Fourth of July

This is only the second time I've ever spent July 4th outside of the US. It feels a little hollow. It was a normal work day. There are no fireworks, there are no people wandering the streets with picnic blankets and shoestring licorice (a childhood 4th of July necessity). There's nothing special at all. I'm not an overbearing patriot, but I associate this holiday with good memories, so I'm a little sad to be spending it in Canada. If I had television, I could watch the fireworks (with the added bonus of annoyingly patriotic American TV commentators!). Happy 4th of July, everyone.


This post's theme song: "America, **** yeah!" from that most offensive of movies, "Team America: World Police."

Third of July

Today is "Dependence Day," and I'm wearing the t-shirt to witness it.

The nice weather makes me consider all the things I'm not doing as a graduate student: I could be a life guard, hiking guide, wilderness EMT, courier, tech support on a cruise ship. Even unemployed and allowed outside my windowless office. Sometimes what I do just seems so dry. R. suggested that I "moisturize" my thesis, but I don't know how...

Many of the CS blogs I read just nodded to kdphd, a female grad student in theory, who just started a blog. It makes me envious -- why is she noted by these CS gods, and not me? -- but then again, I'm writing a much more personal blog. I'm purposefully keeping it non-technical, because otherwise everything in my daily life here would be about academia, and I might shrivel and die. Also, I don't feel like I have anything meaningful to add to the discussion; I don't have enough experience in academia to reflect upon it, or enough confidence to talk about what experience I do have.


This post has a theme garment.