Dawn's 'Blog of Random Goodness

Summer Research Opportunities.

2011-04-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't find out that these existed until after the application deadline for this summer. Instead of mourning a lost opportunity, I'm going to post some of these to my blog for next summer. Although I will most likely have an internship after my junior year, it's good to have other opportunities lined up.

The Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program (NREIP): Application opens in mid October.

http://nreip.asee.org/

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU): Most applications due by late Jan/early Feb.

List of Engineering programs: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=10006

List of Computer Information Science and Engineering programs: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=5049

Berkeley Lab Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI): Applications available Oct. 1 and due by Jan 15.

http://csee.lbl.gov/Programs/SULI/index.html

Scholarships to pursue for next year:

2011-03-10T15:30:00.000-06:00

I dragged my feet this past January/February and missed the deadlines of a lot of good scholarships, and I'm regretting it. So I'm making a list of sites here for next year, so I can prepare ahead of time.

1. NSF STEM scholarship:
Letter of intent due by July 13th, 2011; Application due Aug. 11, 2011.Must contact UC Davis financial aid office to apply.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09567/nsf09567.htm

2. The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship:

be a female student entering her senior year of undergraduate study or be enrolled in a graduate program in the 2011-2012 academic year at a university in the United States;
be enrolled in Computer Science or Computer Engineering program, or a closely related technical field as a full-time student for the 2011-2012 academic year;
maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent in your current program.

Must apply for senior year, application due by start of Feb 2012.
http://www.google.com/anitaborg/us/index.html

3. AAUW Career Development Grant:
For women changing careers, who already have a first bachelor's degree. Applications become available Aug. 1st 2012 and are due Dec. 15th 2012.
http://www.aauw.org/learn/fellowships_grants/career_development.cfm

4. AAUW Branch and State Local Scholarships: Application due Feb 15th 2012.
http://www.aauw.org/learn/awards/AAUW-Local-Scholarships-Clearinghouse.cfm

5. Mayer Foundation: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
http://foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/mayer/scholarships.html

6. The Ada Project (TAP): A clearinghouse for scholarships, projects, and other resources.
http://women.cs.cmu.edu/ada/

7. The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Educational Committee:

Enrolled in a degree program in one of the STEM fields
Either an American citizen or attending a college/university in the United States
Planning a science-based career including research or teaching
Applying for an AWIS award for the first time

They offer an Undergraduate Award: "For college students in their second or third year of study with at least one additional year remaining to complete their undergraduate degree. The application process includes a resume, essay, and two letters of reference. (Note: Freshmen and seniors are not eligible.)"

http://www.awis.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=67

8. The Society of Women Engineers:

The SWE Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to women admitted to accredited baccalaureate or graduate programs, in preparation for careers in engineering, engineering technology and computer science. In fiscal year 2010, SWE disbursed more than 170 new and renewed scholarships valued at almost $500,000.
ABET, Inc. has accredited UC-Davis

http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=222&Itemid=111

Also: The Golden West local section: http://swe-goldenwest.org/index.htm

9. The American Physical Society (APS)/IBM Research Internship for Undergraduate Women:

Must be female with sophomore or junior standing at a U.S. college or university at the time of application
Must be majoring in chemistry, physics, materials science or engineering, computer science or engineering, chemical, electrical, mechanical engineering, or biology, if it has an emphasis on one of the other areas listed
Must have a minimum 3.0 GPA
No citizenship restriction.

Application Deadline: February 1, 2012

http://www.aps.org/programs/women/scholarships/ibm/index.cfm

10. The Vanguard Women in Information Technology Scholarship Program:

"The Vanguard Women in Information Technology Scholarship Program provides merit-based scholarships of up to $10,000 to female students entering their junior or senior year of college during the 2010-2011 school year. The program’s goal is to remove financial barriers for female students who demonstrate academic excellence and are pursuing studies in computer science, computer engineering, web design or other IT-related disciplines. Scholarship checks can be used for tuition, fees, books and supplies."

