Introduce Yourselves!

Introduce yourself and meet other readers!
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:41 pm

Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

ahem. wrote:Hi. I'm ahem. I've had a long history with the 100 Hour Board and those associated with it, even serving a brief term as a writer. I've been involved with this message board since the beginning, but I took a lengthy leave of absence returning only recently. I guess I consider myself an admin emeritus here: all the perks, with none of the responsibility. ;)

I've graduated and moved on from BYU, and am currently living in the Phoenix area with my awesome sister and her two cats while I pretend to look for a job.
Phoenix, eh? I promise I won't creep. I only stalk.
Wisteria
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Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 9:59 am

Post by Wisteria »

I'm going to Phoenix next week for a conference. Giving my first professional presentation, too. Aren't I grown up.
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

Wow. That's very exciting. What kind of conference? IE what do you do?
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Whistler
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Post by Whistler »

I'm a master's student in American Literature at BYU, and I'm getting married next month. I have a manual typewriter that I sometimes write letters on. I'm taking Japanese in the fall. I'm still not sure how my talents can best contribute to society. I feel insufficiently represented by this autobiographical act.
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

Congratulations on your impending marriage! And a manual typewriter? That's way cool. If I had one of those, I might've actually participated in NaNoWriMo.
Wisteria
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Post by Wisteria »

I'm an inexperienced cancer geneticist. My master's is in genetics and biotechnology, but there's a substantial amount of difference between plant physiology, plants being the kingdom I worked with in school, and human physiology, which is what I'm studying now. Ergo, I am learning massive amounts still even though I've been here for over a year. The conference is for the Association of Genetic Technologists. Hello, three days of cramming my head with useful information. And it is exciting, thanks. I'm looking forward to it.
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

That's... really... REALLY freaking awesome.
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TheAnswerIs42
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Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:13 pm
Location: Pleasant Grove, Utah

Post by TheAnswerIs42 »

Hi, I'm 42. Well, I'm old, but that isn't my age. I've been following the Board since it was an actual wooden Board I would stand and stare at in the Wilk. I graduated in Math Ed, taught high school for two years, and then had two kids. Now I just hang out with them, and spend too much time on the internet. I don't know any of you in real life or care to, really- but I'm just in Pleasant Grove, so I suppose I could if I wanted to. As for what I like to read or contribute to, I don't like lengthy debates, so the politics discussions get ignored. I like photography, Harry Potter and many other books no one really cares about, natural childbirth, and Ohio. And I look vaguely like my avatar.

There. Now I have introduced myself.
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Dragon Lady
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Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:07 pm
Location: Riverton, UT

Post by Dragon Lady »

I'm a retired Board writer, married to Yellow, a current Board writer, and mother of 11.5 month old Dragon Baby, a current Board baby. I really like Harry Potter (which is why I also wrote under Niffler) (and 42, I promise I haven't forgotten about your question yet), fantasy, and juvenile fiction. I'm kind of holistic (natural childbirth, cloth diapers, etc) but not to an extreme. I like to cook and bake, but am nowhere near as awesome as Laser Jock or Claudio in their perfected skills. I crochet and knit. I just planted a garden at Brother's house. I have lots of house plants that are all named. I'm a packrat that is trying to simplify life and belongings. I graduated in Ancient Near Eastern Studies and thus love the Bible more than most Mormons (at least from what I hear around church). Like, in that it's actually my favorite book of scripture. I'm rather an introvert (believe it, Laser Jock! It's true!) and don't often go out of my way to do things with others or to make friends, even though I would rather like to do both. Oh, and I'm thinking I'll beat New Super Mario Bros. within the next few weeks. (Like, really beat it. Not just saving the princess which I did awhile ago.)
Wisteria
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Post by Wisteria »

