Franiwack
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
From Floey's blog : "So, about 30 min into my 1.45 hour stats class, I started to doze."
Floey, DITTO! So no biggie, I have slept in my stats classes longer than you have ever been in a stats class. =)
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Sunday, November 27, 2005
f : byeeee, luv ya!
e : do you?
hey man, Los Angeles isn't SF.....so, again, I'm confused
maple syrup, maple syrup
but i do, floey, i do! you're one of my best friends
f : so that perhaps was like a siracha moment, would you say?
e : oooh...but that would be called a Maple Syrup moment
you didn't ask for hot sauce did you?
f: no
e : slim pickings when guys go to grad school, eh?
f : apparently
e : but for pharmacy school.....it's like chimps*
f : haha
* refers to Brad's comment about the stat dept wrt a sign at the zoo that read there are around 6-8 females for every 1 male chimp
e : so if it was a guy with all girls, he's a pimp
what does that make you?
f : a scarce commodity =)
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Brad, Shankar, Greg, me and Allan at Mel's after a whole day in SF (Golden Gate Park and Zoo)
PHOTOS!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
My first Thanksgiving away from home
First of all, dang it's a deserted city here! I was talking to my friend Jamie for a few hours last night until Strada kicked us out and there was seriously no one around... Same thing this morning as Allan and I walked to the theater on Shattuck together. No one except this crazed homeless person who kept following us and shouting to Allan "KISS HER! IT'LL FEEL GOOD! SHE LOOKS PRETTY!" Damn, you can sure depend on the Berkeley homeless to boost your ego every now and then, heh...
Anyways, I'm happy to say that I got to spend Thanksgiving with a well-sampled non-random cross-section of my Berkeley friends. I watched Harry Potter with Allan, Brad, Dave and Richard at 11:45am today, but before that Allan, Richard and I got to spend some time at Starbucks since we thought there would be a mad kiddie rush to see Harry Potter early Thanksgiving day and got to the theater at like 10:40am (ref. Richard's hot hair) Harry was okay; funny scenes only due to lameness but overall, not too bad, though I really say the book was way better at plot development and the details. And I guess them kids are moving onto crushes and whatnot. I really don't see how Hermione and Ron could end up together, but I guess from the movie, they both like each other and Hermione would have much preferred to have gone to that dance with Ron instead of the mucho-macho Krum. They gotta get that sorted out... I should read book 6 sometime... And even during the movie, I got to thinking that the girl at the ticket station shouldn't have ripped both tickets. What if I had just taken Richard's stub or something? I don't see how I could have proved that ticket was paid for... Anyways, I wasn't thinking, my brain automatically shut down for vacation (I wonder what's my excuse the rest of the time...), so I let her rip both, but whatevers it all worked out, though it bothers me with the inconsistency.
After that, it was an hour of shivering in the cold and the lonely corner of Center and Shattuck waiting for the 7 bus. Another encounter with a homeless person who wanted a light, but I couldn't understand him at the time and he kept poking me! Argh... Once again, some time to myself to contemplate life... whatever that may be.
Got to Jasmine's place where a huge array of food was already ready! Jasmine is so good to me. I finally ate some turkey on Thanksgiving day in years. My family doesn't celebrate with turkey, ever... so I got some turkey this year, and salmon and macaroni and cheese and collard greens and stuffing and corn and sweet potato pie and chocolate cake and sweet cornbread. All of Jasmine's good Southern cookin. I also got to meet her good friend Campy from Florida and her usual law skool buddies (see pics). Damn, they are a funny bunch.
And then it was off to Emeryville to see Rent. I love the singing, but it was just so sad and depressing.
"525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love."
I had a great time today. Yes, indeedy. Life be good.
And hopefully the zoo on Saturday! Wooohoooo! =)
The unessential lesson I learned today from ____________
Apparently if there are three urinals in the men's restroom, and the two on the end are occupied, a third person who walks in musn't use the vacant middle one. [edit: So, to continue sounding lame, I'm sorry I had no idea it was the cardinal sin of urinal etiquette to pee next to someone; however, I'm sure that if it were female-oriented, you'd see all these giggly sorority girls who swear to be "pee-sisters" and they must, must use urinals adjacent to each other.]
