I did a talk today. A practice, for when I have my committee meeting & almost-last exam next month. Let's just leave our discussion of the results as: unpleasant. Also, Advisor apparently hadn't picked up on how nervous/stressed/whatever it is I am about this, and was teasing and finally (after my talk) figured out that that was a bad idea and decided I needed a pep talk.... which didn't really work, because I was waiting to get some time on my own so I could break down & cry.
oiiii. I blame this on being stressed because I spent almost the entire last 2 weeks working up a formal proposal, which is now on my committee's desks, and not really de-stressing at all. I got the same amount of sleep, because that is one of the things I don't compromise on, but my other leisure activities took the hit. Doesn't help that I'm also doing hw for classes. Oh well.
On the plus side of today, I finally heard back from collaborators on two seperate projects, both with positive responses. One was from the maybe-scooping-me group, which I've been twitchy about for the last couple years.... so we'll see about them. But. probably a neutral day if I really have to think about it. Two middlingly big pluses, one gigantic minus that was a practice for something I can now improve.... everyone needs a good soul-crushing now and again, right? Or maybe I'm just playing this up because I've actually really enjoyed grad school so far & hadn't had a really bad day in a while.... meh. It's friday, and I'm going to go to bed early, sleep late, and take it from there tomorrow.
Also, I've relapsed into thinking about adopting a cat. There's one at my local shelter with ghost-eyes (one green, one bluish), who has a great face and looks HUGE in the pictures. We'll see. Anyone have suggestions about cats?
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Good start to the semester
Met with Advisor today to discuss what I did over the break [read: did last week while Advisor was out of town] and my plans for this semester, etc. It actually went well, much to my surprise. I had some really nice results to present, and a re-done outline of my research plans. So now I'm re-energized about that side project and motivated by looming deadlines to get mine done. Woo!
Also found out that I'm a) getting scooped OR b) planned into a project that I've been talking to people about, but wasn't aware there was any formal planning for.... so I'm talking to my contact on that project again this week to figure out what's going on. Kind of a charlie brown/football moment, though... things like this are the reason I have that cartoon near my work area. Oi.
I'm taking three classes this semester, along with taking a fairly major exam.... Advisor was advocating adding another class (or auditing), and helping with the undergrad minions we've hired, plus potential fieldwork. Situation normal, uber-busy but happy.
:)
How's everyone else's semester going? Any fun things to report?
Also found out that I'm a) getting scooped OR b) planned into a project that I've been talking to people about, but wasn't aware there was any formal planning for.... so I'm talking to my contact on that project again this week to figure out what's going on. Kind of a charlie brown/football moment, though... things like this are the reason I have that cartoon near my work area. Oi.
I'm taking three classes this semester, along with taking a fairly major exam.... Advisor was advocating adding another class (or auditing), and helping with the undergrad minions we've hired, plus potential fieldwork. Situation normal, uber-busy but happy.
:)
How's everyone else's semester going? Any fun things to report?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Not sure who's in the right here
Marginally related to this post.
There's been some discussion in the popular press recently about a collision between a Japanese ship and an anti-whaling activism vessel in the Southern Ocean. The six people on the smaller boat were lucky to survive what appears to be a deliberate ramming by the Japanese ship (videos from the whaling ship and the activist base vessel here).
As I mentioned in the previous post, being stupid in the Southern Ocean is a good way to die. Taking a non-icebreaker rated ship into dense bergs is stupid. Harassing people in large ships from a zodiac is stupid. Taking your fancy new $2.5 million dollar boat into a situation where it could be damaged (and now sunk) is stupid. It is a miracle that no one has yet been killed during these mistakes - how much longer do they think they can do it? (And on another note, the activists have called piracy on the Japanese - what hypocrites, after they boarded a whaling ship without permission!)
That said, I'm definitely not saying the Japanese are in the right this time. A deliberate ramming of so small a boat risks people being thrown overboard or crushed between the hulls. If someone had been in the bow section, they would be dead. The water cannon and acoustic harassment devices are understandable defenses against the acid-bombs and prop foulers the activists use; escalating the conflict by ramming, especially in light of the size differences between the vessels is simply dangerous and unacceptable.
I wish people could have a rational discussion about whaling. I personally don't agree with it, and don't see a need, but some cultures do. Whaling under the "scientific" clause appalls me, because they publish very little that can't be discovered through non-lethal methods, but they can't get approval through the commercial clause. I have no right to comment on the ethics of eating whale meat, because I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't object to hunting other animals for food - it only becomes an issue to me if the killing is unethical (exploding harpoons are not exactly humane...), or the animal is endangered or in a position to become so.
I'm not sure how to resolve this situation, or whether or not it will ever be solved. I wish the countries would get together and realize that someone is going to die if this continues, though. I believe that negotiation is the best way to go about this - the Japanese are not going to stop trying to make money just because some activist gets killed. If we can give them a financial incentive, maybe we can make progress.
There's been some discussion in the popular press recently about a collision between a Japanese ship and an anti-whaling activism vessel in the Southern Ocean. The six people on the smaller boat were lucky to survive what appears to be a deliberate ramming by the Japanese ship (videos from the whaling ship and the activist base vessel here).
As I mentioned in the previous post, being stupid in the Southern Ocean is a good way to die. Taking a non-icebreaker rated ship into dense bergs is stupid. Harassing people in large ships from a zodiac is stupid. Taking your fancy new $2.5 million dollar boat into a situation where it could be damaged (and now sunk) is stupid. It is a miracle that no one has yet been killed during these mistakes - how much longer do they think they can do it? (And on another note, the activists have called piracy on the Japanese - what hypocrites, after they boarded a whaling ship without permission!)
That said, I'm definitely not saying the Japanese are in the right this time. A deliberate ramming of so small a boat risks people being thrown overboard or crushed between the hulls. If someone had been in the bow section, they would be dead. The water cannon and acoustic harassment devices are understandable defenses against the acid-bombs and prop foulers the activists use; escalating the conflict by ramming, especially in light of the size differences between the vessels is simply dangerous and unacceptable.
I wish people could have a rational discussion about whaling. I personally don't agree with it, and don't see a need, but some cultures do. Whaling under the "scientific" clause appalls me, because they publish very little that can't be discovered through non-lethal methods, but they can't get approval through the commercial clause. I have no right to comment on the ethics of eating whale meat, because I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't object to hunting other animals for food - it only becomes an issue to me if the killing is unethical (exploding harpoons are not exactly humane...), or the animal is endangered or in a position to become so.
I'm not sure how to resolve this situation, or whether or not it will ever be solved. I wish the countries would get together and realize that someone is going to die if this continues, though. I believe that negotiation is the best way to go about this - the Japanese are not going to stop trying to make money just because some activist gets killed. If we can give them a financial incentive, maybe we can make progress.
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