So I now have accounts for applying online with Colorado and Texas. Although there is some issue with the Texas account that I'll have to resolve tomorrow. For some reason they're not letting me apply for "Fall 2007". Hm... odd. I must've clicked the wrong window somewhere along the line.
So that leaves....... about 30 or 40 more to go. :P
I've narrowed down a topic for my MA paper which is good, but I'm still nowhere near a good hypothesis. Been reading a lot of this guy for most of the inspiration (sometimes in agreement, sometimes not). Some very interesting comments about the very high end of the educated labor force, and the very low end. Hopefully I'll be able to piggy back on some of his data sets too. It would save a lot of time, seeing as I have only 3 more months to churn this puppy out. I won't go into the details of it here, seeing as my ideas have this funny way of getting around (ask me in person if you're very curious, but I assure you... it's nothing too interesting). Or maybe I'm just hanging out with K too much: he has a certain paranoia about his papers. In fact he's finished his first dissertation chapter (first of three), and is getting it ready for publication. Nobody knew he was even working on it except him and his advisor. Sneaky. Whenever people ask him what it's about he says, "It's boring, let's not talk about it." But I've seen the abstract, and I've seen the derivations. It's not boring. Actually its the most interesting dissertation I've seen while I've been here, theoretically and mathematically.
Enjoying a Sam Adams left over from the dinner on Saturday with K, M, S (my soon-to-be new first year roommate), and one of the Chinese students: W. K and I have been not-so-subtly trying to hook up M and W for a while now. M has said he has a preference for Asian women. A comment that we've repeated to W many times. In front of M. Whether she understood us or not, is still not quite clear, but she invited us all over for dinner. There were several differences between the dinners we usually have:
1) Furniture. We weren't eating on the floor.
2) Silverware and chopsticks. K's lack of kitchen utensils was no longer a problem.
3) No curious spots on the rug.
4) Food that was not fried.
5) Food that was not lamb.
6) More beverage choices, other than beer or water.
7) The food did not just taste of oil and curry (though I must admit that has its own distinct allure...)
Many props to our Chinese sister, who should give M a chance ;).
W supplied the meal and the house, I supplied a dessert, K brought some beer, and the other two just free loaded. And of course, K and I kept saying strange things to and about M and W all night. Trying to get them
1) embarrassed
2) angry
3) "in the mood"
4) all of the above.
No luck. Language barriers are a pesky thing.
Seriously... aside from reading articles and writing papers, we have nothing better to do with our time. So... "Mathmaker matchmaker, make me a match..."
I believe I will pay for this Sam Adams tomorrow when I bike. And not pay in the sense of "failing a testosterone test".... but we won't go into that lame excuse now will we? Oy... some one needs to hire a better lawyer. But anyway, I'll pay for this Sam Adams when I bike tomorrow. Will probably be chugging the water down. K broke an average speed of 13 mph this morning. Things are definitely getting better. 48 miles on Saturday.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
When Armadillos Attack
So K and I were on the "Recovery Ride" for Monday. Ten easy miles, of which we spent most of them talking about bikes, studies, papers, professors, etc.
We get about halfway into the ride into a wooded area, and by now the sun has come up enough for me to clearly see an armadillo beginning to cross the path in front of us.
"Hey, K! Check it out!"
"What is that?"
"It's an armadillo."
As we drew closer I was thinking of explaining to him how I haven't really ever seen one alive, and that they are usually road kill. Until this armadillo, which we thought was going to stop and wait for us jumps right in between our bikes as we're passing.
In a split decision he jumped back, away from my bike and ONTO K's front wheel where he spined off, made a last ditch attempt at hanging on with the second wheel, was flung off (despite K trying to slow down with a look of total "WTF?!?!?!" on his face), and then scurried off into the woods.
"Uh... well I was going to say they're usually just seen as road kill but uh... I guess you can see that now."
I recall the suicidal squirrels from last fall... but the armadillo's too?
Police are searching for the suspect depicted on the following sketch artist rendering:
*Actual website I got the picture from:
Florida Wildlife Magazine on Armadillos
Strange days...
