My comments have been broken for two years now, and I'd really like to get them fixed. In order to do this, I want to switch from MT to Wordpress. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make this...

Excerpts from a Dog's Daily Journal: 8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing! 9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing! 9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing! 10:30 am - Got rubbed and...

Kostya and I went to a new church on Sunday, and afterwards they had brunch at an apartment. Upon leaving, Kostya noticed an odd number of identical shoes, literally. We subsequently found a fourth shoe hidden away in a nearby...

Kostya (short for Konstantin) is one my closest friends over here in St. Petersburg. We've know each other for about two years now. Last night a bunch of us were at a friend's house until 3am. Normally, I have to...

One of few drawbacks to St. Petersburg, vis-a-vis Moscow, is that it is less technologically developed. Almost every cafe in downtown Moscow has free wi-fi access, even McDonald's. Here, however, there are only a handful, and all off the main...

The Belorussian is my favorite train station in all of Moscow. I am fortunate to be staying at an apartment with a great location, a fifteen-minute walk from Belorussky Vokzal, which doubles as a metro station on the circle line...

I have long wondered why Russia was taking such a lenient policy towards the Iranian drive for nuclear weapons. If there is anything that Russia values, it's the status of regional power. In fact, they ideally want to get back...

This is my favorite picture that I've taken so far here in Russia. It's the door to the metro, and on top is written "Entrance." On the door, however, is written "No Entrance." Well, that sums up a lot of...

Imperialism better than Poorly-Governed Independence Last year, the United States Agency for International Development gave Ghana $22.5 million in food aid. Last Monday, that same country began a 12-month celebration of its independence from British rule, which was granted 50...

How did that happen? Though, if I had to pick a Euro country to live in, it'd probably be France. Just saw "Talledega Nights," Sacha Baron Cohen does a brilliant job as a French Formula One driver. I've never heard...

I came back again to St. Petersburg yesterday. A good friend from America, who I haven't seen in two years, is in town for a week, and I wanted to see her. Of course, I'll take just any excuse to...

St. Petersburg is a stunningly beautiful city. My first direct experience with Russia was in June 2002, when I came over and taught debate. The first stop was Moscow, which was interesting, but my schedule was so full that I...

Israel, Iran, the US, and North Korea have the worst image around the world, in that order. In Iran, two women have to testify in order to receive the same weight as one man. North Korea beats and starves people...

Seasons begin early in Russia. Today is the first day of Spring, and people are congratulating each other on making it through another winter. Though I'm afraid it's a tad too soon. After living over here, I understand why our...

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Unfortunately, I still have problems with my comments. If you have anything to add, please post in the comments section of my livejournal page. It's the exact same entry, but I would love to hear any feedback or differing opinions....

Not exactly the most romantic way to pass time, but I unexpectedly spent Valentine's Day on a train from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Last time I was here was Christmas, and a lot has changed in two months. One of...

We all know that trailers are quite often better than the films they represent, but I never actually thought about the framing power that they have. Like real life, moments can be taken completely out of context to portray the...

A couple of us went to the movies yesterday to see the new Russian horror movie, Dead Daughters. I had read the review in the Moscow Times which raved that it was a phenomenal film, and like a fool, I...