Math Rocks!

It’s about the size of a ST:TNG comm badge, and it’s in the same position on my left chest. I can scarcely believe I’m such a geek!

It was done my Don Morley at In The Skin Tattoos in Ogdensburg, NY, about a 45 minute drive from us. Don was great. He was friendly and accommodating. And he’s good at what he does. In the rear of his shop, out of view of the front counter, are over a dozen trophies he earned over the past 10 or so years.

Jenny went first, and then me. It only took less than an hour each; they aren’t very big, after all. Of course it hurt, but after the endorphins kicked in about five minutes after he started, it wasn’t so bad.

Not much else to say. I’m positively giddy! How am I supposed to work today?

The semester is over, and a nice big deep breath is called for.  I have just a couple of things to wrap up this week, and then I clean up my office, resume writing my paper, and preparing for the summer REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates).  Today is spent cleaning house and doing a project or two that have been sitting too long.

Wow, that was brief.  Not much else to say, though.  I’ll write more about the REU later.

One more week until the end of the semester. Lots to do today to get ready for the last week. Preparing lectures, worksheets, and practice finals, oh my!

Last night was a friend’s 40th b-day at Maxfields. Good times. Jenny & I talked at length with a prof who specializes in the intersection between folklore and history. He teaches a course on Witchcraft and Magic in Antiquity, or thereabouts. Very interesting, since I really only have a contemporary knowledge of the subject. He has had a Wiccan friend of mine be a guest speaker, and he invited us to do the same. I think we’re more interested in taking the class, actually. He may offer it in the spring.

Lots of parties, get togethers, award ceremonies, and the like. I can’t keep track of them all. Luckily, I have iCal.

Because it’s fun!

Overheard recently:

Person: “I think that, if a couple never fights at all, something is missing from the relationship.”

Their partner: “Yeah, the fighting!”

Roberta tagged me.

1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
5. Tag five people.

From What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain: “Conversational tones, good intentions, and warm language are all important elements of the craft of good talking, but something else distinjuishes the most effective communicators. The best teachers simply know how to make good explanations. It goes without saying that they are clear and thorough and stimulate learning, but how do they achieve those results?”

I tag Jenny, David, Murph, Shannon, and Sacha.

I was wondering if anyone understood this comic.

http://xkcd.com/375/

I get the 2001 reference, of course, but what’s GLaDOS?

The semester is over.  Holidays are here.  Sometimes busy, sometimes napping.

He’s back with a new show.  And Eliza Dushku (Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is starring/producing.

Halloween was OK.  I cheezed out on a costume, though.  I wore shorts, Tevas, a baja, shades, my Grand Canyon hat, and my rock climbing chalk bag, and went as a grad student in Arizona.  In other words, me two years ago.  It was fun for a last minute cheezed out costume. We got more kids than we’ve gotten in recent years (which was practically none), but not as many as neighbors said we’d get.  So we have lots of candy left over.  I gave out candy in my classes yesterday.  Perhaps it eased the sting of the test they took yesterday.