Fun and Feynman / Practicalities / Strange things in USA

Fun and Feynman

Somehow I got an acute attack of extreme stress today. Fortunately, S reminded me of Feynman. I read his story called "The dignified professor", which she pointed out. A quote:

Ant then I thought to myself: "You know, what they think of you is so fantastic, it's impossible to live up to it. You have no responsbility to live up to it.
It was brilliant idea: You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing. [...] I am what I am, and if they expected me to be good and they're offering me some money for it, it's their hard luck.

After reading this, I decided just have fun and not to stress about SDM or MIT or money or anything. No reason - I can even get straight Bs this semester and I will still be rather well off. And if I do not make it to the PhD-program here, I can always make it some to somewhere else. Whatever.

Practicalities

I renewed my lease today. A few weeks back, I notices a poster in the corridor saying something like "Leases are up. Apartments are on the market", which I thought was total BS. So, I did not react. After a while, my landlord and his secretaries started calling my friends and my voicemail. They wanted me to come and sign a new lease. But I was in New York. Back in Boston, I went to see them, but their Windows machine was insane. So, I left and forgot the whole thing. Yesterday, there were some angry messages in my voicemail and I gave up. Now it is done, and I can stay in this (nowadays) hot cave. A cave is good - one is never far from the elements.
Next practicality: checking the checking account balance. Not that good. I need to transfer some more money from Finland. I think I will have enough money to support myself and all the bums until the end of January. No acute need for monetary panic.
Then working with Kumar and Marat on the operations management homework. It is harder than I thought, but I assume we will find a reasonable solution, and can get some points. We need to continue though.
A few days ago, I somehow felt the same I felt when I was doing my civil service (conscious objector) in Helsinki. I did not have any money to speak of, no great prospect opening, but I was so happy. Most of the time I now feel the same. During my years in Nokia, I never felt like that, and most of the time it was miserable. I think not having too much, just one's talents and skill and optimism is hugely better than having much. I really do envy Paul Erdös, who had just two plastic bags full of notes, and lived by his friends and had fun all the time by doing mathematics (number theory). He must have had a great life.
In the beginning of the system dynamics class the professor asked us to write down the amount of money we think to be enough (constanly, corrected with inflation) for the rest of our life (per year). It was a good question. My answer was $50000 (after tax). I think it should be rather enough. Therefore, after MIT, I should be able to live on a very part-time jobs (maybe 2 days a week or 4 months a year). It would be optimal - if I do not get a professorship somewhere. What amount do you consider large enough?
I cancelled my INCOSE-membership. I just cannot afford it anymore. And I have not found it very useful. Their magazine contains occasionally some interesting articles, but in general it not my cup of tea. And I do not, after all, want to be member of anything.

Strange things in USA

XHuge uproar about the noise from aircraft, and no uproar about the idiots racing their H&Ds in the streets. Y Willingness of the citizens to pay the bills of the milatary. Just imagine what social benefit the government could afford, if it would cut the defence budget by 75%! Huge, and the army would still be strong enough for anything necessary.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs from May to June 2005".