Tag Archives: life

In Which I Opine On Various Matters Of Great Importance

Posted on August 19, 2011 by AK

A collection of news stories and my take on them from the past month or so. 1. Bribes are growing quickly in Russia. Their average sizes, that is. It was reported by the MVD that they increased by 5x from … Continue reading →

Posted in Coffee House, Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

More On Learning Chinese

Posted on August 12, 2011 by AK

So today I finished my intensive Chinese class, which I celebrated by drinking lots of 啤酒 (and silently toasting the heroic oppositionistas struggling against UK bourgeois state tyranny). Here is my third set of observations. 1. Most other languages now look … Continue reading →

Posted in The Sino Triumphalist | Tagged , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

The Book I’m Writing

Posted on July 31, 2011 by AK

Those of you with long memories may remember me talking about writing a book on “future history.” That didn’t exactly go to plan; it kind of withered away. However, in the past month I have decided to resurrect the project. Why? (1) … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Sublime Oblivion | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Good Article On The Arctic Gold Rush

Posted on June 25, 2011 by AK

Environmentalists push to keep U.S., others from oil drilling in Arctic by Jason Walsh, writing for the Washington Times. Okay, who am I kiddin’? It’s awesome for propping AK i.e. yours truly over well deserving others. ;-) On a more pertinent … Continue reading →

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A Gambler’s Odyssey: The Beginning

Posted on May 8, 2011 by AK

Many people dream of breaking free of the 9-5 rat race, e.g. by acquiring an income stream – or a “muse,” as Tim Ferriss calls it – that is independent of bosses, location, and schedules. For most it remains just … Continue reading →

Posted in A Gambler's Odyssey, Life in General | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Top 10 Most Useful Languages

Posted on May 1, 2011 by AK

Knowing a second language is a highly desirable trait in today’s world, especially if your work or hobbies have an international focus. But for most people, learning languages is an arduous undertaking, constituting a big investment of intellectual resources. The best advice … Continue reading →

Posted in Coffee House, Life in General | Tagged , , | 53 Comments

Introduction: Comparison of USA, UK, Russia

Posted on April 5, 2011 by AK

Over at Mark Chapman’s indispensable blog, Giuseppe Flavio linked to a fascinating “Comparison USA-Germany” by an academic who was deeply immersed in both cultures. This inspired me to do something similar. My credentials? Having lived for 6 years in Russia, 12 … Continue reading →

Posted in National Comparisons | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Short Guide To Lifestyle Design (LSD): The 7 Core Skills Of The Cyberpunk Survivalist

Posted on February 26, 2011 by AK

If we want to optimize life, we must first start from our projections of what the world is going to look in the years ahead. Generally speaking, it is coming to resemble something out of a cyberpunk sci-fi setting, i.e. … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

The Four Week Body Guide

Posted on February 14, 2011 by AK

Cheat Sheet To Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Body This is a guide to dropping weight super fast with minimal effort. One month. $200. More than 20 pounds of fat loss – guaranteed. There are five key elements to this method: … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Is This Blog Anti-American?

Posted on February 2, 2011 by AK

So I was looking through my “Incoming Links” today and came across this comment about yours truly: typical us-living russia-lover/us-hater. expect him to be hired by russia today tv channel. thing is – i can understand if people hold these … Continue reading →

Posted in Da Russophile, Life in General | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments