Free at Last

Hooray! This semester is finally over. I sent the last of my assignments in on Friday (had the kids over for the weekend). This was one crazy semester. The class of my boss was interesting, but the pace and the sheer amount of info to digest together with the other things, such as learning to program in Matlab (I knew I had to do it earlier :) ) made the course very time intensive. The other class I took was relatively easy, but also time intensive due to a great number of labs and home assignments. Together with the important project review, the papers and the personal stuff, this semester was very very hard on me. Now, it is finally over. Here is hoping the next one will be better :). I am off to New York with my kids next week to visit my cousin.
Happy holidays to those who might be reading.
Cheers

Tiger Lily RIP

I received some bad news a couple of days ago. When we left Israel to come to US, we left one of our cats, Tiger Lily, with my wife's parents. Unfortunately, she passed away a few weeks ago (just before my wife's mom came here). Tiger Lily wasn't young, but she wasn't too old either (she was 12). She always suffered from overweight and eventually died of liver problems. She was a very nice and friendly cat, and she will be missed. I will post some pictures later.

Through the Rabbit Hole

I haven't posted on personal issues on this blog, but there some important things that I think I should share. It has been building up for a while now. Bear with me. If anybody is reading this, but doesn't feel like reading about my personal problems, skip this post.

About a month ago I and my wife decided to separate. Our marriage was in trouble for a long time before that (for about year), so this decision didn't come out of the blue. In the past several weeks, I reflected on the last year and realized just how unhappy I was. While we are on ok terms at the moment, and would do everything we can to ease the situation for our kids, too much bitterness had accumulated and is poisoning almost every interaction we have. At the moment, the situation can't be helped. In fact, our relationship had improved slightly after we decided to separate. I guess, to a degree we both feel relieved, and are trying to move forward (I certainly do). It isn't easy, and will certainly have an impact on our kids, but, in the end, I think it will be for the best. This way we both can get on with our lives (we are still young). Only time will tell.

Over the last couple of weeks, I had a friend, who is in a somewhat similar situation, help me through. I found that I can still interact with people, and that was a major thing. I am deeply grateful to her for all the help, and I am also trying to help her through her rough times. It's strange. I always thought myself as self-sufficient -- basically not needing anyone, but she showed me just how much I missed that human component. I hope it will make me a better person in the long run, as I begin this new stage in my life. I just realized something this morning. I've become a true Israeli. For those who don't know, Israelis who are born in Israel call themselves "tzabarim". Tzabar is a fruit from a cactus. It is tough and has needles on the outside, but soft inside. :)

As Danny in the Song of Ice and Fire keeps saying, "If I turn back I am lost." I don't regret my life so far. It had many good moments and gave me two beautiful children, but it is time to look ahead.

Back from the dead

Well, it's been a really long while since I posted anything here. I am planning to change that now.

So, a couple of updates, I've written drafts for three papers during the last couple of months. I will update on their fate (hopeflly they would move along fast).

I am also finally starting the final edits on the novel. The goal is to finish by the end of September.

So, check in later for updates.

Hebrew songs

Long silence again. I'd been really busy with several things happening on the home front too.

With all the things happening, I'd been feeling a bit lonely lately. So much so that I really liked to hear some Israeli songs today. Today is the Erev Rosh Hashana -- the eve of the Jewish New Year, and this craving seemed really fitting.

So, Happy New year to all the Jews out there. May it be better than the last one.

Back from the grave

Well, I've been silent for so long that some might think I gave up on this blog. Those phantom people who actually read it :)

Anyway, the reason for the long silence is that I was really busy. I started my PhD in the University of Nebraska and was plowing through literature on the subject of my research. In the meanwhile I also did some translations.

