Lab class from hell

I hereby formally apologize for not showing enough sympathy to people when they said they had a rough, time consuming lab class. I now know your pain. This weekend, I thought that maybe my brain had just been fried from too many weekends of work and that that was why the numbers just didn't make any sense. Today though, I finally emailed my labmates to see if anyone else was encountering the same problem. Turns out, my brain wasn't fried, the numbers really do not make sense. Nothing is more fun then spending part of your weekend feeling like you're banging your head up against a wall.

On a slightly more interesting note, I may be switching departments. My labmates told me that I should switch to biomedical engineering (BME), and when I ran this by my advisor, he agreed without a moment's hesitation. I was surprised that he approved of this plan so quickly. I have to find out exact logistics of this on Tuesday, so hopefully I will know more soon.

AND I got an email saying that they would like to interview me to participate in Texas 4000. The interviews will be held next week and I should know shortly after that whether or not I am selected to participate. Here's the website for the organization: http://www.texas4000.org/t4k/

Drivers...ugh

To the guy going 65 mph in the left lane: We, the drivers behind you, are not riding your tail to get a better look at your rusty bumper. We are trying to give you a hint. But, alas, you are too self involved to notice what is going on around you. The left lane is for passing, not being passed. I'm afraid you must have misunderstood the instructor when you went to driver's ed. Oh you didn't go? Well, now you know. I believe the right lane was made for people like you. I bet you would fit in over there quite nicely. Don't be afraid.

i heart oceans

It's things like this that make me really question if I did the right thing when I left oceanography:

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070924/full/070924-8.html

The link is to a news article in Nature that came out today. Only two works are cited in it: James Lovelock's and mine (actually mine and my lab's--I'm the lead author on the paper). I have read a lot of Lovelock's work and he is one of my role models as far as ecological research goes. He was one of the people who proposed Gaia theory. This particular article is discussing ocean fertilization which is a controversial topic amongst oceanographers and ecologists (among others).

And for those I haven't already emailed this link to, here is the link to the oceanography YouTube video "Cruise, cruise, baby." I was impressed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjTbPtv88sI

Men (and women) in black

Hypothetical situation: You're alarm goes off at 6am and you roll out of bed to go for your run. What goes through your head as you put your clothes on?

In Texas, people's thought processes go something like this: Well, it's 6am and it's still going to be dark for more than an hour (and I'm going to be running for less than that), so I should dress all in black/navy blue/dark green. And I know I run the same route everyday, but that unlit trail is just so gosh darn fun.

Why people think this way, I'm not exactly sure, but I see people who clearly think this way every morning. The sun is not up people! No one can see you! And even if it was light out, why would you think it is a good idea to wear all dark colors? It's late September, sunny most days and temperatures are still in the 90's.

Two suggestions: reflective tape and head lamp.

yawns are contagious

You know how when you see someone yawn, you start yawning too? I think talking about being tired and sleeping in class might also be contagious. My labmates and I were comparing stories of boring classes. Well, maybe the classes are not really boring, but you just find yourself nodding off in them most of the time. They told me about a class that I'll have to talk in about a year. Neither one of them has made it through a single day of this particular class without starting to fall asleep. Shortly after this discussion, I head into my 2pm class. Sometimes this class can be a challenge because it is immediately following another 1.5 hr class and is held roughly during the time one would like to take an afternoon nap. I was struggling through class today, and then someone started snoring. I had a lot of sympathy for that guy.

The comic I posted is from PhD comics (www.phdcomics.com). My officemate and I were in charge of the grad student organization for our department one year, and we started a snack fridge downstairs in the lounge. Oh wait, it wasn't the lounge. I forgot you can't call it that. The grad student common room....no...collaboration parlor? Euphemisms are great. Either way, I'm not sure we have one here...maybe people just sit in the stadium.

Ah, to be an engineer

From www.xkcd.com



If you're not scared or angry at the thought of a human brain being controlled remotely, then it could be this prototype of mine is finally starting to work.
- John Alejandro King

Wars, etc

I'm sure some (or maybe most!) would disagree my thoughts today, but if you have opinions on this, I'd love to hear them. I went to a retirement ceremony today for someone sort of high up at work today. It was a very nice ceremony, but there were a couple things that bothered me. First, it started with a prayer. Now, I have nothing against religion. It fascinates me. However, this ceremony starting with a prayer bothered me because it was a very Christian prayer...and I work for the government. I think people should be free to choose whatever religion they want, but why should the government be promoting specific religions? I wonder if I was the only one there who this bothered (probably). I was relating my experience to one of my roommates (who is from France) and she told me that in France it's against the law to pray in public like that because it's basically a way of forcing your religion on other people. I'm not sure, but I think the French government may be onto something!

The other thing that bothered me was that they gave the wife of the guy who was retiring a certificate of honor (or something like that) for supporting her husband's career. It's sitting through things like this that make me realize that I am, in fact, a bit of a feminist. I feel like the act of giving that woman the certificate was like saying "thanks for giving up the things you wanted in life, being told to move every three years, having and taking care of the kids, and putting up with your 'partner' being gone for long periods of time" and that makes me want to scream "why did you do it?!" To which, I'm sure someone would say something mushy and I'd still be sitting here wondering why. It just rings with the idea that women should stay home with the kids. If you choose to, fine, but for some reason (maybe because it's the military) I think that this is not a choice for some women. And as an aside, if there was a woman retiring, do you think they would've given her husband a certificate of honor? I'd be surprised.


