Bears riding the subway?

OK, not quite bears. But check out this article from the Financial Times about Moscow's feral dogs who apparently ride the subway.

Every so often, you would see one waiting on a metro platform. When the train pulled up, the dog would step in, scramble up to lie on a seat or sit on the floor if the carriage was crowded, and then exit a few stops later.

Yeah, you would think that in Russia it would be bears riding the subway, commuting to work for the circus or something. But I'll take it. Oh, and there's video.

Turn the sound off for this first one, it is just horrible lo-fi subway hiss.





So yeah. In Japan cats run train stations, and in Russia dogs commute to work. I think we are not getting enough productivity out of our pets. Maybe we could train parrots to work in call centers? Come on America, we are falling behind in the pet arms race.

Bloc music

You'll notice another new linky on the sidebar. This time I am proud to give you music from the Soviet Union. It has some real gems. Not only can you get popular music from the USSR from the 40s up to the 80s, but there are posters and speeches and whatnot. Oh, did I mention posters?



Alcohol, the enemy of production!

The Golden Snail

Here is a treat that will keep you warm all winter long. It is a cartoon by the Russian master Yuri Norstein, aka the Golden Snail.



They call him that because his work process is so slow. He makes these all himself. No animation studio, just his wife.

I'll keep repeating this: those Russians know how to make the most of winter. Get ready to bundle up.

For your autumnal studies

Falling leaves, cold precipitation, and grey skies; these make for a good autumn. And what can be better for a cold snap than something to warm your mind and spirit? I have said before and will state again; the Russians really know how to enjoy a good winter. Perhaps it is the Thoreau I'm reading that brings out the bucolic musings, but they are magnified by reading the Russian Romantics. And that is my advice to you when things get chilly.

Reading list: I have a great love of Anton Chekhov, but am now finding Turgenev to be near equal in greatness. His writing is quintessentially Romantic. We find a love of Western intellectuals coupled with a quixotic pastoralism - in contrast to the industrial revolution I should note - and a wistful longing for the atavism to an ancient lost time (one that surely never really was), and almost a reverence for the hinterland.

Listening mix: Tchaikovsky, naturally. Sure, there are other Russians, but none so good in winter. Blasphemy? Not Myaskovsky or Shostakovich? Surely I write in madness induced by cheap brandy! No sir, Tchaikovsky exemplifies the Russian soul. He is the archetypical romantic. And his love for winter is prevalent in his symphonies (Little Russian, 4th, 5th, and 6th).

Drinking mix: I haven't made any punch yet, but nothing warms the soul quite like hot cider and brandy. Get it while the cider is still in season, kids. Whiskey and water can wait; the cider mill is open for scarcely a few weeks. Also, in lieu of a samovar I have a thermal carafe filled with black tea. But more on that later I suppose.



The buds of spring end up the detritus of fall...



Autumn inexorably gives way to winter



Winter is a wonderland of lights in a time of darkness. The worst we can do is forget this in January and February, two very long months fast approaching.

Into the belly of the beast

So I have two pretty solid leads for jobs. They both involve climbing back into the belly of the beast. One of them into Malebolge's maw. Will I be devoured whole? Who knows? Still, I gots bills to pay. So into the belly of the beast I may indeed crawl.

OK, now for something cheerful. Check out this band history from Myspace:

If one states Rossomahaars history is History in full measure, hes wrong. Nevertheless, the bands foundation dates back to the beginning of 1995, when Lazar (guitars) and Vlad (drums, vocals) started off working on few compositions which, this way or another, could be reckoned to the genre of black metal stylistically. Speaking about Rossomahaar as its been in the year 1995, one would easily say there wasnt much place for originality Those songs were issued in the shape of Grotesque demo later on, though. A fact worth mentioning: both musicians simultaneously played in Moscows dark metal act Stonehenge, which was considered top-priority then, and therefore Rossomahaars rehearsals took place quite rarely, to say the least. However; both came up with an idea of putting the songs they composed on tape Summer 1997, although personal and musical disagreements ruined the whole affair. Three tracks were recorded, but never issued anywhere.

They sound ok, nothing to write home about. But I love that band history. Hey, they're Russians writing in English - how good could you write in Russian? Still "could be reckoned to the genre of black metal" is a phrase I never imagined I'd read.