tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139745702011-07-14T20:32:40.264-04:00has moved to <a href="http://daveandbarb.wordpress.com">daveandbarb.wordpress.com</a>Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.comBlogger1871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-51944422727346366732007-04-16T09:11:00.000-04:002007-04-16T09:17:01.053-04:00

Our blog has moved to daveandbarb.wordpress.com. Please update your bookmarks, and do so soon. We'll no longer be spreading news via this address, including the impending birth announcement. This site will stay up for a few weeks until everyone adjusts, but this is the last message at this address.Or, here's a better idea: set your bookmarks to www.daveandbarb.ca. This address will always be

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-30407645391367172842007-04-14T11:30:00.000-04:002007-04-14T20:54:51.261-04:00

After putting in 150 hours over the past two weeks, this was much needed.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-65417751448355228542007-04-09T19:27:00.000-04:002007-04-10T14:49:14.364-04:00

Ok, folks. It's time for a new blog title. Now that we're no longer just Dave & Barb (actually, now that we're soon to be no longer just Dave & Barb), the adventure is no longer just Dave & Barb's. And changing the title to read `Dave & Barb & Baby's Excellent Adventure' is too cumbersome and, quite frankly, sounds a little dumb. So the current title needs to be changed. That's where you come in

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-63414022563648835532007-04-09T17:03:00.000-04:002007-04-09T17:04:40.989-04:00

Did Billy Gillispie get pushed out as A&M's basketball coach? At least one reporter thinks so.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-26407801904950390512007-04-09T16:53:00.000-04:002007-04-10T17:09:33.327-04:00

Looks like A&M has a deal in the works with Mark Turgeon.UPDATE (10 Apr): It's official.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-57000306004641861992007-04-06T12:03:00.000-04:002007-04-09T15:44:48.744-04:00

I'm too upset to say anything else.UPDATE (1:00): It's official--things just got worse in Aggieland.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-76730569716621046742007-04-04T12:39:00.000-04:002007-04-04T12:42:15.115-04:00

Making music videos is much more fun.(Courtesy of Jason and Steve.)

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-65003109499575169392007-03-25T20:33:00.000-04:002007-04-09T15:44:08.434-04:00

That was then (28 weeks):This is now (37 weeks):For those who are checking daily, here's a long overdue update. I have been working (only about 8 hours/week now) and feeling good. I'm having the normal aches and pains, some problems sleeping at night, but overall, I'm feeling good. My last day at work will be Apr. 7--unless I go into labour early!Our friends and families have been very generous

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-28076700600775317112007-03-24T13:37:00.000-04:002007-04-09T15:44:26.085-04:00

We've cancelled our College Station phone number. So 979-696-1349 won't get to us anymore. So, if you've been using that number, update your phone books to 734-330-2296.Or you can get our new cell numbers from us (just got them today). But we're not giving these out on the web. (Canadians: don't bother asking for our cell numbers; if you call them, we'll get hit with charges we don't need to get

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-69301990012637828072007-03-23T08:27:00.000-04:002007-04-09T15:45:12.027-04:00

Unfortuantely, the Aggies season came to an end yesterday. I guess there's lots of things that could be said, but the fact is, we didn't get the job done. Until next year...

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-82918462806385337922007-03-17T19:02:00.000-04:002007-04-09T15:45:27.855-04:00

Aggies 72, Louisville 69! On to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1980!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-14191646769878145822007-03-15T17:37:00.000-04:002007-04-09T15:45:41.317-04:00

Some of you may be aware that March Madness has begun. I'm pleased to note that A&M won their first round game against Penn, 68-52. We had a bit of a scare, when Penn took the lead (39-37) with 13 minutes left in the game. But we righted the ship and everything turned out alright. Next up: Louisville, Sat. afternoon. I'll keep you posted.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-90746998873331055962007-03-10T08:42:00.000-05:002007-04-09T15:46:00.926-04:00

I suspect that most of our regular readers won't be interested in this, but I'll post it anyway, and let you decide for yourself. The philosophy grad students here at Michigan have recently started a group blog as place for informal philosophical interaction. I'm a contributor to the blog, and have already contributed a post, which has generated some discussion. So, if you want to see what kinds

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-82434540551412990052007-03-02T17:56:00.000-05:002007-04-09T15:46:42.075-04:00

Many people care about alleviating poverty. However, some of those people are averse to donating money to charity for whatever reason (it promotes indolence, it prevents people from taking responsibility for themselves, it undermines economic efficiency, etc.). The trick for such people is to find a way to alleviate poverty that nevertheless promotes their ideals. Well, Kiva may just be such a

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-55985886942831920112007-02-23T08:28:00.000-05:002007-02-23T08:31:03.053-05:00

Although spring break doesn't officially start until tomorrow, I'm starting mine today. I've just finished a pretty busy 2 weeks (approx. half of my assignments for this term were due in the past 2 weeks). We're heading to St. Catharines today for a few days for a break. Talk to you when we get back.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-80656432466273931872007-02-18T21:04:00.000-05:002007-02-18T21:06:14.032-05:00

Running on treadmills is so out!(Thanks to Steve C. for the video.)

