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** Oh, jet lag. You are such an a$$hole. ** Since I can’t sleep like a normal person, I have cleared my “to review” folder. I feel very virtuous. Accepted one paper after they had done an excellent job revising; recommended major revisions for the second paper in a first review; rejected the third, where I was referee No…
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Oh, yes. I am overseas again. This time in a lovely nordic country. Riding on a train earlier today, I noticed how much the landscape looks like the American midwest. But I had forgotten how much cobblestone is still beloved in many parts of the Old Continent. On my return overseas trip a couple of weeks ago, I…
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Time flies. An up-and-coming professor who had just made tenure when I started graduate school is now at the tail end of being mid-career and is starting to talk about what she will do when she retires. A talented researcher employed at an institute, who, as a visiting scientist a little more than a decade ago was…
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Yes, I do. I actually really like Season 2 of the HBO show “True Detective.” It’s a totally unpopular opinion, as evidenced by this, that (a good overview, but full of spoilers if you aren’t watching), and the other. While it’s not flawless (and what the hell is), I have thoroughly enjoyed it and am generally pissed…
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Originally appeared here.
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After this post, some commenters have been wondering about my origins. There are many countries in Europe that would fit the description of tiny and inconsequential (whether or not their citizens are willing to admit it). Knowing which one specifically I am from would probably not bring much excitement or illumination to most of my readership.…
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(I am unusually grouchy today, so calibrate accordingly.) Many speakers are really not very good. Most, in fact. No matter how cool your slides are, nothing helps if you are an anemic speaker, boring as hell and unable to make a point. This one guy was speaking very, very slowly, ending every sentence with lowered intonation,…
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I am very, very happy with the local beer. Note to long-haired Americans traveling to Europe: bring your own conditioner. Seriously. In the US, it’s common to expect shampoo, body wash, and conditioner in every hotel room, so I typically don’t pack them (I am not very high maintenance and like to pack light, so I will…
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* I am in one of the most famous and most beautiful cities in Europe. I have visited it before. It is a lovely European city. It is not unlike the city I was born in. I find I have no desire to live here, ever. I find the buildings are old, the apartments small. Everything is…
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I have landed in a beautiful European metropolis, which is not in my country of birth. I have about 30 min before I have to rush to some talks. After getting a cab at the airport, the cabby and I first spoke in German, then in English; eventually he asked where in the US I was from, to…
xykademiqz 