tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74591471982386216242024-03-07T10:54:53.306-08:00The ListThe contents of this blog will "evoke questions about study design, methodology, and the relative paucity of firmly supporting data... nevertheless the concept may provoke thought."Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-12948718458228965162012-02-29T08:31:00.002-08:002012-02-29T08:33:44.546-08:00Once Every 4 Years...I felt like I should post today, as it's February 29... Will I still be blogging in 4 years? Who knows, as I am barely doing it now! It's funny how life works...Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-65800794989984337512010-09-29T12:57:00.000-07:002010-09-29T12:58:05.489-07:00More quotes from your favorite forensic scientist<p>The following are quotes from our favorite forensic scientist, unless noted:</p> <p><span style="font-style: italic;">"You should all go to court."</span> Student: <span style="font-style: italic;">"What do you suggest we go to court for?"</span></p> <p>Pointing to an image of a gun: <span style="font-style: italic;">"You'd rather be at this end</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">[the stock] than at this end [muzzle]. This end will hurt!"</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;">"I am on record in State Courts having to explain why I was giggling while talking to the jury about semen."</p> <p>On the cleanliness of hotel rooms: <span style="font-style: italic;">"I wouldn't take a polylight to a hotel room, unless you want to go [makes disgusted face] "eww!" "Eww!""</span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;">"You've got to take your hunger break when you're killing someone."</p> <p style="font-style: italic;">"Yes, I have found myself in some of my crime scene samples before..."</p> <p>Explaining that urine in an excellent source of DNA evidence:<span style="font-style: italic;"> "Guys, you should never write your name in the snow if you're going to commit a crime..."</span></p>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-49983855723693153872010-08-09T06:34:00.000-07:002010-08-09T06:39:15.958-07:00Pass it on...My illustrious, <a href="http://www.labspaces.net/blog/305/Bugger">blog-hopping brother</a> posed the following (well, it was posed to him, and he was good enough to share...):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span><span class="article">Sum up your blogging motivation, philosophy and experience in exactly 10 words.<br /><br />Now, <span style="font-style: italic;">unlike him</span>, I will not write a long answer to this and then sum it up in 10 words. Anybody could do that! I will instead tackle the problem directly. So here it is:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I blog because I am not witty enough to tweet!</span><br /></span>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-39367598890396861262010-07-22T14:23:00.000-07:002010-07-22T14:28:14.166-07:00Photos from the Mock Crime Scene<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdUwI7pfk3AYYEhnNwrCkL2HRGXHlX6WH1eDEX8u6PPEezvu3wfOIFDbZZE9UESGWLE3Ep4novixi90ouwVzi9JhVTaM1UHvPpVw7y1Af-I2ufuINOrINciwNeZBDcg5smsXvcUkkD24/s1600/4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdUwI7pfk3AYYEhnNwrCkL2HRGXHlX6WH1eDEX8u6PPEezvu3wfOIFDbZZE9UESGWLE3Ep4novixi90ouwVzi9JhVTaM1UHvPpVw7y1Af-I2ufuINOrINciwNeZBDcg5smsXvcUkkD24/s320/4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496845103475803250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMX65XdcRPZ3J8z1n9LrzEN1n6KaX1EkA4hbL6uCcUc1duh5SQH6afktRiDcbVghPm2BKM2jSbIueysxGlqzR3blF7xSG58E74ALjUk2_ZbIcUmxKl6hi5Jy0Wir0RCNvq3KJ8RGuAB8/s1600/3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMX65XdcRPZ3J8z1n9LrzEN1n6KaX1EkA4hbL6uCcUc1duh5SQH6afktRiDcbVghPm2BKM2jSbIueysxGlqzR3blF7xSG58E74ALjUk2_ZbIcUmxKl6hi5Jy0Wir0RCNvq3KJ8RGuAB8/s320/3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496845099926480530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5ZHYcyG8AklD7ueAc20naGdhl8BPoOZ9Oo-aAx0sNZAzIwVhNbGpoe527hm8mY4JgKEZezAPkrDOjlvWs4pHuWHA6TqIQd5P3PrRNnrR6fkCoj9hB2bjJ9RlB4RiPnfm4cn00b-7lXM/s1600/2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5ZHYcyG8AklD7ueAc20naGdhl8BPoOZ9Oo-aAx0sNZAzIwVhNbGpoe527hm8mY4JgKEZezAPkrDOjlvWs4pHuWHA6TqIQd5P3PrRNnrR6fkCoj9hB2bjJ9RlB4RiPnfm4cn00b-7lXM/s320/2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496845089055244658" border="0" /></a><br />Sorry it took so long, but here are a few pictures from our mock crime scene. Enjoy!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-53585120182345040272010-05-28T13:57:00.000-07:002010-05-28T14:00:55.560-07:00Another email with the forensic scientist..."I don't remember if I told you much about the mock scene, but it's based on a crime scene we worked back in about '03 where a guy was beaten, stabbed and shot (we discovered that later...great story I can tell you later). The mock scene, however, only involves the beating and stabbing. It should be a pretty easy scene to lay out. It will require a little bit of clean up afterward, <span style="font-style: italic;">but don't they all!</span> We have all the things here to lay out the scene, <span style="font-style: italic;">including the body</span>, so I'll figure out about how long it'll take me to get the scene laid out, with some help from a couple of you, and we can plan from there on."<br /><br />Love it!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-41551087369866099372010-05-26T08:36:00.000-07:002010-05-26T08:46:16.391-07:00Life lessons from a forensic scientist...As promised, here are some life lessons from my favorite forensic scientist (as shared with our students).