Adventures in the Colonial 'burg: March 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dear outer-office-mate...

You've all heard me discuss the setup of the offices here. They are designed such that there is a front office, usually shared by 2-3 graduate students, and a back office, which houses a professor or post-doc. I am in a back office, of course, and I've discussed some of the issues with this arrangement. The most obvious annoyance has to do with walking through someone else's office to get to my own. This is not a huge issue, as many times the students are not around, and well, this is an annoyance all grad students have to deal with: a lot of traffic in one's office. I dealt with it in grad school, and that's fine.

Currently, though, my outer office houses a post-doc as well as two graduate students. The students are rarely there, but the pd has similar hours as myself. This is not an intrinsic problem (except for the previous issues I've discussed in regards to the pd closing the outer door while I'm here or his professor closing my door while they talk), but there is a minor irritation that is building and building. See the pd is Chinese, and as such, is still working on his English (he speaks quite well actually, and the only issue is generally vocabulary).

The problem here is that he has two habits, one of which I do not mind at all, but when combined with the other habit, I get rather annoyed. He has a device that when you type in a word, it reads it aloud, thereby allowing him to practice speaking. I think this is great, actually, and it is something that more non-native speakers should have. I do find it amusing, often, given the words he is practicing. This does not bother me at all, in and of itself.

However, his other habit is to talk to himself aloud all the time. Now, it's in English, so clearly he's doing what I do when I am at home, alone, and that is to speak a foreign language out loud to practice. It has gotten to a point where I want to scream at him but instead I put on my iPod and complain here.

The only thing that is keeping me going is that in a few months we'll all be moving out of this building to a temporary (for a year) location while this building gets renovated. At that point I won't have to deal anymore (although I'll be sharing an office, but most likely with a more tolerable person, as I'm pretty sure I know who it'll be).

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Shower

So you know how people talk worry about a massive injury happening to them when living alone? You know, you slip, fall, hid your head, and if you were found in a couple hours you could survive, but if not you would just be a rotten corpse in your living room? Well, I think about this every so often, and worry what would happen to Dante (he's not the sort of dog who would be able to dial 911 for me or anything).

Well, yesterday I was taking a shower, and as I stepped in, the water was too hot. So as usual I bend around the stream of water to change the temperature. As I did this, I slipped (being that water is very slippery) and started flailing my arms around to catch myself. I grabbed the wall, the curtain, and eventually slowed my fall enough and didn't hit my head. I twisted my back (not that badly, as it's fine now), and was there in the tub, in pain, and burning because the water was still scalding hot! Yeah, very painful, but I survived. I could only imagine what would have happened had I knocked myself out. I would have third degree burns all over.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Factoid

Okay, I am normally not a wordsmith by any means, as anyone will quickly point out. Also, I am a supporter of the evolution of language. Grammar and meanings change with time, and that will never stop. This is why "bad" for a while meant "good," why "sick" apparently means "awesome" right now, and why some other things, like the usage of "whom," disappear.

However there is one word that is used essentially incorrectly all the time. This is factoid. It is almost always used to mean "little fact" or "trivial fact." Well, the word appeared first in the 70's, coined by Norman Mailer, where he said that factoids were "facts which have no existence before appearing in a magazine or newspaper".

In other words, it means "something which is not a fact, but sounds true, or is taken to be true because people think it is." I'm not sure why this one bothers me so. If you were to look on dictionary.com, both definitions appear, and perhaps the newer definition will be what sticks, but it sort of grates on my nerves. So I'll just keep the real definition in my head, and if someone states something to me as being a "factoid," I'll assume they're lying.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Bailouts

I have to say the whole "bailout" news is pissing me off. And not for the standard reasons. First, these AIG bonuses could have been forbidden last fall, so the only reason everyone is up in arms about it now is because half of those politicians are going to want to get re-elected. As always, though, the main reason I think it is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things is because of the numbers involved, and sadly, this is best summed up in a cartoon.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Coding post

I don't usually like to write about my problems with coding, but this morning I have an overwhelming sense of dread for the upcoming day that involves writing computer code (or debugging it, I should say).

It starts with the fact that I am writing in a system that I don't fully understand, and unless I took four months to do nothing but learn it, I never will (and I won't because then I would have wasted four months not doing physics). So I rely on what others tell me, and for the most part, this works.

Additionally, the code I am currently working on was inherited from someone else, who had started it but then I took over to "perfect" it. Many of the most important parts were already in there (in fact, it was at a "working" stage in a sense when I got it), so I just had a few other things to add.

Now to the problem. There may be something that was implemented in the actual code I inherited, and this is related to a lack of understanding in the overall system. Now, this is a real problem because the person who I go to for all my understanding is the one who is confused as well. Also, there are quite likely problems deep down, and I'll not be able to figure them out myself. So I've stalled.

