# To hell with gnomes and flamingos

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-gnomes-and-flamingos/1027444>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 6, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-gnomes-and-flamingos/1027444 "2026-02-06T16:31:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-gnomes-and-flamingos/1027444/1 "2026-02-06T16:31:01Z")

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Somebody missed out on getting the perfect lawn ornament.

> **[Russia says 2.8-ton chunk of Aletai meteorite disguised as garden ornament...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-aletai-meteorite-smuggling-uk-disguised-garden-ornament-shipping-container/)**
>
> Russia's customs service says a 2.8-ton chunk of the Aletai meteorite was found in a shipping container, labeled as a garden ornament.

I fail how to see how it was a “strategically important cargo”. It is a cool hunk of iron and nickel. One of the largest known falls and _the_ largest known strewnfield (in China). But effecting Russia not at all other than passing through there.

> **[Aletai meteorite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aletai_meteorite)**
>
> The Aletai meteorite, previously also known as the Armanty meteorite or Xinjiang meteorite, is one of the largest known iron meteorites, classified as a coarse octahedrite in chemical group IIIE-an.\[b\] In addition to many small fragments, at least five main fragments with a total mass over 74 tonnes have been recovered, the largest weighing about 28 tonnes.
> Among the irons of the Aletai meteorite, three pieces can be distinguished, which at the moment apparently occupy the 5th, 6th and 9th place...

> **[Aletai Meteorite For Sale - Aerolite Meteorites](https://aerolite.org/product-category/iron-meteorites/aletai/)**
>
> Aletai Iron Meteorite Slices, Shapes and Crystals. Iron from China. Shop confidently!

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**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2026, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-gnomes-and-flamingos/1027444/2 "2026-02-06T16:44:51Z")

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> [@Darren\_Garrison](#):
>
> I fail how to see how it was a “strategically important cargo”.

Something like that is very valuable so, by seizing it, Russia gets something very valuable under the guise of the law. Doing one thing and claiming another is standard operating procedure tor a totalitarian regime. For example, you do: Kill a dissident. You say: He fell out a window.