Skip to main content

So I have a web log now

By
I have a web log now. I'm now That Guy With A Blog. I'm approaching this whole thing with much trepidation for a couple reasons. First, I hate the word "blog." What a dumb word. Is it really that hard to say "web log"? Who was sitting around and decided, "dang, man, I'm tired of staying 2 whole words for this thing. I don't got time for saying 2 words. Time to shorten things up a bit." Some words just grate. So I'll try to refer to this as a web log so I don't hate myself in the morning. But I have a feeling that running a web log will cause me to lower my standards, much in the way that having a kid makes you able to deal with snot and poop in ways you never imagined.

The other problem I have is a fear of digital commitment. I'm starting this whole thing because I'm starting a brand new phase of my life. After living in Berkeley for 7 years, starting a family, earning two degrees and meeting some of the best people in the world, it's now time to move on and start over again. I'm starting an National Science Foundation Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship (or "blog" for short) at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii. If I have as many responsibilities as words in my title, then I'm gonna be pretty busy over the next three years.

So yeah, commitment. I can't promise regular postings. I'll try to hop on here when I can and update what's going on in my life, which includes:
  1. Being married (Erin will hopefully contribute from time to time. Right?)
  2. Raising a 2-year-old boy, Owen (aka The Boy)
  3. Living in a totally new and different place (Honolulu)
  4. Being an independent scientist in the world of professional astrophysics
Labels:

Comments

Karin said…
All my hopes and dreams have finally come true! :-) This is the best idea ever!
July 28, 2007 at 3:53 AM
Anonymous said…
I am so like totally awed. Thanks for clearing up the "mahalo" confusion. I'd always thought it meant "or else you're in deep doodoo with the Homeland Security Department," as in "Kindly obey all instructions from any member of the flight crew; MAHALO."
August 8, 2007 at 3:19 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A view from your shut down

By
The Daily Dish has been posting reader emails reporting on their " view from the shutdown ." If you think this doesn't affect you, or if you know all too well how bad this is, take a look at the growing collection of poignant stories. No one is in this alone except for the nutjobs in the House. I decided to email Andrew with my own view. I plan to send a similar letter to my congressperson. Dear Andrew, I am a professor of astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA). The CfA houses one of the largest, if not the largest collection of PhD astronomers in the United States, with over 300 professional astronomers and roughly 100 doctoral and predoctoral students on a small campus a few blocks west of Harvard Yard. Under the umbrella of the CfA are about 20 Harvard astronomy professors, and 50 tenure-track Smithsonian researchers. A large fraction of the latter are civil servants currently on furlough and unable to come to work. In total, 147 FTEs...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Long Con

By
Hiding in Plain Sight ESPN has a series of sports documentaries called 30 For 30. One of my favorites is called Broke  which is about how professional athletes often make tens of millions of dollars in their careers yet retire with nothing. One of the major "leaks" turns out to be con artists, who lure athletes into elaborate real estate schemes or business ventures. This naturally raises the question: In a tightly-knit social structure that is a sports team, how can con artists operate so effectively and extensively? The answer is quite simple: very few people taken in by con artists ever tell anyone what happened. Thus, con artists can operate out in the open with little fear of consequences because they are shielded by the collective silence of their victims. I can empathize with this. I've lost money in two different con schemes. One was when I was in college, and I received a phone call that I had won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas. All I needed to d...
8 comments
Read more

back-talk begins

By
me: "owen, come here. it's time to get a new diaper" him, sprinting down the hall with no pants on: "forget about it!" he's quoting benny the rabbit, a short-lived sesame street character who happens to be in his favorite "count with me" video. i'm turning my head, trying not to let him see me laugh, because his use and tone with the phrase are so spot-on.
4 comments
Read more