edited courtesy of Calvin Tong

Frances wants ice cream, but it is nowhere to be found. She eats fruit instead...

yup, frances is a freeeeak!

I was gonna preorder Clay's cd, but Amazon charges shipping on stuff less than $25, besides, I'll have to wait for shipping anyhow. So when June 10 rolls by, I'll just walk across the street to BestBuy and get it. =)
Too bad, they won't release it until a week after Ruben's comes out.

Did 'Idol' Misdials Doom Clay?
May 26, 2:09 PM EST

(Associated Press) -- Maybe Clay would have beaten Ruben on "American Idol" if viewers could dial the right number.

Cinergy Communications, a telecommunications company in Evansville, Ind., handled more than 240,000 misdialed calls during the three-hour voting period for "American Idol" last week.

Cinergy's residential marketing manager, Joey Randolph, said they took more than 169,000 calls for Clay and 72,000 for Ruben. Just 130,000 votes separated Clay and Ruben out of 24 million votes cast.

Randolph speculated the problem is that older phones don't have the letter Q on it, while newer phones have "P-Q-R-S" over the 7, which some people may have thought was the letter O. The "American Idol" numbers were (866) IDOLS01 or (866) IDOLS02.

So does Clay really deserve the title? A Fox spokesman says Fox can't be responsible for people who dial the wrong number.

I'm applying to the University of Washington in Seattle. But I don't know about that weather over there......

It only rains twice a year in Seattle: August to April and May to July.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you call two straight days of rain in Seattle?
A weekend.
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What do you call two weeks of rain in Seattle?
Indian summer.
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What does daylight-saving time mean in Seattle?
An extra hour of rain.
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What's the definition of a Seattle optimist?
A guy with a sun visor on his rain hat.
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What did the Seattle native say to the Pillsbury Doughboy?
Nice tan.
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"I can't believe it," said the tourist. "I've been here an entire week and it's done nothing but rain. When do you have summer here?"
"Well, that's hard to say," replied the local. "Last year, it was on a Wednesday."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meteorological experts predicted a massive flood that would destroy the world. The pope went on worldwide TV and said, "This is punishment from God. Prepare to meet your maker." The president went on TV and announced, "Our scientist have done all they can. The end is near." The mayor of Seattle came on and said, "Due to inclement weather, this year's Seafair Parade will be moved to the top of Queen Anne Hill."
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A newcomer to Seattle arrives on a rainy day. He gets up the next day and it's raining. It also rains the day after that, and the day after that. He goes out to lunch and sees a young kid and asks out of despair, "Hey kid, does it ever stop raining around here?" The kid says, "How do I know? I'm only 6."

Are You a Slacker?

Slacker

Hey -- you're no slacker. You're just fronting. Lucky for you, you're not too uptight either. You've struck that wonderful balance between slacking off and keeping busy. It's not an easy task, so congratulations. Your efficiency and determination let you work in a timely manner. And that laid-back approach means that you'll never get too stressed out. Sometimes you're pulled in two different directions, but you know how to handle it. You can take control of a situation without strangling it. This healthy style of work will lead to both success and happiness. What more could you want?

What Renews You?




Frances, you're renewed by purchasing power

You know that retail therapy is no joke. It works! Sometimes life's demands can make you feel like you have no choices, that you don't have as much control over things as you'd like. But when you set off to find yourself a terrific new outfit or that perfect touch for your home, you've got a world of choices. Thinking over your true tastes, trying different options on for size, and scoring that fabulous find are all little indulgences that erase life's irritations with ease. It's not that you're obsessed with the material world, it's just that buying the tiniest of trinkets or a gift for someone you care about can soothe your troubles away — without doing too much damage to your credit card statement.


~ true, too bad i don't got much money, but little stuff can make me happy

Calendar Makeover

You do it all. And you do it all...all the time. Sounds like you've got a little aversion to the word "no." But your hectic lifestyle could be taking its toll. That's why learning to put yourself first will be key to your makeover. Be selfish. It may take a little practice, but you'll soon learn that all those people who seem to have their days under control, do so by realizing, and establishing, their limits.

