Big summer this year. I'm sad to see it end, but this semester should be really good. I've shaken some things up in the lab. Actually, I've changed labs. I am now a member of the Robertson Lab! This means that this might me my last semester teaching at Berkeley, because hopefully, come spring time, I'll be funded by Lynn. But even if I'm not, this change was much-needed and is very much a happy thing.
I'm finishing up an EEG project... or trying to. Why are there always problems with my data? Argh. I'm confident this study will wrap up in a good way, it's just taking longer than I anticipated. This fall should see its completion and a manuscript submitted. Then I can focus on a new track of research in my new lab.
Nathan in the EEG cap
Nathan and I spent all day yesterday rearranging our apartment, because we got a foosball table. A friend of a friend is going to be wandering about the country for a year doing doctorly things, and so we're storing his foosball table. So it's only a loaner, but still pretty cool. Do you know how many ways you can improperly put together a foosball table? Well, I do! After much time spent constructing and reconstructing the table yesterday, Nathan and I played a best of 5 tournament. I killed him in the first match (think 10 to 1, booyah!), but sadly, and I swear through illegal means, Nathan beat me in the next 3 matches. Alas, I lost the tournament. And I ended up with a sore elbow, acquired no doubt through overly- excited and turbo-charged playing.
Whoo-hoo Foosball!!!
The apartment looks really nice now. Nathan and I have created an office space in part of our living room that was previously a box storage spot. So now we've got a desk set up at a window with a fabulous view of the Bay, Cesar Chavez park, Alcatraz, and Berkeley. The foosball table is quite a bit bigger than I was expecting, but we made it work. I actually really like the way we rearranged the furniture and I'm going to enjoy our "new" apartment. In fact, I think I'll get to that now while I celebrate the last day of my summer with a cup of coffee in my Berkeley mug and some Little People, Big World : )
'Willow' and 'Welsey', also known as Alyson Hannigan and Alexis Denisof, are pretty people and a beautiful married couple. I've been watching "How I Met Your Mother" recently. Good show, though I have a hard time watching it without a beer in hand. I wish Alexis Denisof was in more stuff.
For some reason, when I woke up this morning I remembered how in the sixth grade I dissected a frog. Even more oddly, my brain connected this event with The Simpsons. Let me explain.
In the sixth grade, my friend Amie and I were lab partners assigned to dissect a dead frog. This is the one cutting-an-animal-open-for-science school assignment which I did instead of opting to writing an excessively long report about the animal's physiology (i.e., the humane option). While I was working through the assignment, Amie was cutting out the frog's tongue and stretching it, but that's beside the point. Within the frog, I discovered short yellow tubular thingies. I asked the teacher what they were, and he said it was fat. Yellow tubular thingy = fat.
Are you seeing the connection?
So, this memory floated to the surface of my mind this morning and then latched itself to The Simpsons. The connection thread that my brain used is that the Simpsons are yellow tubular thingies AND they're fat. Not really an interesting connection, but I thought "how appropriate." Jumbo-sized Homer, with his substantial gut, is a fat yellow man. The fat in the frog was yellow. Almost all of The Simpsons' characters have bulbous midsections. They're chubby and cute. They're yellow and fat (except for the ones that aren't, LOGIC).
That was my morning. Why don't you tell me about yours?
I would love to slack off for the rest of the long Thanksgiving weekend, but I have a presentation to prepare. Boo! I have to present an fMRI research paper to my fMRI class on Monday, and I believe I'm the first unlucky soul to present. So that's what I'm doing today and tomorrow. I guess it's a good thing I finished all of the Stephenie Meyer books I was reading, because now I can concentrate more on my work (though I am going through intense withdrawal from the books).
I've never presented fMRI work before, and I'm supposed to comment on the methods and their appropriateness. Since I'm not a pro in fMRI methods, hence my taking this course, I'll try to gloss over those details as much as possible. I don't really mind standing up in front of the class and presenting, but this will count as almost all of my course grade, and that does make me nervous.
