tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51889692012-01-30T19:30:30.046-05:00HradcanyCombine Kafka, Umberto Eco, Garrison Keillor, and gibberish base into a warm, dry bowl.
Beat until smooth.
Season to the occasion.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.comBlogger3821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-40664283728618734862012-01-30T19:15:00.002-05:002012-01-30T19:30:30.056-05:00A taste of Russian humor: The following is said to be the final article of a Russian law: If any person or persons find themselves understanding or approaching the understanding or comprehension of any part or role of this rule or law, they should contact the relevant authorities immediately so the law can be changed.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-40912902227452187982012-01-19T16:35:00.000-05:002012-01-19T16:36:26.116-05:00Interesting Quote: "Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is."-William JamesJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-14648001220891998802012-01-16T22:13:00.004-05:002012-01-16T22:35:20.229-05:00Very interesting site, previously under cyber attack during the latest elections: Golos AssociationThey set up a daring site where they encouraged people to report election violations into a central map Карта Нарушений Выборы 2011This gives a good background on what they've been dealing with:A Crowd Sourced Map Becomes the Symbol of Russia's Democratic DeclineJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-21650012691061377372011-11-26T19:02:00.002-05:002011-11-26T19:08:58.279-05:00Something I've felt was true for a long time! If only there were a larger sample size in the research.....Talk Deeply, Be HappyThe New York Times Health Blog March 17, 2010Would you be happier if you spent more time discussing the state of the world and the meaning of life — and less time talking about the weather?It may sound counterintuitive, but people who spend more of their day having deep Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-24213134762269460322011-11-26T17:22:00.002-05:002011-11-26T17:27:44.878-05:00Editorial: "Have You Stopped Being Devious?" Vedemosti November 15, 2011Translated by Johnson's Russia List (November 17, 2011)In an interview for Itogi magazine, Sergey Sobyanin, the progressive mayor of the Russian capital, formulated a universal slogan that all representatives of the Russian regime should now adopt. Answering a question about the stylistic coincidence between the street Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-8250370917330354492010-08-12T20:15:00.002-04:002010-08-12T20:18:01.781-04:00Just rereading Vaclav Havel's seminal work, "The Power of the Powerless." Still amazing.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-66975080653315453122010-08-11T00:04:00.002-04:002010-08-11T00:14:47.913-04:00I'm so glad the US has figured out the deep importance of providing flood relief in Pakistan, though it means taking some resources away from the military effort next door. What with the Pakistan government seemingly AWOL while the general population suffers mightily in the wake of the worst flooding in decades and the initial mobilization of groups with links to local paramilitary groups, this Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-53139159947510190242010-06-11T16:59:00.003-04:002010-06-12T13:24:53.791-04:00When I talk to most Americans about Russia, their responses reflect a deep assumption that somehow everything in the country are personally manipulated by Vladimir Putin. They seem to see him as a puppet master, controlling the entire country like a marionette-- in the mode of how they saw the old Soviet Premiers. This article, written by a really remarkable Russian journalist (and the most Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-78909510493423055262010-04-20T21:19:00.002-04:002010-04-20T21:36:20.307-04:00This was something too good not to post: Porn in the USA: The Geography of Desire(a encapsulation of current social sciences research by Stephen Bates in The Wilson Quarterly, Summer 2009)Who subscribes to pornographic websites? Benjamin Edelman of Harvard Business School summarizes data from a major provider of online porn in The Journal of Economic Perspectives (Winter 2009). Per capita, UtahJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-88533582038446431832010-04-06T20:20:00.002-04:002010-04-06T20:38:12.123-04:00New York has a reputation for being gritty but when I was on the Upper West Side today, I saw something I just have to share. Picture the scene: A boy about 10 years old with a mop of black hair was sitting on a bench on the edge of the sidewalk, with a particle board easel in front of him. A paper on the front reads, in careful Elementary school scrawl, "I Draw You: 75 ¢." Below that, he hadJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-21940611081960126762010-02-26T14:17:00.002-05:002010-02-26T14:22:51.303-05:00This was too good not to post. I have been on the receiving end of this kind of thing more times than I would care to mention. Haven't had the