Cold War With You

Zookoda

AM Caro — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:16:50 GMT

Where would we be in this world without email? While it is a cliché of a cliché it would be safe to say we would all be in the proverbial dark. After all, without email it becomes next to impossible to keep up to date with our family and friends. Then again, it is also difficult to stay on top of all those cool discount deals that many online sellers offer! (I personally receive a number of excellent discounts from Barnes and Nobles, Amazon, Overstock and several other top of the line merchants. While some may call this spam, I personally appreciated the coupons!) But receiving mail is not the only important aspect. Sending emails is important. (This is why Amazon, Overstock and their ilk strongly realize) So, if you own and operate a blog you would probably want to copy this particular strategy and let everyone know that you have updated your blog. This is why Zookoda is such a brilliant concept. Zookoda allows bloggers to send weekly, monthly and even daily updates and summaries of blog posts. This is performed through sending a number of tremendously designed newsletters via email. Ok, some may be wondering what the cost of all this will be. Well, here is some really good news for the thrift conscious: Zookoda is absolutely free! So, if you are a blogger looking to promote your blog to the widest possible audience then Zookoda is the service you will wish to work with. Again, it is free, innovative and very helpful. So please check it out.

Sputnik and its Impact

AM Caro — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:45:09 GMT

Here is a cool YouTube video clip of an old PBS documentary. This covers some of the fear and confusion felt over the launching of Sputnik. You'll notice that much of the nervousness derives from the unknown. What was Sputnik and what was it capable of?

The Space Race Remembered

AM Caro — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:33:08 GMT

Recently, Russia announced that it was planning restarting its explorations into space. If this spurs the USA into boosting its space exploration plans then this would be a good thing. It is a shame that the exploration of space has slowed down significantly in recent years. The exploration of space was once a major source of American pride and achievement and re-invigorating the movement would be a hugely positive thing.

Probably one of the most unique aspects of the Cold War was the Space Race. It is doubtful that anything created more wonder in the world that the ability to travel to outer space in a rocket ship. This had been in the realm of science fiction novels and films for decades and these entertainment mediums spawned a number of dreams and fantasies. (There was a silent film based on HG Wells' THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME that may have been the first film of this type) In the 1960's and well into the 1970's, the astronaut had become a mythic figure no different from the Cowboy. Granted, cowboys had the edge over astronauts in the sense that Cowboy hats never went out of style while it never really was sheik to wear an astronaut helmet in public.

Interestingly, the space race began in a world of paranoia. When the Soviets launched Sputnik into space it immediately brought a number of fears to the public consciousness. That is, people understood the potential danger of rocket based nuclear attacks on the United States homeland. A number of science-fiction films of the 1950's began to echo these themes most famously with THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.

Then again, there was also the extreme wounded pride felt in America due to the fact that when Sputnik successfully launched, the Soviets had beaten the Americans in the eyes of the world. America would forever be number two in the history books when it came to launching the first rocket into space. The only way America could heal its wounded pride was by succeeding in the space race from there on out. This was most famously achieved, of course, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. (Did anyone else see the BBC broadcast of this event? The BBC hired Pink Floyd to play an instrumental theme as Armstrong landed. The end result was the very trippy "Moonwalk" theme) Astronauts remained pop cultural icons for decades to come and were the subject of a number of motion pictures ranging from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY to Don Knotts' THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT. This helped re-enforce th mystique of the astronaut as the last of the great explores. Toys, games, costumes, etc flooded the market and every little boy in the USA dreamed of being an astronaut.

While explorations into space continue today it just isn't the same. The mystique of being an astronaut was forever shattered when the Challenger exploded. This forever linked the space race with a sense of danger and foreboding that it has never recovered from. But, the history – and future – of explorations into space is always something to look at fondly. In fact, we'll be spending quite a bit of time on this blog looking at the space race and some of its more unique moments. Stay tuned.

Yahoo - Article on Putin

AM Caro — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:13:26 GMT

Here is an interesting news piece from Yahoo News. It covers the prelude to Putin's assuming the role of Russia's Prime Minister. The article suggests that there are certain parallels between the current political climate in Russia and how it parallels the old Soviet Union. The article is somewhat interesting, but it is important to point out that no matter how much the current Russian landscape parallels the old Soviet Union there are huge differences between Russia and the Soviet Union. Russia is not a superpower and it does not have a dominant present in more countries in the world than the United States. Russia can not become a superpower at this stage of the game because it would need a much more powerful economy and military. But, a scaled down localized version of the old Soviet Empire is probably where Russia is headed.

The New Left of the 1960's

AM Caro — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:31:54 GMT

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Cold War was the New Left Student movement of the 1960's. The New Left was formed as a means of opposing the war in Vietnam but also as a means of introducing hard Marxism into the United States landscape. Recently, the history of the New Left has been re-examined and you can read the works of David Horowitz which criticizes the New Left or the works of Weather Underground members which speak of the era with fondness. There is much of interest to be discovered from the 1960's Days of Rage and a few insights into this era will be presented on this blog in the near future.

