December

Praise the Lord, I finished the fall semester and have been on vacation in good old NC at my parents'. It's been nice to hang out with everyone and I've had lots of fun. I'm looking forward to next semester - classes I want to take, plans to resume playing violin, etc; but it doesn't have to get here in a hurry... I was soooo ready to get out of Berkeley... ;) I like the west coast just fine but I think I'm an East Coaster at heart. Plans for next semester?
1. Classes!! Dark Matter course (taught by my unofficial advisor, Bernard Sadoulet) and quantum field theory II (Hitoshi Muryama); I plan to audit Cosmology (Martin White). (QFT II might be an audit too; we'll see)
2. Research!! I need to FINISH the multiplexing assignment (multiple signals from different detectors all on one main line to cut down on the electronics) that I had and I'll bthotL be transitioning into more analysis tasks - MATLAB, anyone? :)
3. Scripture Memorization! I'm really excited about it. I started doing it and realized that a lot of the verses that knew and recognized actually fit together in a facinating way (For example, the second part of the first chapter of Romans -starting with the verse about the wrath of God being revealed from heaven- kind of describes the current state of the world in a Lord of the Rings type fashion...;) ). Wow! This'll be interesting! Also, Praise Team at The Way Christian Center!
4. Violin!! I found some great books for $2 apiece at Edward McKay's (EddieMAC yo) and I'm renting an instrument from Ifshin, and the lady at church who was giving me lessons said just let her know when I'm ready. :-D
5. Hebrew!! I found a cool workbook at EMK, and although I no longer have my free NetLibrary access to the Pimsleur Hebrew Language Series online for some unknown reason (*sniff*) I have that book, lots of podcasts, and I know there's a hebrew-english dictionary at Nice Price Books in Berkeley AND I have a friend who would speak with me. I just have to go ahead and do it!
6. Other! Lots of other things I want to do...there are winter sports (ice skating, skiing, even snowboarding) within possible travel distance for a weekend trip if i could gather the folks (ice skating even if i couldn't); campus & bay area concerts, free museum admission, and all sorts of things...I might have to put some of this stuff off for a while (I think numbers 1-5 will be enough to do)

Well, I'm studying over the break for some stuff, so I'd better get off and go make that happen... Love you all.

Happy Thanksgiving Family!

Hi Everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're all well. I'm fine - looking forward to a couple of days off, and it's even better that next week is that last week of classes. (Yay!) I'm definitely ready for vacation. Look forward to seeing you all soon! Love,
Dani

I can't write long tonight so this will be brief but it won't be my only post for November - just wanted to give everyone a heads up before Facebook publishes our business (you know) - friend P.D. and I are just friends now...

It's October already!

I was surprised to calculate that this was the 8th week of school already! Sheesh. The semester's rolling right along, and so is the month of October. Things are fine here in Grad-land, where I've been joined by my jolly kid brother (we attend different universities, but we've had some pretty good phone convo's about AI, physics, psychology and philosophy recently). This weekend I hope to make good progress in - everything, basically, so I'll try to just do what I can do without getting all worked up and see how it goes, by the help of the Lord. I'd like to give a shout out to all of my cousins - I haven't seen most of them in a long time, but it's cool actually knowing and interacting with my extended family...
I'm itching for creative outlets right now and so this evening I have played Tap-Tap-Revenge 2 (hey, I don't have Guitar Hero), re-installed the Audacity audio editor and Anvil studio on my computer, started a new piece of my Starcorps fiction saga, attempted to recall the rudiments of a language I was inventing when I was younger, and started an essay on the historical and ethical shortcomings of a certain vintage American drama that I was watching. Now, I'm updating this blog. All during the time that I was scheduled to be reading for QFT. Oh well; I could say it's Friday night, but that really only works if I do some work tomorrow and Sunday (which I plan to do, but I need to make sure it happens, and it seems like such a short amount of time). So, I guess I'll get off now and do a little reading so that I have accomplished something scientific before I go to bed. I love you all...Pray for me :)

I really enjoyed The Young Riders when it came on the Hallmark Channel in syndication during the late '90's. It was a fairly family-friendly show, and pretty exciting at times. The episode I watched last night, however, struck me on a bittersweet note.

Episode 6 of season 1 revolved around the appearance of a runaway slave named Ulysses.

After helping the riders recover a lost colt, Ulysses is offered work in exchange for food and a night's stay, which he readily accepts. The Kid, a Virginian, is immediately taken aback by seeing Ulysses "out", a statement which is immediately (and accurately) interpreted by Lou as "out of their place", despite Kid's denials. It is later revealed that Ulysses is a runaway slave, who is being feverishly pursued by the Missouri state militia for killing his abusive, murderous master and running away.

While this episode may have been intended as a heartwarming "do the right thing" show, over-justification of Ulysses' defense and awkward vacillations in character development set it off as an idealistic fantasy, portraying what PC Americans hope (read, "wish") would be their own response in the face of a moral crisis.

Supporting points:

1. Ulysses' need to justify his crime and escape from slavery

1.5 Rider's unwillingness to help Ulysses until he helped them (storm, )

2. The young rider's compromise (no one was willing to die for ulysses; in the moment of truth, gave up to "the way things are")

2.3 Hypocritical appall and suspicion of ulysses as killer despite their own notched belts

2.5 Ulysses: "Ain't no need in nobody else dyin' "; is one black stranger and the truth worth the lives of two friends

2.6 Encouraging Ulysses to stay and gambling his life on the whims of fickle townsfolk

2.7 Even though the YR were asking the townsfolk to take a risk, when it came to their own, they found the price too high.

