Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Pootin's Economy




Oh dear what can the matter be 
Putin’s blinkered strategy 
Has Balls up the economy…

It has been a savage few weeks for Russia’s popular leader ‘Vlad the Lad’ Putin. The continuing oil decline has compounded a weak Russian economy, Western sanctions and the Rouble's continual death spiral. 

Putin’s Judo like maneuvers into Crimea and Ukraine has proved recklessness for the Western world, but righteous for dreamers of a greater Russia.

Whether this plan can succeed remains largely on the Russian pocket book; if a looming recession of pending misery can alter the hardy Russians point of view that will be the determining factor.

To remind us how we got here, you have cast back to a perceived weakness in the Obama administration and America’s war weary posture. 

After being involved in two exhaustive wars there was no public appetite for further action in that region or anywhere for that matter.

Europe was grappling with a lingering recession and Russia’s oil and gas pipeline was threatening stability among weaker EU states.
Putin saw his chance to shore up citizen pride and galvanize Russian nationals in Crimea.

The Crimea is an essential part of the Putin plan having lost the Baltic’s in the breakup of the Soviet Union, it was crucial to house their southern naval fleet.

Other than protesting loudly Putin knew that the West couldn’t do much to a swift annexation.

Nevertheless when it came to the Ukraine things started to get complicated. NATO Expansion had spooked the Russians since 89’ and according to Putin Ukraine was the line in the sand.

The former President Viktor Yanukovych resistance to popular demands from the Ukrainian youth sided with Russian loan guarantees and his allegiance to Putin. 

The Orange revolution eventually ousted him to the Crimea exposing lavish spoils of a kept puppet.

As the conflict in Ukraine merged into civil war, the downing of a commercial airliner, Malaysian of all things, highlighted the scorching denial Putin resides in. 

The former KGB officer stoned faced refutation of culpably illustrated how isolated he was becoming.

The West’s introduction of sanctions rather than an armed response initially played into Putin’s thinking nonetheless as the Russian economy soured combined with the fall in oil and imposed sanctions, Putin’s folly was becoming evident.

Russia needs oil to be at $100 a barrel in order to balance the books; it has reserves of $400 billion but foreign debt of $600 billion. 

The Saudis have said they will continue oil production with the possibility of prices dropping to $20 a barrel. 

That is a mother load of pain coming Putin’s way and without question self inflicted. 
The current situation is increasingly looking like the Bear Stearns and Lehman’s of Russia. 

In addition, the Saudis aren’t too enthusiastic to help Russia with its oil problem, for Putin has sided with the Syrian dictator Basher al- Assad, because they have a naval fleet at the port of Tartus which is of vital importance to Russia. 

The fact that Russia are purchasing aircraft carriers from France (which are on hold due to sanctions) illustrates how a mighty navy must go elsewhere for ships to be built. 

While dividing up the spoils among his friends, Putin did nothing to reform the huge country with a large talent pool. 

Instead he made sure the media was bought and any political agenda go unchallenged.

Oil adds up to ¾ of Russia’s exports and has not expanded its resources into a diverse economy for example, allowing an educated youth from the IT sector to exodus to Israel.

The fifty billion spent on the Winter Olympic Games sure could be needed now and underlines what can happen in a space of a year.

And like the Emperor with new clothes, Putin has a particular fondness for discarding clothing fit for media consumption. 

Whether the Russian people can keep up the pretense remains to be seen. 




Thursday, December 18, 2014

Sony loses the plot…



Consensus is building among the blogosphere, etc that Sony’s submission to cyber hacker’s reeks of cowardice.

US intelligence reveals North Korea was behind the hack attack, and now we wait for the latest email leak to know how Seth Rogan really feels about Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin.

Sony has been in steep decline since the Discman and Walkman walked off a cliff, and let Apple conquer the digital music delivery service.

The Vaio computer department was sold off, leaving the Playstation and Movies to churn out eager profits for a once mighty conglomerate. 

The Playstation hack of 2011 affected 25 million customers, swiping personal information ripe for abuse, and now, the mother of all hacks reveals insipid overpaid executives’ juvenile banter, and sensitive business practices.

Clearly not happy enough that the ship isn’t taking on more water, it has pulled the very product that might be a steadfast reason for free speech.

The ‘Interview’ is a comedic satire starring Seth Rogan and James Franco about a plot to terminate the most well fed Korean in North Korea Kim Jong Un. 

This act of tomfoolery has had the top brass at Sony and even the White House in a tizzy concerning its content.

Kim Jong Un doesn’t appear to be laughing also, and allegedly ordered the ‘Guardians of Peace’ to counter this Act of War with an effective hack of Sony’s business infrastructure. 

Now ‘The Interview’ will not be opening on Christmas Day due to 911 style bomb threats. 
In fact it won’t be screened anywhere on DVD or online streaming. 

The holiday period is a lucrative time for the Multiplexes and they don’t want to jeopardize a potential holiday bonanza.

So well done Sony, you have managed to surrender to grapefruit faced leader of a merciless hermit kingdom, and sabotage the Cineplex’s argument that streaming movies is the death knell of cinema.

And please, for the sake of clarity, point out the irony, which a bunch of maniacs by the name of ‘The Guardians of Peace’ want to kill people with gleeful pride.

Remember Salman Rushdie, The Dictator, Team America and Borat? 

Even if the film were crap, why do need to bow down to pond scum like North Korea and give them and others license to curb free expression?

As it stands, round one goes to Hackers du jour. 







Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Let’s face it, Face - sitting is not a crime…



Jolly Hockey sticks I have been away from typing. 

A person with higher nobility and near perfect credentials has alerted me to a salacious story on the steps of Westminster. 

Last week a protest was in full throttle concerning a British government proposed ban on certain sex acts to be wiped off our TV and computer screens.

Quote. An amendment to Britain’s Communications Act (2003) put video on demand online pornography under the same regulations that already govern DVD sales and theatrical movie releases. Under the British Board of Film Censors rules, people in Britain are no longer able to pay for pornography that contains spanking, caning, verbal abuse, water sports, female ejaculation, fisting, or face-sitting. End quote.

Yikes…! I wasn’t aware there was a ministerial portfolio for porn, and if so he has choked three quarters of MPs favorite recreation. 

One can only marvel at the industrious lengths ministers go to, using valuable taxpayer’s money on such Dickensian acts. 

Looking over the shoulder of some MP’s one might see the pages of Fifty Shades of Grey, as much as a report on London’s new proposed airport.

Monty Pythons have been lampooning the Establishment since the Sixties. Their comedic insights remain eternal.

The Minister of Porn proposes female wanking, between morning biscuits and afternoon tea unsavory. 

However one senses a sinister trait and recurring theme – why is ok for men to spray their seed with vigorous delight when women aren’t afforded the same luxury?

Women on Top so to speak, presents a threatening call to action by those who claim jobs gone overseas are damaging the Treasury. 
These terrible face sitters might seek employment elsewhere and not pay taxes! ; Yet another blow against women and hence the irony.

Charlotte Rose, who was named sex worker of the year in 2013, organized last week’s face-sit-in.

She expands on the idea that this ban, denies female pleasure as well as economics where in an industry women make more money than men.

Perhaps one thing at least MP’s should be concentrating on is lowering college tuition; this might dissuade seeing their daughters on screen making up the balance of their student debt.

However the protest provided a keen sense of humor - face sitting sit in’s, placards that read “We Cum in Peace.” and “Vulvas Don’t Kill People, Revolvers Do.”

I guess at the end of the day where one stands on the issue depends on where one is sits, or is it the other way round?






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