Search committees: the 100k H1B fee now appears *not* to apply to change of status applications, so F-1s and J-1s are exempt. #psjminfo
isso.utdallas.edu/2025/10/24/g...
internationalcenter.umich.edu/about/news/u...
internationalaffairs.uchicago.edu/news/preside...

Looks like June-August pretty comparable btwn Tallahasee and Columbia, so you trade off somewhat cooler May/Sept against a Dec-Feb period in Columbia that's a touch too cold for my tastes. I think I agree that Columbia has Good Weather for my tastes.

There is also some observational data on this question that largely comports with what in retrospect seems obvious: being warm is nice!
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

I have seen one observational study on this claim, and it found that while there is some slight advantage on happiness in the spring in cold climates, it is vastly outstripped by the increase in happiness in the winter and even autumn in warm climates.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

"Selected for you"

I make sandwiches with pork shoulder and rapini with this braise and pouring the sauce on top of the meat, with the rapini roasted with garlic and some sliced lemon. I enjoy it!

Changing lives out here:

Bird people asking some very presumptive questions

Reposting because applications for FSU's IR search are due at the end of the week (Oct. 6), and because I wasn't on the polisky list last time. It's 77 degrees out this October morning as I have my coffee on the balcony, and they had movie night in the park last night. PSJMInfo

9/ Arts: There's a symphony orchestra and an annual literary festival. We have tickets to see the Gipsy Kings, Chicago, and the Vienna Boys Choir. The NY G&S group performed The Mikado last spring. Railroad Square has vintage shops and a theater built in an old train station.

8/Drinks: There’s also a fun collection of places to drink, including a tiki bar, a cocktail lounge built in a historic library, some rooftop bars, and a couple of breweries with beer gardens. Also some very nice coffee shops.

7/ Food Pt.2: the restaurant scene here is surprisingly good. Some high-end places that probably exist here because it’s the state capital, a collection of funky mid-range spots, a nice Peruvian restaurant, good Mexican and Indian food, and more.

6/ Food Pt.1: when I moved here, two things I wanted to find were shiso and good labneh. The Asian grocer sells great shiso, and there’s a local farmer who makes fantastic labneh. There’s great access to produce from nearby farms, and fresh seafood coming out of the gulf.

5/ Nature Pt.2: The Gulf is 22 miles away. Have an afternoon picnic and watch the dolphins in St Mark’s! Or, if you have a bit more time, take the 80 minute drive to St George Island, certified Best Beach in America.[1]
[1] cnn.com/travel/best-...

4/ Nature Pt.1: the city and FSU campus are blanketed by palm trees and live oak. Nearby are freshwater springs (see Wakulla) that stay a constant temperature of 69F year-round and are thus popular with manatees. There are beautiful parks and gardens in every direction.

3/ Weather: the academic-year weather is amongst the best in the US. Dec/Jan cools off a bit for a touch of autumn (with average highs in the upper 60s). Other than that, it’s Endless Summer, with the humidity in check from mid-Sept to June. Underrated is the amount of sunshine.

2/ To start: Tallahassee is a college town + state capital, with a population of 200k. It has the characteristics you’d expect of this combination: it’s the most highly educated city in Florida, the most liberal, and the food + arts scene punches above its weight for its size.