tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71147362011-09-08T23:16:53.417+01:00adventures and further adventuresimpressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.comBlogger3671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1154402972087338962006-08-01T04:27:00.000+01:002006-08-01T04:29:32.106+01:00

So I think this is as good a time as any to end the blog. The great Oxford experiment is done. It was successful. I have a Master's Degree, I rowed, I punted, I enjoyed the company of friends, and I have now returned to America.I'll be recapping for my own benefit in the next couple of days, and while I'll leave the site up indefinitely, I probably won't be posting too much anymore.Thanks for

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1154161335224360832006-07-29T09:15:00.000+01:002006-07-29T09:22:15.256+01:00

So yeah...I've not been posting as much. I've done very little to endear myself to my millions of fans worldwide. I certainly haven't done anything to keep them coming back.I think, perhaps, it's because I'm not as bored as I was last year. And because I'm much busier. And because there are a thousand other things I should be doing instead of blogging. Or rather, if I had the time to be

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1150910234648645112006-06-21T17:38:00.000+01:002006-06-21T18:17:14.820+01:00

This morning's MLB scoreboard said it all. In another week of interleague play, it was undeniable. Indians over Cubs, Boston over Washington, Tampa over Arizona, White Sox over Cardinals, Royals over Pirates, not to mention Seattle over Dodgers, Twins over Astros, Detroit over Milwaukee, Blue Jays over Braves and even Yankees over Phillies. So out of 14 interleague games last night, ten of

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1150854156082750942006-06-21T02:39:00.000+01:002006-06-21T02:42:36.100+01:00

So after two years, it's come to this: whether my name is tacked to a board outside the Examination Schools on the High Street. If your name is on, you've passed. If your name isn't, thanks for playing - go home, you get no consolation prize.I passed. I may now call myself a Master of Philosophy. Joseph Wang, AB (Princ.), MPhil (Oxon.) certainly has a nice ring to it. Actually, it's

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1149633602276801442006-06-06T23:36:00.000+01:002006-06-06T23:40:02.293+01:00

Today is 06/06/06. People who think bad things will come today are stupid.And superstitious. But mostly stupid.My allergies are killing me. I have so much Greek to study it's crushing me. And I'm really really tired.blah...

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1149182457540947702006-06-01T17:07:00.000+01:002006-06-01T18:20:59.423+01:00

In the last four nights, I have gotten a total of 10 hours of sleep. I have been eating Sainsbury's sandwiches for dinner. I have been eating ramen for dinner. One dinner consisted solely of chips and salsa. In short, I've been working on my thesis.I've been drinking about 8 gallons of water per day, because it's the only way to keep myself awake. That is, make sure I have to get up and use

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1147973304482124932006-05-18T18:09:00.000+01:002006-05-18T18:28:24.560+01:00

Oh good lord...Today at noon marked the two-week deadline to handing in six assessed essays valued at 5,000 words a piece, and a thesis, valued at 25,000 words. Total liability: 55,000 words.Of course, my essay on Ostracism and the Democracy is currently 7,500 words, but my advisor swears that this is OK.The essays on the table are as follows (two per course option):For the option in Greek

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1146744305321312342006-05-04T12:59:00.000+01:002006-05-04T13:05:05.346+01:00

Gosh... As I said in my last post, I'm really busy this term. Made busier by the fact that I have no computer at the moment. I've, in fact, been without a computer for the better part of two weeks. It's killing me. I mean, certainly, there's plenty of stuff I can do without it. But it's really starting to hurt that I'm without...Derek, one of my best friends at Oxford left today. He's gone

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1145960040008596352006-04-25T11:05:00.000+01:002006-04-25T11:14:00.026+01:00

I miss summer days when all was needed for a good time was a big book of Calvin and Hobbes comics and a big glass of milk. Now, I've no more time for comics (though I indulge in a daily peek at the comics page, I'll admit), and I'm now lactose intolerant to the point where fresh milk makes my tummy unhappy. I'm sussing out the boundaries in cheese (brie OK, stilton, not so much); ice-cream is

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1144985928367659522006-04-14T04:26:00.000+01:002006-04-14T04:38:48.413+01:00

So i guess the cat's out of the bag that I haven't posted in a long long long while. Let's face it: blogging is hard. It's difficult to keep up the sense that everything I do is worth sharing with people. Let's face it: most of what I do is extremely boring.Jess and Ted were right last year - the second year of an MPhil degree sucks when compared to the first. In the first, everything is new,

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1138517879112633242006-01-29T06:25:00.000Z2006-01-29T06:57:59.153Z

Well, Chinese New Year is coming up (tonight into tomorrow) and I'll be spending a portion of my day on the river. Rowing has gotten better - I'm not as sore when I finish as I used to be, and the bracing coldness does wonders for my lungs. No, that's insane. It's just cold out.Had a nice dinner of homemade wontons in noodle soup last night. It was delicious.Happy Birthday, by the way, to

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1138132984805017452006-01-24T19:37:00.000Z2006-01-24T20:03:04.873Z

So I've been depping (substituting) for a member of the Magdalen College Choir. I depped twice last week (Saturday and Sunday) and will again this week (Thursday and Saturday). The Magdalen Choir is very English. It's what you normally might conjure up when you think of an Oxford choir: boy sopranos in blazers during rehearsal and then everyone in crimson cassocks and flowing white surplices.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1137625696285845982006-01-18T23:04:00.000Z2006-01-18T23:08:16.300Z

