Some career choices.

It's that time (or phase) of life again... career choices.

I've roughly narrowed it down to about 4 or 5 choices. The top three choices are the hardest to decide on.

First, let me take a side note and link this paper I wrote some time ago... The Shantideva Argument

For a complete thorough understanding, read that paper AND the actual Bodhicaryavatara

Here goes:

Choices:

1. MD/PhD
2. MD with research distinction
3. MD (no research)
4. Physics
5. Herding goats in Nepal
6. Herding sheep in New Zealand

These are "Choices", but by no means am I certain to get any of them. I couldn't find a better one-word phrase to label it. The last two are meant to be a joke (obviously), unless my brain cracks, in which case, I'll be on the first Quantas plane out. (or Royal Nepal Airlines).

So why are the first 3 so difficult to decide on? Well, each have their advantages. The dual MD/PhD offers the best education, but is flawed as in I'll probably get a faculty position. That's a big no. I don't want to teach at 30 (perhaps 60). Academic research is slow and plauged by funding problems. Corporate research is better but cut-throat (as in the f4g business majors control what gets funded) and has very limited spots.

The pure MD provides a good stable income (no funding problems..), but I would probably be frustrated not being able to try my own thing.

Thus, the 2nd option is currently the best. Originally it started as the first choice, but now I'm wavering.

So if you know me well enough, you probably know what's going on. My reactions stopped working.

Now for a picture! (and commentary)
So here is a picture of a typical house burning. Let's see what a couple of entities say about it:

• Business: [standing idle] "Damn, there goes a lot of money"
• English: [standing idle] "Let us explicate a couple of themes out of the burning house. Observe how fire is red. This means 'anger'."
• Philosophy: [standing idle] "Is the fire really burning? Perhaps the house is extinguising the flame. Fire seems to be a non-moral good. Also, the fire appears CONSCIOUS."
• History: [standing idle] "In 4 hours, this house will have been burnt 4 hours ago. Someone give me a book deal for that statement."
  
• Japanese: “あそこは火です！大変ですね。”
• Physics: "That house is weak sauce. [To engineer] Use ____ to build the next house."
• Civil Engineer: "Yessir."
• Mechanical Engineer: [frothing on the ground] "durrrr.. durr.." (ed. MechE's are retarded.)
• MD: "Let's save those people."
  
• MD/PhD: "This is how you save them faster, and restore them to post-pubescent vigor. Oh, and here's the vaccine for EVERYTHING. People will also be fire-proof after taking this" (ed. I hope I never have to use the word 'post-pubescent' again)

Any others?

悲しいです。

I'm not feeling too well. :(

No more summa cum laude. sux.

another one of those coffee-filled days + wtf happens in patterson?

Yep. You know what that means... I get no sleep tonight. Not only because of the caffiene, but when that starts to wear off, the diuretic tendencies of coffee will kick in, and I'll be going to the bathroom like 6 times.

I have one more seat empty for the drive back to Plano on Friday. So far: Me, Robert, Theresa, Karen. Anyone else?*

*If you ask for a ride, because of your late request, I will have to charge you a 24Oz bottle of Mountain Dew and $15 for gas.
\I suppose many of you know that I spend much of my waking life in this mysterious building called PATTERSON. What happens there? Most people who have never entered it think it's Engineering or Physics. People who have entered it, know its bio research, but have no idea beyond that.

Here's the 3 projects that occupy 98% of the time

1. Actinomycetes: These little buggers live on a certain ant species, but no extensive research has done on them. Extract --> Amplify --> Sequence. Amplification is by far the hardest step, again, since so little research has been done, very few documentation exists.
   
2. Megalomyrmex/Trachymyrmex: This is basic extraction/sequencing. No research done here, just to learn basic lab technique
3. Another mutualism project- has yet to begin. I have to do some reading first.

\I made up a new word today. I do this a lot, but this is the first time I'm posting about it.

Toob + miniscule = toobiscule.

Yes. I totally made that up. Don't believe me? Ask the all knowing genie: google.

