State Vs Fairpoint

From WMUR.com:
"Law prevents state officials from addressing FairPoint issues"

The strike at FairPoint is dragging on into its fifth month with no sign of resolution. New Hampshire customers have dealt with service delays, and are increasingly fed up and looking for answers.

Bill Taylor is a FairPoint customer and has been living a telephone nightmare. "We were without any dial tone on the phone for five weeks,” said Taylor. Since service was restored, he said not only is the reception fuzzy, but he often gets calls intended for another home. The Taylor family still hasn't been able to figure out where the errant calls are supposed to be going, so he's frequently calling FairPoint using his cellphone. "The people that you call … they say one thing and do nothing. I've had people tell me we will be there on Monday, and Monday comes and goes and it's nothing,” Taylor said. “I feel like we're alone on an island. I want a working phone. I need it desperately for my business. I live and die by my phone.” Taylor would switch to a competitor, if he could, but there's no other provider in his Peterborough neighborhood. In addition, Taylor no longer has standing to file a formal complaint with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. The law changed in 2012. "It was a pretty major shift. It essentially took our regulatory oversight away for retail telecom services in New Hampshire,” said Anne Ross, of the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission. Ross said the only telecom customers protected under state law are those with the most basic service. "Which is dial tone. No vertical features, such as call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail. If you take that very basic service, there is the ability still remaining to call up the commission and have the commission tell the company that it has to provide a dial tone." Competing against unregulated providers like Comcast, FairPoint was at a disadvantage, so the Legislature approved deregulation to level the playing field.

But where there is no competition for telephone services, Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern said consumers lost rights and gained nothing in return. “The reality is for a lot of people, especially in rural parts of the state, having a working phone line is almost as important to them as having electricity or running water,” said Van Ostern. Seeking public accountability for FairPoint, Van Ostern recently pushed the company to agree to public hearings around the state to address ongoing service issues. “So if folks have concerns they can show up, raise questions, demand answers. I think that's a healthy step and FairPoint, to its credit, says it wants to hear from its customers,” said Van Ostern. FairPoint Communications turned down several requests for a comment on this story, citing a media blackout due to contract negotiations with its striking unions. The PUC said it still processes complaints from all telecom customers, even if they don't have legal standing. Anyone with issues can call the PUC at 1-800-582-3793.

^ At least I know I'm not the only customer having problems with Fairpoint. It is very stupid that in the areas where there is no competition (ie a monopoly) Fairpoint and any other company should be held accountable. I don't get cell service on my mountain and so my landline is my lifeline. Luckily, the landline still works - knock on wood - and we have Internet from another company. ^

http://www.wmur.com/special-reports/law-prevents-state-officials-from-addressing-fairpoint-issues/31285192

Luxembourg's Past

From the Times of Israel:
"Luxembourg wartime bosses ‘willingly helped Nazis find Jews’"

Luxembourg’s wartime bosses willingly cooperated with German Nazis in the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust, a government-commissioned study determined.  The report by a panel of historians led by Vincent Artuso of the University of Luxembourg was published on Tuesday, two years after it was commissioned by Jean-Claude Juncker, a former prime minister of the small, landlocked country situated on Belgium’s border with France and Germany.   “The Luxembourg administrations under occupation were not forced to participate in Nazi anti-Semitic persecution under threat,” the 190-page report said. “They collaborated once they were invited to by the occupier and often fulfilled their task with diligence, zeal even — certain heads of the administration did not hesitate to take the initiative,” it said. Luxembourg was neutral when Germany invaded in 1940, and was eventually annexed. There was a national uprising and a general strike after the annexation. Once that was suppressed, the Germans instituted mandatory military conscription for men. A discovery in 2013 by historian Denis Scuto of a list of 280 Jewish children transported to their deaths generated a public debate that prompted former prime minister Juncker to commission the study on local complicity during the Holocaust. According to the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, Luxembourg had 3,500 Jews before Germany invaded, of whom 1,945 were murdered in death camps and in the country itself. Only a few Jews returned after the war.

^ It is important for every country to look into their past and see the good and the bad. Both make the country what it currently is. A country that hides its past knows the secrets and isn't ashamed for their mistakes A country that states the bad aspects knows what it did was wrong and wants to make amends for it. That seems to be the case with Luxembourg. ^

http://www.timesofisrael.com/luxembourg-leaders-willingly-helped-nazis-find-jews/

Crimean Universities

From the MT:
"Annexation Euphoria Fades as Crimeans Accused of 'Stealing' Russians' University Places"

Alexandra Kartokhina always dreamed of studying in a big city. She even went to a Russian school in her native Crimea to help her achieve her ambition of studying in St. Petersburg. But now that dream has been tainted. After winning a place at a university in Russia's second city on an equal footing with other students, she has to deal with "the eternal squabbles" over accusations that Crimeans are stealing "Russian" places.

 

 

Nearly a year after Russia took Crimea from Ukraine, Alexandra's experiences point to some of the first signs of resentment among Russians, potentially complicating President Vladimir Putin's calculation over Ukraine. Trying to get places in Russia's dwindling number of good universities is competitive and often expensive. Trying to get a "budget place", or free tuition, is even more challenging, with parents often spending huge sums on tutoring their children to get the required grades or number of points.  With the economy heading for recession and education targeted by budget cuts, the stream of students from Crimea is adding to simmering anger over how much Russians are having to pay for annexing the peninsula from Ukraine in March last year.  "In many universities where I was going to apply, they've reduced the number of budget places because of Crimean students and now there's no chance of getting one," Katya, an applicant from Moscow, told a local magazine, echoing several people who did not want to be quoted for fear of being seen as unpatriotic.  For Kartokhina, the criticism is unjust, especially after she studied for, and passed Russia's unified state exam to gain entry to the university of her choice — unlike most other students in Crimea who were schooled in the Ukrainian system.  She says Crimean students' special status will be short-lived and was necessary to allow school-leavers to go to universities without having to repeat years to take the exam. "As for these eternal squabbles that students from Crimea are taking university places from Russians, I can say only that it's completely absurd," said Kartokhina, pointing out that the places for Crimean students were in addition to, rather than part of, those places set aside for Russians.  "And let me say that they have only allocated budgeted places for Crimean students to some universities and in some specialisms, which are often not the best. In some universities, questions about quotas are met with a shrug and a puzzled look."  Since March 18 when President Vladimir Putin hailed what he said was the historic homecoming of Crimea, patriotism still runs deep, with more than 80 percent of Russians supporting the move in opinion polls.  Moscow has moved swiftly to stamp its authority on the peninsula, tempering the instability of overthrowing all Crimea's old Ukrainian systems with vote-winning policies such as increasing pensions and public-sector wages.  The speed has been blistering.  Officials say Crimea should become fully integrated into the Russian system next year. Meanwhile Russia's Education Ministry said universities with more than 50 budget, or free tuition, places will offer Crimean students between 2 and 5 percent of them.  But the cost has been high.  Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for Crimea, and falling oil prices, have pierced the economic stability Putin has overseen since coming to power in 2000. Russia is sliding into recession, food prices are shooting up and the country saw net capital flight of $151.5 billion last year, a record high.  With the budget facing a shortfall of $45 billion this year, mainly because of lower prices for Russia's main export oil, cuts have to be made, and education is a prime target.  Putin has vowed to protect defense and has promised to fulfill generous social spending, particularly for Russia's millions of pensioners who form a large pool of support the Russian leader cannot afford to lose.  But it is clear that education, as in earlier crises, will "live with severe budget constraints", said Vladimir Knyaginin, director of Center for Strategic Research North-West. And that would be from an already low level.  Russia spent about 4 percent of gross domestic product on education in 2014, lower than the United States with 5.1 percent, after years of neglect since the fall of the Soviet Union more than 20 years ago, when education was, much like defense, seen as a weapon in the Cold War and well funded.  Despite high levels of university education among its adult population, Russia has one of the worst literacy scores, and many employers criticize institutions for allowing students to buy their diplomas with little or no studying required.  Yaroslavl Kuzminov, rector of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, said Russia has long suffered from low and ineffective spending.  "Spending 60,000 rubles per student a year in higher education is absurd. It is necessary, as it has been for 20 years, to double it," he told a conference last month, adding that the budget needed another 150-200 billion rubles a year.

