Tag: USA

Celebrating Marcia Klioze at the Arts Club of Washington | October 03 2025, 22:42

Friends, I am currently at the opening of Marcia Klioze’s exhibit at the Arts Club Of Washington and I am absolutely thrilled! I am so happy for my wonderful mentor, from whom I have been learning oil painting for two and a half years. Today her solo exhibition is here, and the atmosphere is simply magical.

I am proud to be learning from her invaluable experience and learning to see the world anew. Next Tuesday is another class😉 I’ve wanted to post her works for a long time, and today I finally have the opportunity to share (I asked for permission, so it’s all official)!

Almost all works are for sale, for those who are interested, do drop by

Adjusting to Unexpected Checks: Virginia’s Surplus Distributions | October 03 2025, 00:22

I just can’t get used to the fact that when the state sends a $400 check just because they collected more from Virginians (everyone) than expected, it’s normal. They are the state of Virginia.

Living in the Valley of Data Centers: The NSA’s Gigantic Utah Facility | September 20 2025, 20:06

I live right in the valley of data centers, like 80% of internet traffic goes through us (a dangerous place!). I drove by one of them today, and later at home, while Googling stuff about data centers, stumbled upon the NSA’s data center in Bluffdale, Utah.

It serves as a data repository for the U.S. intelligence community. Capacity — something like 5 trillion terabytes. 5,000,000,000,000,000 gigabytes. Back in 2013, it was 100-1000 times less, but 12 years have passed, Moore’s Law and all that. Hard drives in data centers usually have a lifespan of 3-5 years. Meaning, since the launch of the data center, they have all been replaced several times with obviously greater capacity.

It is expected that the data center will be able to process “all types of communications, including the full content of private emails, mobile phone conversations, internet browsing, as well as all types of personal data: parking receipts, travel itineraries, purchases in bookstores, and data of other transactions made using digital technologies.”

The amount of data this facility is able to store is, of course, classified, but estimates “several yottabytes”. Yottabyte = 1000 zettabytes = 1,000,000 exabytes = 1 trillion terabytes. To store all the books ever written in any language would require just 400 terabytes.

In 2013 it consumed no less than 65 MW with a potential of 100 MW. Water — ~1.5–1.7 million gallons (5.7–6.4 million liters) per day for cooling servers. The water is treated with chemicals (to prevent corrosion) and discharged, leading to criticism in arid Utah — especially amid the record heat from 2022–2025 and the shortage of fresh water. There’s no closed-loop system, and it remains a “hot” topic in local discussions.

Cycling for History: A Book and An Unexpected Glimpse into 1930s Migration Trends | August 24 2025, 18:27

I couldn’t resist and bought the book Great Depression in Perceville, VA, where I arrived by bike. I still don’t know how to carry it back for an hour in cycling clothing without a backpack. Interesting note on a random page

Translation:

AMTORG RECEIVES 100,000 APPLICATIONS FOR 6,000 QUALIFIED JOBS IN RUSSIA

(Business Week, October 7, 1931, pp. 32–33)

NEW YORKERS make up the bulk of Americans who have decided, at least for now, to tie their fates with the Russians. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Illinois contribute the highest number of applications for the new call for “6,000 qualified workers,” with Michigan, Ohio, California, and Massachusetts also being well represented.

The “Amtorg” office in New York received over 100,000 applications for these 6,000 job slots. Just one morning alone saw 280 applications. All states except ten were represented. Alaska and Panama also contributed one applicant each, and 18 Canadians wanted “to try their luck in Russia.”

Industrial states, naturally, provided the largest number of applications, but others were represented as well. Iowa, Texas, and Idaho also contributed some number of qualified workers.

Since it is widely known that Russia is “industrializing,” most applicants are skilled workers in machinery, railroads, metallurgy, automotive manufacturing, or the construction industry. A look at the qualifications of 280 applicants from one “typical” morning showed that specialists of all professions were looking for work, even if it meant moving to Russia and being paid in rubles. Among them were: 2 hairdressers, 1 funeral director, 2 plumbers, 5 painters, 2 cooks, 36 “clerical” workers, 1 lathe operator, 9 carpenters, 1 aviator, 58 engineers, 14 electricians, 5 salespeople, 2 printers, 2 chemists, 1 shoemaker, 1 librarian, 2 teachers, 1 cleaner and dyer, 11 auto mechanics, 1 dentist.

