Thomas-n-Elena

My wife and I are moving to Illinois, whom do I need to inform of our change of address as far as homeland security?

My wife and I were talking about adopting a child, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with russian addoption agencies? we are prepared to spend time in russia getting to know child first. look like there is a million of these againces and we dont want to get taken. just wondering if anyone had any experience with a particular reputable agency?

thank you

I dont have personal experience but I have anecdotal experience. A colleague and his wife were attempting to adopt a child from Russia, I believe most of the agencies require a min of 2 visits, the agencies chaperon you, not really allowed to explore much yourself. The biggest issue is making sure the infant is healthy(as with most adoptions), FAS(Fetal Alchohol Syndrome) is pretty prevalent there so you should have a pediatrician in your home country that can help you with tests for it. The biggest piece of advice, research the agencies, find out who they are, who they work with, get reference(i.e. people you can call and discuss their experience with). Make sure you get everything in writing, the Russian govt from what I have been told has a habit of making things difficult when they feel like it. My colleague has actually given up on Russia and is looking domestically for an infant. Take this all with a grain of salt like I said it is coming second hand.

Got a letter yesterday from USCIS, 10yr green card on the way.

WOOHOO!!!!

Congrats. You could also track your case online at USCIS.gov using your receipt info "case number"

Yes I know that I checked every week but even now it shows no change.

Got a letter yesterday from USCIS, 10yr green card on the way.

WOOHOO!!!!

Well you do know that now VISA is guaranteeing all purchases, so perhaps he went to VISA and got them to get give him and exchange as long as the new one doesnt cost more than the original purchase.

Of course as both at least Slim and I have learned its not the upfront cost that is scary its the upkeep and maintenance that is the killer.

Personally I am a little suspect but I usually am.

how did she like red dawn????

She thought it was an OK 80's movie. I tried to impress upon her that this is what I grew up on, that the Russkies were evil and poised to invade us at any time and we had to be ready. And also that this movie, in no small way, added to the allure of Russian ladies a little bit later in life for me.

She wasn't having any of that because, for her, it was just another action movie. However, the positive thing she did take from the movie was the "readiness" factor - "we must be ready for if something happens." I doubt Cuban-trained Soviets will ever invade the U.S., but if they do, my wife will be ready!

movies with russian voiceovers

I hate those things! The voiceovers drive me freakin nuts! I could watch it if they'd get rid of the English voice but they never do and so my mind is forced to comprehend two languages at once and while I'm trying to enjoy a storyline, my mental translation engine is doing double duty trying to scan both English and Russian and match for authenticity.

Works fine when I'm reading English subtitles and listening to Russian voices because I'm using my eyes - which apparently operate on a different system than my ears - but for some reason I can't do "two ears" at once. Makes me go cross-eyed. (Just watched Rock n Rolla last night - thumbs up!) This is also why I watch Wuxia movies in Mandarin with English subtitles.

I have enjoyed Peculiarities of the National Fishing, Ivan the Terrible in the 20th century, and many others.

My wife was telling me about the Peculiarities movies. I haven't seen them yet, though.

And, who knew there were so many Big Lebowski fans in this forum!

What about Napoleon Dynamite? Truly a love-it-or-hate-it movie. To me, it is like the Big L in that it gets funnier each time. Do you think a Russian woman with decent English comprehension will "get it"?

To be quite honest, I didn't really like The Big Lebowski all that much. It was funny, but I didn't buy it or anything. I've only watched it a few times, so maybe I'll watch it again one day and it'll just click for me. There were funny parts, but for my money, if I'm going to watch a bowling movie, I'll take Kingpin over TBL any day.

I have never seen Napoleon Dynamite and don't see myself watching it anytime soon. Movies along those lines just don't do it for me.

or even Ferris Bueler's Day Off.

Now here's a movie I can get down with! I think every day I stayed home sick it's been on TV. I think they play it daily just for that reason. I had my wife watch it and she liked it. She's referred to it as, "zat movie whis boy who sick and not go to za school."

Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen were also in Red Dawn. That's just how the 80's roled!

Also I agree slim I like Kingpin more than TBL purely from the quote when they walk in to the national bowling center in reno and someone says "Here you will find some of the greatest athletes in the world" and they look at all the huge dudes eating pizza. I worked in 2 different bowling alleys in my life and its just like that on league night.

Another good one is Uncle Buck but truth is how can you go wrong with any John Hughes movies from the 80's

We have both loved and hated each others movie.

Every movie I like is stupid

Every movie she likes is the most wonderful thing.

Lena's not big into classics although she like Citizen Kane, Buckaroo Banzai not so much. Liked Escanaba in da Moonlight,Gran Torino(lots of explanation) Lord of the rings, Batman(new ones), anything with Swarzenager in it.

I have enjoyed Peculiarities of the National Fishing, Ivan the Terrible in the 20th century, and many others.

has she shown you viy....or 12 chairs...viy is russian horror written by gogol,and 12 chairs is comedy

Havent seen either and we no longer have russian channels on the satellite.

We have both loved and hated each others movie.

Every movie I like is stupid

Every movie she likes is the most wonderful thing.

Lena's not big into classics although she like Citizen Kane, Buckaroo Banzai not so much. Liked Escanaba in da Moonlight,Gran Torino(lots of explanation) Lord of the rings, Batman(new ones), anything with Swarzenager in it.

I have enjoyed Peculiarities of the National Fishing, Ivan the Terrible in the 20th century, and many others.

