First.
For two years, ever since we moved here, low water pressure has been a problem we just accepted as the way things are. Until a couple weeks ago, Tanya asked Lucia about their water pressure. Lots of pressure at her house so it was not the city water system, it was our problem.
We called Yuri in of course and he took the pipes apart. We had pressure to the meter but none after. So he installed a new meter, cleaned junk out of all the shut-off valves, and installed another filter in front of the meter. Now the water pressure will take the skin off your back in the shower.
Makes you wonder how often in life we accept things as "the way things are" when it is within our own power to change them?
Second
I bought an electric chain saw in Krivii Rih a week ago yesterday to cut up all the wood around here into fuel lengths. Russian built and $40 cheaper than a Makita. The young man at Epicenter took it out of the box and plugged it in to show me that it worked, then put it back in the box. Neither of us looked closely at it.
Sunday, Roman and I took it out of the box to assemble and go saw some tree branches. There is a cast aluminum set of anti-kickback teeth at the front of the saw. The casting was broken. Someone had dropped it in the factory as there was no damage to the box and no broken pieces in the box.
Andrei and I took it back to Epicenter on Tuesday when we were looking for tires, explained the problem, filled out the required documents and were told that we would hear from them in 14 days. To get that far took us an hour. It is unlikely we will get a replacement as I had my chance to inspect it in the store and they will argue that I dropped it.
Third (but old)
Within a month of when I first bought the car, i managed to break the right back tail light. We fixed it with red tape and you can hardly see it unless you look carefully. We ordered the part, picked it up in Dnipropetrovsk and put it in the garage "for the next time I broke the tail light". A year ago, I decided to install it, opened the box and the part was for the LEFT tail light. I had my chance to inspect it when I picked up the box and did not. Well, if I ever break the left tail light, I am set.
Canadians have no idea how fortunate they are to get the quality of service they do. Much of it is based on trust. Here there is no trust (and justifiably so) and it increases cost of doing business dramatically.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Talking Union
For Christmas, LynnieC gave me a Pete Seeger compilation called Talking Union. Traveling by a somewhat convoluted route , it arrived her a couple weeks ago. Great songs from a great performer and a true believer that humankind ought to be at least a little more equal than it is.
I've been a fan of Pete Seeger and the Weavers since I was old enough to stand up. I remember Good Night Irene, Weaver's big hit from 1950 playing on someone's car radio (back then a car radio was a luxury few could afford). The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman) were blacklisted during the McCarthy era, disbanding (so to speak) in 1953 but re-emerged in 1955, leading the folk music revival of the late 50's and the 60's.
Pete Seeger was active in organizing and motivating the common working man through his union songs. He also sang protest songs in support of civil rights, helping make "We Shall Overcome" into the anthem of the civil rights movement of the 1960's.
I remember the TV Special "The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time" filmed live at Carnegie Hall in 1981. The final get together of the original group, just before Lee Hays died. Watched it twice and would like the DVD if I can find it.
It is hard to think of me being a union supporter, having been opposed to them most of my life. There are lots of horror stories of corrupt unions, union stupidity, union inefficiency, union fossilization. All true. There are more horror stories of workers without unions or with ineffective unions. Wal-Mart. A woman in Haiti making dolls who needed to work 100 years to earn as much as the CEO of the toy company yearned in a single day. Coal miners killed in mine disasters because it is more profitable to ignore safety regulations and kill miners. Sweat shops in SE Asia making high priced sports shoes for companies I could name but would be sued. Maybe I should just do it but I am a coward.
America has done its utmost to destroy unions. Independent unions were illegal in the Soviet Union and are still illegal in China. Not sure of their status in today's Russia but can guess. They were illegal in Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany too. Funny thing, that.
My daughter May-B is at a Union meeting today, representing her group of workers. One of her Great Grandfathers would be rolling in his grave, the other very very proud of her. As I am proud. She is not a confrontationalist, and is frustrated by the idiots on both sides who either demand everything or deny everything.
Stand together. Bargain sensibly and work for the good of both employee and employer.
I've been a fan of Pete Seeger and the Weavers since I was old enough to stand up. I remember Good Night Irene, Weaver's big hit from 1950 playing on someone's car radio (back then a car radio was a luxury few could afford). The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman) were blacklisted during the McCarthy era, disbanding (so to speak) in 1953 but re-emerged in 1955, leading the folk music revival of the late 50's and the 60's.
Pete Seeger was active in organizing and motivating the common working man through his union songs. He also sang protest songs in support of civil rights, helping make "We Shall Overcome" into the anthem of the civil rights movement of the 1960's.
I remember the TV Special "The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time" filmed live at Carnegie Hall in 1981. The final get together of the original group, just before Lee Hays died. Watched it twice and would like the DVD if I can find it.
It is hard to think of me being a union supporter, having been opposed to them most of my life. There are lots of horror stories of corrupt unions, union stupidity, union inefficiency, union fossilization. All true. There are more horror stories of workers without unions or with ineffective unions. Wal-Mart. A woman in Haiti making dolls who needed to work 100 years to earn as much as the CEO of the toy company yearned in a single day. Coal miners killed in mine disasters because it is more profitable to ignore safety regulations and kill miners. Sweat shops in SE Asia making high priced sports shoes for companies I could name but would be sued. Maybe I should just do it but I am a coward.
America has done its utmost to destroy unions. Independent unions were illegal in the Soviet Union and are still illegal in China. Not sure of their status in today's Russia but can guess. They were illegal in Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany too. Funny thing, that.
