First the bad news. The bad news is that I am fighting a really nasty cold. I can hear a little more out of my right ear than yesterday, but I’m still pretty plugged up. Anyone who knows any home remedies that don’t involve a hot potato, feel free to advise 😉
The good news is that today we recieved notification that a NSF grant which I had applied for with Mark Oskin has been officially awarded. This is the first grant I’ve applied for, and I’m just going to sit here and enjoy the feeling of batting one thousand, because I know I’m lucky and I know that the long hard slog for grants is destined to smash my ego multiple times in the future. As many of you may know, I have been extremely lucky to find a position here at the University of Washington, during a time when my family has been undergoing quite a lot of, how shall I put it, difficult transitions. In many ways, the computer science and engineering department here was taking quite a gamble on me, and I can only begin to express how appreciative I am for what they have done for me. The awarding of this grant is, then, I hope, the beginning of their gamble paying off. It will certainly mean that I have a more certain future. Now if only this good news could cure my cold.
O brave new quantum world!
Congratulations, Dave, and I hope the grant is for a few years, so you can enjoy it, rather than having to turn around and write another one straight away.
Congratulations Dave!!
And how is your sister doing?
Congratulations, David! That’s such great news. The grant that is – not the cold. Which I didn’t give you, by the way. :p
That’s right people. You heard it hear first. This cold is ALL my cousin’s fault.
Congrats! Now the question is: “What does a hot potato have to do with curing the common cold?”
Thanks Michael. Yeah, this will give me the security to be here for a few years.
Congratulations! Fantastic news is sure to cure the cold especially if you are jumping up and down in celebration – nothing like a good celebratory jig to clear the sinuses!
btw: if you’re not game for the hot potato remedy – I am guessing the one involving duct tape and whiskey is out of the question. – get better soon.
It’s NOT my fault, it’s NOT my fault, it’s NOT my fault. You just ought to take better care of yourself (this latter message brought to you by David’s mother; the former whining and foot stomping is all mine).
Congratulations, David! I do believe good news can cure a cold 🙂 but to hasten the process, try sleeping with a piece of garlic (peeled and halved, to expose the inner core) inserted gently inside your ear. Let me know if you try it and how it works.
The potato is supposedly for the plugged ear. You heat it up and then mash it up against your ear. Yeah, it sounds crazy, doesn’t it. But at this point I might just bite.
I had a plugged ear recently. Soaked it in hydrogen peroxide. Took several attempts, but a lot of gunk came up, and eventually I could hear again.
The usual remedy for common cold is just lots of water, fruit juice and also vitamin-C tablets.–;