biggish data

Alla Graduates, Finally!

Some med schools will take students who have non-science degrees, as long as they've completed a certain requirements (usually a year of bio, chem, etc). She can look into schools like that. I think the Mayo Clinic did this, but it was a loong time ago when I was looking into med schools so I might be wrong. Or eekee's idea is also great.

Actually, almost all med schools will take applicants with degrees in fields other than science. It is actually preferred by many schools as it makes for a more balanced educational background. Someone like Alla would probably get accepted very easily and do very well! If she is interested I would say go for it!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-04 20:12:00

I'm no longer married to a Ukrainian!

Congratulations! Please keep us posted on the MIL visa process. We don't see as many of those.

Regarding MIL visits, I think that it must be getting easier to get tourist visas now. Either that or we were just lucky. We got a visa for my MIL to visit this summer for 2 weeks. She had never had a visa here or to Europe. They gave her a 1 year multiple entry visa, no problems.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-06 12:45:00

ONA is in the States!

Congratulations and welcome to the USA!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-10 20:09:00

Are there accepted variations for these 'short' names? My step-daughter Valeria goes by Lera, not Valya.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-11 22:52:00

This has been a really interesting thread that I've come to late.

Gary, unfortunately, makes hash of elementary thermodynamics and unfortunately tries to cover up by claiming authority. (Well, I'm a Ph.D. physical chemist with more than passingly adequate training in thermodynamics. So there's my claim to authority, in case it matters. Probably shouldn't.)

Ice, in the belly, melts. As it melts, it first warms to zero degrees Celcius and then stays at zero degrees while the phase transition to liquid water occurs. A lot of heat transfer into the ice cube from its surrounds (the belly) is required to conduct this phase transformation. The heat, flowing from the surroundings into the ice cube, results in a decrease in the temperature of the surroundings. A lot of us who actually consume ice have experienced this. On a hot summer day, it can be rather nice. Outside on a cold winter day, not so nice. The physical chemistry is the same in both seasons, though. Once the former ice cube is melted, it is warmed by its surroundings to 37C, which is the temperature, more or less, that we humans keeps our bodies at when we're healthy.

Where does this heat come from? Either the body or the surroundings of the body or both. In the first event, though, the body. So, the body, or a portion of it, is cooled. That is, its temperature goes down, for a while at least.

If it goes down too much, the body may compensate, through normal metabolic pathways that involve chemical transformation of, for the most part, sugars in the body to CO2 and water. This is respiration but it is often called "burning calories". The word "burning" here is, strictly speaking chemically, an analogy to the combustion process we also often call burning. The analogy is a very good one. The oxidation process associated with sugar metabolism and the oxidation associated with burning sugar in a flame produces very similar final products, CO2 and water. (Flames are often less efficient combustion processes and make soot, carbon monoxide, and lots of other stuff. The body's combustion apparatus is very efficient, though. That's why I used the weasel words "very similar"). The body doesn't necessarily have to compensate, though, through metabolic pathways. If its really hot outside the body, then the ice cube within can save the body from having to sweat so much for a while and heat can be transferred into the body from the hot room. In that fashion, the ice can actually decrease the amount of calories the body burns.

Most of us know this intuitively. 'Tis a pity that someone with a little bit of knowledge, perhaps sufficient to confuse some, comes in with information that is between misleading and wrong and tries to compensate bolster hisclaims by an inappropriate assertion of expert authority.

Great explanation. Gary has expertise in mechanical engineering but, unfortunately, a less extensive background in chemistry/biochemistry and physiology than was needed for this topic. But he has a lot of knowledge of the 'fiancee' visa process and for his help I have been most appreciative!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-21 20:21:00

Lifeway sells a 'Ryazhenka-like' kefir, I've been able to find it in a lot of the Eastern European ethnic stores in Chicago. Lifeway (the company) was actually started in 1986 by a Jewish immigrant from Russia.

http://www.lifeway.n.../Ryazhenka.aspx

http://www.lifeway.n...ionalKefir.aspx

Thanks for the tip! We had actually already discovered that in the Chicago area last month. We also found an Amish made Ryazhenka in a shop near our motel in Buffalo Grove. The Lifeway brand of Kefir is in our local supermarkets but they can't seem to obtain the Ryazhenka, even though we brought an empty bottle with us to show them!

