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July 19, 2005
Russians: always racially sensitive
Connie, who some say is named after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, is not only the star of a book [about her master, Putin] but also has a leading role in a weekly comic strip, "Connie and Her Master," which has appeared in Ogonyok magazine since the start of the year.
Connie is a black Labrador Retriever.
(From an article on Irina Borisova's new children's book, tangentially about Putin, as seen through his dog's eyes. Is she deifying him? Satirising him? For a sensationalist overview on Russian reading habits generally, see today's St Petersburg Times, wasting my time and yours with such thunderclap revelations as, "leaders and businessmen buy more economic and political literature; housewives choose cookbooks and children's books" - apparently the actual findings of an actual study.
Although pensioners like to read, they have a tendency to buy fewer books, "because they are often poor," Golovko said.
Sigh. In any case, having ridden six months' worth of St Petersburg Metro convinces me that reading, especially of detective stories, is alive and well. I'd be interested to know what the corresponding statistics for active reading are in the United States, for example.)
Posted by michele at July 19, 2005 9:34 AM
Comments
From parallel reality:
http://www.citizenofthemonth.com/2005/07/11/sophia-vs-lavalife/
Posted by: Tatyana at July 19, 2005 10:31 AM
"Yes, that's me and my master. ... No wrong. That's my master and me," she writes. "I name my master first, and then I name myself. That's good manners, right?"
...but poor grammar, right?
Posted by: Calum at July 21, 2005 1:07 PM