Putin Huilo adopts Star KIC 9696936

It's just incredible what extents Vladimir Putin will go to so that he can have an influence no only in Eurasia, but throughout the Milky Way. Just goes to illustrate just how it is that Putin-Huilo!

It now becomes even clearler why Putin was so upset with the aborted launch of the Angara rocket on Friday June 27, 2014. From the National Post's report, together with images of Putin who was watching a live feed of the launch from the cosiness of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, clearly show he was pretty miffed.

The Angara rocket, has long been suspected by the Fifth Directorate of the Pan-Galactic Peace Agency, as a sign of dissent of the Russian Federation's to the Pan-Galactic non-agreesion pact. Sources say that the Russian Federation has its sites set on moving in on a part of the Milky Way located between the Vega and Deneb systems.

A spate of failures

Such a scenario would not surprise anyone who has been following the events transpiring in Ukraine in the last seven months. While the Angara never even got off the ground last Friday, this is the latest in a spate of failures setting Moscovy's space program back, while private ventures in the West have had nothing but successful in developing their programmes.

It is not secret that Putin has had plans on colonizing the moon for some time now and also wishes to head to Mars, though this later failure clearly pissed him off. It is no surprise that there have been as many failures as there have been as Moscovy has been clearly been experience a brain drain and its not going to get better anytime soon. Russians with suffiecient grey metter between their ears are opting to leave their homeland for greener and more liberal pastures abroad. In a system which Putin is trying to build, there is no doubt a stiffling of creativity and freedom for these individuals to develop and contribute to their fullest. After all those who can contribute to Moscovy's space ambitions are not the zombified masses, but thinking sentient beings.

There are probably thousands of Leonid Bershidsky's in Moscovy today, who have just had enough with the nonsense of Putin's ways. Bershidsky, in his essay, "No Illusions Left, I'm leaving Russian" even states that the explosion of penultimate attempted launch of a Proton-M, was due to sabotage, according to official channels. Though there a other things which bother those who have not been zombifed by the state of Moscovy.

As Bershidsky puts it:

Now the strong have lost all shame.

Facebook news feeds tell us that a foreign rock star was banned from performing in Russia for "possibly promoting nontraditional sexuality to children," the authorities blame the latest Proton rocket crash on sabotage at the Khrunichev Space Center, passionate voices say it is time to change the name of Volgograd back to Stalingrad, anyone holding more than just Russian citizenship must report the fact to the authorities, Internet users must officially register their blogs … and so on.

Given Bershidsky's statement, if I were a gambling man, I would bet that there will be yet more setbacks in Moscovy's renewed desire to shoot for the moon, Mars and the stars, due to a brain drain which will on increase.

Ukrainian Astronomers are not without humour

While Putin curses at last week's failure and football fans globally all know the two words which come before "Do re mi do re do", Ukrainian Astronomers would make Sheldon Cooper of "The Big Bang Theory" proud.

Ukrainian astronomers decided to hook up with the Pale Blue Dot Project, which helps to raise funds for research scientists by allowing individuals to adopt everyting from a single star to entire planetary systems to have some fun with the first two words of Ukraine's footballers anthem about Putin.

According to the Pale Blue Dot Project's website, "All target stars have been observed for up to 4 years by the Kepler space telescope, as part of a search for alien planets." The project is managed by the White Dwarf Research Corporation.

We cannot be certain if the Angara rocket was targeted for a region of space between the the Vega and Deneb systems, we can say for certain that it is an area which Ukraine's joking astromomers had their telescopes set.

The Milky Way: The stars studied by the Kepler Telescope,
Location of the newly named star
Located at a Right ascension of: 18h 59m 47.09s, Declescion of: 46° 26' 44'', R-Band: 11, star KIC 9696936 now has a new name: "Putin-Huilo!"

In fact this is all official, but heaven forbid that this information gets to the Grand Kremlin Palace at the Dicktator's space launch monitoring centre.

As you can see it's all official.
We know how much that
part of the world loves certificates and stamps!
Eventually the planets around the newly named star will also be named in accordance to international laws, however I fear that this, like all other international covenants will be ignored by the start's new name sake.

