Ozersk on NPR

[mox 298]

Interesting story on NPR this morning about the Ozersk nuclear disaster. You can read/listen to it here. With the current global economic meltdown, coupled with United Russia's stranglehold on Russian politics, one wonders how many more of these types of situations are either waiting to happen or are already happening but unreported, and how any of this relates to pie.

[KGSodie 0]

I gave this a listen, Mox, and it was informative. Natasha was born in the Chelyabinsk region. She also related a story to me about the Volgodonsk nuclear power station, and its malfunction in May of 2006 (still not officially confirmed, I believe, by the Russian government), which was just a couple of months after my first visit to the city!

[KGSodie 0]

Also, my story relates to pie in the following manner: While on the aforementioned visit to Volgodonsk, we often visited Natasha's sister, Ulyana. On 2 occasions, Ulyana made for us what Natasha called pie, and which I will describe for you now (Natasha is at work so I can't get the Russian name of this dish. Natasha called it 'Apple pie').

Imagine a really flaky, thin pie crust. Now imagine many such layers stacked up with a thin apple paste in between the layers. I'm told beer goes into the batter, or maybe it was the paste, I don't remember. Very tasty.

[mox 298]

Also, my story relates to pie in the following manner: While on the aforementioned visit to Volgodonsk, we often visited Natasha's sister, Ulyana. On 2 occasions, Ulyana made for us what Natasha called pie, and which I will describe for you now (Natasha is at work so I can't get the Russian name of this dish. Natasha called it 'Apple pie').

Imagine a really flaky, thin pie crust. Now imagine many such layers stacked up with a thin apple paste in between the layers. I'm told beer goes into the batter, or maybe it was the paste, I don't remember. Very tasty.

I think I've had this...do they cook the apples in cognac?

I knew when I heard the story that I remembered one of us had family from Chelyabinsk. Couldn't remember who tho.

[Neonred 3,517]

My wife was born and raised in Mailuu-Suu Kyrgyzstan, listed as one of the top ten most polluted cities in the world thanks to their uranium mining operation. See http://www.worst-city.com/Mailuu-Suu-Kyrgy...aces-Cities.htm

My wife's step father was a miner there, and to top it off he "volunteered" with the clean up of Chernobyl. Most of his friends who did the same are now dead. He is in very poor health and totally disabled. This was a closed city in Soviet times, but the plus side was that they had everything they needed or wanted. My wife was warned when she was young to stay out of the river, and not to eat any fruits or nuts growing in the area. She does have some health issues and I certainly wonder about the effects of the radiation exposure while she was young.

Another former Soviet city to add to the list of most dangerous and polluted places to live.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Also, my story relates to pie in the following manner: While on the aforementioned visit to Volgodonsk, we often visited Natasha's sister, Ulyana. On 2 occasions, Ulyana made for us what Natasha called pie, and which I will describe for you now (Natasha is at work so I can't get the Russian name of this dish. Natasha called it 'Apple pie').

Imagine a really flaky, thin pie crust. Now imagine many such layers stacked up with a thin apple paste in between the layers. I'm told beer goes into the batter, or maybe it was the paste, I don't remember. Very tasty.

Did you also eat mushrooms gathered fresh from the field?

[slim 1,514]

My wife is originally from Amursk in the Khabarovsk region. According to her the major "fabrika" during Soviet times was the "bullet factory" so there's really not much.... hey, wait a minute...... (checks effects of "lead poisoning/bi-polar disorder" on Google)..... now that explains a lot. Just a quick check yields all of these symptoms.

Aggression, violence, hostility, anti-social or delinquent behaviour

Attention problems; distractibility, restlessness

Externalising and internalising behaviours

Hyperactive behaviours, difficult to manage

Inappropriate / uncontrolled behaviours similar to ADD behaviours, increased frequency

Irritability

Lethargy

Increased school absenteeism

OK. So, next time she gets all "feisty" (or misses school!) I can tell her to "get the lead out."

[slim 1,514]

Almost forgot - pie.

She makes a mean meat pie! (Hope it doesn't have lead in it.)

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

My wife is originally from Amursk in the Khabarovsk region. According to her the major "fabrika" during Soviet times was the "bullet factory" so there's really not much.... hey, wait a minute...... (checks effects of "lead poisoning/bi-polar disorder" on Google)..... now that explains a lot. Just a quick check yields all of these symptoms.

Aggression, violence, hostility, anti-social or delinquent behaviour

Attention problems; distractibility, restlessness

Externalising and internalising behaviours

Hyperactive behaviours, difficult to manage

Inappropriate / uncontrolled behaviours similar to ADD behaviours, increased frequency

Irritability

Lethargy

Increased school absenteeism

OK. So, next time she gets all "feisty" (or misses school!) I can tell her to "get the lead out."

be careful with that, she might cap a few rounds in you.

[KGSodie 0]

Also, my story relates to pie in the following manner: While on the aforementioned visit to Volgodonsk, we often visited Natasha's sister, Ulyana. On 2 occasions, Ulyana made for us what Natasha called pie, and which I will describe for you now (Natasha is at work so I can't get the Russian name of this dish. Natasha called it 'Apple pie').

Imagine a really flaky, thin pie crust. Now imagine many such layers stacked up with a thin apple paste in between the layers. I'm told beer goes into the batter, or maybe it was the paste, I don't remember. Very tasty.

Did you also eat mushrooms gathered fresh from the field?

Oh good Lord no! Even now, if Natasha sees a mushroom in the food she eats at a restaurant, she will ask me if it's safe.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Also, my story relates to pie in the following manner: While on the aforementioned visit to Volgodonsk, we often visited Natasha's sister, Ulyana. On 2 occasions, Ulyana made for us what Natasha called pie, and which I will describe for you now (Natasha is at work so I can't get the Russian name of this dish. Natasha called it 'Apple pie').

Imagine a really flaky, thin pie crust. Now imagine many such layers stacked up with a thin apple paste in between the layers. I'm told beer goes into the batter, or maybe it was the paste, I don't remember. Very tasty.

Did you also eat mushrooms gathered fresh from the field?

Oh good Lord no! Even now, if Natasha sees a mushroom in the food she eats at a restaurant, she will ask me if it's safe.

Better safe than sorry

[mox 298]

Better safe than sorry

Heh. Well, what passes for mushrooms in this country may be safe, but sure is lacking in the taste department compared to what you can get in RU. On the other hand I'll take tasteless mushrooms over death most days of the week.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Better safe than sorry

Heh. Well, what passes for mushrooms in this country may be safe, but sure is lacking in the taste department compared to what you can get in RU. On the other hand I'll take tasteless mushrooms over death most days of the week.

You are right about the taste. I ate plenty of mushroom and potato meals in Belarus, and the mushrooms came from folks just selling them at roadside. I guess I was living more dangerously than normal, but what the hell. If glowing in the dark is part of the experience, well... Maybe I am wrong, but I assumed that several dishes with mushrooms picked many miles from the exclusion zone probably wouldn't hurt too much.