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Revenge:</span><br />"... don't pee on someone's jacket, it's just not nice"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Career choices:</span><br />"... if you work in forensics, it helps if you have a perverse sense of humor"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Being a criminal:</span><br />"... being a criminal is a hungry business"<br />"... if you're breaking into a house, remember to take your clothes with you"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lawyers:</span><br />"There are some prosecutors that I wonder "how did they make it through law school... and how are they still breathing?""<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carrying a fire-arm:</span><br />"I get 10 bullets... 5 to shoot at the suspect, and 5 to shoot while running away"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The call of nature:</span><br />"I love our new crime scene truck. It has a toilet!"<br />"... if you've got to go, and there's no where that you can go... it gets painful!"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Job perks:</span><br />"... I got to drive 100 mph down the highway... it was awesome!"<br />"... this was the first time I had to swab blood from feces"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crime scene equipment:</span><br />"... you never know when you'll need a shovel"<br />"There are two ends to a measuring tape, the smart end and the dumb end... I prefer the dumb end"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Student:</span> "Why do so many people need to be contacted to send a forensic unit to a crime scene?"<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Forensic Scientist:</span> "That's a really good question... people need to justify their jobs"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The great outdoors:</span><br />"... me, I'm one of those weird people, I don't mind the smell of skunk"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hygiene:</span><br />"... in your lifetime, you should throw your shoes away."<br />"I had a buddy who ran over a bloated possum once. . couldn't get the stink off for weeks"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to be an effective criminal:</span><br />"... a gunshot to the head is more likely to produce blowback than one to the abdomen... especially if its a fat guy"<br />"... if you're going to injure someone, don't do it on carpet"<br />"If you break into someone's house. .. take the chicken leg with you"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips on being a victim:</span><br />"If you're getting beat up, make sure to throw out a contact lens."<br />". . you don't want to come across my desk."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Random facts:</span><br />"...there's a lot of blood in a 300lb man"<br />"It would take 7.2 trillion sperm to reach from here to the moon"Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-65053700736760967672010-05-21T13:32:00.000-07:002010-05-21T13:42:20.533-07:00Did I mention that I loved my job...?I have been trying to organize a mock crime scene for one of our classes during the summer. We have a friend in the state bureau of investigation who has been helping me, and here is a quote from one of his emails:<br /><br />"Do you have any idea what kind of scene you might want, or do you just want whatever? Shooting, stabbing, beating, strangulation? A combination of a few or all? We've had scenes before where the victim was shot, stabbed and beaten. We've even had one where the guy was shot, dismembered, burned (not completely though), then dumped in a well. I'm thinking you probably would want to keep it to a basic shooting, stabbing, or beating, but not necessarily all three."<br /><br />I love forensics people...Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-85307586412848225612010-03-13T07:37:00.001-08:002010-03-13T13:32:13.184-08:00Me and Indy...Dum da da dum, dum da dum! Dum da da dum, dum da dum dum dum!!!<br /><br />Ah, Indiana Jones! Generations know the theme song off by heart and remember Indy shooting the sword-wielding dude... Okay, maybe only I remember the second bit!<br /><br />One of my readers asked me to share my Indiana Jones story from a previous blog. Acutally there are two, completely unrelated Indiana Jones stories I will bore you with... Because I can!<br /><br />When I was in high school I use to catch the bus. All 6 busses lined up in a row and waited until they were full, or they had to leave. Normally I was pretty punctual to catch the bus home, but I'd had a less than punctual week and had missed a couple of busses. I really needed to make the next bus!<br /><br />I'm walking to the bus with some friends, feeling like I'm on time, when we reach the back of the sixth bus in line (my bus was third in line). As I look up, I see my bus beginning to leave!! I can't miss this bus, so I start to run! As I get closer to the bus, I realize the door is still open. I grab the pole in the doorway and swing myself onto the bus... ending up sitting on the floor next to the driver! I'm sure they weren't impressed, but they didn't throw me off and I made the bus!<br /><br />Next day, I meet up with one of my friends who saw my mad dash for the bus. He proudly announced that he started humming the theme from Indiana Jones the minute I started running for the bus!<br /><br />Now, that was not the Indiana Jones story that was requested, but I thought I'd tell it anyway. Here's the requested one...<br /><br />As mentioned in a previous post, I made the second round of interviews for a job at a national intelligence agency. This required a trip the national capital for a series of individual and group activities (to see if I had the right stuff).<br /><br />One such activity had three parts: We were taken out into the grounds of the venue to study a prepared situation laid out before us. Next, we were interviewed separately to describe the situation and how we would approach it, before finally working as a group to overcome the situation.