Isn't it too bad that the Angara rocket wasn't heading in that direction with the star's name sake on board - boldly going where no dickhead has gone before.

Putin, is now not only a dictator, a popular name or a traditional Ukrainian song, now he's a real star. "Putin-Huilo!" - A complete dickhead in the cosmic sense.

As the original material that inspired me to put in my two cents stated, now the FSB, Moscovy's Special Security Services, will not only be monintoring and blocking the Internet, but now will try to find ways of stoping Russians for gazing to the heavens to find the star named for their fearless dicktator.

All Ukrainians and other free inhabitants of planet Earth will be free to observe the night sky and the cosmos. Years into the future, when some astromer trains his telescope between the Deneb and Vega systems, they will not be able to refrain from humming or singing that famous traditional Ukrainian song.


Partiture to the Ukrainian contemporary traditional song about Putin.
 

 


Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant

The commentary of this was first published on the wpawlowsky.com site.

Call out to President-Elect Petro Poroshenko

Exit polls are not an exact science, though from my years consulting with Democratic Initiatives Foundation, the first Ukrainian NGOs to ever use such a tool as form of control over elections, they are pretty damn accurate when properly designed and with an appropriate sample size. Given all the problems cause by one man by the name of Vladimir Putin. He can be considered one of the greatest threats to peace and environmental destruction in this world, and is clearly turning out to be a product of his dictatorial past as an agent of the KGB.

Today's elections in Ukraine where historic in many different ways. With two of Ukraine's eastern oblast of Luhansk and Donetsk being under the control of Russian sanctioned terrorists, voting in the industrial heartland of the country was next to non-existent – in Luhansk oblast only 2 of twelve Territorial Commissions have been able to set up and run, and in Donetsk there were only 7 of twenty-two according to official figures of the Central Electoral Commission on the morning of May 25 on election day.

In the mean time the newly formed independent region of Novorossia, led by pro-Russian anti-democratic and nothing short of criminal backed Oleh Tsariov, decided to burn ballots, destroy ballot boxes and continue to use terror to keep people from voting. This had been the modus operandi of those who have wanted to be self-proclaimed leaders in different districts of Eastern Ukraine.

The people have spoken - Moscovy continues with lies

Regardless of all the difficulties Ukrainians turned out en masse to vote. As I pen this voter turn out was sitting at 60.44% of all eligible voters. Let's just think of what it may have been if all those heavily armed people were wreaking havoc in the highly populated eastern oblasts of Ukraine. I have no doubt that number may have reached 67-72% of the eligible electorate. In Donetsk oblast only 12.04% of eligible voters were able to cast there ballots for a new and legitimate president.

Those stifiling the vote in Eastern Ukraine being three different types of individuals/groups. Firstly, they traitor/criminals who want to carve up the regional territory, this includes the douche bags like Tsariov and others elected to the Verkovna Rada. Though there are also the criminals who don't believe in the rule of law, and have no value for anything including life! Having had a few friends killed in Ukraine since independence it really doesn't surprise me how few valueless people live in Ukraine. The second group, are really those who shipped in to the region, just like in Crimea, by Moscovy – with top-of-the-line armaments and wearing the uniform of the Colorado Potato Beetle, in one simple little ribbon – which really means nothing but oppression to Ukrainians – regardless of the language they speak. The third group are the lazy good-for-nothings who have been brainwashed by Moscovy's propoganda, or are decendants of Russians suplanted in Ukraine after Stalin conducted his genocidal program against Ukraine and its people in 1932-33!

As in many elections before in Ukraine there were many, what are called technical candidates, though this seemed not to matter in any way at all. The most comical of these technical candidates where not those that were really as such, but which turned out to be a great slap in the face to the propoganda coming from Moscovy over the last six months!

'The hunta government of Kyiv is filled by fascists from the Right Sector and other fascists!”

All of Russia has been deprived of any type of independent media and this media has been the main source of information for many Russian speakers. The fear mongering from Moscow has been a seventy-year old story about people who fought for an independent Ukraine. They talk about Nazi-collaboraters. Yet according to some sources, the full report of the Nuremberg Trials were not publishes in their entirety by Moscow in order to discredit Ukrainian patriots.