Also, do not say out aloud "Hello, sir" to a professor in your department if he's standing at one and doesn't recognize you.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
my unintentional thanksgiving entry
I'm in a quiet kind of happiness... or if you could call it happiness or perhaps peace. It's very still here on campus; everyone has gone and will be going away for the holiday soon. I always thought I could stand being lonely for long periods of time, but not so much anymore. Even to have someone just sitting next to me breathing would make this moment nicer... I tried talking to some squirrels as I idly strolled through my campus today, realizing that I seriously don't get out of Evans often enough to enjoy the streams and the trees and the sun and the fresh air. And it would have been better if someone was there too to share in whatever I was feeling at that moment. The sometimes sad thing about having someone around is that both people feel obligated to say something at every minute. Silences that may have been needed turn into a race to see who can come up with the next trivial thing to say or ask, thereby ruining an otherwise happy experience of just feeling your place in life among such beautiful elements.
As if I can't repeat it enough, one of the best things about being here in graduate school are the people. I'm constantly surrounded by the nicest, smartest, and coolest people you'll ever get to meet in life, and I always feel so lucky that I get to interact with them now and for many years to come. And that's what makes me grateful and happy...
Monday, November 21, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
I'm an enzyme
Thanks to Allan and me, my roomie is now in a pretty serious relationship with his roomie. Of course, we didn't do any matchmaking but only sped up what would probably have been inevitable but slow, due to some pretty high schoolish moves on the part of my roomie and perhaps his roomie too. Anyways, apparently you can hook up with someone you meet in the elevator going up three floors. So now whenever I need to know where my roomie is, I'll just IM Allan and ask if he's seen her in the morning, hehe...
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Friday, November 18, 2005
Finally! Thanks to Richard dragging us to Rasputin music, I have finally gotten the good version of Chocolate. And the rest of the Final Straw cd at only 5 bucks! Woo, that made my day; well, that and the darn coolest stats peeps I get to see every darn day! darn darn darn... =)
This could be the very minute
I'm aware I'm alive
All these places feel like home
With a name I'd never chosen
I can make my first steps
As a child of 25
This is the straw, final straw in the
Roof of my mouth as I lie to you
Just because I'm sorry doesn't mean
I didn't enjoy it at the time
You're the only thing that I love
It scares me more every day
On my knees I think clearer
Goodness knows I saw it coming
Or at least I'll claim I did
But in truth I'm lost for words
What have I done it's too late for that
What have I become truth is nothing yet
A simple mistake starts the hardest time
I promise I'll do anything you ask...this time
Thursday, November 17, 2005
I'm that special
I feel like my credit card companies think I'm a dimwit and are just out to make fun of me or waste my time.
First of all, what's with them announcing with so much hoopla that I am now platinum status when they don't increase my limit? Woopeedoodles, now I get a silver card instead of the crummy original one, where's the trust?? Discover first did this to me a few years back. I was already complaining about the embarrassingly low limit when the rest of my friends had decent limits (still not as high as you'd think, but at least decent relative to mine) I got all excited when I received a pretty platinum card in the mail only to scowl at the seemingly immutable limit. WTF? What's the point? I dare say, I may hold the record for the lowest limit on a platinum account ever... Anyways, I called Discover to complain and guess what they did? ... Yep, I got an increase; no, I wasn't too happy about it. Why? Damn Discover thinks they can appease me with a $500 increase!
And just today, Capital One also thinks it's hilarious to bestow upon me their platinum card without increasing my limit. I can just hear them laughing themselves silly in their cubicles.
And yes, I DO USE my credit cards!! It's not like I'm saving them for some sort of emergency. I make pretty big purchases too. And I never carry a balance. So why don't they think I can handle a higher limit?
Another stupid incident a few weeks ago:
I get in the mail a huge padded envelope from Capital One. I suspect perhaps it's my platinum card in the mail even though I know I've always received new cards in plain envelopes. Anyways, I find that the flap is easily opened, as if it had been opened and restuck before. And inside all I find is a stupid advertisement from them about transferring balances. So now I get worried, what was supposed to be inside? Was it stolen?
Thinking it was probably my platinum card, I call Capital One immediately. I describe my problem : "Yeah, I think something was stolen from this padded envelope you sent me." The person on the line goes: "Nothing was stolen, that [lame ad] was what we sent you." I go, "But it was in a padded envelope that wasn't sealed properly!" She says nonchalantly, "Yes, we like putting them in those envelopes."
Uh, sure... they LIKE putting scrappy ads in huge padded envelopes?? Dude, they so got me. They got me so bad; they even got me calling them. What a waste of time and a bit of freaking out before realizing that my credit card companies are playing me for a fool. Excuse me for being concerned about my credit card security.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Argh, I've apparently hidden my paper journal too well.
So many things to be written down there lest they accidentally escape onto this.
Dangit, back to searching...
Monday, November 14, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Small world and getting smaller...
