Our Concert is Tonight!

Posted on 2018-Apr-20 by corwin

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Gratitude (Apr. 11 – 17)

Posted on 2018-Apr-18 by corwin
  1. Our final regular band rehearsal before our concert went well
  2. My wife planted peas on our garden, and we already have garlic and green onion sprouts
  3. While I am not pleased about the forecast storm for Apr. 13 because I am planning to fly out that day, I am grateful for the weather forecasting technology that allows me to prepare for it.
  4. Time to visit a friend due to cancelled flight on Apr. 13
  5. Time to spend with my wife due to snow day for my employer on Apr. 13
  6. Finally flying out of Rapid City on Apr. 14
  7. Despite many obstacles, and needing to switch airlines, we arrived in Columbus in time for the APS April Meeting.
  8. The patience and good humor of my students as we overcame those obstacles.
  9. My presentation and stint as session chair went well
  10. We found affordable and functional lodging within walking distance (for me) of the meeting location
  11. Catching up with many friends and colleagues while in Columbus
  12. Getting to know my students better
  13. This was my first APS meeting!
  14. Keeping in touch with my wife while I was away
  15. Visiting past favorite restaurants with friends while in Columbus
  16. Attending many interesting talks at the meeting, including some given by friends of mine
  17. Lots of good food near the convention center
  18. Learning about physicists fighting for human rights, including Narges Mohammadi
  19. Learning more about pioneering women in astronomy
  20. It all happened under the watchful biceps of Arnold
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Gratitude List (Mar. 28 – Apr. 10)

Posted on 2018-Apr-11 by corwin
  1. Our final faculty candidate’s visit
  2. Tentative plans for dinner with friends
  3. Good session of a workshop about making learning more inclusive
  4. Editing one of my collaboration’s entry on Wikipedia
  5. Important discussions with my department chair
  6. Being well prepared for my class despite a difficult start to the morning (Apr. 2)
  7. Time to talk with my wife after class
  8. Finding reconstructions of lost Doctor Who episodes
  9. Getting the bulk of our tax information inputted.
  10. Catching up with my sister on the phone
  11. Good food and conversations about recipes at The Well potluck
  12. Catching up on sleep (Apr. 8)
  13. Finished reading a document I volunteered to review
  14. Having more prepared for class than I needed (Apr. 9)
  15. Good meeting with one of my students about his computer programming exercise
  16. Safe drive to Laramie, WY, despite unpleasant weather and some slippery roads (Apr. 6)
  17. Arriving in time to have dinner with a friend
  18. Excellent and hilarious improve show featuring Colin and Brad from Whose Line is it Anyway? 
  19. The volunteers for the sound effects game were very good.
  20. A safe drive back in better weather
  21. Getting some needed work done during the drive
  22. Using my wife’s laptop to listen to and watch Garfield and Friends during the drive
  23. Finding ginger ale at a travel stop along the way
  24. Our final faculty search committee meeting
  25. Good conversation with a long-time friend
  26. Buying and transporting home a load of compost for our garden
  27. Being a judge at the High Plains Regional Science and Engineering Fair
  28. The show from the Black Hills Raptor Center at the fair
  29. My wife’s interview at the fair was broadcast on the morning news!
  30. My wife was able to record her news appearance on our DVR
  31. Finding lunch despite the unexpected cancellation of Lunch Club (Apr. 3)
  32. Time to relax on Easter Sunday
  33. Trying a (very diluted) bleach bath for the first time
  34. Editing the NOvA entry on Wikipedia
  35. Inclusion Committee meeting (Mar. 29)
  36. Netflix still delivers DVDs
  37. Watching Darkwing Duck and finding it is as fun as I remember
  38. Working with my wife to fertilize, till, amend, and prepare our garden beds for planting
  39. Lunch club at a new restaurant
  40. Making a plan for this week and travel this weekend
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Speaking at The March For Science

Posted on 2018-Apr-10 by corwin

I will be the featured speaker at the Rapid City March for Science! I’m accepting suggestions for what to (or not to) say.

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Gratitude List (Mar. 21 – 27)

Posted on 2018-Apr-03 by corwin
  1. Meeting new faculty candidates
  2. Defrosting and re-organizing our chest freezer
  3. Rehearsing my upcoming talk with my group
  4. My wife is very loving, understanding, and patient with me
  5. Dying eggs and discussing the Sermon on the Mount at The Well
  6. Catching up with my parents
  7. New biking equipment arrived
  8. Being part of the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) ice cream social
  9. Lunch with a friend (Mar. 24)
  10. Watching Night Court with my wife
  11. Time to relax on Saturday (Mar. 24)
  12. Meeting new faculty candidates
  13. Defrosting and re-organizing our chest freezer
  14. Rehearsing my upcoming talk with my group
  15. My wife is very loving, understanding, and patient with me
  16. Campus Dialog on “Colorblindness”
  17. Good discussion with a colleague
  18. Interesting and well-presented colloquium (Mar. 21)
  19. Time to catch up with a friend (Mar. 21)
  20. Meeting with a prospective student (Mar. 23)
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Gratitude (Mar. 7 – 20)

