Long Live Russia

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Finally, with what was now open disrespect, the colonel from headquarters started questioning the Corps Commander about his plan for the next day.

Plan! There was something so un-Russian about the word. What plan?
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--from Solzhenitsyn's August 1914

Bonus Question: Anybody know why chapter 22 was removed by the author? I know what the chapter is about and where it is now, but why was it taken out in the first place? You have too much time on your hands or you know your Russian emigre authors too well if you can answer this. ^^

MANGOSTEEN

Quit wasting your time with that damn stank ass Durian and get on the Mangosteen train. . . also make sure you get to an island before you leave Thailand. . . don't make me hurt you. . .

Current reading flurry

Just read a pretty cool book called Deep Survival, which is an interesting look at who survives and how the human brain functions in crisis. Read an autobiography of Gandhi "My Experiements in Truth". Pretty good, although I need to read a true history of it. Sticking with the biography phase (why??? It all started with Einstein in Korea)I am reading the biography of Richard Feynman, who is someone I've always wanted to know more about. Hopefully I will finish this monster up and then read the other, more famous one Surely, You're Joking, Mr. Feynman. Anyway, it is good to read this one, because it explains a good deal of the science he was doing.
A little quote that made me laugh regarding the religious beliefs of different physicists of the 30's and 40's:
"Einstein's piety was sincere but neutral, acceptable even to the vehemently antireligious Dirac, of whom Wolfgang Pauli once complained, 'Our friend Dirac, too, has a religion, and its guiding principle is 'There is no God and Dirac is His prophet.'"
If you don't find this funny, maybe I am spending a little too much time in my own mind. Anyway, I laughed histerically at it. Enjoy.

The frooeets that started it all

This one is for Hoops, and will almost surely provoke a retaliation in the form of a post. I ate the fruit, Durien, the mother of all huge, spikey, stinky fruits, and it is a strange one. For one, it is SUPPOSED to stink. Of course, after opening it, I realized that it smells much the same way a mango does when opened. Not exactly a stink, but a slightly less-than-pleasant smell that doesn't tell you anything about the taste.
Strangely enough, the Durien is creamy. It reminds me of Boston Cream, like the kind they put in those donuts. A creamy fruit. Apparently it is not to be eaten if you plan on imbibing large amounts of alcohol, as it will kill you or something. Have to do more research on that.
See if you can dig one up and try it. Hoops, you to, second time is the charm.

now you can watch the video over and over and over again. . . . thanks for reminding me of that shitty song. . .