<br /><br />During my interview, I described what I saw: A series of obstacles needed to be overcome as the group would make their way through a passage to a central area. In this area was a large tarp with a small trinket in the center. I felt that the trinket was the object of the challenge.<br /><br />I felt I was not clearly explaining this last part, so I called upon Indy: "You remember the scene from Indiana Jones, when Indy is stealing the golden statue and used a bag of sand to prevent the boobie-traps from being sprung? Well that's what we're going to need to do here..."<br /><br />I did not get the job...Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-80432632790557972652010-02-26T06:45:00.000-08:002010-02-26T07:33:44.135-08:00Green cards aren't actually green... and the real story about how I got here.I got my green card in the mail today... It's not green, though I knew that would be the case. It's quite alright with me, because it means I can stay here. I don't have to worry about doing something stupid and being sent home (and we all know I'm capable of stupid!). I can be here with my wife, and that's all I want.<br /><br />It got me thinking... How did I <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> end up here? I know some of my audience (probably 2 out of the 4) will think "you flew in a number of large airplanes for a very long time", which is technically correct, but it's not the whole story.<br /><br />For the whole story, my readers need to hear about a missing professor, a missing vaccination, and a lack of intelligence and organization...<br /><br />When I completed my undergraduate degree, I knew I wanted to do my honours year under the supervision of Professor HPLC on forensic analysis. We had talked about possible projects at the end of 3rd year, so I was ahead of the game. Come orientation week for us honours students (yes computer, that is how you spell "honours"...), I was feeling good about my plans, and paid only scant attention to the projects being offered by other professors. One professor, who was known for his easy grading but of who I wasn't a huge fan, did offer a forensics project... I took mild interest.<br /><br />Nearing the end of the second day of talks on the offered projects it became apparent that my chosen professor wasn't due to talk. While this seemed strange, we had 3 students already showing interest in his work (the maximum allowed number), so we figured he was just not bothering to tell the other honours students his research. Still, the 3 of us found him and eventually convinced him to talk to the honours class. He seemed rather uninterested in presenting... At the end of the day, we put in out 3 choices for our honours projects, with the matches being announced at the end of the week.<br /><br />Friday comes, and I am asked to go talk with the honours coordinator and the head of department... along with the other 2 prospective Professor HPLC students... We were each told that Professor HPLC was leaving the department, and that we had 1 hour to choose a new honours project!!! Of course, we spent the first half of our time tracking down this professor and giving him a piece of our minds (having worked in academia for a while now, I realize that the professor couldn't really tell us before it was official, but it's still frustrating).<br /><br />With 1/2 hour left to find a lab, I approached the professor with the other forensic project... I announced my presence by slamming open the lab door (yes, you can slam <span style="font-style: italic;">open</span> a door!). I found the professor to be sympathetic to my situation and very enthusiastic about taking me on as a student... While I still felt somewhat unsettled, I had found my lab...<br /><br />At the end of my honours year, I applied for a PhD scholarship. I didn't get one at first and went looking for a job. I got an interview for a chemist position at a government forensic lab. The interview went well and they were looking for me to start straight away (while it was only a short-term position, I could see it leading to a full time forensic job!). They finally asked if I had my Hepatitis B vaccination... I did not. It requires a course of 3 injections over several weeks, so the job didn't work out (the vaccination was required for the position).<br /><br />Eventually I managed to get a PhD scholarship and completed a PhD in the lab of my honours professor.<br /><br />Nearing the end of my PhD, I began a job search. I cast my net fairly wide, not just forensics, but medical science, biochemistry, and even non-scientific jobs. One such job was joining my country's intelligence organization (I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you!). I ended up making it to the 2 round of interviews, which included a 3 day trip to the nation's capital. Despite enjoying the trip, I did not get the position (maybe taking copious photos while I was there and invoking "Indiana Jones" in part of the interview were not great ideas...), and I returned home to a phone interview for a postdoc in a pathology lab.<br /><br />I got that job, came over here, met a wonderful woman, got my current job, got married, and yesterday my green card came in the mail... Did I mention that it's not actually green?Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-82489865464701423302010-01-26T06:53:00.000-08:002010-01-26T06:55:19.317-08:00Happy Australia Day!It might be a bit late for the Aussies back home, but happy Australia Day to all the Aussies out there. Enjoy the sand, beer, meat pies, and cricket!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-60902600122634905312009-11-13T06:45:00.001-08:002009-11-13T06:51:53.545-08:00A Friday Funny!Our students interact on an online forum when not in class. While their posts are often be interesting, the following exchange between two students made me laugh out loud...<br /><br />(Of course, identities have been changed to protect the innocent...)