Posted on 2018-Mar-22 by corwin
  1. Being able to drive my wife home from the airport
  2. Meeting with a student via videoconference
  3. Getting some e-mails answered
  4. Giving a tour of my lab to a group of high school students, some of whom seemed genuinely interested
  5. Interview with a postdoc candidate
  6. Good conversation about self-image with a friend
  7. Ride from a colleague to and from the Hill City Science Fair
  8. Being a judge at the fair
  9. Time to rest and recover while being sick
  10. Clocks that automatically adjust to daylight saving time
  11. Good food and leaning about Paul Robeson at The Well
  12. Taking the day off to recuperate while sick
  13. My wife bringing me a cheeseburger
  14. Effective cough syrup letting me sleep
  15. Good pies for Pi Day
  16. Fun events, including a pie eating contest, for pie day
  17. Riding home from campus with my wife
  18. Warm weather to melt the snow and clear the roads
  19. Good discussion about the Sermon on the Mount and Easter Eggs at The Well
  20. Helping my wife make soup
  21. Interesting colloquium (Mar. 19)
  22. Good meeting with my research group
  23. Being sufficiently prepared for class
  24. Trimming my beard
  25. Lunch club at Tally’s
  26. Sitting at the “community table” at Tally’s. Apparently the community table is what it sounds like. It is a big table that anyone can sit at if they like. It turned out to be a great opportunity for Richard to tell some local residents about our program.
  27. On of my favorite TV shows (Timeless) is on the air for a second season
  28. The 11th season of The X-Files is airing too
  29. Another great show, Red Dwarf, is on Britbox
  30. Meeting with a prospective graduate student
  31. Making some decisions about student admissions
  32. Being able to stay home and recover while sick (Mar. 12)
  33. Calling and getting a reply about a TV station that seems not to be transmitting
  34. Morning prayer group with InterVarsity
  35. Dinner with friends (Mar. 17)
  36. An amazing performance of Fiddler on the Roof by the SDSM&T Drama Club
  37. Planning a visit from my parents and sister for this summer
  38. Finding the last box of a certain curry powder on the shelf a the grocery store
  39. The wide selection on Netflix DVD service
  40. My wife loves me!
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Want encouragement about the younger generation?

Posted on 2018-Mar-16 by corwin

Be a judge at the High Planes Regional Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 in the King Center at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.

Judge Registration Deadline
March 21, 2018.

I have done this several times. Many of the students and their projects are amazing and give me hope for the future. Click the link below for more information.
Source: SD Mines | Science & Engineering Fair

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Gratitude (Feb. 28 – Mar. 6)

Posted on 2018-Mar-07 by corwin
  1. Overcoming some technical difficulties with delivering my midterm
  2. Good conversation with a student
  3. Another student made some needed plots quite quickly.
  4. Small but good IV Prayer meeting
  5. Doing a load of laundry
  6. Helping my wife cook a lot of good food for us
  7. Good discussion at the Wobbly Table
  8. Music, poetry, food, and friends at Community Meal
  9. First time riding my bike to and from a friend’s new house
  10. Attending the last legislative crackerbarrel of the session
  11. Preparing for leading discussion at The Well
  12. Avoiding the blizzard currently in nearby parts of the state
  13. Talking with my parents
  14. Leading a well-received discussion at The Well based on this theme:
  15. Watching a movie with music we will be playing in our upcoming concert
  16. Online conversation with a good friend
  17. Planning for the rest of this break
  18. Shopping for pens
  19. Van being repaired
  20. Being able to bike to and from the mechanic
  21. Interesting conversation with one of the mechanics about tires
  22. Lunch club at Murphy’s
  23. Catching up with a former student at lunch club
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A Little Fun for Cat People and Brass Players

Posted on 2018-Mar-05 by corwin

This kitty decides to chill in his human’s Euphonium and becomes the mute for his brass instrument. Kazuhiro’s cat is quite fascinated by the shape of the instrument and goes in there to see if it’d fit. Turns out it’s a purrfect fit!”If it fits, I sits!”Watch the full video:”I’m a cat mute!”

Source: Cat Decides to Be the Mute for Brass Instrument – Love Meow

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Gratitude (Feb. 21-27)

Posted on 2018-Mar-01 by corwin
  1. A fun location for our collaboration photo

    Photo credit: Filip Jediny

  2. Safe and sufficiently punctual flights to Austin
  3. Successfully navigating to our hotel
  4. Comfortable hotel room with a good view
  5. Happy hour with colleagues after the first day of collaboration meeting
  6. Successfully navigating my way to campus using the bus
  7. Allowing enough time to find the buildings on an unfamiliar campus
  8. Interesting talks at the collaboration meeting
  9. Good food at the collaboration dinner
  10. Interesting conversations and meeting new colleagues at the dinner
  11. Beautiful view over Lake Travis
  12. Walking to and from the UT campus, including going past the Texas Capitol building
  13. Walking with my wife around downtown Austin, especially the river
  15. Being able to ask useful questions in parallel sessions
  16. Getting safely home from Austin even though our flight was quite delayed
  17. Good food at the Austin and DFW airports
  18. Two strong candidates for collaboration co-spokesperson
  19. A useful workshop on graduate student advising
  20. Writing the midterm for my class
  21. Lunch club at Ichiban
  22. Good meetings with students
  23. Making arrangements for the APS April Meeting
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