree to go to the other side." Mykola Bondar, a Ukrainian Cossack, marched at  at the head of a platoon of militiamen wearing green camouflaged uniforms, daggers in their leather belts. Bondar, who commands a unit of Cossacks, said prosperity will come from restructuring Ukrainian society so that civil society manages political power instead of the opposite. And when it does, Ukraine will seek to be a European power that will block the kind of aggression it has been exposed to this week from its powerful neighbor, Russia. Bondar insisted military action should be considered if U.S. and European powers cannot persuade Russia to back off. And if they don't, Ukraine should redevelop the nuclear weapons program it had in Soviet times to protect its borders in the future, he said.

^ With the Russian invasion of the Crimea many people have forgotten what happened in Kiev. The protesters there won their goals of: freedom, an end to a corrupt dictator with a more democratic government. Of course Russia doesn't like nor want the Ukraine to be free. Putin wants to create a new Soviet Union (called the Eur-Asian Union) and he can not do that without the Ukraine. I only hope that international pressure will help the Crimea remain in the Ukraine and send the Russian occupiers back to their bases. This feels like the 1917 Provisional Government in Russia. From March until October 1917 there was a democratic government running Russia. It did not have the time to prove that they could make the country better because the Communists took over in October and started a Civil War. It would have been interesting to see how Russia's (and the world's) history would have changed had the Communists not taken over and Russia had been democratic. The Ukraine is in the same situation now. They need to prove to both the Ukrainian people as well as the rest of the world that they can be free and democratic. Of course, they can't really focus all their energy on those goals right now as part of their country is occupied by the Russians and the threat of more troops throughout the country is very real. I continue to read Russian-produced media sights (in both Russian and English), Ukrainian-produced media sights (in Russian and English) and different world media sights (in English) to get a true sense of what is going on and I come up with the same conclusion: the Russian troops need to return to their bases so that the Ukrainians - Russian-speakers and Ukrainian-speakers -  can decide for themselves (without the threat of invasion or violence) what they want to do with their own country. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/09/ukraine-kiev-crimea-russia-government/6232647/

United Crackdown

From the LA Times:
"United Airlines says carry-on bag crackdown is response to flyer complaints"

United Airlines, the nation’s third largest carrier, has begun a crackdown on passengers who drag oversized bags into the cabin. And the airline is doing this to win points with passengers. After all, the Chicago-based carrier was recently ranked 8th among the nation’s top ten carriers in a survey of about 24,000 people in the U.S. The survey by Satmetrix, a cloud-based software company, named  Southwest Airlines as the top-rated carrier. 

The crackdown on oversized bags is an effort to address what United says is one of the biggest gripes among its passengers: The overhead bins are so overstuffed with carry-on bags that the boarding process is often bogged down as fliers try to find space for their luggage. “We are getting feedback from customers who have the right size bags, telling us that there is not enough space in the overhead bins,” said United spokesman Charles Hobart. “This is a response to that.” United sent messages to its MileagePlus members, reminding them that carry-on bags can be no bigger than 22 inches tall by 14 inches wide by nine inches deep. The airline also distributed new “sizers” that are installed at the terminal to measure the maximum size carry-on bag allowed. Hobart rejected speculation that United was launching the crack-down to boost revenue by charging passenger with oversized carry-on bags a $25 fee to check their luggage. On social media sites, the crackdown was getting mostly positive reviews among airline fliers.

^ I am all for the airlines to crack-down on oversized and too many carry-ons being brought on board. You see them all the time going through security - one person with 3-4 large bags and then you see them again as they take all the overhead bins for themselves. I believe the 1 carry-on, 1 personal item limit is enough (especially as they don't include medical devices in that limit.) When I flew to/from the UK a few times a couple of years ago they had ultra-strict 1 bag carry-on (so much that you couldn't even bring your purse or anything like that.) The UK went overboard with that and now it has been changed. I don't agree with all the extra fees that airlines are now charging, but them actively enforcing their 1 carry-on/1 personal item limit is a good thing. ^


 http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-united-airlines-carryon-bag-crackdown-20140307,0,3116728.story#axzz2vWzDEWsG

New SAT

From USA Today:

"New SAT part of a changing admissions process"