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-49369973882510758862007-02-14T08:25:00.000-05:002007-02-14T08:28:19.388-05:00

Some of you may recall that I applied for a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship back in November. We just found out yesterday that I've made the first cut--approx. the top 1/3. Now my application enters the final evaluation. We'll find out the results around mid-April. Cross your fingers...

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-85236001190265503782007-02-06T18:35:00.000-05:002007-02-25T22:17:12.444-05:00

Those who are well acquainted with the world of college sports know that Aggies have a long-standing tradition of kissing their dates whenever the football team scores. So everyone 'scores' when the football team scores. Our rivals at Texas Tech, on the other hand, have a somewhat different 'scoring' ritual...(Thanks to Mike Enns for the pointer.)

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-69968542634289639782007-01-30T14:29:00.001-05:002007-01-30T14:38:10.046-05:00

Pat Forde, a columnist at ESPN.com, recently ran down the best & worst NCAA basketball courts (aesthetically speaking).Texas A&M wound up being the worst court! His reasons: The Aggies just had to have a bigger state-of-Texas outline than the Longhorns, so theirs stretches very nearly from key to shining key. Combine that with parquet and a too-large logo on top of the state outline and you have

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-45896318622699463022007-01-21T11:50:00.000-05:002007-01-30T08:17:33.336-05:00

I know that I haven't written in a while, and I apololgize! I have been busy working, sleeping and growing my belly!As you know we are expecting a boy, and the little guy has not stopped moving. He kicks especially when I am resting and trying to fall asleep. I am now 28 weeks along, so more pictures and updates will come as I have more to say!Also a "Best Wishes" to all my friends who are

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-49850048044865202932007-01-16T10:20:00.000-05:002007-01-16T10:33:13.889-05:00

This is a little late in coming...We made a surprise trip to Texas last weekend. The back story to how this all came about is too long to report here, but we can say this: thanks to the generosity of a few people, and thanks to a little saving by us (but mostly thanks to others' generosity), we were able to afford two relatively inexpensive flights from Detroit to Dallas. Our friends, Matt and

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-76434444203490664112007-01-10T12:59:00.000-05:002007-01-10T13:08:02.101-05:00

...but they're not all there is to promoting social justice. Equally important is avoiding compliance with an unjust system. You'll remember that I recently posted a link to this article, which makes a case for philanthropic giving, hailing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a shining example of such charity. This article exposes the dark side of the Gates' philanthopy, serving to make the

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-6799603178123198082007-01-05T10:39:00.000-05:002007-01-05T10:43:14.625-05:00

This is one of the craziest hockey moments I've ever seen. You might have to watch it a couple times to believe it.In the end, Dallas still beat Edmonton in a shootout, but it should never have come to that.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-24026311448374549452007-01-03T07:38:00.001-05:002007-01-03T07:41:42.847-05:00

Awhile back, we posted an audio clip of this sermon slip-up. Here's the video:Definitely worth a watch. Check out his eyes once he realizes what he's said.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-41102028273633439552007-01-02T21:10:00.000-05:002007-01-02T21:17:26.458-05:00

Via Shona Q., we recently found out that a tornado touched down right in our old College Station neighbourhood. Here's Shona's report of the damage:Tornado was on Longmire/2818 area. Doux Chenes apartment buildings lost their roof completely (4 of the buildings now have no roof, and they said 168 people were displaced). Also TX ave at Southwest Pkwy (right by your old place!) was pretty bad too

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-89429235196120971102007-01-01T16:57:00.000-05:002007-01-01T17:07:00.372-05:00

Best wishes to all for the new year!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-75714974348619542302006-12-31T10:52:00.000-05:002006-12-31T11:00:31.356-05:00

I came across a provocative article in the New York Times Magazine by Peter Singer, entitled 'What Should A Billionaire Give - And What Should You?' Here's an excerpt from the beginning:What is a human life worth? You may not want to put a price tag on a it. But if we really had to, most of us would agree that the value of a human life would be in the millions. Consistent with the foundations of

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-34238316169598315072006-12-28T23:24:00.000-05:002006-12-28T23:30:50.802-05:00

Well, things didn't turn out so well in A&M's bowl game tonight. I really had some high hopes, too, so the wound stings more than a little. At the time I'm writing this, there's 2.49 left in the game and we're losing 38-10, so it's safe to say that we won't end the game in a respectable way. A&M has been to 2 high(ish) profile bowl games since I've started following them and have been soundly

