Valentin Dikul

Valentin Dikul is a circus strongman. He is famous because he broke his back in young age and later he rehabilitated himself and went back to the circus as a circus strongman. Also he made Guinness World Record in powerlifting in 1999(he was 51 years old).



He was born April 3, 1948. When he was 15 years old he was a trapeze artist in the circus. One day he fell from a height of 13 meters in an accident. The diagnosis of the doctors was: "Compression fracture of the spine in the lumbar spine and brain injury. Valentin Dikul will hold the remainder of his life in a wheelchair."

At the hospital, he began training with a rigid energy. Nobody believe that he will succeed. He continued to train five - six hours a day for five years. But his feet did not act. Suddenly he had a fever, terribly hurt joints, Valentin lost consciousness. When he woke up he was unable to move his hands and talking. But after a week he felt the work of muscles of his legs. Two weeks later he could walk with two sticks.

Valentin Dikul decided to return to the arena as circus strongman. He continued to train and seven months later he had gone already without sticks. And four years later he easily goes up in the iron boots of his own invention. In 1970 Dikul returned to the arena as a power juggler. He performed exceptionally difficult tricks with tossing 80 kilo kettlebells.



Also Valentin Dikul developed its own method of rehabilitation after a back injury. Currently he has two clinics in Moscow devoted to helping others overcome their spinal injuries.

World Whale Day

Today is World Whale Day. This holiday is celebrated around the world. This holiday was established in 1986, when the International Whaling Commission banned whale hunting, after 200 years of ruthless extermination. The ban is still in effect today and it means that the worldwide hunt for whales, as well as trade in whale meat is forbidden. However, this date is considered as a day to protect not only whales, but all marine mammals. Every year on this day, various environmental groups hold rally in defense of whales and other marine mammals. This day has particular importance for Russia, as dozens of species of whales, dolphins and seals live in the seas of our country. Many of them are endangered and listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Placebo effect

A placebo is a physiologically inert substance used as a medicinal drug to reassure a patient. A Placebo effect is a positive therapeutic effect claimed by a patient after receiving a placebo. Generally, the term "placebo effect" is a positive therapeutic effect not only medicine drug, but for example from some kind of radiation, conversation, laser therapy, etc.
An efficiency of the Placebo depends on patient’s suggestibility and external circumstances of the treatment. Bigger and brighter pills have the greater effect. Placebo injection works better than a placebo tablet. Sometimes doctors deliberately prescribe placebos to patients who prone to autosuggestion symptoms of sick. In this case, they avoid unnecessary drug therapy and multiple drug complications. The positive effect of homeopathic is also explained by placebo effect. Placebo effect may be explained by as a result of suggestion the patient's brain begins developing substances with appropriate action, including endorphins, which in effect partially replacing the action of the drug. The second factor that ensures the effectiveness of placebos is increasing general immunity of human.
The placebo effect makes it more difficult to evaluate new treatments. I think all clinical trials should be double blinded so that the researchers also do not know which subjects are receiving the active or placebo treatment.

Abnormal heat in the heart of Russia will continue until July 22

“There is abnormally hot weather with temperatures exceeding the norm more than seven degrees in the Central Federal District. It will remain until July 22” said official site of Roshydromet.

During this period daytime temperatures will be 30-35 degrees throughout central Russia. At the same time in the Kaluga, Tula, Ryazan, Bryansk, Orel, Lipetsk, Tambov, Kursk, Belgorod and Voronezh regions thermometer can reach to 36-38 degrees.
In 15 hours on July 16 there was recorded temperature of 33 degrees at the station "VVC". It’s new maximum of temperature In Moscow. Previously, the maximum rate for that day was 32.8 degrees. It was recorded in 1938. July 17, there were 35 degrees in Moscow.

Another interesting fact is that the heat stays on the north of Russia in Yakutia. In winter season a temperature can reach minus 70 degrees in Yakutia. Last week there were more than 30 degrees in Yakutia. Thus annual temperature difference is about 100 degrees in Yakutia.

