Thursday, October 29, 2009 4:30pm, Tokyo:

[vicalis]

Sitting on the floor of the Tokyo/Narita Airport while my phone charges. I could be waiting for Gau, whose flight lands in half an hour, but given that he has to clear customs and find me after that, and that my next flight leaves in less than an hour and a half and I still have to go through security, I probably don’t actually have time to wait

Comments

[thegelf]

I'd say that Jessica has become very orthodox, skipping the conservative step. Even conservative Jews aren't shomer nagia, which is what it sounds like she's become.

What Kosher restaurant does the guy manage, and where is it?

[vicalis]

Ah, yes, of course. I didn't mean conservative as a kind of Judaism, rather as a general term. Orthodox would be the more precise term. And yes, I think shomer nagia might be a term she used.

It's in Chicago. I think it might be called Metro Klub. It's a burger place mostly, I think.

[thegelf]

I'm not surprised the restaurant is in Chicago, though I was hoping for one closer. Oh well.

[sbrzweig]

I'd say Jessica has become more observant and is living as part of the orthodox community-- a Lubavich sympathizer, but more modern in affect.

[cyclotimia]

It was very interesting to read, and I hardly have something to comment on.

I wish I had attended GP Barcelona (even not knowing that you would do so well there). My mom has been there, and from her I know it is a very impressive surrealistic city. I think next year it is unlikely that they will schedule some Magic event in Barcelona (but I've heard they consider GP St. Petersburg - absolutely fantastic utopia, but woo-hooo!!!), but maybe in a year or two...

You have provoked me into some kind of sentimental thoughts ;)

[raistlin99_1999]

Sam let me know if you decide to go to Vegas, I'd like to get back out there at some point and wouldn't mind heading out with you.

[sbrzweig]

Very nice piece. Your fatigue and disorientation add flavor, like near the end, after the lovely bit about Grandma, when you suggest there was a potential for disapproval from your family for not growing up, getting a job and living a normal life. Or maybe that was a joke. Disapproval from who? Your rarely employed artist mom or your jazz musician dad or your circus performing sister? Maybe your comedian step-father. Grown up?? Normal life??? That would have been rebellion, revolution, repudiation....

So I would have approved that, too.

[vicalis]

That was more about comparing myself to people, rather than possibilities for myself, I suppose.

[daid]

So far my favorite airport for lounging around is Incheon (it's hard to beat free wifi next to a smoking room IMO).

So far my least favorite is Malpansa.

Though despite using Narita a lot, I've never actually had to stay there for any reason.

How many airports have you slept in?

Ghostwriting

[daid]

I woke up after not enough hours of sleep, and this topic floated into my mind and would not leave.

This is morally repugnant. I don't know what madness has driven you to the belief that a destruction of your own academic integrity might be amusing, not to mention a public declaration (in a passing comment, no less) of such.

I hope you can find some better way of spending your brief time on this Earth or making a dollar.

Re: Ghostwriting

[vicalis]

I guess I don't really have a problem with it, but I can explain why it seemed interesting to me.

The specific process, as described to me, is that you apply to work as a writer for a site, and then they have a list of projects/assignments that they need completed. Each is a short article on a topic that lists a desired length, some keywords to cover, and a number of cents that they pay per word for that article. The idea is that you choose a topic, research it, and write the desired piece.

I'm not an academic, and I don't like a lot of academia. This is writing as a craft, not an art, and I don't need people to know that I did it. I like the idea of looking at a list of topics, seeing something that looks interesting to me, and then getting to research it for money--it just seems like a good way to learn about random things.

Re: Ghostwriting

[daid]

So the way you write it makes it sound interesting because you frame it in a positive light I suppose.

But so I'm clear, this isn't actually much different than writing a paper for a lazy student who turns in your paper with their name on it, and then PayPals you, right?

It's not about knowing you wrote it as much as participating in such academic dishonesty that would bother me. I mean, I know a college education doesn't necessarily mean anything anymore, but I'd rather work towards making it better. I've been paid as a tutor before, and I think this can give similar effects (money, better paper/assignment quality) but in the right ways. I'm not saying you have an interest to tutor, of course, though math and physics tutoring does pay well, for the record.

Pursuit of knowledge is, of course, a noble and interesting endeavor, but I think research ethics are pretty important.

Re: Ghostwriting

[vicalis]

I haven't looked into it yet, bit the impression that I got from the guy who told me about it wasn't that it was for students. No real idea at this point though.