What the heck, it's a slow day at work so I'll finish my introduction. Aside from being a geneticist, I am a botanist (bachelor's degree) and I am a bit of an obsessive reader. I love historical fiction and historical books in general as well as books that broaden my knowledge about different parts of the world and books that tell stories of incredible character development. This includes things like "Three Cups of Tea" (wonderful plot, porrly written), "Reading Lolita in Tehran," "Left to Tell," "Athens," "The Hiding Place," "Maria" (the story of Maria von Trapp's life, written by herself), and "Christy." My house is full of my plants and I'm inclined to think that Dragon Lady and I would be friends if we met. I also love to travel and I've been to every continent but South America and Antarctica and I'm going to Brazil this fall. I was raised in Utah and I have seven brothers and sisters and I love getting to know people on a deep, personal level.
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

I feel the same way about getting to know people. I have a bunch of facebook accquaintances (crap I hate double letters in words), but I don't really consider very many people my friends. If you ask me, I'll probably tell you we're friends, just for the sake of not having to explain how I really feel, but chances are I don't like you as much as I let on. I try to be nice to everyone, even when I think they don't deserve it.

In psychology, we studied the Hendrick love styles, and my type was storge--I only get involved with people when we know each other really well. So I still like you guys, but until I get to _really_ know you, I probably won't claim you as a friend. At this point in time, I don't really have any people that I would consider my _real_ friends, so... yeah. And now I feel like I'm rambling.

I, too, am an introvert. On the weekend, I'm as content to stay at home and read a book as I am to go out and party. If I do go out, the fewer people that are there, the better.

Most of my closer acquaintances (because they're not really my friends) are much older than I am. I prefer to talk to people that are closer to graduating, so all the freshman at school thought I was standoffish, while all the seniors thought I was pretty interesting.

And now that I've introduced myself again... yeah.

Also, 42, I've always wanted someone to ask you how old you are so I could point to your pseudonym.
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finp
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Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 4:01 pm

Post by finp »

I'm finp.

I've asked a few questions of the Board recently, and been lurking a bit on this message board.

I've been contemplating registering for online dating sites.

I think I'm gaining weight, and it makes me sad when the WiiFit calls me obese.

I'm not a very good memeber of the Church right now.

I have a large collection of paper and fabric fans.

I'm a pretty horrible person with low self-esteem. ;)
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bobtheenchantedone
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Post by bobtheenchantedone »

Man, that WiiFit. Always telling people things. It tells me that I need to gain weight.
The Epistler was quite honestly knocked on her ethereal behind by the sheer logic of this.
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Dragon Lady
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Location: Riverton, UT

Post by Dragon Lady »

I'm pretty sure that's the only self-esteem the WiiFit knows how to give people. I mean, I've been sick this week and have lost weight because of it. (Whether coughing really burns that many more calories or if I've really eaten that much less, I'm not sure.) Which means for the first time ever, I actually made my weight loss goal. Early, in fact. A week early. It responded something like, "That's... incredible! You've reached your goal before your deadline!" And then it went on to tell me how losing weight too fast isn't good for my health. Oh my gosh. Really? My goal was 2 pounds in 2 weeks. So I lost 2 pounds in one week and that's not healthy?

Get some optimism Wii Fit!

And speaking of the Wii, I just got done trying every board in world 9 in Mario and holy crap. My prediction earlier about being done in the next few weeks? I think may be wrong. Very, very wrong.
NerdGirl
President of the Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club
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Post by NerdGirl »

Okay, here's mine.

I am Nerd Girl. I am 27 years old. I first discovered the 100 Hour Board in the basement of the Wilk during my first week at BYU in fall of 2000. I don't know anyone in real life who reads the board other than the friend I discovered it with (who probably hasn't read it in years) and this one sister missionary who was here last year. I read the board faithfully during my entire BYU career, but I didn't actually submit my first question until a few months after I graduated from BYU (for the second time). If I had had a better opinion of my own skills during my BYU years, I might have decided to apply to be a writer.

When I was at BYU, I majored in physics-astronomy with a minor in math. I stuck around to do a master's degree in physics (with an astronomy thesis). If you are ever bored, you can read my master's thesis right here: http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/item_ ... OX=1&REC=1

Right now I'm working on a PhD in astronomy in Nova Scotia. I'm originally from Alberta. I'm studying SRc variable stars, which are red supergiant stars that vary in brightness with semi-regular periods on the order of 100-1000 days. There are about 70 known SRcs in our Galaxy and we also find them in other galaxies*. The cool thing about them is that they will turn into Type II supernovae pretty soon (soon in the astronomical sense, not like tomorrow). They're on the order of 20 times the mass of the Sun, 1000 times the radius of the Sun, and between about 3500-4000 K in temperature.