Check back in August 2011.
http://www.sms.scholarshipamerica.org/vanguardwomenintechnology/

11. The Anita Borg Systers Pass-It-On (PIO) Awards:

Applications open in August 2011.
Application Deadline: October 2011.
http://anitaborg.org/initiatives/systers/pass-it-on-grants-program/

12. Talbots Women's Scholarship Fund

Be women currently residing in the United States or Canada;
Be women who earned a high school diploma or their GED on or before September 2001;
Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a full- or part-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-, three- or four-year college or university in the United States or Canada;
Be attending the full 2011-12 academic year and receiving a degree no earlier than May 2012; and
Have at least two semesters (24 credit hours or more) remaining to complete an undergraduate* degree as of the beginning of the 2011 fall academic term.

https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/talbotswomen/instructions.php

13. Microsoft Scholarships for Women and Under-Represented Minorities:

?--requires winners spend 12 weeks as an intern at Microsoft? Seems mostly for Computer Science undergrads, though they seem to invite CE undergrads as well.

http://www.microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/college.mspx#schol

I also have a whole list of scholarships from a seminar I went to last fall. I'll have to dig through that, too. But the above scholarships are a good start to my list.

Indulging in a little catharsis, and planning out my New Year's resolution.

2010-12-31T11:50:00.005-06:00

Last night I couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts swirling around in my head, all of them revolving around the ankle problems that have been making me miserable since June. I'm a very infrequent blogger, but I need somewhere to purge these thoughts that interrupted my slumber. Bear with me, if you will.

Let's rewind back to about four years ago, when the pain started. It would only happen every couple of months: I'd be walking around, in the mall or on campus, and then as my left foot met the ground I would suddenly feel a sharp pain which would last only a matter of seconds. And then just as suddenly it would be gone, as if nothing had happened.

Now let's rewind back even further to April 2001, when I fractured my left fibula, dislocating my left ankle in the process, during rugby practice. It was three days after my 25th birthday and any youthful illusions I still had of being indestructible had been shattered. Before the surgery to repair the joint, I remember my orthopedic surgeon showing me my x-ray and explaining that the integrity of the "box" housing my ankle joint had been compromised, and that if not repaired properly the joint can eventually become arthritic. Though I still remember this clearly, I ask myself now why I did not pay closer attention to this warning.

Ok, fast forward to June 2010. As I was running with Kevin, I noticed an uncomfortable pull in my left heel. But, stubborn as I am, I finished my workout anyway. Over the next couple months, the pain in my heel was accompanied by an escalation in the pains had experienced in my ankle. By August I was experiencing this pain on a daily basis. My primary doctor said I had achilles tendinitis, and that the ankle pains were related to this. Seems like a reasonable enough diagnosis.

A week later I am at the podiatrist (for a completely unrelated matter) and I ask him about these pains, telling him this is the same ankle that I injured almost ten years ago. What he told me echoed what my orthopedic surgeon explained to me almost a decade earlier, but with a twist: he said that once the integrity of the "box" that the ankle joint rests in is compromised, even after the -best- of repairs the joint is more likely to become arthritic. Essentially, what I thought my surgeon would be careful to prevent turns out to be unpreventable all along.

And so here I am, on the cusp of the new year, and my ankle hurts even when I hobble about the house. I will be going back to my primary doctor on Monday, and hopefully we can find out whether this is really arthritis or if it is simply a relapse of tendinitis, though this time in my ankle instead of my heel. Or maybe a sprain.

At any rate I have been feeling very introspective about the past few years. Yes, I did heed the warning signals and consulted my doctor back in 2007. But at the time I had a different primary doctor, one whose medical advice in many instances would eventually fail me. He had broken his leg when I was young: he fell off his skateboard and suffered a compound fracture in his lower leg. After healing he still continued to run without problems. So he told me that it was okay for me to run, to take some motrin to help with the occasional pain, and to just "suck it up". Though this advice may have worked for him, I think where our cases differed was the fact that his break did not involve a complex joint. I don't think he took this into account when he offered this advice to me.

So this means no more running for me. Ever. Even if the current pain is due to tendonitis, I think it is time for me to pay attention to the signals and take care of what is left of my ankle, so that my joint doesn't degenerate completely. It's been painful to come to terms with this. I've been running off and on since junior high, and I mourn the loss of it. By letting go of the hope of ever running again I'm also losing an activity that I shared with Kevin, and which helped bring us together. It was Kevin's participation in Grandma's Marathon in Duluth that reunited us after years apart and provided the setting for our friendship to blossom into love.