But with expenditure further curtailed, the race for the few places at good universities will get fiercer. And Crimean students, many of whom are queuing up to head to the "mainland", may face more criticism.  "Almost all the students in my year came to universities in Russia," Kartokhina said.

"But I have to say that it wasn't all about Crimea becoming part of Russia, it was their decision before then... And it's interesting, several even stayed in Crimea after unification."

^ I  guess everything's great when you are in the victory mood and then the reality sets in. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/annexation-euphoria-fades-as-crimeans-accused-of-stealing-russians-university-places/515876.html

Facebook Heirs

From the Telegraph:
"The Facebook will: users can now appoint 'heir' to manage account when they die"

Facebook will from Thursday allow users to appoint an "online executor" of their profile to decide what happens to it after they die.   The "Legacy Contact" will be able to administer the page after you pass away by writing one last post and even approving new friend requests.   The Legacy Contact will also be able to update your cover and profile photo meaning you have no say in what your final image will be, even if the image is embarrassing.   Facebook said that the feature will work in the same way as a real-life executor of a will, only for your online profile.   The Legacy Contact will be able to close down your profile, keep it frozen as a memorial or leave it as it is.  However it risks confusing people who may think that their loved one is still alive if they respond to a friend request.   Other issues which may arise are when family members cannot reach Legacy Contacts - or if they are ex-husbands or ex-wives with an axe to grind.   The announcement was mocked on US TV and on NBC’s Today show they joked that people's profiles will be updated as "dead".   Facebook, which has 890 million users worldwide, said that it was responding to hundreds of thousands of requests for this kind of feature.   Like other social media companies it is trying to respect the wishes of the dead whilst also being sensitive to their families.   Facebook product manager Vanessa Callison-Burch said: "We heard from family members who wanted to post funeral information or download and preserve photos.   "We realised there was more we could do."  Until now when family or friends told Facebook that a user had died, the company verified the death and ‘memorialized’ the account. 

This meant that it could be viewed but not edited, Miss Callison-Burch said.

^ I think this is a good option to give people and am glad it is not mandatory. I personally designated someone to be my Facebook "heir" because last year I lost someone close who had asked me to "clean-up" their homepage for them, but a family member had contacted Facebook before I could and now the page is a memorial and not how the person wanted it to look. ^

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11408898/The-Facebook-will-users-can-now-appoint-heir-to-manage-account-when-they-die.html

Fairpoint Failure

Well it looks like we are keeping our satellite internet. Fairpoint (the only phone company in my area) was supposed to come today to install everything. When they didn't show up I called to find out what was going on. After 2 hours, dealing with 8 different people and getting 11 different answers I was told I waited the 2 weeks from when I ordered the service so someone in their office could flip a switch and I was expected to install the new modern myself. I asked why I waited 2 weeks for a switch to be flipped and was told it was because they have employees on strike - which isn't my problem since I don't get a discount on waiting. None of the employees (all 8 of them) I dealt with  could look up the same information as the other person - even when they were in the same department. It's clearly a case of the right foot not knowing what the left is doing and if that is the "service" you receive to start service I can't imagine what you get when the service finally starts.
 I had them cancel everything relating to the Internet with them (still have to keep the landline since cells don't work up here.) They wouldn't even take the new modern back or send me a letter/e-mail saying they don't want it back. Dealing with them gets a big Oy Vey!

Cuba's Netflix

From the BBC:
"Netflix launches in Cuba as diplomatic relations thaw"

Internet movie and television streaming service Netflix has launched in Cuba, as diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba continue to thaw.  Netflix said its content, such as series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, will be available to anyone with international payment cards. On 15 January, the US announced new rules that ease long-running sanctions against Cuba. A trade embargo has been in place since 1962. US credit card firms MasterCard and American Express have both said they will launch operations in Cuba soon. Last month, Netflix said its international expansion was proceeding ahead of schedule. The company said it plans to expand to 200 countries in the next two years, and to earn "material profits" from its operations overseas by 2017. "We are delighted to finally be able to offer Netflix to the people of Cuba, connecting them with stories they will love from all over the world," said Netflix co-founder and chief executive Reed Hastings in a statement.  "Cuba has great filmmakers and a robust arts culture and one day we hope to be able to bring their work to our global audience of over 57 million members."

^ It's a little odd for Netflix to expand into Cuba so quickly especially considering that so far the US and Cuba have only really started talking about change.  ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31322002

Minsk Agreement

From Unian:
"Minsk Agreement: Full text in English"

List of measures to fulfill the Minsk Agreement
February 12, 2015
1. An immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine and its strict implementation starting at 0000 (Kyiv time) February 15, 2015.
2. The withdrawal of all heavy weapons by both parties at equal distances in order to create at least a 50 kilometer security zone for 100mm or larger caliber artillery systems, a 70 kilometer security zone for Grad multiple rocket launcher systems and a 140 kilometer security zone for the Tornado-S, Uragan, and Smerch multiple rocket launcher systems and Tochka (Tochka-U) tactical missile systems:
- for the Ukrainian troops: [withdrawal] from the actual contact line;
- for the military units of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine: [withdrawal] from the contact line in accordance with the Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014
Withdrawal of aforementioned heavy weapons shall begin no later than the second day of the ceasefire and end within 14 days.
The OSCE will contribute to this process with the support of the Trilateral Contact Group.
3. Starting the first day of such withdrawal, ensuring the effective monitoring and verification by the OSCE of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons with the use of all necessary technical means, including satellites, UAVs, radar systems, etc.
4. On the first day after the withdrawal, to begin a dialogue on the procedures for holding local elections in accordance with Ukrainian law and the Law of Ukraine "On a temporary order of local government in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," as well as on the future regime of these areas, according to this Act.
Immediately, no later than 30 days from the date of signing of this document, to adopt a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the specification of a territory subject to the special regime in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On temporary order of local government in some regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions" based on the line set in a Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014
5. To provide pardons and amnesties by the enactment of a law prohibiting prosecution and punishment of persons with regard to the events that took place in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
6. To ensure the release and exchange of hostages and illegally detained persons based on the principle of "all for all". This process must be completed no later than the fifth day after the withdrawal.
7. To provide secure access, delivery, storage and distribution of humanitarian aid to the needy on the basis of an international mechanism.
8. Determination of the procedure for the full restoration of the socio-economic relations, including transactions of social payments, such as pensions and other payments (takings and income, timely payment of all utility bills, renewal of taxation within Ukraine’s legal framework).
To this end, Ukraine shall regain control over the segment of its banking system in conflict-affected areas, and an international mechanism to facilitate such transfers will probably be created.
9. Restoration of full control over the state border of Ukraine by Ukraine’s government throughout the whole conflict area, which should begin on the first day after the local elections and be completed after a comprehensive political settlement (local elections in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the basis of the Law of Ukraine, and a constitutional reform) by the end of 2015, on condition of implementation of paragraph 11 - with consultations and in agreement with the representatives of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group.
10. The withdrawal of all foreign armed forces, military equipment, as well as mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under the supervision of the OSCE. Disarmament of all illegal groups.
11. Conducting constitutional reform in Ukraine, with the new constitution coming into force by the end of 2015, providing for decentralization as a key element (taking into account the characteristics of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, agreed with representatives of these areas), as well as the adoption of the permanent legislation on the special status of individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in accordance with the measures specified in Note [1], until the end of 2015. (See Notes)
12. On the basis of the Law of Ukraine “On temporary order of local government in individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions” the questions regarding local elections shall be discussed and agreed with the individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group. Elections will be held in compliance with the relevant standards of the OSCE with the monitoring by the OSCE ODIHR.
13. To intensify the activities of the Trilateral Contact Group, including through the establishment of working groups to implement the relevant aspects of the Minsk Agreement. They will reflect the composition of the Trilateral Contact Group.
Notes:
Such measures, in accordance with the Law "On the special order of local government in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," include the following:
- Exemption from punishment, harassment and discrimination of persons associated with the events that took place in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
- The right to self-determination with regard to language;
- Participation of local governments in the appointment of heads of prosecutors’ offices and courts in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
- The possibility for the central executive authorities to conclude agreements with the relevant local authorities on economic, social and cultural development of individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
- The state shall support socio-economic development of individual areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
- Assistance from the central government to cross-border cooperation between the individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and regions of the Russian Federation;
- The creation of people's militia units [police] upon the decision of local councils in order to maintain public order in individual areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions;
- The powers of local council deputies and other officials elected in snap elections, appointed by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine according to this law, cannot be terminated.
The document is signed by the members of a Trilateral Contact Group:
[OSCE] Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini
Second President of Ukraine L.D. Kuchma                                    
The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Ukraine M.Yu. Zurabov
A. V. Zakharchenko
I. V. Plotnitsky

