Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Platon's head of states
http://www.newyorker.com/online/multimedia/2009/12/07/091207_audioslideshow_platon
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Adam, Paris, Koeln
Heyja!
Nabokv's Lolita is world class. Have read another one of him, similar story, but shorter and probably Lolita's precusror. Can't remember the title of the book - was it Ada?
Here, crossing distance is just as easy as in Europa - the same country, but a quite different feel and landscape. This Friday, I got up, and flew with 3 other lab colleagues to San Francisco - also only takes as long as the Paris-Koeln train. We rented a car there, and drove to Berkeley for the synchrotron (doing SAXS, rather than X-ray crystallography). SF and Berkeley are two time zones west of Houston, and still feel more like Europe - maybe a bit like some alternative parts of London. We went to the synchrotron, worked non-stop all night, next day almost drove over a bunch of wild turkeys that crossed the road gracefully, had a shower in our hotel room (which's bed we haven't touched...), drove to SF and flew back to Houston. On the plane I really wanted to sleep, but the landscape with the declining sun in the back was just incredible. Maybe it was the sleep depravation, but I can't remember having seen such a spectacular vision of almost untouched glowing red mountains under a sparse white cloud cover. Finally started dozing a bit, and when I looked back out of the window got the horizon-filling Houston lights below me. landed, had terrible trouble finding our car, drove back home, and got to the lab by around 9 pm. As I took my bike and drove home, I felt a strange mixture between just having finished a normal working day (of over 40 hours, nonetheless), and having being away to a different country for weeks.
Good to hear that you are busy & happy! B Russel said that scientists are always happy because the have so little time to worry. Not sure that's the case, but enjoy!
Big Houston Hug
Stefan
PS: yes sea power I know thay have been around for a while. will check out the bests!
-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Kirrander [mailto:adam.kirrander@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 9:25 AM
To: Arold,Stefan Theodor
Subject: Re: houstonians
Amigo,
Great to hear some news from the far-away desert lands! Been reading
Nabokov all morning (Ada, do you know it?). Hated it in the beginning
(first 40 pages) but have now been completely and utterly seduced by
Nabokov's ornate english and french-russian exclamations. Ah, the old
Europa, stretching from tsarist russia, across Berlin and Paris, to
London. Am completely charmed. Travelled to Köln for a meeting last
week, and was enhanced by the french-flemish-german-english
announcements on the train and the crazy beeping of my mobile phone
each time we passed yet another border. Paris-Köln (through Brussles
and Aachen) is not much more than 3 hours! I think that the swapping
of mobile phone operators is the only reminder of Europe's former
borders.
Other than that life is crazy crazy crazy here too. Am incredibly
behind with work, ever slipping further and further from the lofty
goals of my ambitions. And to make time to see Rebekah, my
London-based beauty, and to learn this local lingo (french I think
they call it, je pense), well I am not complaining but I could.
Actually, I think it is a rather happy period - I feel better than in
a long time and I dont even really know why.
Your car trouble and your open-door policies and everything else seems
fascinating and funny. Do you think you will be able to feel at home?
I have no doubt you will be able to enjoy and observe. Marius, who I
always would have described as European in absurdum, seems happy in
the US - makes me think that most of us could?
Btw, do you know 'British Sea Power' and 'Wild beasts'? Quite possibly
my favourite british bands presently.
Take care,
Adam
Nabokv's Lolita is world class. Have read another one of him, similar story, but shorter and probably Lolita's precusror. Can't remember the title of the book - was it Ada?
Here, crossing distance is just as easy as in Europa - the same country, but a quite different feel and landscape. This Friday, I got up, and flew with 3 other lab colleagues to San Francisco - also only takes as long as the Paris-Koeln train. We rented a car there, and drove to Berkeley for the synchrotron (doing SAXS, rather than X-ray crystallography). SF and Berkeley are two time zones west of Houston, and still feel more like Europe - maybe a bit like some alternative parts of London. We went to the synchrotron, worked non-stop all night, next day almost drove over a bunch of wild turkeys that crossed the road gracefully, had a shower in our hotel room (which's bed we haven't touched...), drove to SF and flew back to Houston. On the plane I really wanted to sleep, but the landscape with the declining sun in the back was just incredible. Maybe it was the sleep depravation, but I can't remember having seen such a spectacular vision of almost untouched glowing red mountains under a sparse white cloud cover. Finally started dozing a bit, and when I looked back out of the window got the horizon-filling Houston lights below me. landed, had terrible trouble finding our car, drove back home, and got to the lab by around 9 pm. As I took my bike and drove home, I felt a strange mixture between just having finished a normal working day (of over 40 hours, nonetheless), and having being away to a different country for weeks.