Interesting side note; we were there in Chicago taking my MIL back to catch her flight to Kazan and spent several days first seeing Chicago with her. She had been skeptical of the USA prior to coming here, I get the impression she has been reluctant to give up the old soviet union way of looking at things. She was so amazed at so much of what she saw, here and in Chicago. She changed her attitude 180 degrees and now she wants to come back! :lol:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-20 00:41:00

Many Russians seem to like drinking "Kefir" or liquid yogurt.

My 2y/o step-daughter drinks 1-2 liters of kefir daily (actually 'nightly' would be more accurate). But if Ryazhenka were available that is what Olga would prefer she drink!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-13 23:42:00

I think the topic diverged into this realm of losing weight by drinking cold water in an attempt to lose weight by "burning calories" to warm the water you drink. Thermodynamics is getting a little too technical to answer such a ludicrous theory.

Without going into thermodynamics (why? with someone that thinks drinking cold water will cause you to lose weight?) My intent was to illustrate that there are no calories "burned".
Because they are still retained in the body, at least until the next time you take a whizz. (that's a technical term)

Yep, this has gotten way too technical for this forum! I could, but I won't, take it up yet another notch or two to 'prove' my point. :lol:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-06 22:53:00

Medicine is not my area of expertise. Heating, cooling and mechanical systems are.

I fail to see where we disagree though. Cold liquid applied internally does not reduce body tempoerature unless it were circulated back out as you suggest if done to warm the body. Warm liquid can raise body temperature because it deposits heat from another source.

If I am wrong about ice being used commonly, it is only because when I once passed out from heat exhaustion I woke up in the ambulance with cold packs around my body (over my clothes) and was given intravenous fluids at room temperature in the ER. It was my understanding that this is a common treatment for this condition.

Ice used to be used this way and still may be in some places. But I still disagree about your saying that putting cold liquid into your body does not reduce temperature! While TOTAL HEAT may not be less, TEMPERATURE will be reduced proportionately to the relative mass and temperature of the warm body and the cold liquid! This is simple thermodynamics which we both use in our respective lines of work. Remember, the cold liquid raises the mass of the warm body so that total heat is not lost, yet temperature of the combination is now less.

I think we agree that this is a foolish way to try to lose weight. And in replying to you I think I may have answered the question posed by the OP! :rofl:

(if you are cold and shivering very much of the time why would you like ice?) :bonk:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-06 21:09:00

If this were true then the universal treatment for heat exhaustion would be to give the patient large quantities of ice water internally. Ice bags applied externally are the universal treatment. Cold water taken internally when a person is over heated will likely result in vomiting, which is not an entirely bad thing, if they can keep it down long enough to absorb heat. If a person drinks cold water, waits a few minutes for the water to warm and then vomits it all out, YES you have transferred heat to the atwer and removed it from the body. Causing an overheated and likely dehydrated person to vomit is not a good idea though. Better to infuse water intravenously. There is no need to chill the water being infused intravenously.

If the person perspires and removes heat by the cooling process of evaporation, then YES the water was used as a medium to move the heat from the body to the exterior, much as it is used to move heat outside in a building. If the cooling tower runs dry, no heat transfer. Your skin is the cooling tower. So if a person is dehydrated, no cooling can take place (or less, anyway) but the temperature of the water taken in makes no difference.

On the other hand drinking warm liquid CAN raise the body temperature, because again, the liquid is being used as a medium to transfer heat from another source (the burner on the stove) to your body.

There is a saying I've heard referring to the inadvisability of continuing to dig when you are in a hole you would like to get out of! :lol:

This is obviously not your area of expertise though you make a few good points. What I have said is true. And ice bags are not the universal treatment for hyperthermia. Excessively cooling the skin causes vasoconstriction to the point that little blood flows to the skin. It is more effective to use only slightly cool liquid applied through thin clothing.

I am not aware of treating hyperthermia by the use of cold water applied internally but the opposite is one of the best ways of treating hypothermia. Warm saline, 104 degrees f., is run into the abdominal cavity through large peritoneal catheters and then withdrawn.