^ It would be great if this ceasefire and agreement would be followed by all parties this time. ^

http://www.unian.info/politics/1043394-minsk-agreement-full-text-in-english.html
  

World Accents

From Yahoo:
"Which Country Has the Sexiest Accent?"

Blame it on Hugh Grant and all of those romantic comedies. According to a new dating survey from Time Out, 27 percent of 11,000 participants believe that British accents are the sexiest in the world.

Even though the accent tells us absolutely nothing for how viable someone will be as a potential partner, it doesn’t stop us from feeling an instant attraction to another human. Who cares if they will pick up the check? They say things like, “I’m just going to nip off to the loo now.” In a shocking twist, French — the longtime front-runner as the language of love — placed only fifth on the list and American placed second. Irish and Australian came in third and fourth respectively. 

Here’s the full list:

1. British
2. American
3. Irish
4. Australian
5. French
6. Italian
7. Spanish
8. Scottish
9. Latin American
10. Scandinavian

^  Latin American and Scandinavian are not countries and British includes Scottish. I am curious to know which American accent the world likes the best: Southern , Mid-Western, Western, Mid-Atlantic or general American? ^


https://www.yahoo.com/travel/which-country-has-the-sexiest-accent-110641864972.html

US Trains Kyiv

From the Stars and Stripes:
"US Army to start training Ukrainian troops, commander says"

The U.S. military plans in March to start training Ukrainian soldiers who are battling Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, a top U.S. military commander in Europe said Wednesday. U.S. Army Europe Commander Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said a battalion of U.S. soldiers would train three battalions of Ukrainians from the Interior Ministry at the Yavariv training center in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Hodges' remarks came amid an intensification of fighting in eastern Ukraine, and as French, German, Ukrainian and Russian leaders met Wednesday in Minsk, Belarus, for peace talks whose success is far from certain. The plans for the training were made many months ago, however.

Hodges said Americans will teach the Ukrainians how to better defend themselves against "Russian and rebel artillery and rockets." Training will also include securing roads, bridges and other infrastructure, treating and evacuating casualties, and operating in an environment where Russians are jamming communications. Hodges accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of arming and fomenting the pro-Russia separatists. "I think it's very important to recognize these are not separatists, these are proxies for President Putin," Hodges said. "It is very obvious from the amount of ammunition, the type of equipment, that there is direct Russian military intervention in the area around Debaltseve." The rebels are waging an offensive to take Debaltseve, a government-held railway junction that lies between the rebel-held cities of Luhansk and Donetsk. "I do worry that if they are successful in Debaltseve that then they will shift their attention to Mariupol," Hodges said, referring to the strategic port city. "I don't know that, but I am concerned that that is something that they might do. They certainly have a large number of Russian forces, 10 battalions, on the border of eastern Ukraine." He spoke during a visit to NATO's Multinational Corps Northeast Headquarters in the Polish city of Szczecin.

^ It's about time the US (or any country) did something other than make sanctions to aid Kyiv. Russia has had their troops and weapons in eastern Ukraine (and the Crimea) for almost a year. ^

http://www.stripes.com/us-army-to-start-training-ukrainian-troops-commander-says-1.328974

Obama Request

From the G & M:
"Read Obama’s letter to Congress calling for new power for war on Islamic State"

U.S. President Barack Obama asked Congress on Wednesday to formally authorize war against Islamic State. (Read today’s news on Obama’s plan here.) This is the full text of Obama’s letter to lawmakers accompanying the resolution:

To the Congress of the United States:

The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East, and to U.S. national security. It threatens American personnel and facilities located in the region and is responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller. If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland.  I have directed a comprehensive and sustained strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL. As part of this strategy, U.S. military forces are conducting a systematic campaign of airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Although existing statutes provide me with the authority I need to take these actions, I have repeatedly expressed my commitment to working with the Congress to pass a bipartisan authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL. Consistent with this commitment, I am submitting a draft AUMF that would authorize the continued use of military force to degrade and defeat ISIL. My Administration’s draft AUMF would not authorize long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like those our Nation conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Local forces, rather than U.S. military forces, should be deployed to conduct such operations. The authorization I propose would provide the flexibility to conduct ground combat operations in other, more limited circumstances, such as rescue operations involving U.S. or coalition personnel or the use of special operations forces to take military action against ISIL leadership. It would also authorize the use of U.S. forces in situations where ground combat operations are not expected or intended, such as intelligence collection and sharing, missions to enable kinetic strikes, or the provision of operational planning and other forms of advice and assistance to partner forces. Although my proposed AUMF does not address the 2001 AUMF, I remain committed to working with the Congress and the American people to refine, and ultimately repeal, the 2001 AUMF. Enacting an AUMF that is specific to the threat posed by ISIL could serve as a model for how we can work together to tailor the authorities granted by the 2001 AUMF. I can think of no better way for the Congress to join me in supporting our Nation’s security than by enacting this legislation, which would show the world we are united in our resolve to counter the threat posed by ISIL.

 

^  It's good that he is at least making a formal request to Congress rather than doing what he usually does - make Executive Orders. ^

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/full-text-obamas-letter-to-congress-calling-for-new-power-for-war-on-islamic-state/article22907922/

Terrorist Demands

From Unian:
"Media publish document with proposals from militants for Minsk talks"

The Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli has obtained a copy of a draft protocol for the resolution of the situation in the Donbas, which was provided to it on Tuesday night by representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples’ Republics militant organizations.   The document, entitled "Minutes of the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group with the representatives of individual regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions regarding a set of measures for political settlement of the conflict," has 15 items. The main points are as follows.

