I finished chapter 2 (data) 3 days ago (YES!). And my supervisor already gave me a pile of comments (things I really should have seen myself, but somehow one grows blind to the writing after a while, making the most obvious things going unnoticed). I've made a list of my remaining analysis, which needs to be written into chapter 6. It looks daunting, but still, on this the day of 50 days left before submission, it might just still be doable. I should leave a fair amount of weeks for chapter 7 (discussion).
I am thinking that going to the shuttle launch is a bit optimistic though. But, oh, I so want to go... There are three launches left, and the next one (after this one) will be just before the defence. And the last one might be popular...
(This is hilarious: I'm trying to "unconnect" my blog from my buzz, using chrome, and it doesn't work. Google, you're awesome, but seriously?)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thesis, Toronto, climate and luggage
I just can't come up with a catchier title than that...
2 months minus 2 days to submission. Still so much to do that I'm skipping my awesome Halifax conference, and have panic lurking around the corner almost constantly. It's not a bad panic (yet). It's just enough to keep adrenalin levels a little bit above normals. I was hoping that would mean better efficiency working. No, judging from today, it apparently just means an increased anguish about missing something vital and thus reading paper details ad nauseam on stuff that isn't even applicable. !@#$%^.
ugh.
But, I'm not always in front of a computer monitor! This weekend, I visited my cutiepilot who is residing in Toronto since almost 2 weeks ago, which was fun. So that actually meant a flight there and back again, plus a little bit of sightseeing in-between trying to finish my data chapter. Toronto downtown is nice, the lake is nice, and the colour of the lake is great. The transit system seems very efficient, but bus drivers are as friendly as in Gothenburg (i.e. not at all). Outside of downtown, some work could be done for appearances, I think - the Pembina-through-Winnipeg look is just not that attractive. And outside of the city we have yet to explore.
Other things… If I had more time I would spend some of it writing about the fascinating and frustrating phenomenon going on in the misreporting, and grave misinterpretation of climate science. Media is largely at fault, for not being able to accurately report actual results of science. And there is a huge gap in-between scientists and the general public in how to interpret results. The general public can't stand uncertainties - they want exact numbers. Well, that's not going to happen. So, what then? Should the general public learn more science, or scientists learn how to better communicate the science? My personal opinion is that media and politicians should learn more science - and better communicate it to the public.
The situation now is quite laughable. The global temperature is increasing, and everything points towards it being due to industrialization. Yet most members of the general public think it is a hoax, because they prefer listening to people without an education in the topic at hand. All one need to do is study up on the actual situation (rather than reading the blogs of the anti-science denialists), and the picture gets clearer and clearer. I am going to link to a good list of references on where we are at today (yes it's a blog entry, but it refers to original articles).
Ah. Nice to get that out of my system a bit!
Now, if only my luggage could be found and returned to me… It was erroneously tagged by an apparently semi-analphabetic Air Canada employee (and for once I didn't check the tag…) who gave it the destination for someone named Williams. Which happened to be Comox, some obscure place on Vancouver Island that I have never heard of before. I wonder if Williams' luggage came to Winnipeg… In any case, it's the first time I managed to lose luggage on a one-leg flight.
T-59 days
2 months minus 2 days to submission. Still so much to do that I'm skipping my awesome Halifax conference, and have panic lurking around the corner almost constantly. It's not a bad panic (yet). It's just enough to keep adrenalin levels a little bit above normals. I was hoping that would mean better efficiency working. No, judging from today, it apparently just means an increased anguish about missing something vital and thus reading paper details ad nauseam on stuff that isn't even applicable. !@#$%^.
ugh.
nth trial to get us and skyline into same frame...
Other things… If I had more time I would spend some of it writing about the fascinating and frustrating phenomenon going on in the misreporting, and grave misinterpretation of climate science. Media is largely at fault, for not being able to accurately report actual results of science. And there is a huge gap in-between scientists and the general public in how to interpret results. The general public can't stand uncertainties - they want exact numbers. Well, that's not going to happen. So, what then? Should the general public learn more science, or scientists learn how to better communicate the science? My personal opinion is that media and politicians should learn more science - and better communicate it to the public.
The situation now is quite laughable. The global temperature is increasing, and everything points towards it being due to industrialization. Yet most members of the general public think it is a hoax, because they prefer listening to people without an education in the topic at hand. All one need to do is study up on the actual situation (rather than reading the blogs of the anti-science denialists), and the picture gets clearer and clearer. I am going to link to a good list of references on where we are at today (yes it's a blog entry, but it refers to original articles).
Ah. Nice to get that out of my system a bit!
Now, if only my luggage could be found and returned to me… It was erroneously tagged by an apparently semi-analphabetic Air Canada employee (and for once I didn't check the tag…) who gave it the destination for someone named Williams. Which happened to be Comox, some obscure place on Vancouver Island that I have never heard of before. I wonder if Williams' luggage came to Winnipeg… In any case, it's the first time I managed to lose luggage on a one-leg flight.
T-59 days
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Gaaaaaaaah.....
I have two months to finish the remaining analysis and writing. Two months?!?! I mean, what did I accomplish during the last month, even though I worked like a droid on steroids?
<*Somewhere in winnipeg one can hear the echoes of a cry of many sentiments - feelings of anguish, mixed with frustration and resolution, hope and fears, wonderings of if it's even feasible, faith in accomplishment and deepest despair*>
Well at least I feel quite alive with all these feelings. Quite exhausted as well. The feelings cycle between elation and despair with a frequency of about 24 hours. Today was a despair day. I don't like those. But at least tomorrow should be good.
Murgh.
This droid needs a tune-up. A faster processor would be good. More RAM and logical circuits. At least the motivation chip doesn't seem to be able to malfunction anymore.
<*Somewhere in winnipeg one can hear the echoes of a cry of many sentiments - feelings of anguish, mixed with frustration and resolution, hope and fears, wonderings of if it's even feasible, faith in accomplishment and deepest despair*>
Well at least I feel quite alive with all these feelings. Quite exhausted as well. The feelings cycle between elation and despair with a frequency of about 24 hours. Today was a despair day. I don't like those. But at least tomorrow should be good.
Murgh.
This droid needs a tune-up. A faster processor would be good. More RAM and logical circuits. At least the motivation chip doesn't seem to be able to malfunction anymore.
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