I feel a lot of regret over the decision I made a decade ago to join the rugby club when I was a student at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. Sure, it was fun. But it lasted a full four months before it was over. And now ten years later I'm still paying for it. I could still be running now if I had been more cautious then.

But now it is done, and I know it can't be undone. I can't "unbreak" my leg. The Second Law of Thermodynamics pretty much assures this. So, abiding by the laws of physics, I'm choosing to align my thoughts with the forward motion of time and the inevitable entropy. Come Monday I'll go see my doctor. My current doctor is a lot more knowledgeable and thoughtful, so I feel I am in good hands. And I'm thinking, when I'm ready to work out again, it'll be swimming for me. Before tonight I was never a fan of swimming for exercise, and I remember being one of the slowest and least efficient swimmers in my junior high gym class. But now I'm willing to give it another chance. Heck, I'm happy with the thought that there's still -some- option left for me.

I know it will get better. About this time two years ago when my TMJ was at its worst, I thought I would never recover and all I really wanted to do was curl up in fetal position from the pain and despair. Though it has been a slow process and although my jaw is not 100% healed and may not ever be, the pain has now been minimized and I have learned how to take better care of it. And I think emotionally I have grown stronger because of what I went through. So I am not without hope. If not physically, I know I will at least heal in other ways.

I tend to be cynical about New Year's resolutions. Why wait for the new year to change, when you could start today? But if I were to have one this year, it would be to rehabilitate my ankle and then get my swim on. I think it's a reasonable goal.

Hypatia of Alexandria

2010-03-24T08:00:00.018-05:00

Years ago, before we even thought of dating, my husband Kevin emailed me and suggested that if I ever have a daughter, I could name her Hypatia (I was engaged to another at that time, and Kevin's email was a congratulatory gesture, but that is another story entirely). It was about a year before I went back to school to study Computer Engineering, and I was a little intimidated about diving headlong into such a male dominated profession. So I was amazed to learn about a woman who was a prominent mathematician and astronomer and who gained the utmost respect from her male contemporaries in the 4th century, when women barely had rights at all, much less commonly held down careers in the hard sciences.

Hypatia was born somewhere between 350 and 370 A.D. to Theon Alexandricus, a mathematician who was one of the last known scholars associated with the Library of Alexandria. Hypatia collaborated with her father on many writings, but she also wrote works of her own. Among these solo projects was a commentary on the 13-volume Arithmetica by Diophantus, a commentary on the Conics of Apollonius, and editing of her father's commentary on Euclid's Elements. She is thought to have invented the hydrometer, which is used to measure the specific gravity (or relative density) of a liquid. She was also the head of the Neo-platonist school in Alexandria where she taught philosophy.

Her life was ended too soon when she became the target of those who blamed her, falsely, for the strained relations between Imperial Prefect Orestes and the Bishop Cyril. Unfortunately, her demise has sometimes overshadowed her accomplishments, as others in later generations have used accounts of her death to support their various religious (or anti-religious) views. I prefer to be inspired by what she accomplished while she was still living, which were so unique for a woman of her time.

Though I have grown increasingly more at ease with my place as a woman in a still primarily male dominated vocation, I still get excited whenever I discover new female role models in the area of mathematics or other sciences. Today is a day to honor another such woman: Ada Lovelace Day. A day created in honor of one such woman who has been credited as the first computer programmer, and to draw attention to women who have excelled in science and technology.

On my summer reading list: Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr by Michael A. B. Deakin.

Humility

2008-06-16T18:55:00.001-05:00

I particularly like this quote, as I think it encapsulates the most important lesson I learned (and hope to remember in future study) this past spring in my assembly programming class:

The competent programmer is fully aware of the limited size of his own skull. He therefore approaches his task with full humility, and avoids clever tricks like the plague.

-- Edsger W. Dijkstra, from his paper "The Humble Programmer", delivered at the 1972 Turing Award Lecture hosted by the ACM.

