Three Guys in Ded Moroz Suits Clean Out Pawn Shop in 47 Seconds in Novosibirsk

Russians have as many satirical takeoffs on Ded Moroz as we do of Santa Claus… here’s a “saucy” Ded Moroz… being NAUGHTY…

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On Thursday, local cops said that three armed robbers in Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) costumes took all the gold jewellery from a pawn shop in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk in 47 seconds. The three hoax New Year gift-givers stood outside the shop for a while, greeting passers-by, probably, carefully timing the robbery. Their behaviour didn’t seem suspicious to the pawn shop’s staff and visitors, who thought the three men were involved in an advertising campaign. At 17.15 local time (13.15 MSK 09.15 UTC 04.15 EST 01.15 PST) on Wednesday, the three Father Frosts burst into the shop, waving shotguns. District Police Chief Yuri Titovich said, “The three men acted defiantly, without a moment of hesitation. They shot four times, so, everyone took them seriously. I need hardly say that robbing such a shop in 47 seconds requires certain skills”. The owner has yet to assess the damage; however, we know that the robbers took all the gold jewellery from the shop, including at least 160 gold chains. Police are currently checking footage from surveillance cameras in the shop. All the robbers wore masks and false beards. A similar crime took place last year in the same city. A robber dressed as Father Frost took about 5.5 million roubles (171,000 USD 132,000 Euros 110,000 UK Pounds), but the cops caught him, and a judge gave him four years behind bars.

NB:

Click on the link below and the page has a link to a 37-second surveillance video of the affair

30 December 2011

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/crime/20111229/170549840.html

30 December 2011. RIA-Novosti Infographics. The Classic Recipe for Olivier Salad: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012!

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Salat Olivye, to give it its Russian name, is THE quintessential New Year’s party dish; if it ain’t sitting in the middle of the festive board, it ain’t New Year’s, kids. Even hard-core Orthodox have it on the table… it’s sorta a “known exception to the rule” of the Christmas Lent. So… have your Salat Olivye on the table, your hooch in the glasses, and your guests at table, and that’s the ingredients for a fantastic Meet the New Year Party. By the way, this is the original recipe from the 19th century. Most modern Russians add cooked potatoes cut into small dice and drained canned baby peas to the salad. EVERYBODY nowadays adds potatoes and peas. Any questions? This is what’s often called “Russian Salad” on Western menus.

с Новым годом!

BMD

30 December 2011

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/infographics/20111230/170487933.html

Yuliya Timoshenko to Serve Sentence in Kharkov Oblast Penal Colony

Yuliya Timoshenko (1960- ), former Ukrainian Prime Minister… not only are her “roots” showing, she has the tight facial skin characteristic of those who’ve had “vanity surgery”… can anyone spell F-A-C-E-L-I-F-T?

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On Friday, the prison service said that Ukrainian opposition leader Yuliya Timoshenko, convicted on charges of abuse of office, will serve her sentence at the Kachanovskaya Penal Colony in Kharkov Oblast. In October, the former prime minister received a sentence of seven years imprisonment for acting beyond her powers in sealing a gas deal with Russia in 2009. In its statement, the prison service said, “Yuliya Timoshenko was convoyed to prison in Kharkov Oblast at 08.00 EET (09.00 MSK 06.00 UTC 01.00 EST 22.00 29 December PST). Doctors examined her before leaving and concluded that her health didn’t prevent her transportation”. Media reports said earlier that Timoshenko left the pre-trial detention ward in a wheelchair as she was unable to walk, but the prison service refuted this information. The service said that she went to prison in a comfortable minibus, whilst a separate vehicle delivered her luggage, consisting of 12 suitcases. Sergei Vlasenko, a lawyer for Timoshenko, confirmed that the former prime minister arrived at the Kachanovskaya Penal Colony where 900 other inmates are serving their time, including 14 serving life sentences. The prosecution and imprisonment of Timoshenko, a heroine of the country’s Western-leaning 2004 Orange Revolution, was widely criticised abroad. The 51-year-old Timoshenko insists that she’s a victim of a conspiracy by President Viktor Yanukovich, her long-time political opponent. Yanukovich denies the allegations.

30 December 2011

RIA-Novosti

http://en.rian.ru/world/20111230/170562579.html

Editor’s Note:

Don’t shed a tear for Lil’ Mizz Yuliya. “She went to prison in a comfortable minibus, whilst a separate vehicle delivered her luggage, consisting of 12 suitcases”. That’s doesn’t sound too typical to me. In short, she’s going to serve her sentence Martha Stewart-style… in comfy surroundings in a min-security atmosphere. I’ll say this… the other inmates are glad that she’s there… it means that the prison administration won’t be able to pull off too many gags as the Kiev authorities are going to be inspecting the place every other Tuesday with extra spot checks thrown in for good measure. That means that the level of corruption and thievery will be kept to a bearable minimum. Yuliya will finally serve a useful purpose…

BMD

30 December 2011. A Request from Me to You…

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If you’re at Liturgy this Sunday, shall you light a candle or offer a prosphora in memory of Denise? Her date of death was 3 January, so that’s the Sunday preceding. It’d mean a great deal to me and Nicky. Her “church name” was Dionysia… having “two names”… that’s common in the diaspora, isn’t it?

Thank you for listening…

BMD