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Student A</span> - "So a few of weeks ago, i was discussing with Student X and Student Y the possibility of genetically engineering humans to where we're really short. I'm not really sure if this is very realistic but if it were/is possible don't you think it would be extremely beneficial? And not just to us but to the environment as well? Because i mean being shorter would require less space, less stuff to eat, less water (in a way) and pretty much less everything!"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Student B </span>- "But then our pets could eat us."Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-24741015099940409212009-09-28T07:03:00.000-07:002009-09-28T07:07:28.732-07:00Quotable quotes...I came across these while searching for something online... Enjoy!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Douglas Adams - </span><br />"The most misleading assumptions are the ones you don’t even know you’re making."<br /><br />"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."<br /><br />"A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."<br /><br />"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Franklin P. Adams - </span><br />"I find that a great part of the information I have was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Scott Adams - </span><br />"Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anonymous - </span><br />"An engineer thinks that his equations are an approximation to reality. A physicist thinks reality is an approximation to his equations. A mathematician doesn’t care."<br /><br />"A couple of months in the lab can often save a couple of hours in the library."<br /><br />"Confidence: The feeling you have before you understand the situation."<br /><br />"Statistics means never having to say you’re certain."<br /><br />"The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was."<br /><br />"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Isaac Asimov - </span><br />"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny. . . ”."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burt Bacharach - </span><br />"A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the word you first thought of."Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-74923195777563759662009-09-19T06:37:00.001-07:002009-09-19T06:40:49.562-07:00Just the right thing for a Friday afternoon...Yesterday afternoon I received the following departmental email:<br /><br />"A bright green frog was found by the Building X elevators on the 4th floor. Does this frog belong to anyone in a research area? (This is not a joke and its not even a full moon). If this frog is unclaimed, do you know anyone that wants it? I am not not that fond of frogs!"<br /><br />Shortly afterwards, the following reply was sent to the whole department:<br /><br />"This is your chance…..Kiss it."<br /><br />Ah, Friday!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-19885037500531956162009-08-13T09:51:00.000-07:002009-08-13T09:54:58.349-07:00If I am a secret agent, it's news to me...I got an email from a workmate today, and for a moment I thought I was a spy...<br /><br />"... and if you wouldn't mind looking for it, I have a scrap piece of white paper on my desk or in my black folder that has several PI names in someone else's handwriting and 2 names written in the bottom right corner in my scribble. I was wondering it you could tell me those 2 names (one's last name is Pickup)..."<br /><br />Contact the people written on the fry-pan... Where's Whoopi Goldberg when you need her?Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-17059688921966801912009-07-22T08:47:00.000-07:002009-07-22T08:57:38.657-07:00HoneymoonIt's almost time for Sweetie and I to go on our honeymoon... We're going on the first week of August, actually! We've had the date booked for over a month, but we had no idea what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go... Right up until Sunday night (actually, our search parameters got narrower the Friday before, after I realized that the visa in my passport that allows me to re-enter the US had expired... No overseas honeymoon for us!). So, you might ask, where are Sweetie and I going? Drum roll please... No drum role?.. Budget cuts?.. Oh well...<br /><br />We're going to ride a train! Two actually! Now, this may seem a bit boring, so allow me to explain: We're flying to Los Angeles, spending a day and then taking the Coastal Starlight (sleeper) up the coast to Seattle. We'll spend two nights there before hopping on the Empire Builder (sleeper again) to Chicago. One more night and a short flight back home. We're very excited!!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-18797581273297649472009-06-23T14:23:00.001-07:002009-06-23T14:23:47.517-07:00My cyborb name (everyone else is doing it...)<p align="center"><a href="http://cyborg.namedecoder.com"><br /><img src="http://cyborg.namedecoder.com/webimages/governor3k3-GOOSE.png" width="240" height="180" alt="General Organism Optimized for Sabotage and Exploration" border="0"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://cyborg.namedecoder.com"><small>Get Your Cyborg Name</small></a></p>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-51702253272418678352009-06-15T14:30:00.000-07:002009-06-15T15:03:08.039-07:00Science BadgesWell, I was going to blog about some interesting stories I heard recently, but Odyssey's blog lead me to <a href="http://www.scq.ubc.ca/sciencescouts/">Science Scouts</a>. Here are the badges I qualify for...