Blog Advertising

AM Caro — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:31:21 GMT

When looking out at the great open spaces of the blogging world one has to marvel at the volume of readers. What initially started as a "web log" for people in the computer industry has now expanded to include multitudes of people from all walks of life who muse about any number of subjects. This has led to the influx of advertising dollars into the blogsphere and that means that anyone who runs a blog has the potential to earn significant income from their blog advertising. Of course, in order to do this there needs to be a facilitator of blog advertising. This is where a company such as Smorty comes in as it can provide all the means to deliver advertiser to your blog. Smorty is a true innovator in the world of paid blogging and if you are looking to get paid to blog Smorty is the company to check out.

RSS Feed

AM Caro — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:15:58 GMT

When it comes to the world of finance we can never reach the point where there is too much information. After all, the more that we can learn about finance and making money the better we can take care of our financial future. This is where valuable resources such as the RSS feed of George Lindemann can be so helpful. This feed is promoted by Forbes' RSS feeds (yes, the same Forbes of financial magazine fame) and that speaks volumes in regards to the quality of the feed. After all, Forbes would not put a stamp of approval on anything that was of little financial news value now would it? Remember, there is an old saying that knowledge is power and if you develop solid knowledge of finance and financial markets then you are well on you way to success of all varieties. Of course, subscribing to top RSS feeds would definitely be a strong step forward in this direction! So check it out!

Splitting the Ukraine?

AM Caro — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:09:47 GMT

Here is something that came out of the NATO meeting that did not get much coverage. This story from the Moscow Times reports that Putin considered the possibility of splitting the Ukraine into "halves". That way, part of the Ukraine would join Russia and the other half could join the circus for all Putin cared. Ok, the last part was a joke. I am not sure how serious this is because where on earth would you split the thing and how many people would want to be part of Russia's sphere of influence considering the bad blood from the USSR days. Then again, stranger things have happened.

Spalding Plastic Surgery

AM Caro — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:05:17 GMT

There are a number of plastic surgery procedures that people employ to improve their looks and restore their youthful appearance. Of course, thanks to many great strides in the realm of plastic surgery there are a number of procedures that have the ability to create such a radical change to one's appearance that all expectations are exceeded. Such is the case with the facelift procedures performed by Spalding Plastic Surgery. (Please visit www.spaldingplasticsurgery.com) In fact, Spalding Plastic Surgery offers an anti-gravity facelift can shed years off your face, This may seem like a revolutionary procedure and in a number of ways it is. But, the expert professionals at Spalding Plastic Surgery have perfected a number of their techniques which means they have the unique ability to provide those looking for a brilliant face lift procedure a home of sorts. The surgeons at Spalding Plastic Surgery are quite skilled and can aid you in all your plastic surgery needs. Please visit their site for more information.

Odd Story from the Moscow Times

AM Caro — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:55:56 GMT

Perhaps I shouldn't call this odd since it really isn't all that strange but for whatever reason it could my eye so I thought i would pass it along.

From the Moscow Times we have a story about how there is a liquidation of assets in order to provide housing to military officers. In a way, it is odd that there are needs for liquidations since Russia is doing so well in the oil and natural gas business. Then again, if the assets they are liquidating were little more than a drain on finances getting rid of them would make sense. Anyway, the article is a somewhat interesting read since it covers news from Russia that is often overlooked.

Unsecured Loans

AM Caro — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:56:37 GMT

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A Unique Perspective

AM Caro — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:07:41 GMT

While there is little in the news these days that covers the Russia/Western Europe/USA issue in depth there are those who do examine it much closer. Unfortunately, much of it is too cerebral at this point for cable news channels to pick up on but for those interested in the subject matter some journalists have presented some unique perspectives.

Nile Gardiner has a unique take on the NATO/US/Russia issue:

It also pits much of continental western Europe against the new eastern and central European members of NATO. Above all it reflects a fundamental divide between Washington's vision of advancing and protecting liberty in eastern Europe, and Paris and Berlin's immediate concern of keeping the Russian bear happy. As Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili commented to the Financial Times on Merkel's call for a united front against his country's admission: "I think this is a very, very wrong argument. NATO united around what? Around appeasement? We've seen Europe united once like this in the last century and we saw where it led."

Rhinoplasty

AM Caro — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:22:02 GMT

At one point the notion of having a "nose job" was scoffed at. Of course, this was before people began to truly understand the value of such surgery and all the benefits that it possesses. In fact, people now have dropped the derogatory "nose job" moniker and are more likely to refer to it by the given name of the procedure: rhinoplasty. For those looking for information on rhinoplasty, particularly rhinoplasty revisions is well known then you will want to check out RhinoplastyRevisions.com which is a top site for those looking to have the procedure performed. For those not familiar with the "revisions" procedure it is designed to correct previous rhinoplasty procedures that did not turn out as well as hoped. Yes, you can have a botched procedure corrected so there is always hope! So, if you are looking for an initial procedure or a corrective one visiting RhinoPlasty.com would be the right place to start.