This was figured out last night, so I had many dreams about all of this stuff. It is driving me nuts, and well, I have a day ahead of me where I will probably just be figuring this out. The worst part is that nothing can probably be done until after lunch.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The rain is gone...and in comes the fog

Sorry, this is just about the weather today.

So the rain finally stopped yesterday, and we were supposed to have sun in the afternoon. It didn't come. I thought I might wake up to sunshine, but no....the fog has rolled in, and it is thick pea soup out there (well, it was when I walked D this morning). The City of the News has two-hour delays in schools this morning (but I don't think the 'burg does). Man I think these people just do whatever they can to not have school open.

Here's hoping the week of dismal gray rain is over and that this afternoon will bring sun. I need sun. I need it!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Comments for search committees

Now, I know that we scientists tend to not be the most, um, socially able people in the world, but I think there are some basic things professors could learn when it comes to telling someone he did not get a faculty position*.

First, when you are calling to let someone know they were rejected, I give you credit for being polite enough to call and not email or even mail a rejection. However, if you call someone every day for a week but don't want to be impersonal by leaving a message or sending an email, you are making it worse. This is why the gods gave us answering machines** and email. Yes, I know you don't want to leave a message saying, "This is Prof Hoo-Hah from This University, please call me back," so as to not get one's hopes up, but at some point you can just email the person, politely saying that you didn't want to email, but...At least that way you don't have to wait for the person to email you himself and then email a rejection anyway.

Also, never, NEVER, include the following in said rejection: The department had no specific criticism of your visit or your presentations. You were, in fact, voted an “acceptable” candidate and might have been called if our first choice turned us down. Our first choice was a person whose broad research interests touched a wide segment of the department. That is difficult to compete against.

Let's break this down. The first sentence is nice. The second though is most assinine thing to say, even though it is clearly meant as a "good thing." I think the sarcastic quotes destroy the positive message, and could have been a better worded sentence by just switching an "acceptable" with a qualified, or something.

The final two sentences make it sound like they had someone in mind all along, but that's just a certain person trying to find ways to justify the results and/or hate the place that he is not going to be going to.

Plus, who in their right mind accepts a faculty job in just two days, by the way?

---

* Obviously this applies to many other jobs, but I'm obviously not hiding the fact that this is a personal story, so go figure.

** I like answering machines or voicemail in my office for this very reason. I'm never in it, but for some times here and there.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Yogurt and seoul...

I made homemade yogurt yesterday, and it had to incubate all day before being put into the fridge, where it sat overnight. I tried some of it this morning and it is delicious! I followed Alton Brown's recipe, using whole milk (I am one of those people who does not want to eat nonfat or lowfat yogurt, hence one of the reasons for just making it myself). My goal now is to continually use this batch of yogurt to start the next, so I will not have to purchase it anymore. We'll see how well this works.

In other news, I guess I've never posted about this on this blog (the first time this happened was during my transition from Livejournal, so I must've written about this over there), but I've been asked (again) to apply for a faculty position in Seoul. Yes, in Korea. This first happened last April, and I said no (it was flattering as very few young foreigners fit the requirements to get a position there), and it was brought up again when I visited in November. Again, I stated that the primary reason (and this is mostly the reason, but it happens to just be a perfectly good and legitimate excuse) is Corbett, being that he can't get a job there and well, I'm fine with long-distance but that's absurd!

I thought that was the end of it. But no. I got an email this morning, seemingly with no knowledge of what I told this professor three times! Alas, I will have to say no again. The worst part is that I cannot complain about not getting job offers, while this is not an actual offer, it's definitely the most I've been approached by a school.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Hot...cold...no, wait...

Okay, I don't really care if it stays cold for another month, or if it warms up to give us spring. I don't care! I just want the weather to stop changing so dramatically! Yesterday, we were in the upper 70's and today, mid-40's. The day before yesterday was also colder. I cannot handle this.

In other exciting news, I watched the DVD version of Rent last night. Not the film, but a filmed version of the Broadway show on its final night. Much better than the movie, and for a filmed version of a staged performance, it was done very well. 525,600 minutes...

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Logic...logic...

My mind is currently in a frozen state. I can think of only two things. One is the interviews I went on (not looking good: I definitely did not get the first job, and if I don't hear from the second in a couple of days I will assume that's a no as well), which I won't discuss anymore. The other is programming.

Now I will not bore you with the tiring details of my problems here, but I will state that because of how engulfed I am in this code that I'm working on, I think of nothing else currently. I can forget briefly during a conversation (although while talking to Corbett on the phone last night I had a revelation about something), or while watching TV, but I have now entered the stage of dreaming about it.

This means that I must, I absolutely must, get this code working soon. Once I am done testing it, then I can just use it later, and no more coding will be required. Right now, just FYI (and to explain the subject), I am trying to figure out the logic required to define a weird object that is essential to everything working.