StyricGirL (12:11:33 AM): franiwack!
StyricGirL (12:11:35 AM): : )
franiwack (12:11:53 AM): howdy girly
StyricGirL (12:12:24 AM): dude i had 2 questions about ur blogingness
StyricGirL (12:12:30 AM): haha well one isn'ta qusetion
StyricGirL (12:12:33 AM): it's moer like a comment
franiwack (12:12:40 AM): yesh?
StyricGirL (12:12:42 AM): i read this person's blog, ahyesmedschool
StyricGirL (12:12:47 AM): and he knows fedexof thefunk
StyricGirL (12:12:48 AM): or something
StyricGirL (12:12:49 AM): who you nko
StyricGirL (12:12:52 AM): it's weird!!!!
franiwack (12:12:53 AM): woooh!
franiwack (12:12:56 AM): how did you find it??
StyricGirL (12:13:01 AM): LOL
StyricGirL (12:13:03 AM): ahyesmedschool?
franiwack (12:13:07 AM): yeah
StyricGirL (12:13:09 AM): it was a noticed blog
StyricGirL (12:13:11 AM): so i was reading it
franiwack (12:13:13 AM): oh right
franiwack (12:13:13 AM): yep
StyricGirL (12:13:14 AM): and it was funny
StyricGirL (12:13:21 AM): but i think fedexofthefunk commented on ur blog
StyricGirL (12:13:23 AM): and i was looking thru
franiwack (12:13:24 AM): right
StyricGirL (12:13:27 AM): and he mentioned ahyesmedschool
StyricGirL (12:13:29 AM): which is weird!
franiwack (12:13:30 AM): right
franiwack (12:13:33 AM): they are friends
StyricGirL (12:13:34 AM): do u kno ahyesmedskool?
franiwack (12:13:37 AM): nope
StyricGirL (12:13:37 AM): lol
StyricGirL (12:13:39 AM): eh??
StyricGirL (12:13:40 AM): o_0
franiwack (12:13:41 AM): i know fed ex
StyricGirL (12:13:45 AM): no friend of the friend?
StyricGirL (12:13:46 AM): haha
StyricGirL (12:14:55 AM): LOL
StyricGirL (12:14:57 AM): it's so weird
StyricGirL (12:15:02 AM): were they friends from UG or something?
franiwack (12:15:05 AM): i guess
StyricGirL (12:15:21 AM): lol i have no idea where that other guy is from
StyricGirL (12:15:24 AM): i just know he's funny
StyricGirL (12:15:33 AM): his experiences kind of remind me of my bro's
StyricGirL (12:15:35 AM): (some)
StyricGirL (12:15:41 AM): and his humor (some)
franiwack (12:15:49 AM): ah
StyricGirL (12:15:50 AM): so i just read :D cuz my bro wont update (shakes fist)
StyricGirL (12:16:23 AM): ahh.. yes
StyricGirL (12:18:07 AM): http://aghastfromthepast.blogspot.com/2005/10/oh-yeah-i-diid.html
StyricGirL (12:18:09 AM): you are even mentioned!
StyricGirL (12:18:11 AM): HAHAHAHA
franiwack (12:18:28 AM): no, but how did you know ahyes knows fed ex?
StyricGirL (12:18:38 AM): ehh?
StyricGirL (12:18:39 AM): read that
StyricGirL (12:18:42 AM): "the fake doctor"
StyricGirL (12:18:45 AM): that's the same guy
StyricGirL (12:18:46 AM): haha
franiwack (12:18:48 AM): i know..
franiwack (12:18:49 AM): yesh
franiwack (12:18:52 AM): but my question is the reverse
StyricGirL (12:18:53 AM): and it's funny how mike sego is mentioned
franiwack (12:18:56 AM): how did you get to fed ex?
StyricGirL (12:19:02 AM): OH
StyricGirL (12:19:08 AM): ops sorry, i briefly mentioned it before
StyricGirL (12:19:12 AM): from ur website
StyricGirL (12:19:16 AM): he commented on ur blog
franiwack (12:19:18 AM): oh
StyricGirL (12:19:19 AM): so i was just surfing
franiwack (12:19:20 AM): i get it now
StyricGirL (12:19:24 AM): right when he posted this
StyricGirL (12:19:43 AM): so i was like "WOA"
StyricGirL (12:19:51 AM): cuz it was just when i was reading ahyes
StyricGirL (12:19:53 AM): [nod nod]
StyricGirL (12:19:58 AM): see the big big spiral of things
franiwack (12:20:16 AM): funny
franiwack (12:20:31 AM): it's a very small world it seems
StyricGirL (12:21:20 AM): isn't that hilarious!!!
franiwack (12:21:24 AM): yes
franiwack (12:21:26 AM): very
StyricGirL (12:21:27 AM): it's like a smaller smaller world when i was reading it
StyricGirL (12:21:28 AM): i was like..