- a comprehensive ceasefire starting from 1000 on February 12, 2015 (Kyiv time);
- a withdrawal of heavy weapons (with calibers of 100 mm or more) of Ukrainian troops from the actual contact line, and for the armed forces of individual parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions from the contact line defined by the Minsk memorandum as of September 19, 2014. Withdrawal should begin no later than the second day after introduction of the ceasefire, and the process is to be facilitated by the OSCE military experts;
- the passing of a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada by February 20, 2015 with the list of areas subject to the special status in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On a temporary order of local government in some regions of Donetsk and Luhansk regions" (within the contact line defined by the Annex to Minsk memorandum dated September 19, 2014);
- agreement by March 20, 2015 with militant representatives of a draft Law of Ukraine on municipal elections in some areas, and to initiate a dialogue on granting these areas the status of autonomies;
- the cancelation by February 23, 2015 all decisions of the political and military leadership of Ukraine regarding conducting by the Armed Forces and National Guard of anti-terrorist operation in the Donbas;
- the adoption and enforcement by February 25, 2015 of a law of Ukraine that prohibits the prosecution and punishment of persons in connection with the events that took place in some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, providing a pardon, amnesty and release of all persons held in the territory of Ukraine (an all-for-all exchange of prisoners). This process must be completed no later than the fifth day after the withdrawal;
- the restoration of the social sphere of individual parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (payment of pensions and benefits) and the securing of safe access to, and the supply, storage and distribution of, humanitarian aid. To restore full economic and social cooperation between the parties, including in the banking sector;
- the withdrawal of foreign military forces, military equipment, as well as military personnel and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine, under the monitoring of the OSCE. The disarming of all illegal groups;
- constitutional reform in Ukraine, including deep decentralization by granting the status of autonomy to individual areas of the Donbass;
- the organizing, under monitoring by international representatives, of free and fair elections of all local authorities on the basis of a law mutually agreed with the representatives of individual districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the municipal elections in some areas and a law of Ukraine on the special status of the Donbas;

As previously reported, with reference to the sources, the proposals of the militant organizations are based on Kremlin requirements that were repeatedly voiced earlier. The Ukrainian side is insisting on using as a basis a document worked out with the participation of Germany and France. However, the sources claim, during the today’s negotiations between the “Normandy Four" leaders in Minsk, the Russian side will adhere to the content of the proposals included in the draft protocol mentioned above.

^ I like the part about the "withdrawal of foreign military forces" I guess that means Russia will have to move its equipment and troops back to Russia. I have to say that terrorists always make demands and most governments and officials refuse to negotiate with terrorists (and yes these ethnic Russians fighting in eastern Ukraine moved from rebels to terrorists when they shot down the Malaysia Airlines plane.) I am sure the Government in Kyiv will do everything in its power to end the war and bring peace back to their country. ^



http://www.unian.info/politics/1042974-media-publishes-document-with-proposals-from-militants-for-minsk-talks.html

Special Russians

From Russia News:
"Echoing Soviet Era, Moscow Mulls Return Of Exclusive Shop For Foreigners"

For decades, foreigners and well-connected members of the Soviet elite could pop into specialized stores in the USSR to swap their hard currency for top-shelf booze and tobacco, European delicacies, and other high-end goods unavailable to ordinary citizens. More than two decades after this chain of stores, known as Beryozka, disappeared, Russia is reportedly considering launching a similar exclusive shopping option for certain foreigners in Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has asked Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to consider allowing a duty-free store to open in Moscow for foreign diplomats and employees of international organizations, Gazeta.ru reported on February 10. In a December 19 letter to Medvedev obtained by the Russian news portal, Lavrov wrote that the shop would help curtail "financial losses and delays" associated with delivering goods to foreign diplomatic missions in Russia. It was not immediately clear whether the shop would carry Western food imports banned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in August in response to U.S. and EU sanctions against Moscow over the Kremlin's interference in Ukraine. Foreign goods have been widely available in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia's Ministry of Economic Development confirmed that it has received a proposal to open a duty-free store in Moscow and that it is examining the issue, Gazeta.ru and Vesti FM reported. If given the green light, the shop could be owned and operated by a private company and overseen by a Foreign Ministry-linked company, Gazeta.ru added. The reports of the proposed duty-free shop in Moscow have sparked comparisons in the Russian media to Beryozka, which the Soviet government launched in the 1960s to cater to foreigners and boost state coffers with hard currency. A second type of store, also under the Beryozka brand, allowed Soviet citizens to shop with coupons they had exchanged for hard currency obtained from various sources, including employment abroad and remittances sent from foreign-based relatives. These stores, which featured hard-to-get food, clothes, alcohol, and appliances, were rarely discussed openly by Soviet officials and media outlets, Moscow-based historian Anna Ivanova observed in her 2013 study of Beryozka. But they were well-known across Soviet society and seen by many as a window to the good life enjoyed by the country's elite, even though they were technically accessible to any Soviet citizen with hard currency. "People had an idea that it is for the elite, but in reality it was a little bit more complicated," Ivanova told RFE/RL. The exclusive shops reverberated in Soviet jokes and music as well. One joke tells of a wide-eyed man from Russia's Far North who walks into a Beryozka shop, looks around in amazement at the goods on offer, and asks for political asylum. A 1968 song by renowned bard Vladimir Vysotsky chronicles the misadventures of a man who heads into Moscow to shop for his relatives and accidentally ends up in a Beryozka. "'What kind of currency do you have?' they ask. 'Don't worry,' I say, 'not dollars!'" Vysotsky sings. The proliferation of hard-currency coupons fueled a black market, with people illicitly purchasing the notes in order to access Beryozka's exclusive goods. Ivanova noted in her study that the Soviet government "did not take any active measures to stop the illegal exchange of foreign currency substitutes." The Soviet government eventually began to consider closing down the Beryozka chain in the late 1980s amid the reforms of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and calls for social justice in national media outlets. "Social justice is not only a matter of a reasonable wage for work but that all should have the same possibilities for spending money earned," Literaturnaya Gazeta said in 1987 commentary referring to Beryozka, Reuters reported at the time. "Let there be poverty, shared equally among all," it added. "

^ This is a clear sign of the real situation within Russia. In the 1960s the USSR needed hard currency to help pay for its imports (such as importing wheat from the US.) The so-called people's paradise where everyone was equal (on paper) allowed only foreigners and the Communist elite to use the stores. The opening of the stores back then was the first time the Soviet Government officially made that distinction between its citizens. The stores' windows were covered so ordinary Soviets couldn't look inside. The proposed return of these kinds of stores (for the time being only in Moscow) shows the same need for hard currency by the Russian Government. The international sanctions imposed after Russia annexed the Crimea are hitting the country (which they are supposed to) and the self-impose foreign food ban is adding to the economic crisis. There's one way for Russia to bounce back from all of this: stop aiding the ethnic Russian terrorists in eastern Ukraine and return the Crimea to the Ukraine. I don't see any of those happening anytime soon. ^

http://www.russianews.net/index.php/sid/230155885
 

Obama Snubs Victory

From MT:
"Obama to Snub Russia's World War II Victory Day"

U.S. President Barack Obama will not attend Victory Day celebrations in Moscow this May, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told a news briefing Monday, according to the TASS news agency. Obama will join several other Western leaders, including the presidents of the three Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — in snubbing the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. Rhodes reportedly said the United States nonetheless "greatly respected" Russia's role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. "Disagreements over Ukraine do not diminish the importance of our common history," Rhodes was quoted as saying by TASS. Presidential aide Yury Ushakov told TASS in December that the leaders of "all countries that participated in the anti-Hitler coalition" had been invited to the event marking the end of World War II.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang are among the world leaders who have confirmed their presence.