There were a number of volumes which dealt with Nazi-collaborators which exonerated Ukrainians – members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists both of the Bandera and Melnyk factions, though these were never published in the USSR!

Unlike, in Moscovy over the last nearly quarter of a century many of Ukraine's youth have been exposed ot their history. From the Holodomor, to the valiant efforts of those who fought both against the Nazi's and the Red Army and those who simply wanted to destroy the Ukrainian nation. I have friends amonst that group - including the acting MFA of Ukraine Andriy Deschytsia, and former diplomat Bohdan Yaremenko whom I both have known since before Ukraine's independence. I know many others individuals who are competent and have to be engaged now, and not used by political parties and exploiters. Unfortunately, there were political parties that tried to use this last Maidan in such a manner – and the resuls reveal who they are!

Yes, I've digressed! Though exit polls show us is that the “rabid facists” have garnered a great deal fewer votes then the propoganda machine of Moscovy predicted.

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

If you really believe the propoganda of RT – the “soft power” project of the Kremlin then let's take things one step further!

Today, Russia's first national televison program took their lies oe step further. Today, during a live broadcast and declared that the Right Sector presidential candidate Dmytro Yarosh had received 37% of the popular vote and the he had in fact won Ukrainian Presidential election.

Russian First National stating that Dmytro Yarosh won Ukraine's Presidential Election of May 25, 2014 with 37% of the popular vote![

This is so far from the truth that I have to wonder just how much is Tsar Putin going to try to continue his lies? Though this is not just directed to the world's newest dictator! I think that most of the independent media in the world to also understand the bullshit that you have been fed by Moscovy and even some of the big press agencies, who were never ready to tell the truth but to pull Moscovy's line. Calling those with Russian supplied armaments pro-Russian separatists, with gun-handling abilities that are only afforded to those with many years of military experience. In short, those media who have been misrepresenting what has really been going on in Crimea, and now in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – forget it you are not jounalists but pawns of Mosovy!

When people are terrorized? What do you call those that terrorize them? Answer it yourselves!

I know that there are many journalists out on the line who can see this, but it is time for the editorial boards and management of media to start being honest! Unless of course the Kremlin has a controlling interest in your media.


All hoping for a new direction

One of the biggest problems in Ukraine in its nearly twenty-three years of independence has been the lack of reforms and following the rule-of-law. While they are still counting the votes I know Petro Poroshenko will be President. Though I have some questions to him as new leader and I hope he will do something to change it. Some journalists have been attacking him about divesting of his television company.

To a very great degree I can see where they are coming form, but they are being very narrow minded. Twenty years ago I spoke with young Ukrainian leaders and spoke to them about a number of pieces of legislation that would be a positive move towards a more demo-economic system. This included such things as anti-nepotism laws, conflict of interest laws, and transparency in all transactions. For Poroshenko to simply sell this media holding may in fact cause more problems then they can imagine without all the other legislation in Ukraine in place and being enforced.

Asking Poroshenko, or others who are politically involved under the current legislation of Ukraine to give up their control of any form of media would be a very dangerous and foolish step! Without the legislation in place that can properly contol many different problems in the sphere of press freedoms, conflict of interest, nepotism and other matters this would be detrimental to Ukraine's development.

Calling for a new generation

While Petro Poroshenko is not one without skeletons in his closet, I do have some reservations of the things I heard regarding much of the electoral campaign. Much of this was from people who would make statements that were very much along the lines used in Soviet times in order to discredit individuals.

This same method was used to vote for Petro Poroshenko. Why you ask? Many key intellectual persona would state – “He's a good person from the information I know!”

In this case, this was true – though Ukraine needs a total reformation and I hope that Poroshenko can make it happen.

In contemporary Ukrainian society it is just as easy as it was to disseminate a lie and a rumour during Soviet times. Say something to people in the metro or in a local watering hole and everyone will think you are either an informant for the FSB or CIA.. I know this form personal experience.. Thank you to an incopetent diplomat or someone on the payroll form Moscow from the EU.

However, a new generation must be built upon those who spent time working for Ukraine. There has to be revision of those who are trusted.