It's a small toob. What is a toob? You'll have to look that up. In a couple of hours (or days), when you search for toobiscule, I'll be the only website with it. AWESOME

Ow my leg

I ran/walked 3 miles yesterday, and now my right calf is on FIRE. I feel like getting some morphine, putting it in a syringe, and just jabbing it into my muscle. I suppose this is how most drug addictions start...
\Today, the philosophy teacher tried to explain evolution. This guy should really stick to his work. That was the most pathetic explanation of evolution ever. He was pausing for a couple seconds after each sentence, as if it required a pause.

Then he said "but we really don't know the chemical origins of life" and some girl was like "..isn't that like STRING THEORY"

I WAS LIKE OMG GOOD GAME, MISS. I had to contain my laughter for quite some time.
\I got a new class! Check it out.

Fall 2006 Schedule

Yeah... I replaced computational physics with a biomedical engineering class. Exciting.

SPAM WTF?!%(@*#*% + 料理 + Lipstick

I'm not sure how much spam you guys get, but since I don't have any numbers in my email address, I guess that makes it particularly easy to spam. I'm glad GMAIL's spam filter takes care of most (95%) of spam.

Still, there are certain spam emails which make so little sense, it's amusing to read. For example...

Hi,

X & N A X
V A L / U M
A M B / E N
L E V / T R A
P R O Z & C
M E R / D / A
S O M ^
C / A L / S
V / A G R A

all 50 % off - http://www.jametunhawer.com

---

grabbed your leg from behind in the dark, tripped up your feet, and
kicked you in the back!
Then why didnt you pick him up again?
Good heavens! Can you ask! Goblins fighting and biting in the dark,
everybody falling over bodies and hitting one another! You nearly
chopped off my head with Glamdring, and Thorin Was stabbing here there

These spammers have strange fantasies! What's all this talk about goblins and stuff? See more:

After all there is the Side-door, and dragons must sleep sometimes, I
suppose.
If you sit on the doorstep long enough, I daresay you will think of
something. And well, dont you know, I think we have talked long enough
for one night, if you see what I mean. What about bed, and an early
start, and all that? I will give you a good breakfast before you go.

DUDE! Now it's vampires...
\So yesterday we cooked some stuff. Peach and Blueberry "pie" and spaghetti chicken. こんなにおいしい食べ物を食べたことがない。Well, perhaps I have, but not from a bunch of minors. (Yes I know we're all 20, but do we FEEL 20? I feel 14...maybe 15.).

*The altavista translation for the above statement is "So, you eat the tasty food and the callous do not grind". You know.. I sometimes use that for homework... So it's been messing me up all this time...

Beyond that, absolutely nothing is happening. It just.. do some homework, procrastinate some philosophy reading, write a lab report here and there when you feel like it.. basically mull around until something exciting happens.

Of course, by cook, I mean I peeled the peaches and washed some dishes. Yes. Lazy (incompetent) to the max.

You know what one of the worst feelings is? When you shave, and you forget bits on your face. Like this morning I forgot my to mow the mustache. That just feels wierd.

Also, I will be going back this Friday evening to Plano, and I have two more seats left empty in my car. So whoever* doesn't want to take that fiendish Greyhound back, holla-back young'nes**. Also, it will be much more comfortable. As of right now, it's me, Theresa, and her cousin. So yes. One full seat and one small seat available.

*: cute girls only. :)
**: please excuse that spurt of ebonics.

And I have to note... the Japanese font on OS X looks so much better. I will probably put comparisons up later.
\The other day I was talking to Cynthia and she started telling me very useful things. For example, you can somewhat derive the personality of a girl by looking at her lipstick. If her lipstick is flat, then she's stubborn. If its whittled down to a cone, then she's high maintenance.

So next time I'll be like HOLD UP.. Let me see your lipstick first. Ok you pass/fail.

If anyone has more qualitative tests like that, I'd like to hear them.

Computers in college.

I'm going to preach now. If you go to college, you need a laptop, not a desktop. And if you said you want a desktop for 'gaming purposes', you're a douche.

No one in college should be gaming THAT much to actually need a gaming computer (most of which are outdated in 2 years). Seesh. Go out, have fun with friends or something. Don't sit infront of a computer to 'game' like a lifeless loser.

