Choosing the Tesla Model Y 2026: A Personal Review | May 24 2025, 18:53

Well, congratulate me 😉 I’ve finally picked the Tesla Model Y 2026, despite doubts about whether it’s worth paying Musk. I carefully analyzed all the alternatives to the “horrible Tesla,” but the new model beats all competitors, some by a significant margin. The only thing is I could have saved a bit. Tesla has finally made decent interior materials, and they and the exterior design finally match the price. And the AWD with a 4.5-second acceleration is hard to underestimate.

The level of automation from the buying process to driving is so advanced that, as an IT professional, I find it hard to rank anything above it.

I drove home for half an hour on full autopilot. Really cool, but after three months I won’t renew it; it’s pricey, although good. On some left turns, I would let more oncoming cars pass than it does, but, I must admit, it calculates very accurately.

Exploring the Forest Trail: Ticks, Trails, and Late-Night Returns | May 18 2025, 02:01

It turned out that there is a forest near the house and a 12-km trail runs through it, around the reservoir. We hadn’t even reached home yet, and I had already removed 20 ticks from myself (none had attached), about five from Nadya, and at least ten from Yuki.

We didn’t quite estimate the time well and ended up returning literally at night. What I like about American infrastructure is that it’s usual to find a restroom open at night by the parking area in the forest, with hot water, where Yuki could wash his paws before getting into the car.

Unveiling the Mysteries of Shark Eggs | May 17 2025, 12:31

How intriguing. These are all shark eggs. They are also called “Mermaid’s Purses”—tough leather-like capsules that protect the embryo and often have tendrils for clinging to seaweed or rocks. The horny shells of shark eggs are made up of roughly the same materials as our nails and hair. Their sizes vary from a few centimeters to about the size of a palm, and the development of the embryo takes months. After hatching, the empty capsules can be found on beaches. At the moment the egg emerges into the world, it has enough food supplies for the upcoming period. How they hatch: as soon as the right time comes, the shark egg slightly opens at the bottom, and the young shark slowly acclimates to the conditions in which it will live. After acclimation, it breaks through the egg’s shell and enters the open world.

Celebrating Liza’s Commencement and New Beginnings at Virginia Tech | May 16 2025, 02:00

Liza has finally graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and now we have a certified architect in the family! Over here, a graduation ceremony is called a “Commencement,” which translates from English as “beginning.” Today, there was a formal diploma presentation ceremony. However, they don’t actually hand out diplomas but something like a voucher for a diploma, which can be converted into a diploma as long as you don’t have any “tails” left. Because the ceremony is a thing unto itself, and of course, no one is going to move or adjust it. The actual diploma will be sent by mail.

Today and tomorrow, our entire family, including our menagerie, is in Blacksburg—the place where the huge university campus is located, seemingly taking over the entire little town in southern Virginia. Nearly 40,000 students study here alongside about 13,000 staff members. It’s a whole universe, its branches shining even in our parts: campuses and research centers are not only here in Blacksburg. But this place is the “core.”

Well, now Liza, learn to drive! You won’t manage to get to work on public transportation around here; it’s very fragmented, slow, and unreliable. All in all, we are very happy. Tomorrow is the main event at the big stadium, and then, onto new tracks!

It seems like it was only yesterday. 2020, masks, COVID. But they let you study “in-person.” With a lot of restrictions, but at least not from home. You chose architecture, and people constantly asked us if we had architects in the family? Of course, we do, that’s me, except, well, I’m not really about houses and bridges. But now we have the full spectrum!

If the standard bachelor’s diploma in the States is obtained in four years, at Virginia Tech it takes five years to study architecture—and that’s still not a master’s degree. Initially, we were all worried about how we were going to afford this. When you apply to the institute, you show them all your income and expenses, and some smart system made up of a mix of people and computers tells you, for example, you’re poor but smart, so the university will charge you little, not a lot. Or it says, “you can afford it, I see,” so they give you the full load, tighten your belts. We didn’t quite meet the necessary level of poverty, and the numbers were initially scary, but somewhere along the way educational loans helped, and we also grew over time and started to get scared less.

And just like that, five years have flown by, and now Liza will start earning her own money. A big deal. From mid-June, Liza starts her first job—the one that had already offered her several internships in summer and winter. So there probably wasn’t even a question of whether to hire her full-time or not.

Lizochka, congratulations again! And wishing you success!

P.S. Also, today is Yuki’s birthday—he’s 4 years old. He sadly watched from the window as we loaded our suitcases into the car. Nadia quietly said, “Yuki, we’re going to Liza and Levchik,” and he, skidding his claws on the floor, charging at full speed, with skids on the turns, dashed to the door and sat next to it! And that’s considering how we usually have to shove him out the door to walk him—he’s a real homebody. Literally: you push him down the steps toward the door and he moves as long as you push him, reluctantly gets dressed in his harness, then he starts his half-hour pond avoidance program. But this time, he totally lost his mind! He understands us somehow.

Navigating Art and Meaning: The Journey of Misha Marker | May 14 2025, 20:26

Misha Marker is one of the few artists I follow who prioritizes meanings and words over technique, though he clearly possesses ample skill in both areas. Residing in Russia, he must navigate his expressions cautiously, yet he appears to manage it successfully. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Virgil Elliot, author of Traditional Oil Painting (arguably the premier resource on the topic) and I posed a question: which holds greater value today, the skill to replicate reality or the creativity that fosters new interpretations? Unsurprisingly, there is no straightforward or sole correct response. Misha’s art primarily explores meanings.

Posts like these are categorized under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com, the “Art Rauf Likes section compiles all 151 entries (in contrast to Facebook, where tag searches often omit nearly half).