All your Einsteins are belong to us

2008-06-11T20:39:00.001-05:00

GENIUS HEAD: Albert Hubo is 1.4-meter-tall battery-powered walking humanoid with realistic, humanlike facial expressions. The robotic body was developed by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and the head is a creation of Hanson Robotics, a Texas company that makes interactive conversational robots.

Found at: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jun08/6329/5

Just some screen shots for a bug report

2008-05-18T20:12:00.002-05:00

A Bright Light Has Been Extinguished...

2008-03-18T23:43:00.002-05:00

Arthur C. Clarke, 90, Science Fiction Writer, Dies :(

Three Little Kittens ,,,=^n_n^=,,,

2007-12-18T18:21:00.001-06:00

Three little kittens they lost their mittens, and they began to cry,
"Oh mother dear, we sadly fear that we have lost our mittens."
"What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie."
"Meeow, meeow, meeow, now we shall have no pie."
The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh mother dear, see here, see here
For we have found our mittens."
"Put on your mittens, you silly kittens
And you shall have some pie"
"Meeow, meeow, meeow,
Now let us have some pie."
The three little kittens put on their mittens
And soon ate up the pie,
"Oh mother dear, we greatly fear
That we have soiled our mittens."
"What! soiled you mittens, you naughty kittens!"
Then they began to cry, "Meeow, meeow, meeow"
Then they began to sigh.
The three little kittens they washed their mittens
And hung them out to dry,
"Oh mother dear, do you not hear
That we have washed our mittens."
"What! washed your mittens, you are good kittens."
But I smell a rat close by,
"Meeow, meeow, meeow" we smell a rat close by...

Musing on Yoshi's polydactyly reminded me of this nursery rhyme. What a good little kitten he is. ^_^

Oh, yeah.... Kevvy and I now have two kittens. Yuki and Yoshi. For more on this, go here.

I Love Intelligent Humor :D

2007-03-14T16:15:00.000-05:00

"Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers."

~ Stephen Fry: "Language Conversation" from A Bit of Fry and Laurie

While watching this sketch, I couldn't help but think of Noam Chomsky, and his famous meaningless sentence "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously". Consequently, I was not surprised when I found Fry's turn of phrase in the above article. Apparently someone else has already made the same connection. :D

At any rate, I have discovered a British comedy series that I want to see more of! For those of you who don't immediately recognize Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, think Blackadder. Or for those on the western side of "the pond" think V is for Vendetta and House, MD.

01d 5k001 1337 h4xx0r

2007-02-25T15:32:00.001-06:00

...at least I think that's how one would write it, if one were into 1337 5p34k. :P

Anyway, the person I am referring to is one Richard Stallman, who gave two talks at UC Berkeley this past week -- one on Wed. and one on Fri. -- about the importance of free (as in freedom, not price) software. Richard Stallman (for those of you who may not know) is one of the original "hackers" who worked at MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab in the 1970's. In 1984 he left MIT to start the GNU project and the Free Software Foundation. He is the creator of the GPL (Gnu Public License) and the originator of Copyleft (upon which the GPL was built). He's also the princpal author of the GNU/Linux operating system, the GNU compiler collection, the Emacs editor and the GNU symbolic debugger, among other programs.

It was well worth the hour and a half one-way journey to Berkeley on both days to hear him speak. I would elaborate, but My boyfriend took extensive notes and made entries in his blog for the talks on Wednesday and Friday , so I will be lazy and direct you there. Lots o' good stuff. :D

Also a video of the talks should be posted within the next week on UC Berkeley's EECS Website under "Colloquium".

In other news, I am back in school this semester, taking Trigonometry and Algorithm and Design Problems. The trig is review for me, so I am at the top of the class (100% baby!). The CS class is a bit of review so far, with the exception of the analysis of pre- and post- conditions of algorithms. It's a bit odd, though, for me that the course is being taught in pseudocode, rather than a specific programming language. It makes sense because these are concepts that span all programming languages. But I tend to be more of a hands-on learner, so I would like to be able to compile and run these things.