Bastille Day

There is a big supermarket in Tver. It name is “Tver” but it better known by its informal name, Bastille. I wonder why we called it Bastille. It looks like a big fortress. And I think Bastille is one of well-known fortresses in Russia. This suggests that we like French history and culture.




Anyway, today is July, 14 and today is Bastille Day. In 1789, the insurgent Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress-prison and released seven prisoners. This event is considered the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille fortress-prison is a token of royal despotism. And the storm of the Bastille is a token of freedom and political liberation. Bastille Day is the French national holiday. The word "Bastille" has become common.

In France the official program of the celebration includes a series of balls: balls of fire, a grand ball, which takes place July, 13 in the Tuileries Gardens. In the Bastille Day there is a solemn military parade on the Champs Elysees. The parade begins at 10 am with Etoile and moves toward the Louvre in front of the President of France. Finale of the festival becomes a big salute and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower and the Mars field at 10 pm. Then there are many parties in discotheques, bars, nightclubs, houses and in the streets.

My first sushi

About 2 years ago I visited my friends and it was first time when I made and tasted sushi. Then I ate sushi few times in restaurants. But it’s not cheap meal and I cannot allow myself to eat as much as I want. This weekend I have bought a sushi kit and cooked my first sushi.

Sushi is a Japanese dish consisting of cooked cold rice which is commonly topped with fish or other seafood or put into rolls. There are many different kinds of sushi. I cooked hosomaki. It’s a thin rolled sushi. A typical hosomaki has a diameter of about two centimeters. They generally contain only one or two fillings. I used salmon, cucumber, cheese and prawn for fillings in different combinations.

Also I cooked few nigirizushi. It consisted of an oblong mound of sushi rice with a bit of wasabi and topped with salmon. It was very delicious. And I hope to repeat it soon.

Альбом: Famile

Salvador Dalí came to Tver

At the beginning of the 60 of last century, the great surrealist Salvador Dali illustrated the Divine Comedy by Dante. He made one hundred graphic works in xylography. It’s exactly the number of songs. A gang of cutters cut out the boards for 3500 impressions for three years. Because each color needs its own board.
“Tver is the second city in Russia, where we brought the exposure” - Alexander Schelyakov said, one of the organizers of the exhibition. Before this the exhibition was in Voronezh. Works from private German collections contains all 100 works of the series. The Russian museums do not have any works of this series, though it was published more than 1000 copies.

According to legend, Dali once admitted to journalists that he Dante did not read, and his wife and muse Gala told him the plot works. However, when you look at the work you understand that the great hoaxer was cunning. he is too deeply felt the poem. There are also traditional features Dali: stilts and ants. For the first time, the famous top view of figure of the crucified Christ appears in this series. Surrealistic interpretation of Dali's classic poem of Dante is one of the best of his works in book graphics and one of the most monumental of his works.

I’ll visit this exhibition this weekend indeed.

Kupala Day part two

Girls dance around the birch tree and sing. The boys make "raids" on this dance of trying to snatch birch. Then the guy who snatched up the birch tree should run to the river, where he is waiting for the others. On the bank of the river people break off pieces of birch twigs and store them as a symbol of fertility. Then the tree should be thrown on the water. Then people throw wreaths of flowers and blessed herbs in water. After that they begin to swim. In the evening all go to the fire. A girl should burn the fire. From this point the festivity begins. People ask riddles, walk with masks, sing songs and play games.

When the fire burned, the girls begin to choose a boyfriend. The girl slaps the guy on the shoulder and runs away. The guy should catch her. Then the couple holds hands and jumps over the fire. If during a jump hands will not disband then the pair is compiled. If the pair is not compiled they start begin with other partners. After all pairs are completed they have lavish feast. Then in the night, light the wooden wheel and wheel it to the water. Then in the night, set fire to a wooden wheel and wheel it to the water. On the bank of the river the couples exchanged garlands. After that they put his garland on the raft of twigs and straws and put it on the water. Then naked couples swim and make love. Singles are going at the campfire and protect the holiday from the robbers and evil spirits.