In a fit of pique and frustration with the state of my essay, I took about an hour out to clean my room yesterday. I can't tell you how much improvement it's made.Well, not a whole lot. I'm still struggling with this essay topic: The organizational structure of Greek public religion, especially given the absence of a professional specialized clergy. I've got more than half the research done

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1137323878778428792006-01-15T09:17:00.000Z2006-01-15T11:18:00.906Z

I came back to Oxford on Wednesday evening, and I can say that it is delightful to be back. I miss the heck out of Boston. I miss my family, I miss my girlfriend, I miss my comfortable bed and warm down comforter. I miss watching television while snacking and wearing pajamas. I can't exactly walk over to the MCR without changing out of my pajamas, hopping into the shower, and getting dressed

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1136821741234853392006-01-09T10:26:00.000Z2006-01-09T15:49:01.390Z

I love the Patriots. I love watching them play, I love watching them steamroll over teams. I love watching the weird trick plays that they end up using. The drop-kick against Miami was inspired genius. Last Saturday's direct snap to Kevin Faulk, who handed it off to Andre' Davis was a sweet surprise.In fact, I've been surprised by the calibur of trick and unusual plays recently. I was online

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1136500634678185412006-01-05T17:03:00.000Z2006-01-05T22:37:14.766Z

Last night, around 8 pm, creamy led crusty by about one spot. I think it was #6 to #7. Tonight, crusty leads creamy: they are at numbers 2 and 12, respectively.I am talking, of course, about the New York Times' Top 25 Emailed Articles and the respective placements of two recipes. One for Crusty Macaroni and Cheese and one for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese. I have laid out my preferences in my

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1136386100994807982006-01-04T21:39:00.000Z2006-01-04T14:51:10.773Z

At the time that I write this, the New York Times' Dining & Wine section is about six hours old. And there's a lovely article about the joys of macaroni and cheese. Now, I haven't made mac & cheese in a couple of years, and then only out of the Kraft deluxe boxes with the little squeezy tube of what was supposedly a multi-cheese sauce. They weren't bad (I actually have rather fond memories of

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1136233998278731832006-01-02T14:46:00.000Z2006-01-04T14:49:37.756Z

So I've needed to post in a while. I haven't, because I'm a lazy idiot. Perhaps idiot is too strong a term. I am certainly lazy.Christmas was very good - it was great to be able to celebrate with my family. The Christmas party to which I referred in my last post went smashingly, despite the rain outside. I ended up having to direct traffic in our driveway, as we have a long driveway that's

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1135551322373926502005-12-25T17:52:00.000Z2006-01-04T14:49:49.816Z

So yesterday was a huge day - sang the 3rd and final Boston Pops concert of this year, and then went off to massive amounts of Christmas party stuff. Also, Diana came: it was nice to be able to introduce her to friends.Christmas was most delightful this year, not to mention profitable! More on that later.Meanwhile, we're holding a Christmas party at our house to commence in about 10 minutes, so

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1135351283383627932005-12-23T09:55:00.000Z2005-12-23T15:21:23.443Z

It's settled, by now, that Johnny Damon is going to the Yankees. He passed his physical, cut his hair, and is now inserting funnels into his pockets for Steinbrenner to begin pouring gold doubloons into them. ESPN's page 2 has the "Here's Looking At You" feature comparing Benedict Arnold and Johnny Damon. Bill Simmons' page is rife with angry fans asking 'why would the great Damon do such a

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1135268835223978542005-12-22T11:23:00.000Z2005-12-22T19:15:12.556Z

So it's been a long time...I am reminded that I wrote in after term ended, hoping that I might actually post more now that I'm not so busy. Well, certainly term ended, but it's been awful busy all the same. Let's start with the dinner party I wrote about earlier. AWESOME.I even got our conductor, Owen, to show up, which was outstanding. In addition to all of the food that I made, my friend

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1134641369795317012005-12-15T10:04:00.000Z2005-12-15T21:24:45.916Z

Posting from the Apple Store in London. I came to London to see my brother in his last Eton function of this term: he was in a choral carols service at St. Luke's in Chelsea as part of the Alice Martineau appeal for Cystic Fibrosis. It was a wonderful service: readings by Jenny Agutter, Dame Judi Dench, Henry Blofeld, and Bear Grylls. Which was weird, really.Gorgeous, though.Also went down to

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1134464754361127172005-12-13T08:34:00.000Z2005-12-13T09:05:54.426Z

A couple of random thoughts.I've been cooking a lot recently. I'm having the entire choir of the Queen's College up for dinner on Friday and have been testing recipes. What stinks really is that while I can whip up just about anything with meat in it, aside from roasted vegetables and salad, I have literally no idea what to make for vegetarians. Aside from, perhaps, a glass of water. Over the

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1133585694249186752005-12-03T03:45:00.000Z2005-12-07T13:37:28.646Z

Today marks the official end of the Oxford full term. Actually, yesterday did. And the end of the Cambridge full term. The actual Oxford term doesn't end for another week, though. I guess there's some difference between "full term" and "term". Probably administrative.It occurs to me that I've not been blogging as much this term than I did in a comparable amount of time last year. First off,

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1132715789943916562005-11-23T03:14:00.000Z2005-11-23T03:16:29.956Z

Ever been singing and had absolutely nothing click? The conductor's mind is in the clouds, the choir just isn't responsive, and you're actually doing a lot of damage with your own mistakes? That was Magdala last night.Worst. Evensong. Ever. Worse yet, my parents were in attendance. As was probably the largest audience Magdala has had in chapel yet. It's so discouraging...

