How Many Know That Russia Has Saved Americans and Canadians in Yemen?

Debby

Debby

Well-known Member
Location
East coast of Canada
I think it's important (for world peace) to give credit where credit is due and in the interest of promoting understanding and world peace, I finally decided to post this bit of info. And prior to doing that, I made a point of checking Canada's two main news organizations (CBC,CTV), America's news (CNN, NBC) and the BBC and none of them mentioned it.

And here's the the story: Russia has become the saviour to some American citizens who were stuck in Yemen by airlifting them to safety!

http://rt.com/news/253001-yemen-evacuation-russia-us/

'The lack of clarity over the evacuation of US citizens from Yemen continues, as more Americans are lifted from the warzone by Russian planes. A relieved family of 10 spoke to RT amid Washington’s continuing inaction.While it continues to say it’s too risky to evacuate its own, one American told RT of his disbelief at his government’s lack of effort to get his family to safety. A Russian rescue plane on Friday reunited them at New York’s JFK Airport.....Alamari’s relatives are among some 1,700 already rescued from 20 countries on nine flights.

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2015/04/saudi-style-yemeni-ceasefire-continued.html


'Tass reported Russia continues airlifting foreign nationals to safety - nine flights so far.


Since early April, Moscow evacuated over 1,000 nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, America and other countries.


Russia's navy evacuated hundreds more - including 18 US citizens Washington abandoned.'


http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150414/1020884807.html

'US Secretary of State John Kerry "expressed gratitude for assistance in the evacuation of American citizens," from Yemen in a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday, after 18 US citizens were evacuated aboard a Russian ship taking 308 people, including 45 Russians from the port of Aden to Djibouti......The British Foreign Office likewise thanked Russia for assistance in evacuating its citizens from the country on Monday, having advised that "the British government can’t provide any form of assisted departure to British nationals in Yemen."

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150414/1020884807.html#ixzz3YPykadZM

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150414/1020884807.html#ixzz3YPn0s65F'



One more instance of mainstream media not telling any of the story. Look for alternate sources of news folks.
 

Beware of RT

I agree that news is or can be heavily censored Debby, but you do have to be very careful of anything stated on RT or any other Russian controlled news channel, which they pretty much all are now. They peddle lies and distortions of the truth. Lisa doesn't watche them any more for this reason, and gets all her news from the BBC or other channels from the West or me as of course I am completely unbiased :D.

The worrying thing now is that Putin is tightening his control, and wants to start censoring the internet and banning VPNs, which Lisa and several million other Russians use to bypass any current censorship.
I already notice that when online in Russia without the VPN on, many Western sites simply don't load.

http://is.gd/KxS2i0 and http://is.gd/thRykJ

RT seems to the Russian equivalent of your Fox News from what I make of it.:confused:
 
You have to be careful of any news from anywhere, which is why I did look for corroboration and included the 'thanks from Kerry' link. As a matter of fact, I always look for corroboration before I accept any story's accuracy.

I was reading through the Moscow Times this morning and that's a site that seems to be unfailingly and openly critical of the current government which seems to fly in the face of the line 'Russian media is controlled and restricted'. At least at this point. And as for RT, I have found numerous times where they ARE reporting things that msm isn't, and the stories are supported by other sources in the world.

Two examples: When the coup organizers burned 45 people alive in Odessa during the riots, only the BBC had a little inconsequential mention of it. And of course RT reported it at length and with video, but nothing is heard in the US or Canada. Our media is extremely careful to toe the government propaganda line.

The other example is the 'enemies of the government' website in the Ukraine that appears to be run through NATO servers. 48 hours after a pro-Russian journalist and a unsupportive Ukraine government minister's name, address and personal information is put onto that website, they are murdered. And a cryptic, congratulatory note appears on the site in reference to their deaths.

Boris Nemtsov who was (from my reading) actually a 'small-o' opposition personality, is murdered and the entire western world has a hissy fit about it and we hear about it for days and days. But these two Ukrainian men who oppose what their country is doing to its own people are murdered outside their homes and Canada and the US media is silent while The Guardian and The BBC did report it. Does that reek of propaganda and bias?
 

