The First Rapper Was a 1920s Soviet-Era Poet According To Russian Culture Minister

Al Gore invented the Internet, at least according to Al Gore. Now Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's culture minister, is laying claim to rap.  On October 16, he told a group of people at the Valdai Discussion Club that the first rapper was actually Vladimir Mayakovsky, a poet/actor during the 1920s and 1930s Bolshevik era.

He argued that whereas Russia did not invent ballet as an art form, it is now very much a Russian art. Same with rap.

"It's bothered me for some time now, I wanted to say, it infuriates me: this fascination of modern urban youth with rap, but when I try to dig into this business more closely, I'll chat with my son, listen to what he's listening to, and read, and I get the feeling that soon we'll be saying that rap is Russian art," Medinsky was quoted by Russian news agencies are saying. "Of course, it was born somewhere in America, but its flourishing occurred with us, of course."

Medinsky also said he told his son that Mayakovsky -- whose avant-garde poetry in the 1910s and 1920s made him a darling of the new Bolshevik leaders of the Soviet Union -- was in fact the first rapper.

"And now he's going around in class telling everyone that. And they're reading Mayakovsky and they all agree," he said.

Then again this is a man who has some other wacky ideas, including nefarious U.S. government ties to Netflix. You can read more about those on RFERL.

discussed the possibility that Netflix was a way for the US government plot to take over the world's tv sets.

And a short video of his oh-so-rapper-like poetry. Not.





Mayakovsky wound up committing suicide at the age of 36 possibly as a result of unrequited love.

One of his poems A Cloud In Trousers, from the prologue:

Your thoughts,
dreaming on a softened brain,
like an over-fed lackey on a greasy settee,
with my heart's bloody tatters I'll mock again;
impudent and caustic, I'll jeer to superfluity.

Of Grandfatherly gentleness I'm devoid,
there's not a single grey hair in my soul!
Thundering the world with the might of my voice,
I go by – handsome,
twenty-two-year-old.

Well, maybe this is a little rapperesque.

Obama's Russian Connection - Obama/Medvedev Off Mic Conversation in 2012

For all you people who are horrified by President Donald Trump's alleged Russian connection... remember this?

At a bilateral meeting in 2012 between President Barack Obama and outgoing Russian Prez Dmitry Medvedev, while Obama thought he was off mic, he had this conversation with Medvedev:

Obama: "This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility."
Medvedev: "I understand. I transmit this (inaudible) to Vladimir." (muffled thereafter)

Info taken off the AP YouTube channel:

STORYLINE:
US President Barack Obama told his Russian counterpart on Monday that he would have more flexibility after the November election to deal with the contentious issue of missile defence, a candid assessment of political reality that was picked up by a microphone without either leader apparently knowing.

Outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he would pass on Obama's message to his successor, Vladimir Putin, according to an audio recording of comments the two leaders made during a meeting at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea.
Obama and Medvedev did not intend for their comments to be made public.

Once they were, the White House said Obama's words reflected the reality that domestic political concerns in the both the US and Russia this year would make it difficult to fully address their long-standing differences over missile defence.
Obama, should he win re-election, would not have to face voters again.
Tensions over missile defence have threatened to upend the overall thawing of relations between the US and Russia in recent years.

Both leaders acknowledged as much in their public statements to reporters following their meeting. Obama said there was "more work to do" to bridge their differences; Medvedev said each country had their own positions on missile defence, but there was still time to find a solution.

And here's the actual video.



No-one seemed to care about this, and they probably still don't, just further amplifies the breathtaking hypocrisy of the left.

Driving Ban For Transgenders and Transsexuals In Russia

Russia has just passed a new law banning transgender and transsexuals, voyeurs, fetishists, and exhibitionists from getting a driver's license, which basically means they won't be allowed to drive. The government believes that these "mental disorders" make them more liable to be involved in accidents.

“We have too many deaths on the road, and I believe toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified,” head of the Professional Drivers Union said in support of the move.

The Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights branded the new regulations as “discriminatory,” adding that it would seek clarification from the Russian Constitutional court.