Start off by giving yourself some breathing room: take a walk at lunch, or make time to cook a healthy meal. Taking care of yourself will help you feel more in control. In fact, the more time you dedicate to you, the better. When you have more time to feed your body the right foods and the right kinds of exercise, it naturally starts to crave them. So before you dive into your calendar makeover, why not give yourself a head-start by feeling great about how you look and feel?

A boy was crossing the road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful Princess, I will stay with you for one week." The boy took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to his pocket.
The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful Princess, I'll stay with you and do *Anything* you want." Again the boy took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket. Finally the frog asked, "What is it? I've told you I'm a beautiful Princess, that I'll stay with you for a week and do *Anything* you want. Why won't you kiss me?"
The boy said, "Look I'm an engineering major. I don't have time for girlfriends but a talking frog is really cool."

http://www.playmash.com/

Don't read this post before the previous one:

Oh yeah, before you guys all think I'm really a psychopath, read this:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/sister.htm

My roommie Florence sent me this email:

Try this psychological test:
>
>
>
>While at the funeral of her own mother, a young girl met this guy whom
she
>did not know. She thought he was amazing, so much the dream guy she
was
>searching for, and she fell in love with him right then and there.
But she
>didn't get a chance to ask for his name or number and afterward, could
not
>find anyone who knew who he was.
>
>
>
>A few days later the girl killed her own sister.
>
>
>
>Question: What is her motive in killing her sister?
>
>
>
>Give this some thought for a while before you scroll down.
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>>
>
>> Answer:
>
>> She was hoping that the guy would appear at the funeral again. If
>
>> you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath. This was a
>
>> test by a famous American psychologist used to test if one has the
>
same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part
in
>
this test and answered it correctly. If you didn't answer correctly
-
>
good for you.
>
>>
>
If you got the answer correct, please let me know so I can take you
>
off my e-mail list...... (unless that will upset you, then I'll just
>
be extra nice to you from now on..)





sigh...guess who got it right? how come i don't get the stupid iq questions and i get this one right???
hehe, please people, it don't mean nothing, but you should be nicer to me from now on .... ;o)

Ain't no stopping us now, we're on the move

Ain't no stopping us now, we've got the groove



There's been so many things thats held us down

But now it looks like things are finally coming around

I know we've got a long long way to go

And where we'll end up I don't know

But we won't let nothing hold us back

We're putting our show together

We're polishing up our act now

And if you've ever been held down before

I know you refuse to be held down anymore well...



Don't you let nothing nothing

Stand in your way ay ay ay

I want y'all to listen listen

To every word I say every word I say...



Ain't no stopping us now We're on the move

Ain't no stopping us now We've got the groove

Ain't no stopping us now We're on the move (I know I know)

Ain't no stopping us now We've got the groove (we got it)



I know you know someone that has a negative vibe

And if you try and make it they only push you aside

They really don't have nowhere to go

Ask them where their going they don't know

But we won't let nothing hold us back

We gonna put our show together

Gonna polish up our act well

And if you've ever been held down before

I know you refuse to be held down anymore well.....



Don't you let nothing nothing

Stand in your way ay ay ay

I want y'all to listen listen

To every word I say every word I say...



Ain't no stopping us now (no no no)

We're on the move (we're moving grooving)

Ain't no stopping us now (moving yeah yeah yeah)

We've got the groove

Ain't no stopping us now

We're on the move (I know we got the groove)

Ain't no stopping us now

We've got the groove

oh no! i've turned into a clay aiken fanatic!
haha, not that serious, like some people ;0)
but dude, he really can sing, plus he wanted to do it for influencing good in society and he works with autistic children, ain't that cool? so many people are selfish/conformist nowadays

People say to take time to smell the roses, but how do I give up on obligations? Maybe I just suuuuuuck at time management. I don't get it, I seriously need an auditor for my life and see where I'm going wrong and where I'm going right.

Reading Yellow by Frank H. Wu now.
Also started Nickel and Dimed...
Haven't read for fun in awhile, but feel guilty about wasting time on it.

I was talking to this full time tech support girl at the building where I work. Her life seems great right now. She has free time after work, her own life, she just bought her own house, fixing that up now, wants to take surfing in the summer...we just talked about the pressures of school and how that leaves us no time to enjoy ourselves while we're young and we can. After that conversation with her, I knew that graduate school will just keep me the way I am now and even worse for many years to come.
But I guess I'm best suited for graduate school, I'm so used to it anyhow. Not like those north campus majors and even some south campus majors, I have no idea how they have soooo much time to do stuff, like go out and watch movies and hobbies and junk. In four years, I've only stepped foot on the beach 3 times, haven't seen any stars at premieres, haven't learned to kayak yet, dude tourists know more about L.A. than I do!!

I wish I can see the future for one second. Then I'd know which graduate school I'd be going too and stop having to worry about it.
Exactly the same situation four years ago, if I had looked into the future then, I'd see I'd be at UCLA, but depends on which part of the future, would I know what my major is? So many tough choices in life, can't always have a crystal ball to make your choices for you. Well, I guess that IS life.

NUTS! Eighth week is practically over and I still have so much stuff to finish before the quarter is over!

CS Project 2: write some darn program in C++ to implement insertion and deletion of entries in B+ trees, have no idea how to do that yet
Stats Project 1: analyze microarray data, have no idea what is specifically needed either, have to write a darn long report too
Stats Project 2: something the prof hasn't even told us about yet
Five more sets of homework
Work: need to keep cells going and alive, split, freeze, extract, etc...it never ends
Plus find roommates, which I keep putting off and it'll just bite me when our lease is over soon....
and I need time to relax between crazy moments or I'll stay that way forever

"University regulations do not permit an applicant to apply to more than one major, with the exception of concurrent or articulated degrees. Please decide which of our programs is most appropriate for you prior to submitting the application."

This blows! My plans and expectations change abruptly.....which program?????
1) UCLA Mathematics
2) UCLA Statistics
3) UCLA Biostatistics
4) UCLA Biomathematics

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/05/15/offbeat.surprise.baby.ap/index.html

My goodness, are some people stupid or what??? Baby is lucky she is healthy after no prenatal care nor caution in the mother's eating, drinking and/or smoking/drug habits. Stupid people do not deserve to take care of such miracles.

eh..today wasn't all that great...
found out i totally missed doing one problem on my stats midterm because i didn't read it, so sad and i even left early, and then i missed more points because i failed to do matrix multiplication right...sigh.....
then i got to cs and got my midterm back also, many points missed and i still don't know why, my prof took my test back to look at one of the problems...booo!
and once again i decide not to show up to work, don't feel like it, feel like my boss don't like me no more....

and...

really really bad hair day, i know that everyday is a bad hair for frances compared to everyone else, but this is one of "my" bad hair days, which means you know it ain't a pretty sight...

plus i overdosed on ice cream, not only did it not make me feel better, i still feel funky and didn't even eat lunch today....

AAAAAAAAH! i really need a happy thing right now...

I donated blood this morning, even after 6 times, I still get nervous about the needles. I've never had much experience with them besides the childhood immunizations and TB test. Other than that, I'm no diabetic or druggie, so needles are foreign to me. The nurse noticed I was nervous and she told me I was hyperventilating. For some reason, she even put a sheet over my entire arm during the process which they've never done to me before. I was worried this morning that they might reject me again because of iron. But God is good to me today, my iron level is 12.8, only 0.3 above the minimum cut-off value. When I got rejected two weeks ago, it was only at 12.0. Must replenish now.
Today's bag of blood seemed much larger than usual. Who knows how much they really took out of me... hehhe, no I'm sure they wouldn't milk me for as much as possible. Anyhoo..two more times til my one gallon! Whoohooo!

I think it's gonna be a WONDERFUL day today! =)

My lab that I work in has a mailing list, everybody who is a part of the Nelson Lab is on this list and everyone gets emails.
So last Friday, my supervisor emails all of us about how Google returns people's addresses if you input their phone number and even returns a link to MapQuest.
The stalker that I am, I of course already knew about this and many other sites that do the exact same thing. Since the tone of his email was so dramatic, I had to reply to the mailing list that this was not that big a deal and that other sites like www.anyhoo.com and www.reversephonedirectory.com had reverse phone lookups too.