As for RT specifically, if you look at the Wikipedia page about them, you will notice that the things that RT is accused of is exactly what Canadian and American media do regularly. Remember my examples of the two relevant stories that I mentioned in my last comment (and there are other examples that I could give you that I've noticed over the past couple years).

For example: The United Kingdom media regulator Ofcom has threatened RT with sanctions because of repeated violations of its rules on impartiality.[SUP][31][/SUP] The network states that RT offers a Russian perspective on global events.[SUP][32] (from the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT_(TV_network))

My question is, whose perspective does the BBC do their news from, or Canadian news or American news.....? Of course Russia will report the news from their perspective! In fact, RT was designed to give Russia's opinion on world events and to present a more complete picture of Russia. That there's more to it than the Communist faction, snow and vodka images that most folks hold.

Apparently Hillary Clinton, among others, has spoken about losing the information war to groups like Al Jazeera and RT. There is a fear that RT and others are supplanting The Voice of America so my question would be, if it's more of a tabloid rag, why the government concern over anything they say? Dismiss it and don't give it publicity, or are they concerned that more people will begin to really understand what is going on in that region because the other side is being told by RT.

So the criticism is that it shows only propaganda, well I would submit to you that Canadian and American news does exactly the same thing. And it is a voice for the Kremlin, well I repeat....... As well RT has been accused of being stridently anti-Western and in view of the past few years of Western activities in that area, are you surprised? Walk a mile in Russia's shoes and while doing so, ponder the question, how does the Western media treat Russia? Stridently anti-Russian would be a workable phrase I think.



You're right, the banning thing is worrying, however, again, walk a mile in their shoes. If Britain or America or Canada was being abused and demonized the way that government is, even in the face of provable facts, what would their reaction be? Would you be allowing the 'bad guy in'? Canada just beefed up our ability to spy on folks in the name of protecting them, the USA has the NSA and used to have Homeland Security and I'm sure Britain has it's own extra-ordinary cop-force. Would our countries allow Russian NGO's to organize and march and demand the expulsion of our governments?

And here's a question: assuming that we're all nice folks, well adjusted, normal appetites and curiosity's and so on, and yet have you not periodically thought to yourself that something that you saw on tv or the Internet was maybe going a bit too far and you were a teeny bit shocked? I'm throwing out the idea here that morality wise, Russia is more like we all were 50 years ago and while smaller underground groups or individuals are struggling to make their voices heard (Pussy Riot is an example of that), the current generation of authority figures and the populace aren't ready to let in all the moral decay (as they see it) from the West. They are struggling to hang on to those old standards so that may well be why you see (or don't see) some websites. I even have to wonder, if the West was not heavily politically involved in that region, would we be seeing the same 'drawing in upon themselves' that is occurring or might they simply keep to themselves while 'evolving' at their own pace and still be willing to allow business to do it's thing between the countries? They'd be happy in their 1960's style of life, we'd go about the business of being 'decadent' and we'd meet in the marketplace?

As I've said, in the case of important stories, I do like to look for supporting articles and I can't say that RT has ever disappointed me in the integrity department.[/SUP]
 
Debby Senior Member I was reading through the Moscow Times this morning and that's a site that seems to be unfailingly and openly critical of the current government which seems to fly in the face of the line 'Russian media is controlled and restricted'. At least at this point. And as for RT, I have found numerous times where they ARE reporting things that msm isn't, and the stories are supported other sources in the world.
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Yes I agree Debby I do not even trust the BBC or the Guardian, they are all under someones control. I just asked Lisa about the rescue of Americans and it is true they are showing footage of the planes and the people boarding, they are also rescuing Ukrainian citizens, but the Ukrainian media are also blacking it.

Lisa is not sure about the Moscow Times, it may be one of the only free ones left, and it does seem to be unbiased ..............................I have just traced it to a Finnish company who also produce the St.Petersburg Times which I do subscribe to. I have always found it an interesting read, but then again it does have a Western European influence.