“Pathological” gambling and compulsive stealing have also made it to the list. Russian psychiatrists and human rights lawyers condemned the move.

What??

This sounds like something Saudi Arabia would do.

Then again, they have been passing some very bizarre and unfair laws targeting those with alternative lifestyles.

More here.

Putin- US Undermining "Global World Order"

A pissed off  Vladimir Putin blamed the U.S. for creating a dangerous world because of "its desire for eternal domination," and that "hopes for peaceful stable development will be illusory, and today's upheavals will herald the collapse of global world order."

His voice strained with anger, Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of trying to "tailor the world exclusively to their needs" since the end of the Cold War, using economic pressure and military force and often supporting extremist groups to achieve their goals.

This from Russia's president, former KGB officer, who bemoaned the collapse of the Soviet Union, and is meddling in the Ukraine and Crimea.

The rest here.

Video- The Ever Changing European Borders From 1000 AD to 2012

 Not quite sure how accurate it is, but here's an interesting video showing how drastically the borders have changed in Europe over the centuries, from 1000 AD to 2012.

Those borders are about to change as Russia invades Crimea, yes, lets call it what it is. And the world calls us imperialists.

Reporters Tweet About The Horrific Hotel Conditions In Sochi, Russia

While Sochi, Russia is ramping up for the 2014 Winter Olympics, it's still dealing with mega problems of the preparation kind.

Aside from the terrorist threats, the city is just not ready for the hordes of visitors arriving, including the bevy of foreign journalists there to report on the games.  They have set Twitter afire with all sorts of horror stories about the half built accommodations: from broken elevators to broken mains (so no water for the guests), no heating (in the middle of winter), or in the case of one reporter- signs telling guests not to use the toilet for toilet paper. Yes, they have provided a bin to deposit said soiled t.p. but- ick!

For pictures and more tweets, click here.

Then there's the bizarre bathroom rules, courtesy of Sebastien Toutant, Canadian snowboarder. And yes, that's a fishing line in the 3rd row. Okay.

And apparently, they don't even have enough pillows for the athletes.

Oops.

Wonder how Vladimir Putin feels about all of this.

NY Post: What Putin Really Meant With His NY Times Op-Ed

In a rather amusing response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's op-ed in the New York Times warning  the American people about engaging in Syria, the New York Post published  what Putin really meant to say, or as the NYP puts it, what Putin said before the Times' editors got their hands on it.

MOSCOW — Recent events surrounding Syria have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and your leaders. After the president’s speech Tuesday night, let me say what you all know to be true:

Barack, I own you. Or as we say in Russia, the wolf felt pity for the lamb, so he left the skin and bones.

Mr. President, we have much in common. People fear what we might do. We each have a media eating out of our hands. We both hate George W. Bush.

I also share with you the outrage at President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons on women and children. And I have made Russia’s displeasure clear to him. Bashar, I said, if you have to murder women and children, conventional arms like the ones I used at Grozny or the rescue at Beslan are just as deadly. Lord knows I have supplied Syria with more than enough weaponry.

Now I have given you an out on Syria. And you know what? I’ve become the man of peace. Me, the KGB guy. I don’t know how many legions the pope has these days, but I’m pretty sure they’re on my side, too.

I tried to tell you at the G-8 in June we Russians are not the crude caricatures you Americans think. We value negotiations, and we appreciate the UN. Indeed, we share with this great international body for peace and human rights the view that American military action is always an act of aggression. That, and blame the Jews.

The rest here.

Valdimir Putin's Plea To The American People Regarding Syria

Vladimir V. Putin has written "A Plea for Caution From Russia" to the American people regarding the situation in Syria. No, this isn't some Internet hoax making the rounds, it was actually published in the New York Times on September 11, 2013. Not that we shouldn't take what he says with a hefty grain of salt, considering the source.  And forget what he says about the useless United Nations.  But it's certainly an interesting read. He speaks some truths, though who knows what the real intent behind those words are.

The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize the Middle East and North Africa. It could throw the entire system of international law and order out of balance.