At least I can have "Frasier" on while I'm working.
In case you haven't heard, MTV has started uploading ALL of the music videos they've ever aired at mtvmusic.com. Naturally I've been taking advantage of the prolific-ness and free-ness of this, and this morning this taking advantage took the form of AWESOME 90'S VIDEOS!!!!
First, we have 4 Non Blondes. Do I even have to put the song name? Probably not, because there's really only the one. This is the pop-up video version, because pop-up videos were awesome and I miss them with all my heart and soul (overly dramatic moment!!!!!):
This song reminds me of summers in Missouri for some reason. There was a playground right by my dad's house, and I would spend loads of time there. I would usually sing to myself, and this is one of the songs I would sing. Before this morning, I hadn't heard this song is years and years, yet when I heard it today I was able to still sing along. Isn't music amazing? Also, does anyone else see Angela's friend Rayanne from "My So-Called Life" in the wardrobes of this video, they're both epitomes of 90's "fashion" and 90's-ness in general.
My memory with this song has to do with carpet cleaning. Let me explain. My mom used to get our carpet cleaned once or twice a year, which would mean us moving all of the furniture out to the garage for a day or two. Because of that, the living room would be just a big empty space waiting for some kid to run around on it having a good time. I was that kid. One carpet cleaning day, MTV was doing a Top 100 or some such video countdown, and this song was the #1 or 2 video. I remember jumping around the living room and "dancing" in awesome 90's fashion, just basically jamming out to this song. Sort of embarrassing, but a guaranteed good time. Nathan told me that this was the last music video Pearl Jam ever made, not because they broke up or disappeared into obscurity, but because they decided against participating in the commercialism that is music videos. I think that's pretty cool, though you know they still made gobs of money and bought many pointless belongings for themselves.
I believe this song was also part of that song countdown I mentioned above, but this is based on probably-faulty memory. Anyway, I would dance around all crazy to this song too. Nathan told me something interesting as we were watching this earlier. He said that when this video first came out, all of the missing children that were shown in it were found. So the band started cycling through pictures of other missing kids, and they kept getting found. As long as that song was popular and getting regular play, they kept finding more and more missing kids. Awesome not just for the song, but for the impact as well.
Grade Midterms, play soccer, read about fMRI, knit and watch Netflix ("Project Runway" and "Friday Night Lights")...oh, and drink coffee. I guess the good outweighs the bad, but I really, really, really, really, really, really hate grading exams! Bright spark, I grade with "Frasier" on, which helps keep me sane and offers distractions when I need a nano-break.
I've finished the hat I was working on, and I started the scarf last night. I might unravel that though, I'm not sure how the design is going to look. It's just a 3x3 ribbed stripe pattern all the way up, because I thought (and Nathan agreed) that the basket weave pattern that I was planning might be too feminine. I love the basket weave ("I love Santino!" ~that's for you, hon). I've made myself three scarves of that pattern. Take a look.
The coffee just a-finished a-brewing, so I'm gonna get what I want, which is coffee. Adios.
I friend of mine is living in Michigan now, and because the weather is leaning into winter that far north, I'm going to knit him a hat and scarf. I've been thinking about adding a series of posts about my knitting projects anyway, so I'm going to start with this. Here are the colors I chose:
I'm going to make the hat striped brown and green, and the scarf will just be green. If I have the energy, I'll do the scarf in a basket weave, otherwise I think I'll just do a really basic one-side knit one-side garter or chunks of rows of knit then garter repeating. Anyway, I'm excited to get started, I haven't knitted anything in about a month.
On the sadder side, I'm going to start grading 100+ pop quizzes now. Boo (not Halloween "boo" but sad "boo"). Thankfully, this grading is mindless enough that I can have "Frasier" on while I'm doing it. Being set in Seattle, this show is the appropriate choice for this evening. After I'm done grading, Nathan and I are going to watch some "X-Files" and I'll start my hat. Yay! I'll post some pictures as I progress (on the knitting, not the grading).