They are difficult to study because their variability is so irregular and they need to be observed over long timescales. Their spectra are a nightmare to look at, to put it nicely. I'm using a rather heterogenous collection of spectroscopic and photometric (that means just images rather than spectra) data that covers more than a century. I spend a week in 2008 at the Harvard photographic plate collection making brightness estimates by eye of three of the stars from photographic plates (8x10 pieces of glass about 1/4 inch thick), some of which were from as far back as the 1880s. The data I got there wasn't actually very good, mostly because I'm not good at making those measurements by eye and I don't really have time to get good at it, but I'm including it just because it's kind of cool. I'm analyzing the periods and period changes of individual stars, as well as changes in radial velocity and spectral type over their variation cycles. After I have the analysis done for individual stars, I'll be looking for patterns - relationships among different properties, as well as any group-wide patterns in the changes that the individual stars undergo.

When I finish this I'm applying to medical school. Well, actually I'm applying to medical school this summer hoping to start when I finish this. I'm trying to graduate next spring. I wanted to go to medical school when I started college, but I didn't think I was good enough to get in. So I did this instead, and I was having a crisis about what to do with my life when I re-discovered the medical school idea and found out that I actually might have a chance at getting in. I like astronomy, but it is not what I want to do for a career.

I also enjoy knitting, trying to crochet, swimming, cooking gluten-free food (I have celiac disease), reading, trying to keep my plants alive, yoga, and some other stuff that I'm probably forgetting. I'm pretty far left on the political spectrum, but I don't tend to get into the political debates around here very often just because I find talking about politics more frustrating than interesting.

*Edit: Forgot to add my awesome footnote! I have been told that you capitalize "Galaxy" when it refers to our own, but not when it refers to others.
Last edited by NerdGirl on Thu May 27, 2010 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

So much for anonymity, right NerdGirl?
NerdGirl
President of the Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club
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Post by NerdGirl »

Yeah, I think that was gone a long time ago.
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stargirl
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Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:08 am

Post by stargirl »

Giovanni Schwartz wrote: I try to be nice to everyone, even when I think they don't deserve it.
Doesn't this contradict your earlier quote about making fun of everyone you like?

Anyway, i'm stargirl. I contradict myself a lot too (it's okay, Gio). I'm a grammar freak, but often i won't bother correcting people; however, i don't capitalize "i" as a personal pronoun, which could be psychoanalyzed as a reflection of my self-esteem, but just comes from the fact that i confuse upper-case i's with lower-case L's… it's a longstanding tradition by now.

I didn't read the Board until i started going out with Foreman about 6 months ago. Now i've been sucked into this world and must protect my identity in order to protect his. I'm not bitter; it's totally worth it. It's just a very strange feeling, 'cause i'm kinda on the inside, but kinda not.

I rather dislike introducing myself… for several reasons, none of which you should take personally. I'll answer any questions you have about me. That's a lie. I'll answer any questions i feel like answering. I'm working on being more open, but it's somewhat against my nature, so i still take some poking to open up.

…not literal poking. That just makes me squeak.
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Unit of Energy
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Post by Unit of Energy »

Welcome stargirl. I don't think I've ever met foreman, but I knew a girl who was in a class with him a few years back. She showed me a picture of him and then a week later foreman posted the same picture on the board. But that is the most board stalking I have ever done. I do know who a few writers are because of other similar instances, but I have never gone out of my way to find out who someone was.

And since this is a introduction thread I feel it may be appropriate to let you all know that another of my hobbies is reading. And writing. And I'm not overly protective of my identity anymore so if you want to read some of my better writings you can find them here http://unitofenergy.deviantart.com/.
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Giovanni Schwartz
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Post by Giovanni Schwartz »

I don't think I was contradicting myself. I tease/make fun of people I like, and the people I don't like I'm friendly to.
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