I did not get accepted to work at the summer workshop that I was interested in. What's worse, though, is that I had to prod them by email to even get them to admit that they had already made their decisions. Apparently, they'll keep my CV on file for next summer. It was going to be so convenient, too; I would work on a problem that is pretty much ( Read more... )

I have been on a totally depressing J.D. Salinger kick in the past two days. "Catcher in the Rye", "Franny and Zooey", and two of the "Nine Stories." I don't know why I re-read these things when all they are going to do is depress me again. Especially "Franny and Zooey", I think. I mean that whole family, the Glasses. They can't even control ( Read more... )

From The Elements of Style:

If you have received a letter inviting you to speak at the dedication of a new cat hospital, and you hate cats, your reply, declining the invitation, does not necessarily have to cover the full range of your emotions. You must make it clear that you will not attend, but you do not have to let fly at cats. The writer of ( Read more... )

In light of the arrival of this newest Year, I have resolv'd, among other things, to renew my correspondence with the general Publick by increasing the frequency with which I post observations to this Site, namely, my web-log. You will mark, dear Reader, curious stylistic changes in the current post (e.g., archaic orthography, vocabulary &c.). I ( Read more... )

I'm feeling accomplished, because I just built the Star Wars-themed LEGO kit that two of my older sisters got me for Hanukkah. Not only are the S-foils movable, but the kit also includes a figurine of Wedge. If I could ask for only one Star Wars character as a mini-figurine, it'd be Wedge Antilles. (If I could ask for two, I'd pick Wedge and Dak ( Read more... )

Ouch.

(You can't go wrong with one-word updates every two months! Stay tuned to this space for more news soon, when I am not working myself to exhaustion.)

Engineers, man. I don't know ( Read more... )

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I have settled into a routine, which means I now feel competent to report on life as a graduate student. Executive summary: life as a grad student is pretty awesome ( Read more... )

I'm running out the door, but I wanted to post quickly to say that my new schedule is frickin' awesome ( Read more... )