Syria is not witnessing a battle for democracy, but an armed conflict between government and opposition in a multireligious country. There are few champions of democracy in Syria. But there are more than enough Qaeda fighters and extremists of all stripes battling the government. The United States State Department has designated Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, fighting with the opposition, as terrorist organizations. This internal conflict, fueled by foreign weapons supplied to the opposition, is one of the bloodiest in the world.

Mercenaries from Arab countries fighting there, and hundreds of militants from Western countries and even Russia, are an issue of our deep concern. Might they not return to our countries with experience acquired in Syria? After all, after fighting in Libya, extremists moved on to Mali. This threatens us all.

Please read the whole thing here.

For the record, I trust Putin as far as I can throw him.

Portrait Of Putin In Woman's Slip Gets Russian Gallery Owner In Trouble

Some satirical portraits of Russian high-ranking politicians has landed a St Petersburg art gallery (Museum of Authorities) in major trouble.  Owner Aleksandr Donskoi's latest exhibition was raided, 4 paintings were confiscated, and the gallery was subsequently shut down.

One of the portraits that was seized was this one:

That's supposedly Vladimir Putin in a slip fussing with the hair of a bra and panty-clad Dmitry Medvedev. Not a great likeness of either, but some were not amused.

Donskoi believes the raid was initiated by Vitaly Milonov, a local lawmaker who has actively backed a new law targeting homosexuals in Russia.

"Vitaly Milonov arrived with a group of police officers, FSB officials, and representatives of the Prosecutor-General's Office," he said. "They shut down the museum on the grounds that it displayed works that are blasphemous and extremist."

One of the seized paintings depicts Milonov himself -- who has described the images as "pornographic" -- against a backdrop of the gay-rights movement's rainbow flag.

The other two were of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill with tattoos, and Yelena Mizulina who also supports the banning of homosexual propaganda.

The portrait artist Konstantin Altunin has asked France for political asylum after his wife informed him of a police van waiting for him at home.  Donskoi is also scared.

This type of offense- insulting officials- can net up to a year in jail.  Donskoi plans on appealing to the European Court of Human Rights re. his right to free speech (which still doesn't fully exist in that country- see Pussy Riot):

"I don't know where to file a complaint because all the power structures work together," he said. "The judicial defers to the executive, and so on. This was a sanctioned move. So I hope I can find a lawyer who will help me lodge an application in Strasbourg. This is the only court that would consider this case, which is riddled with violations."

More at RFE/RL

'Wage Jihad At Home' Urge Russian Jihadists Fighting In Syria

A Russian jihadist known as Salakhuddin, who is fighting with the rebels in Syria, is urging North Caucus jihadist Muslims who are itching to join the fight to stay at home and wage war there.

 "...fight in the lowlands if you can’t go to the mountains,"or alternatively to travel to Moscow or other Russian cities to target the enemy there, or prepare to sabotage the Winter Olympics in line with Umarov’s instructions.

He points out that jihad does not necessarily involve joining a large fighting force, and that individuals or groups of up to three fighters can inflict considerable damage if they set their minds to it. In that context, he quotes Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev's observation that "modern technology enables one man to inflict irreparable damage on the infrastructure of the enemy state."

Doku Umarov has threatened violence at the 2014 Winter Olympics.  Good luck with those.

More here.

Kill 'Pussy Riot' Members In Russian Orthodox Video Game

Apparently the Russian Orthodox (Christian) Church wants more young ones attending services, so on July 11- at a church youth festival- it debuted a new video game aimed at getting more of them involved.  It's called "Don't Let Pussy Riot Enter Into The Cathedral", and the kids get to "kill" the feminist anti-Putin punk rockers with a cross before they can enter a church. Kill?  What's wrong with this picture.

Two of the three arrested members of Pussy Riot- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 23 and Maria Alyokhina, 25-  are still serving their two year jail sentence for offending the "religious feelings of believers" after barging into an Orthodox church last year and singing a song asking the Virgin Mary to help get rid of Vladimir Putin. This offended enough people to warrant a two year prison term! Unbelievable. 30-year-old Yekaterina Samutsevich was released.

