No Blog for Old Titles

I rifle these things off so quickly lately that I hardly have time to come up with interesting titles anymore. I can't use song lyrics, either, because Facebook is depleting my store of those. I worked tonight but boy did I get out of there like a vegan at Turkey Day. When I came home, I took a good long look at the summer research program application (one of the things due next Wednesday) and did a good chunk of this week's physics homework. As a result of those two, I feel better than I did at work. I banged things and raised my voice at work and I don't think it is good for me to do that.

On my drive to school this morning, I listened to a story on NPR about a college that is going entirely digital with its textbooks. I yelled my opposition at first but by the end, I was at least sympathetic to their decision. I remain a big fan of being able to hold the hard copy of a text, write notes in it (unless it's Allison's thermal physics book) and of avoiding the headache that comes from staring at a computer screen for hours. I don't get those headaches from reading from paper pages. However, I can see how beneficial ebooks might be in terms of lowering the cost to students (the price was quoted as roughly half a standard book) and for sharing notes or collaborating with a click. I have certainly wished for a textbook with a "search" field on the first page more than once. I don't think UNH will attempt something like this switch-over while I go to school there (including the PhD years) so the question of whether I support it is not terrible important for me. It made me think, though, of talking to a peer the other day and mentioning that it would be nice to write a textbook after I have taught at university for many years. Listening to the radio this morning, it dawned on me that that may be a whole other ball game by the time I reach that point.

And lastly, the best news of the day: both Sean Penn (best actor) and Dustin Lance Black (best screenplay) won award for Milk last night. That meant that twice, on a major awards show (declining ratings aside), a person made the case for equal rights regardless of who you love. That can only help.

Everything! Ah!

I finished my second of two tests in two days this morning and then it was out of super study mode, into super research mode. The abstracts for the AGU conference (end of May, Toronto) are due on March 4th and my proposal for a summer research grant is due on the same day. Furthermore, Marc is in Alaska so I can only do so much until he gets back. Come on aurora!

As I wrote to Allison, I am more comfortable being stressed about lab work because it is exciting and therefore motivating. I have done a lot of the data analysis and now I need to take what I've produced and write an abstract to submit; it shouldn't be toooo hard but I have never written one before so I need every ounce of guidance I can find. Hyomin and I talked about it a little today and that helped.

We had a Moses gig at the Three Chimney's last night. I thought it went well but at the end of the night, the proprietors happened to mention to Moses that they won't be doing music on Friday's any more, so our next gig is off. It is speculation to say this but we've heard that one before and when, some Friday evening weeks later, I went into the last place that told us they were discontinuing live music on Fridays, there just happened to be some guy playing terrible piano. If that's what the Three Chimney's wants, then they can have it. At least I had the most delicious pizza I can remember having (it had tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, artichokes and bleu cheese but that description makes it sound a lot more dull than it was).

Time to do the dishes!

A formality

I haven't much in the way of an update but at least posting is more of an update than remaining silent for want of earth-shattering news. I was set back a little bit today by an error in my program but after I fixed it and re-ran the data I had put through up to that point, I still ended up with positive work accomplished. My feeling was as follows: The bad news is that I found an error in the program; the good news is that I found and error in the program. Something like that. I might have even said those words out-loud, as I do talk to myself a lot when I work.

Eh, I'm getting distracted by news and I ought to be doing a little homework before bed anyway (at least while I finish my tea).

Sooner.

Fake beef

Yes, my father is right: don't forget the zinc gluc. Fortunately for both parties (because it validates his analysis and because it keeps me healthy), I bought a couple of bags of Cold-EEZ a few weeks to keep at home and in the lab. Phew.

Just when I thought I had taken away my own favorite time of day (lunch break) right out from under my own feet (because I'm trying to avoid meat with uncertain origins, which is everything at the UNH dining halls), Holloway Commons had vegan soft tacos with plenty of fixin's. (That apostrophe is there in place of the 'g' and is not connected to the pluralizing 's'.) I ate the first with fake beef (not bad), brown rice and some corn-and-edamame stuff then went back for a second, in which I replaced the edamame mix with tofu cacciatore because it had lots of peppers and onions in it. Delish, even for someone known to love his meat dishes.

We're getting a brief survey of thermodynamics in baby physics and though it's good review for me, I have vowed to keep my mouth shut and let the other students have a chance at answering questions since I have already seen the material. That is difficult for me; I always feel like it is my responsibility to provide the answer to an instructor's question which gets stressful when I'm also trying to take notes. No problem now, though, because I think our foray into thermo is over, at least for that course.

Back to work!

The last minute

Today was a day of hasty transitions; none was more crucially accomplished than the most recent. Instead of pounding off to school at 9 as I considered doing, I enjoyed my Tuesday morning at home by having a leisurely breakfast and tending to some dish duties. I dragged my feet a little too much, though, and had to throw my effects together in order to get down to the bus stop on time because we have a quiz or test in thermo every Tuesday and I am of course loathe to miss a class anyway. Driving would have done me little good since all the spaces are taken by 9. I programmed for a while in the lab after thermo but I (and this is not unusual) had to grab my bag and rush to physics when I realized that it was almost time for class to start. Good thing Morse Hall is close to DeMeritt! But the greatest excitement came 45 minutes ago when my study buddy Jason and I wrapped up a homework session and ran out of Morse just in time for me to flag down the last bus to Dover as it pulled away from the bus stop. School is so much more fun the second time around.

I felt a little scratchy this morning so I have to be careful with my body. A cold may be inevitable but I will put all of my resources toward avoiding it for as long as possible. I keep telling myself that one of these years, I will make it a full winter without getting sick if I can just pay attention to myself. 

So on that note, I'll have some tea and go to bed!

Parental advisory.

Work is coming along well on the data analysis in the lab; I have settled somewhat into an ad hoc pattern of patching together various means of getting nice-looking results, recording that clumsy process into my notes then repeating and repeating until finally, one day, I sit down and convert the whole process into some concise bit of code as another piece in my program. I wonder if that's how the big boys do it. It doesn't matter. I am still trying to figure out how to load the plots that I was going on about the other day (the ones that I showed to my class). I think blogger just doesn't like PDFs but that's fine because I love them and that means more for me (like brussels sprouts). For now, please enjoy this picture of my favorite niece in all her classless glory.

(this is not how a lady reclines)

Allison is in Kaktovic and now that the rushing stress of travel and anxiety of having so few people around (especially professors and fellow grad students for homework help), she sounds excited. Also, it is cold there.

It's late and I think I have come down from my Friday's adrenaline rush. Time for bed. I have a tummy full of delicious jambalaya. 

Cats are weird

Allison left this morning. I actually left before since I had class at 8 but I believe that she got on her way just fine. She left a mix cd in my car which is way sweet. We got our first thermo test back today and I did fine. Even though my grade is B-range and I think I knew most of this material going into the class (so far it's a lot of review from chemistry), I am getting better about seeing grades in the big picture. That's to say that I am happy with my B. The professor is quite a good guy, too, so I am comfortable with the outlook for that course. 

I gave a wee presentation today in calculus. We're talking about Fourier series, which are ways to describe wacky bouncy waves in easy to manage little chunks, and I suggested that I bring in some plots from the lab because we use Fourier analysis all the damn time. Actually, each one of those kids (in class) can expect to use it a bunch so that's why I wanted to give them a glimpse of the usefulness. The plots are in color, too, so I hoped that it might make it seem less boring to learn about. I think it worked for a few at least.

The cats are playing jungle fight adventure. They are also sniffing each other's butts. I have not been asked to join in but that's okay because I would rather do my school work thank you very much and who cares about your stupid cat games anyway?

Welcome back.

We have had a few weeks of school already but there were other doings to be done so I am only now returning to blogland. I have spent most of my time at the lab; I'm lucky, as I have said before, to have that study spot and I take full advantage of it. I need to put in a desktop book holder...maybe just find two sturdy objects that will serve as book ends. Lots of people put pictures up at their desks but I think I'm a little short on space for that. Science needs room! 

MIRL work mainly consists of checking (almost) every day from 2007 for events to analyze in the programs I wrote (I just revamped the first one I did and paired it with another one that spits out a plot of the numbers that the first one generates - tremendously enthralling to the general public). I wonder if I can put up some exemplary images so you might have the slightest clue as to what I'm going on about. 

That last sentence reminds me: a phrase that begins with 'I wonder' is a declarative statement, not a question, and does not require or even allow for a question mark at its end (I'm talking to you, Tom Robbins).

Classes are classes. I am trying not to let lab work interfere with study time. 

Now its time to get homework out of the way and to ask Chloe to stop putting her butt in my face so that I'll pay attention to her.