We get about halfway into the ride into a wooded area, and by now the sun has come up enough for me to clearly see an armadillo beginning to cross the path in front of us.
"Hey, K! Check it out!"
"What is that?"
"It's an armadillo."
As we drew closer I was thinking of explaining to him how I haven't really ever seen one alive, and that they are usually road kill. Until this armadillo, which we thought was going to stop and wait for us jumps right in between our bikes as we're passing.
In a split decision he jumped back, away from my bike and ONTO K's front wheel where he spined off, made a last ditch attempt at hanging on with the second wheel, was flung off (despite K trying to slow down with a look of total "WTF?!?!?!" on his face), and then scurried off into the woods.
"Uh... well I was going to say they're usually just seen as road kill but uh... I guess you can see that now."
I recall the suicidal squirrels from last fall... but the armadillo's too?
Police are searching for the suspect depicted on the following sketch artist rendering:
*Actual website I got the picture from:
Florida Wildlife Magazine on Armadillos
Strange days...
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Saturday, August 19, 2006
40
Forty miles at 12.1 miles per hour. Not only did we go for longer, but our speed went up. Nice.
Other than that, came home, slept, and continued the siege of my sore throat. Gargling salt water, advil, chicken soup, 7UP, orange juice, and a few naps. Even nicer.
Still miss the Ardilla though :(
Other than that, came home, slept, and continued the siege of my sore throat. Gargling salt water, advil, chicken soup, 7UP, orange juice, and a few naps. Even nicer.
Still miss the Ardilla though :(
Friday, August 18, 2006
Sick Day
So I woke up Tuesday with a sore throat. Major league sore throat. And it hasn't stopped. No fever, no cough, no congestion. Just sore throat. At first I thought it was the allergy shot the day before, or that K and I had begun our rides the day before, or any number of small things, but it's Friday and still here. So went to the doctor, and they're running a throat culture. As it is now though I have those rubber tasting throat lozenges, I've gone through a liter of 7UP, and I go ta prescription for some lydocaine mouth wash the consistency of honey... not sure how I'm supposed "swish and gargle" this stuff but uh.... okay how? I've been diluting it with water, and they don't have directions on the bottle except, "swish, gargle. 10 ML."
Fun stuff. Doc says it's probably viral and will go away.
So I went into the department only briefly, took care of a little business, and headed home. Slept. Need to get more 7UP. Drank tea. Gargled salt water. All that jazz.
Tomorrow is the first long ride with K (40 miles). This morning was supposed to be a "pace" day, so I figured we'd be at 9 or 10 miles per hour. At about mile 5 we were still maintaining an average speed of 11 or 12, and he wasn't falling back at all. When we stopped he asked, "Am I going to slow? What is speed?" When I told him it was better than our "brisk" pace on Wednesday, his comment was, "My God. I thought we were slow today." This is good news. We might finish the 40 in under four hours then. That would be nice. He told me to "bring a camera." I told him the picture will be bad. His response: "Yes, but the day will be good." Interesting point. Be prepared for pictures.
Labor prof. seems to have some topics that are right up my alley for me to talk with him about. He has a list on his syllabus of "interesting topics that will not be covered." Among them, "labor unions, immigration, intranational migration" three things that I'm interested in. He's also very big into research on schools and "developing human capital." It's all very empirical, which I think is a good start for this first paper. I'm looking forward to working with him. Or at least... having him look at a paper and tell me, "Do it again. Not good enough."
Miss the squirrel.
Saw a comedian today who was talking about the success rate of animals who cross roads. "The question shouldn't be why the chicken crossed the road. Because you never see dead chickens on the road. No no... the real question... why did the squirrel cross the raod? Ever seen them? They can make it too, but they're too insecure. They run out, then run back, then run out again."
*Sigh*... pobre ardilla.
But this little squirrel is going to Harvard. Because she's smarter and more hard working than I am ;) . But I still miss her. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Fun stuff. Doc says it's probably viral and will go away.
So I went into the department only briefly, took care of a little business, and headed home. Slept. Need to get more 7UP. Drank tea. Gargled salt water. All that jazz.
