I hate this: Every day I come in with the best of intentions to get loads of work done. Then I run around chasing my tail, going to classes or to the post office or sending some vital emails or heaven knows what until it's... 1:30pm and the workday is almost over and I, you guessed it, haven't gotten anything done. This drives me nuts. So I start blogging. What's the matter with me??
(Kannski það sé skrifstofufélaginn sem snýtir sér og sýgur horinn upp í nefið til skiptis, milli þess sem hann kvartar hástöfum yfir óréttlæti heimsins og ber lyklaborðið eins og allir stafirnir væru leiðbeinandinn hans...)
miðvikudagur, apríl 25, 2007
þriðjudagur, apríl 24, 2007
Money money money!!!
I got word today that my application for a small grant from the biogeochemistry program here at Cornell had been accepted and that they would give me every dime I asked for. Predictably, that made me VERY happy. Now I can go and buy that flow meter for my Philipino colleagues so they can not only sample my rivers many many times but also measure the discharge in them at the same time. Hurray!!
The (Ithaca evening) sun
Remember this post? Well, yesterday the temps went over 25°C and today, even if it was cooler, the sun shone and brung (I mean, seriously, why not??) out the best side of campus. Things change fast in Ithaca, don't they?
mánudagur, apríl 23, 2007
Iceland today
In response to the latest news from Reyðarfjörður and Alcoa's new smelter, I'm broadcasting Iceland's true identity today:
föstudagur, apríl 20, 2007
The birthday and the defense
Yesterday wasn't all mourning, though.
My darling sister Lára celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday. Wow, I can't believe that it's been so long since I first met her!! I was 13, after all, when she was born and I guess I functioned in some ways as her mom... which was an incredible experience for someone so small as me and one that I'm glad that I had... although it was probably too much for me at the time. So, my "little" sister isn't that small anymore - and I wish I could have been with her on this very big day. Til hamingju með afmælið, Lára mín!!
Also yesterday, my dear lab mate Julie defended her PhD thesis, no less! She did a fantastic job in her public lecture and then underwent 2 hours of closed examination by her committee members. Later a bunch of us went out for dinner and tonight the celebration will continue. Congrats, Julie!
My darling sister Lára celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday. Wow, I can't believe that it's been so long since I first met her!! I was 13, after all, when she was born and I guess I functioned in some ways as her mom... which was an incredible experience for someone so small as me and one that I'm glad that I had... although it was probably too much for me at the time. So, my "little" sister isn't that small anymore - and I wish I could have been with her on this very big day. Til hamingju með afmælið, Lára mín!!
Also yesterday, my dear lab mate Julie defended her PhD thesis, no less! She did a fantastic job in her public lecture and then underwent 2 hours of closed examination by her committee members. Later a bunch of us went out for dinner and tonight the celebration will continue. Congrats, Julie!
þriðjudagur, apríl 17, 2007
Too close to home
A former postdoc with Shan's research group here at Cornell recently accepted a faculty position at Virginia Tech. He teaches a class in Norris Hall on Monday mornings this semester.
It was therefore no wonder that when Shan and his friends heard that the Virginia Tech shootings had taken place in Norris Hall that they got very concerned. They tried to contact their friend and fortunately the email came in: "I'm ok, I'm away from campus and all my students had the morning off". Phew.
This whole incident is so disturbing. I've found myself distracted from work, surfing the news sites, watching one video after another. The one where you hear the shootings made me absolutely physically sick.
Another friend heavily criticized the media for sensationalizing the incident and others like it, claiming that it only serves to fulfill people's voyeurism and give deranged people bad ideas. I tend to agree with him.
It was therefore no wonder that when Shan and his friends heard that the Virginia Tech shootings had taken place in Norris Hall that they got very concerned. They tried to contact their friend and fortunately the email came in: "I'm ok, I'm away from campus and all my students had the morning off". Phew.
This whole incident is so disturbing. I've found myself distracted from work, surfing the news sites, watching one video after another. The one where you hear the shootings made me absolutely physically sick.
Another friend heavily criticized the media for sensationalizing the incident and others like it, claiming that it only serves to fulfill people's voyeurism and give deranged people bad ideas. I tend to agree with him.
mánudagur, apríl 16, 2007
The snow
Winter isn't going anywhere here in Ithaca. Town is now draped in heavy, wet and impossibly white snow, at a time of year when people are usually pulling out their shorts and sandals.
The forecast told us already last week that the weekend would see some snow. Last night, it was just raining. Then I had this dream that I was going to school and to get there, I had to wade through dirty slush up to my neck. I decided it wasn't worth it, turned around and went back home to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate in bed. Oddly enough the slush didn't make me wet, dirty or cold, but it was still real slush. A guy walking next to me through it was really hell-bent on making it to school and started swimming. I couldn't relate to that. Then, when I woke up, town was shrouded in white and oh so pretty slush.
So, am I dreaming for dagláts? Or am I using the weather as an inspiration for expressing my feelings towards life, death and the universe (read: grad school)?
Not that life, death and the universe are that bad these days. No, in fact I find myself pretty psyched about my work these days. Not to mention the fact that Audrey Raines is ALIVE, just like I predicted. See, I'm outsmarting these 24 people. Yes!
