December 02, 2021

Spy Rocks, Scent of a Man, and Lump of Coal


Spy Rocks, Scent of a Man, and Lump of Coal
In Odder News

In this week's Odder News, men have never smelled this manly, a lump of coal has never been such a great gift, and St. Petersburg museumgoers have never been so happy.

  • Watch out for the new spy rock if you are in Voronezh. The "hidden surveillance complex" that looks like a pretty regular rock was invented by cadets at the Air Force Academy in Voronezh. When it senses motion, the rocks stops acting like a rock and a camera and microphone jump into action, recording up to 15 hours of content. The rock can move itself around, as seen here. You might want to kick the rocks around you, just to check.
  • Few art museum exhibits are designed just to make visitors happy. But St. Petersburg's Manege Exhibition Hall decided to just make people happier in its new "Peace and Joy" exhibit – with the help of nineteenth-century Russian painters. You will not find "battles, heartbreaking dramas, fervent passions, heightened emotions, or frightening mysticism" here. In an unusual twist, the exhibit includes an original soundtrack playing in the gallery and swings for guests – though nowhere near the paintings. The exhibition brings together artwork from 39 collections around the world.
  • A Russian dog has received all new paws. Monika was found in southern Russia with all of her paws cut off, and activists raised money online for her to get prosthetics in Novosibirsk. Her titanium paws were printed on a 3D printer.
  • You want Hugo Boss or Tommy Hilfiger cologne for the holidays? That's kid stuff. Try the new Russian man scent, a combination of leather, metal, and exhaust fumes from a stealth fighter jet. The scent is called The Checkmate after Russia's latest Sukhoi fighter jet. All that man musk has had juniper, oakmoss, and patchouli added to it to taste. It is unknown whether the fragrance will see mass adoption after so far only being distributed at the Dubai Airshow 2021.
  • Getting a lump of coal for Christmas is not always a bad thing. Residents of the Far East are being promised coal as a COVID-19 vaccination incentive. Other gifts – which we might rather have – are haircuts, gym memberships, microwaves, and dental services. However, the lump of coal is nothing to sneeze at: it is a three-ton lump!

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