Come on Gary, stop digging! :bonk:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-06 20:34:00

Sorry no. Where does the heat (calories) go? It stays within the body. Unless the heat is moved to the exterior of the bocy you have not "expended" anything.

You are confusing heat and temperature! The body measures temperature, not the total heat content. You are right that there is no net decrease in heat (at least until you void the excess water which will then be at body temperature) by drinking an ice cold drink but the bodies temperature will decline and if you are at the point where the body is needing to expend energy to maintain euthermia you will most certainly burn calories! It is a ridiculous way to think you could lose weight though! What moron is going to drink significant amounts of ice cold water when he is already cold and shivering, just to lose weight?

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-06 17:46:00

You are not a mechanical engineer.

Heat cannot be destroyed or burned. It can only be transferred from one place to another. Body heat is transferred to the water but remains in the body and balances the water temperature to that of the body and the heat transfer stops.

Ice can lower body temperature when applied to the outside of the body and the heat migrates OUT of the body. Transferring energy around inside the body has no affect on body weight, it cannot. Your body does not "burn" anything, it merely transfers calories from one part of the body to another.

It would be like putting the condenser of a window air conditioner into another room of the same house.

It depends on ambient temperatures! If the temperature outside the body is low enough to cause the body to be using energy to maintain euthermia (normal temperature), then drinking that ice cold drink does, in fact, cause the body to expend calories to compensate for the cooling. The opposite would apply when it is very hot out, when the body is stressed by being too warm already, the ice cold drink would not cause the body to burn any calories at all.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-06 10:39:00

Going *back* to Ukraine

Leasing or buying a place wouldn't be difficult, you just need the money. And it's a buyers market over there right now, probably no need to grease any palms at all. As far as staying and living over there? Are you talking about living there legally or il-?

I know we could buy an apartment in the city. What I want to know is how difficult it is to be allowed to do all your own building from the ground up. Many jurisdictions here in the US make it difficult to impossible. Fortunately for me I live where it is relatively easy to do as far as building permits and inspections are concerned. We would probably never be there for more than a month or two at a time. It seems a great place to visit but neither of us wants to make it our year-round residence.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-03 22:24:00

Going *back* to Ukraine

There is one in Donetsk also. It is outside the city and kind of far to go if you do not have a car. I was prowling it last summer with our friend Lesha. He is one of the few Ukrainians that owns a home and is remodeling it himself. Aside from the fact that it was too far away for anyone without car and it would be difficult to bring home a new door on the bus, I found that most of their wares were display items only and had to be ordered. Though it was a big place, similar in size to a Lowe's or Home Depot.

I was curious about the power tools and found many of them to be heavy iron framed monsters from China, like the old circular saws we had here years ago. There were some more modern, lightweight tools, like the ones we have here and they were priced accordingly

While it is not strictly true to say they do not have these stores, they are not easily accessible to most Ukrainians. Donetsk (1 million + people) has one of these stores. The other side of the parking lot (parking lot!) had one of the Amctop (Amstore)supermarkets which is identical to our supermarkets but with a smaller freezer section. It looked like one the Lowes/Walmart conglomerations we have here.

Having these stores over there has planted an idea in my head. Probably a bad idea but I am curious as to what others with more knowledge and experience think. Would it be possible for a very experienced DIY person to be able to buy or lease property (with his FSU wife) and be allowed to build his own home over there? Perhaps with a few small 'gifts' to the right people? I have built several homes here myself completely from the ground up and have seen the stores there with all the necessary materials available. Olya has no idea whether it is possible relative to permits and regulations. I would love to have a small place there outside one of the better cities to stay in when we visit there.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-03 21:54:00

Going *back* to Ukraine

Aside from that, there is nothing like Lowe's, Home Depot or even Ace Hardware in Ukraine and few people are DIY'ers like here. Few people own homes in cities, they own or rent apartments and get someone else to fix stuff. There actually are a couple of large home centers now in Ukraine, similar to a Lowes,

When I was in Kyiv last summer I found these large home centers. There were several that appeared identical on the outside. The one I went in looked almost exactly like the Lowes or Home Depots here! I think there was one in Kharkov as well! As a big-time DIY person I wanted to buy some type of hand tool to bring back as a souvenir but everything was made in China, western Europe or the US! I did find a ratcheting plastic pipe cutter made in Russia but I had to look a long time to find it. The brands and products sold were the same generally that we have here.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-03 16:22:00

Tell that to the 42,000,000+ americans on welfare.