confidence to come up with this kind of response, though.... If They Won't Email You Back, Pretend They Didby Neal HirschfeldThe New York TimesJanuary 24, 2010Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-13981258693572232592010-01-28T01:37:00.002-05:002010-01-28T01:52:24.872-05:00For anyone out there interested in how to understand Russia, this piece comes the closest I have seen to an accurate theoretical rendering of what is happening there. Russian Transimperialism and Its Implications By Dr. Celeste Wallander, Professor at American University's School of International Service and now Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for RussiaHer term 'transimperialism' might be Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-29991526897374124852009-12-22T20:29:00.003-05:002009-12-22T21:31:28.449-05:00This article is really interesting-- not only for its description of life in a certain part of China but also for its exploration of how some Chinese look at the world, and how that relates to globalization. Chinese Barbizon;Painting the outside world. (Letter from Lishui)BY: Peter HesslerThe New YorkerOctober 26, 2009In the countryside southwest of the city of Lishui, where the Da River crossesJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-88276002060595294562009-12-06T16:47:00.004-05:002009-12-06T17:16:05.187-05:00As I've talked with many Americans about Russia, they don't seem to really understand the mindset of regular Russians. Many Americans assume that they should act as they themselves would, especially when it comes to questions of collective action and political expectations. This article speaks to this-- lots more could be written, but it's a start. Vote Fraud? Next Question.Why Russians Ignore Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-42084785064791923622009-11-17T11:16:00.003-05:002009-11-17T11:23:19.255-05:00This is a very interesting line of argument-- something that is often overlooked in discussions of Russian politics in the USA. Freedom for SaleJohn Kampfner, 9 September 2009Round the world, people appear willing to give up their freedoms in return for the promise of prosperity or security. But why? John Kampfner explores this in his new book Freedom for Sale. One of the countries he studied Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-60868042326521017752009-11-16T21:05:00.002-05:002009-11-16T21:21:56.648-05:00Anyone out there like fiction? This article is just about the least reflective of reality of all which I have read: Россия ВпередGo, Russia! (English version)Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-45632433677725723632009-10-31T15:54:00.003-04:002009-10-31T17:35:00.030-04:00Happy Halloween, everybody! We had a great time with everyone at our party last night and hope everyone enjoys themselves with all the other spirits out there tonight!I thought I'd share this story with you all, in the 'spirit' of the season. I've tweaked it a little bit to modernize the language in a few places and for effect. Enjoy!_My Own True Ghost Story_By Rudyard Kipling As I came Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-50122896715188933312009-08-15T19:13:00.003-04:002009-08-15T19:31:14.839-04:00This is indicative of how many Russians think about the West--though few are this well-spoken.====Disheartened With the WestMoscow Times -- 11 August 2009By Alexei Pankin Back in January 2003, I read the following opinion on the Kreml.org web site, an analytical forum that had just been created: “We will never be accepted in [the West’s] world or recognized as equal partners in their Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-82373909388368055792009-06-13T17:47:00.001-04:002009-06-13T17:49:16.388-04:00As you can see, I've been renovating the layout here and preparing to start blogging again. Stay tuned!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-31574763090580752482007-08-19T23:16:00.000-04:002007-08-19T23:20:13.084-04:00This is a really interesting article:Critical GIS: Making Judgements Under UncertaintyRead it and tell me whether you actually got the right answer to the Vietnam example the first time. I certainly didn't.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-91514345205395138032007-05-31T16:02:00.000-04:002007-05-31T16:18:15.681-04:00Here's a cool new toy to play with! The quality of the data will have to increase for it to be really used as a research tool. I do have one question, though. How did these companies get the images in the first place? Was there some big truck with a bunch of cameras on it rolling down the streets of New York and other cities? That would have made a lot of privacy campaigners really Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-30160027200993933422007-05-31T10:48:00.000-04:002007-05-31T16:23:22.239-04:00I'm surprised that I haven't seen much grassroots organization in colleges and universities in the West to help with the problems this article describes in African universities. It seems a natural outlet for collective action on the part of concerned college/graduate students to raise money even for small things like chairs and study supplies. If you're reading this, I challenge you to take Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-5431451942175272882007-05-27T21:01:00.000-04:002007-05-27T21:06:45.247-04:00Isn't my nephew cute? He just loves horses!