Good to hear that you are busy & happy! B Russel said that scientists are always happy because the have so little time to worry. Not sure that's the case, but enjoy!
Big Houston Hug
Stefan
PS: yes sea power I know thay have been around for a while. will check out the bests!
-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Kirrander [mailto:adam.kirrander@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 9:25 AM
To: Arold,Stefan Theodor
Subject: Re: houstonians
Amigo,
Great to hear some news from the far-away desert lands! Been reading
Nabokov all morning (Ada, do you know it?). Hated it in the beginning
(first 40 pages) but have now been completely and utterly seduced by
Nabokov's ornate english and french-russian exclamations. Ah, the old
Europa, stretching from tsarist russia, across Berlin and Paris, to
London. Am completely charmed. Travelled to Köln for a meeting last
week, and was enhanced by the french-flemish-german-english
announcements on the train and the crazy beeping of my mobile phone
each time we passed yet another border. Paris-Köln (through Brussles
and Aachen) is not much more than 3 hours! I think that the swapping
of mobile phone operators is the only reminder of Europe's former
borders.
Other than that life is crazy crazy crazy here too. Am incredibly
behind with work, ever slipping further and further from the lofty
goals of my ambitions. And to make time to see Rebekah, my
London-based beauty, and to learn this local lingo (french I think
they call it, je pense), well I am not complaining but I could.
Actually, I think it is a rather happy period - I feel better than in
a long time and I dont even really know why.
Your car trouble and your open-door policies and everything else seems
fascinating and funny. Do you think you will be able to feel at home?
I have no doubt you will be able to enjoy and observe. Marius, who I
always would have described as European in absurdum, seems happy in
the US - makes me think that most of us could?
Btw, do you know 'British Sea Power' and 'Wild beasts'? Quite possibly
my favourite british bands presently.
Take care,
Adam
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Kicking butt works internationally.
Dear Mr. Arold,
Please accept our apology! As we have sent replies, somehow, they were hung up in the outbox, not sure why. However, you do have insurance coverage. Per a service request to Policy Services regarding the lower rate, we are still awaiting the lower rate package to send to you for your records. Thank you for your patience and please be reassured you do have insurance coverage.
Sincerely,
Melisa
Please accept our apology! As we have sent replies, somehow, they were hung up in the outbox, not sure why. However, you do have insurance coverage. Per a service request to Policy Services regarding the lower rate, we are still awaiting the lower rate package to send to you for your records. Thank you for your patience and please be reassured you do have insurance coverage.
Sincerely,
Melisa
Starting to kick butt
Dears Robin and Melisa,
Since I did not get any reply from you, I did not (and still do not) know if the car is still insured, and hence I could not use the car over the last two weeks, including the thanksgiving weekend. I have delivered the required French accident-free driving certificate, and obtained my Texas driver license. But despite about two dozen phone calls or emails from my side, I am still in insurance-limbo, and can not use the car I bought. You will agree that this is a situation that is not acceptable for any longer.
So could you please provide us with the an insurance that is conform to the quote you gave us (and should now be even lower, because I have the Texas driver license). I have to use the car this weekend, and if the insurance situation is not sorted out, I will have to contact other agents.
With best regards
Stefan
Since I did not get any reply from you, I did not (and still do not) know if the car is still insured, and hence I could not use the car over the last two weeks, including the thanksgiving weekend. I have delivered the required French accident-free driving certificate, and obtained my Texas driver license. But despite about two dozen phone calls or emails from my side, I am still in insurance-limbo, and can not use the car I bought. You will agree that this is a situation that is not acceptable for any longer.
So could you please provide us with the an insurance that is conform to the quote you gave us (and should now be even lower, because I have the Texas driver license). I have to use the car this weekend, and if the insurance situation is not sorted out, I will have to contact other agents.
With best regards
Stefan
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