Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin Believes that Russia can Become the Centre of the Christian World

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Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the MP Department for Church and Society, believes that Russia is moving in the direction of greater self-sufficiency, which would allow it to become the centre of world Christianity. He wrote in an article published in the newspaper Русь державная (Rus derzhavnaya: Sovereign Rus), “It’s no coincidence that many today see Russia as a defender of Christian ideals and traditional morality, as a place that can offer a real alternative to the world’s golden calf and its destructive concepts of freedom. To begin with, Russia should act as though it were the centre of the Christian world. That’s the only way it can work. Anything else, firstly, is petty, and, secondly, self-destructive”.

Fr Vsevolod went on to say, “During the past few months, Russia showed the world that she can speak confidently, to speak as an independent and strong nation with a tradition and experience of life that gives it the right to its own path. Russia isn’t only entitled to defend its vision of the social order, but it also can offer it to the world”. He also pointed up that fringe groups based upon foreign ideologies try to pressure the Russian authorities. They claim to act “in behalf of Russia’s future”, in the name of the “other Russia”, for the “real Russia”, but they accomplish nothing.

Fr Vsevolod noted, “Today, despite the West’s objections and reproaches, we mean it when we say, ‘We insist that we must protect our children from premature sexual awareness, and even more so, from the promotion of homosexuality. We hold that the adoption of Russian children by foreign families in a time of demographic crisis is a highly irrational move. We don’t want perverts to adopt these children, so that they’d lose the faith into which they were baptised, to lose the hope of a normal life’”.

1 July 2013

Interfax-Religion

http://interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=51775

1 July 2013… A Local Landmark Closes… One of the Last Old School “Workin’ Man’s Taverns” Bites the Dust

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Last Straw Brings Last Call at South End Tavern in Troy

Marty Burke expected property taxes on his South End Tavern to rise after a citywide reassessment. However, he was stunned when his bill nearly quadrupled, to 15,000 USD a year from 4,000 USD. Calling it the last straw, he decided two weeks ago to close the tavern and restaurant at the end of this month, just one year short of its 80th anniversary. He made the decision public this week. Burke, 62, will retire, and he hopes selling the building would help increase the savings he’s set aside.

The South End Tavern is on the west side of Burden Avenue just above the Menands Bridge. It still displays a “Ladies Entrance” sign over the door to the dining room, although women have been welcome in the bar since at least the early 1970s. He’s the third generation of Burkes to operate the business. His grandfather opened it in 1934 at the end of Prohibition, and his father ran it from 1956 until he died in 1998. All three shared the Marty Burke name.

When the South End Tavern opened, the nation was in the midst of the Depression, but Troy was an industrial powerhouse, with steel mills and a busy rail line along the South Troy waterfront. Millworkers would stop in for sandwiches and beer. Modest prices kept it popular with the locals even after the mills shut. Nevertheless, Burke said that expenses rose faster than menu prices, squeezing profits. On Friday, Burke said, ”The aggravation I was getting with trying to run a business wasn’t worth the compensation I was receiving”. The liquor licence expires this year and it’d cost 2,000 USD to renew. Moreover, with summer a slow season, the time to close seemed right.

The South End Tavern employs six full-time workers and 10 or 12 part-timers; Burke said that, so far, none expressed an interest in taking over the operation. His two sons pursued other careers, although one helps part-time. On 30 June, he’s planning a “last call” party. That’s the same day another Troy restaurant, Irish Mist, also plans a farewell party. That owner, too, blamed a jump in property taxes for the decision to close, although he plans to open elsewhere in the region. Burke’s last call will occur on a Sunday, unusual in itself. He said, “We’re normally not open on Sunday”.

14 June 2013

Eric Anderson

Albany (NY) Times Union

http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Last-straw-brings-last-call-at-South-End-Tavern-4600786.php#photo-4785247

Editor’s Note:

Rightwing vultures such as Wet Willy Romney destroyed the working-class neighbourhoods that anchored local gathering places as the South End (everyone knew it as “Burkie’s”). They sent the jobs to the South or to China… then, they have the gall to talk about “family values“. That’s why you can’t believe rightwing propagandists such as Rod Dreher. He supports those who destroyed solid communities for the sake of filthy lucre. They call such economic vandalism “conservatism”… I think NOT…

BMD 

Snowden Breaks Silence… Thanks Ecuador for Helping Him Get to Russia

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For the first time, former American spy agency contractor Edward Snowden broke his silence since he fled to Moscow eight days ago. He stated that he remains free to make new disclosures about American spying activity. In a letter to Ecuador seen by Reuters, Snowden said that the USA was illegally persecuting him for revealing the PRISM electronic surveillance programme. He also thanked Ecuador for helping him get to Russia and for considering his asylum request.

1 July 2013

Voice of Russia World Service

http://english.ruvr.ru/news/2013_07_02/Edward-Snowden-breaks-silence-thanks-Ecuador-for-helping-him-get-to-Russia-4390/

1 July 2013. You Can’t Make Up Shit Like This… British Parliament Spends £100,000 Upgrading Two WCs

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On Sunday, it came out that the British parliament shall spend up to £100,000 (5 million Roubles. 117,000 Euros. 152,000 USD) on refurbishing two WCs used by members of the House of Lords and their guests. A contract put out to tender by the House of Commons authorities says that the WCs, installed in 1937, haven’t been refurbished for 20 years, “and have reached the end of their serviceable life”. The document said, “The lavatories are in an unacceptable condition for the high profile area they’re in and they give a poor image of the Palace of Westminster“. A refurbishment is required urgently to bring the amenities to a standard that reflects a World Heritage site. The contract to upgrade the WCs… one cubicle and two urinals for men and one cubicle for women… is valued at between £90,000 and £100,000 (4.5-5 million Roubles. 106,000-117,000 Euros. 137,000-152,000 USD). The work would include putting in a disabled-accessible toilet and an additional cubicle for women, and installing oak panelling of a high standard, required of a listed building. However, Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, a lobbying group, said the sum was “eye-watering”, adding, “A family could afford to build themselves a home for this much cash”.

30 June 2013

Voice of Russia World Service

http://english.ruvr.ru/news/2013_06_30/British-parliament-spends-100-000-upgrading-two-toilets-3307/

Editor’s Note:

They have 100,000 quid for Lord Plushbottom’s bidet, but nothing for social services. Go figure… it does tell you much about Conservatives (and Republicans), though, doesn’t it? Thousands for their precious bums… nothing for single mums. Tells ya where their priorities are… appropriate place, I’d say…

BMD

Here’s a funny Brit take on the schmidiot mofos who spend on their bums, not on mums…