It's Hard To Take Them Seriously

I have been terrorized by soi-disant scientists and experts forever...
I remember the Chicken Littles doomshouting acid rain and the greenhouse effect when I was a kid...
I remember the same oh-so-educated crowd with their knickers in a twist about the Gulf War in 1990... "If we invade, Hussein will blow up all the oil wells and the ensuing oil smoke from burning oil will blackout the entire planet, and it will take DECADES to put them all out!"
We did, they did, and it didn't.

So I really have no confidence in the Big Brains, especially when they claim "The science is settled." about anything...

Why?
Get your Google/Bing/FavSearchEngine on and search the phrase
"Scientists are puzzled" and "Scientists are baffled"...

Because that phrase is used waaaay too often about people that consider themselves (as a community) infallible and are directing the spending of a huge portion of American $$$.

FTMF

TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Krasnodar - Part 2

On arriving in KRR, Vakhtang picked us up and we headed to my hotel. St.Ass was staying with family, so I was flying solo at a local mom & pop hotel.

I started to get a feeling on why there are so many videos on YouTube of traffic accidents in Russia.

Russian drivers take the concept of Offensive Driving to another level.

O.M.F.G.

Let's just say my sphincter got quite a workout from all the close calls, frightening merges and creative lane use as we traveled the 5 miles from the airport to the hotel. Holy crap.

The Hotel Terem was... Interesting.

It was a hotel dominated by it's restaurant, or a restaurant that provided beds and breakfast to patrons who decided not to leave after an evening of drinking and drinking some more.

On arrival the manager insisted on making St.Ass and I drink a glass of lighter fluid...

Yum.

It's exactly what I needed after 4 airports and 20 hours of travel.

Listen to your Uncle St.Ass: Don't drink this stuff on empty stomach.

The entire hotel/restaurant was a huge collection of Russian knickknacks and gewgaws like matryoshkas, decorative plates, religious icons, and stuffed bears. 

The overall style of the Hotel Terem is a rustic log cabin/hunting lodge motif...

I was somewhat concerned when I originally booked it, wondering how long the music and festivities would last in the evening...

I got checked in around 7pm, and the manager suggested I wait until 8 or so before coming down for dinner since all the tables in the restaurant were occupied...

I unpacked and freshened up, took an inventory of my bag to make sure I had everything I started out with, then killed a little more time reading "Castigo Cay" by Matt Bracken. I headed for dinner at 8:01, since I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be awake...

I'll talk about dinner in a bit, but first - the entertainment.

There was a "band" consisting of a sound guy who slapped around iPad full of backbeats and audio effects, one guy playing various string instruments, and 3 girls that I thought were groupies since all they were doing was hanging out with the musicians...

Until they took center stage with their violins...

The girls put on quite a show- they played three rousing and very energetic songs- dancing while playing and moving all around the dining room without missing a beat.

Very entertaining, and very enjoyable.

I noticed, near the end of my meal, a chair piled with blankets near a door to the outside balcony...

Ah! Is for smokers to bundle up and go out to the balcony.

Most places in Russia smokers aren't treated like lepers, so it was odd to see a restaurant making smokers go outside... 

I went upstairs to my room and crashed- the last thing I heard was violin music from the dining room below and the smokers outside on the balcony talking and laughing.

Could have been worse... I remember nights in LA and Detroit being serenaded gunfire and police sirens. 

Coming up: Krasnodar Impressions & Food

TBG - a/k/a - NBC IT's Hatchet Man

TR 2 - Krasnodar & Beyond

I've been a little remiss with keeping my 'blog current...

It's that damned Instagram easy posting is spoiling me.

(Instagram is blogging for people that can't write.)

So... I need to recount a few occurrences, just to preserve them for posterity...

First - Travel.

Austrian Airlines sucks.

No Economy Plus rows with those 2 extra inches of oh-so-important legroom...

And on asking about an emergency row, they wanted to charge an extra 70 Euros for a seat there, regardless of your airline Frequent Flier status.

FTMFers. 

Although in retrospect, I should have paid it. That was 8+ hours of hell.

Not sure the points were worth it.

The Vienna airport was nothing to remember except long walk and minimal services.

Meh.

The arrival in Krasnodar, however, was quite the adventure...

Both Vienna and Krasnodar were 'get off the plane and get on the bus' exits. (Boarding too. WTF?)

I guess I'm a little spoiled by modern jetways and minimal exposure to the elements.

Also- KRR is a major construction zone... As a matter of fact, the airport is closed until 4pm every day for construction. It is supposed to be a backup airport for Sochi and they are under the gun to get it ready...