You mean, "if it does, HE faces financial ruin?"

Welfare is a legal and tax funded program! You and I may not always like it but it exists to benefit certain disadvantaged individuals.

I assumed he would be a loving and responsible parent and do everything he could on behalf of his family!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-06 15:22:00

Whoa whoa! I never said to do anything illegal

"Undocumented persons" have clinics, agencies and even county services that they can go to when they're sick. It's free of charge if you don't have the means to pay. They're not doing anything illegal other than being in the country, but thats a different story.

None of those within many hundreds of miles where I live! And it might not be as easy to get those services elsewhere as some people might think!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-06 15:18:00

The problem is his son isn't an illegal.

But it seems as if he will have time to resolve the dilemma when his son returns back to the USA. In the mean time, one month here will probably result in illness from food rather than some real problem.

The odds are in his favor at his age if you want to roll the dice. But accidents happen, illnesses strike without warning even to previously healthy young adults. Would you want to face what I went through 3 years ago when my teen-age son abruptly developed leukemia? If we did not already have insurance he would have been un-insurable! We would have lost our home and vehicles and a significant part of all my future income to pay for his care! I would certainly not have been able to afford the expenses of these K-1 and K-2 visas! It is not too likely to happen to you. But if it does you face financial ruin!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-06 13:31:00

Do what the illegals do. They've seem to manage ok. Illegals can get prenatal care, give birth at hospitals, free meds and all that other stuff without insurance or paying a dime.

It is dishonest and dishonorable to avail yourself of services and then not pay your bill!! It is no different whether it is health care, car repairs, groceries or a new stereo, not paying is equal to theft! If you are truly indigent then maybe you have no choice, otherwise it is crooked!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-06 12:50:00

I am against our medical care being handled by the FEDERAL government.

You don't plan on using Medicare? Apparently vv gets both medicare and tricare, both federal programs. Statistics show that while every program has those dis-satisfied, medicare has a higher percent of satisfaction than private, for-profit insurance companies. The reason is that while they are concerned with costs, an equal concern has to do with customer satisfaction. Private insurance, on the other hand, can ignore whether people filing large claims are satisfied, they cater instead to the healthy that they hope will never file a claim.

OP, I do hope you find a good solution for your step-son! I faced a similar problem here when my fiancee's daughter developed seizures the 2nd day here! We were able to get her covered under my supposedly good BC/BS policy by marrying immediately but the MRI, EEG, and specialist visit several weeks later ran to almost $5000.00, only about 10% covered by my policy! I work in health-care and see the insurance company abuses all the time. I, like Gary, support the idea of universal single payer coverage for everyone, whether state run or a 'medicare-for-all' kind of program.

Edited by james&olya, 06 September 2011 - 12:18 AM.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-06 00:17:00

I have NEVER EVER claimed to be a Republican and am not one. I am an American and a Vermontois!

I support the plan Vermont is doing, it is a STATE plan and our state is far better at doing anything than the Feds. Thank goodness for the Green Mountain Boys that a hurricane hitting our state is kind of a "ho-hum" event. The GMBs were dropping in supplies to isolated town the morning after the storm. Just a few hours after it passed. Better than waiting for the Feds in Louisiana, eh? All the roads are patched up and will be fixed permanently soon. The state healthcare plan will also be a lot easier for the people to get hold of and CHANGE if needed.

I am against our medical care being handled by the FEDERAL government.

I hope Vermont is successful! Even the tea party fringe might come around at that point and turn on their corporate puppet-masters!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-05 23:29:00

You were right the first time, Obamacare is hardly affordable.

I will suggest again you move to Vermont. Your wife could practice her trade much more easily and the plan is for us to have a statewide single payer plan in place before we are forced into Obamacare, Vermont has already applied to opt out

We also have Fletcher Allen Health Care, a huge medical complex, and they give free care to any Vermont resident and residents of two counties of New York who earn less than $8000 per month for a family of four (income cut off varies by family size)and it is for the hospital as well as there clinics of every kind. They are supported by taxes, the University of Vermont and Canadians coming here to pay cash to escape Canadian national healthcare (I love it when Canadians try to deny this and I have virtually free health care because of it )

Congratulations on your son's arrival.

