Tuesday, 1 June 2010

give blood

MD Anderson’s Blood Bank is asking employees to Make a Blood Donation Before You Vacation, Tuesday, June 1 through Tuesday, August 31, to ensure an adequate supply. You can donate blood or platelets at MD Anderson Blood Donor Centers:

Mays Clinic, Floor 2, near the Tree Sculpture
2555 Holly Hall near Almeda (free parking)
MD Anderson Regional Care Center – Bay Area, 18100 St. John Drive, Floor 3, in Nassau Bay (free parking)
In addition, throughout the summer the Blood Bank is hosting a series of on-site drives across campus and in Smithville and Bastrop. Further, hours for Main Building drives scheduled for Wednesdays are extended to accommodate employees working during the night.

June

Main Building, Floor 2, top of the escalators near The Park

Tuesday, June 8, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 9, 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 10, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Friday, June 11, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Fannin Holcombe Building/Fannin Bank Buildi

Monday, 28 December 2009

Oups?

Delivery has failed to these recipients or distribution lists:

'robinmay1@peoplepc.com
An error occurred while trying to deliver this message to the recipient's e-mail address. Microsoft Exchange will not try to redeliver this message for you. Please try resending this message, or provide the following diagnostic text to your system administrator.

The following organization rejected your message: [207.69.189.45].

Diagnostic information for administrators:

Generating server: mdamdcp01.mdanderson.org

'robinmay1@peoplepc.com
[207.69.189.45] #<[207.69.189.45] #5.0.0 smtp; 5.1.0 - Unknown address error 550-"'robinmay1@peoplepc.com...User unknown" (delivery attempts: 0)> #SMTP#

The show must go on

Dears Robin and Melisa,

I hope you have had a nice christmas time.
On the 24th of December I left two messages on your answering machines, concerning the following issue:
On the 24th of December I received an updated billing invoice (to be baid before the 16th of December) from Farmers insurance, concering our car insurance for the 2009 VW jetta.
While the initial famer's billing invoice of an over- 1300 USD lump sum payment (for 6 months) was already significantly exceeding your quote of 800-900 USD /6 months, the new one hits the jackpot even harder:
A previous balance of 1,579 USD (?) has been topped with a premium of 610 USD (??) to make it a whooping Total due of 2,189 USD (of course to be paid as a lump sum before 12/16/09, rather than as monthly rates). No need to get out the calculator to see that this is going the wrong way.

Could you please rectify this?

With my best wishes for a happy and succesful 2010.
Stefan

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Philippone

Hey!

Schoen von dir zu hoeren!
Vor allem die frohe Botschaft dass das pendel bald am see zur Ruhe kommen wird. klasse!
Wir sind dann doch ueber den Teich gehupft!
Und sind jetzt fett in Texas :)
Haben ein neues Auto, ein neues Apartment, einen neuen Kuehlschrank, swimming pool, fitnesscenter etc etc etc. habe mir sogar die Haare schneiden lassen.
Kurz, wir SIND der Amerikanische Traum.

es koennte schlimmer sein :)

Und es weihnachtet. Ueberall. Sogar die ueberdimensionierten SUV's haben einen Kranz am riesenkuehler.

Und da wuenschen wir euch ein recht frohes Fest!
Und nicht vergessen, immer den Schokoweihnachtsmann von der Muetze her essen.

Big hug

Stefan


> Hey Stefan,
>
> dachte, ich wollte, weil es mich interssiert, fragen, WO SEID IHR?? noch
> in
> montpellier? kurz in deutschland? oder habt ihr doch über den teich
> gemacht?
> hoffe auf jeden fall aber, ihr seid wohlauf.
>
> wir sind jetzt bald richtig am bodensee. petra kommt auch. arbeitet weiter
> im spielebereich. aber jetzt eben hier. schoen. kein pendeln mehr ab
> februar. ich werde sesshaft. auch ok...
>
> so jetzt noch, wie es sich zu dieser zeit gehört, schöne weihnachten und
> dabei mehr schokolade als sonst!
>
> philipp
>

Anand Supersport, cont.

'Hey Anand, what about taekwondo this evening'
'naaah, won't be here this afternoon, have to go Christmas shopping'

The new Super-Mode is ... Florence

Met her and her husband this Saturday in Bernie's place. Both are from Paris, and both have been in the US for 10 years. Her English is so bad, that she can't even pronounce her proper name correctly!
'Elloo, my name iz ... Flrreeenz'
'Sorry what?'
'... Flrreeenz'

Monday, 14 December 2009

REGRESSION

Deborah (who is now sitting some afternoon-hours in our front office), was too hot with her thick rainbow-coloured wool jacket - so she called the air-con service department. As a result, I am now cold again, and she is gone.
fuck!