^ Putin didn't go to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz so I don't see a difference with Obama and other leaders not going to Russia for Russia's Victory Day, ^


http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/obama-to-snub-russias-world-war-ii-victory-day/515676.html

Canadian Suicide

From the BBC:
"Canada to allow doctor-assisted suicide"

Canada's Supreme Court has ruled that doctors may help patients who have severe and incurable medical conditions to die, overturning a 1993 ban. In a unanimous decision, the court said the law impinged on Canadians' rights.  The case was brought by a civil rights group on behalf of two women, Kay Carter and Gloria Taylor, with degenerative diseases. Both have since died. The government now has a year to rewrite its law on assisted suicide. If it does not, the current law will be struck down. Assisted suicide is legal in several European countries and a few US states.  In Canada is it illegal to counsel, aid or abet a suicide, and the offence carries up to 14 years in prison.

Canada is not alone in grappling with the thorny issue of dying laws. The debate was reignited in the United States last year by campaigner Brittany Maynard. The 29-year-old was forced to travel from California, where the practice is illegal, to the Oregon where it has been legal since 1997. A legal case is now taking place in New York.  Some politicians in the UK are trying to introduce similar rules, but the government does not back it.  Switzerland allows "assisted suicide". This does not require a terminal illness, but must be performed by a patient and has led to "suicide-tourism" across Europe. There is a profound gulf between those who think assisted dying is a fundamental human right and those who have ethical objections and worry about the implications for the disabled and vulnerable. There are no easy answers.  "This is one incredible day," said Grace Pastine of British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, which brought the case. "Physician-assisted dying is now recognised for what it is - a medical service that brings an end, for some individuals, to unbearable suffering." In the ruling, the justices wrote they "did not agree that the existential formulation of the right to life requires an absolute prohibition on assistance in dying, or that individuals cannot 'waive' their right to life". The court limited doctor-assisted suicide to patients who are consenting adults, who have a incurable but not necessarily terminal disease that causes "enduring and intolerable suffering". The justices also argued the total ban on doctor-assisted suicide "deprives some individuals of life, as it has the effect of forcing some individuals to take their own lives prematurely, for fear that they would be incapable of doing so when they reached the point where suffering was intolerable".

^ I will never understand how people can do nothing while someone dies in pain. I can understand doctors not wanting to help their patients die, but they should be able to give their patients ALL their options so a patient can make the choice for themselves  and then they should be able to receive the medicine necessary to end their life and stop their pain is they so chose. No one should be able to decide if a person who is already dying does so in pain or not. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31170569

Crimea Bill

From the MT:
"New Russian Bill Condemns 1954 Transfer of Crimea to Ukraine as 'Illegal'"

Russia's parliament plans to pass a bill this spring that will annul the Soviet Union's 1954 transfer of Crimea to Ukraine, in a symbolic move intended to vindicate Russia's recent annexation of the peninsula by canceling what seemed an equally symbolic move six decades ago. The bill aims to restore "historic and legal justice," Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said, Interfax reported Wednesday. "No one asked the residents of Crimea or Sevastopol then, no one consulted the regional authorities," Matviyenko was cited as saying in the report. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev handed over Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 in a symbolic gesture that appeared to be of little consequence at a time when both Russia and Ukraine were part of the U.S.S.R.

 

 

But after the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, many Russians felt they had lost a territory that was rightfully theirs. The bill aims to "establish the fact that already back then, in 1954, an illegal act was committed," Matviyenko said. " We want to document the injustice done to Crimea and Sevastopol. It will be like a historic fact and a historic document." The annexation of the Black Sea peninsula by Russia in March last year has been widely condemned by the West, which disputes the results of a referendum in favor of joining Russia and refers to the annexation as an invasion.

^ This bill seems pretty pointless since Russia already annexed the Crimea. Rather than invade, occupy and annex the Crimea the Russians should have taken it's case up through the European Court or the UN or something. Instead it chose violence and isolation.  ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/new-russian-bill-condemns-1954-transfer-of-crimea-to-ukraine-as-illegal/515470.html

A Dad's Refusal

From Good Morning America:
"Dad Refuses to Give Up Newborn Son With Down Syndrome"

When Samuel Forrest of Armenia heard a baby crying from outside his wife's hospital room, he knew his life would change forever.  Not only had he become a father, but he would soon receive some unexpected news about his newborn son. This pediatrician walks out of the room with a little bundle -- that was Leo," Forrest said. "She had his face covered up and hospital authorities wouldn't let me see him or my wife. When the doctor came out, he said 'there’s a real problem with your son.' Forrest followed doctors and nurses into a room where he'd finally get to meet his baby.  "When I walked into the room they all turned to me and said 'Leo has Down syndrome," he told ABC News. "I had a few moments of shock."  After the news had sunk in, Forrest held Leo for the very first time.  "They took me in see him and I looked at this guy and I said, he's beautiful -- he's perfect and I'm absolutely keeping him."  Soon Forrest walked into his wife's hospital room with Leo in his arms. Her reaction was unlike one he ever expected.  "I got the ultimatum right then," he said. "She told me if I kept him then we would get a divorce."  Attempts to reach the hospital for comment weren't immediately successful. The baby's mother, Ruzan Badalyan, told ABC News that she did have a child with Down syndrome and she has left her husband, who has the child, but she declined to elaborate. Forrest, who's from Auckland, New Zealand, said he was completely unaware of the hospital practices in Armenia when it came to children. "What happens when a baby like this is born here, they will tell you that you don’t have to keep them," he said. "My wife had already decided, so all of this was done behind my back."  Despite his wife's warnings, Forrest said he never had a doubt in his mind that he would hold onto his son.  One week after his birth, Leo's mom filed for divorce.  "It's not what I want," Forrest said. "I didn’t even have a chance to speak with her in privately about it."  Forrest, who works as a freelance business contractor, has plans for he and Leo to move to his native country of New Zealand where he said they'll receive support from loved ones.  In the meantime, he's enlisted for some help on his GoFundMe page titled "Bring Leo Home."  "This really came out of the blue for me," he said. "I don’t have a lot, I have very little in fact. The goal is to raise enough for a year so I can get a part-time job so Leo doesn't have to be in daycare and I can help care for him. He's lost a lot in two weeks. It'd be different if he had his mommy."  Forrest has recently been working with disability awareness groups to share his story in the hopes that parents will become better educated on children with special needs.  "After what I've been through with Leo, I'm not going to sit back and watch babies be sent to orphanages," he said. "As a child with Down syndrome, that becomes somewhat of a label. If we can get around this label, we’ll see that they’re normal. They’re a little different from us, but they’re still normal.  "They all have niches and I want to work hard to find out where Leo's special. This little guy is great."


^ I think it is honorable that Forrest chose his son instead of his wife. It's better that his wife (soon to be ex) decided to leave everything now rather than later on. Hopefully Forrest will go back to New Zealand and his son will be treated like all the other kids. ^

https://gma.yahoo.com/dad-refuses-newborn-son-down-syndrome-221817795--abc-news-parenting.html
 

Snow (No) More!

Got this sent to me on Facebook and I have to say that the answer is "snow" especially now that it'a February and we have had 4 snow storms in the past 6 days with more on the way.

Croatia's Poor Debt

From the Star:
"Croatia forgives debt of 60,000 poor citizens"

Imagine if the debt that keeps you up at night suddenly went poof and disappeared. That unlikely reality is what will happen for 60,000 low-income Croatians who live on less than $233 a month.

Last month, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic announced a new program will forgive the debt of the poorest of the poor in Croatia. He said he was launching the program to prove that big government can have a heart and lend a helping hand.  “People should pay their bills, but if they find themselves in deep trouble, this measure can help,” Milanovic said on Jan. 15, according to the government of the Republic of Croatia website. Social Welfare Minister Milanka Opacic chimed in to say that this will be “a new start for some 60,000 citizens” whose accounts have been frozen for more than one year and are in dire straits. She added this measure was made in agreement with the banks, telecom operators and utility companies in at least four major cities. Opacic added that this act of forgiveness is a “one-off measure” that the government would not repeat. It is hoped the move will free up cash and help stimulate the economy with new spending. By late last year, about 322,000 Croatians had blocked bank accounts because of unpaid bills and their combined debts amounted to $5.89 billion, reported Agence France-Presse. Croatia, a country of just over four million people, has been in a recession for the last six years. Milanovic, leader of the centre-left Social Democratic party, faces an election in late 2015. Milanovic’s failure to lift Croatia out of recession led to the election of a centre-right president last month. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, a former ambassador to the United States, is Croatia’s first female presidential leader.

