September 29, 2016

Tanker, toddler, marketer, spy


Tanker, toddler, marketer, spy

How to spy at the table and park a tank

1. If you’re in a tight spot, blame the tableware. Dmitry Zakharchenko, an official in the Russian Interior Ministry, accused a “spy plate” of eavesdropping on him at a restaurant. Zakharchenko was arrested earlier this month for taking bribes, but denies the charges, claiming that the conversation in question – recorded by that handy microphone-equipped plate – was bribe-free. Watch for the tactic in the next James Bond movie: The Spy Who Served Borshch to Me.

2. A controversial commercial for an Israeli parking app features a puppet Putin – shirtless, piloting a tank, and steamrolling cars around the Kremlin to smash out a parking place for his daughter. The company claims, “We can handle your needs just as well as Putin.” Hilarious? Offensive? The only true solution to parking problems? You decide.

themoscowtimes.com

3. It took three days and over 100 people to find a toddler who toddled into a Siberian forest. Armed with only a bar of chocolate, the three-year-old faced the threat of bears, wolves, and night frosts during his time alone in the wild. The whole village is planning a party to celebrate the survival of Siberia’s Mowgli, but the young explorer’s biggest concern after being rescued was the fate of his toy car. Toddlers have priorities, too.

In Odder News

  • One way to protest transportation corruption: spell out the word “Help” using buses.
lenta.ru
  • Icelandic officials claimed that Russian bombers engaged in risky business on the Norwegian Sea. Russia’s response: “It’s a figment of their imagination.”
  • Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov has set the world record for the fastest hot-air balloon trip around the globe. His advice to all: keep exploring.

Quote of the Week

"I was 10 years old when Yury Gagarin flew [into space], and soon after that the first men walked on the moon….I was convinced that by the 21st century we would already have scientific stations on Mars and settlements on the Moon. But the 21st century came and all we do is wage war, make money, and stuff ourselves."

—Fyodor Konyukhov, who recently completed the fastest round-the-world hot-air balloon trip, on the lost sense of adventure characterizing the 21st century.

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Little Golden Calf
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Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Fearful Majesty
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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.

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Russian Rules

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93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

Murder and the Muse
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Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Russia
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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.

Moscow and Muscovites
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Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Driving Down Russia's Spine
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Driving Down Russia's Spine

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