<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/creameji/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-6.jpg" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5ezhOk7s_mx698IhifIwGTUxTSwteDFa94j1OUl_yR1Mi1M0LDkflqHnT_Nrl-Ktc0rCpcixdGiB9lmWIZbOvSn0Z9DhIhmhfLrUsPje8UQjzojHlo-avSl1-y6YfW6774Ih2XKxYHA/s1600-h/97twitter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5ezhOk7s_mx698IhifIwGTUxTSwteDFa94j1OUl_yR1Mi1M0LDkflqHnT_Nrl-Ktc0rCpcixdGiB9lmWIZbOvSn0Z9DhIhmhfLrUsPje8UQjzojHlo-avSl1-y6YfW6774Ih2XKxYHA/s320/97twitter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347671145984111474" border="0" /></a><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The “I use tw</span><span style="font-size:100%;">itter to spread science” badge</span></h2><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19BJCOZQpTA2Qi6IW1DSHrdVmwR5J-OwX6vmnkRx7FmfzNYhZHntzBbUODCAeLQ-0gcjvx4DJkVEEURJ7x0u7XqHueHIKk8w4fYZgIeU-GZOnWt9qNRV4w0LR6UM2rTMmx1n88yZ1cHQ/s1600-h/74explain1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19BJCOZQpTA2Qi6IW1DSHrdVmwR5J-OwX6vmnkRx7FmfzNYhZHntzBbUODCAeLQ-0gcjvx4DJkVEEURJ7x0u7XqHueHIKk8w4fYZgIeU-GZOnWt9qNRV4w0LR6UM2rTMmx1n88yZ1cHQ/s320/74explain1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347671929882334610" border="0" /></a><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The “non-explainer” badge (LEVEL I) [At least this use to be the case...]<br /></span></h2><br /><br /><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3DAyHJNovq1KFuGI2rNJtQUckJ0F9GT0NwELl-MSodV4FSD_XQ9EDclhIk0W1dumjiTRgM3Uywq5fWyjoVqtbmVTmJcjVrkJ_z4D8L9d0Jz2ICZFTR4Y5RAVHVz3f15L_G4XmLM305Y/s1600-h/56acid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3DAyHJNovq1KFuGI2rNJtQUckJ0F9GT0NwELl-MSodV4FSD_XQ9EDclhIk0W1dumjiTRgM3Uywq5fWyjoVqtbmVTmJcjVrkJ_z4D8L9d0Jz2ICZFTR4Y5RAVHVz3f15L_G4XmLM305Y/s320/56acid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347672353050941538" border="0" /></a></h2><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">T</span><span style="font-size:100%;">he “</span><span style="font-size:100%;">wo</span><span style="font-size:100%;">rks with acids” badge</span></h2><br /><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGqGkxlLRaxKPt39SSSFc50-Dc1fhbwuCd1-vzURNk2c4OF5_3Y9y05PYBp6CTwgIDvmxDK9GZ9Zin3iI5vogvduRUt6H38p50uEMnTT6gyhiOCf12LlttBvCluGaXe-dZ_jUYszJIZU/s1600-h/55alternative.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGqGkxlLRaxKPt39SSSFc50-Dc1fhbwuCd1-vzURNk2c4OF5_3Y9y05PYBp6CTwgIDvmxDK9GZ9Zin3iI5vogvduRUt6H38p50uEMnTT6gyhiOCf12LlttBvCluGaXe-dZ_jUYszJIZU/s320/55alternative.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347673302010377474" border="0" /></a></h2><br /><br />The “working on alternative fuels” badge [It's a bit of a stretch, but...]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03GbA-HcQ5rQ1lkmMNJOMNaykKT407SB3MxF39GIFJlq4vfqyGE93nw7-SMDz3gYE4Fv5vp7KjIogwHXMJgOSTN8inFekTjd5miSe4sJD9wPtQq1_d_m8g_PlOUF6pnyPzdBP2kHjmHQ/s1600-h/47stats.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03GbA-HcQ5rQ1lkmMNJOMNaykKT407SB3MxF39GIFJlq4vfqyGE93nw7-SMDz3gYE4Fv5vp7KjIogwHXMJgOSTN8inFekTjd5miSe4sJD9wPtQq1_d_m8g_PlOUF6pnyPzdBP2kHjmHQ/s320/47stats.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347673969481144706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The “statistical linear regression” badge<br /><br /><br /><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdMdZR85py_vh8nzt6WEOc7uf8Nwm81IDZjr8OUSs8APeWDbQtntLRz2PuT9DoTFqbWtWYFu8Vxixf9K1oPIA4T7sIkYScdPN443KFu5pPrX32dOQ08BpipjQtaxEKH44o3GcIOexh8g/s1600-h/43transdiscplinary.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdMdZR85py_vh8nzt6WEOc7uf8Nwm81IDZjr8OUSs8APeWDbQtntLRz2PuT9DoTFqbWtWYFu8Vxixf9K1oPIA4T7sIkYScdPN443KFu5pPrX32dOQ08BpipjQtaxEKH44o3GcIOexh8g/s320/43transdiscplinary.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347674435063401458" border="0" /></a></h2><br /><br />The “somewhat confused as to what scientific field I actually belong to” badge<br />[So been there!]<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9UcnM08y2wuZbKHKMppS0a_b-3ZsdDovtaGltGiiiOlgCHPt2fz1sdBXuEe9s7kJCMROJZUjD-TPTddrz0JDCsyyS0NFDhjzVh_-YuulGLHSynXLvLtww1CrWSoRvjSYnDKMV3hHYlA/s1600-h/42medical.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9UcnM08y2wuZbKHKMppS0a_b-3ZsdDovtaGltGiiiOlgCHPt2fz1sdBXuEe9s7kJCMROJZUjD-TPTddrz0JDCsyyS0NFDhjzVh_-YuulGLHSynXLvLtww1CrWSoRvjSYnDKMV3hHYlA/s320/42medical.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347674860150881362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>The “science has forced me to seek medical attention” badge [More than once!]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWsQG-F7deg26z-Kr1i7TY0hCS00otXSkvzU8OTi5DyKWaEgYznVU1JEoXwCVOjqX4iNcL4G-z2KGMgpgEMRqwA39_eXrFVWdMjz87JHYGIdcW1nJbQKN9vV0fVylheH9HFjNOq58ghM/s1600-h/41exothermic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWsQG-F7deg26z-Kr1i7TY0hCS00otXSkvzU8OTi5DyKWaEgYznVU1JEoXwCVOjqX4iNcL4G-z2KGMgpgEMRqwA39_eXrFVWdMjz87JHYGIdcW1nJbQKN9vV0fVylheH9HFjNOq58ghM/s320/41exothermic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347675265959251634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The “totally digs highly exothermic reactions” badge [Who doesn't?]<br /><br /><br /><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFPV2s2RTejNg_qpdSH8g-mNOjlTbOGWxegYd3IE6UoTmSqjW7OSq7WmpnRjAnQg_9pNMJkilah22AGjl2ilUypuUFXJEYZWjSqqCoe6u6q6jNbg9I8XHfpEQrCinP_iX-hRU5JUzTpc/s1600-h/36cloner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlFPV2s2RTejNg_qpdSH8g-mNOjlTbOGWxegYd3IE6UoTmSqjW7OSq7WmpnRjAnQg_9pNMJkilah22AGjl2ilUypuUFXJEYZWjSqqCoe6u6q6jNbg9I8XHfpEQrCinP_iX-hRU5JUzTpc/s320/36cloner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347675957606821506" border="0" /></a></h2> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>The “cloner” badge<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB4Z7N3So0x5mwcMFV3geuWm0JyYZ3ganPrVPVrbUPUT_9lpg_wLlNeJeHY2e3dTpEj_eIs8FqQLlWqjVcg98sUrZJckDAvKnSUMXsZ7fEflUinguOvQcjJXjg8mWb0eolol2OJ9xcBM/s1600-h/35drill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB4Z7N3So0x5mwcMFV3geuWm0JyYZ3ganPrVPVrbUPUT_9lpg_wLlNeJeHY2e3dTpEj_eIs8FqQLlWqjVcg98sUrZJckDAvKnSUMXsZ7fEflUinguOvQcjJXjg8mWb0eolol2OJ9xcBM/s320/35drill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347676322260431426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />The “have used a dental drill and I’ve never been a dentist” badge<br /><br /><br /><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQrtNxoxsDg5jrK58Qe4Blon1ihtyp6ML_GtzrLn2CsLD7op_IndOONRC1Az6mWIQmT39YVVE0McYDXuxjuhjmNNuCS0SR-XHWvDv6hPA4ZJZTGSOcaMhK5xvIl2md_karsXPRAzGwmA/s1600-h/08openflame.