Its all a bit of mess really isn't it when you can't actually believe anything you hear or read :confused:
 
What you just said about them all being under someones control is dead on, which is why you need to check everything out and for us in North America, never, never, never stop with 'our' news outlets. Personally, I would say, don't even start there because sometimes they don't even report so how do you know that anything is happening to check out.

My reason for actually bringing this up at all, is because I think Canadians and Americans need to realize that there is an unreported side to the story of Russia/Ukraine and
it's not all about our bully leaders wanting to 'shirt front' somebody or 'nobly refusing to shake hands' or 'pro-Russian' rebels fighting against an 'elected' government.

It's also about an elected government uttering threats against a group in their own population and then not bothering to sit down and talk but just beginning to bomb them. That's really more a story about 'anti-coup government' rebels fighting to save their culture and language and their towns and homes.

And it's about a region who felt threatened enough by their own (government) that they were happy to vote in a referendum to separate and that the neighbouring country made it possible allowing them to rejoin Russia. Keep in mind that Crimea is peaceful, pensions for old people have gone up as well as government workers pay and Russia is planning on spending $400,000,000 on infrastructure in the next year or so. And meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is killing Ukrainians.

And Americans and Canadians need to hear that the enemy Russia, just airlifted some of our citizens as well as some Polish citizens and a number of other countries out of Yemen which is in a state of war, while our own governments watched. And just as an aside, I read somewhere that ISIS is now in Yemen so it has become even less safe for those citizens of western countries.
 
Thanks Debby, I agree with giving credit where credit is due, and not surprised something like this wasn't in the mainstream news media, I don't recall hearing it anyway. BTW, my husband said it was reported on TV news.
 
Debby said:
What you just said about them all being under someones control is dead on, which is why you need to check everything out and for us in North America, never, never, never stop with 'our' news outlets. Personally, I would say, don't even start there because sometimes they don't even report so how do you know that anything is happening to check out.

My reason for actually bringing this up at all, is because I think Canadians and Americans need to realize that there is an unreported side to the story of Russia/Ukraine and
it's not all about our bully leaders wanting to 'shirt front' somebody or 'nobly refusing to shake hands' or 'pro-Russian' rebels fighting against an 'elected' government.

It's also about an elected government uttering threats against a group in their own population and then not bothering to sit down and talk but just beginning to bomb them. That's really more a story about 'anti-coup government' rebels fighting to save their culture and language and their towns and homes.

And it's about a region who felt threatened enough by their own (government) that they were happy to vote in a referendum to separate and that the neighbouring country made it possible allowing them to rejoin Russia. Keep in mind that Crimea is peaceful, pensions for old people have gone up as well as government workers pay and Russia is planning on spending $400,000,000 on infrastructure in the next year or so. And meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is killing Ukrainians.

And Americans and Canadians need to hear that the enemy Russia, just airlifted some of our citizens as well as some Polish citizens and a number of other countries out of Yemen which is in a state of war, while our own governments watched. And just as an aside, I read somewhere that ISIS is now in Yemen so it has become even less safe for those citizens of western countries.
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What you are stating here Debby is I feel really important, and there is a lot I could say in reply about my experiences in Russia, and the people I have met there over the past 12 years or so. What you are doing is opening up a whole can of worms in my mind which I need to mull over before replying to you properly. I have to take into account Lisa and her daughters strong anti-Putin government's stance as well, because though I dislike and distrust Putin, some of what he says makes sense to me at times, and aligns with some of your comments. He is admired by a lot of Russians, though probably not as many as the 85% that the polls suggest.
To be continued...............................
 
You know Merlin when I posted my original comment I had no expectation of any commentary which was alright by me. But as I said, I think we the public need to know that what we hear on tv news is not the whole story and I just felt that someone had to put that out there for us to all consider.

