Tag: books

Innovations in Landscape Design: The Ha-Ha at Castle Howard | September 17 2024, 22:04

I’m reading something interesting

“His Temple of the Four Winds at Castle Howard was the first of its kind. To this, he added the most ingenious and transformative innovation: the ha-ha.

A ha-ha is a sunken fence, a sort of palisade, designed to separate the private part of an estate from the working areas without the visual interference of a fence or hedge. It was an idea adapted from French military fortifications. Since they were invisible until the very last moment, people often discovered them with a surprised exclamation, “Ha-ha!—and, it is said, hence the name. The ha-ha was not just a practical device for keeping cows away from the lawn, but an entirely new way of perceiving the world. Plots, garden, park, estate—everything became part of a unified whole. Suddenly, an attractive part of the property did not have to end at the edge of the lawn. It could continue up to the horizon.

in Wikipedia, it is called Aha or ah-ah.

this is what I’m reading at home by Bill Bryson

Exploring FDA Food Contamination Standards and Defect Action Levels | September 13 2024, 01:14

I am reading the book At Home by Bill Bryson and concurrently Googling. In the USA, the FDA has a standard called the Food Defect Levels Handbook, which sets threshold levels for food contaminants. Find out how much mouse excrement can be in flour!

I will post the link in the comments. Also, check out the next post about Russian standards.

Everywhere the word “permissible” appears, it refers to the DEFECT ACTION LEVEL. It is incorrect to believe that if the FDA sets a defect level for a food product, the manufacturer only needs to not exceed this level. Defect levels are not representative of the average defects found in any of the products—they are, in fact, much lower on average. These levels represent the limits at which the FDA will consider a food product “contaminated” and subject to enforcement under Section 402(a)(3) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

But it’s amusing to recognize that such contaminations do indeed exist and to understand their potential scale.

== Wheat ==

Mouse droppings (MPM-V15): not permissible more than 9 mg of rodent droppings per kilogram

== Wheat Flour ==

Insect contamination (AOAC 972.32): not permissible more than 75 insect fragments per 50 grams

== Chocolate and Chocolate Liquor ==

Insect contamination (AOAC 965.38): not permissible averaging 60 or more insect fragments per 100 grams when analyzing 6 samples of 100 grams EACH OR any sample containing 90 or more insect fragments

Mouse hairs (AOAC 965.38): not permissible averaging 1 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams when analyzing 6 samples of 100 grams EACH OR any sample containing 3 or more rodent hairs

Shell (AOAC 968.10-970.23): for chocolate liquor, shell content not permissible more than 2%, calculated on the basis of non-alkalized cocoa beans

== Pasta and Noodles ==

Insect contamination (AOAC 969.41): not permissible, if on average 225 or more insect fragments per 225 grams in 6 or more samples

Mouse hairs (AOAC 969.41): not permissible, if on average 4.5 or more rodent hairs per 225 grams in 6 or more samples

== Canned or Frozen Spinach ==

Insects and mites (AOAC 974.33): not permissible more than 50 aphids, thrips, and/or mites per 100 grams OR 2 or more larvae 3 mm in length or longer and/or larvae or caterpillar fragments longer than 12 mm per 24 pounds OR an average of 8 or more miners per 100 grams OR an average of 4 or more miners 3 mm in length per 100 grams

== Strawberries: Frozen Whole or Sliced ==

Mold (AOAC 952.22): the average level of mold should not exceed 45% and in half of the samples 55% or more

== Citrus Juices ==

Mold (AOAC 970.75): permissible average mold level <10%

Insects and insect eggs (AOAC 970.72): not permissible 5 or more Drosophila and other fly eggs per 250 ml OR 1 or more larvae per 250 ml

== Coffee (raw beans) ==

Insect contamination and insects (MPM-V1): not permissible on average 10% or more beans infested or damaged by insects

Mold (MPM-V1): not permissible on average 10% or more beans by count moldy

== Corn Flour ==

Insects (AOAC 981.19): not permissible on average 1 or more whole insects (or equivalent) per 50 grams

Insect contamination (AOAC 981.19): not permissible on average 25 or more insect fragments per 25 grams

Mouse hairs (AOAC 981.19): not permissible on average 1 or more rodent hairs per 25 grams OR an average 1 or more rodent dropping fragments per 50 grams

== Cocoa Beans ==

Mold (MPM-V18): not permissible to have more than 4% of beans by count moldy

Mammalian excreta (MPM-V18): not permissible on average 10 mg or more mammalian excreta per pound

== Hops (used in brewing) ==

Insects (AOAC 967.23): not permissible on average more than 2,500 aphids per 10 grams

== Ground Allspice ==

Insects (AOAC 981.21): not permissible: average — 30 or more insect fragments per 10 grams

Mouse hairs (AOAC 981.21): not permissible average — 1 or more rodent hairs per 10 grams

Source of defect: insect fragments — contamination before/after harvest and processing. Rodent hairs — contamination after harvest and/or processing.