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQrtNxoxsDg5jrK58Qe4Blon1ihtyp6ML_GtzrLn2CsLD7op_IndOONRC1Az6mWIQmT39YVVE0McYDXuxjuhjmNNuCS0SR-XHWvDv6hPA4ZJZTGSOcaMhK5xvIl2md_karsXPRAzGwmA/s320/08openflame.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347677054158407186" border="0" /></a></h2> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>The “I’m pretty confident around an open flame” badge<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rsVfdgD9CIlWRPHe97VJCUXDSJOKvO1Iv1LLYdp1tDyk2R-qx6igEbw621mXDvoUiUG6KB48TCXQp7GhFETEte5zyaB8tQ7jHn_WJl63l-LbZuVT2dyLtPj7oepatuEadWD9IfxNqPQ/s1600-h/02macgyver.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rsVfdgD9CIlWRPHe97VJCUXDSJOKvO1Iv1LLYdp1tDyk2R-qx6igEbw621mXDvoUiUG6KB48TCXQp7GhFETEte5zyaB8tQ7jHn_WJl63l-LbZuVT2dyLtPj7oepatuEadWD9IfxNqPQ/s320/02macgyver.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347677634335083394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>The “MacGyver” badge [Sure... why not...]<br /><br /><br /><br /><h2 style="font-weight: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa6Xhd27Fvl_yTsOj96x0xhGKjjCPc5AhhApcV3avVAhORNhyphenhyphennkyF9hoU3kzSjRQL-Wch3tPRcR4zTOGUeskxKPnLj0Oxp_9bPblFQLX2UVkwSl-YaPV29H1e4Ifqj53MFRc9tv5YE28/s1600-h/01talk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 108px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa6Xhd27Fvl_yTsOj96x0xhGKjjCPc5AhhApcV3avVAhORNhyphenhyphennkyF9hoU3kzSjRQL-Wch3tPRcR4zTOGUeskxKPnLj0Oxp_9bPblFQLX2UVkwSl-YaPV29H1e4Ifqj53MFRc9tv5YE28/s320/01talk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347677968882031106" border="0" /></a></h2> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>The “talking science” badge [Of course!]<img src="file:///C:/Users/creameji/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/creameji/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.jpg" alt="" />Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-75429585935675580142009-06-05T16:04:00.000-07:002009-06-05T16:28:40.874-07:00White Vans and Red PandasI wanted to relay a couple of stories that occurred recently during my teaching...<br /><br />First of all, I have just completed a 2 day stint as the driver of a 15-seater van (yes, it was white!). Given that, apart from my wife's Nissan Altima and my brother's Ute, my driving experience centers around small hatchbacks, this was quite an experience! It felt like what I would expect to encounter if I got to drive the mining ship Red Dwarf (minus the cool optional extras!) - It wasn't the length that bothered me as much as the width, which made it feel like you took up al the lane and then some. Also, the indicators sounded like sound effects from Pac Man... Still, I didn't crash it (or even lock the brakes...).<br /><br />Previously I have told the story of the red panda at our local zoo. To recap - we were watching the red panda as it wandered across the front of the enclosure. It came across a log with a broken branch stem sticking out. It straddled the log and braced it with both back feet, and proceeded to thoroughly scratch his arse (pointed directly at the crowd)! Recently, our students got to do their own research project with two groups visiting the zoo. They weren't studying the red panda, they were studying meerkats, and the eland/ostrich/zebra "triple alliance" (honestly, it's a really thing!), respectively. One group member took time out of his research to name some of the other animals, one of which was the red panda. His name for the beast?... "Fire Crotch"!!! Pure gold!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-63734093524692933422009-05-20T08:46:00.000-07:002009-05-20T09:32:24.687-07:00Seniors!!!For those who don't know me (which all of you do, but I couldn't think how to start this blog!), I teach in a high school (of sorts). We just had our senior class graduate, so I thought I'd tell you a bit about them (please note that these are not their real names)...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chin</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">that blond girl</span> - Okay, so these two didn't actually graduate. The blond girl had a tanty about her research and walked off. Her mentor and dad tried to fix things, but it didn't work out. Her heart wasn't really in it. Chin was the most unfocused individual I've ever met. He could not balance anything in his life (I know this sounds rather harsh, but he really couldn't). The prime example of this was his English grade... He failed first semester and was told that he had to improve his grade, which he did to and "A"! So what's the problem (as his mother asked us)? Well, he improved on English by ignoring his other subjects, two of which he was now failing!!! After much effort to get him together, he ran out of rope just 2 weeks short of graduating...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Windy</span> - Quiet to the extreme (to the point where we were wondering if something was wrong), she slowly opened up, starting with telling me she enjoyed playing soccer as she got to beat up on her opponents! She ended up getting into every college she applied to, and really blossomed!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q-Tip</span> - This girl was not helped by being "hand-held" through her time in the lab... This meant she appeared to be great, until she was out of the lab and her work nose-dived. Used as the (most unlikely) poster-child for the program (not our idea), she is a nice kid, but was far too easily distracted (particularly by Cashew).