Kyiv tomorrow……unwanted but necessary……..
God Damned, Mother F*cking Internet!!!
December 2, 2009Well dear readers, there is a problem living out in the “nice places”…….and that is that certain internet providers take their time reaching you.
At the moment, there is only one internet provider which reaches the people out my way……..and today, like at least 1 day every 2 weeks……..the internet went off.
With it going off at 0930, it was a safe bet that the provider was doing something……..as well……other reasons for an internet crash do not normally occur at exactly 0930!
A phone call follows asking when it will be back on, as I have documents which need to get opened from the USA and then forwarded to people in Kyiv and Moscow…….and these people are power people!
Of course, nobody has a damned clue when it will come back on……..not even an uneducated guess…….and they really don’t care that people, however powerful are waiting for these documents in Kyiv and Moscow.
5 hours later……..and quite a few arsey phone calls from Kyiv and Moscow……..and numerous to the internet provider (who still don’t care) and the decision is made to go into the city to a cafe as these people are not ones which can be pissed off unneccessarily!
The internet providers last words being “We have 48 hours in the contract to sort out any problems!”……..My good lady’s last words being…….”And these people will take about 48 hours to remove your licence if they don’t get what they are waiting for!”
You can just imagine the idiot at the other end of the phone saying “Yeh right, f*ck you!!”…….as he put the phone down on the good woman.
Anyway…….into the city and eventually what needs sending to whom is done (with the delay blamed on the incompetent provider)………and return home.
As we walk up the driveway, 2 internet people are waiting and identify themselves.
The good woman starts to get into a rant and gets as far as “Important people from……..” and the men say “We know, we know……..we have had a phone call and have come to put it all right”
I am happy to place a small bet that next time the good woman calls this provider……..action will be taken!
Naughty Oligarchy…….It’s All Your Fault……….(Or Is It?)
December 1, 2009Well dear readers……..here’s a little snippet from Reuters about the EU being unhappy with Ukraine……..
“Ukraine’s business oligarchs are stifling the economy by choking competition and are holding up improved trade and economic ties with the European Union, the EU Commission’s top official in Kyiv said on Monday.
Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira told a news briefing that the global economic crisis had hurt Ukraine so badly because it had barely reformed in the two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“Corruption, red tape, administrative obstacles of every kind. These are only things that serve the interests of those who today control the economy because they do not want competition, they are allergic to competition,” he said.
“The vast majority of Ukrainians cannot have employment, cannot have decent salaries, do not have a decent social system, because the country today is in many aspects like 20 years ago.”
Teixeira was speaking ahead of Friday’s annual summit between Ukraine and the European Union and his comments underscored the EU’s disappointment five years after an “Orange Revolution” brought pro-Western leaders to power.
But hopes that Ukraine — a major transit route for Russian gas to Europe — could move out of Moscow’s shadow have been frustrated.
Bitter political rows have led to little reform, closed business circles still control the economy, bureaucracy and legal wrangling infuriates foreign investors.” – Reuters
So the put things into perspective let us examine this article again…….ignoring Ukraine and Oligarchy but inserting the EU/UK instead………
“EU business leaders are stifling the economy by choking competition and are holding up improved trade and economic ties with Ukraine, the RADA’s top official in Kyiv said on Monday.”
How?…….By making in almost impossible to get a Business Visa, ensuring EU bureaucracy is so overwhelming that it takes forever to start up a Ukrainian business in the EU and ensuring the only competition within the EU is from other EU member States and their companies.
“The Spokesperson told a news briefing that the global economic crisis had hurt the EU so badly because it had barely reformed in the two decades since the Common Market was politicised.”
Not as though the EU doesn’t subsidise almost every sector of business within it’s geo-political sphere now is it? Banking reforms and regulations anybody?
“Corruption, red tape, administrative obstacles of every kind. These are only things that serve the interests of those who today control the economy because they do not want competition, they are allergic to competition,” he said.
No need to change a single word in that paragraph!!…….When was the last time the EU accounts were signed off by an auditor? The answer is further back in history than Ukraine declaring independence as the USSR collapsed……So much for the Gravy Train of corruption in the EU…….nobody knows where the money goes. Red tape and administrative hurdles?…….Hells teeth, anyone ever tried to deal with the EU mandarins? The only competition within the EU welcomed by the EU is within it’s internal membership………”Fair Trade” anyone?