…

== Canned and Frozen Berries (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) ==

Mold (AOAC 955.47): permissible average level of mold is 60% and less

Insect larvae (AOAC 981.20): permissible average — 4 or fewer larvae per 500 grams

OR

Average value — not permissible more than 10 whole insects or their equivalents per 500 grams (not including thrips, aphids, and mites)

== Frozen Broccoli ==

Insects and mites (AOAC 945.82): permissible average — 60 or fewer aphids and/or thrips and/or mites per 100 grams

== Frozen Brussels Sprouts ==

Insects (MPM-V95): permissible average — 30 or fewer aphids and/or thrips per 100 grams

== Whole Allspice ==

Mold (MPM-V32): permissible average — 5% or less of berries by weight moldy

Significance: potential health threat — may contain mold producing mycotoxins

== Ground Cinnamon ==

Insect contamination (AOAC 968.38b): permissible on average 400 or fewer insect fragments per 50 grams

Mouse hairs (AOAC 968.38b): permissible on average 11 or fewer rodent hairs per 50 grams

Seeking Advice on Business Administration Education for Masha in Italy | September 12 2024, 13:02

Help! Who knows about Business Administration education in Europe, specifically in Italy? Know someone who knows? Tag your acquaintances in the comments if there are any. My Masha wants and can study in Italy. She almost has a national annual visa (passport with the visa should arrive within a couple of weeks), and she wants to get her first onsite education in a major city like Milan or Rome. She wants a business education, though there is some flexibility here. In English. Such offers exist, but it’s hard for me to evaluate them.

She is currently making calls to universities, and has already spoken to several. The price range is $3,000 to $40,000 per year. Ideally, she’d be able to jump into this semester 2024-2025 or at most the next one, and in some places, this is even possible, but these are small private institutions that sometimes give a dodgy impression. For example, there is the virtually unknown Scoula Politecnica di Design with tuition fees of 10-15K euros, and there’s the seemingly much better Swiss School of Management with tuition fees of 8.5-10K euros per year. Larger universities, like the University of Pavia or the University of Bologna (UNIBO), offer BBA/eng for a few thousand dollars per year, but there’s almost no chance to start in mid-September. Or am I mistaken? We’re figuring it out.

Business programs roughly divide into MBA and BBA. Let’s put MBA aside, and focus on BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) — it’s a _three-year_ program in English, also referred to as a Bachelor. Perhaps it will eventually add a line to the resume, and will surely add knowledge, but as we understand, nearly 100% of students are a mix from third world countries, like Thailand and countries in Africa. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it feels like it somehow reflects the level. Many from the USA actually go to Europe for education, but apparently, nobody goes to these universities 🙂 Maybe we need to keep looking.

As an alternative — study for a year in BBA, then drop it to go to a larger university for a four-year program, and try to transfer the credits if possible. And if it doesn’t work out — so be it. Our Liz has been studying for five years norm, why shouldn’t Masha study for five years too.

If anyone is knowledgeable on this topic, please tag them in the comments. If you have dealt with a similar issue — please share what you know about BBA and about obtaining a first higher education in Italy.

Curating a Must-Follow List of Science Voices on YouTube | September 12 2024, 04:06

I recently started making a list of scientists and science journalists across various fields who are interesting to me and worth listening to on YouTube, and who generally have a good reputation. The list is at the link. Who have I forgotten? Surely a lot of others. Send them in, I’ll keep updating. Hope it’s not just useful for me.

https://beinginamerica.com/science-who-to-follow/

Exploring the Shift in Meaning of “Ambition” in Russian Culture | September 11 2024, 17:46

Currently reading “Russian with a Dictionary” by Irina Levontina.

It turns out that the modern meaning of “ambitious” when applied to a person has shifted quite significantly from its previous connotations.

