Too much Psychology!

Other than a ten minute doctors appt, which basically was a blood drawing session, I spent the entire day re-doing my computer and reading my child psych book at the same time. I got my laptop from Dell today(again), and the damn thing still didn't work. It had a nice shiny new cover and some other things fixed, but the power system was still all messed up. So I called Dell(again) and they finally decided to do a system exchange. In theory I'll be getting an equally powered computer, just a different model(prolly an Inspiron). So I guess I'm happy about that, but I'll wait to see what I get before I get too happy.

So otherwise, I spent the ENTIRE day reading child psychology. It was mind numbing to say the least. It isn't even interesting to me because half the experiments aren't even experiments. Their methods are sloppy, and their theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, they are poor scientists...(Ghostbusters, circa 80s). Was that my first movie quote on this thing? I think it was! Bout time. Anyway, its like wading through a thick sludgy wasteland of science. I'm starting to understand why Psychology is NOT considered one of the "hard sciences", although I still stand by the fact that the branch of Psychology known as Neuroscience is a "hard science".

Anyway, enough complaining. Got to sleep so I can take my quiz tomorrow on the billion or so pages I just read. Sleep tight. (what does that mean anyway?)

Garden State

So today was an average day. Got out of bed on time (go me), went to classes, worked on research, worked out...Then we went to see Garden State. It's an independent film by a 23 year old guy that wrote it, directed it, and starred in it as the main character. Damn, I'm 26 and look what I've done?! Kinda makes you thing a little... Anyway, the story was a Fight Club meets Prozac Nation kinda thing. I thought it was phenomenal(spelling?). I would say amazing but then you all know I say almost every movie is amazing. But it really was excellent, one of those movies that makes you stop and think. I thought the story was a little cliche, but I use cliches in my writing all the time. Why not?

I'll definetly get it when it comes out on DVD. I'll put it right between Fight Club and Good Will Hunting. Other news, I did a phone interview today with PPD(ppdi.com) for a biostatistics programming postion. I'm pretty sure the lady was impressed, course, I have been doing mathematical programming for four years now! The good news is that if I get the internship, theres a good chance I would get a job when I graduate in May. Go me again!!!

So I guess now I better get back to research, I'm going to the Endocrinologist tomorrow, sure that will give me great stuff to write about. Everyone loves to read about other peoples bodies falling apart!

Catch up time

Well, I guess I'm just a little bit behind. Really busy week as usual, and I'm sure I won't remember half of it. We saw Resident Evil 2 on Tuesday, and boy was that something. I loved it but Evie about killed me. She doesn't like "scary" movies with lots of jumpy parts. As it turns out, Resident Evil 2 was one of the jumpiest movies I have ever seen. I didn't know it was gonna be like that either. The first 45 minutes was loaded with jumpy parts and serious scary stuff. But we survived.

I had my first test in Drugs and Behavior, I think I got an A. It was pretty straight forward. Research is moving along, I've just about finished all the programming and started writing the thesis. I'm planning to have an article ready by November to try and get published, but its going to be close.

Friday I went to Evie's school for a few hours and met her class. Kindergarten is an amazing little world. So curious, so energetic, and very busy. I could handle a few hours of observation, but I don't know how anyone handles teaching the class! It's really fun, but it appears to be a lot of work too. Such are things I guess...

Yesterday we took the ferry to Southport. I've been on a ferry twice before, but that was the first time I ever took my truck with me! It was a short trip, but still pretty cool. And its only 5 bucks, so its worth it. We had a little trouble when we got to the other side, turns out a bridge was washed out in Southport! Fortunately, there was an alternate route so we still made it home. Finally we went to see the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra play. They were excellent. They aren't paid and only practice once a week, but you would never know it. It was most enjoyable.

Check out my truck on water below!

Let it rain...

Well, the rain season continues here in Wilmington. I guess at some point I'm going to have to buy a Kayak to get around. Really been missing the mountains lately, this humid wet beach weather is starting to get to me. Evie and I went to the beach last night, and it was the first time in a while I enjoyed being outside. It was cool, dark, a nice breeze, and no one around. Very peaceful and serene.

I need to get out more! I've become the classical work-a-holic, being in Dr. Keith's lab 7am-7pm 3 days a week gets to be a bit much. Don't get me wrong, I love research, I'm just spending too much time sitting in a chair staring at a computer. I guess things will get better in the spring, then I'm going to start running experiments again, as well as doing surgeries. Thats right, starting in the spring semester, I'm going to be a brain surgeon!!!! On rats, but still, brains are brains. I'm hoping to come up with a full experiment to do on my own, in order to get a publication in neuronscience before I apply to grad school. Some sort of memory trial involving the Prusky task, injections, surgery, and brain analysis at the end of the study. Then put together a paper and get it published by December. That would do wonders to help my grad school application, and I think its possible in 11 months.

Regardless, I will be going to at least one computer science conference next year. Southeastcon, an IEEE conference, which is being held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida April 8-10 2005. Evie might get to go with me since its a weekend, but we're not sure yet. In any case, that will be my first official publication(in the conference proceedings). I'm actually pretty excited about it, even though I've been working on the project so long its starting to be mundane. But I'm almost done, and things are coming together nicely now.

Time to consume mass quantities, talk to you all soon...

Computers are slow...

I'm waiting for a computation to finish, so I guess its a good time to do my update.

A lot has happened this week. Most important though, is the chancellor's approval of UNCW backing Dr. Keith (my advisor in the Psychology department), Dr. Lecci, and Dr. Cohen's new memory center here in Wilmington. It will be opening in January and will have postdoc positions available. It will be a center that not only conducts research on memory, but also a medical facility that does memory assessment for individuals. It should be an excellent resource for UNCW and the community.

Why is this so great for me? Glad you asked. See the current plan to find out why:

1) graduate in May 05
2) from May until November, study for GREs, work, and hang out in Dr. Keith's lab doing surgeries and the like as an RA(research assistant)
3) continue working from November 05 through November 06
4) Through my excellent research background, great letters of recommendation, and Dr. Keith knowing a guy there, I hope to join Duke's Neuroscience Ph.D program November 06.
5) I should be ready to graduate from Duke with a Ph.D by May 2010 - May 2012 (4-6 years)
6) Then I need to do a post-doc, and thats where the new center comes in. Its possible I could do one here with Dr. Keith!
7) Finally, Evie and I hope to live in Wilmington and I will teach at UNCW. This is also great considering the new center for memory, because I would be able to work with the center in addition to being a professor.

So there it is, my 7 year plan...time to get to it...

Can one person really make a difference?

Tiananmen Square, China 1989

Hello World

Hello World! The only proper start for a computer geek's blog.

Since everyone keeps bugging me because I don't "keep in touch", I've decided to put my entire life on the internet so that total strangers can know the intimate details of my life (and hopefully my family and friends too). So come one, come all into the daily drama (or lack thereof) that is my life. I will try to post at least twice a week. This is not just to keep you guys up to date, but also so I have something to look back at. Being the computer nerd that I am, this is much easier than finding the time to write in a journal.

So enjoy, be open minded, and feel free to respond. And of course, if you are offended by any of my radical language or ideals...just don't read it. :)