Hi. I’m Fred, I’m in the post that you’re reading right now and I’d like to introduce myself. I’m a 42 year old geologist. I know, real interesting, right? Well, blame the author for not having a more creative streak in him. I only do what I’m told, and I really only speak when thought about, like now. Watch what happens when you stop thinking about me.
See? I stopped talking, you couldn’t make me say a word, you don’t even know my last name. Acutally, I don’t even know my last name. Hmm, I guess it must be Klein. Don’t ask me why I know now, you’re the one who just read it. So, about myself. I work in caves. All alone in the dark, very zen and peaceful. Until someone like you follows me to work because I can’t really stop a floating mind with a falling rock. So I guess we’re in this together for the next fifty thousand or so words, less if you don’t like my story.
This holiday, relatively unknown to most of the world is actually observed by more people than any other. Most people who do know the holiday mistakenly refer to it as 1/2 Christmas.
The holiday is, of course, My Birthday. And yes, I did pick the 25th of June so that I could get presents every 6 months. If I wasn’t born in the US, I might have chosen another date according to the local cultural gift-giving norms. June isn’t a bad month to be born and have a holiday from a US stand point. So long as you avoid father’s day, there isn’t really anything else in the way, or near by. The weather is usually great, or will be on the weekend before or after the big day, and all of your friends don’t have any classes or excuses not to come if you have a party.
To celebrate my birthday there is only one thing you need to do: Not talk to me. It is what I want, I enjoy having a day all to myself, and usually it isn’t too hard to pull off a day of solitude. leaving me notes and SMSs, facebook graffiti, e-mails or other things is acceptable, though not required.
…are not part of my life right now. Which explains why I’ve been quiet.
To give you something to look at while I take pictures of my bike or something to post about, take a look at Gorod Killerov. I’m trying to bring the campus game Assassins to Russia. Assassins translates to ‘Killers’, Russians aren’t as creative with their murderer-esque names. Killer.ru was taken, so I approximated the name to something easy to remember, but also easy to type in latin letters.
Gorod = City
Killerov = of Killers
Best I could do, and don’t talk me out of it, I already bought the domain name!
The basic sign-up/in for is there, but the game isn’t playable yet: just Lorem Ipsum text and a picture. Feedback, as always, is greatly appreciated!
Around 11pm May 8th 1945, the Fascists officially surrendered to the Allies in WWII. In the US, there are several holidays to commemorate those who have served in wars, or are still serving, but we lack any particular WWII remembrance day. Rhode Island is the only state to have a holiday commemorating Victory over Japan, due to the disproportionate number of young men sent off and lost to the pacific theater.
In the Soviet Union, more than 27 million lives were lost during WWII, and a large portion of the war was fought on their own soil. For this reason, the Russians call it the Great Patriotic War. Victory Day is celebrated, in usual Russian tradition on local time, May 9th. 23:05 May 8th Germany was around 1:05 in the morning the next day in Moscow.
This year is the first show of military might since the fall of the USSR. jets, tanks, rockets and about 8,000 soldiers marched through Red Square saluting the new inaugurated Russian President, Dimitry Medvedev. The new President didn’t say anything controversial as was expected (Or as his predecessor, Soon-to-be Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, would have done). Instead, he only vaguely hinted at Russia’s disdain for the US and US foreign policy.
As promised, here are some pictures. I didn’t get to sit in any tanks, but I wasn’t crushed under any either. Continue Reading »