The word “ambition” both in the USSR and earlier was predominantly associated with an inflated self-esteem and baseless claims. This interpretation was also reflected in dictionaries: ambition – “heightened self-love, excessive conceit.”

Interestingly, in the Russian language, nearly all words that denote a high self-regard by a person are negatively connoted: pretension, aplomb, haughtiness, arrogance, airs, self-assurance, overconfidence. The list goes on. This reflects the deep-rooted notion in Russian culture that a proud person ought to be humble. And yet, we understand that sometimes a person soberly assesses their capabilities, is ready to tackle a task, and speaks of it without any affectation, and this is good. However, it is impossible to use the word overconfidence even with a clarification that it is meant in a good sense in such a case.

A word needs to be torn apart and reassembled in a different order – confidence in oneself. Otherwise, the negative connotation remains inescapable.

When the word ambition was borrowed into the Russian language, it quickly acquired this shade. And during Soviet times, it was even harder to use the word ambition outside of a negative context.

The Big Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language, Kuznetsov’s Dictionary:

ambition

1. Heightened self-love, excessive conceit.

Example: To prove, to argue with ambition.

2. ambitions, -ций. disapproving

Claims, pretensions to something.

Example: To set aside one’s political ambitions.

By the way, “Russian with a Dictionary” is an interesting book.

Lorne Malvo as Woland: Unmasking Evil in Fargo Season One | September 05 2024, 18:56

We’re revisiting the first season of Fargo. You know who Lorne Malvo (the one on the right in the photo) reminds me of? Woland.

Just look. He awakens the evil he sees in people and tempts them to act upon this evil, which is characteristic of Satan in Abrahamic religions—to tempt and entice people into sin. His collection of tapes can be seen as a symbol of “soul collecting”.

He creates chaos literally without any reason, like when he incites a kid to pee in a gas tank and then reports him, just like Satan, who perpetrates evil simply because he is evil, and to have a bit of fun. He phones Hess’s sons, lies to them and manipulates them into fighting, again, for no apparent reason. Or he scares the children living in Lester’s old house.

Somehow, he managed to escape from Lester’s basement, although there was no exit—a normal person couldn’t have done that. The character is often linked with religion: he pretends to be a priest, quotes biblical verses to manipulate a wealthy man, etc.

I barely remember the second half of the season, we are still watching it. But it seems to me that there will be even more evidence that Lorne is Woland 🙂

Pickleball | September 04 2024, 18:08

Yuki first saw how “parents” buy a ball for themselves and play with it. He is impressed by the day. So we’ve made it to pickleball. Now we need to make it to the court. It’s right in front of our house, but still, we need to get there! For instance, the pool, which is also in front of the house, I managed to go only once this year, and last year—not at all.

Binge-Watching Fargo Season 5: A Cozy, Old-School Feel with a Modern Twist | September 01 2024, 04:12

Last night we started watching Fargo Season 5, “Nadya, just the first episode then sleep,” and by this evening we binged all 10 episodes. It’s been a while since nine hours flew by like one.

Fargo is the only series that hasn’t dropped the ball after five seasons. It has this “cozy, old-school” vibe, like it’s supposedly 2019, but the feel is all late 20th century. The only jarring thing in the fifth season is the “all husbands—infantile and a bit cuckoo, all wives—strong women, sometimes victims, and also a bit cuckoo,” but given its other merits and the overall Fargo format, it’s forgivable. Overall, the plot is quite… naive… but again, it is compensated by the way it’s filmed, turning the series into a piece of art. Generally, there’s some caricaturization, but it seems intentionally stylized.

Exler wrote well: “… It’s specifically emphasized that the main villains are precisely Trump’s core electorate. Sheriff Tillman, never without his cowboy hat, a definite alpha male, abuser, racist, zealous Catholic and all that, and why his hat doesn’t scream MAGA in giant letters is like a script oversight. The sheriff’s wife must, first, shut up, second, do as her husband commands, and third—there will be no third, because the first two are enough for a happy married life. And if the wife disobeys, then the sheriff will beat her deadly, because how else to command respect from a woman who swore before God to belong to you body and soul? No other way.”

Now I want to rewatch the first season. It was absolutely beautiful, and I’m not sure that the fifth surpassed it, comparing the emotions post-viewing. But the emotions from the first season remain with me (it was very good), yet ten years on I barely remember it (well, I remember faces).

Now it’s time to get to True Detective.