Tomorrow is the first long ride with K (40 miles). This morning was supposed to be a "pace" day, so I figured we'd be at 9 or 10 miles per hour. At about mile 5 we were still maintaining an average speed of 11 or 12, and he wasn't falling back at all. When we stopped he asked, "Am I going to slow? What is speed?" When I told him it was better than our "brisk" pace on Wednesday, his comment was, "My God. I thought we were slow today." This is good news. We might finish the 40 in under four hours then. That would be nice. He told me to "bring a camera." I told him the picture will be bad. His response: "Yes, but the day will be good." Interesting point. Be prepared for pictures.
Labor prof. seems to have some topics that are right up my alley for me to talk with him about. He has a list on his syllabus of "interesting topics that will not be covered." Among them, "labor unions, immigration, intranational migration" three things that I'm interested in. He's also very big into research on schools and "developing human capital." It's all very empirical, which I think is a good start for this first paper. I'm looking forward to working with him. Or at least... having him look at a paper and tell me, "Do it again. Not good enough."
Miss the squirrel.
Saw a comedian today who was talking about the success rate of animals who cross roads. "The question shouldn't be why the chicken crossed the road. Because you never see dead chickens on the road. No no... the real question... why did the squirrel cross the raod? Ever seen them? They can make it too, but they're too insecure. They run out, then run back, then run out again."
*Sigh*... pobre ardilla.
But this little squirrel is going to Harvard. Because she's smarter and more hard working than I am ;) . But I still miss her. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
It begins again...
So la Ardilla was here for a week for her birthday which was great and wonderful. But I missed her as soon as she got in line for security. Aw. It's going to be a rough year, but I think also a good one. I will just have to try and plan a few visits ;)
I have somehow managed to convince some one to wake up at 5 AM and go to White Rock to bike with me. K is the only guy crazy enough in the department to agree to it, and probably the only guy in the graduate school crazy enough to actually like the whole "100 Mile Ride" plan. In fact he's been so enthusiastic about it this week, I feel confident that when I'm tired and not wanting to do anything HE'LL be waking ME up at 5 AM.
We did 10 miles in 1 hour and 7 minutes on Monday (average somewhere around 9 MPH).
12 miles in 1 hour and 9 minutes on Tuesday (so close to breaking 10 MPH).
14 miles in 1 hour and 14 minutes today (broke 10 MPH -barely-. The goal is to get up to 15. We've got a ways to go).
We were joking that at this rate we'd better get faster or else it will take us the entire day to do 100 miles. Poor K has been using my old mountain bike on the trail, which is heavy, but not sluggish thanks to the new oil on the gears. The brakes still squeak but they work (and when we go downhill they are a reminder that yes... he is behind me, and I can keep my pace up). However, the frame was made for some one between 5'5" and 5'8". K is 6'.
So he looks like a big brown grad student on a kiddie bike. Which honestly... is pretty funny. But if you see the get up that some cyclists are wearing these days... well... he's not alone. I look pretty ridiculous on the bike too, so.. yeah it's fun.
Sadly no Papa Yella sightings, but there have been funny occurrences. The freshmen are checking out the trails while class hasn't started yet. K and I usually walk for a half mile before we leave to stretch our legs and shoot the breeze. When K is telling a joke, and he's about to laugh, his voice pitch jumps. High. Very high. 9 year old girl high. So we're telling jokes about what we should do to go faster, and he suggests we get a little computer robot bug thing to follow us around and hurl insults at us if we don't go fast enough (he said it came from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I'm not recalling that bit). So he's giving an example of what this bug will say... as two of these fresh faced young Mustangs are passing us with their "Class of 2010" t-shirts. Well... K is spewing out a high pitched tirade of insults, curses, and general unpleasantness as they're passing us. The guy wheels around thinking he was talking to him, the girl jumps and I think is about to scream, but when they see us both laughing, and continuing (I suggested a few insults myself -with fewer curses-)they sort of figure it out. So they keep going, no harm, no foul. And I assume (seeing his SMU t-shirt) they are hoping that he isn't a professor.
