A documentary producer and a journalist took a road trip from Moscow to Sochi to see the Olympics. Their rented vehicle was a Lada Niva, a car selected because “it is the closest thing to an automotive version of the Russian soul.”
With its snub nose and mile-apart headlights, the Niva looks like a dimwitted but scrappy puppy, and the ride is about as comfortable as a minor earthquake. When driving at highway speeds, the wheel squirms in your hands as if you’ve offended it. Gear changes are about as smooth as eating a spoonful of hot gravel, and the gas pedal might as well be made of soft cheese. The Niva is as drafty as a paper bag and about as fast as you’d expect of a Russian car that originated, for all intents and purposes, while Elvis was alive.
Along the way, they attended a wedding and an Orthodox Christmas celebration, but the star of the story is the Niva, a tough little car that can be reliable if you are good with a hammer. –via Metafilter
(Image credit: Paul S. Amundsen)
Comments (1)
I am a big John Lennon fan. He was tremendously talented. At that time, he was also incredibly naive, a nasty drunk and, frankly, a bit of a dick even when sober. Let's not forget that he was barely 31 when this song was released, and a very immature 31 at that - given what had happened to him to that point, that's hardly a surprise.
This is one of the saddest aspects of his assassination just 9 years later. By that time, it seemed like he had broken through at least some of his issues and was just about to hit a new gear - sadly, it is left to us to "Imagine" what might have been...
All this reminds me of the WKRP episode dealing with a religious leader attempting to censor the station's programming. They used this song in it.
One more note - it is funny that performers wish to exclude the "no religion" line. I mean, I see where they are coming from, but considering religion has, throughout history, been a huge source of conflict in the world, it would be totally wrong to exclude it. Good for you, Yoko!
Feeling a sense of negativity and rebellion in the aura Lennon gave off, I thought the balance of McCartney's warmer disposition brought John Lennon more towards the middle.
I liked "Woman" and "Imagine", but "Give Peace a Chance" and "Instant Karma" eluded my tastes. Teenage life was already hard enough... I think I was wanting to have music as an escape from the worries and challenges, more than having to make heavy statements.
Oh............ and somehow I NEVER understood "Yoko Ono" - Period.
Still, a very interesting article Eddie, it helps peek into that mysterious mind of John Lennon that I just never quite adjusted to.