That's all I have today for you. Boring? Yeah. But you're tough, and you can handle it.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The economy

Sarahlynn has a nice post about the current state of affairs in regards to the economic hell we are in. I am not as ably worded as she, so I will just point you there, and say, "Ditto."

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Our weekend getaway

While Chris and Sonya went to DC, Dante and I spent our Saturday night partying with Jake and Ramona.

Dante was a big fan of staying on the back of the couch,

or at least on the couch,

so as to be safe from the terrifying Jake

and Ramona

But Dante survived, and I almost got a picture of Jake trying to emulate Dante. See, these pups don't go on the furniture (unlike Dante, who thinks he's a human so he has all the rights we have), but Jake surely tried after he watched Dante spend so much time up there. He couldn't get his barrel-shaped body up there, and as I tried to take a picture of the event, he ran. Cameras (even cell phone cameras) terrify the poor guy.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Straw...broken...back

I've almost had enough. I'm at the breaking point now, such that if I do not get a faculty position this year, and thus spend another year in the 'burg, I very well may move.

Now, I actually love my apartment. It's large, for a one bedroom. It has gas heat and a gas stove, and I do not pay for gas (the stove is a huge plus, because I sadly have come to really dislike electric stoves). The rent is inexpensive for its size, and I love the location. It is close to campus and the highway, while being surrounded by woods and gorges. The neighbors are largely nice, while sometimes obnoxious (but they all say "Hi" in the mornings, which is nice, without expecting to chat, which is even better). In fact, I could go on and on with things I do like about this place.

(here it comes)

But, yesterday was almost the last straw. Now, the issue I will discuss is not cleared up yet because I have yet to talk to the manager, because she was gone by the time I called yesterday, so I'm supposed to talk to her today. In full honesty, I do believe that this will ultimately require a ten-minute discussion with "Penny," and it'll be all over. But now on to the rant.

I came home to find a notice on my door which said (and this is a direct quote with all punctuation and what-not):

every Time you spill water on Floor (you will be billed -) For damages down stairs $165

Okay, I will not complain about capitalization or the usage of parentheses and dashes. But let's think about this. Spilling water on the floor causes damages downstairs? What the hell kind of damages? The only sources of this that I can think of are:

1) Someone literally flooding the floor (which I was taught at an early age to never do).
2) Pipes leaking in such a way that the water goes to the apartment below.
3) Dishwasher.

Now obviously #1 is not an issue. As for #2, do you not think that the appropriate solution would be to, oh, I don't know, fix the problem?!?!?! I'm naive, I know, but jesus christ! So alas, that's an issue that I will bring up.

As for #3, you may wonder about. Well, last summer we were told to not use the dishwasher because it caused leaking downstairs. We were told this by a maintenance man who worked on apts that were recently vacated, so he could get the ready for new tenants. Now, we waited, washing dishes by hand for a month, when I called the office to ask what was happening with this. I got an "I don't know what you're talking about" reponse, so we continued to use the dishwasher again. Then, a month later, the dishwasher broke, and I called to have it fixed, and the apartment complex replaced the appliance. Perhaps there is something going on there that they, as incompetent management, could actually take care of.

So I will discuss this with them today. Just in case I get another "don't use the dishwaser" request, I ran it last night since it was full. Sorry, downstairs neighbors.

Monday, March 2, 2009

He can be stupid at times

You know, Dante is very smart, for a dog. At least, I like to think so. But every so often, he does something that makes me think he is an idiot.

For an example of the former, he cannot be fooled by noises on the television. If a dog barks, or a cat meows, or just any sound comes out of an electronic device, he does not respond, and I would like to think that it's because he knows the difference between that and reality. Then...

Today we were walking out back in the snow. We walked by a small snowman (about three feet tall), and his hackles immediately went up, and he crouched slightly before slowly approaching the man made of snow. I mean, I know they can be a threat and all, but seriously!?

At least he can still get by on his looks.

Snow

Ever since I left Maine, I have started to like snow. It has to do with the fact that many of the places I've lived since then don't get much. Okay, so in New York and St. Louis they did, but in NY, the sidewalks were cleared so quickly that it was nice. In St. Louis, well, the city was notoriously bad at clearing streets that it was not fun.

But with Dallas (snowed two times in the four years I lived there), and here in the 'burg, snow is rare. We, along with half the country, got snow last night. I was worried that the 24 hours of rain preceeding the snow would ensure non-stickage upon the ground, but no need! Dante and I woke up this morning with about an inch or two of snow! So our morning walk consisted of the D-man sniffing something, then darting ten feet to something else to sniff, and so forth. There really is no walking when snow is involved, just running around like a psychotic. It's fun.

As a bonus, the Lab is closed today so I no longer have to feel guilty about not going down there (wasn't planning on it anyway, but there is a seminar and a meeting I should have gone to). The College is open on a delayed schedule, but I'll go in at a normal time. This involves no freeway driving, so except for clearing off my car (I still do not own a snow scraper), it will not be a problem.