Меня продолжают забавлять местные вывески. Одна недалеко от моего дома рекламирует, что сделают вам самые лучшие "AILS". Вроде как "У вас не хватает проблем? Мы вам их доставим в лучшем виде!" Ну да вы, наверное, догадались в чем дело с этой вывеской ( Read more... )

Вчера была на выставке портретов Дориана Грея. Несколько залов с картинами изображающими все грехи человеческие. Отвратительные картины от которых нельзя было глаз оторвать. Смотрела как зачарованная. А выставка была немецких художников времен Веймарской Республики, представляющих течение «новой вещественности» ("Neue Sachlichkeit"). Я по своей ( Read more... )

Вчера в новостях прочитала кое-что любопытное: http://www.rambler.ru/db/news/msg.html?mid=8537135Read more... )

Spring finally came to my part of the world. Water level in Raritan river is about four feet up ( Read more... )

Yesterday I was flying back to New Jersey from a conference. Since my flight was delayed I grew hungry and decided to have something to eat. It was something of a problem to find anything vegan at the airport (I am observing lent). So, I ended up eating peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich. First one I ever ate! After six and a half years in the ( Read more... )

We had a big snow storm Saturday night. About 22 inches (55 cm) fell overnight. Consequently, Sunday was spent in healthy outdoor exercise: I have been digging my car out of the snow for an hour and a half. It made me envy my Chinese neighbors. They are couple and they spend half my time on their car because they have been working together ( Read more... )

My friend who lives in Central New Jersey finally sold her house. The house was on the market for quite some time. People would come, take one look at all that space with Jacuzzi hot tub and billiard room and would be out in a minute. Nobody wants that much space with all that luxury in it! The house stayed unsold untill Russian nouveau rich, or ( Read more... )

It's official now: my Ph.D. has been conferred! As it happens, the University of Michigan confers degrees only three days a year. I defended in August and had to wait till last Sunday for the degree to be awarded. Makes it special somehow. I am doing a happy dance.

Talking to my colleague about a research project
She: "And the freaking SAS shows.."
Me: ????
She: "I mean prog freq in SAS shows..."

Several days later.

She: "I am feeling down today. I have to go to the store and buy some booze"
Me: ????
She: "I mean I want to buy some Christmas bows to cheer me up"

I have a suspicion that the community I am living in has housewives in plentiful supply. Otherwise, I have no explanations of how all these little stores manage to stay in business. So many of them work 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed Saturday-Sunday. Even farmers market is open Friday 11-5 only. It is particularly frustrating ( Read more... )