Ok, this is completely gratuitous, but here's Sarah Palin talkin' to Katie Couric about her gosh darn experience in foreign policies 'cause she been golly livin' right next to Russia and doggonit Canada.
I'm not going to watch the debate tonight. I just can't take any more b.s., and it's not like I'm an undecided. If you're watching, feel free to post some highlights in the comments.
In case you missed it, here's SNL's summary of the VP debate last week.
I used to consider my enjoyment of "Friends" to be a guilty pleasure. But screw that! This show is full on hilarious. Every episode is consistently funny. Even if you're watching it alone you can catch yourself laughing out loud and then looking around embarrassed.
My beautiful "Friends: the complete series" box set
Pretty people, pretty clothes, pretty apartment, what's not to like? I don't even mind the stereotyped characters. Normally, it's really annoying when a show locks a character into such an outrageous caricature, but these people do it well (alright, it is still annoying sometimes).
Even Nathan loves the show, though I think it is still a "guilty pleasure" for him.
Phoebe's songs are usually a perk. Particularly goods songs include "Little Black Curly Hair" "Blackout" "Two of Them Kissed Last Night" "Barnyard Animals" and "Jingle Bitch". The lyrics for these songs can be found here, though to really enjoy them you have to hear them.
Also well done is the cast addition of Paul Rudd late in the series. Line of particular note, "Why don't we not let the box of rat babies ruin our lives."
First off, thank you to PBS for broadcasting the debate so people like myself who don't have cable could watch it. There are two more Presidential debates coming up, October 7th and 15th, don't miss them.
Second off, I needed a beer to get through listening to Palin talking period, but especially her talking through that plastered on smile.
Third off, Ugh! I pray that the Republicans don't take the White House!! If you didn't catch the debate, here are some of the things I pulled out of it.
First, it was nice to have the split screen view of the candidates. It was nice to see them react to each other's claims, something I would have liked to see in the Presidential debate last week and will hopefully be changed for the two upcoming.
Palin rarely addressed the questions asked by the moderator at the beginning (got better at this as the debate continued), even went so far as saying [paraphrase]: I may not answer the questions the way the moderator or you (Biden) want... NO CRAP!! First, because you aren't answering the questions, and second because you've got some outrageously poor/dangerous views.
Palin constantly pulled her responses back to energy. I can't blame her much for it, because it's one of the few, or only, topics she can speak intelligently on, but enough is enough. I was glad to see that one of the analysts speaking after the debate was just as sick of that as I was (former female VP candidate, I think).
Palin spoke at the beginning in such broad generalities and sound bytes without any substance. She got more focused through out, but still offered few concrete plans and facts.
I am soooo sick of hearing her, and everyone, call McCain a "Maverick"!!! I started keeping count of the times she used the word, it was between 6 and 7. Thankfully, nearing the end, Biden finally called her out on the "maverick" claim pointing out numerous and specific instances when McCain was lock-step with the Bush administration. And as was pointed out by an analyst post debate, calling McCain a maverick is looking back; something that Palin consistently criticized Biden for doing with the Bush admin.
I'll show you a Maverick...
...complete with Iceman (though admittedly, you need to subtract current Scientology insanity).
Also, I hate hearing Palin say "hockeymoms" and "Joe six-pack" reminding everyone that she's a hockeymom. THAT DOES NOT QUALIFY YOU TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!!! I was listening to NPR a couple of weeks ago when the Republican National Convention was going on, and the reporter asked one of the attendees what they thought of Palin. The woman responded that she loves that Palin was a woman with a family, that she was a hockeymom. Thankfully, the interviewer (gently) followed up by asking the person which of Palin's policies and political beliefs the attendee agreed with, and again the response was something along the lines of "Palin's a mom." It is so frightening that this woman could become President of the United States if McCain is elected and passes away during his term.
Is the woman who likes hockeymom Palin actually the kid who likes turtles in disguise?
