(no subject)

[wolfie-18.livejournal.com]

When does one use совсем as opposed to довольно? Would it just be the same if one were to say "Эта девушка совсем симпатичная" and "Эта девушка довольно симпатичная"?

War and Peace

[fox-c.livejournal.com]

So, I've been in something of a Napoleonic kick recently, and thought I would finally attempt to slag through War and Peace. My question - Is it worth it to try to do it in Russian? I've read a bit of Tolstoy (short stories mostly) and some other classic authors in Russian already, so I'm sure I could do it, but the book is seriously massive, so I'm afraid it would be a bit too big of an undertaking.

Would I be better off reading the majority of it in English and only doing certain bits in Russian? If so, which passages should I pick out? Is there a "reader" out there for students of Russian trying to tackle the infamous tome?

Techical terminology

[hopeinagpa.livejournal.com]

How to say "my computer froze"? What's "to reboot"?

What's the blanket term for Instant Messenger in Russian? What's the preferred IM of Russians? What's the verb: "to instant message"?