College

So, I will be starting school for the first time in 6 years next semester. I'm a little nervous about not having the study habits anymore (not like I had great study habits to begin with). I am also worried about taking classes that go beyond the ones I took 6 years ago. I doubt that I remember too much about them. Oh well. I will just have to figure it out. I have around 80 credits, but still feel very much like a freshman. This is only added to by the fact that I will probably have to still go to school for at least 3-4 years. I must say, though, that I am very excited to start my forward progression in my life again. I sometimes feel like I am stuck in a rut. I feel like my memory is really slipping, too. I think that I have not really used it too much and that I am starting to forget things too easily. Anyways, I think that I am having a hard time figuring out exactly how to explain the anxiety and excitement I am feeling.

I am planning on getting into translating/interpreting. As I have mentioned before, I already speak Russian and Chinese. This is what I want to study, with a touch of business. I would like to get a job with an international business that will provide me a chance to go to Russia and/or China every so often (this would be especially good if I could take my family with me).

Great Russian Book

Lately, I have been reading a lot of books. One book that I have enjoyed is The Master and Margarita (Мастер и Магарита). It was written by Mikhail Bulgalkov between the years of 1929-1940. It was finished by his wife after his death in 1940. I initally read half of it in Russian and am now reading it in English.

The premise of the book is hilarious. Basically, the book takes place in Moscow, Russia during the 1930's. At this time most Russians claim to be atheists. One day, a famous editor and a poet meet in a park in Moscow. The editor had tasked the poet to write something proving the Jesus Christ never existed. The editor wasn't pleased with what the poet wrote and tried to show the poet exactly what he wanted. During this conversation, a "man" appears and approaches the two. He is very pleased to find out that they don't believe in God and Satan. Then he disagrees with them about the existence of Christ. This man tells the editor and the poet a story about Christ's trial in front of Pontius Pilate. It is a very strange version, very different from the Bible story. After the story, this "man" then makes a couple of predictions about the two men, which come true through out the book. This man actually turns out to be the Devil and he runs out of control in atheist Moscow. The book contains a very sophisticated satire about how the Devil enjoys atheism.

The book was banned until a censored version was published in 1966. In 1967, an underground network of self-publishers published the censored parts of the book. Finally, in 1973, the entire book was published based on the final fourth edition. And in 1989, the book was published using all available manuscripts (the first edition was burned by Bugalkov in 1930).

For a more in depth look at the book go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_Margarita.

Far Side

I really enjoy Greg Larson's Far Side comics. Here are a few that I found recently.

Jack doing Jack

This clip speaks for itself. (It might have some strong language, the swear words are all bleepped out)

Karma (What Goes Around Comes Around)

I just received this in an email. It came with a caption about how things we do really come around and haunt us. In this video, you will see what happens to a kid in a car that tries "to reach out and touch" another kid on a bike.