The Shark's Tank Explained

Welcome to the Shark's Tank! This is where (hopefully) I can keep all my family and friends updated on what is going on in my life. It has been so long since I last updated this blog that I figured the best approach would be to just start anew. After all, a lot has changed in the last few months. So, I'll explain how things will work around here and then you can explore a bit and learn something new about me. Here we go!

First, the blog name. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was...the beginning. Wait- we have to back up a bit before continuing. You don't even know who I am yet. My name is David. To sum up my life pre-2007 it went something like this:

• Graduated High School in 2001
• Got a BSME from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) in 2005
• Went to grad school at GT's campus in Metz, France Georgia Tech Lorraine (GTL)
• Asked Susan to marry me
• Married Susan on December 23, 2006

OK, so now you are all caught up. In January we moved to Metz, and I started a PhD with GTL. Now we can continue. As you may or may not know, being a PhD student is full of unique experiences. One such experience is getting to know your advisor. There are many advisers in the world, each one with a special personality. Some are more special than others. Take, for instance, my good friend, who will remain nameless. He has affectionately given his advisor the nickname "The Shark." Why? I don't really know. But it seems to work. What's more, every time he goes to his adviser's office, he tells everyone he's going to the "shark tank." I think it's an appropriate analogy. Sharks are dangerous. Meeting with your advisor can be scary. Did you make enough progress this week on your research? Is he in a good mood? Are you going to ask a stupid question? Will he discover that you're not as smart as he first thought you were? But I digress. So, the idea occurred to me that as a PhD student I am nothing more than a little fish swimming around in a tank. A tank that belongs to a Shark. I am in the Shark's Tank.

The reason for using the term for this blog is because it is here, in the Shark's Tank, that you can come and watch me swim around in my little world. Now, there is also disclaimer: the words "Shark," "Tank," or any combination of the aforementioned words in no way refer to my professor or anything related to him. I have a great advisor; he has been very helpful and encouraging from the start. So, there's no teacher bashing going on here, just good-natured fun, OK? OK.

So, as most of you probably know, the Internet has changed the way we communicate. Now we have email, blogs, Myspace, Facebook, Xanga, Skype, YouTube, and all things Google. The list goes on and on. Some people are addicted to Facebook (you know who you are!) while others are bloggers, and some people manage to do it all. I'm a simple guy. Keeping an updated blog is hard enough, let alone answering Facebook messages and wall posts. Let's face it, I'm just not cut out for this stuff. So, here's the plan: I will write blog entries entries here and provide links to related pictures/videos on my Google Picasaweb. I'll also put a link to this blog on my Facebook profile. You can now consider the Shark's Tank as Command Central for all things David. Pictures, video, and text. Does it get any better? I'm sure it does. You could be reading about something important right now. Or watching a cool movie. Or flying a kite. I'd go for the kite.

Well, there it is. I hope you find things interesting, or at least not boring. Welcome to The Shark's Tank!