Sunday, 13 December 2009

Lights in the hights

Lights in the hights! Ueberkitsch in Texas oh so schoen

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Progress

In old times, I opened the window or the heating if I was to cold/hot.
now i have to call 33333 and talk to an engineer. Then I get an email with:

Thank you for submitting your work request. This is to inform you that a ticket has been created to handle this request. If this is an Emergency and/or requires immediate attention, please call us at your service lines: Patient Care or Administrative Facilities areas: 3-5000 Research and Education areas: 3-3333 Please refer to the following ticket number for escalation. Work order number D1421781 has been created on 12/10/2009 at 02:11 PM for AROLD, STEFAN entered by PLEASANT, TINA. Location: S7.8136 Work Requested: TOO COLD WANTS 75 DEG. (ATTNL; FERNANDO) (TP) Thanks for the opportunity to serve you. Mainsaver Systems Administrator.

and then the next day i receive:
The work you requested has been completed per our records, and the ticket created in Mainsaver for that purpose has been closed. If the work performed did not resolve the problem to your satisfaction, please call us at your service lines: Patient Care or Administrative Facilities areas: 3-5000 Research and Education areas: 3-3333 Work order number D1421781 has been closed effective 12/11/2009 at 10:17 AM for AROLD, STEFAN by Mainsaver user DUFFY, JOANNE. Work Requested: TOO COLD WANTS 75 DEG. (ATTNL; FERNANDO) (TP) Thanks for the opportunity to serve you. Mainsaver Systems Administrator.

So this whole business took at least 3 people at least 10 minutes. Not counting the numerous hours spent by managing personnel to come up and install this procedure...

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Happy Adam

Amigo,

Great to hear some news from the far-away desert lands! Been reading Nabokov all morning (Ada, do you know it?). Hated it in the beginning (first 40 pages) but have now been completely and utterly seduced by Nabokov's ornate english and french-russian exclamations. Ah, the old Europa, stretching from tsarist russia, across Berlin and Paris, to London. Am completely charmed. Travelled to Köln for a meeting last week, and was enhanced by the french-flemish-german-english announcements on the train and the crazy beeping of my mobile phone each time we passed yet another border. Paris-Köln (through Brussles and Aachen) is not much more than 3 hours! I think that the swapping of mobile phone operators is the only reminder of Europe's former borders.

Other than that life is crazy crazy crazy here too. Am incredibly behind with work, ever slipping further and further from the lofty goals of my ambitions. And to make time to see Rebekah, my London-based beauty, and to learn this local lingo (french I think they call it, je pense), well I am not complaining but I could.
Actually, I think it is a rather happy period - I feel better than in a long time and I dont even really know why.

Your car trouble and your open-door policies and everything else seems fascinating and funny. Do you think you will be able to feel at home?
I have no doubt you will be able to enjoy and observe. Marius, who I always would have described as European in absurdum, seems happy in the US - makes me think that most of us could?

Btw, do you know 'British Sea Power' and 'Wild beasts'? Quite possibly my favourite british bands presently.

Take care,
Adam

Tuesday, 8 December 2009

I am Texan!

Got my Driver licence!
I am Texan
I am the American Dream on a Horse with Cow-Boy boots!

New Word

Deborah taught me a new Texan word: Yalls.

" AI heve prepared yalls tickeds for Sen Franciscow"

You're welcome

Salut Stefan

Voila ça y est c'est fini je suis enfin docteur.
Tout c'est bien passé, merci pour ton intervention écrite.
Je ne sais pas si Nathalie à bien fait l'accent germano houstonien.
Merci pour tout ce que tu as dit et surtout merci pour tout ce que tu m'as appris durant ces 4 ans de thèse.
merci encore je vais surement passer aux USA fin décembre ou début janvier pour visiter les différents labo pour les post doc.

merci encore énormément

Denis


--
CHAIX Denis
PHD student
Centre de Biochimie Structurale

Moving on

Dear Ajay,

I confirm having received your message and attached documents. I have filled out the form (attached). I have also attached a scanned copy of passports and visa stamps for my wife and I.
As to the current immigration document: would you need a copy of the full H1B visa packet (over 20 pages), or only specific forms? My wife has currently the original with her in France (she needs it to re-enter the US when she returns from a stay in France, on the 17th of December). I can scan all or parts of the copy I have here and send it to you early tomorrow morning.
The proposed date of Monday, 14th of December would be suitable for me.

With best wishes

Stefan

Stefan T. Arold
Assistant Professor

From: Almasone B. Jones [mailto:ABJones@klaskolaw.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 10:05 AM
To: Arold,Stefan Theodor
Subject: Telephone Appointment With Mr. Klasko

Good morning Stefan: Please confirm this email as soon as you receive it. Thank you for your email to Mr. Klasko regarding a free consultation. I can set that up for you as soon as I receive the enclosed, completed documents and the following copies: The photo page of your passport, and your current immigration document. I can schedule your telephone consultation as early as Monday, December 14, 2009. Please rush all documents due so that I can send you a time to call in. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you. ajay

Almasone B. Jones (Ajay) Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer LLP
1800 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1700
Philadelphia, PA 19103-7401
Voice: 215.825.8600
Fax: 215.825.8699
E-mail: abjones@klaskolaw.com

Platon's head of states

http://www.newyorker.com/online/multimedia/2009/12/07/091207_audioslideshow_platon

Sunday, 6 December 2009

Adam, Paris, Koeln

Heyja!