The bus dropped us off at the terminal and we had to cross 30m of broken ground and mud to get to the "terminal" to start passport control procedures. 

It was amusing to watch the ladies with their $$$ boots try to mince their way through the war zone.

On arriving in KRR I had surprising little trouble with Immigration & Customs... I was expecting the full rubber-glove-and-spotlight treatment, but all I got was a cursory glance and a couple stamps in my passport and I was on my way.

KRR airport. Tres chic, no?

St. Ass and I waited outside the Krasnodar International Airport for our transport- his brother-in-law Vakhtang. He chauffeured St. Ass and I all weekend- providing much needed transport, guidance and generally kept St. Ass in line and out of trouble...

The stories about my whirlwind tour of Krasnodar, Russian culture, family celebrations, and how I wound up with a 12ga o/u in my grubby paws in Russia are forthcoming... 

TBG - still hungover, but happy.

Smooth Moves

Pro-Tip for Sochi and Russia in general:

Don't take pictures of security checkpoints.

This might earn you a close encounter with a cattle prod.

But seriously, I thought TSA checkpoints were a joke...
This is even more of a 'why bother?'

TBG 

Try it. I dare you. I double dare you, mate.

Active security system...

A well-fed active security system.

TBG 

GAA: At Lunch

At least they are only being assholes to each other.
And the waitress.

TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Truer Words Never Spoken

In the waiting area for my flight to Krasnodar there are some scary people queued up for standby seats, and I am seeing the truth to a saying I read on the Intarwebz not too long ago.

"Never compliment a woman on her mustache, no matter how magnificent it is."

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Politeness suggests neither course is correct.

TBG

Happy @#^%!*ing Thanksgiving

Today:

JAX  ->
IAD  ->
VIE  ->
KRR...

Then two lovely nights at Отель Терем.


It's not a bordello.
I think.

Film at 11.

TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Wardrobe Malfunction: Olympic Torch

I see they have perfected the art of setting torch bearers on fire...
Typical Russian quality hardware.
Nice

TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Pissing People Off At Dinnertime

What a great idea for Leftists:
Go ahead and discuss O-Care with the fam when you tuck into dinner today.

Nothing says "giving thanks to God" more than an asshole proselytizing about depressing, socialistic redistribution of hard-earned wages and a huge government failure with people who will, on Friday be your former friends and family.

(If it doesn't work out, you can always fall back on the old stand-by and insist that people talk about world hunger as they enjoy their meal.)

TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Girls Are Assholes...

...At the bar. (Sometimes they're worse than guys...)

I've met the girl on the left...
Don't try to buy her a drink.

TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Sunday Monday Music Interlude

Sorry- I was busy yesterday...



Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start

They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes
Well that's fine by me

So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

I tried carrying the weight of the world
But I only have two hands
Hope I get the chance to travel the world
But I don't have any plans

Wish that I could stay forever this young
Not afraid to close my eyes
Life's a game made for everyone
And love is the prize

So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself
And I didn't know I was lost

Didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know I was lost
I didn't know (didn't know, didn't know)


TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

As Luc Opined:

...nom nom nom nom!

Friday was our all-company Thanksgiving feast...

The Big Hat fried 7 turkeys and I roasted a small (35 lb) pig.

I started the fire on the Caja China at 5:15am, and the pig was done by about 9:30-9:45am.

Lots of great covered dishes, especially the desserts...

Time to start picking the pork...

Yes, there was some sampling done in the name of Quality Assurance...

And it was amazing. 

The biggest challenge was keeping the bystanders from nibbling away at the finished result...

Thes was about 2/3rds of the feeding masses... 

A good time was had by all, even Yours Truly, despite the 4:30am arrival time...

TBG, working on my PhD in CajaChina Ops & Admin

Sure Is Dark...

Job title: Sr. Technical Project Manager. 17 years seniority.

And I arrived at work at 4:30am to start roasting a pig...

You'd think that by now I'd have minions to do this kind of scut work.

Hello, Pot? Kettle Calling...

Micro$oft is calling out Google for privacy violations...

The have some interesting gear, though...

Get yours here...
TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

Weekend Plans

Wondering if this might be a good place to go motorboating this weekend...

TGB - working on my breaststroke, just in case.

12 Gauge Porn

A couple-ten days ago my man Borepatch was lamenting that he hadn't been to the range in nigh on a year...
And while it hasn't been quite that long for me, it has been a while...Need to fix that soon.
And it's been a good long while since I put up some gratuitous shooty porn.

Time to remedy that right now...

Hold on to your butts, y'all...
Nothing says 'I love you!' "Don't fucking move" like a member of the Armed Services holding a 12 gauge on target.





























































































TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE