0
It's been an incredibly busy couple of days, but I've finally got a spare minute to update my journal.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my last journal entry. It was a bit of a rant about misperceptions about scientists. However, based on what I've heard from other people I think I've changed my tune.

People wrote describing how they've had a very similar experience...
Read More
VIEW 26 of 26 COMMENTS
snottlebocket:
lol are you new on the job?
i never got such a polite note saying my article was refused smile
schoolgirl:
wow, it's always great to stumble upon another scientist on this site. I hate all those stereotypes, but like you said all jobs have those. sometimes you gotta laugh to your self when people say stupid stuff like, "so you went to college for that, right?" or "You just mix things together" or "science is hard...yeah." my brother also is a scientist. he had finished his PhD this year. he started with an MD/PhD program and traded it in for the PhD program because the cadavors made him sick on a daily basis. People don't understand the work that goes into a degree like this. it always made me mad when he got hell for not being a "real doctor." later. smile
0
I try really hard not to go on a rant in my journals, but I think it's unavoidable today, I need to get some of this off my chest. This morning I was stuck on the subway trying to get to the lab (and missing a bunch of seminars that I really wanted to hear, including John Searle) and this annoying tourist woman standing next...
Read More
VIEW 25 of 31 COMMENTS
hbfm:
If it's any consolation, the lumpenprole tourist population is pretty bad and pretty fucking clueless about even the most basic mass transit courtesy here in DC.

I came by your journal to suggest you consider using TeX for your chess match. Maybe .dvi would give you less trouble?
prophetnoise:
i feel for you man. . . while i'm no PhD or neuroscientist, i understand the lack of understanding of one's job and/or ethical(political etc) decisions one must make on the job.

Some of my favorite TV characters are scientists. . . Invader Zim and Dexter to name a few.

I'd like to leave off with a quote from (but of course) the Simpsons.

Marge- Homer there's someone here who can help you!
Homer-Is it Batman?
Marge-No, it's a Scientist!
Homer-Batman's a Scientist!
Marge- IT'S NOT BATMAN!
0
Ah, I finally have internet at home again, which is nice.

I was reading this thread today in CE and it got me thinking. About politics (what else? biggrin ). More specifically, about the people who founded the United States. Now that Washington, Jefferson, Paine, Adams, Franklin etc. have all become historical figures, we've changed them into these grandiose ideas who said and did great things,...
Read More
VIEW 23 of 23 COMMENTS
broadwaybee:
I saw a guy on the subway the other day wearing a shirt with a big pic of Dubya, and beside it in big red letters, it said:

AM I GOD YET?

That's some funny shit.

ooo aaa
narcissus:
No effin way, that double helix tattoo does rock! eeek Did you get it done out here or in NY?
0
Those of you who have actually bothered to read my profile will see that the number one thing that makes me happy is "unexpected brilliance." I stand by this. I hit 3000 posts today, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, considering that I've been on SG for six months. Especially considering the level of discourse that I often find in the...
Read More
VIEW 22 of 22 COMMENTS
rickets:
You mean I'm not just supposed to mock somebody's penis size if they don't agree with my positions on gun control. I'm shocked.

Imagine trying to rebut criticism at a scientific seminar like that.
"Actually, the time course shown in your example doesn't really appear to follow a single exponential."

"Eat me. You're obviously an inbred hick with no idea what the real world is like."

I think the other problem with debates on the site is that nobody (me included) is actually willing to do research on their arguments, leading to argument by anecdote.
stacycats:
//t's sad to me that so many people take the approach now that "nothing you say will ever change anyone's mind."//

resisting influence on that level makes it difficult to learn anything new in life. how boring. i learned a LOT in KY last week. what a crazy vacation. DID YA MISS ME?!

miao!!
0
I just got back from the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Monday night show. It was great. It's probably the closest thing you'll find to big band jazz in New York city these days, what with venus being small and all.

There's really something to be said for jazz musicians. Unless your last name is Marsalis (or Redmond), there's very little money in it these days, it's...
Read More
VIEW 24 of 24 COMMENTS
hellomrworld:
Dang and wynton marsalis was probablyt just playing too .. i like him a lot but I think he almost has too much training from going to Juliard's... I should be going to the party on Friday too ...
scopitone6248:
His future is so bright, he's gotta wear shades wink

Yeah, LucasArts paid me and nearly everyone else there jack shit. In fact, LucasFilm has a production division called JAK Productions. You can imagine the original and insightful jokes that stemmed from that acronym.
0
No one is grey on my friends list anymore! That rules.

I decided to take the apartment. Moving in at some point in May (I have a month overlap between the time when my lease runs out and my new lease starts, so I can take my time.) I'm betting that my current landlord tries to screw me out of both my deposit and my...
Read More
VIEW 12 of 12 COMMENTS
wuvmonki:
Tuesday's are ok, but I work until 8pm.

loveooo aaa
superficial:
awesome about the new place!!! smile
0
Last night I saw The Battle of Algiers, a movie from the 60's about the Algerian insurgency and the FLN's struggle for independence from the French in the 50's. Today I saw the fourth year drama students at Julliard put on the play Translations, a play about the English occupation of Northern Ireland in the 1830's, and afterwards saw Eternal Sunshine of the...
Read More
VIEW 16 of 16 COMMENTS
signalnoise:
interesting thoughts on art ... i always find something .... *scary* about art. this is a bit tangental to your point i know .. but when i head off to art institute or the contemporary museum of art - i always have a sense of doubt. "am i properly enjoying this piece?" - "am i understanding this correctly?" .. i have no idea where this insecurity comes from. some of the stuff makes me think, some makes me smile, some of its creepy, some i think is just pretty - plenty of it just doesn't do it for me.
and it applies to most forms of art - i don't understand music, have the most basic appreciation of film and writing ...
i think it's so important & so human - but it always seems really alien to me.
midknight:
sounds killer eeek
0
OK, for once I'll spare you all and shut my ridiculously oversized mouth. Today's entry will be almost completely pictorial taken from my trip. I have all of my photos up right here:

http://www.columbia.edu/~mdl2003/pictures/Europe/

But I'll only post a few of them. Also, they're 800x600 (reduced from the insane resolution I initially took them at) so I'm not sure what they'll do to the formatting...
Read More
VIEW 18 of 18 COMMENTS
wallyfuckyou:
I cannot take credit for the research that went into my news post. The Center for American Progress did the grunt work on that one. I follow politics pretty closely and appreciate a good site when I find it. And that is a place well worth checking out. Other good places for news that appeals to me:

truthout.org
commondreams.org
misleader.org
alternet.org

There is a strong left bias at those sites, and it is good to know that up front...but they go a long way toward calling attention to what corporate media lets slide.
vader_____:
hey man, you are easily one of the better editors on the newswire by far, keep on doing as you have been smile
0
Wow. That's all I can say. I just came back from dinner at WD-50. It's my ex-girlfriend's birthday next week, so i took her out for dinner since I won't be around for her party (see - perks of being a legionnaire ex-girlfriend. Not bad, huh?)

I've been reading about this place since they opened up last year - supposedly they've taken the good...
Read More
VIEW 15 of 15 COMMENTS
rxqueen:
haha. can i be yr ex? wink
i wont be slobberknocking with you guys tomorrow. I might be in the city but i've got alot of crap to do. if i've got time i def will, but its looking to be a negative.

what day to you leave for europe?
i had a dream i was in italy last night love
yr sucha lucky lucky bastard!!!
anyways, if i don't get to wish it to you in person ,nows a good a time as any. HAVE A SAFE/FUN TRIP!

oh and go read my journal.
NOW!

kiss love love kiss
rxqueen:
Don't worry. Its not til June!!
i think the 8th and 9th or something like that at b.b. kings.

i'm so excited.
ahhhh siouxsie love
0
Tomorrow I'm looking at some apartments for rent. I want to see what I can get for the money that I'm willing to spend in SoHo. I like that area a lot, but right off the bat it looks like the sort of place where I'd like to live is way out of my price range. Who knows though, I may get lucky? I'm no...
Read More
VIEW 9 of 9 COMMENTS
hellynn:
That was a real deep entry and I seem to think the same way almost all the time. Im not interested in money as much as Im interested in being happy. Ive told many people before that Id be happy living in the woods by myself, barefoot and half naked as long as I have what makes me happy.
liv3:
soho.. that's probably my favorite place. expensive designer stores & trendy smoothie shops!
mm.. guess i was sucked in too eeek
0
Edited to say: OK, this is like the driest journal entry of all time, so I'm adding a really weird dream I had two days ago to make it more interesting: I dreamt that I was taking an art class (I'm an abysmal artist, by the way) taught in SoHo, and we had to submit our final projects. I submitted mine, which I knew sucked,...
Read More
VIEW 11 of 11 COMMENTS
kurtdiedfayasins:
You're welcome...and thanks for catching it. I hope you don't mean the avatar picture, i cropped and cropped it until it measured exactly 75x43 with no distortion...

s5:
SG wouldn't endorse a candidate - there's too much disagreement on politics between the staff. smile