Everybody loves to hate the SAT, but the breathtaking changes to the 88-year-old college entrance exam unveiled here last week caught just about everybody by surprise. The new test, due in the spring of 2016, will make the dreaded essay optional and return the test's perfect score from its current 2,400-point-scale to 1,600 points. It will shrink total test time by 45 minutes and abandon vocabulary questions built around what even College Board President David Coleman conceded is a "wall of obscure words." In its place, he said, will be a test that more accurately tracks what students learn in school, focuses more tightly on a few key concepts and doesn't force kids to rely on expensive test-prep courses or "last-minute tricks or cramming" to do well. "It is time to admit that the SAT and ACT have become far too disconnected from the work of our high schools," he said during last week's announcement. "We aim to offer worthy challenges, not artificial obstacles."

The new changes, the first since 2005, come in the face of several recent challenges for the College Board itself, including skepticism from colleges about the test's usefulness and competition from the rival ACT test. Also, higher college-going rates for low-income and minority students and more competition for slots in college freshman classes are pushing educators to ensure that all students leave high school ready for the rigors of college. But the rise in college-going is accompanied by a disturbing statistic: By the College Board's own research, the percentage of "college ready" high school graduates has been essentially unchanged since 2009 at about 43%. The new test, Coleman said, is a "call to action" to make the test a better tool to help students get ready for college. Coleman himself may have helped force some of the new SAT changes. Before he even arrived at the College Board in October 2012, he previously led the national effort to create new Common Core academic standards in math and reading for the USA's public school students. Forty-five states have adopted the standards, and many are gearing up to test students on them for the first time this spring.

Common Core standards have generated controversy on both the political left and right, but eventually all Common Core states are expected to adopt end-of-11th-grade tests that measure students' college readiness — essentially what the SAT and ACT tests do now. Colleges in several states have committed to using the new tests for placement, not admission, said Haycock, but she wonders whether tests like the SAT would soon become redundant. In his announcement, Coleman took direct aim at SAT test prep companies, saying, "It is time for the College Board to say in a clear voice that the culture and practice of test preparation that now surrounds admissions exams drives the perception of inequality and injustice in our country." Such preparation, he said, "reinforces privilege rather than merit." But his solution wasn't to make the test impossible to prepare for: He announced a partnership with the popular online Khan Academy "to provide free SAT test preparation for the world." Seppy Basili, vice president of college admissions and K-12 programs for New York-based Kaplan Test Prep, said he welcomed the changes. "I think in many ways it will be much fairer because it is much more fair to test kids on the things they've been doing in school," he said.

He noted the Khan Academy partnership and said that proved, in spite of the College Board's longtime insistence, that test prep can help kids improve their scores. "For us, it's not quite a valedictory, but it's an interesting moment," he said. "SAT test prep obviously works, and for us that was kind of a heartening moment." In announcing the changes, Coleman was also responding to competition from the rival ACT test, which for the first time in 2012 enrolled more students than the SAT. Both tests are under pressure from colleges' growing skepticism about whether a one-time exam really tells admissions counselors enough about prospective students. More than 800 colleges and universities already make submitting scores optional. A study released last month by Bates College researchers found that there were only "trivial differences" in the academic performance of students who did and didn't submit SAT or ACT scores with their applications. Cumulative GPAs of the two groups differed by only .05 points, and graduation rates differed by just .6 percentage points. A 2008 UCLA report found that the SAT "is a relatively poor predictor of student performance" and that high-school grades and other tests that tap what students actually do in school are more valid indicators of how students are likely to do in college. "As an admissions criterion, the SAT has a more adverse impact on poor and minority applicants than high-school grades, class rank and other measures of academic achievement," the researchers found. "There's a fundamental problem with the SAT," economist Anthony Carnevale said. "It was a test that was built in the '30s, to try to find Einstein behind a plow out there."

^ It seems the changes made back in 2005 were not popular and are now being brought back to the old standards. I never understand when people would tell me they got a 2200 on the test as I only knew the 1600 system. I also didn't understand why there was an essay portion since it is graded by what the person grading it thinks and feels rather than whether it is correct or not. Hopefully, the new SAT will be a much better exam that colleges can use to help them decide who to enroll. ^

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/09/sat-act-college-board-admissions/6181365/