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-22399656140364815392006-12-28T19:45:00.000-05:002006-12-28T19:55:27.992-05:00

Well, our holiday travel is just about over. We've returned from a couple of days in Ohio with family.(A great time! Video coverage may come soon...) Barb starts back into her somewhat regular schedule at Starbucks tomorrow and I need to get down to work writing a paper in the next week or so.But one last hurrah before we settle into our routine completely. Tomorrow, we'll be driving out to Fort

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-53836963383925279352006-12-24T19:26:00.000-05:002006-12-24T19:30:08.958-05:00

Merry Christmas all! Hope you're able to find time away from your daily routine to spend time with family and friends. We just spent a few days in St. Catharines doing just that. We're now back in Ann Arbor for the next couple of days to spend Christmas eve and day just the two of us, and then off to Ohio.Hope you're all having a happy holiday!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-39321629751534141102006-12-15T14:09:00.000-05:002006-12-17T11:05:16.747-05:00

(Note: This is becomes funnier if you watch all three videos in sequence.)Would you feel especially drawn to this program if these guys were the welcoming committee?A behind the scenes look...Next year's video promises to be even better...(Via Brian Leiter)

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-77625452552151107572006-12-15T13:57:00.000-05:002006-12-15T14:00:54.696-05:00

Classes ended a few days ago. I still have an exam to write on Tuesday and a paper to write. I'll probably write the paper after Christmas but before the beginning of next term.We'll be in Niagara for a few days next week, but then come back to AA from 23-26 (Barb is working the 23rd). This will be our first Christmas day on our own. Not sure what we'll do yet.We'll go to Ohio for the 26-28 for a

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1165078749261104662006-12-02T11:59:00.000-05:002007-01-03T07:44:31.427-05:00

BOY!! Dave and I went for my 20 week ultrasound and we found out that the baby is a boy! Everything seems to be going well. The technician told us that the spine, kidneys, heart, and liver are all in working order. We got four pictures and a video tape of our little guy! He moves alot but Dave still can't feel it on the outside. The tech said that it will be at least another 4 weeks till Dave can

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1164898515496038172006-11-30T09:53:00.000-05:002006-12-15T14:01:40.253-05:00

Translation from one language to another is a fairly sophisticated art (as I'm learning in my French reading class). But this translator has taken the task to an entirely different level!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1164487174049409812006-11-25T15:28:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:39:34.080-05:00

Did any of you see the game? It was unbelievable!! The Aggies actually beat the Horns... in Austin, no less! Here are some of the interesting facts about the game:It was the Longhorns first conference loss at home since 1999The win broke a 6-year streak of losing to the LonghornsThe 11th-ranked Horns are the highest-ranked team A&M has beat in the Coach Fran eraThe Longhorns entered the game as

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1164486494104986862006-11-22T15:19:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:28:15.476-05:00

My parents came here for a visit this past weekend. We didn't do much out of the ordinary, but we had a great time relaxing and visiting for a few days. Nothing too intense. We went out to eat for most meals. Saturday morning we hung out Starbucks while Barb worked. The highlight (for Dad and I) was spending most of Saturday in a sports bar--the first 4 hours securing seats for the big game; the

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1163429613831944692006-11-13T09:45:00.000-05:002006-11-13T09:53:33.850-05:00

These are my fellow first-years. Based on the pictures alone, it may be hard to take them seriously.Nate CharlowJason KonekSteve Campbell (also from A&M)Jon ShaheenIt's a good thing Michigan didn't see these until after agreeing to let us in...[Photos courtesy moi, taken at a party last Sat.]

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1163162772184589362006-11-10T07:41:00.000-05:002006-11-10T07:46:12.230-05:00

...for now. I've just finished a pretty intense two weeks, so I can slow the pace down for the next couple of days.I've also just mailed in my SSHRC Fellowship application, which was nice to finally get out of my hair. I applied for the fellowship last year; but after seeing a winning application, I understand why mine wasn't so successful. I think application is much stronger. We're really

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1162742763096508572006-11-05T11:01:00.000-05:002006-11-05T11:06:03.113-05:00

So I found this website (via our friend Manuela) that allegedly takes a photo of you and then tells you which celebrities you look like. Here are my results:I've been told that I look like a lot of people (Wayne Gretzky and Tony Hawk are probably the most prominent ones), but I've never been told that I look like any of these people. I must say, I'm a little puzzled about the Tom Brokaw

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1162510977835718962006-11-02T18:39:00.000-05:002006-11-02T18:42:57.873-05:00

Ok, folks, there's snow on the ground. Not only that; there's been snow on the ground for more than 10 hours. I know... snow happens. In fact, snow happened very often for the first 26 years of my life. That doesn't mean that I like it. And, considering that I was comfortably wearing shorts and a t-shirt everyday at this time last year, this snow business is now doubly disappointing. I think

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1161716225609646842006-10-24T14:53:00.000-04:002006-10-24T14:57:05.636-04:00

While taking a break from reading this afternoon, I came across a website that allegedly tells you how many people in the U.S. have the same name as you. So, I tried it. Here are the results:Input: David WiensOutput:HowManyOfMe.comThere are:36people with my namein the U.S.A.How many have your name?Input: Barbara WiensOutput:HowManyOfMe.comThere are:15people with my namein the U.S.A.How many have

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1161647721554169602006-10-23T19:54:00.000-04:002006-10-23T19:55:21.556-04:00

It turns out that some people couldn't read our blog when we switched to a double sidebar look. So we've changed it back to the old look. Let us know if you're having viewing problems...