It must be a weird sight. Short white guy laughing as the 6 foot Indian next to him is saying, "You F***ing ***** *** *** go faster or I'll **** **** with a **** so you *** **** **** and your dog's **** *** ***** will eat that liver **** *** *** mother's **** **** *** and Hare Rama!" And keep in mind... this is in the voice pitch of a 9 year old girl. Wish I had a tape recorder.
The hare Rama part by the way comes from when he biked around a very religious village near his hometown. He noticed that everyone before they passed would say, "on your left!" here in the US. Apparently in this town, you just say, "hare Rama!" when you're passing. Kind of the equivalent of saying "Praise Jesus" if you bump into some one in the crowd on accident.
Going to meet with a prof about the possibility of doing an MA thesis. Hope it works out. Otherwise I'll just take courses, and then a take-home test in the Spring. And that is pretty much the end of my time here. A nice feeling though to know I'll be missed by the upper classmen. One of the Chinese students here got a post-doc position in Minnesota. He had the choice between assistant prof. at OU, and post-doc at Minnesota. When he told me that, I asked him, "Have you seen Norman?" "No." "... it's not a choice dude. Go to Minneapolis." "Yeah, that's what I've been told." Nothing against Norman. Wait.. yes. I mean... I love The Library as much as the next guy, but when you're options for stuff to do are drink and storm chase... and you can only storm chase during certain times of the year... well... not a fun time. He told me to apply to Minnesota, and if I get in, we'll go have dinner and try to figure out the Minnesota accent. Not a bad offer. Mighty cold up there though. He also suggested Berkley. "There are no quals." :)
But missing the squirrel. The web camera's are working, which was fun. It was good to see her smile, even if she wasn't with me. So she's heading up to the big East, and I'm down here. At least for another year. It's all starting again. That's a good feeling overall though.
I have somehow managed to convince some one to wake up at 5 AM and go to White Rock to bike with me. K is the only guy crazy enough in the department to agree to it, and probably the only guy in the graduate school crazy enough to actually like the whole "100 Mile Ride" plan. In fact he's been so enthusiastic about it this week, I feel confident that when I'm tired and not wanting to do anything HE'LL be waking ME up at 5 AM.
We did 10 miles in 1 hour and 7 minutes on Monday (average somewhere around 9 MPH).
12 miles in 1 hour and 9 minutes on Tuesday (so close to breaking 10 MPH).
14 miles in 1 hour and 14 minutes today (broke 10 MPH -barely-. The goal is to get up to 15. We've got a ways to go).
We were joking that at this rate we'd better get faster or else it will take us the entire day to do 100 miles. Poor K has been using my old mountain bike on the trail, which is heavy, but not sluggish thanks to the new oil on the gears. The brakes still squeak but they work (and when we go downhill they are a reminder that yes... he is behind me, and I can keep my pace up). However, the frame was made for some one between 5'5" and 5'8". K is 6'.
So he looks like a big brown grad student on a kiddie bike. Which honestly... is pretty funny. But if you see the get up that some cyclists are wearing these days... well... he's not alone. I look pretty ridiculous on the bike too, so.. yeah it's fun.
Sadly no Papa Yella sightings, but there have been funny occurrences. The freshmen are checking out the trails while class hasn't started yet. K and I usually walk for a half mile before we leave to stretch our legs and shoot the breeze. When K is telling a joke, and he's about to laugh, his voice pitch jumps. High. Very high. 9 year old girl high. So we're telling jokes about what we should do to go faster, and he suggests we get a little computer robot bug thing to follow us around and hurl insults at us if we don't go fast enough (he said it came from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I'm not recalling that bit). So he's giving an example of what this bug will say... as two of these fresh faced young Mustangs are passing us with their "Class of 2010" t-shirts. Well... K is spewing out a high pitched tirade of insults, curses, and general unpleasantness as they're passing us. The guy wheels around thinking he was talking to him, the girl jumps and I think is about to scream, but when they see us both laughing, and continuing (I suggested a few insults myself -with fewer curses-)they sort of figure it out. So they keep going, no harm, no foul. And I assume (seeing his SMU t-shirt) they are hoping that he isn't a professor.