“The vast majority of Ukrainians cannot have employment, cannot have decent salaries, do not have a decent social system, because the country today is in many aspects like 20 years ago.”
No different from the United Kingdom then! I remember UB40’s song…..”I am a 1 in 10″ from the 1981……which refered to being 1 in 10 people being unemployed……….2009 and guess what……..no different from 28 years ago!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCGcljqOSW0
(Link to 1 in 10 – UB40 from 1981……..that’s progress!!)
“The Spokesperson was speaking ahead of Friday’s annual summit between Ukraine and the European Union and his comments underscored Ukraine’s disappointment five years after an “Orange Revolution” brought pro-Western leaders to power.”
It takes 2 to tango…….at what point has the EU actually taken the initiative in the past 5 years and actually seen something through to the end……can anyone name a Ukrainian/EU project which has been planned, commenced AND completed in the past 5 years?
“But hopes that Ukraine — a major transit route for Russian gas to Europe — could move out of Moscow’s shadow have been frustrated.
Bitter political rows have led to little reform, closed business circles still control the economy, bureaucracy and legal wrangling infuriates foreign investors.”
……..Well, doesn’t that sound familiar to when the “West” had a golden opportunity to do something worthwhile in Russia in the 1990’s when a nation was looking for assistance only to f*ck it up completely and then complain when a strong leader (good or bad is irrelevant) took control and gripped a failing nation?
Just wait until Mr Yanukovych becomes President……..after all he is pro_European compared to Mr Yushenko in the past 5 years………NOT!!
Me thinks “pointing the finger” is like a couple going through the lead up to an eventual divorce, when blaming each other for not trying hard enough in a relationship!
Yatseniuk not interested in any post other than President………
November 30, 2009Presidential candidate Arsenii Yatseniuk is not interested in the posts of prime minister, governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, and speaker of the parliament.
Yatseniuk announced this at a press conference on Saturday.
“I am not interested in the post of prime minister, I am not interested in the post of minister of foreign affairs, governor of the National Bank, speaker of the parliament. That is not why I am going to contest the elections, that is not why this political party was created. I do not intend to support anyone,” Yatseniuk said.
He ruled out the possibility of accepting the post of prime minister if the post is offered to him after the presidential elections because this would go against the will of voters.
“I do not intend to use votes as a bargaining material because if people vote for me and I go to this political bazaar to exchange it for the post of prime minister, then it means I am a political traitor and a small-time trader who takes other people’s votes and exchanges them for a post. That will not happen,” Yatseniuk said.
He stressed again that he would dissolve the parliament after the presidential elections if he won the elections.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Front for Change (Front Zmin) political party elected Yatseniuk to replace Andrii Ivanchuk as its leader at the party’s congress on Saturday.
Yatseniuk is also the leader of the Front for Change civil initiative.
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is also a candidate in the 2010 presidential elections, has said that incumbent President Viktor Yuschenko is technically contesting the 2010 presidential elections on behalf of Yatseniuk.
The presidential elections are scheduled for January 17, 2010. – Ukrainian News.
Ok Mr Yatseniuk, very fine speach…….however you have somewhere between 6% and 9% of the vote……..so nowhere near enough to make it to the final run off. You are still a “small time trader” in Ukrainian politics.
You are going to turn down the posts of Prime Minister, Governor of the NBU, Foreign Office, Speaker etc etc etc………with no chance of winning and publicly saying you will not take another top job, what exactly are you offering your voting base?
They will vote for you and you will not accept a position of power in which you can influence the country on their behalf?
This is a way to thank them for their belief and support?
When you are defeated in the first round, you will not offer an opinion to those who voted for you as to who you think is better able to lead Ukraine from the most popular of the remaining 2 candidates?
This is the leadership that you want them to follow? If I am not President, I don’t want anything else and I don’t care who you vote for from the remaining 2 candidates in the final round?
Why would I vote for someone who will take their bat and ball home if they do not win the raffle and leave me wondering who is the lesser of 2 evils in the final round?
It is not the attitude of someone fit to be President if you will not lead the 6% – 9% of the country which supports you, towards what you consider the better of the remaining candidates…….after all they believe in YOU.
Unpopular because he sticks to his principles……….