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1161553780411243702006-10-22T17:33:00.000-04:002006-10-22T17:56:08.360-04:00

I know that I haven't posted in a while, but I have been up to alot! I got work authorization and started looking for jobs. I filled out several applications (a flower shop, Starbucks, Sweetwaters coffee shop, Panera Bread, Urban Outfitters and Whole Foods) Well, on Sunday October 1st I had my training at Ten Thousand Villages and Dave and I went in to town early and had coffee at Starbucks. I

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1161374393461803572006-10-20T15:59:00.000-04:002006-10-20T16:03:38.566-04:00

Contrary to the impression left by our lack of posting, new things have happened over the past 3 weeks--we've just been too lazy to write about them. But here's a brief report.Last weekend we went to St. Catharines for 4 days. I had this past Mon. and Tues. off, so we made a long weekend of it. We had a good time visiting family and friends. on Fri. night, we went to the casino with Jeff and

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1159494454298011632006-09-28T21:44:00.000-04:002006-09-28T21:47:34.300-04:00

So, whadda y'all think about the site's new look? I know, it's subtle, but it is a change. You can also check out the (not-so-subtle) changes that took place here, here, and here. We thought it was about time to re-organize some of the stuff that was here. Hopefully this helps.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1159040480232068932006-09-23T15:15:00.000-04:002006-09-23T15:41:20.316-04:00

I had heard that pregnant women have several new personality traits. Some are Extreme Hunger. "I NEED TO EAT NOW!" then you have the Mood Swings "Oh I Love you, I love everything" 2 minutes later "I don't like you, I don't like anything" Now I'm not speaking from experience.... yet. But recently I have experienced the Crying at Anything. Again, I know "But Barb you cry at anything already!" Well

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1159038818940953162006-09-23T14:49:00.000-04:002006-12-15T14:03:06.120-05:00

Well yesterday was my first ultrasound experience. I was a little nervous, to say the least. Even before the doctor came in to the examining room I had tears welling up in my eyes! I know I know "But Barb you cry at anything!" and while that is true I think this was a little different. I was thinking that they would preform the ultrasound and tell me "I know that you want to be pregnant soooo

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1158879893867399962006-09-21T19:04:00.000-04:002006-09-21T19:04:53.946-04:00

No, we haven't given up on blogging, we're just (a) really busy (or, I am really busy), and (b) don't have anything to say. Nothing much has happened in the last few weeks. Perhaps we'll have a chance to say a little more this weekend sometime.By the way, both the Aggies and Wolverines have started the season 3-0. The Ags had a bit of a scare last week against Army, but we came through. The

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1157758687248897242006-09-08T19:23:00.000-04:002006-09-08T19:38:07.263-04:00

Last Thursday, Dad and Les came to visit us for 2 days. We enjoyed a few meals together and spent a lot of time walking around downtown AA and shopping, eating chocolates and ice cream. They left on Saturday morning after a breakfast of french toast and coffee. No sooner did they leave than my Aunt Eleanor, Aunt Joyce and Grandma arrived from Ohio! We had lunch together and went for a walk around

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1157757742428388552006-09-08T19:10:00.000-04:002006-09-08T19:22:22.443-04:00

Well, the first week of life as a Ph.D. student is now over. Classes went well, but the pace for this year will definitely be more like my first year as a MA student than the second (read: busy!). I'm registered in 3 classes: the Proseminar, which is supposed to be the equivalent of 2 grad classes, Ethical Analysis, and a French reading course. The Proseminar is a class that consists of all and

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1156951678163814522006-08-30T11:26:00.000-04:002006-12-15T14:03:57.219-05:00

This clip should provide the answer...(Courtesy of Monty Python)

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1156627892915165322006-08-26T17:24:00.000-04:002006-08-26T17:31:32.946-04:00

So we're going to have to start thinking about baby names. Not right now (it's still early...), but soon. I thought it would be fun to get our readers' thoughts on this matter. To get the ball rolling, I'll share the couple of ideas we've received from our nephew Owen: Charlie for a boy, and Tyrone for a girl. (We're not entirely sure where he's even heard the name `Tyrone'. let alone how he came