In other wars, check out this one about the good, the bad and the blue:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/tpa/409930561.html

the magic song

Ever been stressed out or tired and hear a song that speaks to you? Or at least makes you pick your heels up and keep charging forward? Matt Kearney's One Man is presently moving me forward. I haven't done an in depth analysis of the words, so it is entirely possible that they're not applicable, but at this point, that is okay. To my stat's take-home exam: you're going down!

I bowled a 122 for those who were curious (in real bowling, not Wii or candlepin--we have a bowling alley on campus here!).

It's not one thing. It's the combination.

If there is one thing I have learned in my 26 years, it is that I can handle a lot (I may not always be happy about this, but I digress). The problem is that it is never just one thing. I'm pretty sure the professors get together over the summer and decide what weeks to give exams and what semesters to offer certain classes (all the hard and/or time consuming ones are in the fall because it is football season) and how best to assign 20 hours worth of homework per week for a three unit. While sometimes my brain may feel like a sponge, after spending those 20 hours on a lab report for that three unit class, I think it morphs into something closer to tapioca pudding--no one is really sure what texture it is, but it is definitely not porous. On the plus side though, I have happily slipped back into that state of being in which one can basically fall asleep instantaneously and sleep through just about anything.

I finally started training for the Dallas Marathon which will be held on 12/9/07. After four hours of sleep last night, I got up to go running. I think I forgot to wash my hair during the shower I took afterwards, and when I returned home from class today, I looked down to discover that I had been wearing my running shoes all day (as opposed to the retired pair I normally wear to class). I was proud of myself for staying up working on my lab until 2a and then getting up to go for a run, but the loss of short-term memory this lack of sleep seems to have brought on may indicate that I am getting old. I choose to ignore this small tidbit for now.

And now for some bowling...

Packages

I love coming home from a long day at work to find that I have received a package in the mail...especially when said package is full of stuff I have possessed for years. Everything is new to me again because I haven't seen it since packing it to move. I had a heartfelt reunion this evening with my comforter. The neon orange and fuchsia mix nicely with the bright blue window trim and neon green sheets already occupying my room. The colors have brightened my day.

Shana tova veh metookah

(That means 'a happy and sweet new year' in Hebrew) Today is the start of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year holiday) and Ramadan (the Muslim holy month). My house is surrounded by all of the UT religious groups' buildings. On the eight blocks touching the one my house is on, you can find: the Chabat house (next door), the Hillel building, the Mormons (Institute of Religion), the Islamic mosque, the Baptists, the International Society of Friends (Quakers), the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Scientologists, the Methodists and apparently some other small Christian sect (who own the house across the street). If I ever wanted to escape thinking about religion, this is not a good neighborhood in which to try! Hopefully I will pick up a few things in the next few years from all my neighbors. I have recently been introduced to kugel, which is a Jewish food that a friend informs me is usually not that tasty. My roommate seems to be a good cook though (or his mom gave him a really good recipe) as his was quite yummy (pineapple flavored!). Kugel is made around Rosh Hashana apparently.

And speaking of cooking, have you ever cooked for a house full of college students? I am cooking dinner for my house this coming Sunday and have to give the shoppers a list of ingredients. This requires me to request quantities such as 10 cups of mozzarella cheese, five boxes of pasta shells and "enough" lettuce for salad for 26 people. I have suddenly become very fond of simple recipes.

Rain!

I am still getting used to the weather here in Austin. This morning, I went out for a run. It was lightly drizzling, but I didn't think much of it, so I kept going. Less than 10 minutes later, it starts pouring, and I mean pouring, rain. In Hawaii, whenever I would get ready to leave my house for campus, it would start raining, so I had to ignore it and go anyways. When it started raining harder this morning, I thought, boy, do I wish I had my hat to keep the rain out of my face, but oh well, I'll keep running. Not two minutes after this it starts lightning and thundering, and I decided that maybe it was, in fact, time for me to turn around and go home. At this point, because it has been pouring for about 10 minutes, the trail is completely flooded and there is a waterfall coming down the street I now have to run up. It continues to thunder and lightning all the way home. Lessons learned: (1) Texas rain is not like Hawaii rain. (2) People will drive in the flooding right-hand lane and spray water all over the sidewalk...and the runner who happens to be running on it.

And then there were five

Today I learned that one of my labmates is leaving the lab and going to work with a professor in another department. One of the reasons he told us (the other students) is that he hasn't gotten paid in a year (on a TA, but that doesn't count in this department). Yikes. I know funds are tight, but should I be more concerned about this? Technically, I don't really work for my adviser, or the university for that matter, so maybe that's a good thing. Its sad though because there are a lot of really cool people in the lab (him included). And "just moving across campus" does not explain the magnitude of separation. How many grad students do you know that regularly see people who work in other buildings or departments?

Labor Day, a day of labor

Three day weekends are a great thing...even if you end up doing work the whole time. I spent Saturday doing house clean up for the co-op in which I live. We do this once a semester and it basically involves cleaning everything. I spent all day doing yard work. Mowing the lawn after it has rained all summer is a bit daunting. We have one of the old school push mowers, and I basically had to go over every bit twice. I have successfully learned how to fix a weedwhacker. And there aren't any weeds in the flower beds. It was a nice change of pace from the usual grind...and of course the yard looks great :)