Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Just a brief post to fill the time between now and when I have to go to TKD.
I'm testing for my blue belt today, yay for that. And I just finished my midterm for my 'Random Processes in Engineering' class. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. I've had better, I've had worse. I suppose I'll just have to see how I did when the curve comes out. One thing that did Irk me was that the teacher said he was going to write the time on the board...and didn't. I was chipping away at the last problem when he said 'okay, take one more minute.' What? Where did that come from? Anyway, I'm pretty sure I skipped-up on a couple of them, but what's done is done. I'm pretty sure I'm okay, at least.
New rule. If I ever join a team in CoH with a leader that is *very obviously* an immature 13-year-old, just quit. You don't owe him an explanation. He's a twerp.
I need to find some music by a guy named Paul B. He's a Drum 'n Base artist (If you don't know what Genre of music that is, don't bother. :) I'm looking for the followoing song:
STA And Paul B -- Secrets Inside
I'm not sure if it's even findable. The internet confirms that the song exists, but I don't see how to track it down. He's not quite mainstream enough to be on Amazon. We'll see, though. And if *anyone* sees that song, let me know how to get it and I will be your eternal slave for...like...a minute.
Ooh...I just discovered something. Evidently he's *russian*. Perhaps I'll have Igor look for me. Amazon.ru anyone?
Hmm...OOh! Just found some stuff. I might actually be able to order...or...uh...import it. I'd just...need a record player to be able to listen to it. Perhaps now the time to buy that DJ rig I've been Jonesing for. DJ Noel anyone? Bricka-bricka-bricka...
Okay, time up. More comes later.
-N
I'm testing for my blue belt today, yay for that. And I just finished my midterm for my 'Random Processes in Engineering' class. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible. I've had better, I've had worse. I suppose I'll just have to see how I did when the curve comes out. One thing that did Irk me was that the teacher said he was going to write the time on the board...and didn't. I was chipping away at the last problem when he said 'okay, take one more minute.' What? Where did that come from? Anyway, I'm pretty sure I skipped-up on a couple of them, but what's done is done. I'm pretty sure I'm okay, at least.
New rule. If I ever join a team in CoH with a leader that is *very obviously* an immature 13-year-old, just quit. You don't owe him an explanation. He's a twerp.
I need to find some music by a guy named Paul B. He's a Drum 'n Base artist (If you don't know what Genre of music that is, don't bother. :) I'm looking for the followoing song:
STA And Paul B -- Secrets Inside
I'm not sure if it's even findable. The internet confirms that the song exists, but I don't see how to track it down. He's not quite mainstream enough to be on Amazon. We'll see, though. And if *anyone* sees that song, let me know how to get it and I will be your eternal slave for...like...a minute.
Ooh...I just discovered something. Evidently he's *russian*. Perhaps I'll have Igor look for me. Amazon.ru anyone?
Hmm...OOh! Just found some stuff. I might actually be able to order...or...uh...import it. I'd just...need a record player to be able to listen to it. Perhaps now the time to buy that DJ rig I've been Jonesing for. DJ Noel anyone? Bricka-bricka-bricka...
Okay, time up. More comes later.
-N
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Taking masters classes is the epitome of lame.
So here's the plan. After I finish my master class I will...pay attention here...*never do anything I don't want to do again*. This, like many things, is just a theory, but it's the one I'm running with at the moment. Life is a short and strange thing, and I'd like to think I can carve my own path in it well enough to keep me, and the people aroudn me, happy.
But I'm starting to think this masters degree was a mistake. It is true that a lot of people at Raytheon have it, but the 'all your friends jumping off a cliff' argument applies here. It's keeping me from doing the things I want to do, from learning the things I want to learn. I want to learn to play the drums, I want to write music and a novel, I want to learn to ride a motorcycle, and I can't because I spend too much time doing these stupid classes.
The payout is money, eventually. And I'm not going to proclaim myself so high-and-mighty that money doesn't matter to me. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does by food and water and an apartment in which I can live while I pursue happiness. If I had all the money in the world, I wouldn't have to work, and then I'd have time, and that's precious.
But this masters degree just eats up my time. I can't do everything I want to do. And If I don't do it now, when am I going to do it? I have to learn japanese. I want to go to another country. Maybe I want to move there. Oop, sorry, can't. I've got homework to do. What an absurd excuse.
Working is okay, though. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to, but I do it well, and the effort isn't so bad that it offsets the paycheck. I like stability, and having a steady source of income does that for me. So that's good. I'll keep working.
Unfortunately, I'm locked in to my masters degree. I've committed myself to it. I applied to USC, I'm in the fellowship program. I'm in and I'm stuck. So I'll push my way through it. It's not like there's no reward on the other side. That's good news, at least.
But when it's done, so am I. No more masters means I can fill the time with fun things. Video games? Perhaps. I like them. I really really do. I don't judge your hobbies, don't judge mine. If you can find a thing that makes you happy, really happy, it's precious. Hang on to that. I'm not sure I understand myself well enough to know what kind of thing my happiness is, but I have a corner of it at least, I might as well start building a house off there.
Now served: One Blog entry a la 'Stream of Conciousness'. I just finished my homework, and I have a midterm on monday. I'm actually a touch concerned about it, I'm confused about the material in a way that I rarely am. I'm going to give it a good, hard studying over the coming days, though, see if I can't get my fingers into some of the cracks. The grade is curved though, so I just have to do better than everyone else. Heh.