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1156543216021007852006-08-25T18:00:00.000-04:002006-08-25T18:00:16.110-04:00

Do any of our readers out there have some kind of video chat capabilities, like iChat for Mac or something similar? We just got hooked up with iChat, which means we can video conference with those of you who have the capability. If you so, send us an email so we can exchange screennames. Then we'll be hooked up.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1156001013531556942006-08-19T11:17:00.000-04:002006-12-15T14:04:18.061-05:00

I have an announcement to make:Yes, you're seeing clearly. We're expecting a baby! We don't have many details at this point. We do know that the due date will be some time in April (not sure of the exact date) and that I am 5-7 weeks along. My first OB/GYN appointment is Sept. 22. We'll find out more then. So, in addition to projects #1 and #2, it looks like I'll also be busy with Project #3:

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1156000657719171412006-08-19T11:02:00.000-04:002006-08-19T11:17:37.790-04:00

Project #1: Project DiscoverMany of you have been wondering what I have been up to and this is it. My project was to find a kitchen table, 4 chairs, and a desk for $150 and I accomplished my task for $0!! We came up with the $150 budget because we knew we could get those things for that price from KMart. But I wasn't so nuts on the look of the KMart stuff, so I decided to find stuff on my own.

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1155412350855218592006-08-12T15:52:00.000-04:002006-08-12T16:10:54.610-04:00

Alright, for those itchin' to get a visual feel for our new city, here are a few pics of the area. All of them are of the downtown area(s) and some nearby our place (which is close to downtown). We're not yet ready to post pictures of our apartment, so you'll have to wait for those.We've really enjoyed the last few weeks here. Other than the two hellishly hot days when we moved, the weather has

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1155093220665815682006-08-08T23:13:00.000-04:002006-08-08T23:13:40.786-04:00

Our new MacBook just arrived today! I'm lovin' it so far! I've spent most of the day transferring files from our old laptop to the new one, as well as installing various software items I need.What the MacBook's arrival means for this space is more pictures and (hopefully) more posting! Once the transition is completed over the next few days, we'll put up some pics we've been meaning to post.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1154726727939874612006-08-04T17:19:00.000-04:002006-08-04T17:25:27.990-04:00

Just a quick note to say that the move went well (although the temperature was a little too high for our liking -- try 100F!). All out stuff is in our apartment and we are more or less unpacked and settled. We still need to pick up a few items, e.g. a kitchen table and chairs and a desk, and we still have a few boxes to unpack, but the place is starting to look like someone lives in it.No

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1154372194363054432006-07-31T14:53:00.000-04:002006-07-31T14:56:34.383-04:00

Tomorrow is moving day. We plan to leave St. Catharines around 6.30 am, which should get us to AA sometime between 11 and 12. We'll try to get as much of our stuff moved from the storage unit to the apt as we can tomorrow and if we have any left over, we'll get that Wed. morning. Our phone should be up and running by Wed. evening, so if you can't get through to us before then, it's because we're

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1154100292169153202006-07-28T11:22:00.000-04:002006-07-28T11:24:52.250-04:00

Barb and I went to the border at Lewiston, NY to process our immigration paperwork. We're now cleared for entry. While we were there, we processed the paperwork needed to import our vehicle, so the Jeep is all ready to go as well. So everything should go smoothly Tuesday morning when we actually move. Wish us luck!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1154086546798203952006-07-28T07:32:00.000-04:002006-07-28T07:35:46.800-04:00

We know our new Ann Arbor phone number now. You can find it here. And remember, you can still call our College Station number. (We've kept this number so that our friends in B/CS can continue to call us local. If we discover that we don't receive many calls to our College Station number, we'll dispose of it. Then you'll have to call us long distance.)

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1153856207787376792006-07-25T15:32:00.000-04:002006-07-28T07:32:17.423-04:00

For those of you who are interested in updating your address books, we now know our new mailing address. However, as noted here, we don't post our mailing address online for security reasons. So, if you'd like to get a hold of our new address, email us and we'll send it to you.While on the subject of new contact info, we don't yet know our Ann Arbor phone number. However, you can continue to call

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1153831713327852042006-07-25T08:45:00.000-04:002006-07-25T15:20:40.483-04:00

Actually, we've been back for a while now. We've simply been lazy with regards to posting. Part of the reason for this is that our computer is getting bogged down, which makes posting more time consuming than it used to be. Because it takes so long (and can be frustrating), it's hard to find motivation to post. So, if posting is a little sparse over the next few weeks, you'll know why. But don't

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1152318288632492702006-07-07T20:23:00.000-04:002006-07-07T20:24:48.633-04:00

We're leaving for Sauble Beach tomorrow and will be gone for a week, so don't expect much new from us over the next seven days. Hopefully we'll have some pics to post when we get back. Enjoy your weeks!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1152318192741669502006-07-07T20:22:00.000-04:002006-07-07T20:23:12.760-04:00

Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes! You are all very thoughful!

