LOCKE Official Trailer (2014) Tom Hardy [HD]

Shortwave

My shortwave listening in the early hours on Monday September 29, 2014 at a certain location north of Moscow.

The catch this time:

• Some American Jesus radio -- something about the Sign... of the coming of the Lord, rather poor reception
• CRI - China Radio International on multiple frequencies -- a quick Chinese lesson and a full news bulletin
• (New!) General Overseas Service of All India Radio -- something about climate change
• (New!) Some radio with a pro-Palestinian, pro-lib message.
• (New!) Germany's DW English -- laying it into Hungary's Victor Orban for not loving the EU enough.

Part 1 -- American Jesus radio (...the Sign!), a CRI quick and "easy" Chinese talking lesson...

Part 2 -- CRI Chinese talking lesson ("... "me" means "you"...") and a full news bulletin...

Part 3 -- General Overseas Service of All India Radio with a bit on climate change and a program announcement and some radio with a pro-Palestinian pro-lib, pro-fight message.

Part 4 -- same as the latter in Part 3 (continued) and Germany's DW laying it in English into Hungary's Orban for not enough love for the EU...

BBC News - Driving a cab in 1970s New York

BBC News - Driving a cab in 1970s New York

The London-based US journalist Michael Goldfarb originally planned an entirely different career - as an actor. But while he waited for his big break in New York in the 1970s, he worked as a cab-driver. To begin with it seemed like easy money.

***

DIM: Crown Vic 1st Gen Utah Highway Patrol Livery

Another post in Detroit Iron in Moscow (DIM)... a series of posts where I do a bit of car spotting and photograph "Detroit iron" in Moscow -- i.e. full-size American automobiles that I see on Moscow streets, lanes and especially in back yards whilst not specifically looking for them. 

Today's specimen is a Utah Highway Patrol Crown Victoria 1st Gen 1992-94.

'Utah Highway Patrol"... "State Trooper"... You're a long way from home, buster!

You are serving us now.... and we are servicing you... at a great expense no doubt.

We got you... is that a box of donuts on back seat?

Unfortunately, this time I wasn't able to make more (or better) pictures.

LADA VESTA CONCEPT 2014

The Right Tea

Chose the right tea pic.twitter.com/XCxcDulOEj
— Learn Everyday (@TheGoogleFactz) September 20, 2014

Moskvitch Cars 1956-86

Cannibalising my own earlier post on a car exhibition -- basically raiding it for pictures of the Moskvitch to use in this post which will be in my Moskvitch Cars series.

In chronological order, top to bottom

Moskvitch - Second Generation 1956-65

Moskvitch 402 FR RWD

Moskvitch 402 with a Moskvitch 401 "Woodie" in front of it.

Moskvitch 402 (or 403), two tone

Moskvitch 410, a FR AWD version of the Moskvitch 402

Moskvitch 411, a FR AWD Wagon version of the Moskvitch 402.

Moskvitch Third Generation 1965-86

Moskvitch 412

Moskvitch Izh 412 Rally car

Moskvitch 2137 Wagon Rally car

Szilveszter Rallye 2013 Lada Actions| RallyFeeling.hu

Lada drift. No other car can do it like this

Lada, el adiós de un mito de la era soviética

Yummy?

Yummy *_* pic.twitter.com/oasXPaX1jA
— Tips & Tricks (@Uber_Pixs) September 21, 2014

Park Cafe Beef Burger

On Saturday 20.09.2014 I had "Grand Beef" burger from McDonald's for lunch; on Sunday though the burger came from a summer-style open-air cafe in a small park not far from my place in Moscow. 

Sat drinking tea and coffee waiting for the burger.

The burger is made specially for you (if you believe what they say) -- the meat patty is fried for the whole of seven minutes. But you don't see the process, it could still be microwaved. 

The burger has arrived and looks pretty nice. It is tall but well put together, won't fall apart easily. Also the turquoise plates look cheerful in a bright September sun.

The burger.

The Uncatchable | BBCNewsMagazine

The Uncatchable - How Greece's most wanted man became a folk hero

Greece's Robin Hood. A story with text and pictures.

