August was a busy month. I gave a presentation on the work I've been doing this summer regarding some survey design research involving propensity scores. I tested for and received my yellow belt in hapkido.
Finally, I took my second qualifying examination for my Ph.D. program. If I pass this exam the next stage is passing a candidacy exam before starting work on my dissertation. Luckily this exam was something of a final hurdle. The two qualifying examinations act as a weeding out process for the department. If you fail the exams, they send you packing. If you pass the exams, however, you're almost guaranteed to graduate. The department doesn't give you your candidacy exam until they think you can pass it.
The qualifier was an ordeal, but it's over and I'm starting to wind down from all the stress. I still get a knot in my stomach when I think about it, but for the next week (until I get the results) I'm going to try to push it out of my mind.
On an unrelated note, I took my car in today for an oil change and had them look into a noise I was hearing from the passenger side front suspension. Turns out something or the other was broken and they didn't want me driving it for fear of a tire puncture during a hard turn. So I picked up a car from Budget which I'll be driving until the part comes in and they install it (a couple of days on the outside).
The car is fairly new Dodge Avenger. I like how the exterior looks, kinda badass, but it doesn't handle like it looks it might. Looks like a dolphin, handles like a manatee. I think it should trademark that in case dodge wants to use it in advertisements.
I had an "interesting" conversation with another patron at Carmax while my car was being inspected. I was sitting in the waiting area and SportsCenter was on. I was reading "With the Lightenings" a great novel by David Drake, and this dude sits down by me and starts commenting on the story being covered by ESPN. The story was about Roger Clemens. I don't follow sports, but I do remember the congressional hearings on performance enhancing drugs. Why was Roger Clemens returning to Congress?
From the LA Times:
The charges stem from Clemens' testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in 2008. Clemens, who was mentioned multiple times in the Mitchell Report, told the committee he had "never taken steroids or HGH."
So this guy said "You think the government has more important things to do then bring Roger Clemens back."
I glanced up and he was looking right at me. I think he's missing the point, but I just shrug and go back to my novel. So he said "I mean it costs them hundreds of thousands of dollar to do this and that could be money better spent making jobs for people." I was about to say something, but thought otherwise and said "Yeah, probably." And back to my book.
A few minutes later he says "I mean I've been a cop for 20 years and there's tons of more dangerous drugs out there. Heroin, cocaine, and these guys get all worked up because baseball players want to make themselves a little bigger."
Finally I said
"Well...I agree that congress probably had better things to do than investigate drug use in major league baseball, however, Roger Clemens is under fire now because he most likely committed several acts of perjury. Whether or not you believe HGH and steroids are bad, and regardless of what you think of the original investigation, the man gave false testimony to the United States Congress, and that cannot stand."
The man looked at me for a few seconds then said "Yeah, but there are tons of drugs that are more dangerous that you can get on the street."
I opened my mouth, then I closed my mouth and went back to my novel. The voice of my good friend Fast Eddie in my ear "Pick your battles, dude. Pick your battles."