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1152200215501895592006-07-06T11:31:00.000-04:002006-07-06T11:36:55.533-04:00

As we mentioned earlier, my parents' old Jeep Cherokee has taken the place of our trusty ol' cholomobile (see picture above). We've decided to try and sell the Jeep before we move to Ann Arbor and then using the money to buy ourselves a car that is a little more fuel efficient, especially since the drive between A2 and Niagara will take up a bit of gas. So if anyone knows of someone who might

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1152030151205004542006-07-04T12:09:00.000-04:002006-07-04T12:22:31.226-04:00

Happy 4th of July to all our States-side friends! We Canadians just enjoyed a holiday long weekend as Sat. was Canada Day. We (Barb and I) spent the long weekend at an international Wiens reunion. The call went out to all the descendents of Jacob and Liese Wiens (my great-grandparents) to gather here in Niagara. We had approx. 150 visitors (out of approx. 700 family members I'm told) join the 3

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1151704385367958472006-06-30T17:49:00.000-04:002006-06-30T17:53:05.460-04:00

Last week Dave and I went on a romantic horse and carriage ride through Niagara on the Lake. This was a Christmas gift from Jeff and Becky! We both had never been on a horse and buggy ride and it was quite an experience. We learned the history of N-O-T-L, and who owns all the hotels and restaurants and such. After our ride (that lasted 40 minutes) we ate at The Shaw Cafe. After that we went to

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1151428787393979042006-06-27T13:12:00.000-04:002006-06-27T13:19:47.443-04:00

It's been one year since we started blogging. From our perspective, we think it's been a worthwhile venture. Also, judging by the number of `hits' our site has received during the first year (over 4000 according to the hit counter in the sidebar), we've gained a good size readership who benefit from our periodic updates. But what do you think? Is it worth our while to keep posting here?Of course,

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1150922330607175132006-06-21T16:35:00.000-04:002006-06-21T16:38:50.626-04:00

Dave mentioned earlier that we would post some pictures once we got this Photobucket thing figured out, so here are some more recent pictures of our nephews--Owen, Simon, and Sam. Enjoy! ps. You can click on any of the individual pics to get a closer view.

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1150831157136310382006-06-20T15:19:00.000-04:002006-06-20T15:27:28.576-04:00

1. Create personal webpage.I wanted to create a separate webspace to house more academically related items, since it didn't really suit to put that stuff here. So I've got the basic site online here. Check it out if you're interested. It mainly contains items related to my research and teaching. You can also find links to papers I'm working currently on, as well as a link to the final version of

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1150387443258179522006-06-15T01:00:00.000-04:002006-12-28T19:57:01.184-05:00

Here are a few pictures of our trip with Matt, Amy, and Angela. (Photos courtesy of Angela.)The girls in front of Niagara Falls.On the deck of Flat Rock Winery.Having brunch at the Distillery District in Toronto.Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery (which used to be my Uncle Ernie and Aunt Marie's cherry farm).

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1150305779270070212006-06-14T13:22:00.000-04:002006-06-14T13:22:59.430-04:00

...without us writing anything; but the last two weeks have been anything but uneventful! To begin with, we made our first trip to Ann Arbor and back. As mentioned earlier, due to my absent-mindedness, we needed to make a trip to A2 to get my birth certificate so I could apply for a new passport. The drive was uneventful; it took 4 1/2 hrs driving time. The trip gave us a chance to explore A2 a

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1148951479206244202006-05-29T20:47:00.000-04:002006-05-29T21:11:19.223-04:00

Well being here for a week already, feels like we never left, but we have these weird memories of our time in Texas! My Dad's surprise party went really well. Dave and I, Kristi and Erik were sitting on the deck and Dad walked out to see a surprise outside! He just stared at us and said "What are you guys doing here?" Later he told us he thought he might have a heart attack! I'm glad that he

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1148846900751476422006-05-28T15:43:00.000-04:002006-05-28T16:09:16.843-04:00

...but we've been busy the last few weeks. Actually, there are two reasons we haven't been blogging during the past few weeks. First, we have been busy with the move. Second, we've been trying to keep our recent news a secret from Barb's dad. It was his 60th birthday party yesterday and our being in town for the party was a surprise for him. Obviously, we couldn't be posting about the move when

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1147540869692480502006-05-13T13:21:00.000-04:002006-05-13T13:48:36.590-04:00

Saying Goodbye is always hard for me. Even after one week of summer of summer camp the tears are flowing. So after two years of "summer camp" aka, grad school, I think Kleenex stock will rise! I'm sure Dave won't say it was summer camp! He worked incredibly hard over the last two years and I am VERY proud of him.Anyway back to goodbyes. We have had a few farwell parties with several more to go.

