So yeah, a few random things:
1). Yesterday was the Biochemistry Dept. orientation for new graduate students. I’m not really considering them right now, but I am going to be rotating with a professor in that department beginning next week, so it was worth a listen, I guess… Regardless, we got free food, visited with some students in the department (I may be set up in a poker game in the next week or two as a result…heh…), and later in the day, we got to participate in a reception with more free food and about 9 varieties of beer. It is still rather odd to be on campus in a science building with free beer provided to the students. I think I could get used to this “private school” shenanigans…
2). I’m heading to Columbia this weekend briefly to visit with Jan Allmann, who was an exchange student from Germany my senior year of high school. He’s back this summer (though leaving shortly…) interning at MU for something business-related. Anyway, Brooke and I are going to Columbia Friday afternoon for some frolfing and dinner, then returning here on Saturday. My parents and Brooke’s parents are then coming into St. Louis on Monday (Labor Day) for some BBQ, so that should be fun…
3). My laptop has an obnoxious white line traveling horizontally across the entire LCD screen. I called Toshiba about it last night and they said to take it by Mobile Office Machines, here in St. Louis…who’s apparently a licensed Toshiba repair place. So I called them up this morning and I’m taking the laptop by them. They’ll need it for 24 hrs to properly diagnose the problem, then they’ll order the necessary part (while I hang on to the laptop) and they’ll call me when it arrives…and then they’ll fix it… Firstly, thank God I have that 3 year warranty on this toy…and secondly, thank God I live in a metropolitan area with a repair place close by so I don’t have to UPS this thing to China…
4). School is going alright…all still mostly review, but I’m sure it can only get harder from here. I’ve been very good about reading the material ahead of time before going to class so I know what’s going on before I get there…go me…
5). Mike Goodspeed had a very good posting on his blog a few days back…you should check it out… I still stand fast by my decision that George W. Bush is an idiot, for the record…and on a related note, the poverty rate in this country has risen to 12.7%…