Gary, when you criticize 'Obamacare' while touting single payer statewide health insurance, you are in company not with republicans who want nothing to do with such egalitarian plans, but rather those to the left of Obama, the true progressives! :rofl:

But I am glad to see you supporting the only fair and sensible way to provide health care! I agree that Obamacare will probably prove unworkable and unaffordable by its central reliance on private, for-profit, (greedy, shady, etc....) insurance companies!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-05 23:06:00

My wife's son arrived in the US last Thursday. It was quite a deal getting him here. Typical USCIS crappola.

He is a great young man and I like him very much. This is his first trip to the US, and he has his immigration visa and is getting his real GC, probably in a few weeks. However, he'll only be staying a month this time for various reasons, including how he likes it here.

Based on his first days here, he loves it and is adapting well. His English is bad...but he's young and will learn quickly. I have mixed feelings about him staying here because I'm an old dude and like my peace and quiet. But I'm also a human being and if he stays, he stays. I'll adjust.

There is one HUGE issue that I don't know how to solve...health insurance. I get my med care via the military (TriCare) and medicare. My wife get's her care through the military too as my spouse. But Alexey just turned 21 and he's not a student, so he cannot get TriCare or military health care. So...I don't know what to do because I can't afford to pay $2000-$3000 a year to cover him. My wife looks like she may soon make some money but not a big amount...so she can't really help.

I'm wondering if anyone else out there has dealt with this insurance deal? And how did they resolve the issue? Looking for advice, feedback, suggestions.

Keep voting republican and supporting repeal of 'Obamacare'! Oh, wait, you want affordable health care for a family member. That's a tough one!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-05 20:26:00

Translation Q

Wedgies are a sign of commitment to and in a relationship, see man. (Farts are a sign of love.)

Incidentally, one can tell that a marriage is healthy if one's partner, when having to fart in bed, provides as much advance notice as possible, turns at least 90 degrees (optimally, 180) away, and flaps the emissions out his/her side of the covers, si man.

Farting, anytime, anywhere, will get me an 'evil eye' worse than any I had ever known before!

I cannot even imagine what passing gas in bed might cause! :lol:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-21 20:50:00

Miscellaneous topics all in one!

The MIL is more agreeable to the idea of coming to the USA after Alla is a citizen. 3 years ago she wouldn't consider visiting

My MIL was able to get a tourist visa to be here for our wedding. We wound up marrying earlier but she came for the two weeks anyway. She was of the mindset that things were not that good in the USA, probably believed all the negative stories/propaganda that was and maybe still is on their state-run media. She was very surprised by what she found here! Now she can't wait to come back! :rofl:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-08-21 20:58:00

Tranferring money from Russia to USA

How it could cost just $10?! I just checked it on the MoneyGram site: https://www.moneygra...imator?LC=ru-RU
From: Russia
To: USA
10 minutes service
Amount: $600
Fee: $32
What I did not right?

[It's Victor from Russia]

That was what I was paying multiple times from my local walmart moneygram sevice. It may be more from the on-line service.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-10-02 00:06:00

Tranferring money from Russia to USA

I would assume that charges for Western Union are the same whether from the USA or from another country. I use their 48 hour delivery service and it is pretty cheap. I just sent $600 for a cost of $19. The 48 hour service has not been a problem since we usually end up spending the first 24 notifying the party at the other end.

MoneyGram 10 minute service for $600 costs $10! Plus there are locations everywhere, even at Wal-marts!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-29 13:03:00

Useful items done in Ukraine before arrival?