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1147538617061526422006-05-13T12:36:00.000-04:002006-05-13T13:40:58.480-04:00

Well here is some great news! Dave's parents are getting rid of their Jeep Cherokee--"Cheeks"--and handing it over to us!! How awesome is that? It needs some minor electrical repairs, but once they are taken care of it will for sure take us back and forth from Ann Arbor to St. Catharines! Thanks so much Mom and Dad!

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1147268752578181492006-05-10T09:45:00.000-04:002006-05-12T08:54:39.510-04:00

My term (and degree) ended as of Monday. I handed in my last term paper and submitted all the grades for the classes I'm teaching. So, I'm officially done here at A&M. I don't formally receive my diploma until next week sometime, but I think it's safe to say I'm now a 'Master of Arts'. I'm not sure how much that means, though; I don't feel like a master of anything... maybe a Master of Confusion

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1146334657026209092006-04-29T14:17:00.000-04:002006-05-01T20:56:38.010-04:00

Looking for the perfect gift for the beer guzzler in the family? Look no further: The Beerbelly! Perfect for any occasion! Don't miss out!

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1145826327900143742006-04-23T17:05:00.000-04:002006-04-23T17:09:09.586-04:00

Well, it's official. our car will not be joining us in Ann Arbor :( Thursday night after watching Survivor with the Faulkners and Wilkes, Dave and I were driving home in the biggest storm ever!! Just running from the house to the car we were both soaked. Anyway, as we were driving down the "highway" our headlights went out leaving us to drive using our four-way flashers as well as driving from

Barbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06161106420465389731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1145564825928222532006-04-20T16:14:00.000-04:002006-04-20T16:27:05.983-04:00

Now that we know where we're going, we've started to put things in motion to prepare for the transition. We've started to talk to people about housing, health insurance, immigration documents, etc. We've already booked our moving truck for the middle of May. We can't believe our time here is coming to an end so quickly! Although we're excited about the new adventures ahead, we can't help be feel

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1145123348655342802006-04-15T13:49:00.000-04:002006-04-15T13:49:09.533-04:00

... MICHIGAN!! Just got the call an hour ago and we accepted! So, we'll pack up our apartment here and drive north sometime from mid- to late-May! Anyway, I need to tie up a few loose ends with Arizona and UNC, so can't write much now. Just thought we'd let you all the news. More to follow.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1144883702139636542006-04-12T19:15:00.000-04:002006-04-13T09:13:06.433-04:00

I've called Richard Healey (Arizona Grad Admissions) and notified him that I am waiting on offers from Michigan and UNC. Saturday (the 15th) is the deadline for decisions and Richard has agreed to give me until 11.59 pm on the 15th to accept Arizona's offer. The latest updates from Michigan and UNC are 'stay with us until the end'. Both think it is likely they'll be able to extend me an offer,

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1144507048017605032006-04-08T10:17:00.000-04:002006-04-08T10:39:27.200-04:00

Now that I've made all my visits and we've gathered all the information we can, Barb and I have made our deliberations and come up with a school ranking to handle all the 'what if' scenarios. A recap of our situation: I've declined all my offers except Arizona's. I'm still on the waitlists at Michigan and UNC. If nothing changes in the next week, we'll be moving to Tucson. But what if offers come

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1144505718542994692006-04-08T10:15:00.000-04:002006-04-08T10:15:18.580-04:00

I've got a few minutes now, so here's a quick snapshot of the rest of my tour.The conference in New York was alright. I met some other good grad students and spent some time hanging out in Manhattan (which is always fun), but I didn't really get the kind of feedback I hoped to get on my paper. My commentator prepared some good notes, but nobody else asked a single question. So the weekend turned

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1144343991865467832006-04-06T13:17:00.000-04:002006-04-06T13:19:51.866-04:00

...but maybe not for a few days. I know I still need to write about my trip to NYC and my visit at UNC. However, because the rest of the world doesn't stop while I'm traveling, I have some fast-approaching deadlines and not much work prepared to meet those deadlines. So, I'll see what kind of time is available over the next few days and write more when I get a chance. As a preview: both trips

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1144343849312706072006-04-06T13:16:00.000-04:002006-04-06T13:22:42.173-04:00

[I tried posting this 5 days ago but had troubles. So, here it is. Sorry for the delay.]So, the visit to Michigan went really well. The students and faculty were all really welcoming, the facilities were pretty good, Ann Arbor is a cool little town, etc. My itinerary was jammed quite full with meetings on Thursday. It was actually a little odd how everyone's meetings with faculty were scheduled.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1143328353141615372006-03-25T18:09:00.000-05:002006-03-25T18:12:33.186-05:00

Here are a few pictures taken during a hike in the mountains in Tucson.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1143295422269660492006-03-25T09:03:00.000-05:002006-03-25T09:07:15.133-05:00

