Russian round up

Of sorts. I haven't been able to do a proper comic post because I've been reading less JLE since my laptop was making odd noises and I just haven't had a chance to write thoughts about last week's comics, (which were very good incidentally, but more of that on another date). So, here is a pile of links which I have found interesting recently:

Russian Oligarch buys the Evening Standard. Oh and he's an ex KGB agent too. Hmm. How did this not get more coverage? This can't be a good thing, he's ex KGB - I'm assuming he has a rather dodgy set of ethics. Of course, he may have changed since he was a spy, but I doubt it, I don't think people can shed personalities, habits and values that easily. The BBC article reports that the paper will "establish a new editorial committee to "safeguard the principle of editorial independence". I wonder what that will actually mean?
Of course all this kerfuffle kind of presumes that the UK doesn't have it's own spies and has never acted immorally. Which is naive of me.

Stalin nearly gets named greatest Russian in a recent poll
So when I was shocked at this I knew I was naive. The issue here is that Stalin was in the lead early on and only narrowly missed winning, so the Communists have argued that the poll was rigged. I also think it's worth noting that Lenin came sixth. The named winners are:
1: Alexander Nevsky, a medieval warrior
2: Pyotr Stolypin, an early 20th Century Prime Minister
3: Stalin
4: Alexander Pushkin
6: Lenin
11: Catherine the Great

Now, I have no difficulty with accepting that the votes were rigged in order to get Putin approved personalities to win, especially in light of the view that Stolypin seems unlikely to be rather more loved than Stalin, Lenin or Pushkin.
What I do have a problem with is accepting that that many people do actually still love Stalin. He murdered millions. Surely the Russian population know this? How can it be swept under the carpet? I know he was responsible for industrialising the country, and he did modernise Russia and did bring it up to speed somewhat, but c'mon. The terror? The polarising of society? The completely avoidable famine? The wiping out of the kulaks? The mass murders? The paranoia, the insanity? The rewriting of history? How is he still revered within the popular imagination?

And this man received more votes than Lenin? Lenin who they still have on display in Red Square? Who incidentally is very waxy, and very very awesome. I thought Krushchev had successfully discredited Stalin, to the point where his cult of personality was dismantled and not to be retrieved again at later date. Obviously I was wrong and need to go back and research this some more.

On a brighter note, damn this girl works hard. She's British and has won herself a place at the Kirov Vaganova ballet school in St Petersburg. God she's dedicated. And brave.

Lastly, there's this article on how Russia needs a renewal of the feminist movement. I haven't read this yet but it looks like it could be interesting.

I wish I could go back to Russia. My plan is to save for a 2 week language holiday, stay with a Russian family somewhere outside of St Petersburg or Moscow. God it will be wonderful. But it will take a looong time to save, because I'm going to Japan first.
On the plus side this site gives prices and it's not too expensive. Minimum of 800 quid, in Novosibirsk. But 800 for two weeks, including lessons and accommodation, is, I think, very reasonable. I really want to go. :(

Currently listening to: Lots of 90s indie - Geneva, Marion and Ash. Ahh, wonderful times. A friend is getting rid of a bunch of CDs so I rifled through them first, came home with 40 odd.

Merry Christmas everybody!

I am having a great Christmas eve with the boyfriend, Drax and Kate, enjoying beer and very very good port and creepy ghost stories. What more could you want?

Happy holidays everyone! Hope everything goes as you would wish it!

Ps: Sorry to put a dampener on things, but did Russia really have to announce that they are raising the nuclear missile output fourfold?? Yeah, wonderful festive announcement there, thanks.
(and yet I point it out, sorry guys).

So much for one blog post a day

Currently listening to: Reef: Rides and Replenish

Mood: Foul

I really was intending to blog regularly, even daily, this month, but then life happened. Work hasn’t let up all week, it’s now Sunday and I’ve had to work at home doing finance stuff - my least favourite activity at the best of times but even worse on the weekend – and the next week promises to be equally hectic.

I had to go shopping for bloody bridesmaid dresses yesterday, when the bride and other bridesmaids are 200 miles away and the city is *already* rammed for Christmas and we still haven’t got a sodding decision. I very much dislike shopping in the real world.

