really enjoyed this

I want to point out this article from Cabinet magazine which is really interesting, despite being perhaps annoying self-referential, or 'so meta.' It is a timeline about timelines, or a summary of how people have organized chronological information in visual formats, over time...

below are some examples I really liked

"1876

Charles Renouvier's counterfactual Uchronie includes a chart depicting the theoretical relationship between the actual course of history and possible alternative paths."


What might be happening and not be? What was almost happening? What will almost happen? 

"1760-7

Laurence Sterne's novel, Tristram Shandy, includes a set of sketches indicating the non-linear path of a well-told story; narrative digressions appear as deviations from a straight line." 

end of the world expected this November

After many false starts, the largest particle accelerator in world history is expected to begin looking for something called the Higgs Boson, also known as a massive scalar elementary particle, or 'the heart of all matter,' or 'the God Particle.' Soon after they begin, we will have final proof as to whether this device might actually create a black hole which will swallow up the Earth and everything in it. 

This might be a good time to recite the 'Scientist's prayer' by Walker Percy

“Lord, grant that my work increase knowledge and help other men.

“Failing that, Lord, grant that it will not lead to man’s destruction.

“Failing that, Lord, grant that my article in Brain be published before the destruction takes place.”

the hitchhiker's guide to the BGU computer labs

Do you use the BGU computer labs? Do you want to use web technologies which were developed since 2004?

The computers come with an archaic version of Microsoft Internet Explorer which does not run Facebook or Youtube. If you want to run a contemporary browser from one of these computers here is a quick guide.


(1) install a browser on your flash drive (of these Opera is the most fast and stable)
Portable Firefox
-
Opera 10
-
Portable Chrome

(2) Manually add Adobe Flash Player to the folder: plug ins:

Here is a summary of a tutorial I found at varesano.net
You will need Adobe Flash Player but you don't have admin access - so you can install Flash manually in a few easy steps.
a. Download the .xpi archive of the flash player plug in (right click 'save link as')
b. Rename the file from  .xpi to .zip
c. Unarchive it
d. Move two files over into the "plugins" folder of firefox or opera or chrome
these files are flashplayer.xpt     and    NPSWF32.dll
e. Restart your browser and enjoy!

my identity card

This is my Israeli identity card. As you can see, the cover has writing in Hebrew and Arabic. It says 'misrad hapanim' (Ministry of the Interior), and 'toodat zehoot,' which means 'Identity card.'

I carry it everywhere. Its useful for proving your identity, for entering places like the university, and accessing your bank account. As a new immigrant it has some extra special qualities however. 

People know almost immediately that I am from the U.S. and are often surprised that someone from New York would come to Israel. It is the location of their personal fantasies and represents the chance to 'live in a movie' so to speak.

So people are surprised that I would come to Israel to study. To compound their confusion, I pull out my Israeli ID card and say "I am a new immigrant," confirming that I must be either (A) crazy or (B) a great patriot. They assume the later (*wink) and the response is fantastic. 

Sometimes I refer to it as the 'get admired / get a free beer / get a date free card." 

The card is a symbolic of my decision to make aliyah - to become a citizen of Israel. Since this is a democratic country, it means that I have the power to participate in government. It means that some people will consider me accountable for the decisions the state makes. Finally, it means that the state of Israel has a huge amount of power over me, personally. 

Finally, I have attached this picture of my Grandpa Ralph's passport. There is a small Nazi stamp on his picture. It was issued just as he, his parents and sister were fleeing Nazi Germany. So now the family has the power to choose where to live America and/or Israel, and/or Germany. What a free world we live in!

some more university pics

Some pics taken of Ben Gurion University in the early morning, by Nadin Segal, a friendly security guard. 

the falafel of settling in

Today the guy at the falafel stand made my sandwhich exactly how I liked it. This is normal because they ask you what you want and build the sandwhich for you.

The thing is, he made it for me before I ordered. I parked my bike, went to wash my hands, and when I approached the stand my falafel was right there waiting for me.

Thats pretty cool.

Here are the ingredients:
Fresh Pita, hummus, a bit of spicy stuff, falafel balls, fried eggplant, some pickles, tomato and cucumber salad, and tahini.

French fries on the side.

the space of the campus

The campus of Ben Gurion University is dramatically lush and verdant in comparison to the surroundings.

The Negev desert outside the city is a arrid moonscape where the faked moon landing could have been
filmed.


The city itself would be vastly dry and dusty itself if not for carefully watered green spaces. Israel is known for its green technology such as solar water heaters and drip irrigation.

That being said, the lawns of the school campus are evidence of considerable expense and luxury. Many of these areas are also set apart by the Hellenic decorations such as Greek columns etc., which offer considerable contrast to the modern architecture of the buildings. The influence of the German Bauhaus movement is in evidence on the campus, as with all the rest of Israel.