January 20, 2022

Good Deeds, Gas, and Gasless Cars


Good Deeds, Gas, and Gasless Cars
In Odder News

In this week's Odder News: Tesla owners demand service, a lonely cat, and a rapper's ties to Russia.

  • Popular American rapper Kanye West (who apparently has started calling himself "Ye") is planning a trip to Russia sometime this coming spring or summer, during which he expects to meet with President Vladimir Putin. West's strategic advisor Ameer Sudan has said that Russia is going to be like a second home for the rapper, as he plans to expand his business relations with the so-called "Trump of Russia," Aras Agalarov.
  • A family in Novosibirsk left their cat home alone during the New Year's holidays, with nobody to look after it. Fortunately, the neighbors heard the cat's pleading and were able to feed him through the peephole of the door until the police received permission from the owner to open the apartment. The cat was safe and happy (as happy as a cat can be) to meet his rescuers.
  • President Putin has recently approved an initiative presented by the Federation Council (essentially the Russian Senate) to make all natural gas used for eternal flame war monuments free. The multi-billion-dollar corporation Gazprom has generously(ish) offered to handle the cost by itself.
  • Russian Tesla owners have recorded a video for Elon Musk, imploring him to open up a Tesla office in Russia. The drivers complain that, despite how much they enjoy their electric cars, it is very difficult to keep their cars maintained and properly charged, since there are no official Tesla service centers or dealerships in Russia, and all parts need to be ordered from abroad. Perhaps it would be easier to stay "green" in Russia by driving cars that run on natural gas?
  • Dima Vasetsky, a 10-year-old from Yekaterinburg, has been dubbed world champion in knowledge of the Chinese language. Aside from his fluency in Chinese, Dima has also been praised for his understanding of Chinese etiquette and culture. Dima started learning the language at the age of five, and has also been given the title of "small ambassador of China in the world." Is it ironic that the "small ambassador" is from the world's largest country? We think so.

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Some of our Books

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

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