docoflove1974

Thanks to last year's baseball excursion, I had a $300 voucher to fly anywhere in the continental US on American Airlines, and decided a while back to use it to go down to San Antonio and Austin. Outside of a trip back here 2 years ago to defend the dissertation--when I was so focused on that one element that I didn't do anything else--I haven't been back since I left 4 years ago. There are a lot of people here that I came to care about, and I wanted to visit them. And, well, Austin is an outstanding city that I fell in love with--just that I don't really care for the rest of the state. Anyway, I've been back here for a few days now. Had a great visit with Roc

Smile...you were noticed! So what if practice has yielded sore appendages; your greatness is known! That being said, I can't wait for my landlord's band (where everyone is at least 40, most over 50) get out of the garage-status. Evidently they were originally pretty good; now I'd give them a passable mark, at best. When my sometime neighbor (he comes down once a week, just to practice), who is the lead guitarist, takes over the song, it goes straight to Grateful Dead territory...not very fun. My upstairs neighbor, on the other hand, is a professional bassist and singer, and when his band plays in the back, um, wow...what a difference! So rejoice, our Caldrail...you are indeed (almost) famous!

Time for you to get on Facebook and put this imposter in his place! We'll make you more famous than this cheeky bastard!

Wow, sounds like a beautiful landscape! Even if the animals are weeing on cue, so to speak.

hmmmm...ok: eeeghknnorrst

What is it about relationships that are so amazing, yet so unpredictable? I mean, you date for years and years...you make some connections, but nothing that sweeps you off your feet for the majority of the time. You put yourself into periods of drought...and then you meet someone who seems to understand you so completely, so quickly...well, things just seem to fall into place. _________________________________________________________________________ My brother Matt proposed to his lady, and she did accept...that was the news of last week. In a way, I think we all kinda knew it would happen. Sure the relationship went a little fast, but it just was meant to be. That, and this sort of thing runs in my family; from the day my parents met to the day they were married was not even 11 months. Ok, it'll be longer than that for Matt and Jessica--they're planning the wedding to be in September of 2010--but they only started seeing each other like 9 months ago, and moved in together a few months ago. And she's an awesome chica; very bubbly, warm, open, kind. I'm really happy that she's going to be my sister-in-law. __________________________________________________________________________ My brother Mark, who is notorious for his lack of passion for life and lack of want for a commitment in any realm, is also seeing someone. Sarah (good name!) is an opera singer, who he met through a friend. Things have been going well, evidently...Mark's only thoughts are that, hey, he likes being around her, and she's not needy...just really down to earth and a good person. There's hope, I tells ya. __________________________________________________________________________ And me? Well, yes, there's someone new in my life, someone who has very possibly stolen my heart. No real details here, but suffice it to say that my world is definitively rosier when he's around, both instinctually and intellectually. I'm getting ready to go off for 6 days to Texas to see a couple of my best friends, and while I'm quite excited to go, there's a part of me that would love to stay around. Eh, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. Besides, I think I need a bit of away time...my head's been spinning and my heart racing for the last few days.

Keep that up, and William Wallace's ghost (or Mel Gibson) will come after you and shine a full moon in your general direction.

I'd try here, the map collection at the University of Texas: click here

Very true words, Caldrail. And to be fair, I've done my fair share of it, too...then again, there was usually a mutual understanding of the situation at hand, so to speak. Not a misrepresentation. On the flip side...there's someone new now. And he's at least twice the man this other one is. More later...this is still a developing story!

Couldn't have said it better myself! lol

I can't speak for all woman-kind, but for me it's practicality yet versatility. The first time I looked at them, I was considering a position in a very snowy area, and my little Corolla wasn't going to cut it...so it made sense. I don't like big cars at all, of any class. But if it can fit easily in a compact space, hold a bit of stuff, and get me around, then I'm all for it. Like I said, now that they've made the RAV4 bigger, it's off the list. Too big!

No, they've been getting bigger over the years...which peeves me to no end. I've been semi-in-love with the RAV4 for a while...and then saw a brand new one. They made it bigger! The whole point of why I liked it is that it was kinda small--not much longer than my Corolla. Now it's as long as an Avalon, which is quite big. Yet it's still much more cost effective than other small SUVs of its class. *sigh*

Well, by those standards, yes, we don't have to earn double Masters' degrees before entering a PhD program here. However, the reason there are too many PhDs awarded here in the States has more to do with programs allowing too many students to enter in the first place; they're cheap labor who can teach and/or assist the lower-division undergraduate courses, which frees up responsibilities for the professors. It's still quite difficult to finish a PhD here; there's as much politics as there is studying. Regardless.... Your first point is still the most valid...it depends on where your are geographically, Anakin, before much else can be said. There are a couple of threads in here where people have asked similar questions, and I'd read those, too. This one was even posed by one of our Triumviri, Viggen; and this one regarding online study. Good luck!

Yep, Omaha is a cool game...but Chicago is better: seven stud, but highest ace in the hole splits the pot. And I don't really like playing any game with wilds...less strategy involved.

Whoa...if only! Neph, you have outdone yourself on that! Brava!

Actually, I prefer Chicago, roll your own...sometimes Omaha. Depends on my mood. At any rate, Formosus, I feel relieved that you can read the depth of my personality so well...I feel I owe you something for this. Really. You have helped me seen the light. I thank you.