^ I don't think this was a very smart move on Croatia's part. Not only is it in a recession and should focus on getting itself back to normal, but it also shows people that no matter what mistakes they make someone will come and bail you out. I could understand if the program focused on the disabled and the elderly, but not just 60,000 citizens that can't pay their bills. ^

 

 

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/02/03/croatia-forgives-debt-of-60000-poor-citizens.html

 

Putin's Asperger's?

From the Stars and Stripes:
"Pentagon 2008 study claims Putin has Asperger's syndrome"

A study from a Pentagon think tank theorizes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has Asperger's syndrome, "an autistic disorder which affects all of his decisions," according to the 2008 report obtained by USA Today. Putin's "neurological development was significantly interrupted in infancy," wrote Brenda Connors, an expert in movement pattern analysis at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Studies of his movement, Connors wrote, reveal "that the Russian President carries a neurological abnormality." The 2008 study was one of many by Connors and her colleagues, who are contractors for the Office of Net Assessment (ONA), an internal Pentagon think tank that helps devise long-term military strategy. The 2008 report and a 2011 study were provided to USA TODAY as part of a Freedom of Information Act request. Researchers can't prove their theory about Putin and Asperger's, the report said, because they were not able to perform a brain scan on the Russian president. The report cites work by autism specialists as backing their findings. It is not known whether the research has been acted on by Pentagon or administration officials. Putin's actions have been under particular scrutiny since early 2014, when Russian annexed Crimea from neighboring Ukraine. Since then, Russia has backed Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine while the United States and European allies have started a series of economic sanctions that have weakened the Russian economy. Connors' team has done several studies on Putin for ONA beyond those from 2008 and 2011, Henderson said. Both reports, the 2008 study of Putin and a 2011 analysis of Putin and then-President Dimitry Medvedev, cite Putin's physical difficulties as shaping his decision making and behavior. "His primary form of compensation is extreme control," which "is reflected in his decision style and how he governs," the report said. Military analysts first noticed Putin's movement patterns on Jan. 1, 2000, "in the first television footage ever seen of the then, newly appointed president of Russia," wrote Connors, who has been studying movement patterns for the Pentagon since 1996.
"Today, project neurologists confirm this research project's earlier hypothesis that very early in life perhaps, even in utero, Putin suffered a huge hemispheric event to the left temporal lobe of the prefrontal cortex, which involves both central and peripheral nervous systems, gross motor functioning on his right side (head, rib cage, arm and leg) and his micro facial expression, eye gaze, hearing and voice and general affect," the report said.


^ I'm not sure if Putin has Asperger's or not, but he does seem to act without thinking about the consequences for either Russia or the rest of the world and then try and hide Russia's actions by blaming everyone but himself. ^



http://www.stripes.com/news/europe/pentagon-2008-study-claims-putin-has-asperger-s-syndrome-1.327862
 

UPS Delayed

You would think that an international company that moves millions of items around the world would know how to deliver to places that get snow. Apparently my local UPS isn't. There are two recent examples. The first was when I bought an item and paid extra to have it "guaranteed delivery by January 28th by 8 pm." We had a big snow storm that Tuesday so I was willing to over-look it when it wasn't delivered that Wednesday as promised, but when it didn't come until February 2nd I wasn't as understanding. Apparently their trucks can't drive in snow  - which is just plain stupid since I live in a region where there's snow from October until May. I wasn't able to get the shipping cost back because snow is an "Act of God." They didn't reply to my question about why it took so long after the snow stopped.
Today, UPS called and said they couldn't make it to my house and so left my package at my mailbox (which is a mile down my mountain in a cluster of 10 mailboxes.) If I can make it up and down my road then why can't they? FedEx doesn't seem to have an issue when they have to deliver to my house and so I don't understand why UPS does. You would think they could get their act together so they could deliver the items when there's snow on the ground, but it's not during a snow storm.  In these two cases UPS gets a big, fat "F."

Russian War Logic

From Unian:
"Russia’s State Duma ‘to demand EUR 4 trln from Germany’ in reparations for attack on Soviet Union"

MPs in Russia’s State Duma have proposed to demand that Germany pay reparations for Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union, Russian online news service Lenta.ru reported on Tuesday, quoting Russian newspaper Izvestia.
According to the report, a specially created working group will assess the amount of compensation that is planned to be presented to Berlin as a liability for reparations. "In fact, Germany didn’t pay the Soviet Union any reparations for the destruction and atrocities during World War II. After the war, the Soviet Union government signed an agreement with the GDR on not levying reparations," State Duma MP from the Liberal Democratic Party Mikhail Degtiarev said. "No such agreements were concluded with the Federal Republic of Germany or the united Germany, so that’s why it’s an open question," he said. "Germany paid damages even to countries that did not participate in World War II. For example, Israel received more than EUR 60 billion in compensation for Nazi crimes," Degtiarev said. "So Germany paid compensation [for the] six million victims of the Holocaust, but ignored 27 million Soviet people who were killed. I think that the total amount of reparations at current prices must be at least EUR 3-4 trillion, which Germany should pay to the successor of the Soviet Union – Russia," he said. As reported earlier, in late January, the new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced the intention of Greece to submit a claim for reparations to Germany. According to some estimates, the amount of compensation is about from EUR 11 billion to EUR 50 billion.
However, Germany has already said that it is not going to pay anything.

^ This is clearly Russians trying to re-write history because they are now going broke. They should remember that Russians/Soviets officially collaborated with Nazi Germany from September 1939 until June 1941. If Germany receives a bill from the Russians then they (the Germans) should send one to the Russians for half of their country being occupied and their people repressed and deported for 40 + years.  In fact, using the Russian "logic" every country that was occupied or annexed by the Soviets/Russians should get compensation. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia should get the most because they were annexed into the USSR from 1939-1941 and then from 1945-1991. Then Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia and Germany should get their share. Russia thinks they are having money problems now, but having to repay all those millions of people outside of Russia that were subjected to Soviet occupation would bring Russia back to the Dark Ages. Sometimes, it's better for people (especially officials) to think before they speak and that clearly wasn't the case here. ^

http://www.unian.info/world/1039613-russias-state-duma-to-demand-eur-4-trln-from-germany-in-reparations-for-attack-on-soviet-union.html

Fiji Jack Change

From the BBC:
"Fiji to remove union jack from flag, says PM Bainimarama"

Fiji is to remove the UK's union jack from its flag, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has announced. Mr Bainimarama, a former coup leader who was elected last year in Fiji's first elections in eight years, said it was "time to dispense with the colonial symbols". The Commonwealth Pacific nation gained independence from Britain in 1970. New Zealand, which also has the symbol on its flag, will hold a referendum on whether to change it in 2016. The current Fiji flag is light blue with the union jack - also known as the union flag - and a shield with the cross of St George and a lion. It also features a sugar cane, bananas, a palm tree and a dove of peace. "We need to replace the symbols on our existing flag that are out of date and no longer relevant, including some anchored to our colonial past," Mr Bainimarama said.  "The new flag should reflect Fiji's position in the world today as a modern and truly independent nation state." After a national competition, the new design will be unveiled on 10 October, the 45th anniversary of independence, Mr Bainimarama said. He pointed to the fact that only four sovereign states which were once British colonies still retain the union jack as a national symbol: Australia, New Zealand, Tuvalu and Fiji.  New Zealand said last October that it would hold a referendum this year to decide on an alternative flag, and another referendum in 2016 on whether to officially adopt the new design. After New Zealand announced its referendums, Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there was "no great demand" in Australia to change the national flag.