My daughter May-B is at a Union meeting today, representing her group of workers. One of her Great Grandfathers would be rolling in his grave, the other very very proud of her. As I am proud. She is not a confrontationalist, and is frustrated by the idiots on both sides who either demand everything or deny everything.
Stand together. Bargain sensibly and work for the good of both employee and employer.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Re-Tired
We put new summer tires on the KIA yesterday. The winter tires will last another season but the Hancook summer tires we took off last fall were worn out after two summers. One balances tires in Ukraine but as I mentioned before one does not do wheel alignments.
Trying to find good quality affordable tires was not easy. (Note: FX rate is 8 UAH to the CAD or USD). The place I usually go to have tires repaired and from whom I bought the winter tires two years ago quoted between 850 and 950 UAH per tire for Michelin or Continental. In Canada I would not have quarreled with that as anything under $125 for good tires, installed is OK in my books. But the roads are so bad here that I am torn between cheap throw away tires that could be dangerous or good tires that may get wrecked anyhow.
Andrei said that Nokian Hakka H tires, made in Finland had been rated as the best tires for the money. We were quoted 740 UAH so yesterday we went to Krivii Rih to see if we could find something cheaper but still acceptable quality - in the 600 UAH ($75) range.
We went to two big tire stores, all with well known brands but no bargains. We went to Epicentre (Costco/Home Depot). Their Nokians were Russian made. No thanks. We went to the big market place for all things made in Russia/Ukraine automotive. We found Kumho tires for 600 UAH. I could live with that. No credit cards of course so off we went to find a bank machine and grab a quick lunch. Forty-five minutes later the Kumho tires were now 700 UAH. "It's Ukraine".
So we drove back to Zhovti Vody and put on the Nokians at 740 installed. Good tires for $370.
By the way, that is a month's wages for a great many people and two months' for rural farm workers, street sweepers and the like.
Trying to find good quality affordable tires was not easy. (Note: FX rate is 8 UAH to the CAD or USD). The place I usually go to have tires repaired and from whom I bought the winter tires two years ago quoted between 850 and 950 UAH per tire for Michelin or Continental. In Canada I would not have quarreled with that as anything under $125 for good tires, installed is OK in my books. But the roads are so bad here that I am torn between cheap throw away tires that could be dangerous or good tires that may get wrecked anyhow.
Andrei said that Nokian Hakka H tires, made in Finland had been rated as the best tires for the money. We were quoted 740 UAH so yesterday we went to Krivii Rih to see if we could find something cheaper but still acceptable quality - in the 600 UAH ($75) range.
We went to two big tire stores, all with well known brands but no bargains. We went to Epicentre (Costco/Home Depot). Their Nokians were Russian made. No thanks. We went to the big market place for all things made in Russia/Ukraine automotive. We found Kumho tires for 600 UAH. I could live with that. No credit cards of course so off we went to find a bank machine and grab a quick lunch. Forty-five minutes later the Kumho tires were now 700 UAH. "It's Ukraine".
So we drove back to Zhovti Vody and put on the Nokians at 740 installed. Good tires for $370.
By the way, that is a month's wages for a great many people and two months' for rural farm workers, street sweepers and the like.
Canadian War Crimes
It is against the law for a country to turn prisoners over to another country if there is a danger that they will be tortured. Canadian forces in Afghanistan routinely turned prisoners over the Afghan Security Forces even though the Canadian government had been told as early as 2006 by Canadian Diplomat Richard Colvin that they would be tortured. The Canadian government denies any knowledge of anything and the Military Police Complaints Commission began an investigation last week into Mr Colvin's charges that his warnings were ignored.
The "evidence" has been scrubbed clean by Canadian censors in the name of "National Security".
The following are links to Globe & Mail articles and editorials which are worth reading if you at all care about Canada's moral position in the world. We are guilty of aiding and abetting the very behaviour we are supposedly fighting to prevent.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/richard-colvins-catch-22/article1533670/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/house-of-pain-canadas-connection-with-kandahars-ruthless-palace-guard/article1529596/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/the-case-of-the-incurious-investigator/article1533473/#article
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-blocked-efforts-to-monitor-detainees-treatment-diplomat-testifies/article1533653/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-stymied-detainee-monitoring-richard-colvin-says/article1532711/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/no-reason-to-investigate-detainee-abuse-forces-investigator-says/article1532320/
The "evidence" has been scrubbed clean by Canadian censors in the name of "National Security".
The following are links to Globe & Mail articles and editorials which are worth reading if you at all care about Canada's moral position in the world. We are guilty of aiding and abetting the very behaviour we are supposedly fighting to prevent.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/richard-colvins-catch-22/article1533670/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/house-of-pain-canadas-connection-with-kandahars-ruthless-palace-guard/article1529596/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/the-case-of-the-incurious-investigator/article1533473/#article
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-blocked-efforts-to-monitor-detainees-treatment-diplomat-testifies/article1533653/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-stymied-detainee-monitoring-richard-colvin-says/article1532711/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/no-reason-to-investigate-detainee-abuse-forces-investigator-says/article1532320/
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Bobik's New Collar
Bobik, having the nicer collar of the two, generously contributed it to the stray female so Valya could lead her to her new home. Because we had not yet replaced it, Masha made Bobik a new collar from paper, complete with name tag and nice pink colouring. She put it on him on Sunday and he is still wearing it.
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