I've actually been back from Tucson since Tuesday, but things have been crazy busy around here, so I haven't had a chance to write about the trip until now. The visit was very good. The philosophy dept seems like a very cooperative and stimulating working environment; grad students and faculty interact as colleagues, not as teachers and students. Students and faculty alike were very warm and

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1142606094431601292006-03-17T09:34:00.000-05:002006-03-18T09:29:00.506-05:00

Now that we've heard some news from every school, here's a quick round up of where we stand at each place:AcceptedArizona: with funding, but not sure about fellowships, etc.Illinois-Chicago: with two years non-service fellowship and three years teaching assistantship; possibility of additional years of fellowship.St. Andrews: no funding; declined offer.Wait ListedMichigan: invited to visit; told

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1142553317077397652006-03-16T18:55:00.000-05:002006-03-16T18:55:17.176-05:00

I'm back from Chicago. The trip went well. Actually, UIC's stock has risen as a result of the trip. My meetings with potential advisors---all reputable political philosophers---went well. The students were friendly; the office environment was very collegial. The funding offer is really good. Chicago is a cool city, and would be a fun place to live.But there remains a concern---job placement

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1142379483355313892006-03-14T18:36:00.000-05:002006-03-15T00:32:44.693-05:00

Penn had told me that all their offers and wait list notifications have gone out, and that I was on neither list. So I've heard from every school. However, I could still have more news coming--that is, I could find out that I'm no longer on a few of the several wait lists I'm on. So the waiting is not over yet...

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1142379239965000992006-03-14T18:26:00.000-05:002006-03-14T18:33:59.986-05:00

I did a lot of waiting yesterday, so I can't exactly say my day was eventful, since I wasn't involved in many events. But my trip to Chicago definitely did not go as planned. To begin with, I had to take an earlier shuttle to Houston then I wanted to. My flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 2.30 pm, but the only shuttle I could get left our place at 5.00 am. So I was going to sit in the airport

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1142012746872669282006-03-10T12:45:00.000-05:002006-03-10T12:45:46.873-05:00

I'm playing intramural flag football now. We had our first game yesterday. It was quite fun, but the game wasn't very long---it only lasted 30 minutes. We lost 19-18 and had a chance with a hail mary at the end but it was intercepted. One major problem (for me) was the fact that I didn't have cleats. The field was slick because of the dew (we played at 8.15p) and so I couldn't make any cuts in my

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1142012713520501362006-03-10T12:41:00.000-05:002006-03-10T12:45:13.536-05:00

I have now heard back from Oxford (finally), who officially rejected me. So, there's only one school left to hear from---UPenn. I have no idea whether they have sent out their offers yet. Apparently some schools are still in the process of determining who they will make offers to. So it is possible that their admissions committee has not yet met.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1141930360178811272006-03-09T13:11:00.000-05:002006-03-09T13:53:28.853-05:00

I just made flight plans for my third school visit this month. As it stands, my travelling schedule for the month is as follows:Mar. 13 (Mon.) -- Mar. 16 (Thurs.): In Chicago, visiting UICMar. 19 (Sun.) -- Mar. 21 (Tues.): In Tucson, visiting ArizonaMar. 30 (Thurs.) -- Mar. 31 (Fri.): In Ann Arbor, visiting MichiganApr. 1 (Sat.) -- Apr. 3 (Mon.): In NYC, presenting at a conferenceI still have one

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1141754308585745962006-03-07T12:56:00.000-05:002006-03-07T12:58:28.600-05:00

... from Toronto and Cornell. Neither of these were formal rejections; rather, they were responses to some inquiries I made at each school. In any case, a rejection is a rejection, formal or not.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1141681655448547522006-03-06T16:45:00.000-05:002006-03-06T16:47:35.480-05:00

UCSD confirmed my wait list status today. They said I was 'very close' to making the first cut and that they would let me know if anything changes. All this waiting is making me tired...

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1141667547139870042006-03-06T12:44:00.000-05:002006-03-06T12:52:27.160-05:00

This one is from U of Maryland. The tone of this email was not as promising as those from Michigan and UNC (not even close), and I was told that my prospects for a funded place are not that good.I must say that I am a bit surprised about this one. Maryland was somewhat of a 'backup' school for me. (I'm not the only one in the dept who has received offers from a good school and been wait listed at

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13974570.post-1141527743589017832006-03-04T22:02:00.000-05:002006-03-04T22:13:46.620-05:00

'Thanks but no thanks.' Oh well...And, a friend at A&M was accepted to Toronto this past Thursday, but I haven't heard anything yet. So, since I haven't been formally rejected (yet), I'll change the status in the sidebar to 'Wait List'. Our chances of coming home look slim.

David Wiensnoreply@blogger.com0