Significant Progress

I made significant progress on my problem today, instead of re-specifying my model I rescaled the data so I would get extremely large numbers. I have completed the verification process of my parameter estimates using the first and simple test.

The last remaining step is the verify the parameter estimates under the second test which is a more complicated situation that I don't feel like tackling today. Actually I do and I don't; I am curious to see if this results works but I have a ton of code that I will have to modify to do so and I don't think I have it in me today.

I still need to prepare for my lecture tomorrow. My students took their exam yesterday and I don't think many did that well. One girl decided to drop and several other are worried about their standing in the class. I think most of them are causing themselves more anxiety than is warranted being that most people that take my class makes A's, but I'd rather them concerned than complacent.

I wrote a recommendation letter for a student two years ago whom I could barely remember. The only reason I did so I guess was because so few students ask me to do so, but if I was swamped with requests I doubt I would have done it. The way she approached me probably made me less enthusiastic to do so.

I went to a talk yesterday where some Christian philosopher came to campus to argue seven different 'proofs' of the existence of God. It was almost to esoteric in nature and I could tell most people in the room did not understand his logic which went something like this:

1. If God exists, then objective moral values exist
2. Objective moral values exist
3. Therefore God exists

I prefer the ontological proof of the existences of God, however the version he gave had 7 or 8 logical sequences which I thought was a bit much. My version is much simpler:

1. We can conceive of a God by definition to be the greatest thing that can be thought of, if there were anything greater than that would be God
2. It is greater for such a God to exist than not to exist; since not existing would not be the greatest thing that could be thought of.
3. Therefore God exists

Such logic depends on the assumption that existence is greater than non-existence which from our perspective seems at least logical.

He did mention a nice example about how infinite-infinite=infinite, or 3, or 5; that was probably the only thing he really explained clearly.

I traded my old nonworking laptop for a fancy working photographer's camera, I have not use for it but will give it to my sister when I go back home. I spoke with FPL yesterday and was told there still was not a decision on the position yet, however they assured me that should know something by April 10. I really would like to know how my summer is going to be ASAP so hopefully I hear something by the end of this week or early next week.