Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing 2009

This year I had the pleasure of attending the 9th Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. This was a sold-out event with 1600 technical women in attendance from all walks of academia and industry.

For me, it was an event at which I could talk babies with computer science and computer engineering women! Well, and network with other women in my field, and learn about new trends in the industry, and see what the powerful women of technology today are doing.

I met Brenda Laurel, a sassy human-centered designer of a multitude of projects, ranging from energy conservation in low-income homes to a toy bee that teaches 6-year-olds about power and battery life to a video game for girls which was bought and killed by Mattel.

Unfortunately, I do not think Dr Laurel was particularly wowed by my thesis idea (though she tried to appear interested when I pitched it). Several grad students, particularly those with children or in a child-care field, however, came to chat with me about it.

At the end of Jen Mankoff's talk, I asked how one goes about finding interdisciplinary collaborators, and, though shyly, spoke briefly into the microphone about my research idea. I received several good answers, both from Jen and later through e-mail from another professor that was attending the talk. But the most startling thing for me was when I got up to leave, at the end of the talk -- I was nearly sprinting out the door because it had been several hours since I nursed my son, who was in the free, sponsored day care. Three women intercepted me and began asking about my work. I was so happy... and proud!

Now, I know that I have yet to blog about what the research is, but hang tight. Let me get some preliminary prototypes going, and some preliminary results, and I will tell you all about it.

The $800 immunizations: Part 3

The next bill arrived... the one for our six-month checkup. And there is a mistake on it -- in our favor -- to the tune of a whopping grand total of six dollars.

Oh yes. Six dollars. I will get these dollars back.

The per-immunization administration fee "Immun Admin Im/Sq/Id/Perc" costs $44 and does not take into account that our child is under eight years old. It should read "Immun Admin PT Under 8 Yo Im/Sq/Perc" and should be only $42.

There were three immunizations, so $2 times 3 is $6.

The billing department will hear from me tomorrow.

Book report: Baby Catcher

Vincent, Peggy. Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife

My score

6/10

My review

Peggy was a Berkeley midwife for nearly three decades. In these memoirs, she picks out the funniest, saddest, and most memorable births she has had the privilege of catching. Wittily written (sometimes too much so), this book is light-hearted and engaging. Peggy reminisces about her early days as a L&D nurse, about her carpool rides to midwifery school with a "real hippie," about the cat that attacked her all through her delivery of a particular baby, about the goose she kicked in rage.

Peggy's career hit an untimely end. There was an unfortunate incident with a prolapsed cord and insurance settlement that put her out of business. (Yet another testament to the faulty insurance practices here in the US).

Nonetheless, Peggy's positive attitude prevails. She never loses her sense of humor and her ability to laugh at herself. It seems like Berkeley has really turned the midwestern gal in her Zen.