Absence...

I've been a little absent from the blog world. Has I said my little sis is back from Germany, but just for a few days, and I've been enjoying her company while she's here. :)

The only thing is that it completely turned by thesis plans upside down, and I have to finish by Results chapter by the end of the week. So, she went to visit our Dad (today is his b'day :)), while I stayed home working.

Well, at least he'll have her, which is the one must difficult to be with.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!! :D

Just came to wish my Dad a very Happy Birthday!!! I love you very much!!

Once again sorry I couldn't be there!!! :(

P.S. - I've been working has I said I would.

Great Day!!!

Today can be considered a GREAT DAY!!! Why?!

Because my little sister came from Germany just in time for my birthday next week!!

THANX SIS!!! :D

Today's work

Despite of all of the procrastinating I've done today, I feel like in the end the day payed off. I haven't written a single word, but the research I've done will help the writing tomorrow.

(I just hate the models and statistics.... arghhhh!! But, eventually I'll have to learned them, even if I don't fully understand them!! I'm doing the work of 2 years and 1/2 in two months...)

"Human Rights "eroded worlwide"" (in news.bbc.co.uk)

I know I'm supposed to be working, and I am... but sometimes I need to be doing more than one thing at the same time to be productive. So while reading important information on the net, I decided to take a look at the news and came across this one: Human Rights "eroded worldwide" on the BBC web site.

The only comment I will make is: We really should worry about Human Rights because it concerns every one.

Here´s the link (I advise everyone to read and think about it):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6681437.stm

Procrastinating...

Yesterday a great day... today.... procrastinating...

hmmm...

Better get over it....

Hard Day Work!!! :) (part II)

After yesterday's frustrations, today I had a good day's work! I wrote another complete sub-section of my Results Chapter!!

But I'm still mad and disappointed with how things are done in the group I worked!!

Hope tomorrow will be has good has today!! :)

The faster I get this Thesis complete the better for me!!

Frustration is the word of the day!!!

I feel so frustrated!!! I just feel like crying, screaming and giving up of everything!!

I do not think that the end result will compensate all the harm I'm doing to myself at the moment by continuing to try to write my thesis!!!

Every single day is a struggle to work and get anything done!!

On the other hand, I know that I will regret if I do not finish this!! I expect more of myself!!

Maybe tomorrow I'll feel little bit better!!

Global Warming - True or a Haox?! (according with the american evangelists)

One of the major concerns of the last two decades, has been the increase on the emissions of greenhouse gases, and their effects on global warming. I have a particular view on this subject, but I do think that we should worry and do our best to prevent it.

This said, let's talk about a news a read today. So, in the USA the issue of global warming is dividing the evangelical world. While ones believe it to be a hoax, that is "trying to move the world from nationalism to international or global governance", others are doing their best to diminish the greenhouse gases emissions. The first ones say that God will take care of the Earth for them, the seconds believe that one should help a little.

Personally, I do not defend any religion in particular, but I agree with the seconds... One should give a helping hand when the subject is the Earth!!

Here is the link to the news (this time in English):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6648265.stm

Bullied child with cancer forced to leave school

I feel so sad when a read stories like this on the news...

A boy that was diagnosed with cancer in the central nervous system at age 7, and that survived all the treatments is being bullied in school for not being "normal". Even teachers have complained to the parents, because the child had to eat and take medications every day at 9 a.m. during classes... The boy is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and his grades have fallen...

What kind of world is this?!

The news is in Portuguese, but here is the link for who ever wants to read it:

http://ultimahora.publico.clix.pt/noticia.aspx?id=1294470

...

The deadline for the submission of an application to a PhD program ends tomorrow... I'm having huge difficulties in writing two parts of the admission form:

- why do I want to participate in the program (should be easy; last year would probably have been)

- my scientific interests (hmmm, I have this weird idea that I REALLY should write it quite easily)

Well, by tomorrow I'll think of something...

P.S. - I hate writing about myself, I always blank out!! I like loads of things but when I have to say or write about it... it's like having my head full of wonderful, light air...

Hard Day Work!! :)

Today I had a good day work!!! I just wrote a complete sub-section of my Thesis' Results chapter!!! Yupiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!

I haven't had day like this not ever since I begun writing my thesis!!!

So, yeah, it was a good day!!! :D

Betterman, Pearl Jam

Betterman lyrics - just couldn't resist... ;)

Waitin', watchin' the clock
It's four o'clock, it's got to stop
Tell him, take no more
She practices her speech, as he opens the door
She rolls over
Pretends to sleep as he looks her over
She lies and says she's in love with him
Can't find a better man
She dreams in color, she dreams in red
Can't find a better man, can't find a better man
Ohh...