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-16779397704407437542007-05-17T15:05:00.001-04:002007-05-17T15:19:14.355-04:00I thought this article was interesting-- especially the sweet reason the B612 Foundation is named what it is.NASA TRIES, FAILS TO WITHHOLD PLANETARY DEFENSE REPORTBy Steven Aftergood, an article in his "SECRECY NEWS"from the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government SecrecyVolume 2007, Issue No. 51May 15, 2007The National Aeronautics and Space Administration earlier this year Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-82163387807601186572007-05-10T17:22:00.000-04:002007-05-10T17:41:15.207-04:00Whew! I'm finally done with my exams!One of the things I did for a particularly good class was write a 27-page paper on the events leading up to the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Doing research on the subject, I found the following website that people might be interested in: Poznan-Budapest 1956: Common Roads to FreedomJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-52680351451723212762007-03-25T22:29:00.000-04:002007-03-25T22:32:50.099-04:00Having joined the ranks of Wikipedia writers, the first article I updated was about my grandfather, Victor Lange. Most of the content, however, was written by my grandmother, who saw the previous article and decided that it was woefully inadequate. Take a look at it here and let me know what you think!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-87795401164046063532007-03-21T14:28:00.000-04:002007-03-21T14:40:37.107-04:00This is really interesting: All-female unit keeps peace in LiberiaIn Monrovia, the first women-only UN peacekeepers join the 15,000-strong force, inspiring local women to become police.The Christian Science Monitorfrom the March 21, 2007 editionBy Tristan McConnell MONROVIA, LIBERIABehind rows of razor wire, a machine gun peeking over the sandbags is trained on the road below. This is just one Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-32716850253872210592007-03-13T22:12:00.000-04:002007-03-13T22:24:16.624-04:00This is an interesting approach to this kind of problem, even if I don't necessarily agree with the conclusions they draw in this case.Knowledge Is Power Only if You Know How to Use It The New York TimesMarch 11, 2007By DENISE CARUSO“IF we can land a man on the moon, why can’t we ...?” has been a familiar, fill-in-your-pet-peeve lament about the state of the world since Neil Armstrong’s historic Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-59696972501494662232007-03-13T21:33:00.000-04:002007-03-13T21:36:04.699-04:00I'm sure I'm not alone to welcome Sophie Amelia Scialla who was born March 2, 2007 at 7:00PMand weighed 7 lbs 11 oz, into the world!Congratulations, Alla!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-11671165116332234522007-02-17T00:36:00.000-05:002007-02-19T18:21:36.439-05:00Your friendly neighborhood plasma engineer at work!The Prophet of Garbagein Popular Science, March 2007by Michael BeharIt sounds as if someone just dropped a tricycle into a meat grinder. I’m sitting inside a narrow conference room at a research facility in Bristol, Connecticut, chatting with Joseph Longo, the founder and CEO of Startech Environmental Corporation. As we munch on takeout Subway Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1171524537841018162007-02-15T02:16:00.000-05:002007-02-19T18:22:21.459-05:00Many of you know that Symi and I went to a taping of the Colbert Report not too long ago but I didn't see this coming: New Ice Cream Named for Stephen Colbertfrom Yahoo News (February 14, 2007)NEW YORK - Stephen Colbert may have no taste for the truth, but he does have a sweet tooth. Ben & Jerry's has named a new ice cream in honor of the comedian: "Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream." It's Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1170645324636014102007-02-04T22:15:00.000-05:002007-03-13T21:45:00.340-04:00Here's a great applied statistics paper-- researchers at Columbia and UC Berkeley correlated national corruption indices with unpaid parking tickets for UN diplomats. There's a pretty strong correlation, it seems, but what struck me was the dramatic number of parking tickets some countries rack up. I've excerpted the top ten from their research: Average Unpaid Annual New York City Parking Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1169884553647820852007-01-27T02:54:00.000-05:002007-02-19T18:24:10.625-05:00Map-reading postie finds address A postman turned map reader to deliver a letter which was marked only with a name and a drawing. A map on the envelope had a dot drawn in north Cornwall and an arrow saying "Somewhere Here". BBC NewsPostal workers in Bude, north Cornwall managed to pinpoint the right address and deliver the letter. The