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1132650935658411082005-11-22T05:30:00.000Z2005-11-22T09:15:35.756Z

Just got done with Monday Night Football. Which, I guess, goes by the significantly less cool name of Tuesday Morning Football. What's consistantly amazing, and Derek and I say this every time we watch football in the UK, is that the announcing on British TV is so phenomenally bad. Bill Simmons took on a question this weekend regarding horrible announcing at football games (read the column,

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1132525619105841882005-11-20T22:14:00.000Z2005-11-20T22:26:59.186Z

Family's here! In unrelated news, yesterday was international toilet day! OK.Went to Eton to visit Matt again - watched the wall game. The wall game was introduced by the referree, who was, incidentally, also Matt's head of house. Said Mr. Grenier, the wall game is possibly a metaphor for life: there's lots of effort, and you might gain a little bit of yardage, you might lose a little bit,

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1131997652755271842005-11-14T19:05:00.000Z2005-11-14T19:47:32.806Z

On Saturday Night, the Oxford University Orchestra kicked off its 2005 - 06 season with a massive concert. Epic might work as a description, except that it wasn't very long. It was just intense.We opened with pure, unadulterated cheese: the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony. You can say what you like about this piece: I think it's fun, it's massive in scale without being too overbearing. It

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1131721914648467422005-11-11T14:37:00.000Z2005-11-11T15:11:54.716Z

Well, it's been a long time since I posted (a whole week!) and it's been a full one.So let's start at the beginning.Yes, I went down to Eton to see Matt play. I'm always impressed to watch him play football (soccer), as he's really got a gift for it. I was at college and teaching for all of his middle school and high school career, so I missed a great deal while he was growing up. He's got

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1131096920013915252005-11-04T09:30:00.000Z2005-11-04T09:35:20.026Z

Well, not much news to present here, except that it was my Mom's birthday yesterday. I think she had a good time. :)I'm going down to Eton to see my brother tomorrow. I'm excited to watch him play football.Did my laundry today. Gross.Meh. Boring day. Headed to the library now.Honestly, I wish this post were more exciting, but really, I'm a very boring person today.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1130749872022714762005-10-31T08:59:00.000Z2005-10-31T09:11:12.070Z

I'm not usually terribly homesick while away, but this week I started to feel more and more yearning to go back home to see my family. Matt came up from Eton to visit, which was nice. And I spent some time chatting online with my Mom, which is always fun. (We had been attempting to use iChat AV for Macintosh, but neither of us has been successful. Grrr.) But the most deep-down of sensations

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1130482279750823462005-10-28T07:39:00.000+01:002005-10-28T07:51:19.763+01:00

This is why I am not an archaologist or an epigraphical scholar:"In the blazing heat, I went from one end of the row of statues, and I checked all of them out of the hope of finding what every scholar wants something which someone hasn't seen before, something which you could publish, something to make your name. That was the hope, and it took me three hours in the blazing heat during which I

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1130403246266672552005-10-27T09:18:00.000+01:002005-10-27T09:54:06.323+01:00

For some reason, this term is much more jam-packed with stuff than any of the previous three. Or, frankly, any two of the previous three put together. And it's not the extra-curriculars, as some people might wish to point out. I'm not rowing this term, since it's for novices only. I go to the odd training session when I can, but usually I'm so tired that it'd be impossible. I make up for it

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1130249611495116352005-10-25T14:54:00.000+01:002005-10-25T15:13:31.570+01:00

It seems that whatever spare time I have is involved in relatively serious conversation. Last weekend, I got into a massive discussion with my friend Jonathan over different periods of Roman history and when to place the real turning point between the rise and fall of Rome. I say the splitting of the Empire into the tetrarchies. I think he said the death of Trajan. Jonathan is one of the more

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1130099038797430052005-10-23T21:18:00.000+01:002005-10-23T21:25:50.426+01:00

Wow. You know when you've got a brother at Eton College when...Seriously. This is the exchange that went down with my brother on Friday.Phone message left for Matt: "Hi, it's Joe. I know your long leave starts today, so do let me know where you're staying and when you're thinking about coming down to Oxford. Just let me know a bit in advance. Thanks."Text message from Matt, quoted verbatim,

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1130046529343308192005-10-23T06:46:00.000+01:002005-10-23T06:48:49.386+01:00

From an article in today's New York Times magazine:---Without a swim bladder to work from, the ur-toothfish needed to develop an alternate buoyancy device. Over time, glands developed under the fish's skin that secreted fats directly into its muscle tissue. Fats, being lighter than water, performed the same function as a swim bladder, lightening the animal and allowing it to rise from depths of

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1129881375212536682005-10-20T21:02:00.000+01:002005-10-21T08:56:15.276+01:00

I was surprised, this weekend, to read a bizarre article about Anheuser-Busch's promotion of "Bud Pong" the game. Francine Katz, spokesman of the Anheuser-Busch company, had this to say in the article:---"It's catching on like wildfire," Ms. Katz said. "We created it as an icebreaker for young adults to meet each other." But Ms. Katz said Bud Pong was not intended for underage drinkers because

