Happy Thanksgiving! С Днём Благодарения!

Dear all! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families! Today I want to thank you for being my friends and readers. I wish you prosperity and happiness. And remember - today we don't take turkeys as prisoners! Eat away!..

There will be more posts with interesting stories and ideas published soon. Keep reading and commenting! I appreciate your feedback!

Поздравляю всех с очень хорошим американским праздником - Днём Благодарения! Хочу поблагодарить Вас за то, что Вы были мне верными друзьями и читателями! Я желаю Вам и Вашим близким счастья и благополучия. Помните - сегодня пернатых в плен не берём! Приятного аппетита...

Продолжайте читать и комментировать мои "зарисовки." Надеюсь вскоре снова порадовать Вас интересным материальчиком.

What Grinds My Gears. Part 1.

I saw a traffic jam today. Actually, I got into one. But while sitting in the bumper-to-bumper flow, I remembered something outstanding.

Approximately two months ago, I was traveling on I-43 northbound. When I reached Mequon, the traffic slowed down and then halted. "An accident ahead," I thought. However, there were no emergency vehicles in sight - I judged by the absence of sirens and police lights.

Then, as I had moved closer, I noticed a stream of black smoke rising behind the tree line ahead. "That's it - the accident for sure," I figured. "The cops are probably farther down."

But when I finally reached the spot (40 minutes later), there were no cops, no emergency vehicles, AND NO ACCIDENT!

The black smoke was coming out of a chimney of a house on the opposite side of the road. I had no idea what the owner was burning in there, but a bunch of idiots in cars ahead was definitely burning my time and patience!..

The smoke was thick and black - what else is new? But, it did not block the traffic. However, almost every car stopped for few seconds so that the moron behind its steering wheel could stare at the fume. Duh!.. Then, they would continue full throttle on the absolutely free highway leaving the long traffic congestion behind.

This is how people create problems out of nothing! And this, my friends, is what grinds my gears!


 

Spy Game. Continued.

I saw another twist of the recent spy story today on Yahoo, involving Anna Chapman and others. It said that the recently arrested and exchanged Russian "spies" had been betrayed by the high-ranked SVR official (colonel Scherbakov), who had allegedly defected to the U.S.

Read the full story here.

In my opinion, it is a “much ado about nothing.” The Putin’s SVR is using this fictitious figure, Scherbakov, as a scapegoat!.. It is very typical of Putin and his ex-KGB buddies in power to blame someone else for their own mistakes. 

They would never acknowledge their fault. Whether it was an international “spy” scandal, or blazing fires, which were impossible to put down. Not long before those, Putin and Co. had eliminated the forest ranger service in Russia to profit off the illegal timber trade. But, as always, the Putin's government was not held responsible!..

Based on what I have read about the “defection,” I think it is the Kremlin’s pitiful attempt to look clean, when they are covered in... feces. It is an attempt to tell the public about “the heroic Russian intelligence operatives” betrayed by another Western Spy! How convenient!..

In my opinion, the individuals, caught by the FBI, have been no spies, but the cons doing money laundry in NYC for the corrupt Russian officials. The only “spy” attribute, which they have had, is the usage of the SVR’s cover and network for dirty financial operations.

In fact, that’s what they got arrested for! How the heck did they get only 5 years in prison for espionage??? As far as I remembered, Rudolf Abel was facing a death penalty for something of the kind… Another fact - it was said that the alleged "illegal operatives" had been undercover for more than 10 years… Eh, does it mean that Anna Chapman and another “spy,” Mikhail Semenko, have been recruited and infiltrated by the SVR at the age 18???!!!.. Adolescent and pathetic spy game!

In a story, which evokes more questions than answers, there is definitely something fishy going on. The truth is out there, but not here and not now.