Interestingly, it turns out there’s a species of mouse called the edible dormouse. The second word, edible, indicates that they were commonly eaten for a long time and were considered a delicacy, and they are still consumed today — in Slovenia and Croatia, though mainly during festivals. For example, in the suburbs of Rijeka (mostly in Kastav) as well as on the islands of Brač and Hvar.
Poor little mice.
Can you guess which of the photos is mine, the darker one (1) or the lighter one (2)? The one that’s not mine is authored by ChatGPT
Dug up some pics from our 2012 trip on the “Kruzenshtern”, Warnemünde(Rostock) – Flensburg (12-17.08.12). It was a mixture of budget and premium vacation “in one bottle.” Five days on board cost 650 euros per person, but the price included accommodations and four meals a day, total freedom on the ship, all kinds of fun like heading out to sea in a dinghy and climbing the masts. Besides us, there were three other tourists like us, and a hundred crew members, mostly cadets. The barque isn’t stretchy, it fits only as many tourists as there are guest cabins (berths).
The Kruzenshtern was built in 1926 in Germany at the “Geestemünder Werft AG” shipyard and was originally named Padua — in honor of the Italian city of Padua. It was one of the legendary series of barques known as the “Flying P-Liners operated by the shipping company F. Laeisz. After World War II, in 1946, the barque was handed over to the USSR as reparations and renamed in honor of the Russian navigator Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern — a participant in the first Russian circumnavigation (1803–1806). For decades, the Kruzenshtern remained the largest actively-sailed sailing ship in the world.
According to Vesselfinder, it’s somewhere around Cape Town nowadays, still alive and kicking.
Back in 2010, I devised the design for a leather case with a shoulder strap for the first iPad and had it custom-made from my sketches by a craftsman (Evgeny Lunin). The idea was simple—use it, then just toss it over your shoulder, hanging there, open or closed. It was insanely convenient. I’ve never seen such a thing on sale ever again.
(I found an old hard drive in the garage with lost photos on it. Just from the US, there are 82 gigabytes of photos from 2015, in Raw format, including several videos. And along with them, all sorts of other photos have surfaced too.)
Yesterday, we arrived to refuel at the Tesla supercharger v4 325kW, which is the fastest one. We plugged the hose into the car, and a loud gurgling sound began to come from the stand. “The current is flowing,” says Nadya. It seems to be some sort of liquid cooling. Inside the car, the battery is also intensely cooling during charging, because 48 amps is quite a lot.
But while we were charging, we saw a very strange scene. Next to us, there was a Tesla being charged from an outdoor outlet of a nearby building with a very long cable. I mean, it’s certainly possible, but it takes an hour to charge the battery by 1% (which is about 5km). Well, at least it’s free. People do the oddest things;-) and the funny thing is, they could have parked right next to the outlet, but no, they park at the supercharger and charge from an outlet across the street;)
Female sale
I stumbled upon 15 examples where evidence-based medicine has shifted its stance over time. Truly intriguing; there was a lot I didn’t know.
1. Cholesterol: “bad vs “good
Originally, total cholesterol was considered the main risk. Nowadays, it’s more important to look at LDL (“bad) and HDL (“good) in the context of inflammation and overall metabolic state. High levels of LDL (“bad)—a confirmed risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, especially when HDL (“good cholesterol) levels are low.
2. Saturated Fats
Long considered a cause of cardiovascular diseases. Modern studies have proven: trans fats are indeed harmful, but natural saturated fats in moderate amounts are permissible. In the USA, as I understand, there has been a complete ban on adding artificial trans fats to food products since 2021, while in Russia, as I found, there is a limit of 2% trans fat content in certain products, but no total ban and less stringent control measures are in place.
3. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
HRT was long believed to protect against cardiovascular diseases in women. The WHI study (2002) showed an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and breast cancer with combined therapy.
4. Vioxx (rofecoxib)
This drug was heavily advertised as safe for joints. In 2004, it was withdrawn from the market due to an increased risk of heart attacks. It was found that the manufacturer had hidden side effects.
