Monthly Archives: February 2010
Nothing says 'Happy Friday!' like a two-legged dog
Today, I bring to you this, a Russian news report about an Israeli who adopts a dog with only two legs. Cringe factor is extraordinarily high, and you’ll also notice a strong redemption trope.
In wake of hockey loss, for once, Russia doesn't hide its shame
This morning the Russians who didn’t stay up to see their hockey team get trounced by the Canadians 7:3, woke up to find that their hockey team had been trounced by the Canadians 7:3. It was the first time in … Continue reading
Enemy retreats from Moscow, re-enactors party like it's 1942
Okay, this is kind of great. On February 23, Defenders of the Fatherland Day (née Red Army Day), 22 employees from the Vadim Zadorozhny Technical Museum and activists from the Motherland’s History Milestones reenacted the momentous occasion when, in February 1942, … Continue reading
Putin and Medvedev blood brothers. Really.
In an interview with French journal Paris Match, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev laughed when his interlocutor reminded him of Vladimir Putin’s September remarks about the 2012 elections and which one of them will run. “We shall come to an agreement,” Putin … Continue reading
Plushenko shows flashes of delusion, platinum, then a little less delusion
On Monday, Yahoo! News reported that Evgeni Plushenko, who took gold in men’s sniveling at Vancouver last week, was actually feeling all better because he had simply changed his frame of reference: he gave himself a platinum medal. That’s right. … Continue reading
Putin to Plushenko: your silver worth gold, your eyes contain galaxies
After three and a half years off the ice, gold-medal winning Russian figure skater and parfum hawker Yevgeny Plushenko has returned, dragging behind him all the prima donna habits he’s acquired in the years of socialite-bouncing twixt then and now. … Continue reading
Study theology, modernize the economy
If you haven’t heard, modernization and also innovation were really in for this year’s Russia fall/winter collection. Most of the talk has centered on reversing brain drain, improving education, fostering technological and nanotechnological innovation, and pulling the Russian economy out … Continue reading
Gotta gotta have a persona non grata
Once, when he was president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko was persona non grata in Moscow, partially because he was a foolish president, mostly because he sucked up to Europe too much for Russia’s taste. In August, President Dmitri Medvedev sent … Continue reading
CIA, Obama out to get racist Russian figure skaters
In late January, with less than a month left to go before the Vancouver Winter Olympics, scandal engulfed two young figure skaters from Russia. Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin were surprised to discover that the aboriginal-inspired routine and costumes with … Continue reading
Porn hacker, traffic jam creator nabbed in Novorossiisk
On January 14, at precisely 11:05 pm, a giant digital billboard on one of the busiest streets in Moscow lit up with something highly unsual. The traffic jam was almost instantaneous as awed drivers craned to get a glimpse of … Continue reading