^ Canada removed its Union Jack from its national flag in 1965, but kept it as its Royal Flag (for the Queen of Canada.) Fiji is not a Commonwealth Realm country (like Canada, Australia and New Zealand are - ie Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of Canada, Queen of Australia and Queen of New Zealand) while she is the head of the Commonwealth which Fiji is part of. I don't see an issue with changing the flag. ^


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31107194

Kyiv Passport Rule

From the MT:
"Russians Will Need Passport to Enter Ukraine"

Russians will no longer be allowed to enter Ukraine without an international passport as part of a measure to protect national security, Ukraine's Cabinet said Tuesday. The measure ends a 1997 agreement that allowed nationals of the two countries to travel across the border with only a domestic ID such as an internal passport. News reports said the resolution will come into effect on March 1.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who signed the resolution, said it is part of an "introduction of European rules for crossing state borders, including for citizens of the Russian Federation," according to a statement released by his Cabinet. Last April, Ukraine increased border checks on Russian men entering the country amid a violent pro-Russian rebellion in the country's east, and indicated that it would deny entry to any man who did not have proof of a reason to visit, Reuters reported at the time.

^ It still amazes me how the Ukrainians are dealing with the Russians considering they annexed part of their country. With that said Russia has started requiring international passports (as opposed to internal passports) of many CIS countries entering Russia and so I guess the Ukraine is just following that example while trying to secure their borders more. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russians-will-need-passport-to-enter-ukraine/515380.html

Medical Germany

From DW:
"'High time' for medical marijuana in Germany"

The federal government wants to make cannabis more accessible to sick Germans as a means for pain relief, according to the country's drug representative. 'High time,' say supporters of legalization.  "It is our goal that in the future more people in Germany will be able to receive cannabis as medicine than has been the case until now," Marlene Mortler, the federal government's drug representative said on Tuesday, adding that plans were in the making for legislation that would see insurance companies cover the costs. "We want to get this law through the Bundestag [lower house of German parliament] by the end of the year so it can take effect in 2016," Mortler said in an interview published in the Welt daily. "The case until now" has been that only very few receive cannabis as part of medical treatments. At present, less than 300 Germans are authorized to purchase marijuana in pharmacies, almost exclusively those suffering from terminal cancer, according to the federal health ministry.
Mortler conceded that it "indeed remains not very easy" to differentiate those who are in dire need of cannabis from those who are not. The issue, she claimed, was of a political nature. "Our politicians need to provide clarity here in swift fashion." With regard to the accessibility of medical marijuana, however, the issue is more than just medical or political. Last July, three people went to a district court in Cologne to complain they couldn't afford to purchase medical marijuana from local pharmacies. Even with explicit authorization, the plaintiffs said they were still not able to obtain the drugs, and they asked the court to be allowed to grow their own plants. In an unprecedented ruling, the court said yes.For critically ill patients allowed to purchase cannabis in pharmacies, a gram officially costs between 15 and 18 euros, according to Germany's Federal Chamber of Pharmacists. Mortler made no mistake in her Welt interview - which was picked up by most mainstream media and garnered significant attention on Twitter - that the possession and usage of marijuana for Germans without medical authorization remained against the law.


^ Medical marijuana should be legal to every sick person in pain no matter where they live. I'm not talking about the ultra-loose policy that CA has where everyone is "sick" if you say you are, but the people who are really in pain. It is legal where I live and yet it is taking the state so long to make it available to those that really  need it. ^


http://www.dw.de/high-time-for-medical-marijuana-in-germany/a-18231922
 

Religious Education

From the MT:
"Patriarch Wants More Religious Education in Russian Schools"

The Russian Orthodox Church has submitted a proposal to the Education Ministry that religious education should be taught for eight years in all Russian schools, state news agency Interfax reported Tuesday.  The proposal, under which RE would be taught from the ages of seven to 16, is now being reviewed by Education Minister Dmitry Livanov.  "Hopefully the proposal will be supported by the Education Ministry," Patriarch Kirill, head of the Orthodox Church, was quoted as saying.  A one-year obligatory course on religion was first introduced to schools in 2012 and consists of six options, allowing fourth graders to choose between Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, secular ethics or world religions.

^ The only kind of religious education in a ;public school that I think is a good idea is a class that teaches about world religions and spends equal time on all of them. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/patriarch-wants-more-religious-education-in-russian-schools/515382.html

Russian 3%

From the MT:
"Poll: Only 3% of Russians Think West Is Meddling in Ukraine"

Despite widespread state news reports that Western governments had been meddling in Ukraine, only 3 percent of Russians think this is true, a respected state pollster said Monday.  The Ukraine conflict, which has heightened diplomatic tensions between Russia and the West to levels unparalleled since the Cold War era, has sparked international information wars, with Russian and Western media outlets often reporting starkly different versions of the same events.  While Western media outlets have broadly reported that Moscow has bolstered the east Ukrainian rebel forces with men and arms, Russian media outlets have largely blamed the West for orchestrating the ouster last February of Ukraine's former Kremlin-friendly leader, Viktor Yanukovych.  The results of a recent poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) suggest that such reportage may not have a strong impact on viewers' perceptions. VTsIOM asked respondents a series of questions about their views on Ukraine. When asked to describe in a few words what is currently happening in Ukraine, 50 percent said "civil war." Seventeen percent said "genocide, the killing of civilians, and terror," while another 17 percent said "anarchy, lawlessness, and banditry." Meanwhile, 3 percent said fascism, a significant reduction from the 7 percent who responded as such in October.  About two-thirds of Russians (63 percent) say that tensions in the conflict are on the rise, up from about one-third (38 percent) in October. About a quarter of Russians (26 percent) say that there is a "rather high probability" that Russia will launch military activity in the region. Another 10 percent is "convinced that a war between the countries is already under way." Conversely, more than half of Russians do not think Russia will go to war with Ukraine: 33 percent said it was unlikely, and 21 percent said it was impossible.  The survey was conducted on Jan. 24-25, polling 1,600 people across 46 Russian regions. The statistical margin of error was no more than 3.5 percent, the pollster said.

^ It's good to see that 97% of ordinary Russians can read between the official lines and know the truth in the Ukraine. It must be from their years living under Soviet censorship. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/poll-only-3-of-russians-think-west-is-meddling-in-ukraine/515245.html

Bookkeeper Nazi

From the BBC:
"Trial date set for 'Auschwitz bookkeeper' Groening"

A former Nazi death camp guard will go on trial in Germany in April charged with at least 300,000 counts of accessory to murder. Oskar Groening, known as the "bookkeeper of Auschwitz", was allegedly responsible for counting banknotes confiscated from prisoners. The 93-year-old faces charges over 425,000 people sent to Auschwitz in Poland between May and July 1944. About 1.1 million people were murdered at the camp, most of them Jews. The trial will take place in the north German city of Lueneburg. Fifty-five survivors and victims' relatives are plaintiffs in the case, and many are likely to attend the trial. Prosecutors in Lueneburg allege that as well as counting money, Groening also hid victims' luggage away from new arrivals, to disguise the victims' fate. A statement from the prosecutors' office said that the former guard was aware that those deemed unfit to work at the camp "were murdered directly after their arrival". Groening, who began work at Auschwitz aged 21, does not deny witnessing the mass killing at Auschwitz. In 2005 he told the BBC: "I saw the gas chambers. I saw the crematoria. I saw the open fires. I was on the ramp when the selections [for the gas chambers] took place. "I would like you to believe these atrocities happened - because I was there."   Last week the world commemorated the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet Red Army.  Prosecutors in Hamburg are also investigating a 93-year-old woman suspected of having served as a Nazi SS guard at the Bergen-Belsen camp. Hilde Michnia (born Liesewicz), a resident of Hamburg, allegedly helped evacuate the Gross-Rosen camp as Allied forces approached, forcing prisoners on a march which killed around 1,400 of them. The investigation into Michnia's alleged involvement began after a private citizen filed a complaint against her, a spokesperson for the prosecution said. She denies the allegations. She told Germany's Die Welt newspaper on Sunday that she was not involved in any atrocities and only worked in the camps' kitchens. There have been renewed efforts to bring concentration camp guards to justice after a 2011 court ruling that allowed prosecutors to charge people with complicity in the Holocaust - not only those accused of mass murder. The ruling saw John Demjanjuk sentenced to five years in prison for involvement in the killing of Jews at the Sobibor camp, where he had served as a guard.