November 29, 2009“President Viktor Yushchenko, who is a candidate in the 2010 presidential elections, has said that his popularity ratings are currently low compared with his popularity ratings at the beginning of his presidency because of his adherence to his principles.
Yuschenko was speaking during the “Big Politics” program on the Inter television channel on November 27.
Yuschenko said that he was not one of those politicians that betrayed their convictions because they cared about their popularity ratings.
In particular, he said that he has remained loyal to his conviction that it is necessary for Ukraine to participate in the European collective security system, in the country’s language policy, his commitment to creation of a single local church, and issues of history throughout his presidency.
Yuschenko also said that the proportion of Ukrainians that support accession of the country to NATO has increased from 14% to 33% during his presidency.
Yuschenko said he believed that that the country would be thrown back if he was not reelected as president and if his policies were not continued.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, 35.6% of the respondents in a poll that the Research & Branding Group conducted from November 17 to 25 said they would vote for the Party of the Regions’ leader Viktor Yanukovych, 17.9% said they would vote for Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and 3.9% said they would vote for Yuschenko if presidential elections were held during that period.”
Authors note to Yush: As leader of a “democratic” nation, you are supposed to represent the people and the country……..not your own principles. It seems that if you do not represent them and carry out their wishes as a “democracy” would suggest, they will not keep you in power at the next elections.
Could this be why you are as popular as a fart in a spacesuit?
Cyrillic Ukrainian Domain Names Go Live In 2010……
November 28, 2009The Ukrainian Network Information Center (UNIC) has submitted an application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to register the .ukr domain in Cyrillic, UNIC Director Yuriy Honcharuk said at a press conference in Kyiv on Nov. 26.
According to Honcharuk, the full parcel of required documents has been submitted to the ICANN.
Honcharuk said that there are no technical issues preventing the registration of this Cyrillic domain.
“Taking into account all this, we can expect the new .ukr domain to start operating on the Internet in February-March 2010,” he said.
As reported, a number of the market participants earlier said they doubted the regional Cyrillic domain .ukr was likely to be registered by the ICANN.
According to Internet Invest Ltd. President Oleksandr Olshansky, the main reason for this is the peculiarities of the rules for non-Latinic domains recently approved by the company, under which at least one letter should differ in the shape from the a Latin one. – Interfax – Ukraine.
Hmmmmm, well dear readers, time for me to think about a few domain names in cyrillic I want to buy which could turn out to be popular.
Well, I do own such domains as ulgyfatbastards.com…….which as yet I have done nothing with…….but I am sure there will be some serious and funny domain names worth a few $ up for grabs when this starts.
And quite bizarrely………..
November 27, 2009Well dear readers…….in amongst the most topical political debates……..yesterday I have a message from a lady in the audience asking me about famous Ukrainian clothes designers.
Obviously, what the public wants, the public gets………yeh, clearly I am not a Ukrainian politician!
Aina Gasse Atelier
13 Druzhby Narodiv, office No. 77,
503-9526,
Roksolana Bogutska Studio
21 Velyka Zhytomyrska, office No.13,
234-6181
Oksana Karavanska Studio
10 Lyuteranska, office No. 27,
278-7633
Lilia Poustovit
15 Khreschatyk, Passage,
Atelier 1, 10 Bulv. Shevchenka
Anna Bublik Studio
33 Lyuteranska,
537-0622
Anna Bublik Boutique
19 Gorkoho,
248-7678
Victoria Gres by Gres
72 Chervoniarmiyska, Shopping mall Olimpiyskiy, Respublikanskiy Stadium metro
11A Prospekt Moskovsky, 2nd floor,
Alta Center mall, Fashion Lab
1-3/2 Chervonoarmiyska, Shopping mall Arena City
Andre Tan Studio
22 Lva Tolstoho, office No. 53,
289-5636
Alexandr Gapchuk Studio
72 Gorkoho, office No. 100,
200-5511
Alexandr Gapchuk Boutique
11À Prospect Moskovsky, 2nd floor,
Alta Center mall, Fashion Lab
Nota Bene & Karavay Studio
38A Antonovycha, Ploscha Lva Tolstoho metro,
284-3033
Olexiy Zalevskiy
11À Prospekt Moskovsky, 2nd floor,
Alta Center mall, Modny Kvartal. www.zalevskiy.com
Go shop your socks of girly………make him regret that joint bank account this Christmas!!!
