Bruising Encounter with Bureaucracy

About to board the plane back to Moscow & I have a big bruise on my arm.

I suffered this pain in order to get another Russian Visa - my 5th in 9 months. I'd completed all the paperwork & then they asked for another AIDS test. This despite the fact that I've already got a visa for the year for which I'd already provided a blood sample. But the Vampires at the Embassy wanted more. So I've got a big bruise from Russia with Love.

While I was in London I heard that Poland started the Second World War according to an article on a Russian Government website (see link in headline). Soon it will be illegal for us to continue our debating society. But it's Ok for Russia to post the idea that by being invaded by Hitler & Stalin in September 1939 Poland was somehow repsonsible for the War. As someone said in Russia "it's not the future I'm afraid of...it's the past."

I also saw an article in the Moscow Times recently where the Russian Government said that the British Council could continue "spying" in Russia if the UK made it easier for Russians to get visas for Britain.

I think the Russians played too much chess as children