^ Another Nazi another trial. At least this one doesn't lie (as so many Germans 18 and older in 1945 continue to do by saying they "never knew." He admits to everything. Sounds pretty cut and dry to me. ^



http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31090925

25th Soviet McDs

From the Sudbury Star:
"25 years ago McDonald's invaded the Soviet Union -- and won"

 

Bye-bye borscht. Hello Big Mak. Thus was the lead on a Toronto Sun story back on Feb. 1, 1990, when the very first McDonald's Restaurants Canada dining experience debuted in what was then the Soviet Union. That day, Soviets -- 27,000 of them -- lining up for hours for their very first bite of pure capitalism under the shiny new Golden Arches sign just off Pushkin Square, near Gorky St.

The spanking new restaurant could seat 700 and prices were about twice that of a quick lunch by Moscow standards at that time - a Big "Mak" was selling for 3.75 rubles, a little steep considering the average Soviet wage was 230 rubles, or about $400 a month. It was 25 years ago, but it might as well have been yesterday for George Cohon, founder and CEO of McDonald's Canada. "Twenty-five years ago I had the great pleasure and honour of bringing the world's most-admired and iconic brand to the people of Russia," Cohon said recently, reflecting on those heady days full of fast food, drama and intrigue. "Since that time I have watched with amazement the growth of the McDonald's brand, our people and our guests with more than three billion served since we opened in Pushkin Square."

McDonald's outlets in Russia number in the hundreds since that famous day. "I'm particularly proud of the people story behind the first opening, both from Canada and Russia, learning from each other and working as one team," added Cohon, who later wrote about his adventures in an autobiography, entitled To Russia With Fries. "In those early days, customers lined up for two hours on a daily basis to get into the restaurant," said Sharon Ramalho, senior vice-president for McDonald's Canada, who spent 10 years in Russia starting in 1991 as part of the core team of McDonald's Canada employees to train McDonald's Russia crew. The Moscow-McDonald's initiative was a joint venture between McDonald's of Canada and Moscow city council, a plan first envisioned when Cohon met Soviet officials at the '76 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Today, with McDonald's everywhere, the idea of opening a location in what was once considered home to the Cold War may not raise too many eyebrows. But the idea that Cohon had a vision which took years to achieve bears testament to the man's legacy of knowing exactly how to make dreams come true.

 

^ The above picture isn't didn't come from the article but it is from the first day that McDonald's opened in Moscow, the Soviet Union in 1990. I have been to this McDs - about 10 years after it opened. I also remember going to the one in Yaroslavl (at the time there was only one and now they have several) and treating myself to something "American" at the time I was trying to live as much like an ordinary Russian but even I had to give into weakness at times. McDonalds allowed ordinary Soviets/Russians to see what the West was really all about even when they weren't allowed to leave their own country and see it for themselves. While many things have changed in the past 25 years (the USSR collapsed) the current trend is to go against anything "Western" and McDonald's are being targeted (even the first one was closed for several months.) They are being made the scapegoat of the Russian Government for the current economic collapse that is occurring in Russia because of the annexation of Crimea and Russia supporting the ethnic-Russian terrorists in eastern Ukraine. ^

 

 

 

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/01/31/25-years-ago-mcdonalds-invaded-the-soviet-union----and-won

Library Fire

From the BBC:
"Fire rages through library in Moscow"

A fire has destroyed parts of one of Russia's largest public libraries, containing more than 14 million items. The blaze began late on Friday at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences in a south-western district of the capital, Moscow. The roof collapsed but the library's rare medieval Slavic texts appear undamaged. The institute's director Yuri Pivovarov said firefighters had done "everything possible" to save the texts. "What is important is that they saved the books, the books did not suffer," he said. But Vladimir Fortov, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said around 15% of the library's items were damaged, comparing it to a cultural Chernobyl, referring to the 1986 nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine. "It's a major loss for science. This is the largest collection of its kind in the world, probably equivalent to the (United States) Library of Congress," he was quoted in Russian media as saying. The cause of the blaze is unclear, but one source told the RIA Novosti news agency that an electrical short-circuit was the leading line of inquiry. Over 200 firefighters worked at the scene to douse the blaze but could not prevent a section of roof collapsing before the fire was contained shortly after midnight. No-one was injured.

^ It is a shame when something like this happens regardless of where it happens. Apart of history was destroyed and can never be recovered. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31074938

Simply Wise

^ Couldn't have said it better than myself. ^

Africa Fights

From Yahoo:
"Africa agrees to send 7,500 troops to fight Boko Haram"

African leaders agreed to send 7,500 troops to fight the Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria, an African Union official said Saturday, as the international community, including long-time foes the U.S. and Iran, rallied in support of Nigeria against the militants. The move came after the council urged heads of state to endorse the deployment of troops from five West African countries to fight the terror group, said the head of the African Union's Peace and Security Council, Samil Chergui. African leaders who are members of the 54-nation African Union are meeting in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for a two-day summit that ends Saturday. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon earlier said he supports the AU's move to send a force to fight Boko Haram. Boko Haram is increasing its attacks as Nigeria prepares for Feb. 14 elections. Thousands have been killed in the 5-year insurgency. Iran also said Saturday it has begun consultations with West African countries affected by Boko Haram to provide help. The country's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said he is confident the group could be defeated with collective action.  "We will share our experiences in combating terrorism to defeat Boko Haram. We will achieve that without a doubt," the official said on the sidelines of the AU summit. The U.S. on Friday promised more technical support, training and equipment. African nations have opened up a new international front in the war on terror. On Thursday, neighboring Chad sent a warplane and troops that drove the extremists out of a northeastern Nigeria border town in the first such act by foreign troops on Nigerian soil. Chad's victory, and the need for foreign troops, is an embarrassment to Nigeria's once-mighty military, brought low by corruption and politics. The foreign intervention comes just two weeks before hotly contested national elections in which President Goodluck Jonathan is seeking another term. Chergui said Chad's operation against Boko Haram was a result of a bilateral arrangement between the Chad and Cameroon. "It is conducted as part of a bilateral agreement and arrangement between the two countries. The AU, however, will launch the force in the future," he said. Boko Haram attracted international outrage in April when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls at a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok. Dozens escaped on their own, but 219 remain missing. Suicide bombings in recent months by young girls has raised fears that Boko Haram is using the kidnap victims in its conflict, which has displaced more than 1 million people and killed about 10,000 in the last year, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

^ It's nice to see other countries (besides the US) starting to take terrorism seriously enough to send in troops to get rid of the terrorists. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/africa-agrees-send-7-500-troops-fight-boko-121533918.html