There has to be a review of what dual citizenship and privleges of those who want to build a nation has to function. Individuals who come into the country to discredit it should be arrested and eventually deported. We have a clear example of a sex-pat from the UK, who did nothing but look at Ukrainian women as those to exploit. We should all know who he is, and if you don't – ask here I'll you. However, I have a bit of a bias.

Mr President call on all specialists

Petro Oleksiyovych, we met once in passing in 2005 and I have pictures wth you. You know me from Adam, but I think I speak a great deal for many Ukrainians who grew up beyond Ukraine's borders. No one every really valued Ukrainians abroad! Do you? Do you care about how Ukrainians who are still Ukrainian citizens, and those who have been supporting Ukraine form as second and third generation Ukrainians? I hope you do!

You are very much aware of the unofficial anti-diaspora program that existed in order to ensure that transparency in business didn't exist in Ukraine. I personally understand this much better than many, I hope you can start ensuring business works on the basis of transperency.

I hope that this changes a great deal. I hope that young students, who are thoses who followed me in leadership positions in SUSK (Soiuz Ukrainskoho Studentsva Kanady). I was denied such opportunities because of the damn bureaucracy that existed and still exists – hiring incompetent idiots in Ukraine, and all the other, fucked up beauracracy that exists for individuals to invest in Ukraine.

I expect that you find a way to integrate Ukrainians from throughout the world who are top in their line and that the be conpensated for their speciality!

I know there are plenty of very qualified Ukrainians, though there is also a necessity to recompense those who have been screwed by other political leaders. I know many qualified indivduals in that sphere...

You have shown from what I have heard of paying employee's officially and not an envelope – time for all of Ukraine to work that way.

Dealing with Liar from Moscovy

It has become very clear that Moscovy has become a land of propogandistic lies. How should we be dealing with this? For the most part it will be the same way that the people of Ukraine have dealt with the lies and bull shit that thier polititions spew to them. While I was against Yanukovych's method's and non-judicial means of throwing Yulia Tymoshenko in prison, Ukrainians have clearly understood that her populusim was a lot of bullshit. I hope they from this day forward hold every politician from this day forth accountable for every single action they take.

Though the most important aspect of any democracy is the accountabilty of elected officials, and this being the case – the not yest president-elect has to introduce a bill which would eliminate the bullshit which has existed for the entire period of Ukraine's newly-found independence in 1991 – this concept of immunity of persecution of elected officials. That really has to be the first decision! With that decision – Ukraine will start to move forward – at least I an many others hope it will.

Once the rule of law is put into place and starts to function, then dealing with those liars to the northwest will be extremely easy. Petro Oleksiyovych – make these things happen. Find those who want to move as far away form Sovedepia as possible and help all Ukrainians to prosper. In doing so the motion will be set as an example and our neighbours will understand that this will come through a more liberal and all inclusive democracy, regardless of its limitations.

Today was not only a great day for Ukraine but for all the people in its neighbouring countries.

Yes, democracy is still not perfect, nor is capitalism for that matter, but if Ukrainians are open and extremely progressive – they will set a great number of examples for the entire planet. Particularly in the area of renewable resources – and in doing so giving Moscovy a good kick in the crotch for it's arcaic attitude of global affairs. If you understand where I'm coming from – there is no need for explanation. If you need an explanation – you are a simply a sovdep dinosaur and I could talk to you until I'm blue in the face – and that is not my desire! I've been doing this for the last quarter of a century!

Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant
The commentary of this was first published on the wpawlowsky.com site.

Capable of leadership or just another political project?

As the current regime has clearly decided that they will not only pass judgment but will determine what the former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko's, sentence will be in the nearest future, there has been a great deal of speculation of who will be the opposition.

At this point the spin doctors of the project that has been an ongoing on for the entire period of Ukraine’s “independence” seem to be ready to capture the hearts and mind of the readers of the Ukrainska Pravda website. From an authoritative source, I can state without a doubt that “nothing else matters!” If it comes out on Ukrainska Pravda that is the only exit point that is really important. From there in gets redistributed in various formats, be it electronic, print or other means of broadcasting, very often without reference to the source.

Right now those same spin doctors are trying to position Arseniy Yatsenyuk as a possible oppositional candidate to the current regime of Viktor Yanukovych, the current President of Ukraine, and those who live by his rules of conduct.