I like how Biden's style was in stark contrast to Palin's in that he spoke in facts and solid numbers. I don't know enough of the facts myself to know whether everything he was was true, but the fact checkers will be looking into that tonight and tomorrow. Post debate, I did hear that some of the "facts" that Palin stated where FALSE, while some of the facts that Biden stated were just less strong (e.g., Biden said McCain was reported in a large magazine to be against regulating Wall Street. One of the fact checkers on PBS said that it wasn't really a large magazine. Eh, not too bad).
In the beginning, Palin frequently and vehemently bad mouthed our government. I bad mouth our government too, but I'm not working within that government and campaigning to be even more deeply entrenched in that government. It's scary because, HELLO, you're trying to become government, lady.
Palin joked about how short a time she's been on the campaign. It's not funny, it's scary. Get some experience!!! In fact, here's a video of her asking just what it is a VP does (during the debate she claims it was "a lame attempt at a joke," but jokes have a grain of truth).
I was glad to see that Biden/Obama were for same-sex rights. All people are created equal, remember??? I'm more than for gay rights, I'm for gay marriage too. What is it with this archaic notion that marriage is between a man and a woman? People are people. People can love other people. People itself is a noun without sex or gender. I've been cold called twice about California's Proposition 8 which is seeking to eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry. Once by a group for it, and once for a group against it. I was very glad to tell them I'll be voting against Prop 8 and therefore maintaining the right of all peoples to marry whom they choose. While Obama/Biden aren't for gay marriage, they do at least respect the rights of those couples in terms of everyday rights like hospital visitation.
Palin criticizes Biden/Obama for looking back at the Bush administration and laying blame. Ummm...yeah, they're looking back. You know why? Because Bush and his administration are EVIL! Hello accountability and respecting history so that we can learn from it.
I liked how Biden really drove home his points. For instance, when speaking about how the McCain administration would be different (or NOT different) from the Bush admin. He ennumerated example after example of how McCain's policies are no different from Bush's.
I loved to hear Palin state [verbatim] "I am a Washington outsider." No shit! And that's where you belong.
When talking about Vice Presidential powers and being VP, Biden said that he is an "independent judgment, not afraid to disagree" with Obama when he's asked his opinion. It was great to hear that, because he's an experienced politian who can add some valuable perspective to Obama, but it was also nice to hear him describe himself that way without saying the exceedingly overused term "maverick"! Biden also added that Cheney is the "most dangerous vice president we've had, probably in the American history." Yes! There are Constitutional limits on Vice Presidential power. Cheney doesn't give a flying squirrel about these limits, and it's terrifying (here's the terrorism we should be fighting).
Palin explicitly stated that she believes America is a nation about tolerance and equal rights...apparently that is heterosexual America. Where do gay right fit within that ideal, Palin?
It was touching to see Biden get emotional when talking about the death of his wife and daughter and having to raise two sons on his own. It felt honest.
Ironic, or not, Exxon bought up the first commercial spot following the debate. Exxon was brought up many times through out the night, specifically by Biden pointing out that the McCain/Palin ticket are wanting to give them (Exxon) another $4 billion tax cut (I think that was the amount).
One of Palin's factual errors that was immediately pointed out post debate was her calling the commander of the Afghanistan campaign "McClelland," when it's actually McKiernan. Ooops. I am quite sure there will be many more where this came from.
...but I don't really feel like it. So what I'm going to do is put in what I think are some awesome pictures and leave it at that.
A little Star Wars awesomeness. Doesn't Chewbacca look like Keith Moon on the drums? I can imagine him head banging and making crazy eyes.
Must have Star Trek. I've always been a fan of Next Generation and have to admit I don't know much of the original series. But, I have seen most of the movies, The Wrath of Khan most recently (gotta love free movies from the library!). I'm looking forward to the remake (which will suck) because Sylar from "Heroes" will be Spock, and I think he'll do a good job in addition to looking eerily like Leonard Nimoy.