*****

Chrysler 200 Factory | Research More than Just the Car | Reverse

Although the factory tour crashes my mozilla (aka dumbzilla) for some reason.

Oh So Fat! (Fast Food Hamburger Reviews): Burger King vs. McDonald's - Big King vs Big Mac -...

Oh So Fat! (Fast Food Hamburger Reviews): Burger King vs. McDonald's - Big King vs Big Mac -...: For centuries the house of McDonald sat upon the Iron Skillet and ruled the Seven Fast Food Kingdoms with a mythical burger that drew its p...

Slava 2414 Wristwatch

The Slava 2414 Spetsnazovskie (Spetsnaz) watch from my collection.

Powered by the Slava 2414 movement, one of Slava's 24xx series movements post-1960 -- one (date) calendar, central sweep second hand, manual winding.

Even though it says "Spetsnaz" on the dial and there's a an owl-like emblem (which may or may not be the emblem of Russia's Spetsnaz crack troops), there are no specific protective qualities -- no shock resist beyond basic and no water resistance. It is just Slava's military themed watch... they made many of those in the late 1990s - early 2000s. 

 


 

An owl in the top half of the dial.



... and says Spetsnaz at the bottom.



On wrist.

 


Movements shots, made later.

It is a Russian period 2414 movement, probably early 2000s.

Twin barrels.

A compact movement.

"Grand Beef" McDonalds Burger

On Saturday I had the eponymous (i.e. as in title of this post) burger for lunch in my car after taking it from what is known here in Moscow as a McAvto, a drive-through (-by) outlet. 

Like this one for instance, although on Saturday it wasn't at night, as I said it was my lunch.

Curiously, the burger in question is called in Russian Гранд Биф... which in literal translation is Grand Beef. However I wasn't able to find a McDonald's burger called Grand Beef in any other market. The closest match is probably Grand Angus but unlike the Grand Angus the "Grand Beef" has no cheese in it and some other small ingredients are different, nor does it mention any Angus beef. Here in Russia it is still advertised as a new product or maybe it is just seasonal.

Anyway, whatever it is, I had it for lunch on Saturday.

The paper bag it was in. The bag states that McDonald's uses 50% of its used cooking oils to make biodiesel.

It says literally, Grand Beef - Classic Burger on the box.

It is large but flat - similar to Big Tasty, one beef patty.

Cut lettuce spills over.

My curbside lunch on Saturday 20, 2014 under a bright and warm September sun.

So bright that it interfered with my photography again... something always interferes with it.

What is in it.

Under the top bun is some yellow ketchup -- tastes sour sweet or maybe even curry-like. Two tomato slices and some bacon bits, lettuce.

Fans rush to HMT as watchmaker marks time | India Insight + HMT loses race against time, to be shut soon | Indian Express

On India's HMT watches... and HMT is set to expire? 

Fans rush to HMT as watchmaker marks time | India Insight

Retailers have reported a spike in sales of HMT watches, especially hand-wound mechanical models, after Indian media reports said last week that the unprofitable unit of HMT Machine Tools Ltd was likely to wind down.

And another one as referenced in above

 HMT loses race against time, to be shut soon


HMT Watches website

Russian Cars -- Auto Industry of the USSR Exhibition 2014

In August we visited the VDNKh, a permanent expo and entertainment facility here in north of Moscow where I am based, as I mentioned in this post -- Pictures from an Exhibition.

I also mentioned there that the Space Pavilion there was at the time hosting a car exhibition -- Auto Industry of the USSR. I made some pictures, and here they are.

Entering the exhibition.

Oldies on the ground floor in the middle, such as this GAZ AA truck.

GAZ GL-1, a sports car.

Truth to tell, I am a bit wary of these examples. Obviously, they were heavily restored but the line between restoration and replication is a bit blurred here.

GAZ GL-1

GAZ M-415 pickup.

This is more after my taste -- GAZ M 20 V Pobeda.

ZiM GAZ-12.

Three Chaikas. the first one is a very interesting example.

It is a RAO (RAF) GAZ 13 S Chaika -- a Chaika customized by Riga Auto Plant (RAF). 

Served as an ambulance car for senior party and government officials. One was gifted to Fidel Castro, I think.