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Twins</span> - Okay, so these two are not twins, but they were inseparable! Both great girls who were impossibly "cute"... as in they presented their research at a poster session wearing "party dresses"! They were probably to least nerdy students in the whole school!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Loin</span> - I will remember him for telling me he was aiming for either and Ivy League School, a tennis scholarship (he was that good), or he would do ladies nails...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Little Miss Bossy</span> - Our hardest working student, our biggest worry-wart, and with an amazing ability to tell her elders what to do, and what they could do for her ("i need you to do this" was one of her favorite phrases)... Hopefully she keeps up with the former trait, but eases up on the latter two...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Two McQ Girls</span> - Two of our most successful students. Polite, generally on task, pleasures to teach, and not very interesting... I wish them all the best!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cashew</span> - Leaving the best for last! Cashew was a special boy... He once sent 6000 text messages in one month (yes, that's 200 a day!)... How do you do that when you're in class 5 days a week? By texting in class of course!!! ("It helps me stay awake!") We took his phone away... But there was so much more to him than texting... Annoyed at his lack of focus one day, I gently lobbed a tennis ball at the back of his head... I missed, it bounced on the table in front of him, was caught by the person he was talking to, thrown back to me, and then I had another go (as he hadn't even broken conversation during all this)... He was completely surprised when something hit him in the back of the head!!! The final story I'll leave you with was when he needed aluminium trays for a project in class, but her couldn't find them ("Why didn't you ask for help?" "Because people are stupid"). So he bought aluminium trays... complete with already made pie-crusts...<br /><br />People, I present to you the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Class of 2009</span>!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-14142672418598189022009-05-14T15:50:00.000-07:002009-05-14T15:56:34.008-07:00I Think I Remember How This Thing Works...To say I haven't blogged for a while is kind of like saying the Pope is Catholic... It's true, but there's so much more to it!<br /><br />There are a number of reasons for my absence:<br />- I've gotten married (no, my wonderful wife isn't against me blogging, but planning and attending your own wedding takes a bit out of you);<br />- We've been house-hunting;<br />- We've moved into an apartment together (which gives you an indication of how the house-hunting is going);<br />- I turned 30; and<br />- Semester has been wrapping up.<br /><br />So these are my somewhat flimsy excuses... I plan to blog a bit more regularly, but plans are subject to change... Let's just see how this goes, shall we?Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-25794485856650897652009-02-02T14:04:00.001-08:002009-02-02T14:04:36.768-08:00I was NOT expecting this!!!<a href="http://www.nerdtests.com/ft_nt2.php"><br /><img src="http://www.nerdtests.com/images/badge/nt2/7f6639811a8839c6.png" alt="NerdTests.com says I'm a Cool Non-Nerd. Click here to take the Nerd Test, get nerdy images and jokes, and talk to others on the nerd forum!" /><br /></a>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-83368211395153743312009-01-19T10:06:00.000-08:002009-01-19T11:15:55.540-08:00Desert Island DiscsThis weekend I was reacquainting myself with my CD collection (yes, I am old-school and don't have an iPod... it's sad that having CDs is "old-school"...), and I got to thinking about "Desert Island Discs". For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a BBC radio show that has been running since 1942, where celebraties comment on the music they would want to have if stranded on a desert island (it's a little bit more complex than that, but it'll do for our purposes).<br /><br />So here's my list of desert island discs:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">The Commitments Soundtrack</span> - I watched the film the other day, and it reminded me of how good this soundtrack really is. From "Mustang Sally" through to the soulful "I Can't Stand The Rain", every song is a favorite of mine, and I'll always remember my sister-in-law "Mrs JollyRgr" after hearing an average version of "Try A Little Tenderness" saying: "That song should only be sung by a soulful black man, or the fat kid from The Commitments..." and she was dead right!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flight of the Conchords Soundtrack</span></span> - Okay, so it's another soundtrack, but these guys are funny! Seriously, if you haven't heard them, go and YouTube them... I'll wait... If I'm going to be stranded on a desert island, there might be days when I need some help raising a smile, and these boys are the perfect medicine! Every song makes me laugh, especially "Business Time", "Most Beautiful Girl In The Room" and "Inner City Pressure" (where they're at their Petshop Boys-best).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Room for Squares by John Mayer</span></span> - Sweetie and I had one of our first dates at the (no longer) Starwood Ampitheater, watching Marron 5 and John Mayer, so this CD has a lot of memories for both of us. We've been fans of his music ever since, and this CD has some great tracks like "No Such Thing", "3 x 5", and "My Stupid Mouth", which I can certainly relate with! Also, the CD has a periodic table on it, so what's not to like?