They state that there is a campaign called for the “Front of Change” which appears to be headed by Party of Regions, financier, Rinat Akmetov and is in fact is a project of David Zhvania, who former President Yushchenko even implicated in his dioxin poisoning, even though Zhvnaia is the godfather of one of Yushchenko's children.

Now who in their normal minds could consider this to be anything more than a political front -- same money and same people?

All this aside, besides where the money could be coming from? Why would Akmetov try to shoot himself and those he is clearly sleeping with, in the foot? Clearly, once again it is the divide and conquer strategy.

Regardless, who is Arseniy Yatsenyuk? I my mind, he is simply another political project. Much along the ilk of Kravchuk, Kuchma and Yushchenko by those who want to make Ukraine their economic haven and zone of plunder.

He is not a leader, but someone who is accountable to his financiers. While, Yulia may have ghosts in her closet, everyone knows this. Yatsenyuk is far from Yulia's stature in charisma, knowledge or independence and values. While his spin doctors have tried to position him in the past as pro-Ukrainian, he does not measure up to the stature of Yulia Tymoshenko on many different levels.

The choice of his career, in my opinion had very little to do with his interest in legal matters, but rather, as a method of being a part of the old Soviet nomenclature. Hailing from Chernivtsi where there was quite an active pro-Ukrainian student movement when he was studying; he chose not to be involved, hence I have every reason to question his pro-Ukrainian sentiment, as should everyone else.

Like many of the Komsomol ilk, he chose a career that was planned for him, planned and laid out in a manner of which those of the communist ilk could all return to power and subdivide the country.

Yatsenyuk is clearly not leadership material for the Ukrainian nation. Maybe as part of the politico-economic project called Ukraine, however, not for the good of the common Ukrainian people.

Vasyl Pawlowsky
Independent Consultant

Item A: THE MAIDAN COMETH

In my last couple of blog entries I have made reference to the unconstitutional usurpation of power by the Yanukovych regime. That idea was not my own, but given that this took place quite some time ago it gave me the opportunity to not only think about what happened, but to also research the topic a little more. As a result of this research I came across a piece which sheds a little more light on the unconstitutional position which is held by Ukraine's current president as well as some insight so that others may gain a better understanding of contemporary Ukraine.

The author is Ivan Lozowy, a partner in the AI Information Network and Director of Amber Global Consulting. His legal training, western mindset, and on-ground experience in Ukraine, which is surpassed by very few individuals, gives him the authority to make the statements he does. Whether his statement that the MAIDAN COMETH actually comes to fruition is really up to the people of Ukraine. Though, with the current president and his Soviet goon squad mentality, there may just be enough intimidation going on that the critical mass for another Maidan may never be attained.

The following remains the copyright of Ivan Lozowy and is used with his permission.

THE UKRAINE INSIDER
Vol. 10, No. 4 April 29, 2010

ITEM A.: THE MAIDAN COMETH

Since coming to power in February the Party of Regions have been flailing away wildly, drunk with the power that they feel was unfairly snatched away from them in the aftermath of the Orange Revolution in 2004.

Their first major move was to violate Ukraine’s Constitution by forming a parliamentary coalition not of factions, as the Constitution expressly provides, but of individual deputies. Yet no one was surprised when 11 out of 18 judges of Ukraine’s Constitutional Court voted to validate this use of people’s deputies’ “corpses,” as they are often referred to in the media. The corrupt nature of the Court is legendary. This, after all, is largely the same Court which in 2004 decided that former President Leonid Kuchma, who had served two terms as president from 1994 to 1999 and from 1999 to 2004, could run for a third term despite a clear Constitutional prohibition.

The Court’s reasoning this time around was that parliament’s newly-adopted rules of procedure could somehow “trump” Ukraine’s Constitution. Just two years earlier, however, the Court had expressly come to the opposite conclusion, namely, that a governing coalition could not include individual deputies and must be formed only of parliamentary factions.

On April 26 the Verkhovna Rada, or parliament, voted to extend the lease for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the city of Sevastopol until at least 2042, despite mass demonstrations outside and fisticuffs inside the assembly hall. The law was passed without debate and despite the fact that the Rada had no quorum.

