Making the crossing..

I have departed the left coast and am slowly making my way to Raleigh.  My truck is loaded and the trailer is full.  Even though it's a slow slog, the old truck is doing okay.  I got from Portland to Dever in two days, and Oklahoma in one more.  Right now I am writing from my birthtown, Amarillo, TX, in the library where I spent quite a bit of time when I was younger.  Everything seems a lot smaller than it did then... I'll be visiting family and on the road to Raleigh till Dec. 1.  I'll also be starting my work preparing for the Antarctic.  Look for more updates and photos from the trip then.  Happy trails.

Raleigh visit - success

I flew out to Raleigh to check out the town, meet my advisors and the department, and find a place to live.  Operation successful. I think I really lucked out finding a place to live.  My criteria were cost, proximity to campus, and good landlord.  I have never liked apartment complexes and the management firms that run them, so a private landlord is my preference.  Here's what I found.  It's a cute duplex that's right next to campus.  Check out the map: (Click to enlarge) The place is well laid out, has parking, a washer dryer unit in the unit, and the landlord is a mellow dude who runs his own electrician biz.  There's food/drink and library (my staples in the next few years) in easy biking distance.  I hope to give the old truck some well deserved rest. My advisor is also a very mellow guy who I think I can work well with and learn a lot from.  He's well established in the field and seems to care a lot about the well-being and future of his students.  I think it's going to be a productive couple of years at least. So now my goal is to get my poop in a pile and loaded up to drive across the country to my new home.  My last day at work was Friday, so I have no more good excuses to procrastinate on my packing.  Anyone want to buy a drum set?

Drake Passage - a preview

Been checking out YouTubes of Drake Passage. Let's just say, I'm happy I have a prescription for Scopolamine.
This one's not so crazy... taken from a cruise ship. You can hear some old fart bragging in the background about how big the seas were when he was in the navy. Snow covered and uphill both ways, eh old timer...
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This one (link - embedding disabled) is huge.. good thing they are heading with the wind. Wouldn't want to hit those suckers head on.
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I like this one best, especially the crazy sounds below deck as stuff gets clanged about in the shifty seas. The lady walking sideways down the passageway is awesome too.
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Coming in Feb/March - my own video of the passage. Hope my camera - and the seasickness meds - will hold up..

Alternative Energy - reality

Saw this article (via) and you know, with reports that peak oil may be already come and gone, this comes as a very refreshing breath of fresh air.  Again, this is the kind of innovation that needs to be pushed into reality by inspiring leaders and focused funding.  The US is so poised to take the lead on this...  We can put a man on the moon if empowered and inspired.  Education in math and science will improve if kids have something meaningful to work on.  America has the creativity and technical prowess to make this happen (and make some killer $$ along the way).  When will a presidential candidate or member of congress vow to do this?  With the money we've spent in Iraq, we could have had solar powered Jetson cars by now...  and cell phones that work...

See Mike Draw

Holy shit, these are some of the funniest comics I've ever seen!

Lessig's virgin talk on Corruption

I am a little over halfway through watching this lecture, and it's pretty moving.  Lawrence Lessig has been a big name in copyfighting circles for years (see close to every 5th post on Boingboing).  He's now working on corruption issues, and he makes an amazingly good argument.  Worth a watch. Democracy requires personal responsibility AS WELL AS community responsibility.  If you see someone stealing something, do you speak up and do something about it??  If you know that someone is cheating on their taxes, do you speak up?  If you know that someone is molesting young children, do you speak up??  I'm not passing judgement on the answers of any of these questions, but just provoking thought.

I'm in!

I got the official acceptance letter from the NCSU graduate school today.  I had been assured that this crucial piece of the puzzle would go through easily, but I've been living with a little gnawing shred of anxiety until now.  Needless, to say, I sighed a huge breath of relief when getting this. So I'm flying to Raleigh on the 23rd.  I'll meet the department, find an apartment, and just try to figure the place out.  I really don't know what to expect, so if you know anyone in Raleigh, know of a good coffee shop, Thai restaurant, or dive bar - let me know.

Is this the new story of our times?

Article. I read this and wonder. I go back and forth when I get the opportunity to give advice to young people about to decide what to do with their careers. Sometimes I say, "Do what you love, the rest will work itself out." Other times I defeatedly say, "Get a law degree, kid.. fuck science. NO money." And reading this article just makes me even more confused. Is it really social inequity that keeps me from being able to make ends meet.. and I'm not even doing anything THAT idealistic right now. Sure, I'm going to grad school to study the oceans and climate change, but right now, I'm doing environmental consulting. Don't let the 'environmental' in that title confuse you - what I do consists of mostly industrial enabling. We help people clean up their messes, sure, but at the lowest cost and just baaareeley enough to keep the agencies and regulators off their backs. Sell out I am, but broke nonetheless. I could have taken a job similar to my father's - working as a pipeline inspector and make twice the salary I make now. Only then would I really be able to 'make it' in the current economy. Teachers can't make it, young researchers can't make it. WTF? Are these people jsut young yuppie primadonas that are whining their way into debt? Certainly some of them are, but not all. I have wondered about my individual plight through mediocre salary and massive student debt, and if I skrewed up somehow. It seems I'm in a boat with a lot of people, and we're all drifting along hoping for a break. Well, anyway, I've decided to go back and do what I love. I'll be broke some more, and may never make enough money to be very comfortable. But fuck it, who else is going to save the world?

Secrets of PBF

An interview with the creator of the greatest internet comic strip ever.

How it happened..

I have been asked by a few folks, "So how'd you find this gig?!?" Well, it all started while I was sitting on the toilet one evening... No, really, I was taking care of business and idly reading a copy of EOS, a weekly rag put out by the American Geophysical Union that has short articles and, more importantly, a lively classifieds section. It was then that I drifted upon this ad:

"PhD Opportunity in Antarctic Benthic Research. The Dept of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University has funding to support a doctoral student for 3 years (tuition, fees, and salary) on an NSF Polar Programs grant. the research will involve 3 cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula, with measurement of naturally occuring tracers (primarily C-14 and Th-234) in sediments and in benthos as the primary focus of the student resarch. The goal fo the study is is to asses benthic feeding strategies as the respond to temperature gradients and climate change. Applicants should have a BS and/or MS in chemistry, marine chemistry, or marine biology. For further details, contact [...]

I remember getting a real good feeling about this ad and heard a distinct voice in my head say to me, "This could be your ticket, Brian.." So, anyway, I crapped and got off the pot, so to speak. I emailed the professor, he liked my previous experience, I sent him my transcripts, GRE scores, an essay, etc..., and he offered me the position a few weeks later. That's how it went down. Pretty sweet, eh?

First Post...

Hi all, and thanks for visiting. I intend this little blog to be a diary of experiences, photos, and errata for a new chapter in my life. I recently found out that I have an opportunity to do a few things that I always wanted to do - go to grad school, study oceanography and climate change, and travel to Antarctica. I wished it, and the universe responded in kind. In short, I'm eff-ing giddy with anticipation of what's to come. So stay tuned. I will add details of my studies and travels as I get them figured out. Now things are mostly a blur of barely laden plans and ideas... And please, email or leave a comment. I probably would love to hear from you.