A laptop will last you more than 4 years.

There are a bunch of otakus in my Japanese class. Yes.. I'm looking at one right now... Yes you. You're an otaku.

Otakus are really sad. They enter UT as a Japanese Language major, and then, 2 years later, find out that they really suck at it, but haven't thought of any other major/lifeskill/talent. Then they're pretty much screwed, cuz no one wants to take something they're not good at.

Now... an expose of my desktop...My desktop can answer a lot of questions about me.

owait. the otakus are here... they'll start making gay comments about photostop... picture later
UPDATE: Picture Posted...

Note, there are lines, and important things are in highlighted circles.

What is going on?

Ever get that feeling that you're not doing anything? I've been stuck in this doldrum for such a long time. Spring semester was a lot of work, and kept my mind off things. Now its... Philosophy (which I do little work for) and Japanese (which is like... 10 minutes of homework + 10 minutes of studying for quizzes a day).

There's nothing to DO. And this TV is a dastardly thing. You turn it off, and its such a distraction.

Hmm. All those commercials with Macs and PCs are missing a very important point. Yes. Macs can do a lot of things "right out of the box", but with the proper pirated software, PC's can do more. Much more.

Philosophy sucks. I go to class, 10 minutes later, I'm asleep, then an hour later, I wake up for the last 5 minutes of class. The only thing saving me in that class is Wikipedia.

http://www.houstonist.com/archives/2006/06/19/state_begins_fi.php

Look at that. I thought it was mostly Austin, but it turns out, most of Texas is full of hippies. I mean look at those two pictures. Ok and one more thing. How does someone named KINKY expect to win? Surely with that redneck cowboy cigar-toting image, he'll lose the urban voters.

Indepenent gubernatorial candidates are either 1) too stupid/ignorant/hippie (I think stupid = ignorant = hippie?) to realize they'll lose or 2) want to make a point about something, and have enough money to do it.

Those two candidates are so pathetic... "Grandma" and "Kinky". There should be congressional inquiries about how people like this still exist.

Fox News people are such idiots.

That's all I want to say. Watch the Colbert Report or something. You'll understand. More on what's going on tomorrow.

Useless day

I did nothing today.

Nothing.

Woke up, watched some jdrama, went to Patterson, ran some gels, did some Japanese homework, then I saw this guy with fast food and instantly, a switch went off in my head - OMG I'M SO HUNGRY.

So I came back, ate something, read some Scientific American, some Economist, etc etc. Oh if anyone wants the latest SciAm or Economist journals, message me. I gots. Electronic copies.

Then... watched some Lost... and here I am. Now two Japanese quizzes tomorrow.

Summer Japanese classes are hilarous. 2.5 hours long, 3 classes bunched into one. Usually 1-2 quizzes a day. Awesome huh?

雨だろう！

Yesh. It started raining around 6 ish, so I couldn't sleep. Plus it's all like cold outside right now. I bet the hobos are getting a relief from the sun.

Actually, I was going to write about temperature. What's up with people acting like gangsters and pulling down their windows and playing loud music. Seesh. With all that drag and the power to the speakers, you could probably turn the AC on.

Oh Yeha. At the end of the PHL test, he was like "What's so hard? There's only 3 false in the True/False section..". Some people hadn't turned in their tests, so they were like OOHSHIITT. Yeah. Mainly the hippies though.

I found this group on facebook -
Yeah. Haha. Pretty funny. She's usually pretty quiet so I can kinda imagine her thinking "Hanbaagaa wa sugoi", plus she says repeatedly that she likes to eat.

seriously.

O huzzah. Did you guys see Ukraine vs Spain. Holy cow. Ukraine got pwned. Oh and Tunisia ties with damn Saudis.

Philosophy is hard. Usually when I speak up in class, it's to give an answer, or at least, my statements have some merit.

But yesterday, I said something, and he was like "I don't see the force behind that", and moved on. Pwned. :(

So as of right now, I have no idea what's going on. Something about Kant/Buddha/Upanishads. It would probably help if I paid attention when I read something, but that doesn't work either, since I'm illiterate.

