31 August 2005

Back to School

So, today was my first day back, as yesterday all of them were cancelled (I found this out after I'd left the lab and gotten to each class; I'm a grad student, they don't have to be considerate of my time......). My class started at one and let out three hours early, which was actually pretty nice -- also, I found out I'd already bought the book, saving me a bundle of money. This class, Pathology, is a bit bigger than I expected -- originally, Pseudonym and I thought it would just be the two of us, but they opened it up to a few students outside of our program -- so that's cool. The instructor, who I'll term The Mumbler.. because, well, that's what he does... seems like he's going to put a lot of the learning responsibility on us. He had a lot to say about why he doesn't like the Maryland program, and made a point of saying that going right into a PhD program from undergrad is not a good idea.

That's exactly what I did.

Ah well.

On a brighter note, I'm also taking a noncredit class at a community college with the Teach and Half Dozen. Lawnmower tried to get in too, but we closed the class. I'm hoping if she comes the first night they'll let her in, or else, I can help her learn it and she can get into the next one with us. But I'm really looking forward to it, even if it is going to cramp my schedule a little bit. I think I'm going to have to plan my time pretty well this year...

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30 August 2005

Relief Efforts

I just got through a slide show which gave just a few pictures of the devastation of Katrina, and I'm sure the news networks are going overboard to show similar images, like they do in all disasters. I was shocked, though, at the damage from the storm. I love New Orleans, I think it's one of the most wonderful cities I've ever been to, and I can't imagine how all those people must feel while they're waiting to even find out if they have a home left along the coast.

A number of relief efforts are underway. If you'd like to contribute, follow any of the below links:

American Red Cross

Salvation Army

Feed The Children

United Jewish Communities

Catholic Charities

United Methodist Committees for Relief

FEMA also has some good guidelines about donating here.

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I'm back

Ok, for all you dedicated readers out there (all two of you, not counting my Mom), I am now back to blogging, thanks to my new (read: reliable) internet connection courtesy of Sideshow, who is the greatest ever. Now that classes have started, I'll have plenty of motivation to avoid my work, which means more blogger time. Look for a new facelift, some interesting posts, and links to new and exciting things.

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