I'm not sure about Ukrainian DL, but Russian international DL is basically a book with translations of Russian DL to all kinds of different languages and it's not valid without the actual DL. I have it. I was driving around with it last year. I never used it this year, cause I don't have a job and if I'm going somewhere, I share a car with somebody else. It depends on a state, cause in Maryland you're only allowed to drive for 60 days with an out-of-state DL. And if you never have been licensed in the US you have to complete some kind of short educational program, it doesn't matter for how long you've had your out-of-country license. So basically the only benefit of having my DL for almost 2 years now is that after taking the knowledge test and the driving test I'll be able to get the actual Maryland DL, skipping the learner's permit and the provisional license stages.
As for the training - it's good if the driving school is good. My biggest problem was that I was trained to drive in the city and sit in traffic, not speedy driving on a highway It's also hard to get used to some differences in rules, for example, in Russia there's no turn on red, never... and in the States you're allowed to take a right turn on red. Stuff like that confused me a lot.

Olya's international DL (with her Russian DL, of course) allows her to drive here in Michigan as long as the Russian DL remains valid! She was a reasonably good driver already but it was entertaining helping her learn to drive an automatic! She was sure automatics were harder to drive and at first they really were! :rofl:

Now she wouldn't go back to a stick.(I prefer a stick shift)

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-09-23 22:57:00

Putin Wants to Create Eurasian Union With Former USSR Countries

But no aircraft carrier with a mission accomplished banner to pose under wearing a flight suit with stuffing in the crotch?! :whistle:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-10-06 21:41:00

Travel question once VISA approved

Good options from Odessa (time wise) are Aerosvit, Lot and Transaero. Aerosvit is most unreliable out of them. Flights, departing Odessa, late most of the times. My parents flew by Aerosvit 2 times, and both times missed a connection to NY. If time permits - I would suggest LOT or Trasaero. First - there is no running from building to building, to change flights, in Warsaw and Moscow, also she will not have to go through Kyiv Customs (very unpleasant people, comparing to Odessa and Moscow). LOT flies to Newark as well, and then you can get one of 7 direct flights from Newark to FLL on Continental, for example. If you go with Aerosvit, get early departure from Odessa, that involves 5 hours of layover, instead of 1.5, this way you can be sure - she won't miss connecting flight.

Be careful flying LOT. I flew once and was delayed several hours. They put me up in a hotel overnight and I was informed by the desk person there that LOT was notorious for late arrivals and missed connections! Otherwise they treat you well and the Warsaw airport is a good one. Getting a longer layover is definitely a good idea to lessen your chance of a missed flight.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-10-13 21:51:00

positive TB skin test and CS tomorrow

Hey everyone ....

A little overview of whats been going on. Since my DS 3025 was not complete i had to get couple of shots, and i did - Varicella, Flu, DTP (which i already had but ou well) and a TB skin test. Except for the flu shot, all the others came at the same day. The problem occurred with the TB skin test, cause it came out positive, 12 mm (they barely could measure or find the bump cause it was mainly red). They also made a mistake with administrating my vaccination record here, cause i have had the BCG vaccine three time, and each time before i would get this vaccine, i had a mantoux test done (its all in my original file and translation)

People here dont quite understand the BCG vaccine and they immediately say "u got infected with TB". I tried to explain that the K1 is a long process and that before i come here i have to go to a full medical exam which includes everything, even the TB test, so if i had TB i wouldnt be here. Not to mention the xray done before i came here.

Beside, i have never been sick with it, i dont even know anyone who might have had it. Its so frustrating :-(

Tomorrow we need to go and see the CS ... and we are so scared to be honest , because my k1 expires soon and we are catching the last train for the AOS. So its all up to the CS to sign our I 693 and we dont know what he may say or require

Please, if you have any suggestion for tomorrow on how to deal with the CV , feel free to share it. We really need some suggestions and help on this one.

Thank you

You should be fine! Unless, of course, your CS is an idiot! Any competent physician will know that the BCG makes you test positive on the mantoux test and is thus irrelevant. Your negative chest X-ray and normal physical exam clears you from suspicion for Tb.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-10-11 22:03:00

Daylight Saving Time

It was probably a Communist that started Daylight Savings Time to begin with.

Are you accusing the guy with his portrait on our c-notes of being a pinko? :rofl:

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-10-25 12:28:00

Daylight Saving Time

The idea always seemed a bit ridiculous to me. You cannot get the sun to come up or go down any earlier or later than dictated by the laws of physics. When I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska the sun would not go down until 1AM in June! How can it be 'mid'night when it is still day? DST is nothing more than a mind game. If you want to enjoy more daylight in the summer than just get up earlier!!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-10-11 21:56:00

Flights from Russia to the US

Anyone have experience with LOT? We saw some flights from Moscow to Chicago via Warsaw on LOT Airlines. I am curious as to what their service and planes are like, etc. I know Aeroflot was amazing but they cost several hundred dollars more.

