Lest I forget, Monday marked the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Two decades ago, I was a little girl in elementary school — and I can’t seem to recall hearing the news back then. I wonder what it was like to be a first or second grade teacher in 1989, unable to discuss this pivotal world event with your students. I can imagine the complications… for instance, in describing to young kiddos what was unfolding, these potential minefields could also surface:

Countries.
Borders.
Guards.
Checkpoints.
A gigantic wall.
Europe.
Germany.
Communism.
The Iron Curtain.
The Marshall Plan.
World War II.
Protests.
Death.

I think my teacher might have given up trying.

Two years after the collapse of the wall, I learned of the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. My father walked into my bedroom and informed me that the National Geographic map hanging on my wall was now incorrect. Unfortunately, he also continued allowing me to borrow books from the library with titles such as WEST GERMANY — which, without my previous knowledge of the fall of the Berlin Wall (see above) and without inclusion of an addendum clarifying current events, led elementary school me to continue in blissful ignorance of November 9, 1989 for a good number of years to come.

I, along with the majority of Julliard tenants in this complex, appreciate the fact that you enjoy music. However — I, along with the majority of tenants living in close proximity to your window and entryway, don’t care to hear Lady Gaga blasted into my apartment.

Love,
Your neighbor

Dave McCandless’ Hierarchy of Digital Distractions is well thought out, and oh-so-true. Now if only he had added GChat/AIM/RSS feeds…

Above is an interesting video from the NYTimes today about the lack of med students choosing primary care over specialties, mostly due to lifestyle and income (or lack thereof). Since graduating from WashU, I know many medical students and doctors — no one I know has gone down the path of primary care.

As a self-proclaimed semi-foodie, I love eating out. But after reading Smart Money’s ‘10 Things Restaurants Won’t Tell You‘, I might think twice about what I’m ordering next time I go out. For instance, should I be ordering the special of the day?

…Countless variables can leave surplus ingredients at the end of the day—which often become tomorrow’s special. “It could be the chef legitimately wants to try out something new,” says Stephen Zagor, founder of consulting firm Hospitality & Culinary Resources. “But it could also be something nearing the end of its shelf life that needs to get out of the kitchen.”

Ew. Ew. Ew.

Cindy Gallop, former BBH USA chairwoman, really lives out the BBH motto: when others zig, zag. Or, in this case, when others buy townhouses with white walls, buy up an old YMCA and paint the walls black.

Gmail is down. The Twitterverse is going crazy.

For some reason, I receive Banana Republic emails on both my personal Gmail account and on my university alumni account. One of them gave me a special 20% off offer from Virgin America; the other offered 15% off my purchase in exchange for a credit card application. I wonder what makes one email address better than the other.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wedding photographer eat during a wedding. And if they do, I always imagined them trolling the reception hall for leftover bits of food during non-essential (and perhaps darkened) times — for instance, while the slideshow is playing. Now there’s a blog by an anonymous wedding photographer showcasing the meals that he (she?) gets fed while on the job. It’s probably the same meal eaten by the guests at the wedding; there’s no indication, however, that much of it is ever consumed.