You can play the game on RFE/RL here.  But turn off your sound, because the song that got the three of them arrested and then jailed- "Punk Prayer For Putin" - accompanies the video game, and it's pretty painful.

Chechen Jihadists Threaten Violence Over 2014 Russian Winter Olympics

Russia is set to host the winter Olympic Games in the Black Sea city of  Sochi in February 2014. Unfortunately, it's not far from the North Caucuses in south Russia, home to all that Islamist terrorist activity, and Chechen rebels are threatening violence.  Doku Umarov, who is wanted for the suicide bombing in Moscow in 2010 that killed 40 people on a subway, and one in 2011 that killed 37 at an airport, posted a video on kavkazcenter.com:

"They (Russia) plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many dead Muslims, buried on the territory of our land on the Black Sea, and we as mujahideen are obliged to not permit that, using any methods allowed us by the almighty Allah."

"I call on you, every mujahid, either in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan or on the territory of the Caucasus to use maximum force on the path of Allah to disrupt this Satanic dancing on the bones of our ancestors."

The bones he's referring to are Muslims who were killed in the 19th century by Russian troops.

Although Putin has said there will be tight security, you'd have to be a fool to go.

Last year Umarov, leader of the Caucuses Emirate, had issued a ban on harming civilians, and attacking outside of the North Caucuses, but  that order is no longer valid.  Everyone, apparently, is now fair game.

Russia should just let Chechnya secede. According to a recent poll, it seems about 50% of the Russian population agree.

More here.

Russia's Embarrassing Post Office Woes

We think we have problems with our postal services here, but check out what's happening in Russia.

There's the 500-ton back-up of international packages- no wonder so many Ebayers refuse to ship there.

And the viral videos that the Russian Postal service would rather have remained obscure, like this tone-deaf postal worker's submission for the employee-of-the-year contest. Or this outrageous video taken of someone throwing parcels off a train that way outranks the Fedex guy throwing the computer monitor over a fence in ouch-ness.

Read about more embarrassing moments.

Vladimir Putin Hopes The Cannibals In The Syrian Opposition Won't Attend Geneva 2

Russian Prez Vladimir Putin tried to make a funny (though the subject matter is far from that) when referring to the Syrian jihadist Abu Saqqar  (who cannibalized a Syrian soldier- like an animal- after he ripped out the dead man's heart and lung), saying he hoped that groups involved in acts like that would not be invited to Geneva 2- because he could not guarantee the safety of his Russian delegation.

No New Mosque Says Moscow Mayor, Labeled Islamophobe

As of the 2010 Russian census, Moscow had a population of 11.5 million, though some estimate it to be between 13 and 17 million- factoring in legal and illegal immigrants, and migrants from former soviet republics.  At least 2 million of those citizens are Muslim, and as a result the demographics of the city are changing.  

There are four mosques situated in the capital city- not enough to accommodate the growing numbers of adherents and converts.  They want more mosques so thousands don't have to pray in the streets, sometimes in the snow, but non-Muslims are starting to balk. Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, has said there will be no new mosque in his city, and that the migrants (who have moved to the city for a better life) are a "harmful thing." He, in turn, has been called Islamophobic.

The EU Times reported Sobyanin said building mosques for everyone who wants them would be over the top. He added: “Muscovites now get irritated by people who speak a different language, have different manners, with aggressive behavior. This is not purely ethnic, but this is connected with some ethnic traits.

Of course, not building those mosques means the lives of non-Muslims will continue to be disrupted by the throngs praying in the streets during Friday prayers, but Sobyanin is not relenting. This has pissed off the Muslim community, since he had apparently considered plans for a new mega mosque and cultural center last year. They have said they will go over his head, straight to Putin, to get their mosque, and it probably will be built.

American Crossroads presents: Operation Hot Mic Starring Obama and Medvedev

Remember back in March when Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's private conversation got caught on tape by a hot mic? In South Korea discussing missile defense (and other issues), the two presidents were waiting to speak at a press conference when Barack leaned in to Dmitry and said:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space.