Wait, who hijacked my thread? lol

I flew LOT from Warsaw to Chicago in June last year. Good plane, friendly attendants, food OK. But we were over 2 hours late leaving from Warsaw and I missed my connection. I was told in Chicago that happens often with LOT.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-05-18 18:11:00

FSU women and Sexual Harassement

Waste and abuse at Adak? Depends on the point of view. Its military significance is somewhat relevant, historically at least. The Aleutians extend so far west that they actually cross into the Eastern hemisphere (making Alaska not only the most northern state but also the most western and even most eastern state!). Most people are unaware that the Japanese captured and held an island in the Aleutians for almost a year, hoping to build a base from which they could attack the mainland US, especially our aircraft factories in the northwest! Base closures often come as a surprise and their continued development there until closure is a pattern repeated many places.

Edited by james&olya, 01 December 2011 - 03:37 PM.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-12-01 15:36:00

FSU women and Sexual Harassement

One word in upsmanship: Adak, man.

http://biggovernment...loses-use-adak/

Were you in Adak? I never saw Adak or Shemya but I almost accepted orders to Shemya in the 80's. I was in Fairbanks,AK and saw temps go to -60! Adak never gets nearly that cold but it is a miserable place to live. NOTHING there, not even trees! Cold and wet summer and winter.

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-11-30 17:26:00

FSU women and Sexual Harassement

My first assignment in the Air Force was Minot, North Dakota. As a reward for going to that God-forsaken place, God granted me twins.

Why not Minot?

Freezin's the reason!

(couldn't resist, an old USAF joke. ND gives winter a bad rep!)

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-11-30 02:29:00

Wife's son is moving out already. I have concerns.

A good agreement is to speak to each other and say "Look, I love you, probably more than you can imagine, but sometimes I may say something you do not understand or that means something different to you than it does to me. Just understand that I would never say anything to hurt you intentionally and if I do it is only a mistake...take it easy, let me know what I said wrong"

Alla told me that virtually word for word. When someone understands that you love them and would never do anything to hurt them, they will give you a lot more latitude. Works with children too, they KNOW who cares about them and they KNOW when you tell them they need to do something that you are probably right and probably have their best interest at heart

Excellent advice!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-11-30 07:45:00

Wife's son is moving out already. I have concerns.

Frankly, in contrast to the common mythology here on the RUB forum, American women, for all their "issues," were better lovers overall. Yes, they didn't have that piazz dress code nor devoted hours to hair and make-up and clothing appearance...but when it came time to "dance," the American women seemed more open to more things...and were able to have real pleasure and orgasms.

Sorry to hear about your problems with your wife. I know that the reality across the board is probably that women are pretty much the same in most regards regardless of country or culture. I must say I have seen both extremes with the American women I have known. But there were increasingly very few of the good "dancers" I was meeting on the dating scene here. I think they were more likely to be staying married! Your post makes me think that perhaps I am even luckier than I had realized to find the wife I have from Russia. Without a doubt she is the best "dancer" I have ever known! Nothing mythical about it for us. But I have only the one relationship on which to base my judgment so I recognize you may know better what is typical.

Your observations about language and communication are spot-on! The only problems we have had thus far could have been so easily resolved if we could have had more nuance and accuracy in communication. But that continues to improve. Now we have very little of the 'Tarzan-English' or, as Olya says, her 'Russian English' that I was using for a while.

I have to agree with Gary about the importance of children to women, especially RUB women. But that has only helped bond Olya and I because of how much I want to be a good father to her children simply because I find that so rewarding for its own sake. It is SO important to be certain that you share the core values and principles with your foreign spouse! That was the primary thing I was looking for when I went on the dating sites. Only time will tell if we have really gotten it right but so far I am a believer! I hope you come out of this OK and maybe even ready to consider another try for a compatible RUB bride!

james&olya

Male

Russia

2011-11-30 01:55:00