So I found myself blowing the dust off my C++ book yesterday so I could put it into practice. It was scary how rusty I have become in just a semester away from it. But I think this'll help me solidify what I'm learning in the class. I'll get the opportunity to learn more about how to use Code::blocks this way, too. In my spare time I've been wanting to learn Python, so I'll probably end up applying some of the class problems in this language, too.

The Fuzzy Neighbor

2006-08-29T20:21:00.000-05:00

We have a most unusual squirrel in the neighborhood... he (she) is black with a red tail. This furry character makes frequent appearances around my apartment. I've been wanting to catch him (her) on film since I moved in here, and last weekend Kevvy and I finally succeeded -- with the help of the bird feeder in the backyard.

It was oddly endearing watching the squirrel hang from his (her) hind legs and grab seed from the trough to munch on. Even if it did mean less seed for the birds.

In-Tents!

2006-08-23T19:11:00.000-05:00

Pun intended. ^___^

Kevvy and I got a tent from ebay for our trip West. Today we set it up for the first time. The above photos demonstrate what we ended up with. Kevvy is modelling the first stage of assembly. And I am showing off the finished product, complete with rainfly.

Kevvy's Here! ^_^

2006-08-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

Here he is, collapsed on my bed with Claude and Ra. Looks like he's still suffering a little from the jet lag. Isn't he cute when he's sweepy? :D

Three Words: Weirdest Movie Ever.

2006-08-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

That would be how I would sum up the movie "Six-String Samurai"
directed by Lance Mungia and starring Jeffrey Falcon. It's a parody on samurai films, Buddy Holly, Western films, post-apocalyptic films, and a little bit of everything else thrown in. I thought "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was weird... I thought "Brazil" was pretty unusual. But this film takes the cake!

While I was watching it today, I couldn't decide if I was enjoying it or not. But by the end I decided it was one of my new favorites.

I firmly believe the Writers/Directors must have been on crack while making this film, though.

The Fifth Horseman.

2006-08-17T16:59:00.000-05:00

"Who's Afwaid of a Widdle Apokowips?"

Uncyclopedia has some great images!

Also: my favorite article of the day is on the new software called Potatochop.

Inspirational Quote of the Day.

2006-08-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."

-- Henry Ford.

2006-08-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

I submit, for your approval (and if you don't approve -- tough. :P ), two songs that have been playing in my mind today:

1. Wall of Voodoo's Mexican Radio from their 1990 album Call of the West. Here's the video.

2. This one's been on my mind since I was on vacation in Cali. It's The Fray's How to Save a Life, from their 2005 album of the same name. This be the video.

"It's a phone with appeal!"

2006-07-24T11:34:00.000-05:00

This song is dedicated to -YOU- Kevvy! ^_^

It got stuck in my head this morning, and now it will be stuck in yours. I love you!

Oh, and there's the high-speed, badger inducing version as well.

Learn all about the song, written by Raffi.

Happy Birfday, Cammie!

2006-07-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

My niece had her 5th birthday this past week. It made me feel old. That aside, it was a fun time. Cake was eaten, presents were open, and all the little rugrats from my sister's neighborhood went swimming in the kiddie pool. Oh, and cammie showed off her new rollerblades. She is pretty good with them for her age. Cammie seems to have much more boldness when it comes to learning things like skating or how to ride a bike than either her mother or I were when we were little.... Cammie has had her training wheels off her bike for a year now. I didn't get that far until I was 6. And she's a whiz with puzzles. I'm proud of her!

Whenever I look at her, I can't help thinking how much she looks like her mother when she was that age. It's a bit haunting.

Cammie's such a joy to me, though. She's helped me to feel not so shy around kids. And I can't wait to be a mom.... I hope when I have kids someday they are as cute and as silly as she is!

2006-07-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

More flowers were sent to me by my Kevvy! ^___^

I found these by my entryway, as I did the rose, and I took in the poor orphan flowers to care for as my own. They were a happy, stress-relieving surprise, after a not-so-good day at work.

The Kanji character on my mousepad means "love", which fits in well with the pictures. And the card (in case is too small to be read) says "I love you! Kevin XOXOXOXO"

It feels good to know that I am loved so deeply. They are my favorite color, too!

Thank you, my Kevvy! You are so thoughtful, and I love you!

Musical Goodness.