Congrats its great to hear. Why cant the DMV know? Seems kind of strange.

We sent-

Sons birth certificate

Time magazine cover with her name and our address

credit card statement

bank statement

tax returns

copy of insurance cards

Good luck she is out there

A few weeks ago we were talking about the cost of some old Tupolev and MiG aircraft. Well... I think I've found some MiGs that even YOU could afford!!

Prosecutors Say MiGs Sold for $5

07 August 2009

By Nabi Abdullaev / The Moscow Times

Nizhny Novgorod region prosecutors opened a criminal investigations into the sale of four MiG-31 supersonic long-range fighter jets to a shell company for $5 apiece, the Prosecutor General’s Office said Thursday in a statement on its web site.

The MiGs — which had been stored at the Nizhny Novgorod’s Sokol aviation plant that produces them — were sold without engines and weapon systems, but even in such a condition they’re each worth at least 116 million rubles ($3.7 million), the statement said. ...

An appraisal valued the MiGs at 153 rubles each, and they were sold in a tender to a shell company, Metalsnab, that had no right to trade in arms or military equipment, the statement said. As a result, the federal budget suffered damages of more than $15 million.

that would be a great lawn ornament!

Just think if you had a Mig parked in your driveway any criminal would look at that and think if that guy has a jet in his driveway what the "f" does he have inside the house I aint getting anywhere near him.

china eastern has the hottest stews in the world. air china is not far behind. they are all in the 48Kg club, all size 3-4 or less. they are all polite and friendly, and all young. they make american stews look like fat old wrinkled up prunes.

I think there are a few guys posting here that don't really understand what a size 14 is

I think the truth is they have an idea what a 14 is but they get confused by a 44. She must be 9ft tall and weigh 400lbs, she must be from the pitcairn islands or something!!!

Just keep it up mox.

Mox needs to keep WHAT up?

You need to be careful bout those nucular tests they did, that stuff gets into your jeans and your kids are born with flippers.

Yo! I brought this one for brother Brad

You should be careful switching gears like that you can wreck your transmission!!!!

But seems now that my closest friends there, with one exception, don't drink vodka but do like their cognac.

Maybe its a status thing, cognac has a much higher status than vodka. One is made from grapes the other from potatoes or grains.

You are right to complain about the carrier but it can also be an issue with the sortation system USPS uses. Is your address similar? Is it your neighbors mail? I get stuff for the people that used to live in my house all the time and occasionally a piece or two of mail ends up at my neighbors. Our postal system may be bad but its the only one we have.

The truth is you came to us for opinions which you got many of the only codicil is you are the best judge of how your SO will handle things. Remember also we are guys we do things all the times that our SO will get angry about.

Time is the important thing, the more your SO knows and understands what type of man you are the easier she will be able to put this in the past. I believe you were right in telling her, if you try and keep something like this from her and she finds out things would be 10x worse. If she truly loves you, she will see past this horrible part of your families history and realize the impact it had on you and your kids and how you are working to overcome this.

Good luck Im sure things will be as they should.

Definitely read the books. Jackson adhered closely enough to the movie that it'll be pretty familiar to you, but there's a lot of richness in the books that could only be hinted at in the movies.

I will have to consider it after I get done reading the other 5 books I have on my list. I did read the Hobbit many years ago.

no longer googling lyrics,and do not have a clue

Now we're getting real. We could go all day with Google.

If nobody gets your song, Thomas, you have to either keep going with the lyrics or attach a file with you singing it karaoke.

I have never karaoke'd, I will never karaoke, I would pass out from intoxication before I would karaoke but the next verses

You cause in me an impossible craving

That cannot be denied

If I decided to make you my religion

I think God would be kind

So I made a wish on a million of her stars

And registered your name on a few

That way if you forget who you are

You can look up and see a picture of you.

You can lighten the load like I do no underwear, plus it keeps everything nice and cool.

Bez trusi is probably OK in summer. But, in the colder months, I'm packin extra!

But a cold breeze up the apron and across the unmentionables is ok?

Well Duh! your standing next to a hot grill or barbecue a little cool breeze is a relief, you dont want your berries roasted or your stick catching fire do you. Unless of course you two are into the whole cigarette burns nonsense.

Holy Toledo Mox, lighten up. When the plane is in a nose-down dive from 40,000 feet and crashes in the side of a mountain; there is really little the cute attendant can do to help you.

How much time before we hit the mountain? She might be able to help me die with a big smile on my face.

Update:

After searching around, it would seem that her work visa would not be made invalid due to marriage.

I haven't been able to find any hard facts from the wonderful immigration website on the matter. So I can't really back up my findings with hard evidence other then what I found on some legal website.

[link]

http://www.expertlaw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61227

[/link]

Next I would contact an immigration lawyer and see if you can get a little consultation. Then since it doesnt appear her visa isnt in jeopardy I would make plans for an AOS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_away

Is that happened to you, when you met your love on Pitcairn Island? She/he rescued you?

Sort of. I washed ashore and was going to be sacrificed to the great Volcano God, Blowstuffumimonim. But the Chief's daughter fell in love with me, and some dude they liked even less than me was sacrificed in my place. We have some pretty cool "evidentiary" pictures of me and Pleasantly giving the guy the 'ol heave-ho. Good stuff.

Lucky you didnt land on the next island over, there they all where camo aprons and slowly barbecue you over the volcano not just throw you in.

Great to hear, umm not to burst your bubble, this is just the homestretch for this lap, you have several more to go, remember its the marathon not the 400m.