letter to Peter O'Leary, was from a long-lost work colleague Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1169330633657293312007-01-20T17:01:00.000-05:002007-01-20T17:03:53.676-05:00Here's an interesting article.... Politics, Economics and Time Bury Memories of the Kazakh Gulag New York TimesBy ILAN GREENBERGPublished: December 31, 2006Maria Sadina hunched over fading pictures of her parents, ethnic Germans who were deported in 1941 from the Volga region in Russia to one of Karaganda's many gulag camps. Ms. Sadina's father was imprisoned for praising the quality of a Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1168580714896444192007-01-12T00:38:00.000-05:002007-01-12T00:52:21.546-05:00This is a great spoof and I thought people might enjoy this. I hope to read Absurdistan soon. Ten Days With OblomovBy Gary ShteyngartOctober 1, 2006New York Times Book ReviewDAY 1: At 11 in the morning, while I am still savoring the last moments of a fruitful sleep, a messenger brings to my doorstep a new translation of “Oblomov,” the famous 19th-century slacker novel by Ivan Goncharov, whose Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1168052544162563962007-01-05T21:59:00.000-05:002007-01-05T22:02:24.176-05:00This is a fun website that people might enjoy-- Happy Holidays, belatedly!NORAD Tracks SantaJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1167466813387159492006-12-30T03:03:00.000-05:002006-12-30T03:20:13.403-05:00Well, I'm still in California after I was supposed to leave this afternoon to ring in the New Year with Symi in Chicago. After 3 hours in the Palm Springs airport, my flight was cancelled and after several more hours, I finally got a spot on a direct flight tomorrow. All this because of bad weather in Dallas (through which I was transferring). At least I have somewhere I could stay here. SomeJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1166747267192038112006-12-21T19:19:00.000-05:002006-12-21T19:29:06.626-05:00Turkmenbashi Dead!Colorful Turkmen Leader Diesby BURT HERMAN, Associated Press WriterNo matter where you went in Turkmenistan, there was no getting away from President Saparmurat Niyazov.He's on every banknote and coin, his name proclaimed on billboards lining every main street. Golden statues of him are a landmark in every town. He was on TV and in newspapers, in schools and offices — his Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1156540134701637602006-08-25T16:43:00.000-04:002006-08-25T19:56:46.996-04:00Whew! Symi and I are finally seeing the floor of our new apartment after the movers showed up bright and early 8:00AM Monday morning to move us out of our great apartment in Cleveland Park to our cozy apartment on the Upper West Side. Since then, it has been quite a ride-- drilling holes in the walls (for mounted shelves) and being given a hand saw, pencil and measuring tape and told to cut ourJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1154080983277937192006-07-27T22:28:00.000-04:002006-07-28T06:03:03.343-04:00I've recently been enjoying reading this series of articles written by "The Frugal Traveler," aka Matt Gross of the New York Times, as he travels east through the Balkans, the Caucasus and now into Central Asia. This week, he is writing from Kyrgyzstan and he's heading into Xinjiang Province, China.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1152863440568384372006-07-14T02:50:00.000-04:002006-07-14T03:50:40.750-04:00Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!! We finally have an apartment in New York City! Now I just have to find a way to pay for it in addition to my tuition...Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1152745311377748712006-07-12T18:47:00.000-04:002006-07-12T19:01:53.550-04:00A bit of poetry that I've always thought was great-- a propos of nothing...THE CREMATION OF SAM McGEEbyRobert William ServiceThere are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for goldThe Arctic trails have their secret tales that make your blood run cold;The Northern Lights have seen strange sights, but the queerest they ever did seeWas that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1151863890881375922006-07-02T14:11:00.000-04:002006-07-02T23:48:38.886-04:00This is a really cool image from a postcard from around the turn of the last century. In the middle of nowhere in central Maine, Mt. Kineo was once one of the largest hotels on the East Coast. Take a look at the whole page on Mt. Kineo at http://www.baharris.org/historicpolandspring/MtKineo/MtKineo.htm Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1151440738851040852006-06-27T16:31:00.000-04:002006-06-27T16:38:58.863-04:00This is just awesome!!!3-Year-Old's Birthday Party Theme: 'NewsHour''Jimmy Jimmy BoBo' Lehrer Makes Birthday Party NewsworthyJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1151345798303352122006-06-26T14:12:00.000-04:002006-06-26T14:16:38.320-04:00This was just too good not to share with people:From a British Parish Magazine:After his cat got stuck in a tree, a minister in South Africa decided to mount a rescue operation. He