While I didn’t go anywhere over spring break, I did have an excellent time. I spent everyday here at the American Home, applying for jobs, working on my presentation and chatting with friends from home. Now I’m back and we start out this week with a root canal.
Not a real root canal, but probably longer and more painful. American Home teacher meetings are something to dread. Someone with influence reads my blog, and suggested we make some changes to our meetings, namely having teachers have something in mind to talk about. Yay, right? Wrong, it caused the meeting to run incredibly long repeat information over and over again.
I’ve added a poll widget to my blog, over there on the right. I’m personally a fan of short meetings, but I’m interested in how long people think general work meetings should last. It’s also a lot easier to vote than to comment.
Internets, Work
The Ragged Trousered Philosopher is one my new favorite reads online. I really enjoy reading their articles because they aren’t written like most philosophy essays, they are entertaining. I would recommend starting with Talking to God. Its great, but unfortunately, the idea isn’t very original. The Rama series by Arthur C. Clarke covers exactly this idea, but in novel form and only the last one really explains any theories. All the other good reads are on the left and right menus.
If that still isn’t enough philosophical reading material for you, I leave you with one of my favorite short stories, They’re made out of meat By Terry Bisson.
Philosophical
This holiday is about as international as the World Series is worldly. IWD is celebrated almost exclusively within the former soviet bloc. Its the one day of the year you can find Russians walking down the street smiling to each other. This may or may not be because the vast majority are drunk.
Common gifts for Women’s Day are flowers, jewelery and chocolate. Not entirely dissimilar to our Valentine’s Day. The major difference is the complete focus on women. I mentioned Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland, a sorry excuse to give men some holiday to match wherein the gifts are ‘congrats’ a pat on the back. I haven’t much else news wise about the holiday, so here is an interesting link. Siberian researchers have found that whipping people makes them happier.
Russia in general
I have probably spent as many days awake as nights in my 4 years of college. I was always more active past midnight than I ever was in class. I think it had something to do with dorms only quieting down around midnight, only then could I really think. Not that noise bothers me, it just stifles creativity. Then again, I’ve been reading a lot about circadian rhythms lately, maybe mine is just backwards.
Stumbling around the internet, I have again found something I’d like to share with the BWW, Bob Wide Web. Anatomy of an All Nighter is a college study done at the University of Texas Austin, where I happen to have been born. It covers the best way to go through the night alert and ready to work. When I compare it to my all nighters, its very different. I usually never had protein, the best snack for an all nighter. My night time meals were usually ramen or pop-tarts. Also, when I wrote, everything seems smarter the later night got. That isn’t to say I actually write better when I’m sleep deprived, but I think I do, and that is all that matters.
I also looked up WikiHow’s all nighter strategy. It seems like a bunch of quick fixes rather than a plan to last all night and get any work done. How often do you stay up all night? What is your plan of attack?
Uncategorical
Thanks to the wonders of social networking, I’ve found an archive of old soviet posters. As you would expect, most of them are about how wonderful working and living in the socialist republic is and how horrible the Americans are. In fact, I was surprised at how evil they made us seem. From an American point of view, they were the evil ones!
While the dream of a working socialist system hasn’t completely died in my heart. I am a lot more pragmatic when it comes to soviet whimsy. I’ve picked out some of my favorites and translated them for you, but the big versions and many more pictures can be found here.
If you have any you’d like translated. feel free to comment.
We are sowing life
Two Worlds - Two Plans
They sow death!
American Freedom
(ccw from top left)
Freedom of the Press
Freedom of expression
Freedom to gather
Freedom from lynching?
Work so that Comrade Stalin will say thanks!
Gossip - Helps the Enemy!
Russia in general
