Wreck It To Russia

No!  I Don't Mean TODAY
In fact I refer to the old days of the Cold War, when Tsar Putin was having the time of his KGB life, not knowing how late it was (after the song chorus that goes "Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think").
     I'd never heard of Seva Novgorodsev before today, and I won't get the chance, as this ex-BBC disk jockey has now retired at the age of 75.  
     Firstly, a little background.  The British Broadcasting Corporation's World Service does exactly what it says on the tin, broadcasts to the world in 40 different languages.  Because this is the BBC the information is factual, accurate and unbiased.  People therefore trust the BBC WS to tell the truth.

BBC World Service

     This worried the Sinisters in - well, I say "worry" when it's more along the lines of "pant-wetting terror" - no uncertain terms, as they wanted their own propaganda to go out unchallenged.  They tried to jam the Russian WS broadcasts, which apparently cost three times as much as the broadcasts did.  Not only that, it didn't work; it was possible to pick up an unjammed channel because the KGB left one deliberately unjammed so they could monitor what was being put out.*
     Enter Seva in 1977.  He was an immediate hit behind the Iron Curtain, listened to by up to 25 million people, or about 10% of the population.  Art?

The Kremlin quivers!

     As a DJ he gradually worked up to including satirical digs at the Sinister state, taking care not to be offensive about it.
     Dictatorships hate humour, especially satire, as they feel it undermines their authority.  There is nothing worse than stamping along in your best burnished jackboots, STAMP STAMP STAMP, relishing the terror you inspire, only to have people snigger at you because your flies are undone.  Because Seva wasn't jumping up and down yelling "Capitalism good!  Democracy wonderful!  Coke!  MacDonalds!  Haggis!" but instead poking mild fun at them, they found it difficult to respond effectively.
     This drip-drip-drip effect went on until the Sinister Union collapsed, to which Seva definitely contributed, hence that "Wreck" in the title.

He could also play the clarinet and saxophone

     Even now, Tsar Putin will be gibbering with rage at the thought of eeeeeevil Western music corrupting the youth of Russia - "A cannibalistic rhythm orgy leading our youth on the primrose path to Hell", you might say, although that was a cleric of the Twenties going on about jazz.

My man Monk.
(And - cleric?  You can get stuffed)

     Okay!  Time to feed the motley nine pounds of Stilton cheese before it goes to bed!

Conrad Not A Happy Bunny
<heavy sigh> No indeed.  I tell you this so you can feel my pain.  After 8 months working from home, I now return to the Dark Tower full time.  Since I went in twice last week this is not the trauma it would otherwise be.  But still.  Bed by midnight, up at 06:00 ante meridian, having to get a lunch ready the night before, getting an e-ticket bus pass, making sure phone is fully charged, and so on.  
     The up-side is that one gets to be known about the office again, instead of people thinking you emigrated to Ulan Bator, or died.  That latter being a considerable career handicap.

Conrad, not looking happy.  Mind you, that is NOT a face made for smiling.

     <snaps fingers in groovy fashion>
     Conrad likes jazz but doesn't know the first thing about it.  So I went over to Youtube and searched "Thelonius Monk" and now have "Monk's Dream" on whilst I am typing this.  I realise this is not really news, but I like to keep you informed.
     <can't snap fingers again as he hurt them the first time, so hums>

More of TANK
Because you can never have too much of TANK.** I have touched on some - er - bizarre French machines that predate Little Willy and Mother, being remote-controlled demolition devices - tracked mines, if you will.
     If we jump forward to the Second Unpleasantness, the Teutons devised several remote-controlled demolition vehicles, the largest of these being the Borgward IV.  The basic design was a vehicle that happened to be lying around in numbers, not being used for anything, so some bright spark thought "Aha - perfect for carrying and delivering a large amount of high-explosive to target!"  Art?

One hopes it has been rendered safe, or matey is in considerable jeopardy

     It was radio-guided to target, whereupon that large slab-like bit at the front (sorry to be so technical) would slide off, it being half a ton of explosives, which would be on a timed detonation.

The M.O.

     So, with radio remote-control it was a quantum step up from the earlier cable-guided tracked mines; a radio-beam cannot snap, get snagged or run out.  Bear this in mind, as we shall surely come back to it.  O yes indeed!



*  Plus, one feels, they could get access to decent, if decadent, Western music.
**  NO YOU CAN'T!