Should have struck the strike

It's unclear why student representatives across Israel surrendered so suddenly, after weeks of stubborn striking, but it's about freakin time!!!! With the end of the student strike last Thursday, we finally returned to classes Sunday morning.

Was it worth it? I've heard from students who struck along with the gang that they see it as a failure; they didn't accomplish any more than the first agreement proposed a few weeks ago had offered (which ensured that tuition wouldn't go up for at least all of the current students), and now a month has been added to the semester. Together with the effects from last summer's war, we'll see a two month delay in our summer vacation! I planned to be here all summer working on research anyway, so it effects me much less than others. But things will still be annoyingly dragged out for me. As it turns out, after classes end August 2nd, there will be a month break, and THEN we will start the testing period in September. I imagine tests might continue into the fall semester.

I'm hoping that test dates will be set soon so that I will be able to give you guys dates for a potential visit in the fall (for whoever's interested/able to come...)

I'm not giving up on Abba's blogga

(My response to Abba's last post is in the comments on that post, not here.)

I'll try this family blog idea out. But I don't think group blogs work that well. Blogs are more for things you want to tell the whole world, meaning a bunch of people you've never met. We could all just email each other - though we don't do that all that often.

I think once abba figures out what a blog is and gets comfortable in the medium - which I'm sure will take a while! - I think maybe he'll be more into the idea of having one of his own. Then again, the two are not mutually exclusive. A lot of people have multiple blogs, each for a different purpose.

abba's say

whats with all this newfangled stuff? the last i checked (ten seconds ago) blog is not even in the official scrabble dictionary. so who qame up with this idea? was it the same guy who invented the internet,( al gore) or some other scientologist? and what kinds of things do i write on a blog? maybe something like "i wish i was a graduate of case western reserve" or what? please educate me.

Abba solemnly swears that he prefers a Family Blagy to an Abba Blaga

After much deliberation, a resolution was reached in the Bardenmern household. A Blagy was to be initiated!

New Blog for the Bardin-Denman-Stern Family

While an Abba Blaga would certainly have an audience, a family blagy might be more practical. I propose that we make a blagy (not necessarily this one), that we could EACH post on, send pictures on, etc... What do you guys think? Can you even post on this blog if you try? I've never done anything like this before.