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1129671223642060152005-10-18T22:22:00.000+01:002005-10-18T22:33:43.650+01:00

Now older and busy.First and foremost, I'd like to say that I had a wonderful time on my birthday. Many many many thanks to everyone who wrote. I'm sorry I haven't thanked you personally. I will after tomorrow. I promise. The freshers matriculated, I celebrated with them, celebrated with friends, went to dinner, celebrated some more... It was quite the celebration.But now the giddiness has

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1129332399530981842005-10-15T00:20:00.000+01:002005-10-15T00:27:36.300+01:00

Well, this is it. 2 hours and 20 minutes ago was the end of the business day in Washington DC. And with the close of business comes the greatest thing about turning 26 that one could hope for. As of 2 hours and 20 minutes ago, I am now ineligible for the United States Selective Service.That is to say that I can no longer be drafted. Whoo! It's not that I don't respect military service or

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1129277883523748342005-10-14T09:09:00.000+01:002005-10-14T09:18:03.530+01:00

"Look at what the Spartans can do with ravaging! They are masters of this type of warfare: they use it like torture. Does this hurt? Does this hurt a little bit more. Are you going to surrender now? What if we burn your crops, what if we destroy your lives, are you going to surrender now? It took extraordinary skill!"I went to a lecture yesterday by my old professor from Princeton, Dr. John

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1129194330292033062005-10-13T09:40:00.000+01:002005-10-13T10:05:30.296+01:00

Ew. I think, honestly, the worst feeling in the world in the morning is sitting up in bed and feeling your sinuses drain. I think it's probably just the exceedingly fast adjustment to an actual British autumn that's doing it to me. That and the fact that I'm starting to work hardcore again and perhaps my immune system is being worn down by the long hours. Thankfully, it's nothing more than

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1129102634114728952005-10-12T08:18:00.000+01:002005-10-12T08:37:14.120+01:00

Just when I start to settle into this university, I find yet one more thing which makes me annoyed: incorrect lecture lists.Perhaps some background would be helpful: there are no real 'classes' here, just lectures, seminars, and the one-on-one tutorial for which Oxford and Cambridge have become famous. Well, for which Oxford has become famous... Anyway, lists of seminars and lectures are

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1128854786358762172005-10-08T20:02:00.000+01:002005-10-09T11:46:26.406+01:00

So I sang my first concert at Oxford this term last night. I sang half of the chorales and all of the choruses of the St. John Passion. Also, I sang the part of the "Diener", or servant, of the high-priest. I had two recitative lines: once after I had just slapped Jesus in the face for lecturing the Caiphas, and once when nosily interrogating Peter about having seen him in the garden at Jesus'

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1128516843253566042005-10-05T13:46:00.000+01:002005-10-05T13:54:03.260+01:00

Well, the MCR officially signed up for the North American Sports Network, which means that we are now set up to watch baseball, college football, NFL, and curling. Oh, and NASCAR. This is, generally speaking, fantastic. Unfortunately, it meant that the first game I saw was the Red Sox blowout. Ouch. Tonight will be better. Surely it must be.Got a call this morning: I've been asked to sing

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1128350543236698112005-10-03T15:33:00.000+01:002005-10-03T15:42:23.243+01:00

POST SEASON BASEBALL!oh yes.I must say that it feels a little weird seeing the Yankees and Red Sox tied and knowing that we're the wild card anyway. Every newspaper I've logged onto has about two or three pages to explain the math. It's like the BCS, but without any real whining. Or disparity.I mean, I'm not a fan of the math either, but I know that it exists for a reason. Better that we do

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1128257039221286392005-10-02T13:11:00.000+01:002005-10-02T13:43:59.250+01:00

So I've officially been at Oxford for a full year. This is it. Fresher's week starts today. I can't believe it's been so long. It's been a lot of fun (don't forget to check out the photos!), and for certian it's going to be even more fun this year.I'm one of the welcomers, which means that I get to play the knowledgeable old guy. Welcomers dinner tonight, which will be fun. My welcomees are

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1127808638543883112005-09-27T09:08:00.000+01:002005-09-27T09:10:38.550+01:00

I dislike studying.I cooked for the first time last night. I mean, here in England. Our kitchens are not terrible, but they leave quite a lot to be desired. Including, for instance, that many of the knives need sharpening.I did, however, buy a rice cooker on eBay yesterday, which is nice. I look forward to receiving it shortly.Red Sox won over the weekend, keeping pace with the Yankers.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1127456474426097302005-09-23T06:57:00.000+01:002005-09-23T07:29:39.003+01:00

So yesterday, I woke up to find that the Red Sox had dropped out of first place after losing to Tampa Bay, while the Yankees passed them to take the lead in the American League Eastern division. Sure enough, I got an email from my good friend and Yankees fan, Eric. I should explain: Eric loves sports and is probably the consummate fan. He has his teams, but he also recognizes excellent play

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1127345613357556782005-09-22T00:11:00.000+01:002005-09-22T00:33:33.366+01:00

I was poking about on NPR today and I found a lovely article from the British Cheese Board, which stated that a study undertaken by said board seemed to suggest not only that eating cheese before bed gives you strange dreams but that the type of cheese is the determining factor in what type of dream you have. I was particularly amused by the dreams caused by blue stilton: a vegetarian crocodile

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1127114034878141132005-09-19T08:04:00.000+01:002005-09-19T08:13:54.886+01:00

Arrr! Today be international talk like a pirate day! And 'tis a glorious day for such an event as this: with a sky as grey as me glass of water and as cold as a bilge rat in a tempest.Speaking of piracy, a few days ago I wrote about opinion columns and how they were taking over as the most valuable commodity that daily newspaper websites had to offer. I'm certainly not the only one who noticed

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1127076979196734232005-09-18T21:54:00.000+01:002005-09-18T21:56:19.203+01:00

Patriots lost!Red Sox lost!Argh!!!!