StyricGirL (12:21:33 AM): ah franiwack is mentiond (obviuos)
StyricGirL (12:21:38 AM): ahyes med? o_0 (very random)
StyricGirL (12:21:43 AM): mike sego?! (wut...)
StyricGirL (12:21:50 AM): note: i had mr. sego as a 5th grade teacher too
StyricGirL (12:21:53 AM): and bro knew him too (i knew)
franiwack (12:21:54 AM): heeh
StyricGirL (12:21:58 AM): so it was VERY VERY VERY RANDOM
StyricGirL (12:22:00 AM): buahahaha
franiwack (12:22:03 AM): what?
StyricGirL (12:22:11 AM): when i was reading the post
franiwack (12:22:13 AM): you are thinking of the wrong sego?
StyricGirL (12:22:15 AM): and he was talkigna bout how it was a small world
StyricGirL (12:22:18 AM): eh?
StyricGirL (12:22:21 AM): mike sego
franiwack (12:22:23 AM): which sego you talking about?
franiwack (12:22:24 AM): right
StyricGirL (12:22:25 AM): mr sego's son?o
StyricGirL (12:22:28 AM): one that went to stanford
franiwack (12:22:29 AM): really?
franiwack (12:22:30 AM): oh
StyricGirL (12:22:32 AM): youngest son
StyricGirL (12:22:33 AM): yep
StyricGirL (12:22:38 AM): he has 3/4 sons
franiwack (12:22:39 AM): i didnt' know his dad was a teacher
StyricGirL (12:22:43 AM): harvard, yale, stanford? or something?
StyricGirL (12:22:44 AM): yep.
StyricGirL (12:22:48 AM): teacher @ holly ave.
StyricGirL (12:22:49 AM): LOL
franiwack (12:23:02 AM): fuuunnny
StyricGirL (12:23:47 AM): isn't it?
StyricGirL (12:23:49 AM): : )
franiwack (12:23:54 AM): heeh, this is cool
franiwack (12:24:02 AM): you mind if i just copy and paste this into my blog
franiwack (12:24:03 AM): ?
StyricGirL (12:24:08 AM): sure : )
Saturday, November 12, 2005
"...research shows that the fitter you become, the healthier your diet naturally becomes..."
I read that somewhere but I want to know, where is the proof? Where can I find this? pubmed? one person's observation?
Friday, November 11, 2005
I'm in my office on a holiday and I'm bored.
I notice:
AIM : mostly Berkeley people online
MSN : all Berkeley people online
Skype : all Berkeley people online
See a pattern?
WHERE THE HECK ARE MY ARCADIA AND UCLA FRIENDS?
Blocking me? I hope not! =)
IM or email me to let me know how you're doing! =P
(Edit: I just realized that I should say, yes you can call me too, I'm not that anti-personal!)
(Edit #2: Darn, I also realized maybe I should try calling you sometimes, hehe, don't wait by your phone though...)
Stat nerds know how to party
Yep, dept party last night, twas fun and who knew I was actually good at darts? =P
Then spent rest of night organizing those photos and this page.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Uh, are you M***, T**, J****, C******* or N******??
(names *'ed cuz Dave said so!)Sad to say, even though I'm Asian, I had the most difficulty remembering the names of my Asian students in my sections. I've finally got them down but still, it's a bit weird to not identify them as easily as my white and Hispanic students. There are about four or five cute Asian guys in my sections that I knew the names of collectively but not individually. I couldn't even distinguish them based on academic performance as they all talk in class and do well on quizzes. And I swear there are two Asian girls that look exactly alike! But I'm good now, I know the names of every single one of my students, and they make me happy (most of them).
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Frances, Statistics Dept Official Photographer
So, as the dept manager put it, I've "foolishly" taken on the job of becoming the photographer for the department. I never explicity asked for the job, though my actions suggest otherwise. Here are some pros and cons:
Pro/Con:
- I'm getting paid now. / Is the money worth my time and the obligation of always being the one to take pics and organize them?
- I have control of all pics. / The photos page will definitely become biased, aka party pics where *cough* some people weren't invited.