About 85% of the applicants are U.S. citizens, only 40% of whom were born in the country. 60% of the foreigners primarily come from Eastern Europe. A few African Americans applied, but their numbers are small, as most of them are unskilled workers.

Women constitute only a small portion of applicants, although many wives decided to accompany their husbands in this endeavor. Most workers applying are married and have children.

Three main reasons for wanting to get a placement are named: (1) unemployment; (2) dissatisfaction with conditions here; (3) interest in the Soviet experiment. Almost all foreign workers declare that they do not intend to stay in the USSR. Among engineers, only 10-20% plan to stay.

——

This is 1931, one of the most challenging years of that period. Somewhere in the mid-thirties, it started to improve, and it must be said, WWII ultimately defeated it.

Exploring a Conditional Investment-Based U.S. Visa Program | August 21 2025, 21:23

I wonder if a U.S. visa program would work where specially authorized American investing organizations collectively invest, say, $500,000 in each candidate who files a petition and is ready to pay a hypothetical $20-50K. The money goes to the government, but it returns it monthly with interest. Then, he moves to the U.S., gets a job, and pays back the “investors” from legally earned money, like a student loan. “Investors” help him find a job. If he loses his job, and can’t find another, he can pay from savings for some time, but afterward — he must return home. No savings — go back home. Violated the law (criminal) — go back home. But each such negative case affects whether the “investor” will have the opportunity to invest in new ones.

Investors help with job finding if needed, but there’s no coercion or serfdom, because it doesn’t matter what kind of job the person has, as long as it’s legitimate, and the debt is deducted from the salary. Until the debt is paid, a person’s profile affects the “investor’s” performance indicators, and in case of poor indicators, the investor loses their license or priority.

It’s assumed that, given existing quotas, the “investor” has an interest in finding the smartest and most hardworking people worldwide and subsequently placing them in the local market. If they perform poorly, they simply can’t operate.

After full repayment, he gets the right to citizenship. This could attract talented individuals, support the economy, and ensure responsibility. What do you think?

Uncovering Hidden Hotel Fees: A New York City Experience | August 21 2025, 14:33

Lived in New York on Manhattan for a couple of days recently. The hotel cost 370 USD per day (see photo). Out of which 284 USD is the cost for one day, and the remaining 86 USD are taxes + a mysterious Facility Fee of 35 USD (per day).

From the hotel’s website: “What is a Facility Fee? It’s a hotel service charge! $35 plus tax per day per room provides our guests access to all amenities at Freehand NY, including high-speed WiFi, complimentary 3x filtered water, 24-hour fitness center access, SMART TV connection, priority access to programs and events, and rooftop priority — Broken Shaker!”

Needless to say, these 35 USD were of course not included in the reservation system. It’s not practical to visit every hotel’s website to check for fees before pressing the book button. And yes, the confirmation does state FACILITY FEE TO BE PAID ON ARRIVAL, you can always read and cancel. But for the future, it’s always better to check.

Exploring Shepherdstown: A Hidden Gem in West Virginia | August 20 2025, 13:00

From the trip to Shepherdstown, WV. A small town an hour’s drive from home, founded over 260 years ago. Hardly any tourists, but the few small restaurants and shops compete against each other for the attention and interest of passing travelers.

From the street, there’s an open window at the Lost Dog Coffee cafe. Inside works a very colorful bartender and owner, Garth Emmery Janssen. The coffee shop’s Facebook tagline reads “Founded in 1995 by two crazy punk rockers. We are not normal. We do things correctly. it’s ❤️”

Oat milk latte, please. Dear sir, Garth answers me, that wouldn’t exactly be a latte then. But if you insist, of course. Okay, I say, make it the right way, it doesn’t matter to me. The coffee turned out delicious.

Next, there was an art studio, which I have already written about in previous posts, a handmade cosmetics store where the owner eagerly shares her chemical experiments on the quest for perfect creams and soaps, and where she sells prints drawn by her daughter, who, unfortunately, has grown up and no longer wants to draw.

A very homely atmosphere everywhere. And a nice little town. It lacked modernity, and yes, our regions are all like that, with dust from the past, modernity is somewhat cumbersome.

