Sturmovschina
stür’- müv - shee’ - nüv n. storming a task

Early-Mid 20th-century Russian expression.

Westerners often consider Russians to be shiftless and lazy. Their style of work may be puzzling to outsiders. However, it has a logic all its own, rooted in the peasants' seasonal cycle of activities. That cycle is based on the weather, which leads to months of idleness giving way to short but intensive periods of planting and harvesting.

As novelist Leo Tolstoy once explained, "The Russians harness their horses very slowly, but they ride with great speed."

Russian people have little patience for daily chores and fixed schedules. They prefer to get things done in sudden bursts of activity. This style of work became known in the Soviet period as sturmovschina, or 'storming a task.'

based on an article in Time (Magazine) December 7, 1992

Labels: russia, russian, soviet, Sturmovschina, tolstoy

Just when you thought the whole "I can see Russia from Alaska" thing couldn't get any funnier... CNN's Gary Tuchman delivers the goods.

It turns out that Sarah Palin has never seen Russia from Alaska.

Tuchman went up to the part of Alaska from which you can actually see Russia, a remote island called Little Diomede located just 2.4 miles from it's Russian twin, Big Diomede. Gary Tuchman's trip to Little Diomede sets him apart from Sarah Palin -- because she's never been there nor has she set eyes on its neighbor in Russia.

The Answer to the BIG Question: "(has ) Sarah Palin has ever visited this island?" According to the natives, the answer is "no."

The Answer to the Almost-As-BIG Question: "does proximity to Russia create expertise in foreign policy?" No American mayor resides in a city closer to Russia than Andrew Milligrock, and he says being two miles from Russia doesn’t give him any foreign policy expertise.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/30/you-can-see-russia-from-here/

Gleefully stolen (with a few embellishments) from BuzzFlash - an excellent source of news that is usually overlooked by the so-called Liberal Media<sup>1

1</sup> You know the So-Called-Liberal-Media - the "news media" that gave George Bush a free pass on everything from before his appointment by the Supreme Court until 2006, when Americans had their fill of the BuSh BS.

Labels: alaska, palin, russia

The Republicans are showing their contempt for you and for every American. Contempt? Hatred?

Yes. A resounding, loudly trumpeted "YES!"

• They know that if you are well-informed, that you will not vote for their candidates.
  
• They have to lie to you.
• They think you are so stupid that you will fall for their BS.
• They think that you are as clueless as they are.
• They need you to be barefoot, blissful, and ignorant.
  

And "How," you ask, "are they showing this contempt and hatred?"

They are trying to get you to believe something absurd, something that will convince you that their candidate is actually qualified to be George W. McCain's next melanoma away from being President. The candidate in question is John McBush's choice for his running mate in the upcoming presidential election: Sarah Palin, Alaska's governor for the past 20 months.

• Fox News morning host, Steve Doocy, testified to Sarah Palin's national security experience on Friday by saying that her state, Alaska, was so close to Russia.
• Cindy McCain (aka Cindy Bush Lite) endorsed this mind-boggling claim on ABC in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. Cindy McCain gives ditzy blonds a bad name.
  

All of this begs the question: just how unqualified is that person? Is that the best they have?

Labels: alaska, bubble-headed bleached blond, cindy mccain, ditzy, george w. mccain, john mc bush, john mccain, republican, russia, sarah palin, steve doocy