January 2004 Archives

I have fallen asleep on the couch a number of nights recently while trying to read 'The Intellectual Foundation of Information Organization' (by Elaine Svenonius) and chapters from 'Two Kinds of Power' (by Patrick Wilson). I thougth I learned my lesson, but I just need to get it done. I'm not much of a couch sleeper so it's really weird to wake up at 2:30 a.m. and not know where the hell I am. That's no way to end the day.

I've had my moments of doubt about grad school, as in "What the hell am I doing this for?" but I guess that I'm not the only one feeling that way. Every time I feel like I'm lagging behind or not quite in step with the program, a quick survey of my fellow students reveals that they're right there with me (or I'm right there with them as the case may be). A fellow student admitted to me today that she was close to quiting a few weeks ago and a few others have indicated as much. It's worth remembering what they said at the beginning of the program, 'It's graduate school, if it were easy everyone would do it."

I'll make it. It's just winter quarter, it really sucks the life outta ya.

Good god. I let myself get way behind in the readings for this class so I spent this whole weekend catching up. I have 2 more articles to read (about 20-30 pages) and I'm right back in it. I can't say as I'm really enjoying this class, which is too bad, it would make it a lot easier and more enjoyable.

So far, this quarter in general has been kind of a drag. I don't know if it's the fact that it's winter and I'm not snowboarding (which was the saving grace of winters in the past) or if I'm just not into the classes I have. It's kind of surprising that I'm not enjoying the Information Systems class more because it's right up my alley.

Anywhoo... this entry is mostly just a diversion, I really should be reading more about the exciting world of Bibliographic Control, but it's getting late. I have learned the hard way not to try to read any of this stuff past 10:00p.m., it's a sure cure for insomnia.

I think I've earned a little Xbox time.

I'm not sure who Lois M. is but I hope that I live as long as this David did.

Separated at birth?

I created a forum for fun and sport (alright, I guess I was just bored) in the hopes that some of my Info homies start to use it. I'm a discriminating internet reader (heh) and it would be good for me to have a place that is all about stuff I want to know about (or at least from people I like to know).

Anywho, it seemed like a good experiment and a worthwhile use of time while I was on Christmas break. I have a little experience with this forum software from a previous install but that was an older version and a couple of things have changed.

Perhaps at some point I will describe some of the difficulties of getting open source software, that has been created with the expectation of running in a Linux environment, working on a Windows IIS server. Geez, they don't always make it easy do they.

You can find it here. I haven't gotten around to doing any customization yet so it still has the lame WinXP logo (I have no idea why they added that to a custom skin!?!) but the logo will prolly be the first thing to go.

forum.optica8.com

How many times have I said I have to redesign my site? Man is it getting stale.

Between school and working as a designer/developer for the GEM project I'm having a hard time finding inspiration to do this stuff on my "free time" (what was that again?)

I guess the plumber's house has the leaky faucet and the carpenter's house is falling apart.

One of the funny things about going back to school is the constant feeling of Deja Vu that I have walking around the U District and on campus. It had been over 10 years since I got my undergrad degree from the U but it sure doesn't feel that long ago.

I keep running into people that I haven't seen in years and sometimes it's a little disconcerting. I ran into a fellow named Mike Scutt yesterday, I hadn't seen him in at least 5 years, and we starting talking about some of the folks that we both knew when we met way back in 1989 when I was roommates with two of his friends. He got me thinking about all the people I have had as roommates over the years, at last count it was up in the 70s. I'm not sure what any of this means other than it made me feel like an old man.

When I was on campus the first time getting my undergrad degree I was already one of the 'old men' in my program at the ripe age of 26. Now as I walk to class it's hard to believe that I was ever that young. Don't get me wrong, I have held on to my youthful demeanor (read: immature?) but my knees remind me that I'm no spring chicken.

Mmmmmm, chicken...

I hafta get back to work yo.

In the iPod :
Moring Mix - Playlist (Various)
Guided by Voices - Isolation Drills

At work :
Queen - Day at the Races
Nick Drake - Pink Moon

At home :
Buzzcocks - A Different Kind of Tension
The Delusions - Hope it Dies on a Sunny Day