Jingthing

This informative is correct. It happens very often on Grab. I understand the problem with rain but they make you wait a long time before cancelling.

Possibly but what's the alternative to not responding to an unhinged regime stealing lands with nuclear blackmail? If allowed to stand, that's the precedent.

An interesting discussion of this issue on the current Real Time. Starting about 19:10.

Shocking news. Comedian Trevor Noah is quitting hosting the Daily Show. Picked by Jon Stewart to replace him seven years ago many including me were skeptical that a South African could be credible on a show mostly about American politics. But turns out he was brilliant. Who quits while still young one of the best jobs in television? Anyway the search for a replacement is on. Well I guess they could cancel the show but I don't know why they would.

That's up to Putin.

But Ukraine can't do that alone.

Zelensky is right but I don’t think NATO will go for this yet. Particularly Putin liking Hungary and now fascist Italy. Unfortunately NATO will probably wait until Putin uses a nuke.

I'm definitely serious but I agree there would be political problems. The US has a shortage of citizens with higher education in the sciences. As someone who has worked with highly skilled Russian immigrants I've been very impressed. I think not just IT but a wide variety of fields. Grabbing Russia's best and brightest might just pay for the war effort and Russia will be weaker with such elites gone away for good Surely for most Russians in Georgia that isn't their last stop in life. They need a more permanent landing spot.

Not surprising but a real blow to those that have Schengen visas who had a reasonable right to expect to be able to cross into the EU that way.

Yeah, not pleasant. The Georgians have a point. They could easily decide to tighten their visa rules on a dime as any country has the right to. I have an idea that might help a little bit. I'd like to see the US offer expedited emergency immigration to highly skilled Russian draft dodgers. Many of the fleeing Russians would make highly desirable migrants and it would be a kick in Putin's nuts for the US to benefit from the brain drain he created. The US already will to some degree but I'd love to see it formalized and expanded. The program could even be very picky. We need these skills but not some other skills. That on top of taking in real refugees from Ukraine of course.

Once monthly? That's very inadequate during this current situation.

Some context on the border situation that Americans if they go soon will be competing with. People (mostly Russian men) that left over a few days: Estimated 250,000! Cost of an air ticket from Siberia out of Russia: 9,000 Euros! Which continues to beg the question, will they close the borders soon?

Here's a three-part t.v. show for you to watch: Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland There will be Haggis.

I am not so sure the drunken f-rang was a tourist, but maybe. I forget to share my reaction to him which was a surprise to me and probably to him as well. It's not something I thought about before the incident. I acknowledged him and gave him an absurdly large back and forth (I suppose sarcastic) WAVE! As if he had greeted me in a friendly manner and I was waving back enthusiastically, except for the obvious snarkiness. He really looked taken about by that response, so perhaps it was unintentionally brilliant. What did he expect? An argument I suppose. What would be the point? I already know what he would say. The pandemic is over. You're a sheeple. The masks aren't about health but about being controlled. Masks don't work at all.

I want to continue to wear masks (I'm high risk healthwise) but I went out the other night and NOBODY was wearing them and I even got yelled out by a drunken f-rang. I can only see that getting worse and worse. So I guess I will cave and strip it off. In fact I started to today. How many people like me who aren't really ready but don't want to stick out so much?

CHINA

OK, I know the topic here is about Americans in Russia, but I'm wondering what happens to the Russians that fled who run out of money. So they get deported back to Russia. Imagine that if you think you've had a bad day!

There are almost no flight seats available and the prices have gone up for example FIVE FOLD or more. But they don't need a flight to the USA. Just to get out of Russia somehow and then fly from there.

Well, if they're close enough to Finland, that would be the place to go as unlike Russians, Americans don't need a visa for there. I do recall a report in the Georgia crossing that they weren't. accepting walk overs, so people were buying bicycles! Russians don't need a visa for Georgia so the lines were the longest there as Georgia is desirable. However, because of the Russians, rents in Georgia have skyrocketed and now there is an understandable BACKLASH from the Georgians. Some of the draft dodgers and headed towards Asia, Thailand, Bali, and Vietnam. I predict it is probable that Russia will greatly tighten up on Russians exiting very soon. Maybe only for Rusian men, maybe for all Russians, maybe for all. The embassy was probably in error to wait this long to make this warning.

I think the embassy is saying that their help in this crisis situation can be expected to very limited or nonexistent.

Makes sense. I reckon exceptions might be Russians with a record of dissent against Putin and justified fear of being murdered for that, etc. Of those Russian "draft dodgers" I reckon the vast majority understanably just want to save their own keister (Putin was OK with most Russians before he turned on them personally) but among them are legit dissenters and principled ones that don't want to murder innocent Ukrainians.

I wouldn't assume anything. In a full war, they could trump up charges, make them pawn hostages. It's insane for an American to stay there now if they can possibly get out or I guess exceptions would be traitor Americans like right wing extremists that still love Putin.

Of course not. But if they close the border to all, they would be part of all. There are plenty of reasons for Americans to leave regardless. Putin because he has been humiliated by Ukraine can't be seen to admit that the country that he has trashed as inferior for so long did that to him. So he's blaming Nato, the West, and especially the U.S. If Putin escalates in some way that goes beyond the Ukraine and/or Nato responds to escalated atrocities like nuclear, chemical, attack a target in a Nato country, etc. who in their right mind would want to be an American there then, enemy number one?

But he couldn't. Leave Jon alone!

Some of the youtubers I've been following. Zack the Russian Young guy Now in Georgia Extremely and openly.anti Putin. He burned his draft order online! Inside Russia Now Outside Russia. Now in a Stan country. Left his wife and children with a day's notice. He witnessed men being refused exit. Middle aged man very educated did many videos about Russian culture and history encouraging people to read between the lines. Niki Prosin An odd young man just escaped to Istanbul. His recent videos were getting dangerously political. He feared the draft so bye bye. NFKRZ Very successful youtuber. Now set up in Georgia. He refuses to be explicitly political out of fear for his family and his desire to return someday. But obviously anti Putin anyway and o great source to understand the complications of being a Russian expat in wartime. Bald and Bankrupt Very famous Brit. Its over for him now. He traveled all over Russia humanizing ordinary people with an obsession with Soviet relics. Arrested in Russia. Forced to make a propaganda apology. Deported and banned. Yes I have a strong personal interest in this war for family background reasons.