Tag: books

Innovative iPad Case Design and a Treasure Trove of Lost Photos | May 28 2025, 00:57

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.)

Shifting Paradigms in Evidence-Based Medicine: 15 Evolving Perspectives | May 26 2025, 01:16

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 In 2004, it was withdrawn from the market due to an increased risk of heart attacks.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.

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.

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).

Metropolitan Opera’s Le Nozze di Figaro: A Mixed Experience | May 03 2025, 04:14

I’m not even sure whether to praise the Metropolitan Opera or criticize them. They have a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro, and this year they are showing it exactly once in a live broadcast on April 26 and exactly once in a recording on April 30, and only in select theaters worldwide. They offer recordings for a fee, but never from the current season—well, for obvious reasons. So, Figaro will only be added to their library next year.

Our local cinema failed the live broadcast—they apologized, sent us home, and promised a refund. Four days later, a recorded session was shown in the same theater. That went almost smoothly, if you ignore the severe sound issues during the first 30 minutes. Since I can’t tell if both were issues with the specific theater or poor organization by the Met, I dropped them a support line just in case.

And support apologized on behalf of the theater and, as a nice bonus, sent me a link to a video 1280 × 720, 3h37m, asking me to watch it by Monday because after that the carriage turns back into a pumpkin. Well, okay, not quite an mp3 file, but it streams via m3u8, and yt-dlp manages to convert it into a 6-gigabyte mp4 file in 3 minutes.

Interestingly, this recording starts with the opera artists singing the Ukrainian anthem on stage before the curtain is even raised. This introduction was not shown at the cinema.

I am honest, and of course, I won’t give the file to anyone. I will watch it myself when convenient, and then I may delete it, or might keep it on my personal laptop for personal use. And I might even buy a subscription to the Met this weekend. In short, they’ve done well, though, there is a small nuance 🙂

Exploring the Morning Coffee Conundrum: Caffeine vs. Adenosine Dynamics | May 03 2025, 01:31

I started reading a very good book, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. It states that the caffeine in coffee operates by clogging up the receptors of adenosine, which accumulates throughout the day and contributes to sleep pressure—the growing urge to sleep. However, what the book doesn’t mention, and what I’m curious about, is why people drink coffee in the morning when there is minimal adenosine in the body to begin with. Well, theoretically, caffeine could linger for several hours, but usually, adenosine doesn’t build up enough within a few hours to cause drowsiness.

Interestingly, in the evening or at night, coffee works—but as they say, there’s a catch. Caffeine temporarily blocks the adenosine receptors, making you feel alert. Yet, adenosine continues to accumulate in the background, and by nighttime, there’s a ton of it. As soon as the caffeine level drops, all the accumulated adenosine molecules “crash onto the receptors. This causes a sharp wave of sleepiness and fatigue—and that’s the infamous “crash.

Is there an explanation for morning coffee? Or is it just tradition?

A Night of Nostalgia: Rediscovering Forgotten Melodies with Vizbor’s Comrades | April 28 2025, 06:00

Unexpectedly, Nadya and I found ourselves at a concert commemorating Vizbor, featuring artists who instantly took us back to our student years, to hiking trips and evening gatherings with a guitar. Onstage was also our wonderful friend — actor and founder of an acting school, Artem Lyskov, with whom it’s always a pleasure to meet and chat. Their next tour stops are Philadelphia, then Boston and Brooklyn.

That evening, the stage welcomed Veniamin Smekhov, Yuliy Kim, Alexey Ivaschenko (Ivasi) with his daughter, actress Maria Ivaschenko, Timur Shaov, Dmitry Bogdanov, Galina Khomchik with her son Alexey, and Artem Lyskov.

It’s amazing how many songs, forgotten since our student days, seemed firmly lodged in memory. As soon as the guitar played, the words emerged effortlessly, one after another, as if untouched by the decades.

Recent Russian Popular Science Book Recommendations | April 25 2025, 02:49

Recommend something worthwhile from popular science in Russian — probably something that has been released in the last year and a half.

I’m organizing additions to my bookshelf – this time from publishers in the Russian language.