This decision, however, is merely a harbinger. The government put in place by the newly elected President, Viktor Yanukovych, is headed by Mykola Azarov, an ardent proponent of Ukraine’s integration with Russia. Azarov has never particularly hidden his desire to see Ukraine integrated with Russia, up to and including Ukraine’s disappearing as an independent state. A rumor has it that Azarov once told an MP that he would be taking revenge for what was done to “our princes,” a reference to the Khazars, a southern tribe at war with the Ukrainians until the 10th century, prompting the rumor that Azarov’s real last name is “Khazarov.”
Azarov is moving ahead quickly with wide-ranging plans for integration with Russia.

The nuclear energy, aviation and infrastructure sectors are slated to be handed to the Kremlin on a platter. Not only are Russian companies to absorb Ukrainian firms and execute work in Ukraine, draft agreements foresee immunity for Russian companies in Ukraine and set rules for the Ukrainian executive branch to begin working hand-in-hand with the Kremlin on a day-to-day basis, a form of political integration now.

Needless to say, the Kremlin is overjoyed. Visits to Moscow by Yanukovych and Azarov have been followed by visits to Ukraine by President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on April 26, which seemed more of a working visit than a visit by a foreign dignitary.

No one, however, seemed to notice the irony of Putin proposing close nuclear cooperation with Russia on the anniversary of the day when the Chornobyl nuclear power station – designed in Moscow and built in Ukraine during the Soviet era – blew up.

The other government appointee who stands out as an ideological warrior is the Minister of Education, Dmytro Tabachnyk, whose principal thesis is that there is no Ukrainian nation or people as such. When popular protests against Tabachnyk’s appointment flared up across the country, he responded that his personal views are unrelated to his job.

Although Azarov is setting the pace right now, his and Tabachnyk’s pro-Russian views are not necessarily shared by the rest of the Cabinet. Most members of the government are in office for one purpose only: to get richer. The dominant force in the party is Ukraine’s richest oligarch, Renat Akhmetov, whose career skyrocketed after his former boss, a mobster named Alek Bragin, was killed.

Thus the Party of Regions will have to pursue a wider strategy in order to get what it wants.

As their first step the Party of Regions will have to grab a firm hold over the levers of power in Ukraine. Unlike their counterparts in the West, they do not countenance ever being removed from office (See The Ukraine Insider, Vol. 7, No. 1 from January 31, 2007). Thus Yanukovych has been busy replacing government officials in Kyiv and across the country. Here arises his first major problem. Although the Party of Regions, often referred to as a “clan,” has dominated economic, social and political life in its home base in the Donetsk oblast for years, even a large grouping such as theirs has too few players to install in even most of the key posts across the country, which is twenty times the size of the Donetsk region.

The second step, already underway, is to grab the assets that the leaders and members of the Party of Regions want. Vice Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev announced yesterday that the government will shift its privatization program into high gear. Chances are that private owners, such as India’s Lakshmi Mittal, owner of the metallurgical giant Krivorizhstal, nationalized after a corrupt privatization which had granted part ownership to Akhmetov, are at risk.

The third factor in this process is a necessary consequence of the steps taken by the Party of Regions. Most Ukrainians do not agree with the government’s policies on quick integration with Russia and with its program of enriching members of the Party of Regions at the country’s expense. Thus opposition to Yanukovych’s rule and Azarov’s government will increase. As with any large group, inertia must be overcome and some politicians believe that by this fall a mass protest movement will have crystallized. In response, the Party of Regions will have to increase its repressive measures in order to stifle dissent.

In any event, the “Maidan,” which means “square” in Ukrainian, but is at times referred to almost as living entity in recognition of the popular base of the Orange Revolution, which took place on the Independence “Maidan,” is on its way.

A stark comparison

This morning I had to head to Kyiv's main post office to take care of a couple of matters. As I crossed Horodetsky Street near the Conservatory I looked out over upon Maidan. I figure there were a couple of hundred people there, mostly holding red Communist and pink Socialist flags. It actually looked pitiful, and as I looked over across Khreschatyk I could see the stage and behind it a number of military style tents.

I descended into the underpass to cross Khreschatyk. The hand railing was entwined with blue plastic ribbon. While on the other set of steps up to Maidan the blue ribbon was shredded.