Nabokv's Lolita is world class. Have read another one of him, similar story, but shorter and probably Lolita's precusror. Can't remember the title of the book - was it Ada?

Here, crossing distance is just as easy as in Europa - the same country, but a quite different feel and landscape. This Friday, I got up, and flew with 3 other lab colleagues to San Francisco - also only takes as long as the Paris-Koeln train. We rented a car there, and drove to Berkeley for the synchrotron (doing SAXS, rather than X-ray crystallography). SF and Berkeley are two time zones west of Houston, and still feel more like Europe - maybe a bit like some alternative parts of London. We went to the synchrotron, worked non-stop all night, next day almost drove over a bunch of wild turkeys that crossed the road gracefully, had a shower in our hotel room (which's bed we haven't touched...), drove to SF and flew back to Houston. On the plane I really wanted to sleep, but the landscape with the declining sun in the back was just incredible. Maybe it was the sleep depravation, but I can't remember having seen such a spectacular vision of almost untouched glowing red mountains under a sparse white cloud cover. Finally started dozing a bit, and when I looked back out of the window got the horizon-filling Houston lights below me. landed, had terrible trouble finding our car, drove back home, and got to the lab by around 9 pm. As I took my bike and drove home, I felt a strange mixture between just having finished a normal working day (of over 40 hours, nonetheless), and having being away to a different country for weeks.

Good to hear that you are busy & happy! B Russel said that scientists are always happy because the have so little time to worry. Not sure that's the case, but enjoy!

Big Houston Hug
Stefan

PS: yes sea power I know thay have been around for a while. will check out the bests!





-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Kirrander [mailto:adam.kirrander@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 9:25 AM
To: Arold,Stefan Theodor
Subject: Re: houstonians

Amigo,

Great to hear some news from the far-away desert lands! Been reading
Nabokov all morning (Ada, do you know it?). Hated it in the beginning
(first 40 pages) but have now been completely and utterly seduced by
Nabokov's ornate english and french-russian exclamations. Ah, the old
Europa, stretching from tsarist russia, across Berlin and Paris, to
London. Am completely charmed. Travelled to Köln for a meeting last
week, and was enhanced by the french-flemish-german-english
announcements on the train and the crazy beeping of my mobile phone
each time we passed yet another border. Paris-Köln (through Brussles
and Aachen) is not much more than 3 hours! I think that the swapping
of mobile phone operators is the only reminder of Europe's former
borders.

Other than that life is crazy crazy crazy here too. Am incredibly
behind with work, ever slipping further and further from the lofty
goals of my ambitions. And to make time to see Rebekah, my
London-based beauty, and to learn this local lingo (french I think
they call it, je pense), well I am not complaining but I could.
Actually, I think it is a rather happy period - I feel better than in
a long time and I dont even really know why.

Your car trouble and your open-door policies and everything else seems
fascinating and funny. Do you think you will be able to feel at home?
I have no doubt you will be able to enjoy and observe. Marius, who I
always would have described as European in absurdum, seems happy in
the US - makes me think that most of us could?

Btw, do you know 'British Sea Power' and 'Wild beasts'? Quite possibly
my favourite british bands presently.

Take care,
Adam

Thursday, 3 December 2009

People: gossip, facts and fiction

Jinhui likes my sand-coloured pair of trousers I bought in Japan.

Taxi anyone?

Il est vraiment bin, ce Sam! clique ici

Wednesday, 2 December 2009

Kicking butt works internationally.

Dear Mr. Arold,
Please accept our apology! As we have sent replies, somehow, they were hung up in the outbox, not sure why. However, you do have insurance coverage. Per a service request to Policy Services regarding the lower rate, we are still awaiting the lower rate package to send to you for your records. Thank you for your patience and please be reassured you do have insurance coverage.
Sincerely,
Melisa

Starting to kick butt

Dears Robin and Melisa,

Since I did not get any reply from you, I did not (and still do not) know if the car is still insured, and hence I could not use the car over the last two weeks, including the thanksgiving weekend. I have delivered the required French accident-free driving certificate, and obtained my Texas driver license. But despite about two dozen phone calls or emails from my side, I am still in insurance-limbo, and can not use the car I bought. You will agree that this is a situation that is not acceptable for any longer.

So could you please provide us with the an insurance that is conform to the quote you gave us (and should now be even lower, because I have the Texas driver license). I have to use the car this weekend, and if the insurance situation is not sorted out, I will have to contact other agents.

With best regards
Stefan