Talkin', to herself there's no one else
Who needs to know
She, tells herself, oh...
Memories back when she was bold and strong
And waiting for the world to, come along
Swears she knew it, now she swears he's gone
(2x)

She lies and says she still loves him
Can't find a better man...
She dreams in color, she dreams in red
Can't find a better man
Can't find a better man

She loved him, yeah...
She don't want to leave this way
She feeds him, yeah
That's why she'll be back again
Can't find a better man...

Pearl Jam...

Today my "little" sis had a link to a YouTube video of Pearl Jam (a live performance in Lisboa) in her messenger personal message. When I accessed the link I did not know where it lead... when I started hearing the first notes of Betterman I got goosebumps... so many memories came into my mind...

Thanks sis... :)

Stress!!

Every other day I go for a fast walk in the park in front of my house, and usually I take my ipod has company.

Well, today was one of those days, or it was supposed to be. But my ipod decided to freeze. I could not do anything. For almost 4 hours I tried and tried to fix it, by doing everything that apple.com advised and it simply didn't work.

In the mean time I had given up on doing my exercise, had taken my morning shower, and had cooked lunch. Only after all this, I discovered that I had not read the instructions properly and solved everything in 2 minutes.

How frustrating!! But in the end I had to laugh!! :)

Who Moved my Cheese?!

Last night I read a book called: "Who Moved my Cheese?" (by Dr. Spencer Johnson).

It is about how to prepare and deal with changes in your live. It is written in very smart and simple way, and I think that it goes straight to the point. It was quite a pleasant book to read.

So here are the lessons from the book:

• If you do not change, you will get close to extinction.
• What would you do if you were not afraid?!
• Smell your cheese frequently, so that you know when it is getting old.
• Moving towards a new direction will help to find the New Cheese.
• When you move beyond your fears you feel free.
• Imagining myself tasting the New Cheese, even before I find it, will take me to it.
• Sooner you get rid of the Old Cheese, the faster you will find the New Cheese.
• It is safer to look after the cheese in the labyrinth than to remain in a situation without cheese.
• Old beliefs do not lead to the New Cheese.
• When you see that you might find and appreciate the New Cheese, you change your way.
• Noticing the little changes in time, will help you to prepare for the big changes that are coming.

(Note: I translated the text myself, so any errors and imprecisions are my fault.)

If you are going through a change in your life either professional or emotional, I recommend you to read it.

Procrastinate

verb - to keep delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring.

Thesis..

Do you know when something just isn't going the way you would like it to go?! And everyone seems to ask you about that all the time?!

Well, that is what is happening with my thesis!! Almost every time I speak with someone they ask me: hey, how's the writing going?! or how's the thesis going?!

I know that most of them just do it out of concern, but I do not like to lie, and it is not going well. So every time I have to answer that question it hurts me. It is a reminder of the thing that I was supposed to be doing and that is not going has planned.

Maybe I will put out a warning: NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE THESIS ARE ALLOWED!! WHEN I FINISHED I'LL ISSUE A BRIEFING TO YOU ALL!!

All Harry Potter books read!!!

Well, after a month and a half, I have read the complete collection of the Harry Potter series, from book six (Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince) to book one (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)!!! :D

Yupii!!!

Can't wait for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. :)

Someone one lost out there?!

Am I lost?! Literally, NO!!

I simply do not know what to do with my life at this moment!!
Even do I have never been a person of great plans, I usually knew what I was going to do next. Now... I do not!!
For the past 2 years I have worked relentlessly to become an scientist. I just loved to be in the laboratory and do all the stuff I had to do, I didn't concerned if I stay there overtime. But all the pressure I put on myself and that was put upon me by others, just killed the fun out of it. Besides all this, where I live this line of work those not give you many guaranties, and I want some stability...

But what am I going to do next?! I have no idea!!

I just want to do something that fulfills me and that gives me time for myself (really missed that over this time).

Well, let's see what happens...

Thesis and Harry Potter :P

In the past month I've been home trying to write by MSc thesis... I must be honest and confess that I haven't been very successful!!

I've been stressed, blocked and above all angry.

Which is surprising, one should feel happy to get to the pointing of writing, but the past 2 years have been full of work, stress, frustration and disappointment. To the point I started hating something I loved to do. Hence the difficulty to write.

So, in order to deal with all this frustration I turned to my Harry Potter books.

I've been a fan for the past 7 years. As you can imagine with the 7th and final book coming, I've been completely excited to know how the series is going to end. I started to gather information in various sites and entered the fantastic world of podcasts... They have made me laugh out loud when I feel completely lost about everything else.

So for good therapy and a lot of laughs I recommend PotterCast from the Leaky Cauldron. (Loads of fun!! At least for me!!) :D

Hello!!

This is my first post!!

I've been having this ideia of sharing my thoughts for a while so here it is... I became a blogger. :)

Let's see what becomes of this!! :)