It must be a weird sight. Short white guy laughing as the 6 foot Indian next to him is saying, "You F***ing ***** *** *** go faster or I'll **** **** with a **** so you *** **** **** and your dog's **** *** ***** will eat that liver **** *** *** mother's **** **** *** and Hare Rama!" And keep in mind... this is in the voice pitch of a 9 year old girl. Wish I had a tape recorder.
The hare Rama part by the way comes from when he biked around a very religious village near his hometown. He noticed that everyone before they passed would say, "on your left!" here in the US. Apparently in this town, you just say, "hare Rama!" when you're passing. Kind of the equivalent of saying "Praise Jesus" if you bump into some one in the crowd on accident.
Going to meet with a prof about the possibility of doing an MA thesis. Hope it works out. Otherwise I'll just take courses, and then a take-home test in the Spring. And that is pretty much the end of my time here. A nice feeling though to know I'll be missed by the upper classmen. One of the Chinese students here got a post-doc position in Minnesota. He had the choice between assistant prof. at OU, and post-doc at Minnesota. When he told me that, I asked him, "Have you seen Norman?" "No." "... it's not a choice dude. Go to Minneapolis." "Yeah, that's what I've been told." Nothing against Norman. Wait.. yes. I mean... I love The Library as much as the next guy, but when you're options for stuff to do are drink and storm chase... and you can only storm chase during certain times of the year... well... not a fun time. He told me to apply to Minnesota, and if I get in, we'll go have dinner and try to figure out the Minnesota accent. Not a bad offer. Mighty cold up there though. He also suggested Berkley. "There are no quals." :)
But missing the squirrel. The web camera's are working, which was fun. It was good to see her smile, even if she wasn't with me. So she's heading up to the big East, and I'm down here. At least for another year. It's all starting again. That's a good feeling overall though.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
OK Edition
So I'm in my parents new house in Oklahoma, and I must say, it is nice. Sorry, I just don't get that weird feeling of "moving into a new house." I didn't the last time we moved. I don't get it now. My parents are here, our furniture is here, and the whole family thang is still here. So this is one of my homes. The house doesn't really matter as much.
Talked with the new Graduate Student Advisor about my options. He definetly liked the suggestion I sit in on the PhD micro courses again and listen to the lectures. He also liked the idea of me taking PhD courses and doing the Thesis option for my MA to at least have some research under my belt for when I apply again.
So this semester I will be writing a Master's paper on International Macroeconomic Theory. I just need a hypothesis. I'll be talking with my Macro prof this semester, and he will apparently be the one advising me. Next semester I choose another prof who's class I'm taking and write another. So my schedule for next semester will not change much. The only change might be my metrics class, but I'm discussing that with the professor right now on which one will be the best course to take given my new situation.
So I will have one more year at SMU, and then I will either be accepted to another PhD program, or join the working world. Neither one is a bad option.
La Ardilla will be coming up in a few days. I'm happy about that. Sad to see her go afterwards, but I won't think about that too much. Jejeje. Time to just enjoy the week.
The sis is moving back to KC, the bro is doing very well in WA State, and engaged. Life is good.
See you all back in Texas.
Talked with the new Graduate Student Advisor about my options. He definetly liked the suggestion I sit in on the PhD micro courses again and listen to the lectures. He also liked the idea of me taking PhD courses and doing the Thesis option for my MA to at least have some research under my belt for when I apply again.
So this semester I will be writing a Master's paper on International Macroeconomic Theory. I just need a hypothesis. I'll be talking with my Macro prof this semester, and he will apparently be the one advising me. Next semester I choose another prof who's class I'm taking and write another. So my schedule for next semester will not change much. The only change might be my metrics class, but I'm discussing that with the professor right now on which one will be the best course to take given my new situation.
So I will have one more year at SMU, and then I will either be accepted to another PhD program, or join the working world. Neither one is a bad option.
La Ardilla will be coming up in a few days. I'm happy about that. Sad to see her go afterwards, but I won't think about that too much. Jejeje. Time to just enjoy the week.
The sis is moving back to KC, the bro is doing very well in WA State, and engaged. Life is good.
See you all back in Texas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)