I have to say that while I've done an awful lot of reading on Putin and Russia's recent politics and so on, I'm not blind to the problems of corruption in that country and the difficult inner politics there. But having said that, as I look at the overall situation between the US, Canada, the EU, Russia and Ukraine and all the former 'Soviet' countries, I am convinced that Russia has generally been far less the danger to the world than the other governments. And having said that, I'm also aware that that could change, but we can only know what is there now.

Something that I have to note in the interest of honesty, is that I did finally come across an article by an LA Times reporter as well as a CNN report, where the murder of a third 'enemy of the Ukraine government' (Oles Buzyna) has occurred and the previous two, Oleg Kalashnikov and Sergei Sukhobak were finally mentioned in the text.

Anyway, it's been interesting chatting with you and I have to mention that while some folks do crossword puzzles or jig saw puzzles to keep their aging brains agile, I guess this sort of reading, research and discussion is what does that job for me. It's actually amazing to me that this stuff sticks in my head while I can walk down the hall to go get something......and totally forget what I was going for! What the heck is going on with that eh? But at least I haven't found my runners in the fridge yet ;)!
 
SeaBreeze said:
Thanks Debby, I agree with giving credit where credit is due, and not surprised something like this wasn't in the mainstream news media, I don't recall hearing it anyway. BTW, my husband said it was reported on TV news.
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Thanks for mentioning that your husband did see something on tv news about this. So far, I haven't heard anything on it and my tv is on to the news throughout the morning and you know how those 'news loops go on and on and on and...'. Hearing your comment tells me that all is not lost.
 
Debby said:
You know Merlin when I posted my original comment I had no expectation of any commentary which was alright by me. But as I said, I think we the public need to know that what we hear on tv news is not the whole story and I just felt that someone had to put that out there for us to all consider.

I have to say that while I've done an awful lot of reading on Putin and Russia's recent politics and so on, I'm not blind to the problems of corruption in that country and the difficult inner politics there. But having said that, as I look at the overall situation between the US, Canada, the EU, Russia and Ukraine and all the former 'Soviet' countries, I am convinced that Russia has generally been far less the danger to the world than the other governments. And having said that, I'm also aware that that could change, but we can only know what is there now.

Something that I have to note in the interest of honesty, is that I did finally come across an article by an LA Times reporter as well as a CNN report, where the murder of a third 'enemy of the Ukraine government' (Oles Buzyna) has occurred and the previous two, Oleg Kalashnikov and Sergei Sukhobak were finally mentioned in the text.

Anyway, it's been interesting chatting with you and I have to mention that while some folks do crossword puzzles or jig saw puzzles to keep their aging brains agile, I guess this sort of reading, research and discussion is what does that job for me. It's actually amazing to me that this stuff sticks in my head while I can walk down the hall to go get something......and totally forget what I was going for! What the heck is going on with that eh? But at least I haven't found my runners in the fridge yet ;)!
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Yes I always enjoy conversations with you Debby, and I can't do puzzles and games for the same reason I can't do meditation, my mind is restless and is constantly seeks to absorb new information. I agree with your remarks concerning Russia not being an immediate danger and the fact that ALL media is suspect and not to be taken at face value.

I will I think start a thread on my impressions of Russia to try and give a more balanced view.

As a result of yesterdays conversation, I have started one with Lisa so will get more information, we do talk about politics but not usually to any depth, she knew Putin, they both went to the same university in St.Petersburg.


Changing the subject :) regarding your walking down the hall and forgetting what you went for, its a phenomena we all have to a degree, its to do with a primitive brain function concerning boundaries see below:


We’ve all experienced it: The frustration of entering a room and forgetting what we were going to do. Or get. Or find.
“Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away,” Radvansky explains.
“Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized.”

Conducting three experiments in both real and virtual environments, Radvansky’s subjects – all college students – performed memory tasks while crossing a room and while exiting a doorway.

In the first experiment, subjects used a virtual environment and moved from one room to another, selecting an object on a table and exchanging it for an object at a different table. They did the same thing while simply moving across a room but not crossing through a doorway.
Radvansky found that the subjects forgot more after walking through a doorway compared to moving the same distance across a room, suggesting that the doorway or “event boundary” impedes one’s ability to retrieve thoughts or decisions made in a different room.