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Unforgettable Glenn Miller</span></span> - I remember this record from when I was a kid, and the music has stayed with me... from dancing to "In The Mood", to playing "American Patrol" at my primary school graduation. I also remember my Mum going to great lengths to get a VHS copy of the "Glenn Miller Story". It's an oldie, but a goodie!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Very Best of Crowded House</span></span> - Couldn't complete this list without a good aussie/kiwi band now could I? I actually became a fan through listerning to their music played over the PA at the local supermarket where I worked, but from those humble beginnings I've become a true fan, and this CD has everything from "Don't Dream It's Over" and "It's Only Natural", to "Better Be Home Soon". Also, it's a double CD with a bonus live album, so that's more music for me!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Internationalist by Powderfinger</span></span> - Lucky last (I was aiming for 5 CDs, but just couldn't do it)! My favorite band, hands down! I love all of Powderfinger's stuff, and I have all their CDs, but if I had to pick one, it would be Internationalist. From "Hindley Street" through to "Lemon Sunrise", I love every track. Especially "Good-Day Ray"!<br /><br />Apologies to The Beatles, Triple J, and all classical music, but there was just too much to choose from!<br /><br />Now, what about my readers? What are your desert island discs?Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-31668143379845972352008-12-15T14:44:00.001-08:002008-12-15T14:50:13.235-08:00House HuntingOn Saturday, Sweetie and I started our house-hunting. We looked at 7 houses: 3 were easily dismissed, 2 were dismissed on further review, and 2 were promising. It was a pretty good start!<br /><br />One of the houses was near a property that had some Christmas decorations in the yard... Well, we think there was a yard! There were so many decorations, that every square inch of space was occupied!!<br /><br />The highlight of the hunt, however, was the first house. I opened the door to the shower and what should I find, but 2 samurai swords!! Were they hiding them for the inspection, or were they using the shower to wash off the blood... Very strange!Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-75149488375293377272008-11-21T06:50:00.000-08:002008-11-21T07:05:21.302-08:00I have been accepted for publication... at last!It's not that I haven't had a paper published before, but this one has special significance... It is the final publication from my PhD.<br /><br />Regular readers of this blog (all 3 of you) will realize that I finished my PhD <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">four</span> years ago. So what took me so long to get this published? The list of reasons goes something like this:<br /><br /><ul><li>After completing my PhD I left the country for a new job in a different field (I am now on my second job since leaving the country, in another field)</li></ul><ul><li>My PhD supervisor unexpectedly passed away less than a year after I left</li></ul><ul><li>My PhD co-supervisor lost her father on the same day<br /></li></ul><ul><li>My PhD co-supervisor had a cancer scare (she is thankfully completely healthy now)</li></ul><ul><li>Countless revisions of the manuscript and recalculations of data</li></ul><ul><li>Finally, the first review of the manuscript required corrections. Included in these was a request to include a particular detailed mechanism for the chemical reaction I was utilizing. This seems reasonable, except that there is no proven mechanism for this reaction, and the particular mechanism requested by the reviewer did not appear to exist! Thankfully, the editors did not require me to make this addition</li></ul>It took a while, but it got there in the end! (It sounds like I just published the little engine that could!).Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7459147198238621624.post-9645307709920981722008-11-16T09:14:00.000-08:002008-11-16T09:55:14.125-08:00The 5 Things Meme<b>5 things I was doing 10 years ago:</b><br />1. Completing my second year of my Bachelor of Science degree.<br />2. Starting my brief career as a cricket umpire.<br />3. Trying to get on "Sale of the Century" (missed out by one question!).<br />4. Sadly, that's about it... I needed a life! (ask me in a year... I found one 9 years ago).<br />5. Hmmm...<br /><br /><b>5 things on my to do list today:</b><br />1. Reading "Home Buying for Dummies".<br />2. Fix a guest presenter's presentation for class tomorrow.<br />3. Order Christmas crackers.<br />4. Emailing back a Deputy D.A. to give my "expert opinion" on a case (okay, so I've already done this and just haven't crossed it off my list... They will not be using my opinion!).<br />5. Buy tea bags (the class is extracting caffeine tomorrow).<br /><br /><b>5 snacks I love:</b><br />1. Australian iced doughnuts.<br />2. Ginger beer.<br />3. Coldstone ice-cream.<br />4. Cream puffs.<br />5. Anything snack that Sweetie cooks.<br /><br /><b>5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:</b><br />1. Invest for retirement.<br />2. Buy Sweetie a space flight.<br />3. Take Sweetie on another trip to OZ.<br />4. Pay off the house (okay, we don't have one yet, but we will!).<br />5. Something fun.<br /><br /><b>5 places I've lived:</b><br />1. Balga, Western Australia.<br />2. Maylands, Western Australia (Thanks Mr and Mrs JollyRgr!).<br />3. Inglewood, Western Australia.<br />4. Nashville, Tennessee.<br />5. Home is where the heart is...<br /><br /><b>5 jobs I've had:</b><br />1. Glassy at the local race-track.<br />2. Chemistry lab demonstrator (like a TA).<br />3. Cricket Umpire.<br />4. Postdoctoral fellow.<br />5. Instructor (Teacher).<br /><br /><b>5 people I'll tag:</b><br />Five people I don't know enough about (or want to know more about).<br />1. No comment...<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742954248021961242noreply@blogger.com4