The other day, they started talking about molecules and stuff. I was like... "Ok.. you're a philosophy teacher, I'll give you the water molecule". But then he went and started talking about protons and quarks. This is why I have trouble paying attention. Some hippie in philosophy knows what quarks are.

~~~~
That's another thing. Why is that teacher so badly dressed? He comes in with a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. That's a very very far cry from the hardcore sciences, who either have a tie or a dress shirt/slacks AND they have one of those leather binders with the UT seal in which they carry all their class notes.

This hippie reads off the website.

More Commentary:

1. What happens when you greet them?

• Philosophy : Hai [gum-showing smile](not "yes", but "Hi" in the most hippie way possible)
• Physics : Good Morning. [content appearance, quick exit]
  

2. Conduct in class:

[someone says a mildly amusing joke]

• Philosophy: HAHAHAHAHAOWIJAOWIJADOIWDAOWDHEEHEEE [eyes well up, teeth/gums all exposed, etc, makes you think he's a pedophile]
• Physics : [light chuckle] Moving on to _____ quant___ in tran___ ____-incorporating systems

(fill in the blanks with appropriate terms)

3. Planning

• Philosophy: Should we have a quiz? I think so. Perhaps a review session. Oh man, that means I have to make review notes.. gosh darn it.
• Physics : We're having a quiz* next week. I'll give a 10 minute review, and you're expected to know how to do Fourier transforms** on it.

*Note, that when he says "quiz", he really means a 6-8 page quiz, which is called a test among my internal advising circles.
**Ability to do Fourier transforms is a pre-requisite to being kickaess.

4. Patience with other hippies

• Philosophy: Hey, CharLAY, how's life? Did you read that excerpt from ____ yesterday? Wasn't it interesting?
• Physics : Go kill yourself. [exit]

As you can tell, I don't like him very much. Either because I can't understand, or he can't teach. I'm actually leaning toward the first reason. Perhaps I'm just bitter.

I had my Japanese Oral today, and I totally screwed up one question:

Katayama: What must you do in class? (nani o shina kereba narimasen?)
Me: You must sleep. (nena kereba narimasen)

Of course, that answer makes no sense, even though I phrased it (gramatically) correctly. At least... I think I did.

yeah

So not much has been going on. I actually did nothing today. Nothing.

Went to Japanese, then went back to my room to eat some noodles, then back to Philosophy.
Then Cynthia and I went on like 200 errands.

Of course, this was only because my primers aren't in yet. Once they come in, I'll be back in lab.

toodledoo

Long time

If I haven't posted for this long, that means something must have happened.

Last Sunday I moved into my apartment, plugged my laptop in, and there was a surge in the power, so there goes that. I have to get that fixed now. That's why. [Going back today]

Let me post a calendar of what's going on this week:
So anyway, after I get the computer problem solved, everything will be back on track - MCATs, Java, Blogging, Korean movies..., etc.

Quite a lot of things happened over the last week. My philosophy teacher said that the homeless people were Gestapo in their previous lives, that's why they suffer now.

Yeah. Not too sure about that. Now I have to go study for a Japanese quiz. More later.

Karma / First Day / My philosophy teacher is a hippie.

Then again, that statement is redundant. Still, I've never heard anyone actually use the word 'rumpled'.

Today is the first day of summer class, and it rained. That's a good thing. Let me begin with something hilarious that totally made my day:

http://www.theregister.com/2006/05/31/ebay_laptop_site/

That is awesome. He totally deserves it. Only a dirty ______ would do that. I hear the buyer is offering a truce. No truce, I say. I say make him buy a customized laptop to the EBAY specifications he listed, and a public apology. That's fair.

I think this is why suicide bombers exist. lol. Ever heard of Karma, Amir? Perhaps Allah will offer some guidance. (or not.)

Seriously, how do _____ people like this exist?

In other news, first day went well. Like I said, my philosophy teacher is a hippie. Also, he's a little too excited. My eyes get tired following him around. Somehow, I have homework, but I don't feel like doing it. I'm just... sitting here in lab, reading about tards.

note: All expletives/racial slurs have been omitted for decency's sake.