- I have the right to upush! / I just feel so powerful having the use of this command, so the darn con here would be having the ability to edit stuff immediately if people complain about their pic (although this might turn into a pro as I become spiteful and delete or maliciously "improve" their pics immediately)
- I love getting positive feedback from people especially profs who know my name now. / I hate getting annoying emails that don't constructively criticize my pics but only say they are bad. ( You know who you are... you meanies!)
- I feel proud that I'm helping the dept document people and events. As John Panaretos said today before Erich Lehmann's history talk, I am also doing my part for the history of the department. / No cons here. =) Unless you count embarrassing pics that will be up online for years!
- I just like taking pics and meeting new people. I like that I know the names of most people in the dept. / No cons here either. It's just a big hassle to find out names for captions though...
- Taking pics is fun. / Organizing, captioning, and uploading pics are not as fun. I just hope people enjoy my captions. People get offended so easily! It's A JOKE! Blah! =)
Anyhoo, more victims on Thursday!! It's the fall party again! After that, I will unveil the new photos page for the dept... if I have time and if my hands stop hurting... sigh...
Monday, November 07, 2005
Jumproping 6:50pm to 7:58pm
=====================
6000 jumps
68 minutes
----------------
88.24 jumps/min
Previously,
February 20, 2005
5500 jumps
109 minutes
-------------------
50.46 jumps/min
* Note to self: DO NOT EVER TRY 6000 AGAIN! =(
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Cuz Dave said so
Because of my scatterbrain and lack of experience, I have a tendency to just do whatever someone suggests or mentions; it saves me the trouble of remembering things, and it exposes me to new things that I did not know existed before. (Edit: And no, Richard, I'm not giving you and Ron a predetermined amount of money... =P )
Anyways, ever since the small exercise room opened up across the street from me, I've replaced the jumproping that I was doing so diligently earlier this year with running on a treadmill. But Dave just mentioned that he was jumping, so what the heck, I'll dust off my rope and see if I've lost any progress on it.
Apparently not...
I think the running helped a lot, cuz I've totally whacked the old record out of the ballpark.
Jumproping
==========
Time : 37 minutes
Count : 4000 jumps
Rate : 108.11 jumps/min
Previously, I could only do 60 jumps/min at a count of 4000 (over an hour of jumping). So yay... and thanks Dave: am I keeping up with the Jonesensteins yet?
F: see all the pics?
F: i get comments immediately, cuz i hooked it up to my gmail
T: yes i did. you have slimmed down and had gotten quite toned. good job!
F: eh?
F: i diddn't know that
T: i guess it's harder to notice it yourself. but from someone who hadn't seen you in a while, there's a difference
F: aww
F: thanks tam tams
Tammy's been with me through my fat and dorky years; now she's not here to see me still be dorky. =(
Friday, November 04, 2005
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Treadmill
=========
new time
1 mile = 7:44 minutes
* After a dozen years, I've finally beat my 7th grade time of 7:45 minutes. =P
previous record
1 mile = 7:53 minutes
1 mile = 8:00 minutes (7.5 mph uniform)
1 mile = 8:08 minutes
1 mile = 8:32 minutes
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Frances is dead tired from the past week and is walking home from a late useless class. She waits to cross the intersection of Bancroft and Telegraph, when a few seconds later a big black man stands next to her.
BBM : Hi.
F : Hello.
BBM : You have a really pretty smile.
F : Thanks.
BBM : Tell your dad that I'm interested in you.
F : [weakly chuckles...]
BBM : Are you dating anyone right now?
F : No.
BBM : What would your parents say if you wanted to marry a black man?
F : Depends on the person, not the color.
BBM : Ah...my name is ________ (I forgot). Have a good night and god bless you.
F : Sure, same to you.
So, why do black men always ask me if my parents would object to me being with a black man? Another gay black man had previously asked me if my mom would freak if I had a black baby. So yes, I think my parents would freak out, but I would marry a black man if he happened to be what felt right. I don't have restrictions on stuff like that (i.e. race, religion, etc...). No plans, just take things as they come along... though not much is coming along nor do I really want them to. Grad school tends to trap you in one floor of one building all day long, and the only guys you meet outside of it are these weirdos on the street. Eh, all I really want right now is some schleeeep.
zzz....
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
today in three-word-strings
* 9am advisor meeting
* 8:55am meeting start
* collaborator say good
* collaborator want more
* frances work harder?
* too little sleep
* official department photographer
* tried finding kristen
* bumped into kristen
* lunch with kristen
* no class nap
* bought new folder
* complaints from caring
* no more handouts!!
* sqrt(1000) is 10
* groceries on bus
* cake, cake, cake
* mel's with ex-roomies
* feeling extremely tired
* and somewhat lonely
* music cannot fix