After visiting the post office I dropped by the Yaroslav Melnyk's CD stand. His assistant Vadym explained how a number of people he spoke to had admitted to having been paid to come out to Maidan, and how late yesterday afternoon behind the stage, the Party of Regions put out a spread for everyone, and how the vodka flowed freely.

I headed up to the Radisson on Yaroslaviv val for a meeting with my partner and make use of the WiFi there.

Just as I began to write this post, my partner walked in carrying a big white envelope. It had arrived.

Last year I received an e-mail from photographer friend of mine Bohdan Warchomij who had asked me if I would do him a favour. We had met during the Orange (R)evolution, and had published a book entitled Portrait of a Revolution and had requested I find out the best way to ensure this book made its way into President Yuschenko's hands, as a gift to him and the Ukrainian people. After consulting with some friends in the Presidential Administration they suggested that he get the book to me and they would help me take care of the rest. Bohdan wanted to get his book to the President prior to the anniversary of the (r)evolution. Well it seems that it has finally arrived on the eve of a possible second (r)evolution.

As I leafed through the pages I compared the images I saw and recall from nearly two and a half years earlier. I was right, what I saw on Maidan this morning was pitiful.

On his way to our meeting my partner said that his driver, a young man who we call quite often for driving services, mentioned that his mother who lives in a village in Chernihiv region had been approached by local Party of Regions official and was told that they would transport her to Kyiv, and pay her fifty hryvnia a day. She is still not sure if she will take up the offer he also stated. But was wavering in that direction.

While the Party of Regions, Communists and Socialists may have deep pockets; the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people are much deeper. And while I am all for new elections, they are extremely bad for business.

During the second round of the 2004 election, I was awaiting assignment as an international observer at the Committee of Voters of Ukraine office. As I walked in to the Information Department I read a sign posted on the door.

I try to live life normally, but elections get in the way!

The phrase was attributed to no other than yours truly. I later found out that it had been posted there by a good friend of mine Olesya Oleshko. Whom I had become acquainted with during the Mukachevo elections, which turned out to be a litmus test of what was to come later on in 2004.

Another digression... Rule of Brute Force

Once again I diverge, as there is just no other thing to do when the situation in Ukraine is as it is. To say the least it things are a little tense. For the most part the taxi drivers I talk to in this city and there are plenty of them are usually a pretty good pulse of what is going on in any metropolitan city in the world. Last night one of the drivers, Dima, who I have known quite well for a number of years said to me. "The guys from Donetsk do not want to give up power, and right now they seem to be doing what they want with no respect of any accepted principles!"  This led to a short but brief conversation on democracy, the way Canadians understand it, and the way most of the civilized world understands it.

Well it may seem that I am saying that Ukraine is not part of the civilized world and to some degree I am saying just that, but really it is not directed at the thousands who froze on Maidan for the principles of democracy and fairness, but it is directed at those individuals who for the last two days have been sitting in the Verkhovna Rada with the sole intent of maintaining the power which came to be theirs through lies, deceit, bribery and a number of other mechanisms which are far from being considered as democratic means.

Just a few minutes ago I came across an article on Ukrainska Pravda by Serhiy Balan. Many of the points he made, drew me back to my discussion with Dima the taxi driver the other night and what he had said. In particular Balan's following observation:

У демократичній країні уряд, який згідно з Конституцією є відповідальним перед президентом, ніколи б не порушив його указу, а самостійно пішов би у відставку.

Провідні партії – члени парламентської коаліції – продемонстрували повне нерозуміння й онтологічне неприйняття норм демократії про відповідальність партій перед своїм електоратом.

Given the way many of them ended up in the Verkhovna Rada, or their loyalty to the Party of Regions, the Communists or Socialists it is no surprise whatsoever that they would have no respect for the law. We have good old Pyotr Symonenko who denies that the Holodomor ever took place, Moroz who sold out to the Party of Regions, and the Party of Regions which is backed by a clan of criminals with a rapist in the seat of Prime Minister.  These people are not only immoral they can only think one way. They use brute force to get what they want. The people living in Donetsk region are captives of these thugs - a word against the Party of Regions is dealt with brutally.