gdjè?

gdje eta ulitsa
gdje etot dom
gdje eta djevuskha
shto ja vliu blon

mnje raskazhi, ti maja
mnje raskazhi
dalina, dalina, dalina ma ja

are you a victim of the gauss

similar to 'the curve' at MSFT, **insert company name here** abides by the rules and shortcomings of 'the gauss'.. letter day today, so the question on everyone's lips today was: are you a victim of the gauss / have you been gaussed today?
another similarity with MSFT: the gauss is as confidential as is the curve, though a reality in each and every business group, big or small.. so, even though it affects everybody group-wide, very little is offically known about it among the bulk of the staff, leaving ample room for speculation and (educated?) guesswork..
after a couple of years inside, i have learned that questioning the outcome of the review process is a. not appreciated and b. doesn't change a thing.. so if you're a victim of the gauss: you're bound to be in (a?) good company..
cheers,
denjames

earthsurfing

strange that i hadn't thought of it earlier, but yesterday i visited the small uk town again where i've been hanging out with my isifa friends.. a stroll in the park, a tour around campus, went up and down the streets where my italian and american friends used to cook the most delicious suppers.. the cafeteria of the polytechnic university next door that i'd discovered much too late, and only thanks to a german ladyfriend.. their choice of salad and sandwiches was so much wider, and tastier than our own.. the library where isifa spent half of it's time, and thanks to which most of us had better marks than in our hometown university.. the on-campus waterstones bookstore, the lecture halls where we used to be indulged in shakespeare's plays' analysis.. the smaller discussion rooms, where i was more focused on the french connection than on victorian literature.. the pubs that used to close by eleven.. the liquor store, and the chicken-takeaway (imagine a frituur, but then for chicken only!) the beverly shopping centre, the jazzclub downtown where we went dancing on thursday evenings, with live music..
at such moments, i truly adore the possibilities of google earth.. in only 20 minutes, i have relived the best parts of half a year among a bunch of uk nobrains and the best collection of italian and american friends one could possibly hope for.. thanks for the great evening..