The forecast told us already last week that the weekend would see some snow. Last night, it was just raining. Then I had this dream that I was going to school and to get there, I had to wade through dirty slush up to my neck. I decided it wasn't worth it, turned around and went back home to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate in bed. Oddly enough the slush didn't make me wet, dirty or cold, but it was still real slush. A guy walking next to me through it was really hell-bent on making it to school and started swimming. I couldn't relate to that. Then, when I woke up, town was shrouded in white and oh so pretty slush.
So, am I dreaming for dagláts? Or am I using the weather as an inspiration for expressing my feelings towards life, death and the universe (read: grad school)?
Not that life, death and the universe are that bad these days. No, in fact I find myself pretty psyched about my work these days. Not to mention the fact that Audrey Raines is ALIVE, just like I predicted. See, I'm outsmarting these 24 people. Yes!
laugardagur, apríl 07, 2007
Ok, so things are starting to look better...
or worse. Depending on how you choose to interpret the picture I just posted.
The good part is that I can now finally, finally, FINALLY send pics and e-mails from the über-fancy schmanzy phone I bought in the Philippines.
The bad part: I look like I got kidnapped from a freak show in that photo. Then again, maybe I was. At birth. In which case I'm glad the truth has finally come out.
So, why haven't I been able to send pics and e-mails from the phone? The guy at the Cingular store sure didn't know. He didn't know either that Nokia 6126 is called the 6131 in Southern Asia. Neither did I know that the 6131 is called 6126 here. Armed with this new knowledge I consulted my best friend Google and found everything I needed to know with her. All hail and praise to Google. J'aime Google.
Oh, and btw, that green sweater I'm wearing in the freak show photo... I knitted it last winter.
The good part is that I can now finally, finally, FINALLY send pics and e-mails from the über-fancy schmanzy phone I bought in the Philippines.
The bad part: I look like I got kidnapped from a freak show in that photo. Then again, maybe I was. At birth. In which case I'm glad the truth has finally come out.
So, why haven't I been able to send pics and e-mails from the phone? The guy at the Cingular store sure didn't know. He didn't know either that Nokia 6126 is called the 6131 in Southern Asia. Neither did I know that the 6131 is called 6126 here. Armed with this new knowledge I consulted my best friend Google and found everything I needed to know with her. All hail and praise to Google. J'aime Google.
Oh, and btw, that green sweater I'm wearing in the freak show photo... I knitted it last winter.
It certainly looks like it!
Finally s-th works on this phone. Yay!
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föstudagur, apríl 06, 2007
Test
Now... Does this work?
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This mobile text message is brought to you by Cingular, now the new AT&T
fimmtudagur, apríl 05, 2007
The bear and the car
Here, a list of some excellent podcasts. Keep in mind I didn't discover podcasts until about a month ago (yes, I'm always way ahead of the times, me) so I'm still just on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exploring this stuff...
- http://www.podingtonbear.com/
- Car Talk Call of the Week (on iTunes, you can listen to entire shows at www.cartalk.com)
- Nature Podcast (on iTunes) - great science news although the guy hosting this has to be the most smug (smuggest??) bloke ever
- iTunes New Music Tuesday - I'm always open to ideas on how to spend more money at the iTunes store
- BBC News
- Geo 10, Fall 2006 - World Regions, Peoples and States - this is sooooo fabulous, I can listen to a whole freshman level geography class from UC Berkeley while doing mindless tasks in the lab. The nerd within is happy :)
- http://www.podingtonbear.com/
- Car Talk Call of the Week (on iTunes, you can listen to entire shows at www.cartalk.com)
- Nature Podcast (on iTunes) - great science news although the guy hosting this has to be the most smug (smuggest??) bloke ever
- iTunes New Music Tuesday - I'm always open to ideas on how to spend more money at the iTunes store
- BBC News
- Geo 10, Fall 2006 - World Regions, Peoples and States - this is sooooo fabulous, I can listen to a whole freshman level geography class from UC Berkeley while doing mindless tasks in the lab. The nerd within is happy :)
miðvikudagur, apríl 04, 2007
Ideas for a post
By public demand, I'm back (not that I ever was gone, I just focussed my priorities elsewhere for a while).
And in fact, I plan to focus them elsewhere again. There is this problem set due in a couple of hours and while most of it is done, there is this one problem left. Guess I should work on that.
So, what should the topic of my next post be? Heat wave in Svalbard? Spring break in Florida? Speculations on using a pre-concentration column on the IC to quantify Sr in my Philippine water? My latest knitting project? Moths? My favorite podcasts?
It's all up to you guys. Let me know what you think.
And in fact, I plan to focus them elsewhere again. There is this problem set due in a couple of hours and while most of it is done, there is this one problem left. Guess I should work on that.
So, what should the topic of my next post be? Heat wave in Svalbard? Spring break in Florida? Speculations on using a pre-concentration column on the IC to quantify Sr in my Philippine water? My latest knitting project? Moths? My favorite podcasts?
It's all up to you guys. Let me know what you think.
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