The second experiment in a real-world setting required subjects to conceal in boxes the objects chosen from the table and move either across a room or travel the same distance and walk through a doorway. The results in the real-world environment replicated those in the virtual world: walking through a doorway diminished subjects’ memories.

The final experiment was designed to test whether doorways actually served as event boundaries or if one’s ability to remember is linked to the environment in which a decision – in this case, the selection of an object – was created. Previous research has shown that environmental factors affect memory and that information learned in one environment is retrieved better when the retrieval occurs in the same context. Subjects in this leg of the study passed through several doorways, leading back to the room in which they started. The results showed no improvements in memory, suggesting that the act of passing through a doorway serves as a way the mind files away memories.
 
As far as RT goes they frequently do some good investigative reporting especially. They're still biased even if its avoiding certain stories, facts or points of view.

I think the US press is under reporting US involvement in Yemen out of ignorance and "theoretically" we don't have anything at stake there.
 
Personally, my feeling is that the US and Canada aren't reporting anything that might put Russia in a good light and doing so very deliberately. Keep in mind, they aren't mentioning that Crimea is peaceful and being built up and receiving improvements from Russia. Nor are they reporting and condemning the abuses by the Ukraine military that is partially comprised of neo-Nazi's and fascists. I believe Canada might have the largest population of ex-pat Ukrainians of any country and Harper wants to keep those voters stoked and on his side and our media seems to also be supportive of that desire.

I also think that it's very obvious that our western media is also biased and avoid stories that don't suit their larger agenda. I remember reading about two Fox reporters (stop snickering folks) who were doing a piece on a bovine hormone that is given to dairy cows in the US and the damage it does to the cows and the possible harm to humans and after being contacted by Monsanto, the news agency shut the story down. I think the reporters were eventually fired or quit or something because they wouldn't just shut up and be quiet.
 
merlin said:
........

We’ve all experienced it: The frustration of entering a room and forgetting what we were going to do. Or get. Or find.
“Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away,” Radvansky explains.
“Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized.”

Conducting three experiments in both real and virtual environments, Radvansky’s subjects – all college students – performed memory tasks while crossing a room and while exiting a doorway.

In the first experiment, subjects used a virtual environment and moved from one room to another, selecting an object on a table and exchanging it for an object at a different table. They did the same thing while simply moving across a room but not crossing through a doorway.
Radvansky found that the subjects forgot more after walking through a doorway compared to moving the same distance across a room, suggesting that the doorway or “event boundary” impedes one’s ability to retrieve thoughts or decisions made in a different room.

The second experiment in a real-world setting required subjects to conceal in boxes the objects chosen from the table and move either across a room or travel the same distance and walk through a doorway. The results in the real-world environment replicated those in the virtual world: walking through a doorway diminished subjects’ memories.

The final experiment was designed to test whether doorways actually served as event boundaries or if one’s ability to remember is linked to the environment in which a decision – in this case, the selection of an object – was created. Previous research has shown that environmental factors affect memory and that information learned in one environment is retrieved better when the retrieval occurs in the same context. Subjects in this leg of the study passed through several doorways, leading back to the room in which they started. The results showed no improvements in memory, suggesting that the act of passing through a doorway serves as a way the mind files away memories.
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What an interesting study! Maybe a good reason why us oldsters would find life easier in a bachelor suite eh? Never go through a door except for the bathroom and the toilet would be a good reminder of what you were coming to do! I guess I just find it surprising because I used to have an excellent memory. I could pack things away in unlabelled boxes for years at a time and find 'it' first time.
 
So Merlin, is your wife Lisa Russian and where did you meet her? You also mentioned that you go to Russia frequently. Family visits or you just enjoy the sights (old cathedrals and such)?