ROFL ok, we have to do this! gijkmnnnoouy

Yes, they have! (The blog post will come shortly...it's a bit raw right now, too much so for public viewing ) And I can be gullible...I believe people at face value, sure, but it's because I am that brutally honest with everyone. Then again, I've become pretty good at reading people; amazing what playing poker all your life will teach you

3 years for a PhD!!!! Holy crap...I took 8 for mine, because I did a difficult topic (go figure) and at a different university than my Masters. And interestingly enough, when we polled our professors, most of them (even the ones who studied in Europe) took 6 years.

Actually, it's quite easy once the right Muse comes your way. I didn't realize how easy it was to get the story out of my head! (I wish my dissertation had been this easy...yikes) The hard part is fleshing it out and sticking with it. But so many things could be turned into a story.--ok, mine is not going to be even 200 pages, as I'm really trying for a novella--with just a bit of imagination. With this one, the muse came to me in much the same situation as you described: I was sitting at my favorite coffee and pastry shop one summers evening last year, and overhead the conversation of a couple who was sitting two tables over. I swear, every single love clich

Yep, that's the guy. I dunno about being Benjamin Button (never saw the movie), but he's definitely trying to find himself. Perhaps at 39 it might be a bit late, but you never know (I want to giggle here...I shouldn't...oh what the hell...) lol And I should say that I was very proud of myself. My reactions were not emotional...I mean, I didn't raise my voice, tear up, put on a temper tantrum, etc. I did become more distant, kept trying to ask questions to figure out what the hell he was going to do. He just wants to go...he's driving up to Alaska, and then he doesn't know where he'll go. I guess he wanted me to be supportive and say something along the lines of, "oh gee, honey, go be free! I'll still be here, waiting for you!" Fuck that (pardon me). He led me to believe that this relationship was going somewhere...then a week ago said that he was going to rent out the house because he wanted to travel around a bit...then states the other night that he'll be gone for a year or more. Um, no, I'm not going to be happy about that...I got duped! So the fact that I didn't do anything but pull away quietly shocked him...clearly he doesn't really know me. Not everything about me is a big ordeal...in fact, it most often isn't. Eh, other fish...blah blah blah

Your result for The Personality Defect Test ... Capitalist Pig You are 86% Rational, 86% Extroverted, 57% Brutal, and 29% Arrogant. Capitalist Pig You are the Capitalist Pig! This means that you are less emotional than most, focusing more on logic. You are also more selfish, greedy, and care very little for the well-being of others, hence you probably hold capitalistic political views. This also means that you are particularly swinish, willing to grouse in any amount of shit for your own gain, and obese with greed. You are also an extrovert, like most of the people in the hallmark capitalistic country of America. Despite these traits, you are surprisingly not very arrogant, tending to view yourself as equal to others, just like the principle of Democracy in America. Which seems strange given that you are so mean and brutal to others at times. But despite your intentions to see others as equal, and to not be an arrogant twat, it must always be remembered that while all animals are created equal, some are more equal than others--the pigs being more equal. So while you may not be full of yourself, you certainly don't treat others with the respect they deserve. So like any farmyard pig, you are greedy, noisy, and don't care about others. The only difference between you and a pig is that you are more rational and intelligent. In conclusion, your personality defect is that you are a bit too logical, rather unemotional, way too extroverted, and also very brutal in regards to others. You may even be a bit insecure about yourself, little piggy. But at least you're not a platypus. It must suck to be a platypus, you know? All those identity issues. To put it less negatively: 1. You are more RATIONAL than intuitive. 2. You are more EXTROVERTED than introverted. 3. You are more BRUTAL than gentle. 4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant. Compatibility: Your exact opposite is the Starving Artist. Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Smartass, the Braggart, and the Spiteful Loner. _____________________________________________________ So the problem with this...why does everyone say that I'm such a nice gal? That I seem to care about others? It's not fake...but it doesn't show up here. I just also tend to be quite rational. Yeesh.

Public library, sidewalk cafe downtown, college campus...I hear this stuff all the time. I'm telling ya, it's helping me write my novel!

Whew. I made it! Well, ok, it's not quite done yet; next week is finals week, and I still have plenty of work to do before I leave for San Antonio and Austin on 4 June, but one class is completely closed for the spring, and the other two will be shortly. I'm telling you, I didn't think I would get so slammed with work. Just a couple of random musings: [*]MSNBC is reporting something that I've heard rumors about in some of the publications I get, that more and more 'traditional' 4-year universities are starting to offer Bachelors' degrees in 3 years. It's a cost-cutting move--shave a year off of your education, and it's that much debt that you (or your parents) don't have to incur. This is also coming at a time when many community colleges (which offer Associates' degrees that traditionally take 2 years to complete--the colleges I've been teaching at are of this model) are teaming up with 4-year universities to offer these Bachelors' degrees on the community college campus; Ca

I guess one should be happy that the response was an intelligible word, instead of a half-assed grumble. This time of year the sun shines brilliantly, but the fog rolls in at night and cools us off. So while it's said to get to 70'F today, the fog will cool us off well into the 50s. Sleeping with the windows open is a requirement this time of year.