ONLY AFTER I sent the email to EVERYONE in the Nelson Lab did I realize that I mistakenly typed www.anyhoo.com instead of the correct address: www.anywho.com.
Oh the shame and mortification, I really really hope that no one tried clicking on the link that I sent them, especially Dr. Nelson. =(
I'm afraid to go to work now....

Classic Look

Tennis, anyone? How about a weekend in the country? Just slip on those tortoise-shell sunglasses and your khaki skirt, and you've got the Classic Look down. With your somewhat preppy lifestyle and a wardrobe filled with things that'll never go out of style, your look spells out your trust in the enduring values. As the queen of classic attire, you've got a relaxed style, colored with a little bit of conservative money. Cotton and wool are your standards, and they beautifully set off your sun-kissed tan glow, just as if you stepped off the boat from Hyannis Port. When getting dressed up, you prefer to keep it simple—spruce it up with some pearls, some shell pink nail polish, and just a touch of lipstick. Like your celebrity prep sisters, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, and Grace Kelly, your look is timeless, American, and oh-so-tasteful.

You don't compare your body to a sculpture by Michelangelo, but you know you're far from a Kindergarten art project! All in all, you've got a healthy dose of body confidence, and that's a rarity in today's world. You've managed to avoid a significant amount of the pressure that society and the media impose on women. Occasionally, however, you might fall prey to the super-skinny ideal. But your strength and healthy outlook enable you to quickly dismiss that unattainable trend. Whether it's an incredible metabolism or a great mindset, your positive body image allows you to have your cake and eat it too! And if you occasionally turn down the cake for fear of lumps and dimples -- don't fret. It's natural for a woman to be self-critical sometimes, and it's not vain to want to look your best. So, as long as you keep these criticisms in perspective, you're in great shape!

even funnier, i'm so bored, must stop wasting time on tests:

Champagne

A sophisticated soul like you is best matched with a classic color that's always tastefully chic. That's why Champagne is your perfect pairing. You're probably known for your impeccable taste in everything from clothes to music to restaurants. And it wouldn't surprise us if you also had an unparalleled ability to know just what to say or do to handle almost every situation gracefully. Don't get the idea that your simple elegance ever makes you boring: You've got a charming flavor that makes others hang on your words to the last drop — and you're not afraid to let your bubbly personality sparkle. Sure, you may get teased at times for your love of life's finer things, but you've got diplomatic skills that are likely to take you far, both in social, and professional, situations. So here's to you, Champagne. Cheers!

HAHAHAHAH, this is hilarious, they think I know makeup:

Makeup

You're the type who probably knows foundation from concealer, matte lipstick from glossy, and where to find the best mascara. And on top of that, you probably like staying up on the latest trends and products to make you glow. Not only do you look marvelous, but your look exudes an exceptional glow as a result of your know-how.

Being a cosmetics connoisseur does have its downsides, however. I mean, the allure of the hottest trends and colors can be hard to resist! But that's okay, everyone has their vices. And how bad can it be if you're splurging on a new eye pencil or that rich new moisture-infused-great-tasting-smudge-proof lipstick?

Just be sure to watch out for impulse buys that you'll later regret. Green shadow doesn't work on everyone, remember. But we don't need to tell you that. Not with your makeup mastery.

Am I a workaholic?

Slow down, take a deep breath, and RELAX. You deserve it! Do you find yourself hesitating to make plans "just in case" you have to work late? Has lunch become an unnecessary time-out in your day? It appears so. Although your priorities are not completely out of whack, it seems as if your life lacks some balance. It's certainly commendable that your job is so important to you. And your endurance and ambition are certainly admirable. But, you've got to make sure that you don't lose sight of your own needs because you're so focused on those of your company. It's well known that productivity is higher when you maintain balance in your life. If you are overworked, not only will your social and personal life suffer, but the quality of your work will suffer too. Remember, a successful career alone does not amount to a fulfilling life. Go ahead, take some time for you. You deserve it!

www.emode.com- I'm bored and busy again...

Frances, your best quality shines through in how Determined you are!