climbed a ladder as far as he could, tied one end of a piece of rope to the tree's narrow trunk and attached the other end to his car bumper.As he drove forward, the inevitable happened. The rope broke, catapulting Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1151268817186584822006-06-25T16:41:00.000-04:002006-06-25T16:55:38.040-04:00The other night I dreamt of a parallel world where American cowboys from the great plains and Kiwis (New Zealanders) had discovered a portal to an uninhabited largely old west/badlands-style parallel universe and had gotten themselves into a nuclear standoff with material stolen from the "real world" and assisted by the former-Soviet Russian nuclear engineers everyone is speculating is now Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1151003608041157442006-06-22T13:51:00.000-04:002006-06-22T15:13:28.100-04:00Symi, who sent this article to me, had only one thing to say about this-- "Wow!"I'm inclined to agree with her.Tale of a Lost Cellphone and Untold StaticThe New York Times June 21, 2006I'm also surprised to see that there wasn't any real discussion about people purchasing stolen property. How many people can honestly say that something they purchased on the subway platform isn't stolen?And this Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1150343907768499012006-06-14T23:58:00.000-04:002006-06-14T23:58:27.830-04:00You ever had one of those days? (New Yorker-- June 5, 2006) Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1149167402659730182006-06-01T09:10:00.000-04:002006-06-01T09:11:31.913-04:00The Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom recently celebrated the hatching of a pair of critically endagered Egyptian Tortoises. The baby tortoises are tiny, weighing only about 7 grams each and extremely cute! Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1148638542667999092006-05-26T06:10:00.000-04:002006-05-26T06:15:42.670-04:00I just got this from Arnie Witt, a friend of mine, via Symi. It's great!US Presidential Position Outsourced to IndiaCongress today announced that the office of President of the UnitedStates of America will be outsourced to India as of April 15th, 2006.The move is being made to save the President's $400,000 yearly salaryand also a record $521 billion in deficit expenditures and relatedoverhead Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1148584644909610312006-05-25T15:17:00.000-04:002006-05-26T06:09:24.780-04:00If only... (from the New Yorker 052906) Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1148476855064145192006-05-24T09:06:00.000-04:002006-05-24T09:20:55.083-04:00This is an interesting article if only for the social commentary and criticism of the "self-help culture."Dear Postindustrial Capitalismfrom In These Times Magazine -- March 24, 2006By Jessica ClarkCan I resign as the CEO of Brand Me, Inc? While profits and productivity are up, and product recognition is on the rise, the worker is complaining of long hours, tension headaches and job insecurity.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1148170069452171482006-05-20T20:04:00.000-04:002006-05-21T12:09:07.886-04:00Incredible... for all of those who deny that Iraq is a boondoggle.....U.S. Plan to Build Iraq Clinics FaltersContractor Will Try to Finish 20 of 142 SitesBy Ellen KnickmeyerWashington Post Foreign ServiceMonday, April 3, 2006; A01BAGHDAD -- A reconstruction contract for the building of 142 primary health centers across Iraq is running out of money, after two years and roughly $200 million, with Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1146346363912509512006-04-29T17:01:00.000-04:002006-04-29T17:40:52.280-04:00A release from the Eisenhower Memorial Commission: UPDATE ON PROGRESS AT THE DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL COMMISSIONThe Eisenhower Memorial Commission has recently taken a big step toward creating a permanent national memorial to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.Earlier this week, Congress passed Joint Resolution 28, a resolution granting permission to create an Eisenhower Memorial within the Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1145826011862746992006-04-23T17:00:00.000-04:002006-04-23T17:02:25.043-04:00Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1145825974459142312006-04-23T16:59:00.000-04:002006-04-23T17:03:37.276-04:00Two more photos of my adorable nephew-- the second one is with Daniel-- his father and my brother. It's not fair how photogenic he is! Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1144762829819172082006-04-11T09:40:00.000-04:002006-04-11T09:47:56.370-04:00Here's something that surprised me. Can you say cognitive dissonance? Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1144695337112783342006-04-10T14:17:00.000-04:002006-04-10T14:56:11.383-04:00I was listening to a very interesting Sherlock Holmes story-- "The Saviour of Cripplegate Square" of The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes written by Bert Coules (based on cases Holmes mentions in passing during the actual Conan Doyle mysteries)-- and heard some extremely interesting and useful quotations. The following quotations are taken from an exchange between a young Sherlock Holmes Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1144608850679274742006-04-09T14:54:00.000-04:002006-04-09T14:58:50.123-04:00I thought this was worth posting too :-) Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1144606719025850992006-04-09T14:18:00.000-04:002006-04-09T14:20:42.873-04:00Sometimes I come across past American stamps featuring subjects that I imagine would never make it onto a stamp now. This is one of them. Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1143829763390536802006-03-31T10:18:00.000-05:002006-04-09T14:24:59.570-04:00Some of you may be following the recent unrest in France associated with proposed changes to French employment laws. Lots of the protestors are students, making universities epicenters of unrest. The Sorbonne came in for some particularly active protests and vandalism due to a security vacuum when the Sorbonne's security forces withdrew upon orders from the French police but they didn't move Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1143279945276688492006-03-25T04:45:00.001-05:002006-03-25T04:45:45.283-05:00Absolutely adorable! Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1143279912389972582006-03-25T04:45:00.000-05:002006-03-25T04:45:12.396-05:00But before I go, I couldn't help gushing over these photos of my nephew, Zachary. Isn't he cute!!! Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1143279749015911952006-03-25T04:36:00.000-05:002006-03-25T04:42:29.033-05:00Symi and I are going to be heading out early this morning to Austin, TX for the weekend (through Monday evening) to go to friends' wedding-- Erica Sager and Ken Pelman. Congratulations to the bride and groom! Mazel tov!Knowing both of them and never having been to Austin, this'll surely be an adventure (or series thereof). Looking forward to it!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1142395079664927862006-03-14T22:50:00.000-05:002006-03-14T22:57:59.676-05:00Here's some great cultural insight with a slight undercurrent of self-deprecation. The same format as Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a Redneck" crossed with the responses Jay Leno gets in his 'Jaywalking' bits (for American audiences) but the circumstances talked about here are much less negative. If you have any connection to Russian culture or politics, you've got to read this! Inspired!If Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1142342468015542482006-03-14T08:21:00.000-05:002006-03-14T23:05:07.133-05:00My little nephew Zachary and my mom, March 6, 2006. Isn't he cute!!! Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1142224523719681412006-03-12T23:19:00.000-05:002006-03-12T23:35:23.730-05:00Here is a great article I saw in the March edition of The Hill Rag (from the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC) written by a great guy who introduced me to my current boss. He's a very good guy-- and very funny!The article is entitled "The Life of A Capitol Hill Rodent" describing his experiences with the titular animals. Read the whole article here.Some of his final thoughts are as Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1141862809307401572006-03-08T18:30:00.000-05:002006-03-08T19:07:08.686-05:00I saw an interesting article that discusses what the Daniel Yankelovich sees as a "great divide" between 'scientists' and 'society.' While I don't necessarily agree completely with the points he raises solution he recommends, many of his observations are really thought-provoking in the larger context of society (not just with regards to science). Here is a short section from the article that I Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1141435438822498502006-03-03T20:21:00.000-05:002006-03-03T20:23:58.833-05:00Whoever said that history is dull?Read about the Great Molasses Flood of 1919Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1140127428145491512006-02-16T15:27:00.000-05:002006-03-25T04:52:29.070-05:00This came out in The New York Times a year or two ago but it's amazing how true it still is.... Decoding the Bureauby Andy BorowitzFrom: Director, CIATo: All CIA EmployeesIn the weeks and months ahead, some of you may find yourselves talking to FBI employees for the first time. To prevent possible errors in communication, here is a guide to common FBI phrases, complete with their Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1139765205007703522006-02-12T11:57:00.000-05:002006-02-12T12:26:45.026-05:00I was up on Capitol Hill the other day and had a good chuckle at something I saw as I was walking by Dennis Kucinich's office and saw a big framed poster saying the following: Civilization:1. Polka2. Bowling3. KielbasaI'm not sure I'd want this guy as president, but you got to admit that he's got a sense of humor....Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1139405408166648002006-02-08T08:22:00.000-05:002006-02-08T08:30:08.373-05:00This is a very good article-- saying things that I've not heard before in the popular press: Saving the Post OfficeAs Mail Usage Drops, USPS Faces a Whirlwind of ChangeBy Margaret Webb PresslerWashington Post Staff WriterSunday, January 15, 2006; F01There are, in many ways, two U.S. Postal Services.There is the one that people love to hate, especially after a hike in rates such as last week's Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1138985109340275972006-02-03T11:38:00.000-05:002006-02-03T11:45:09.350-05:00I'll be in Nashville with Symi over the weekend, visiting her dad. Never really been to the South and I'm curious to see what it's like.... Be back on Sunday!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1138632765569404662006-01-30T09:50:00.000-05:002006-01-30T09:52:45.583-05:00People who hysterically fear that some such organization as the United Nations is going to take over the United States and control its internal affairs ares some of the best creators of bogey men that I have yet encountered.-- Dwight D. Eisenhowerin a letter to his brother, Edgar, January 12, 1954Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1138581494714579012006-01-29T19:38:00.000-05:002006-01-29T19:38:14.720-05:00This is a great photo! I thought it really deserved to be published somewhere.... Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1138581176741103582006-01-29T19:32:00.000-05:002006-01-29T19:32:56.746-05:00If only it were that simple.... Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1138581505284539802006-01-29T19:12:00.000-05:002006-01-29T19:38:25.296-05:00January is grad school application month-- and it will likely overflow into February and maybe even later.... Anyone out there know any university presidents or other influential people that could get me in without all this hassle?Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1135493598382271552005-12-25T01:50:00.000-05:002005-12-25T01:53:18.393-05:00HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!I'm in California for the Holidays and waiting for Symi to come and join me under the starry sky, framed with palm trees and the Chocolate Mountains.I hope everyone is doing well! And for those of you who celebrate Christmas, I think you'll really enjoy this link: NORAD Tracks Santa ClausJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1134512483037516332005-12-13T17:20:00.000-05:002005-12-13T17:21:23.046-05:00"If all that Americans want is security, they can go to prison."-Dwight D. EisenhowerJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1133573577928047362005-12-02T19:12:00.000-05:002005-12-02T20:32:57.936-05:00I've been doing a lot of traveling and a lot of work recently so why not a link that combines both of these? Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase really good site-- one (start hick accent) of these newfangled podcasts (end hick accent). There are some amazing stories-- especially the one of her experiencing the Northridge earthquake, a hijacking to Cuba, and lots more. Don't be put off by her kindJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1133567800807524072005-12-02T18:21:00.000-05:002005-12-02T19:08:09.523-05:00Books for AmericaI hadn't realized that these people had set up a physical presence beyond filling up the ballroom of the Raddison Hotel every three months ago. Now they seem to have an actual storefront at 1417 22nd Street, NW here in Washington, DC near the corner of 22nd & P in Dupont. Check these people out if you haven't already. They have lots of great books and it's for a really great Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1132070164408105172005-11-15T10:37:00.000-05:002005-11-15T15:41:14.096-05:00This is an article profiling someone I've been working with quite extensively while at the Eisenhower Commission. Why do such terrible things happen to such good people?He Writes, Travels while Raising 2 Little Girlsby Bill AtkinsonSeptember 2, 2005The Baltimore SunLOU GALAMBOS has written or edited more than 20 books. He was editor or co-editor of 16 volumes of The Papers of Dwight David Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1131139805790454152005-11-04T16:18:00.000-05:002005-11-04T16:30:05.803-05:00Parliamentary elections are scheduled over the weekend in Azerbaijan-- this is a very important case for many reasons, especially given its proximity to major areas of interest (Russia, Iraq, Iran, etc.) and the wave of 'revolutions' sweeping through the republics of the former Soviet Union (Ukraine's Orange Revolution, Georgia's Rose Revolution and Tajikistan's Tulip Revolution). The Baku-CeyhanJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1131138975324624392005-11-04T16:12:00.000-05:002005-11-04T16:16:15.333-05:00A little-noticed step in the right direction deserves kudos: VATICAN: FAITHFUL SHOULD LISTEN TO SCIENCEVATICAN CITY - A Vatican cardinal said Thursday the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks turning into "fundamentalism" if it ignores scientific reason.Click here to read moreJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1130772926423534872005-10-31T10:34:00.000-05:002005-10-31T10:35:26.423-05:00Symi and I had a great time hosting a Halloween/Housewarming party on Saturday! I'll be posting more things as soon as we get the photos arranged.Glad to see all of you who were able to show up!Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1130304341449331852005-10-26T01:14:00.000-04:002005-10-31T10:30:01.513-05:00I leave it up to you, the readers, to decide how closelythis ("Stop the Bop" to Raise Katrina $$)is related to this (the definition of extortion).Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1130167568278582032005-10-24T10:41:00.000-04:002005-10-24T11:26:08.283-04:00Happy UN Day!!60 years ago today, the United Nations officially came into being. Since then, few, if any, entities in the world have come close to making the positive impact the UN has. It has saved the lives of countless people through its direct actions in peacekeeping, development, and disaster relief in addition to the many, many other lives saved and bettered through work in world health, Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1129351566875276272005-10-15T00:44:00.000-04:002005-10-15T00:46:06.880-04:00This is a very interesting website: Birobidzhan: Stalin's Forgotten ZionJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1129336798401721492005-10-14T20:35:00.000-04:002005-10-14T20:40:07.656-04:00Here's a good article with lots of good background on the recent attacks in Nal'chik, Russia: Religious Extremism Finds Fertile Groundfrom The Moscow Times by Simon Saradzhyan (staff writer)October 14, 2005 (Friday)Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1129335732771536912005-10-14T20:18:00.000-04:002005-10-14T20:22:12.776-04:00I've been doing lots of things that deserve blog space but the act of doing them has kept me from doing so. I'll fill you in soon.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1129074394734795642005-10-11T19:40:00.000-04:002005-10-15T00:51:00.466-04:00Oops!Government Can't Explain Increase in 2002 TSA Contract: Homeland Security Office Says It Lacks Documentation on $343 Million ChangeArticle by Scott Higham and Robert O'Harrow, Jr. The Washington Post Sunday October 9, 2005Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1127330820630097182005-09-21T15:25:00.000-04:002005-09-21T16:17:44.533-04:00In defeat—unbeatable.In victory—unbearable.- Winston Churchilldescribing Field Marshal MontgomeryJustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1127158804339523522005-09-19T15:35:00.000-04:002005-09-19T15:40:15.283-04:00Arrrr! Happy 'Talk Like a Pirate Day!'Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1126920991559596182005-09-16T21:30:00.000-04:002005-09-16T21:36:31.563-04:00One of the people who should be revered for the amazing strides they've made, but will continue to live their lives in obscurity: 'Anybody, Somebody, Anybody, Nobody'Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1126642490338945202005-09-13T16:14:00.000-04:002005-09-13T16:14:50.343-04:00If ignorance is bliss, why are so many people so unhappy?Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1126197378431429922005-09-08T12:35:00.000-04:002005-09-08T12:36:18.430-04:00A quick note-- I'll be in Chicago from this afternoon to next Monday afternoon-- anyone needing to reach me should call my cell phone. I won't be able to check email. Thanks.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1126195837852786092005-09-08T12:07:00.000-04:002005-09-08T12:10:37.860-04:00Here's an interesting human-scale view of Azerbaijan:Frontierland: Azerbaijan has a rich multi-ethnic history, decrepit Soviet-Era achitecture, great food, and enormous quantities of oil. Gary Shteyngart takes in the surreal contrasts of the wild east.From www.travelandleisure.com on September 2005.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1125966332896952502005-09-05T20:25:00.000-04:002005-09-05T20:25:32.900-04:00This is a cute piece of marketing I picked up at the APSA conference from the Princeton University Press booth. It's the front of a button to promote their publication of "On Bullshit," a book by Harry G. Frankfurt. Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1125634553716279102005-09-01T23:59:00.000-04:002005-09-02T00:15:53.723-04:00The American Political Science Association (APSA) is having their 101st Annual Meeting & Exhibition mercifully close in DC this week, so I'm running around trying to soak up what I can. It's really hard to make decisions about what sessions to go to since over 30 sessions are often scheduled for the same time. There's also this neat option of the website for people to post drafts of the papers Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188969.post-1125633498518196162005-09-01T23:58:00.000-04:002005-09-01T23:58:18.523-04:00XADS President Pete Bitar demonstrates his "Dazzler" laser. He also made an impression with his "StunStrike" lightning gun that shoots 4-foot bolts of lightning. (Photo by Chris Hartlove for the Washington Post in the article below.) Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00719075978975075619noreply@blogger.com0