Let's Be Friends Guys

AM Caro — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:55:30 GMT

Here are a few interesting words from Putin regarding the current tension between Russia, the USA and NATO. It is odd that Putin would be taking a more laid back approach to the deterioration of relations between the US, Western Europe and Russia.

Some interesting words from Putin:

"Let's be friends, guys, and engage in an honest dialogue," Putin said.

"Putin, who had been harshly critical of NATO in the past, sought to emphasize positive elements in Russia's NATO ties, such as Russia's agreement to facilitate transit of supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan across Russian territory. He shrugged off concerns that the world is sliding toward a new East-West divide.

"None of the global players—Europe, the United States or Russia—is interested in returning to the past," Putin said. "And we have no ideological differences."

"But he also warned the alliance cannot enhance security on the continent without Russia. "

Then again, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that Russia is backpedaling. Russia is not the Soviet Union. It isn't a superpower. It does not have major allies and client states all over the world and other than oil/natural gas and weapon sales Russia has very little to fuel its economy. Actually, its domestic economy is a disaster and that is why it is rolling back democracy. It probably fears an electoral backlash because Russia is hardly a place that is enjoyable to live in. That's not a knock on the Russian people as much as it is an observation that its economy is shaky at best. If it were to start an outright new Cold War with the west and then discovered its economy collapse ala Zimbabwe, Russia would be so overextended it would collapse under its own weight. Which is, incidentally, exactly what happened with the Soviet Union.

Facelift Surgery

AM Caro — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:55:26 GMT

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Missile Deal DOA?

AM Caro — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:26:39 GMT

Those who have been following the current state of affairs with Russia, the USA and Nato are probably somewhat confused at the state of events. This should come as no surprise since very little time is spent on the news covering the issue. When it comes to issues of foreign policy the news is filled with stories about trade, immigration, Iraq, Venezuela, et al and this leave precious little time for other foreign policy news reports. Any news, however, that centers on the worsening relations between the United States an Russia should receive a little extra attention considering that the USA and Russia "fought" a 70 year Cold War and anything lurching us towards that avenue should draw attention. But, for many, the totalitarian regimes of the 20^th century are so far in the past that it might as well happened in the 19^th century.

PER THE AP:

Bush and Putin, who leaves office May 7, also were expected to sign a "strategic framework" agreement that would guide the bilateral relationship into the future. Putin's hand-picked replacement, Dmitry Medvedev, will participate in some of the discussions. Bush's term ends in January.

In Croatia, Bush highlighted a separate set of differences with Putin: NATO's expansion into former communist territory. Croatia and Albania won invitations during the NATO summit to join the military alliance, while Macedonia did not due to Greek objections.

In an outdoor speech, Bush said the invitations were "a vote of confidence that you will continue to make necessary reforms and become strong contributors to our great allia

Dental Marketing

AM Caro — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:05:24 GMT

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NATO Developments

AM Caro — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:56:36 GMT

I have not been blogging on the status of the Cold War past and present because I have been tied up with a number of my day job pursuits. Sorry about that folks but daily life does get into the way every once in a while.

There has been some interesting news from the Russian front lately and it centers on NATO current stance surrounding tensions with the Kremlin. NATO made two decisions this week and they send somewhat of a mixed message.

1,) NATO refused the entry of the Ukraine into its alliance. The reason for this is obvious: there is concern as to how Russia would react if NATO troops were placed on its borders. Plus, a Russian invasion of the Ukraine would start World War Three if Ukraine was a member of NATO. Sorry to tell the truth but Russia would crush NATO in a ground war.

2.) NATO is supporting a US missile defense shield in Poland. The reason for this is fairly clear. There needs to be a means of protecting Europe from a nuclear missile strike from the Middle East.

Part of the problem with NATO is that the nations that make up with alliance clearly lack the political will to deal with an aggressive Russia and Russia knows it.

Trust Source

AM Caro — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:48:45 GMT

There is much in the news these days regarding payday cash advance sites. Some of that news is quite interesting as it points out the value that many of these services provide. Of course, there are also those services that do not deliver on what they promise and they give the industry a bad name. This brings about the question how one is supposed to understand the difference between the good services and the bad ones. Thankfully, there is a service such as TrustSource.org which offers a valuable rating system on the multitude of cash advance services available on the internet. If you are going to seek a loan from a cash advance service then you are going to want to seek the absolute best service that you can find. This is why the reviews provided by Trust Source are so very valuable. It truly is that excellent of a source.

Web Hosting

AM Caro — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:23:04 GMT

Web hosting is a critically important concept to grasp particularly if you are running an online business. When it comes to online commerce there are a number of things the business owner needs to clearly comprehend and have a handle on. Additionally, every facet and component of has to work properly particularly the web hosting. If the web hosting company is not doing what it promises to do, then an online commercial venture may find itself at risk. The way around this is to examine those web hosting companies that have a solid and reliable reputation in the marketplace. If you want to know which hosting companies are the best of the best then you should check out Kaushal Sheth's top ten list of the best web hosting companies on the net. This is an accurate and informative list which makes it well worth bookmarking and using as a research item prior to picking a web hosting site.