2006-07-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

Heard the following songs on the radio tonight, on my station of choice -- Drive 105:

AFI's Miss Murder on their latest release (June 6, 2006) Decemberunderground. Here is the Video.

And then Gomez with their latest single How We Operate from ther May 2, 2006 album of the same name. Video.

Pwetty Fwower!

2006-07-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

About a week ago I came home from a rotten evening at the office and I found this rose, wrapped in paper, outside my apartment door. Kevvy, my love, had this delivered for me. It brightened my whole evening, and soon forgot the stress of the evening.

It has bloomed very nicely, and I have managed to keep it looking lively with the help of lots of plant food. I have never had a rose bloom like this for me, and it is a rather nice feeling. Sort of a metaphor for how my relationship with Kevin has progressed thus far.

I really wanted him to see it, so I took pictures today, while it was still in full bloom.

Thank you for the pwetty rose. I love you Kevvy!

Cyclamen Plant for Kevvy

2006-07-12T14:46:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the type of plant I owned in college (not the actual plant itself as, alas, I never took any pictures of it), during my feeble attempt at greenthumbery. My beloved cyclamen plant, which I adored greatly for its purple pedals that curl upward as the flowers open. This is its story, and its name has been changed (to protect the innocent) to Herbert.

I wanted so much to be a good plant owner. One day, I thought: "I'll do a good thing for Herbert, and set him in the windowsill to give him some sunshine!" And so I set him in the second story window of the house where I was staying that summer. I left, and when I came home later, the wind had blown poor Herbert off of the windowsill and onto the floor. Half of Herbert was smashed, and try as I did I couldn't revive him. Days later he wilted completely.

I was saddened at the loss of such a dear plant.

It's the Birthday Boy!

2006-07-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Kevvy!

I wish I could be with you on this day, and celebrate it with you to its fullest. I hope you are having a great day so far. My thoughts are with you.

I love you!

True Wuv

2006-07-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

At the risk of being labeled a "copycat".... I post for your approval: Kevvy and Dawny. Took this picture just before going to work on a Wednesday, when Kevin was visiting. Although we have known each other for years, our relationship in its newest incarnation is only weeks old. It has been a beautiful experience thus far, and the shared activities and conversations have been wonderful. I miss you, Kevvy, now that you are away. I love you, and am thinking of you.

Link-O-Rama

2006-06-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

Video for Kevvy

From a british band called "Hard Fi" -- Kind of a depressing song, but I liked the video concept. Creative goodness.

Whatcha' think?

Also, can't wait to see Body Worlds on Wednesday at the Science Museum! The East Side Math Brawlers will be chillin with the homies in the Experiment Gallery (aka, "Da 'Hood"), too. ;)

URL's for Kevvy

2006-06-22T08:18:00.000-05:00

I was looking at your post a few months back about extreme marathons, and I remembered reading about this one:

http://www.great-wall-marathon.com/

Also, links about the virtuoso banjo player Bela Fleck:

http://www.belafleck.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_Fleck

http://www.flecktones.com/welcome.asp

And, last but not least, a song by another banjo player. The song that his grandmother used to sing to him when he was just a little boy (or so he claims :P ):

Be Courteous (The Grandmother's Song)

Be courteous, kind, and forgiving
Be gentle and peaceful each day
Be warm and human and grateful
And have a good thing to say

Be thoughtful and trustful and childlike
Be witty and happy and wise
Be honest and love all your neighbors
Be obsequious, purple and clairvoyant

Be sure to stop at stop signs
And drive fifty-five miles an hour
Pick up hitchhikers foaming at the mouth
And when you get home get a master's degree in geology

Be pompous, obese, and eat cactus
Be dull and boring and omnipresent
Criticize things you don't know about
Be oblong and have your knees removed

(Ladies only) Never make love to Bigfoot
(Men only) Hello, my name is Bigfoot
(Everyone) Put a live chicken in your underwear
Go into a closet and suck eggs

- Steve Martin

Look Ma! It's a 'blog!

2006-06-21T13:06:00.000-05:00

I may or may not become too serious about this blogging thing. But others I know are here, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon (so much for originality).

But alas, work beckons. So I must write more later.