I have read a couple of biography's about Putin and several speeches and Q and A's so I'd be interested to know how your wife found him when he was a student. I'd have to go back and check the bio's for specifics but my impression of him is that he's very focused, has a great love for his country and has a good ability to 'read' people.

Last week I was talking to someone and the question came up of where my family originates so I looked at a genealogy book that my now dead aunt had put together and while she only went back to where her grandparents came with their children to Canada, she did make note that my grandma and grandpa on my moms side were born in a small village in the somewhere in the south of Russia. That came as a great surprise because my moms family always spoke German in their home (and apparently my first language was German) in central Alberta, and we always thought they were of German origin, but I'm thinking now that they learned that language because it was the language of the community in which they had settled. Maybe that explains my interest eh? Some latent and subliminal emotional connection to 'the Motherland' :playful:?
 
Debby said:
So Merlin, is your wife Lisa Russian and where did you meet her? You also mentioned that you go to Russia frequently. Family visits or you just enjoy the sights (old cathedrals and such)?

I have read a couple of biography's about Putin and several speeches and Q and A's so I'd be interested to know how your wife found him when he was a student. I'd have to go back and check the bio's for specifics but my impression of him is that he's very focused, has a great love for his country and has a good ability to 'read' people.

Last week I was talking to someone and the question came up of where my family originates so I looked at a genealogy book that my now dead aunt had put together and while she only went back to where her grandparents came with their children to Canada, she did make note that my grandma and grandpa on my moms side were born in a small village in the somewhere in the south of Russia. That came as a great surprise because my moms family always spoke German in their home (and apparently my first language was German) in central Alberta, and we always thought they were of German origin, but I'm thinking now that they learned that language because it was the language of the community in which they had settled. Maybe that explains my interest eh? Some latent and subliminal emotional connection to 'the Motherland' :playful:?
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Lisa is a Russian citizen born in St.Petersburg and she is a professor of linguistics at the State University there. (her English is better than mine) We are not married but we are engaged though never went through the rigmarole of marriage, which is complex because of the nationality issue, and to be honest neither of us see much point in marriage at our age.

I go to Russia 4 or 5 times a year and spend about 3 to 4 months there in total, ...when I am there we live as an ordinary couple, I do some cooking do odd jobs about the flat, Lisa goes to work a couple of days a week sees various students etc, Some days we go for walks in the local gardens and drink beer, we attend classical concerts and also travel around Russia visiting small towns and villages. We rarely go to museums or sightseeing as we have seen them all really and its our home town so to speak.
I do feel at home in Russia as much as I do in the UK, apart from the language barrier its not so different. The Russian men are gentle warm and tactile under their stern exterior, the young men often give up their seat for me on public transport, and will help you if in difficulty. When visiting friends there is a warmth and they are very social with a good sense of humour, and surprisingly they have an innate affection for the English.

Regarding Putin, I would guess that your biography's would give a fairer portrait of the man, as Lisa has an intense dislike for him, which I take with a pinch of salt at times. He was evidently pretty mediocre at university and boring as a person, and was ideal KGB material. I don't doubt he has a great love for his country, most Russians do, and his KGB training would certainly make him focused. I have never met him or even seen him in real life so I couldn't add anything really.

Its interesting when you trace your roots back to somewhere surprising isn't it, maybe you could trace it back further? Lisa is interested in genealogy and feels she has traces of Asian blood, as she doesn't look typically Russian.

Oh and we met online by accident on "Make Friends Online" :)
 
merlin said:
Lisa is a Russian citizen born in St.Petersburg and she is a professor of linguistics at the State University there. (her English is better than mine) We are not married but we are engaged though never went through the rigmarole of marriage, which is complex because of the nationality issue, and to be honest neither of us see much point in marriage at our age.