I have to say that this period was rather satisfying. I had perfect freedom to look for anything I thought relevant, think on the subject of the project and write my thoughts down. I also had the chance to see what it takes to publish a scientific paper. On this front, I have to say, the picture isn't too pretty. Apart from several papers (out of about 60 I went through) most of the papers were somewhat superficial and left plenty of open questions. All the better for me to answer them :)

I also talked to my professor and though he narrowed the field for me somewhat, I still have a lot of latitude. I think the next years are going to be fun :)

Anyway, apart from that, our lives are going and advancing. My wife goes to conferences with the regularity of approximately once a month. The weather isn't much better than in Israel at this time of year, but could be worse.

I hope I am going to update more often from now on.

News from the Bookshelf

I've recently had several additions to my bookshelf, which make my reading list extremely long.

First of all, did mention I love my e-reader? I do. It has a small problem with glare, and I would have liked it to ave the option to invert the black and white colors for reading in a poor light, but other than that... It is handy, easy to handle, just the right size etc.

Second, I had bought a couple of DVD's with an extended list of classics to read. I won't read them all, obviously, but even those I already downloaded to my e-reader make for a long but satisfying list.

I bought the electronic version of the "Warriors" volume (I had already read the "Mystery Knight" and Martin is excellent as always, but other stories are also very good so far), and I also bought the second volume of "Dreamsongs" (I already had the first one) and a couple of books by my friend Don Platt (check his site out).

All in all, this makes me very happy and busy with reading in the future.

Shameless Promotion Time

Well, I think it's about time for some self-promotion and self-aggrandizement :)

My story Something for Nothing had appeared in the 12/39 volume of Allegory magazine (here is a link to the story itself). I urge everyone to go to the site and read the story (and all the other stories, of course).

Have a great week

A dilemma

Well, it seems that good news go in packs. I got a phone call today from Jenna Lucas, who is responsible for admissions to the UNO writing MFA program. I was accepted to the program. Now, it looks like I have a small dilemma on my hands. If I get some form of scholarship (if I don't then there is no real dilemma), do I go to this program, do I go to the Materials Engineering PhD or do I try to do both? Theoretically I think it is possible to do both, since the writing program is low residence program, but it will be very hard and there will still be a problem of the few residences. I'll have to think about this till the end of the month.

Happy Dance

I have great news.
First, I have been accepted for PhD studies at the Nebraska University at Lincoln (Materials Engineering).

The second bit, I had mentioned about a month ago. Now it's official. I made my first sale. Something for Nothing is going to appear at the Allegory magazine issue 12/39 on May 1st.

A different ball game

Maccabi won the second game against Partisan today. The game was so different, it's amazing. They started the first game in a fury, and got everything their way at the beginning, with amazing percentages. Then it went downhill starting the second part of the second quarter. This game started even, but Maccabi went to fight and show very strong defense and ran away in the second quarter. The halves of both games ended with a similar difference, but with a completely different momentum. The game ended with Maccabi blowout. Now, it is away to Belgrade.

Elf Killing And Other Hobbies: Drive By Post#links

Elf Killing And Other Hobbies: Drive By Post#links

News, changes and a kitchen sink

Well, ok, there isn't really a sink... per se.
I've slightly updated the blog and created a blogroll, where I will add from time to time blogs I like to read. It isn't comprehensive, and some of the blogs don't have a direct connection to the issues of this blog, but I see it drifting into a more general direction anyway.

I hadn't written about it before, but i applied for an MFA in Writing at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. It looks like a nice program. We'll see. In any case, I needed recommendation letters, and it was a bit of a puzzle for me. The situation is different than the Engineering programs where I have plenty of people who worked with me in the past and would be able to vouch for my abilities. So, thankfully, AbsoluteWrite provided me with the opportunity to ask people I know there. Here are my deepest thanks to Celina Summers (I got a mention on the blog), to Don Platt and to my former team leader Sagi Abramovich for their recommendation letters.

There might be more to come out of my communications with Celina, but I will update if and when it happens.

