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

Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Fearful Majesty

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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

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Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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.  

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