Tasting the Unexpected: Maple Bacon Onion Jam | August 18 2025, 00:52

Bought a tasty treat for tea today. Can you imagine onion-maple-bacon jam? Neither can I yet. But it exists and is waiting for me to get hungry. My jar is without onion, but the bacon and maple are there.

On the other hand, Americans might not understand aspic, they consider it to be a meat jelly made from cow’s feet, and at the mention of jelly, they think of dessert, and cow’s feet are totally out of the picture there

The 55 mph Speed Limit: Energy Crisis and State Autonomy in the U.S. | August 13 2025, 01:32

It turned out that the 55 mph speed limit in the USA was the result of the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, which was adopted in response to the OPEC oil embargo, causing sharp price increases and oil supply disruptions. It was believed that by limiting speed, fuel consumption would be reduced. It worked, but a reduction of 2.2% was predicted, though the actual savings were only about 0.5–1%.

If a state did not comply, it would lose federal funding for the repair and construction of roads. In 1987–1988, Congress allowed states to raise the speed limit to 65 mph on certain rural interstates, and in 1995, the federal “national maximum” was abolished altogether and authority was returned to the states.

Before the national speed limit was introduced, Montana had no set speed limit. Instead, the law stated that a person should drive at a “safe and reasonable speed,” which was essentially determined by a police officer. There is a tale about a NASCAR driver who was stopped for driving about 120 miles per hour on Highway 2 and was not fined because for him 120 mph was considered “safe and reasonable.”

After the imposition of the 55 mph speed limit, Montana resisted as much as it could. The speed limit was a national law, but the consequences for its violation were determined by the states. Montana lowered the speeding fine to $5 and made sure the violation did not go on the driver’s record. It became common practice to put $5 bills over the sun visor and drive at any speed you liked.

There’s even a song from those times, “I Can’t Drive 55” (Sammy Hagar).

By the way, slightly off topic. My Tesla Model Y costs more in taxes (annual registration) than a gasoline car does because there is a special charge, introduced in 2020, to compensate for state revenue lost from the fuel tax — since electric vehicles do not refill with gasoline, and the state under-collects. The amount of this charge is fixed and equals 85% of the equivalent fuel tax a gasoline car driver would have paid given the same average distance and fuel consumption. As a result, electric vehicle owners pay about $128.14 a year (data for 2024–2025). Gasoline car owners pay significantly less. The last time I was stopped by the police in Washington for having an expiration of one and a half years, I had to park the car and urgently arrange payment – it was a few dozen dollars. After paying, I continued on, but with a fine of a couple hundred dollars.

Decade Without Police Sirens: A Personal Observation in Public Safety Trends | August 02 2025, 23:48

Interestingly, I haven’t heard a single car siren in almost ten years, except from medical and fire vehicles. At least around here, it seems even the police don’t use them for their purposes. Apparently, the reason is that a police car with a siren behind is perceived as a command to stop and be ready to show your documents. But fire trucks and ambulances, it seems, always use theirs.

Many people don’t know that what we think of as an ambulance doesn’t really exist here. That is, you can call 911 and request a medical vehicle, and they will come, but it’s usually only done in truly critical situations—like a heart issue or if you’ve fallen from a staircase and can’t get up.

This service, EMS, always sends a bill. The minimum is $550, but typically more than $1000, depending on the type of vehicle sent—which depends on what was said on the phone—and how many miles it is to the hospital.

If transportation to a hospital is necessary, an insurance company, Medicare, or Medicaid initially pays for it. The patient might only need to pay the difference—for example, a co-pay or a deductible. If the person is unable to pay due to financial hardship, CNS will not send the bill to collections nor will they recover the debt.

If you call 911 and report that someone has fallen from a ladder, especially with a suspected head, neck, or back injury, the dispatcher will send a full fire & EMS response. That means, besides the medics, this big red fire truck shows up. It arrives not because there’s a fire, but because it is staffed with EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) who can begin assistance even before the ambulance arrives. Additionally, fire stations in the area are positioned such that the nearest fire truck can get there faster than a free ambulance.

In various incidents, if you can get to the hospital on your own, experience shows that it’s often necessary to go if you want results. This is not free either. Every such visit costs me $200 (insurance pays ten times more), but as it turned out later, it was always worth it. You just need to know where to go, and choose large facilities where the queues are shorter.