The Dead Drop: May 1

GOOD GOD: The Russian Armed Forces are building a mega-church in Moscow. The facility, which is scheduled to open on May 9 – the 75^th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany – is awe inspiring. The facility comes complete with mosaics depicting godlike figures such as Vladimir Putin and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov.  No, really.  You can see the pictures yourself in the Moscow Times. The cathedral celebrates more than just World War II, however. Another mosaic honors Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Josef Stalin also makes an appearance. Apparently, he is being slowly rehabilitated in the former USSR.

LEATHER NECK/LEATHER JACKET:  We know we live in strange times – but here’s a story we didn’t see coming. Former Secretary of Defense, and retired USMC 4-star general, Jim Mattis recently made his modeling debut. According to Business Insider, Mattis was photographed wearing a $1322 leather jacket marketed by a company called “Kill Kapture” that is owned by a former Australian soldier. Mattis apparently befriended, Mark Wales, the company’s founder, a few years ago. In fact, the photo was taken in 2015 when Wales and Mattis happened to both be in New York City. Wales later asked Mattis if he could use the photo for marketing purposes and the general is said to have responded: “Yeah, you can use it for whatever you want. You can put in on a billboard in Russia if you want.”