There is a legend that if someone finds this night blooming fern he or she will gain incredible power. It is a real challenge because the fern don’t bloom.

Kupala Day

Kupala Day is the feast of the summer solstice. It’s one of the major pagan festivals of the Slavs. It’s the feast of the sun, summer and the green meadow. On Kupala eve people make up a complex set of ritual. In the morning the girls gather herbs and flowers, weave wreaths and store herbs, amulets (wormwood, St. John's wort, stinging nettle) for all participants in the festival. Herbs for the amulet are usually attached to a belt.

In good time the boys should cut down a tree (birch, willow, maple) in one and a half or two human heights. It should be set on the place chosen for the festivities (clean and flat field along the river or lake). The girls should decorate the tree with flowers and colored scraps of fabric. The tree symbolizes Mother Earth. Then they put doll size of half a man under the tree. This doll symbolizes Yarilo. Yarilo is deity of sun.

The doll is knitted straw or made of molded clay. And then the doll is dressed and decorated with wreath, flowers and ribbons. The doll should have big penis that symbolizes fertility. The boys prepared firewood and piled up near the tree two fires. One huge bonfire is for the night festivities. And another lesser bonfire is for the funeral pyre to burn idol of Yarilo. The main action begins in the late afternoon, close to sunset
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To be continued…

Gerontology

Gerontology is the study of biological, social and psychological aspects of human aging, its causes and ways to combat it (rejuvenation). Gerontology is relatively young science. It appeared about a century ago. However, the huge increase in the elderly population has led to this becoming one of the most rapidly growing fields. People have always sought to somehow prolong life. But only in the 20th century gerontology beginning to provide answers to the most important question - how to avoid premature aging.

Genetically predetermined potential of human body is 100-120 years of life. Researches that were conducted in gerontology in the last decade, suggests that it’s possible to extend of the active period of life. Biomedical gerontology, also known as experimental gerontology and life extension, prevents, and even reverse aging in humans. Curing age-related diseases is one approach, and slowing down the underlying processes of aging is another. Most "life extensionists" believe the human life span can be altered within the next century, if not sooner. "Optimists" such as Aubrey DeGrey are of the opinion that the first person to reach one thousand years of age has already been born.
Anyway, I'm going to live forever as long as everything goes OK…

Homeopathy: The Test

Today I have watched the documentary movie about homeopathy. The movie tells about attempts to prove that homeopathy works. Homeopathy is a method of treatment, the main principle of which is the appointment of small quantities of drugs that cause symptoms similar to disease. It’s interesting that some of homeopathic cures are diluted so much that they do not remain the original substance. However, homeopaths claim that homeopathic water has memory carries out the transfer of biological information. Modern scientific medicine is skeptical of homeopathy. Few clinical trials of homeopathic preparations did not show differences between the homeopathic remedy and placebo. Skeptic James Randi has offered $1m to anyone who can provide convincing evidence of homeopathy effects. He is still keeping his money. However, there are many people who take homeopathic cures and convince that they work.

The Treeman

Today, I have watched the documentary movie about a 36-year old Indonesian man named Dede Koswara, the so-called "Treeman". He is affected with a terrible disease that has covered his body with tree like roots. The movie tells about the search for the cure for Dede. He is a poor fisherman from a small Indonesian village. Because of his disease he cannot work and provide his family with money. He has 2 teenage children.

Nobody cared about him until American dermatologist, Dr Gaspari, hears of Dede’s story and goes to Indonesia to meet Dede. He finds that Dede suffers from the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), or common warts. Dede has a low immune deficiency that has allowed the virus to flourish to a massive, deforming infection. After that, Indonesian officials took Dede in hospital and provided him with treatment. Dr Gaspari suggested chemotherapy but Indonesian doctors prescribed surgery treatment. Dede was in hospital for about nine months. Doctors removed 90% warts from Dede’s body (over 4-pounds). But I think it’s only a temporary relief. They haven't cured him yet and warts will grow again. Below are pictures before and after treatment.