I have yet again completely failed to practice for the sign choir I attend, so that’ll go well tomorrow. I just need to learn the English words then the signs will flow easy, and who knew Mistletoe and Wine* would be such a bugger to translate?

I haven’t been able to properly catch up on new blog posts so haven’t felt like I’ve had a chance to relax, and I’ve had a friend stay all weekend and so feel deficient in my comic reading time (yes I know, that makes me a very selfish person, so bite me).

And the Misty’s gig I had tickets to see on Wednesday has been cancelled. *scowl*

So yes, I’m in a foul mood. Grrr.

On the plus side, Ami’s blog informs me that Doomsday is going to be in Smallville this week so that’s exciting. Now I just need to download all the episodes…

Aquaman is going well. At least until Peter David stopped writing it and now I’m just suspicious of change. Also, Mera? That:


is NOT a dress. Fully clothed to…scraps in one issue. Yes, well done on respecting your female characters there.

I did see an interview with excellent and wholly wonderful Lauren Laverne (ex Kenickie) on the Guardian website earlier, where she rationalises her vegetarianism vs wearing animal skins with the following:

"I couldn't have an animal die just so I could eat it. The way I think about it is if I was to be killed I would rather be worn than eaten. I think eating something is such an impermanent way to express a life. To be minced up and put in a burger is a bit of an inglorious ending, but to wind up as a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, well, then your death has meant something. That's how I see it."
And it’s nice to see Russia observing due democratic processes yet again. That strikes me as very similar to the 1917 elections whereby the Bolsheviks were not voted in en masse, so decided to abolish the elections and begin the start of a 70 year dictatorial regime.

Yours snarlingly



*Not my choice of songs. I want to do Lord of the Dance.

Hello new world

I was going to wax lyrical about the importance of yesterday’s results, because it all (my feelings) seemed oh so important and meaningful and earnest at 9am yesterday morning, when I hadn’t had any kip and was, possibly more importantly, still drunk - (red wine + Cava + no sleep makes for a very uncomfortable 4 hour train journey home, especially when you incorporate London underground into that).

So, now, a little calmer and rested and rational, I don’t actually believe that we are in a whole new world. I don’t know a lot about Obama’s policies, I know more about what he doesn’t stand for (Palin), which to me is the important thing. I am overjoyed that for the next 4 years we’ve got a (partial?) end to the traditional WASP in power. That’s amazing. I don’t think this makes America any less racist, but my god I’m so happy that enough American people aren’t racist enough to *not* vote for Obama.*

I think that the election of a black guy to the American Presidency has enormous value as a symbol – as the end of the traditional white old rich guy running things. That is *so* important. And without meaning to denigrate that achievement, or to appropriate it for my own means, (because I do realise how important the election, in and of itself, of a person of colour, is to other people of colour), it also gives me hope that anyone from any given minority, or a woman (52% of the population does not a minority make), could also be elected, in the future, and that we could finally get our voices heard. And that’s really damn cool, for everybody.**

I am a massive believer in role models, of the power of seeing someone like you, out there, represented, speaking, out loud, in the public eye, or in everyday life. Without role models, without visible representation, we internalise feelings of areas of life being cut off from us, unattainable. Now we’ve got an incredibly visible black guy in the highest position of power in America. Hooray!

I kind of feel like in a sci fi future, where to show how progressive things are and how good, just and equal society is they have a black family in the White House (and usually, no other people of colour, anywhere).

Of course, I know this doesn’t mean an instant end to shit and bigotry happening. Just cos one black guy got in doesn’t mean it will happen again. Thatcher got to be the UK Prime Minister in the 80s, funny how women are still massively under represented in Parliament. Just cos one person has broken through doesn’t mean that others can suddenly move freely. It also doesn’t mean he’s going to eradicate racism, or even come up with all the right answers. Especially as ‘right’ is somewhat subjective.

I’m waiting for a backlash of people claiming he isn’t really black so it doesn’t count. Or people shooting him. They’d better make sure the security is really damn good.

I’m loving the fact that Kenya have declared Thursday a national holiday. My head is in my hands over Russia’s decision to situate more missiles right on their borders, and that Medvedev wants to extend his term from 4 years to 6 years. Christ almighty Russia, I love you, but you’re insane.

*Was that proper English? I doubt it.
**If I’m being an arse here, then tell me. I swear I’m not trying to take away from his achievement.