President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…

President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.

President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.

Ironic isn't it? The U.S. was instrumental in helping Russia remove the shackles of Communism, and helping it on to the road of economic recovery. Russia, in turn helps our enemies: North Korea, Syria, Iran.

American Crossroads (PAC) has taken that little hot mic exchange and turned it into"
"Operation Hot Mic"
A little over the top, but fun.

"Throw Putin Out"- Russian Punk Group Faces Jail For Blasphemy

An anti-Putin protest song has landed 3 members of a Russian female punk rock group 'Pussy Riot'- yes, that's the name- in major trouble. They could be sentenced for up to 7 years in prison, for- get this- blasphemy against the Russian Orthodox Church. Apparently, during the numerous anti-Putin riots in February four of them barged into a Church and performed their impromptu punk protest- see video below- and as a result are facing the charge of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility." Other than some obscenities, all they were asking was to "throw Putin out." I'm trying very hard, here, to figure out the blasphemy angle. Do the Russians consider Putin a religious figure, or maybe God? Is that where the blasphemy comes in?

Glad to see the Russian government continues to be as repressive as it was during Communist rule, and that the Russian Orthodox Church is so enamored of Putin and his ways.



UPDATE 8/17/2012:

Pussy Riot members sentenced to 2 years in jail!

Source BBC, TelegraphUK

Anti-Ship Missiles Delivered To Syria By Russia In Spite Of Calls For Sanctions

In spite of the fact that the majority of the world, including the Arab League is calling for sanctions against Syria, those darn Russians are still allegedly selling them arms.

Russia has delivered anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, the Interfax news agency cited an unnamed military source as saying on Thursday, days after a United Nations commission of inquiry called for an arms embargo on Damascus.

Could the $300 million deal have anything to do with it?

The contract was completely fulfilled, almost ahead of time," Interfax cited the source as saying of the deal, estimated at $300 million. The source did not say when the deliveries had taken place.


Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said in February that Moscow was pressing ahead with the deal despite Israeli concerns, indicating the missiles might have been delivered earlier this year.


"This weapon allows coverage of the entire coastline of Syria from possible attack from the sea," Interfax quoted the source as saying.

More than 4,000 protesters have been killed in the crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad's forces, but I guess the bottom line is farmore important to those Russkies than human lives.

For the rest of the story.

U.N. Resolution On Human Rights In Iran Asks For "Unfettered Access"

The following members of the U.N. General Assembly's Third  Committee (dealing with Human Rights):

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America

passed a resolution with a 6 page bucket list of concerns regarding Iran's abysmal stance on human rights, and asking Iran to:

to positively avail itself of the opportunity to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur and other international human rights mechanisms, including by allowing the Special Rapporteur unfettered access to the country to carry out his mandate.

The resolution passed with 86 "yes" votes, 32 "no" votes, and 59  "abstentions".  According to the United For Iran website, the resolution gained some new votes from countries that abstained or voted no in the past, including Tunisia (surprisingly), Libya (surprisingly),  Central African Republic, Colombia, Haiti, South Korea, Haiti, Malawi, Senegal, Seychelles and Tanzania.

Among those voting "no", not surprisingly, were China, Russia; communist countries like Myanmar (Burma) and Vietnam;  all the leftist Latin countries including Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba and Nicaragua; most if not all of the 'istan" countries like Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. And, of course, most of the Muslim majority countries either voted  no or abstained. I was very surprised, however, that India actually voted no, but perhaps that's because of their contentious neighbour Pakistan.

Of course, why the U.N. even bothers drafting resolutions for countries that have no intention of complying is another issue. Iran is not going to let the Special Rapporteur, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, have 'unfettered access' to the country, and they're certainly not going to change their ways simply because the U.N. "urges" or "asks" them to. It's incredibly naive to think so. The only chance for change in that country, is when (if ever) the Mullahs and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are laid to rest or in exile somewhere far away.

For a list of how each country voted, click here.