2.8 Townsfolk willingness to accept ulysses' punishment until shown a white man's whip scars

2.9 "Protecting ours": who's' a townsman? who's a stranger?

3. Mob mentality of the townsfolk in wrong and in right; the silent white majority and the outspoken minority

3.2 Congratulations and celebration of running the militia out of town - "we did it". Did what?

Brief Update!

Hello! It's September, and at the least I'll try to update once a month, so below I'm including a brief bio I gave the Park class of 2007 (some of it is likely old news to you, but bear with me).

Love you all!

Danielle is a grad student at UC Berkeley working towards her Ph.D. in Physics. Living in Berkeley's been quite an experience, from last year's tree sitters (there were folks living in the oaks near the campus stadium in protest for about a year and a half) to the beautiful views of the Bay Area from LBL on clear days. Danielle is currently working with the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search experiment under Bernard Sadoulet and working as a GSI (graduate student instructor) for Physics 7A. Last spring, she recieved the UC Berkeley Outstanding GSI award and played violin in a recital with the Shiloh Christian Conservatory of Music.
Future plans include returning to NC for Christmas and hanging out with Paul D. in the Bay Area in the fall.

"Americans get an 'F' in religion"

" ...50% of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married."
Literacy FAIL.

- Article at USATODAY.com: http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=1592256865

Psalm 34

Three nights ago, I was rather tired and frustrated over a number of things. That night, as I lay in bed, I talked to God about it. The next morning, when I woke up, the thought came that I should read Psalm 34. It was the Lord.
One funny thing is that I thought I already had an idea of which psalm it was (I didn't). Another funny thing is that Psalm 34 is not one of my favorites - I've read it before, and it's cool, and I recognize most parts of it from different songs, but it didn't always really stick out. Another funny thing is that it's not like I just chose it based on a random reason like my favorite number (who has "34" their favorite number? It's kind of weird. But if it's yours, then... :D ).
Anyway, I looked it up, and read it through. I read it again this morning. It even seems easier to memorize (well, I decided to work on 3 verses a day). So far, I'm at verses 1-6:

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continously be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all of my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all of his troubles.

This morning was particularly exciting. I was reading the last three verses above. The first and the third could conceivably be talking about the speaker, but the second? Confusing. I was like, "Well, but, Lord, who is "they"?"

Then it hit me - this psalm is about personal stories!! Or, as my mom corrected me once, "testimonies". It's a testimony psalm.

(The reason I used "personal stories" is because "testimony" seems more formal (almost like an amen corner) and less specific, whereas "personal stories" reminds me of people sharing something specific that the Lord did for them, like on the 700 club or something.)

The thing that makes it neat is that I realized that the verses weren't just abstract or all about David (or whoever the psalmist was). Here's and exerpt from my new mental picture (for storytelling's sake, I'll give hypothetical names to some of his comrades):

David strode to the peak of the rock, a smile creasing his face from ear to ear as he looked over the gathered crowd. He held up his hands, and silence fell.
"I will bless the Lord at all times," he began, "and I'll praise Him continually." He paced thoughtfully.
"My soul boasts in the Lord," he continued. "The humble will be glad to hear that." A low chuckle swept the crowd.
"Magnify the the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!" he urged. A loud, joyful roar went up from the crowd.
Pointing to himself, David shouted over the noise. "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears!" He pointed to a group of women at the edge. "They looked unto him, and their burdens were lifted! Do they look ashamed?" He motioned to Abinadab, who ran up to join him. "This poor man cried," David said, slapping him heartily on the back,"and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." Abinadab nodded vigorously and clapped as David stepped back to the forefront. "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them!" The cheers grew even louder as men raised fists and women waved colorful streamers in the air.

So, I'll keep working memorizing on the rest of the psalm, which is also cool, because it continues to address each of the issues that David and the people he referred to faced: fears, heavy burdens, and lack of resources. And the Lord delivered them from all of it.

I like this Psalm now. :)

Pictures

This is for all of the people to whom I have promised pictures that never got sent (I recently uncovered a number of blank envelopes full of pictures, which were originally en route to be addressed and mailed t0 you :( My apologies!). I have attached some below! This is a little of Oakland, some of Berkeley, and a little of Orinda! Includes: the hills of Orinda, me and Paul at The Original diner, my plant that survived from my housewarming present, balloon maker in San Francisco at the Pier, my office, flagpost on campus, my apartment, the Berkeley Marina (from Passover/Resurrection Day weekend and my Birthday celebration), campus again, Bongo Burger :), and Lake Merritt (around the time of my brief stint as a defender of the public, aka jury duty) .

Love Dani :)

Violin Recital!

Welcome to GeMüTlIcH, my personal blog page! I felt that this would be easier to maintain than a website just now.

Today, I wanted to share videos of my violin recital! (I tried to email this to everyone last week, but somehow it failed to deliver to anyone. I *hope* that hasn't happened before...)

The second video is a little longer than the first. The first is a duet of "Simple Gifts" with my violin instructor, Sister L. McBride. In the second, I'm singing the lyrics to a song called "You Alone" (will include the lyrics below) before playing it solo on the violin.
Enjoy! Love Dani




"You Alone" (Daryl Black)

Lord we are honored
To stand in Your presence
This very hour
Before Your goodness
And all Your glory
Your wonder and Power
So let every nation sing
To the Father of everything
My Creator and King
There is none like You

You alone are worthy
You alone are righteous
You alone are holy
You alone are God

Lord we adore You
For all Your mercy
And all Your grace
We stand in Your presence
With hearts of worship
Seeking Your face
So let every nation sing
To the Father of everything
My Creator and King
There is none like You