Econometric qual

And I am kinda not doing too much right now. I will say this, with 2 kids, I am happy that I went to UTD, for if I went to a better school, the time demands would not allow me to probably hang in the program.

BTW, reddit.com = Fox News = crackpots

sum up the day, 9/20/10

Last thought of the day.

Went to the seminar today where a neuroscientist was speaking. I suspected this somewhat all along, but I now think that "reason" has many facets of being a human construct as say "culture". It is impossible for me to believe that we don't have at least have some things quite wrong on what we, as humanity, generally view as reasonable. It is impossible to have well operating, but still flawed, brains, and believe that what we denote as "reasonable" really is, well, "reasonable".

I am a little worried

I think that children from academics may end up being quite maladjusted. I am already finding it harder and harder to spend quality time with Ced. Today, for around 5 mintues, I quite literally play fetch with him. Not good. Any my professor, who I think I may want as an advisor, complains about her daughter alot. I dunno, maybe true to all people right now, maybe not.

OK, knock on wood...

but my wife, Jenn, really handles her pregancies well. Does make one wonder how much her Mexicanish plays a role, probably none. She eats normally, certainly not finicky, but also doesnt gorge. Works out, but doesn't over do it. Pretty even keel.

My halfass, but works, advice to those woman out there, if you don't excerise, then start about 1 year out. But don't worry about losing weight, just get a body that can handle physical stree, just run 3 miles or 30 minutes, 3 to 4 days a week. That isn't really hard, but that is the point, dont over do it.

Think, but dont think

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11340881

I actually am the type of guy who does brood too much, and to be honest, when I do think about, say, my life, place in the universe, what is out there, I do get kinda depressed. Seem to me that it foolish to ponder about things with untestable hypothesis, which is why I have, well, venon for those who become philosphers in today's age. Nothing more that a waste of a person's brain power. Academic cowards I say.

Do what you like, respect that other's may have different opinions that you, and move on. Who cares about the big questions. At the end of it all, I would glad trade it all in for 10 minutes with the fam.

baby # is 6 days away

Pretty excited for that. Kinda funny, not sure how much of a milestone this really is, but in a week or two, no longer just Jenn, Ced, and I. Hope Ced will be OK

Well, its been a really long time

I forgot about this blog for almost 3 years. My bad. Ced is now 3. I graduated from MBA school and now I am a Ph D student at the U of Texas - Dallas. Looking like I will be an economic experimentalist. I am currently working on a counter terrorism project at UTD. Jenn is still wonderful and kid no. 2 should be only 2 weeks away.

What I am thinking on. I believe in evolution, but it simply isn't important enough to fight over. In fact, I cannot think of on biological aspect that evolution is important, except evolution itself. I would consider it's discovery to be a net negative for our society. Way too much energy is being spent on both sides of the issue. This further annoys me since I feel that biologists try to diminish the effect that chemistry and physics plays in advancing its own science. I would claim that nearly every time biology is able to answer the question "why" about anything, it is almost entirely up to physics and chemistry ( and the associated experts) to explain it too them. Biology is great at explaining what, but the why is left for the hard sciences. I do hope Cedric like math and brushes off biology as an undergrad and goes into physics or engineering. I do love him so.

I think that Cristopher Hitchens is a great writer, but at times, his logic behind his arguments can be quite poor. I think people confuse the two. Esp in 2006 when he proclaimed that Castro is being forcibly removed due to a military coup. Not a bit of evidence to back that up. Yet, no one calls him on it. Annoys me.

I still think that military atheists are just as crackpot crazy as religious fundamentalists. There is nothing wrong with building mosques at ground zero.

that is all

Good old Cedric, very late, yea, I know

Picture of the Cedric Man. Ta Da

yes, I am probably absurdy late, I kow

Wow it been a while

Well Cedric is fine and my team is in shambles. Need to get that twitter thang. By the way, ever since Drew Carey started hosting the show, Plinko is on all the fargen time. Way too much. Come on, it's Plinko, save it, don't have it on all the time.

OK, all is OK

Baby Cedric Merrill Kass was born at 2:03 PM today, nowhere near the start time of the NU game. Thank goodness. Man, am I pooped. Well, lets see, I will proclaim that my child is Husker Potter, the new child to vanquish the evil USC-mort. USC bastards, I hate them all and their California trees and hills. Jerks. Most of who I know has been notified, so we are good to go.

If we lose, my child will be a lifelong Subway worker.

Nothing much at 1 pm

Down time now for Jenn, sleeping just heard that maybe the kid will be born by 6 pm. Here's to hope.

By the way, I just found a nail in the tire of my truck. Wonderful.

No, NO, NO! no.

Maybe God is angry with me or maybe I pray to the wrong deity, because either way some higher power has forsaken me. I found out that the baby ETA is 9 PM, right during the 2nd half of the football game that is to define the rest of the life, the USC vs. UN game. I couldn't even watch Corso and Herbstreet's picks for that was during the epidural and my wife was whining about this 6", drill bit look-a-like being shoved into her spine. Sheesh.

I asked the doctor about performing a C-Section before the game, he said that performing surgery with absolutely no need is ethically irresponsible and reprehensible. I mentioned that I heard that C-sections take 2 minutes and that anything that quick can't be that dangerous, he said that he has no surgical instruments and that he is an anesthesiologist. Finally, I said I have a plastic knife, he said he had to leave.

I can't….no……I NEVER win.

Birth of #1 child

A little bit on the events today.

130 AM, wife woke me up because of labor pain, which at first I thought was a continuation of our horrendous fight last night, but my wife was having contractions. The timing couldn't have been worse. Today is #1 USC vs our beloved #14 huskers, now my party is an afterthought, and I may miss the game. I may be giving this kid and his/her mother the Beth Jarrett treatment. Anyhoo. at 130. Not sure what to do, we watch harry potter, #1. OK movie, Snape looks soooo gay. Well, the misses is having 'tractions, so we go into the hospital. She is still having contractions, but the nurse says everything is fine and sends us home at 530 AM, saying that we have a long time left before we have to worry about anything, days maybe.

Now it is 630 am, we are home for 40 minutes, and her water breaks. So we rush back and here we are. Contractions do not go well for my wife. I mentions that she is going to forgo sex for 20 years, and now after seeing the cathoder, epidural, and various other items going in you-know-what, I can probably go without sex for a while myself. The epidural was fine, the doc had to do it twice, and would have been finished soon if he did insist on showing pictures of his children. But that is now go to go as well.

Now she is sleeping, can't feel her legs and grumpy. Can't wait for the delivery!

Hello all

Hello, my name is Malcolm Kass, and as a 32 year old dork, I am making my first venture into blogging. Well, for the first time in my life, I decided to be somewhat altrustic and share some of my backpacking experiences in French Guiana.

A little about why? Well, I am guessing that most of us haven't been to French Guiana, so I thought that this would be helpful. Well, it is a French protorate, so still under mother France, which is good. You will need to get your Yellow Fever shot, and this isn't a place to believe that "I only need a shot if I go into the jungle". Well, the whole area is jungle. One last item for now, get in shape before hand, you will glad you did. This is a very fufilling trip, really, more of an event, somewhat like being one of the first european explorer to see the new world (I know this can be a touchy issues, but understand the connection I am making), it truly makes you feel alive.

Anyway, expect pictures and more later. I also have an account on bambora.com if anyone would like to discuss further.

See you soon,

Malcolm Kass