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126873474273648132005-09-16T13:15:00.000+01:002005-09-16T13:24:34.280+01:00

Well, I'm settling into my room (yes, it's been two weeks: shush!) and I'm almost there. I still need to hang a few things on the walls. I'm noticing that the room doesn't have that home-y feel that my room last year had. And which I miss. This is definitely a strange little dorm room. Pictures to come, I promise. As soon as I clean. :PAlso needing improvement: the Red Sox. It's been

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126716009200920922005-09-14T17:07:00.000+01:002005-09-14T17:40:09.210+01:00

I wish that I could say that I've not had a terribly exciting week and was just waiting for the perfect time to write about the one or two small kernels of fun that have happened recently. Truth be told, though, it's that I've been exhausted. And busy. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, academically. Which means studying a lot in the library at a time when even the librarian is

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126242676611067752005-09-09T05:42:00.000+01:002005-09-09T06:11:16.616+01:00

Patriots RULE.I need to be awake and working in less than 3 hours. I'm done for the night.What sucks is that it's already starting to get light out.But wow. What a game.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126227142827567532005-09-09T01:46:00.000+01:002005-09-09T01:52:22.833+01:00

Kickoff in fifteen minutes! The Patriots face off against the Raiders in fifteen minutes! The NFL season kicks off in fifteen minutes!Yes, it's 1:45 am in England. I don't care.I've got Doritos. I've got Pringles. I've got Coke. I've got Budweiser. And I've got some sandwiches.Let's GET IT ON.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126113425105874882005-09-07T18:06:00.000+01:002005-09-07T18:17:05.110+01:00

What does it tell us about the new mode of news delivery that the New York Times and Washington Post "most emailed articles" sections are dominated thoroughly by opinion and editorial pieces.At the New York Times, it's four of the top five, and seven of the top ten. Of the top twenty-five articles listed, eleven of them are opinion or editorial.At the Washington Post, it's three of the top five

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126111432626678022005-09-07T17:40:00.000+01:002005-09-07T17:43:52.633+01:00

Well, Matthew's starting today at Eton. The P. School is having its orientation day. And two friends of mine who are teaching now just started: Kirsty, a Queen's College singer, is teaching music, and Ted, my good mate is back at his alma mater in Liverpool. Best of luck to everyone starting school today.And for me? Classes begin, oh, 10 October. Hah! Michaelmas Term actually begins on

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1126016826319752262005-09-06T15:21:00.000+01:002005-09-06T15:27:06.326+01:00

So I moved back to Oxford yesterday. It was great to get to see Eton, though - Matthew is going to have a great time, I think. His housemaster seems fantastically nice (as does his whole family, really), and the people around Eton have been, by and large, very helpful and friendly.My friend Jenny kindly came to pick me up from Slough yesterday and drove me back here to Oxford. I didn't have a

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1125783153182225282005-09-03T22:11:00.000+01:002005-09-03T22:32:33.233+01:00

So it's my last day in Boston. I had a long and both happy and sad dinner and evening with Diana last night. I dropped my Dad off at the airport yesterday too - he's flying on a business trip via London and will be meeting us in London on his way home. It really kind of hit me yesterday that this family is growing up and coming to a new chapter. It's weird that realizations like that usually

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1125587873832957332005-09-01T16:04:00.000+01:002005-09-01T16:17:53.840+01:00

I'm very behind with posts, and it seems kind of trivial to be posting about what I *ate* a week ago. Suffice it to say that Restaurant Week went really really well. I ate a lot of sorbet, copious amounts of fish, more heirloom tomatoes than I could have imagined, and a ton of sweet corn.For the weekend, I sang Beethoven 9 with the Boston Symphony and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. It was

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1125003580743617722005-08-25T21:57:00.000+01:002005-08-25T21:59:40.750+01:00

Also known as Monday. So yeah. We’re doing restaurant week again: a 3-course meal for $30.05, not including tax, tip, and drinks. Sure it’s a bit of a scam, but it definitely gets me out of having to order my filet mignon at $36, and that’s without a tasty appetizer or a dessert. Monday night, we went to Julien, which Mom and I had eaten at last year. It really is a lovely restaurant: it was

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1125000626653625122005-08-25T20:55:00.000+01:002005-08-27T01:51:32.843+01:00

This past weekend, I went to Chicago for the wedding of my two friends, Tacy and Graham. Graham and I lived down the hall from each other in both Freshman and Sophomore years, and we became good friends over conversations ranging from the intellectual to the absurd and classes such as music theory. I remember a fun conversation regarding the relative meanings of “adagio” (walking tempo) in

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1124399910920819952005-08-18T21:37:00.000+01:002005-08-18T22:18:30.976+01:00

Grrr! So last night before supper I wrote about half of a really long post. Then I accidentally quit Safari as a reaction when it was time to go to dinner. I am, in no uncertain terms, an idiot.But here's what I was going to say.Last weekend was a real headspinner... The Tanglewood weekend was a whole lot of fun, with Friday's concert entirely devoted to Don Quixote pieces, Saturday with Gil

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1124027264756344342005-08-14T14:46:00.000+01:002005-08-14T14:47:44.756+01:00

I just deleted a "comment" message left on my previous post. I can't believe that unsolicited advertisements are now showing up as blogger comments. If it didn't cheese me off so much, I'd almost be impressed with their ingenuity. But I'm not, because it sucks.mmm... cheese...