The fact that you're a person with a strong will who is typically determined to follow through on difficult demands and meet important goals really draws people to you! But that's not the only thing. Your answers on the test indicate you're a reliable and dependable person whom others can usually count on. You are a hopeful and optimistic person who tends to look on the bright side of life, too.

In all, there are 15 qualities that help define you when you're at your best. Those are the traits potential employers, friends, and partners look for in you. What makes you unique is your particular distribution of those 15 qualities.

We've found that your particular combination of qualities is rare — only 4 in 10,000 people share the same general mix of traits. Those are great odds if you're trying to show a potential employer, colleague, friend, or date why you're exactly the right person for them.

Watching Passions for the first time in a looooong time. Dude, how lame is that show???? Seems like everyone got pregnant by the wrong person.
Hehe, whatever, really really stupid show, as with all other soaps.

A curious thought: when a girl keeps calling me sexy everytime I see her, is it weird of me to harbor a really minor idea that she might be lesbian? It's nothing serious, I'm actually not bothered by it, and it's a nice compliment. But hmm....what do you think?

So much stuff to do and now another hassle:
Roomies moving out (aka Tammy and Floey)
Want to keep apartment
Need to find new roomies
Haven't done anything yet, so busy with work and school
New lease starts beginning of July
That leaves so little time to find decent people who don't mind us nerds and don't mind the absence of furniture

Don't you sometimes wish you knew what other people thought of you?
I do a lot. But I know that if I actually knew what people thought of me, it'd just kill me. I wouldn't be able to handle it; better to pretend like it's all good. =)
However, I try hard to be a people pleaser, so if I did know how I should act or what not to do with certain people, it'd make their lives better. But then, where is my uniqueness? My life does not exist solely to not annoy people.
I wish many times that my actions aren't taken in the wrong way. I really want to help people sometimes but I'm held back because I'm worried that it might look bad if I do. How am I supposed to do stuff that aren't the norm? Do most people view stuff that people don't usually do weird? Or like I have an ulterior motive? Really sad, I wish I had more freedom in doing things, or maybe.....I'm just a sucker for criticism...sigh...I shouldn't care that much about other people's opinions, but I do.
Another point that derives from this: where is the fine line between being overly caring and enthusiastic and looking like a stalker?

I knew it would come sooner or later, but I sort of feel sad that I won't be graduating with everyone else this June. I'm not "Class of 2003", I won't be celebrating with all the people who came into UCLA the same time as me.
But I don't regret not finishing in time this quarter. I really love UCLA and its classes and professors and I don't want them to end just yet. But I know that I'll be working even harder next year and without the same friends that I've had along with me for the past four years. I hope it won't get too depressing.
Time has gone by so fast. It seems like high school graduation was just not too long ago and now all of us are done with another era in our lives and ready to move on to bigger and better things.
And what's bad is when I try to remember what I have done for the past four years, I realize how bad the way I live my life is. All I do is worry about the next moment in life and trying to get past the present moment and failing to enjoy that it's there and that the present moment IS my life. Then sooner or later I find that all this time has passed and all I did was rush from one thing to another. I never realize that my IN box in life will NEVER get empty. So in effect I am only worrying and rushing towards my death. Only then will my IN box not matter. I need to find time to actually comprehend that my life is now, not later.

The purpose of this note is to point out how two innate
fundamental metaconcepts shape our view of our
universe. It is generally accepted today that human
beings, as well as many other animals, construct a
mental view of their surroundings by filtering and
ordering their sensory inputs through a built-in
mechanism in their brains which allows them to sort
out this kaleidoscope of incoming information into a
consistent orderly view of their surroundings. This
mechanism seems to have developed through an
extensive evolutionary process that extends to all
mammals and most birds, indeed, to all animals
whose young develop ex utero during an extensive
period of time under intensive parental care.

~ Database System Concepts Lecture on Fundamental Meta Concepts

Thoughts in my mind are so contradictory, there's no way one set will win over the other and I will not have peace. My world is defined by logic and constantness, if you take that away from me, I will lapse into a state of self-hate, thereby confirming and fueling this sad little positive feedback loop into oblivion.

i'm very afraid of entropy =(