"Those bike cops are sort of like velociraptors."

WHY IS OBAMA THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT THIS YEAR'S NORTH DAKOTA DEM-NPL CONVENTION?! I don't remember who the speaker was when I went in 2004, but it certainly wasn't anyone I liked that intensely. I think it's fabulous that Obama will be appearing, as I'm sure he's very busy and I doubt very much that North Dakota's three electoral votes could ever conceivably end up in his column. He's got a very populist approach to politics, and I think people in North Dakota can appreciate his sincerity if nothing else. If you are 18 or over and still living in ND, consider becoming a delegate. Even if you aren't interested in going to the rest of the convention, you can get a ticket for free and just attend the speech. It was really encouraging for me at that time in my life to find that there are literally thousands of people, even in "conservative" North Dakota (where most people are not, I think, as conservative as they would like to believe), who didn't think I was completely off my rocker for opposing preemptive war.

Yesterday's experiments didn't go. Like, at all. I'm regrouping.

Early morning lab worker, teil zwei

Monday didn't go so hot. If things aren't off the chain this afternoon, I am going to start panicking.

I've been re-reading Bulfinch's Mythology and learned the origin of that word, panic. I don't know why, but I've always really liked reading about mythology from all over. I even like reading several different accounts of the same myths. It's just very entertaining to me. I suppose it's further indication that I am in fact in the wrong field. Maybe this week is just the powers that be trying to tell me to get out of the lab and hop a flight to some obscure archaeological site in the Holy Land.

I think my kidney hurts.

My grades from winter quarter came back. Thermodynamics was to winter quarter what biochemistry was to fall. At some point in my college career, I got really good at knowing when to cut my losses and focus on the classes I actually understand, so my quarterly and cumulative GPAs are fine. Not that I'm terribly concerned with either so long as I can keep it above the threshold for finishing with Honors. Of course, if my experiment today fails like Monday's, I won't have a thesis, and therefore won't be able to get Honors anyway. I've come to grips with it not being the end of the world, but I think I would be pretty disappointed.

Charles Mudede at The Stranger wrote a kind of amazing article on Vampire Weekend. My own ranting diatribes had mostly focused on their being pretentious, overrated Ivy League snobs, but I think Mudede raises some good points. Plus, using terms like "postcolonialism" and "cultural appropriation" makes the whole argument sound really, really smart and legitimate.

Early morning lab worker

Greetings. I am in the midst of one of two two-day experiments to be carried out this week. Provided everything goes correctly (knock on Benchkote), it's all that stands between me and being able to complete my thesis. I don't really get a spring break as a result (we're on quarters here so I just finished up finals last week), but it's sooo much easier to do these now rather than trying to work them around my spring quarter schedule.

I've been here every six hours for the past twenty-four and will be staying on through this evening. Even in its new, lesser Zipcar incarnation, Flexcar is still seriously, like, the best thing ever. (Note: I will continue to reference the halcyon days of Flexcar being Flexcar, not Zipcar, indefinitely...$50 late fees? Come on, guys). Rather than taking the bus up from Capitol Hill to the U-District at 6:00 AM on Easter Sunday to walk half a mile onto campus in the rain after a recent string of assaults, I booked an hour with a Honda Civic hybrid for $10.50, drove up, and parked 20 feet away from where I was going. I did the same thing for the 1:00 AM run. Driving in the rain is assuredly less terrifying than being dragged off into the shrubs and bludgeoned.

I had best start labeling my tubes. Happy Easter and/or Spring Break.

"Something something Shawshank Redemption something..."

Current location: Stumptown

Current occupation: Writing long, long comparative ideology paper

I only feel compelled to blog when I'm procrastinating because I feel overwhelmed, which I think skews my internet presence (such as it is). I don't hate my life or feel bummed out all the time or anything -- I just never feel like blogging when I'm not in quiet crisis mode.

Hank Williams is on the turntable and it's making me think of my dead cowboy grandpa and home. It's funny -- home is often just where I'm not at the moment. When I'm having a tough time here, I miss North Dakota and vice versa.

I do like Seattle, like, 90% of the time. And I do like Hank. And I wish I could have two-stepped with my grandpa.