5. Antiarrhythmics Post-Heart Attack
Drugs like flecainide were used post-heart attack. The CAST study (1989) showed: such drugs increased mortality.
6. Low-Fat Diets
Fats were once considered the main culprits of obesity. Today, it’s clear that replacing fats with sugar and fast carbohydrates only intensified the epidemic of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
7. Infant Weaning
Solid foods used to be introduced at 2–3 months. Today, WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months.
8. Stomach Ulcer and Helicobacter pylori
Ulcers were once linked to stress and diet. Now, it’s known that the main cause is H. pylori infection. Treatment involves antibiotics. Upon my arrival in the US, it was immediately detected and treated.
9. Antidepressants and the “Serotonin Theory
Depression was formerly explained by a lack of serotonin. Nowadays, this theory is not supported, and the effectiveness of antidepressants is critically assessed.
10. Omega-3
Omega-3 supplements were once regarded as a panacea for the heart. Major studies (e.g., VITAL, 2018) found no benefits in healthy individuals. Eating fish continues to be considered beneficial.
11. Vitamin D
Its deficiency was associated with many diseases. However, meta-analyses have shown: vitamin D supplements do not prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart attacks unless there is a deficiency.
12. Aspirin for Prevention
Aspirin used to be prescribed to many healthy individuals. Today, its use is limited to high cardiovascular risk due to the risk of bleeding.
13. Statins
Previously prescribed widely, including for moderately elevated cholesterol. Now prescribed selectively, based on overall risk assessment.
14. “Safe Opioids
In the 1990s, it was claimed that OxyContin did not cause addiction. This triggered the opioid crisis in the USA—one of the biggest challenges to the healthcare system.
15. PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer
Mass PSA screening led to overdiagnosis and unnecessary surgeries. Nowadays, its use is individualized, after discussion with the patient.
Caught a tick with a surprise (LD), gobbling antibiotics. Around our parts, venturing into nature requires a spacesuit 😞 dogs have it good, pop a pill and all the ticks that bite you drop dead at the bite. Just in case, it’s probably not a good idea to kiss him on the nose now.
Today I discovered an interesting story about the name of the brand Lululemon (see below) and it turns out, not only is `ballet` pronounced in English as bal-AY (it seems everyone knows this), but also `cabriolet` as ka-bree-ow-ley, `valet` as val-AY, and even `parquet` as paar-kay. `buffet` is also pronounced as buh-FAY, but there is also the verb `to buffet` which is pronounced as BUH-fit. and `sorbet` is pronounced as sor-BAY. They are all borrowings from French.
It also turned out that aborigine is pronounced as a·buh·ri·juh·nee. `apostrophe` and `catastrophe` are pronounced as uh·po·struh·fee and kuh·ta·struh·fee respectively. `coyote` is pronounced as `kai·ow·tee`. The word `dilettante` (did you know there are two t’s together?) is pronounced as di·luh·tan·tee. Well, about recipe (reh·suh·pe) and fiance (fee-ahn-say) everyone probably knows.
I also read an interesting story about why Lululemon is called just that. Lululemon Athletica founder, Chip Wilson, shared: “The reason the Japanese liked Homeless (his former skateboard brand) was that the name had the letter “L. A Japanese marketing agency would never come up with a brand name containing “L because it isn’t in their alphabet. They find it hard to pronounce. So I thought: next time I have a company, I’ll invent a name with three “Ls and see if I can make three times the money. It’s amusing to watch them try to pronounce it.” (2004 interview with National Post Business Magazine)
Walking around the house with Yuka, it’s like a whole zoo here. But nature is treacherous indeed. Just the other day, one trail with ticks resulted in a vet visit, and now I’m off to the emergency room. We both got bitten, only Nadya got off lightly. One lesson shines through: in tick-infested places, you should march like she did with bare legs, so all those parasites are in plain sight during the assault on the fortress. I was in jeans, and they took full advantage of that.
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 