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1123704581861736322005-08-10T20:36:00.000+01:002005-08-10T21:09:41.900+01:00

So my good friend from college, Alexandra, used to work at AEI, the American Enterprise Institute. She took off for two months to go to China and is currently back at home in California. I miss her and the rest of the crowd from college, and certainly, I wouldn't mind going back down to DC (which I am doing next year with the choir - yay!). Anyway, a fantastic article in today's Washington

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1123508815870674142005-08-08T14:11:00.000+01:002005-08-08T14:46:55.940+01:00

Yesterday I took to the stage again with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the other members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus for three little-known choral works by Johannes Brahms, led by Maestro Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. By the way, I'm amused by the maestro's program booklet biography, which opens with the sentence "Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos was born in Burgos." Insightful.We sang the

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1123418768337812582005-08-07T13:41:00.000+01:002005-08-07T13:46:24.203+01:00

LA Times food columnist died earlier this week. I'd been wondering why his Matters of Taste column hadn't been seen for some time. It was one of the best written food columns I've enjoyed reading. He was witty, charming, and totally up-front. His column was elevated enough to discuss fine wines and olive oils from Tuscany but still down-to-earth enough to talk about basic hamburgers or the

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1123417887756224382005-08-07T13:18:00.000+01:002005-08-07T13:31:27.763+01:00

Change comes in many different ways: sometimes change emerges out of adaptation to a particular problem: think all of those security patches in Windows or Macintosh operating systems. Sometimes it emerges out off brand new technology, like the demise of Polaroid corporation (hastened, I'm sure, by its inexplicable decision to, in essence, delete its digital imaging division). And sometimes

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1123366909491346192005-08-06T23:00:00.000+01:002005-08-06T23:21:49.586+01:00

Diana and I were amused on Tuesday during our trip through the bookstore when we pulled out a sort of fine-living epicurean magazine (I honestly forget which one - perhaps if Diana would be so kind as to refresh my memory) and opened directly to an article entitled (loosely remembered) "A list of things to serve on toast." As I recall, the article claimed that there are very few things which are

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1123121409843421642005-08-04T02:25:00.000+01:002005-08-04T03:10:09.880+01:00

I know I haven't posted much recently: it's not that I'm getting lazier (though I am), and it's not that blogging is getting to be a chore (it's not): it's that I'm bored. I mean, if anything fun would happen, I'd throw it up there on the blog. But not much is happening, so there's not much to share with the world. I feel kind of silly just having one experience and throwing a single,

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1122598602716997492005-07-29T01:03:00.000+01:002005-07-29T01:56:42.763+01:00

It's been exactly one week since coming back from England. I think it's safe to write on two related topics: what I miss about England, and what I've missed about America.What I miss about England, in no particular order:• dry heat. I know that it sounds really really odd, but Oxford was drier than Boston this past week. Of course, it might help that England as a whole has been going through a

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1122514763712901512005-07-28T02:39:00.000+01:002005-07-28T02:39:23.760+01:00

I remember walking into a health club in New Jersey to meet one-on-one with the trainer there. He showed me what he ate every day: four steamed chicken breasts on dry brown rice and a bucket of steamed brocolli. Certainly one loses weight: no one can stomach that much steamed chicken. I had never seen someone with such an adversarial relationship with food (with one exception: a friend of mine

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1122415461301267852005-07-26T23:00:00.000+01:002005-07-26T23:04:21.310+01:00

It's disgusting outside. It's hot and it's humid and it's sticky and it's gross. And it's been making me testy all week. So I try to stay in the bedroom, where I've got some air conditioning, but it's just so contained and what my mother might call "anti-social". And besides, according to this article in the Boston Globe, my air conditioner isn't working at peak performance anyway.A note

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1122298839470563812005-07-25T14:20:00.000+01:002005-07-25T14:40:39.536+01:00

Well, I've been home for a little over four days and I have eaten like a king. I love it here. Seriously.Friday, Dad and I got a massive breakfast in Watertown. Now, I miss English bacon and the rest of the British heart-stopper that they call breakfast, but it was really nice to have s heaping mound of scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spinach and feta cheese too. Especially since it wasn't

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1122045417812762842005-07-22T16:04:00.000+01:002005-07-22T16:16:57.883+01:00

So I flew home yesterday. It was an interesting flight. Lots of very talkative children on the plane in front of me, which would have been OK had there not been two movies (Harry Potter III and Ice Princess) which cater directly to children. Oh, and Cartoon Network. Grr.The food, incidentally, was *awful*. American Airlines is terrible. Boo.It's good to be home: it's great to be in Boston