Yesterday I had a pretty nasty shock in my work. I even felt emotional enough to send Sagi an e-mail on the subject. I translated a document talking about various money laundering schemes by Hamas to fund their operations. In one of the bits it talked about an arrest (several years ago) of a guy who was responsible for the Zerifin Camp hitchhikers' station. For those not familiar with the situation, there are hitchhikers' stations near every military camp in Israel, and Zerifin is one of the largest camps around. It is situated in the middle of Israel, near the town of Rishon-Le-Zion. I lived in that town for several years and served at that camp. It is mostly a training base with the addition of some other non-combat bases. During the Second Intifadah, there was a bombing on the hitchhikers' station near the base. I remember it very well, because I had spent the whole evening trying to reach the soldiers from the base to make sure they were ok. All the guys from my department were on the base at the time, but our unit was a small one, and I knew every soldier personally. This translation brought back those memories, and the two thoughts I had were, "what a small world" and "what a fucked up country we are".

Oy vey!

Maccabi had a 20 point lead in the second quarter and went to lose the first game and the home court advantage to Partisan. At the beginning it looked like a blowout for Maccabi, but ended in the fourth quarter with embarrassing misses under the basket.

The second game is on Thursday and then to Belgrade

Yay! I've got a new toy!

I think I should mention here that I had a birthday at the beginning of March. I know, I know, I am 33. This is so sad. Well, not really. I am pretty pleased with my life so far. I slowed down a little when we moved to Omaha, but that is only for the best.

Anyway, I ordered a Sony eReader The Daily Edition as a present for myself. It arrived a couple of days ago, but I hadn't had the chance to really play with it till today. It is great! I love it. Now, I have even more books on my "to read list".

Amazing!

Maccabi Tel-Aviv had won an amazing games against Real Madrid in Madrid. It was the usual heart attack inducing game Maccabi is so good at providing its fans. It won first place in the top 16 group and now will play Partisan Belgrad in top 8 in a best of 5 series. Maccabi will also have a home court advantage. For most of the game it looked like Maccabi was a no show, but they exploded in the last quarter.

Simply amazing. There is a hex on Real Madrid this week, after the soccer team was ousted out of the Champions' League. Now Real in basketball will play Barcelona (an incredible team), and Barcelona will have home court advantage.

Maccabi has a clear road to final four. They are dependent solely on themselves.

Writing

I've been having a rather productive week in writing. Which is great. I had something of a writers' block for a long while, but, hopefully, this is over now. I am also arranging the submission package for an MFA program at UNO. I am not sure I will end up going, but it looks like an interesting program. So, yesterday I wrote a self assessment letter of my writing. It got me thinking about what my goals really are, what is stopping me etc. It doesn't happen often. Maybe it should. Makes you sharper.

Spring or not

I was about to post how strange it was that most of the snow disappeared within a week. As far as I can remember from my childhood in Ukraine, this usually took much longer. Anyway, this post was foiled by a relatively heavy snow falling since this morning. Go figure.

Final 8

Yay!
Maccabi Tel Aviv had won today against Sienna in a very good game that ended with a much bigger difference that could have been expected based on the game. Since, at the same time Real Madrid had won against Efez Pilsen, Maccabi qualified to final eight today irrespective of the result next week. That doesn't mean there isn't anything to play for next week. If they win their away game in Madrid, they qualify from the top spot, making sure they have the home court advantage at the final eight stage. In any case, Maccabi played very well at this stage with the exception of the game last week in Pilzen. Congrats, and way to go.

Attack of the Giant Spiders -- movie at seven

We've been to a Purim celebration at the Synagogue yesterday. It was actually very nice. It is a bit hysterical how they mix the Hebrew words into English. The day before that, we went to the same synagogue for the reading of the Esther Scroll. It's the first time I actually heard it in full. I again wonder at the irony of me having to move to US to do these things.

Anyway. At the Purim celebration there was an attraction for the kids -- a woman made really cute balloon animals and stuff. I never saw anything on par in Israel. Rather amazing. Giant spiders were all the rage :) Hence the title of the thread.

While driving back home we had a really long debate whether we see the moon or something else. It was completely not of this world. Eerie, like in the werewolf movies. A perfect finish for our "movie" night :)