And, if I'm not mistaken, this is a little NPH action via "How I Met Your Mother." It's going to be legend...wait for it...dary, high five! Suit up!
McCain had bitched out over tonight's debate, but he must have gotten enough slack about it, because he's back in. Nathan and I are going over to my advisor's house tonight to watch the Presidential Debate. I am so sick of America and our politics! But I'm hoping that tonight can help rebound Obama's campaign to it's previous high. If McCain gets elected, I may just move out of the country...after I finish my PhD, of course.
John McCain recently skipped out at the last minute from his appearance on David Letterman. And Letterman was pissed. Supposedly, McCain was halting his campaign because of the country's financial crisis. What, he's never heard of multi-tasking? So, what, if he's elected and there's another "crisis" he'll just drop everything, like healthcare reform, education issues, etc to handle the crisis??? Come on! If you haven't seen Letterman's rant, I've added it below. It's a little over 9 minutes, if you don't want to watch the full clip, skip to the 6 minute mark. It's certainly worth a view.
It took me a long time to track down the clip of McCain on Couric (fishy), but here it is. The portion with McCain ends at about the 2 minute mark. . . . Update: This video clip is no longer available, and I can't find it on the web again. Fishier and fishier. But here's a picture of McCain on Couric's show, post make-up application.
Let's hope this nonsense hurts their campaign. Save us, Barack!!!
I am not, nor have I ever been, a morning person, but when I was a kid I used to wake up early (like 6am early) just to watch this show. One of the things I remember learning about is the difference between the speed of light and the speed of sound. In fact, this show is probably the reason for my interest in science. The awesome Don Herbert (Mr Wizard) began teaching science to America via his television program in 1951, and he was still at it nearly 4 decades later when I discovered it on Nickelodeon. He passed away just last year, just before his 90th birthday.
I'm heading off to bed now, finally. I like to watch a movie or tv show to help me relax and fall asleep. Lately, I've been falling asleep to The Simpsons and Starwars: A New Hope. But tonight it's Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder is Awesome (note: that's with a captial A) and the music is great, though I always skip the Cheer Up Charlie song and the song where his grandpa learns to get out of bed.
In the words of Gob Bluth, "I've made a huge mistake." This whole blogging nonsense is too fun for someone whose nose is generally stuck in a book or a research article. Must. Stop. Posting. No, shush.
I'm going to get back to writing bullshit essays for the class I'm teaching now. The undergrads have a test coming up on the 1st, and I'm supposed to hold review with them on Thursday. Therefore, I need to do everything that they're supposed to do before that time. It's not like I haven't gotten anything done today, it's just a lot less than I could/should have. Bagh! Hmm, that makes me want to watch The Fellowship of the Ring... Maybe I can write these essays and watch the movie at the same time... In the words of Cat Stevens "Why not?"
I love Netflix! It's pretty much my favorite stress reliever. This venerable slot used to be occupied by books (merely gazing adoringly at them or reading them), but when you're a graduate student working on a PhD, more reading is pretty much the last thing you want to do to relax. Netflix occupies two relaxation niches I didn't even know I had: 1.) It allows me to watch TV shows I've either missed because I don't have cable or because I have a life, and 2.) Access to guilty pleasure movies, like My Stepmother's an Alien and Crocodile Dundee (I and II, thank you very much). Nathan used to think I was crazy for watching so-called-mindless movies, but now that he's in a Masters program, he understands the alure. Anything that keeps you sane.
We'll see. But here I am adding more already. It's cheap and easy, why not?
I'm sitting here watching "Friends" and wasting time on the internet when I should be reading my fMRI book for class. Boo! Wasting time is fun, in part because of the nervous "I shouldn't be doing this" feeling, and of course in part because wasting time is fun.
Nathan was very concerned that I add a link to his blog from mine. So if you want an insight into the workings of his crayzee mind, click on Booktapes to the right. By the way, here's Nathan.