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121896626336423182005-07-20T22:27:00.000+01:002005-07-20T22:57:06.343+01:00

Well, I'm down to two suitcases, a duffel bag and a laptop bag. Everything else went off to my friend Derek's place for summer storage. Except for a big box of food which is being donated to the Keble MCR and two gigantic plastic bags of rubbish: one for general waste and one for paper.I'm exhausted. Packing is a truly draining experience: one which I seriously do without. It is truly

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121860217011426012005-07-20T12:46:00.000+01:002005-07-20T12:50:17.016+01:00

So I'm moving out today. Which is sad and depressing and difficult, and it's a pain because there's so much more stuff in this room than it appears. Truly, it's a pain in the neck.Was in a pub quiz yesterday - Me, Debbie, Seb, and Dan (all members of The Queen's College Choir) had a great time down at the Turf Tavern where our team, For The Glory Of Owen Rees, came in first. Indeed, it was so.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121664121478561462005-07-18T06:21:00.000+01:002005-07-18T06:22:01.486+01:00

This is just too weird. I like sushi and I like cookies. But I don't know if I could handle sushi in cookie form...

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121604185400065092005-07-17T13:31:00.000+01:002005-07-17T13:43:05.406+01:00

Is the plural of bacteria 'bacteriae'? Or is bacteria already the plural of bacterium? I don't know and can't be asked to look it up. My bacterial infection is getting better: I can talk, drink liquids, eat foods, and generally engage the world instead of being curled up on my bed. Exciting. Of course, I still have to finish off the course of penicillin, lest the scourge return. Another two

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121491000006497282005-07-16T05:48:00.000+01:002005-07-16T06:16:40.013+01:00

So sometimes working Conference Team is awful, and sometimes it's downright profitable. I mean, yeah, we're making money. Not good money, but enough. What's lovely, though, is that sometimes people leave stuff in rooms after they leave, and sometimes said stuff is very pleasant.Jenny's team found £20. I think Jenny took it meaning to dole it out after lunch, but no one showed up for it. So

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121366980274516312005-07-14T18:21:00.000+01:002005-07-14T19:49:40.326+01:00

Last night, I went to a talk: What Role Should Christians and Christianity Play in American Politics? by Tennessee State Senator Roy Herron. He's the author of three books: Things Held Dear: Soul Stories For My Sons, Tennessee Political Humor: Some of These Jokes You Voted For, and How Can A Christian Be In Politics?. It was an amazing talk run by the Oxford chapter of Democrats

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121273022907341422005-07-13T17:46:00.000+01:002005-07-13T17:43:42.956+01:00

I work at Keble during the day to make a little spending money. Or rather, a little get-less-in-debt money. Or even, a little don't-go-as-deep-into-debt money. Whatever you want to call it. Keble is set up a little differently than many of the other colleges in Oxford, meaning that it has a lot of single rooms with ensuite bathrooms or, as is the case with my room, two rooms on a single

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1121090934932840772005-07-11T15:01:00.000+01:002005-07-11T15:08:54.936+01:00

Happy Birthday to my brother Andrew, who turns 24 today. He's the med student, and I wish him all the best as he goes off to the Himalayas on Saturday for a medical volunteer thing. In truth, I have no idea what he's doing, but it sounds impressive.Worked for college today. Boring. Now I'm cleaning my room and packing it up for my friend to cart bits of it away to his place for the summer.

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1120806790939275132005-07-08T07:46:00.000+01:002005-07-08T08:13:10.966+01:00

Today's New York Times presents an editorial-type article about movies that are made from books and which sometimes overshadow said books. They use the old standards, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Jaws, and now War of the Worlds. But there are so many movies out there made from books which have less obviously overshadowed the book. Yet many people would rather not go to the library to pick up

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1120779429463980642005-07-08T00:31:00.000+01:002005-07-08T00:37:09.463+01:00

By now, most everyone has heard what's gone on in London today. I haven't yet heard from my friend Edith as to whether she's OK, but I did hear from others. I don't know what to say - I'm pretty shell shocked and stunned. These were places I go to, and particularly also places I was planning on going this weekend. Not so much now, I don't think.It sounds really cliched to say that though. My

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1120779056193508032005-07-05T23:28:00.000+01:002005-07-08T00:30:56.206+01:00

So I just got back from a Magdala tour to Genoa. Since I was trying to travel light (more on this in a moment), it was impossible for me to bring my laptop. No matter, I figured, since I can always update my blog from an internet café. Well, as it turns out, that’s prohibitively expensive, especially when I’ve got friends waiting to go to the beach and I’m chained to the computer in the youth

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1120033195532029862005-06-29T09:18:00.000+01:002005-06-29T09:19:55.536+01:00

So today is Wednesday, the day that I normally look through the newspapers for food reviews. Well, I'm doing that today, but what stood out was the ratings explanation for the new Spielberg movie "War of the Worlds" in the NYTimes Review. All the way down toward the bottom, we find this warning:"War of the Worlds" is rated PG-13. Much of the earth's population is wiped out, leaving very little

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119952181382970412005-06-28T10:12:00.000+01:002005-06-28T10:49:41.400+01:00

