There's a very interesting article on euobserver.com about Russia's attempts to re-brand itself as a benign global power in the eyes of Brussels.  The piece reports that news agency Ria-Novosti has apparently engaged the services of low-profile PR consultancy RJI Companies to assist it in softening Russia's image in Europe, in order to justify it having a large say in global affairs.  Apparently a sub-section of this campaign revolves around Stalin rehabilitation and a Soviet makeover:Russian news agency Ria Novosti is rolling out a new public relations campaign in the political capital of the European Union which, according to sources in the PR industry, aims to justify Russia's great power ambitions and improve the image of Joseph Stalin....

Over on trueslant.com, Joshua Kucera has an interesting travelogue-type report about a visit to Ulan-Ude in Buryatia, Russia, where he finds racial tolerance much greater than expected, but some strange social trends.  He also finds one of Russia's biggest Lenin heads. But that contrasts with the other big impression I've had so far, that there is a sort of amoral, post-apocalyptic vibe to the place. There are tons of mulleted, black-clad boys and men walking the streets, drinking beer at all hours and smoking constantly. The most obvious new buildings are cheaply built shopping centers with electronic signs. And every restaurant and cafe has Russian music videos playing, 80 percent of which prominently feature women in lingerie. (And I'm ...

Is it time to buy a house? Depends…

If you need a place to live and want to own a house, why not? Prices in some areas are fairly reasonable. But if you’re speculating, our guess is that you’ll get a better deal if you wait.

Why? For the many reasons we have given you in these Daily Reckonings. House prices may be firming in some areas – that’s what the Case-Shiller numbers seem to show. But nationwide, they are probably headed down for quite a while longer.

Herewith, four reasons why:

First, as you know, this is a depression. It will probably be long. And deep. You wouldn’t know it from looking at the stock market or reading the news. The Dow went up another 114 points yesterday. Oil rose to $71. And the dollar – anticipating inflation – fell to $1.44 per euro.

But that’s what bounces are supposed to look like.

...

A very modest «Alenka» (on the profanation of the idea of energy conservation)

Grigory Pasko, journalist

I recently attended a seminar for radio journalists in Irkutsk, which had an interesting article published in the official programme about the implementation of "energy conservation projects in the Shelekhov municipal district."

Will you look at that, I thought to myself, there are actually ahead-of-the-curve people in off-the-beaten-track Shelekhov district, thinking progressively and implementing energy-conservation technologies! The only thing that perplexed me was why there weren't any such examples of energy conservation in the oblast center itself - in Irkutsk. Well, be that as it may, I together with a group of radio journalists set off for Shelekhov to check it out.

...

By Edward Hugh: Barcelonabr /br /blockquote"As long as excessive debt is not digested, both monetary and fiscal policies are inefficient. There is not much of an alternative. Either to let the economy collapse, in order to reduce debts, and then use fiscal policy to revive it, or inundate the insolvent economy with public credit, to avoid the collapse, and loose the ability of fiscal policy to pull it out of a prolonged lethargy. Either a horrible end or an endless horror."br /a href="http://blogs.ft.com/maverecon/2009/06/after-the-crisis-macro-imbalance-credibility-and-reserve-currency/"After the Crisis: Macro Imbalance, Credibility and Reserve-Currency/a: André Lara Resende/blockquotebr /Well, I think the title to this post makes my view on the high-profile shenanigans we are currently witnessing on the part of two widely respected contemporary intellectuals clear enough, even if Paul would probably respond that he is perfectly well able to take care of himself, thank you very much. Nonetheless, looking at the way the ...

TODAY: Diplomat accuses US of overplaying threat from Iran; what did Putin tell Bill Clinton?; Russia-Belarus tensions flare on loan; Amnesty slams human rights standards; reclaiming Soviet-confiscated art Russia will not object to a new UN Security Council resolution over North Korea but will continue to oppose sanctions.  According to the Guardian, senior diplomat Alexander Sternik has criticized the US for grossly exaggerating the nuclear threat posed by nations such as Iran.  The Moscow Times reports that at a private meeting in January, Prime Minister Putin offered assurances to ex-US President Bill Clinton that Medvedev is not his puppet and that the Kremlin and Washington would be able to come to an agreement on missile defense.  Poland is apparently pushing the US to ...

TODAY: Russia willing to revive European Arms Control treaty; IOC praises Sochi but says task must not be underestimated; Russia pledges help to Abkhazia and South Ossetia; policemen on trial Russia has proposed a new version of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and believes that 'chances to revive the treaty', which it suspended over a year ago, 'still exist'.  The original 1990 treaty imposed limitations on troop and weaponry movement to the West of the Ural mountains, a restriction Putin likened to the U.S. having 'to seek Russian approval before it sent troops from California to Texas'.  The OSCE has ceased talks on keeping peace monitors in Georgia after Russia vetoed its proposals, but is apparently hoping that the Kremlin will ...

TODAY: Sergei Lavrov opens talks in Pyongyang; Russians skeptical about Medvedev's level of power; Medvedev's blog flooded with comments; PM to have access to state secrets?; Siberia sells 'anti-democracy' truckForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in North Korea for two days of talks regarding nuclear issues and bilateral talks.  Despite critical noises, Lavrov has said that Russia does not see NATO as 'an inherent source of danger' but rather as a core factor in 'Euro-Atlantic security'.  As the end of his first year in office approaches, a survey says only 15% of Russians believe that President Medvedev is really in charge, with 27% believing that Putin pulls the strings, the Moscow Times reports.  'Any of us can write what we want, and nothing ...

TODAY: Sergei Lavrov opens talks in Pyongyang; Russians skeptical about Medvedev's level of power; Medvedev's blog flooded with comments; PM to have access to state secrets?; Siberia sells 'anti-democracy' truckForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in North Korea for two days of talks regarding nuclear issues and bilateral talks.  Despite critical noises, Lavrov has said that Russia does not see NATO as 'an inherent source of danger' but rather as a core factor in 'Euro-Atlantic security'.  As the end of his first year in office approaches, a survey says only 15% of Russians believe that President Medvedev is really in charge, with 27% believing that Putin pulls the strings, the Moscow Times reports.  'Any of us can write what we want, and nothing ...

TODAY: Russia to delay NATO council meeting; Ryabko critical on US missile defense; ex-Yukos lawyer released on parole; Medvedev starts Internet discussion group; Lenin's birthday suitRussia has notified NATO of its postponing of the May 7 chief of staff meeting, citing a desire to resume political contact before discussing military issues.  In an interview with the BBC's Russian service, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that NATO is employing the 'confrontational logic of the Cold War'.  Kazakhstan has refused to engage in the NATO-organized military exercises in Georgia in a show of support for Russia.  Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabko has voiced concerns regarding US missile defense, saying he believes the US will not change its policy, and that it has in ...