I go to Russia 4 or 5 times a year and spend about 3 to 4 months there in total, ...when I am there we live as an ordinary couple, I do some cooking do odd jobs about the flat, Lisa goes to work a couple of days a week sees various students etc, Some days we go for walks in the local gardens and drink beer, we attend classical concerts and also travel around Russia visiting small towns and villages. We rarely go to museums or sightseeing as we have seen them all really and its our home town so to speak.
I do feel at home in Russia as much as I do in the UK, apart from the language barrier its not so different. The Russian men are gentle warm and tactile under their stern exterior, the young men often give up their seat for me on public transport, and will help you if in difficulty. When visiting friends there is a warmth and they are very social with a good sense of humour, and surprisingly they have an innate affection for the English.

Regarding Putin, I would guess that your biography's would give a fairer portrait of the man, as Lisa has an intense dislike for him, which I take with a pinch of salt at times. He was evidently pretty mediocre at university and boring as a person, and was ideal KGB material. I don't doubt he has a great love for his country, most Russians do, and his KGB training would certainly make him focused. I have never met him or even seen him in real life so I couldn't add anything really.

Its interesting when you trace your roots back to somewhere surprising isn't it, maybe you could trace it back further? Lisa is interested in genealogy and feels she has traces of Asian blood, as she doesn't look typically Russian.

Oh and we met online by accident on "Make Friends Online" :)
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I recall reading that he was mediocre at school and I think the focus thing began long before he got to the KGB as it's my understanding from the bio's that when he tried to join up he was too young anyway and was told what he needed to do, he set to it with a vengeance. And I understand about Lisa not being keen on him just because. We've all met people who just rubbed us the wrong way haven't we?

It does sound like you and your lady have a lovely and really interesting life. Good for you, life's been a success right?

As to the surprising things you discover about your background, you're absolutely right. My whole life I thought we were of German origin! But seeing as how genealogy isn't my thing, that's probably as far as my 'research' will go - check in Aunt Gertie's book :rolleyes:. Regarding Lisa's possible heritage, I've noticed too, that some of the Russian people also have a bit of an Asian look too. Could that be influence from the Mongols? Aren't they in that region sort of too? Anyway, interesting stuff.
 
Leviathan

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A bit off topic Debby, but have you seen the Russian film "Leviathan" it narrowly missed getting an Oscar, for I feel yet again political reasons. Its an honest and according to Lisa very accurate depiction of the dark side of corruption and life in some parts of Russia. I saw it a few weeks ago and found it compelling viewing.
You may find it interesting given your interest in the country!!
Trailer

 
Here's one more point that I thought of recently with regards to RT News (Russia Today News). People try to dismiss it because the Kremlin pays for it and the charge is that the reporting is therefore extremely biased. Fair enough, however, the Canadian government pays for the CBC, the British government pays for the BBC and the Voice of America is paid for by the American government, and is broadcast around the world in English and several other languages.

I just did a search on the Voice of America (and the CBC) to see if they, in an unbiased and objective manner, reported on the leaked recording of State Departments Victoria Nuland making the remark "F*** the EU" back when the Ukrainian crisis was beginning, and there was NOTHING in those archives. So for those who chose to vilify everything coming out of Russia, just because it's Russia, it's becoming pretty obvious that other countries are no better and no worse.
 
Debby said:
Here's one more point that I thought of recently with regards to RT News (Russia Today News). People try to dismiss it because the Kremlin pays for it and the charge is that the reporting is therefore extremely biased. Fair enough, however, the Canadian government pays for the CBC, the British government pays for the BBC and the Voice of America is paid for by the American government, and is broadcast around the world in English and several other languages.

I just did a search on the Voice of America (and the CBC) to see if they, in an unbiased and objective manner, reported on the leaked recording of State Departments Victoria Nuland making the remark "F*** the EU" back when the Ukrainian crisis was beginning, and there was NOTHING in those archives. So for those who chose to vilify everything coming out of Russia, just because it's Russia, it's becoming pretty obvious that other countries are no better and no worse.
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Yes I agree Debby I have always followed RT I even have their app, and has been mentioned by others the reporting is first class. The BBC is not directly financed by the government, as it collects a licence fee, even so you do wonder at times!
A lot of the mis-reporting as you have picked up, is by omission of events that do not support their agenda.
 

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