Keble Ball was on Saturday / Sunday: an 8 - 5 (yeah, you read that right) affair in which partygoers were treated to several large acts on a few different stages while being pumped full of alcohol and food. Also available were two carnival amusements: bumper cars and a big bouncy-castle. Lots of attendees, though not enough to justify opening up a third quadrangle of the college. Drinks were

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119715719105324252005-06-25T16:47:00.000+01:002005-06-25T17:08:41.773+01:00

Rankings make me furious. Rankings make me furious because invariably, the rube who is doing the ranking is some muppet for whom I have very very very little respect. Matt Lauer was on the Daily Show two weeks ago discussing the Discovery Channel's 50 Greatest Americans poll. The top five were announced recently, and there is currently a poll on to determine who's at the very top. The top

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119631024366760492005-06-24T17:30:00.000+01:002005-06-24T17:37:04.373+01:00

My friend Frank from Princeton (now an assistant prof. at Middlebury) used to be the only math department grad student who was a native speaker of English. As a result, and also because he was an excellent teacher, he won awards for his teaching abilities. For a sense of why, check out this story here. My friend Adam, a standup comic in Baltimore (and also science grad student) does a really

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119564898002557072005-06-23T22:31:00.000+01:002005-06-23T23:16:15.520+01:00

I had my very last evensong this year with Queen's today. It was for the Incumbents, which are the priests around the country who preside over parishes the patron of which is The Queen's College of Oxford. It actually means that Queen's owns the land on which these parishes exist, and that, supposedly, the fellows of Queen's make decisions about how the parish is run and even who is hired to be

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119373306399276392005-06-21T17:39:00.000+01:002005-06-21T18:01:46.420+01:00

The Boston Globe message boards have been a twitter ever since April 25th, when an interview with the two authors of "The Rock Snob's Dictionary" also named the duo's desert island ten, ie. the ten CDs you'd want with you on a desert island. Since then, readers have been writing in their own desert island ten.I thought about this for a while, and I think I can come up with ten. There's a scism

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119219398697724952005-06-19T21:51:00.000+01:002005-06-19T23:28:31.850+01:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad! Of course, the title of this posting indicates the most pressing thing I miss about Dad. This is, of course, not to say that his inimitable culinary abilities are the be all and end all of my father's skills. My dad is, and always has been, a huge supporter. I think it really was his idea to apply to Oxford at all: I was applying to University College London when my

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1119104265511613682005-06-18T14:59:00.000+01:002005-06-18T15:17:45.516+01:00

I spent the day not wasting time as much as throwing it out the window wholesale. I just needed a mental health day: I've been horribly stressed this last week. And I didn't want to share it until I had everything fully resolved.On Monday, when I got back from Boston, I found an email from my departmental secretary reading as follows:Dear Joseph,Could you let me know as a matter of urgency

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1118944259960192112005-06-16T18:31:00.000+01:002005-06-16T18:50:59.980+01:00

"Do not be alarmed." Words you do not want to be hearing from the head flight attendant on an approach to Heathrow Airport. Nothing major, of course, but when we're all looking at the flight maps in front of us and in addition to all of the other information, American Airlines is also showing us the terminal map for London Gatwick Airport, we start to panic. Still, when we hear over the PA the

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1118638411209635942005-06-13T00:36:00.000+01:002005-06-13T05:53:31.216+01:00

Well, Matthew graduated yesterday morning. It was a true sight to see, with the RL boys walking in a monolith of navy blue blazers and maroon & black ties. The first speech by the head of school (brand new this year) was interesting, and while he trotted out a lot of very impressive SAT scores and AP exam results, one couldn't help but wish that he had instead noted individual accomplishments

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1118487061567473512005-06-11T06:41:00.000+01:002005-06-11T11:51:01.576+01:00

So I went to my 8th high school reunion last night. I'm back in Boston for my youngest brother's graduation from high school, and I had a spare night so I went to my reunion. Since it was an off year, I didn't think there would be a whole lot of people from my class. I was partially right, there weren't massive numbers, but enough to make things interesting. I haven't seen a few of these

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1118310935680199172005-06-09T10:53:00.000+01:002005-06-09T10:55:35.686+01:00

Sox are headed to Chicago to play the Cubs. Says Jim Belushi of last year's World Series: "Watching the Red Sox win was a very weird experience. It was like having a neighbor win the lottery. At first you're really happy for them because it couldn't happen to a better guy. And then you realize that he'll move into a bigger house in another neighborhood and you never had anything in common with

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1118233016881582312005-06-08T13:02:00.000+01:002005-06-08T13:16:56.886+01:00

So I shouldn't have made that crack about having hay fever. I got to my tutorial today and my supervisor said that he wanted to hold the tutorial outside instead of cooped up in his office. And to be fair, the New College gardens are *spectacular*. Anyway, Prof. Parker said that this was my best work yet, and while he certainly had some ways that I could tighten up the essay, the general tenor

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7114736.post-1118222828067558482005-06-08T10:23:00.000+01:002005-06-08T10:27:08.073+01:00

ugh... Tried to sing last night with bad hay fever. Honestly, it felt like I'd submerged myself underwater: I couldn't breathe, I couldn't feel any vibrations in my sinuses. It was awful.But I did go out for a nice meal afterward. I had a nose-clearing spagetti lucifero, which had peppers, black olives, anchovies, and garlic in a tomato sauce. Of course, once I stepped outside again, I could

impressive_wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03467515804402725245noreply@blogger.com0