What else. Played some video games, City of Heroes (CoH) is awesome. Met Rob online in CoH. Which is cool. He told me Thom's On too, so hopefully I'll run into you too, okay Thom? And if there's any of you out there who are also online with CoH, let me know. And if you're not, *GET IT*. It's great fun. Even you, Nana. If I've got a grandmother who's 'with it' enough to be using *Acronyms* in her e-mails, you're only a few steps away from hitting up the video games. You'll be Punkbusting n00bz in no time. :)
Does anyone ever browse the things I link? Just curious.
Time is short. More studying, more playing games. Ta!
-N
So here's the plan. After I finish my master class I will...pay attention here...*never do anything I don't want to do again*. This, like many things, is just a theory, but it's the one I'm running with at the moment. Life is a short and strange thing, and I'd like to think I can carve my own path in it well enough to keep me, and the people aroudn me, happy.
But I'm starting to think this masters degree was a mistake. It is true that a lot of people at Raytheon have it, but the 'all your friends jumping off a cliff' argument applies here. It's keeping me from doing the things I want to do, from learning the things I want to learn. I want to learn to play the drums, I want to write music and a novel, I want to learn to ride a motorcycle, and I can't because I spend too much time doing these stupid classes.
The payout is money, eventually. And I'm not going to proclaim myself so high-and-mighty that money doesn't matter to me. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does by food and water and an apartment in which I can live while I pursue happiness. If I had all the money in the world, I wouldn't have to work, and then I'd have time, and that's precious.
But this masters degree just eats up my time. I can't do everything I want to do. And If I don't do it now, when am I going to do it? I have to learn japanese. I want to go to another country. Maybe I want to move there. Oop, sorry, can't. I've got homework to do. What an absurd excuse.
Working is okay, though. I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to, but I do it well, and the effort isn't so bad that it offsets the paycheck. I like stability, and having a steady source of income does that for me. So that's good. I'll keep working.
Unfortunately, I'm locked in to my masters degree. I've committed myself to it. I applied to USC, I'm in the fellowship program. I'm in and I'm stuck. So I'll push my way through it. It's not like there's no reward on the other side. That's good news, at least.
But when it's done, so am I. No more masters means I can fill the time with fun things. Video games? Perhaps. I like them. I really really do. I don't judge your hobbies, don't judge mine. If you can find a thing that makes you happy, really happy, it's precious. Hang on to that. I'm not sure I understand myself well enough to know what kind of thing my happiness is, but I have a corner of it at least, I might as well start building a house off there.
Now served: One Blog entry a la 'Stream of Conciousness'. I just finished my homework, and I have a midterm on monday. I'm actually a touch concerned about it, I'm confused about the material in a way that I rarely am. I'm going to give it a good, hard studying over the coming days, though, see if I can't get my fingers into some of the cracks. The grade is curved though, so I just have to do better than everyone else. Heh.
What else. Played some video games, City of Heroes (CoH) is awesome. Met Rob online in CoH. Which is cool. He told me Thom's On too, so hopefully I'll run into you too, okay Thom? And if there's any of you out there who are also online with CoH, let me know. And if you're not, *GET IT*. It's great fun. Even you, Nana. If I've got a grandmother who's 'with it' enough to be using *Acronyms* in her e-mails, you're only a few steps away from hitting up the video games. You'll be Punkbusting n00bz in no time. :)
Does anyone ever browse the things I link? Just curious.
Time is short. More studying, more playing games. Ta!
-N
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Back aaaaaawn...the chain....
I think I've hit a cycle again, which is an expression I *just made up* that means my life has rhythm again. Things happen to a beat. Monday, TKD, tuesday, Class/exercise, wednesday, TKD, thursday, Class/exercise, friday, relaxing. Saturday: clean/homework/exercise/video games. Repeat. Part of me likes the cycle, cause I do kinda like stability. I get worried about getting stuck in a rut, though. Perhaps when my classes are over.
BAH! I want my classes to be over and done with dispite the fact that I'm going to be taking classes near-solid until the end of next year. That's not soon, that's far away. I hope I can maintain myself. Gotta have some relax time. And there's so much else I want to learn to do also. I want to learn to play a drum set, and I want to write some more stories and music, and ride a motorcycle, and learn japanese, and go to japan.
I was hanging around Mary today and I felt...something. I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out what it was. Longing, friendship, hunger...no clue. I just wanted to hang out with her more. Work to be done, so I left, but something. Mrmrmrmrmmrrrr...I've got some emotional itch that needs to be scratched and I don't even know what it is.
Gotta do laundry, too.
Kay, going to play games now. You have fun too, okay?
-N
I think I've hit a cycle again, which is an expression I *just made up* that means my life has rhythm again. Things happen to a beat. Monday, TKD, tuesday, Class/exercise, wednesday, TKD, thursday, Class/exercise, friday, relaxing. Saturday: clean/homework/exercise/video games. Repeat. Part of me likes the cycle, cause I do kinda like stability. I get worried about getting stuck in a rut, though. Perhaps when my classes are over.
BAH! I want my classes to be over and done with dispite the fact that I'm going to be taking classes near-solid until the end of next year. That's not soon, that's far away. I hope I can maintain myself. Gotta have some relax time. And there's so much else I want to learn to do also. I want to learn to play a drum set, and I want to write some more stories and music, and ride a motorcycle, and learn japanese, and go to japan.
I was hanging around Mary today and I felt...something. I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out what it was. Longing, friendship, hunger...no clue. I just wanted to hang out with her more. Work to be done, so I left, but something. Mrmrmrmrmmrrrr...I've got some emotional itch that needs to be scratched and I don't even know what it is.
Gotta do laundry, too.
Kay, going to play games now. You have fun too, okay?
-N
Monday, June 21, 2004
Man alive. I've been behind on this thing. Too much good stuff happening.
Sandlin visited! Woohoo! I'd say quite a fine time was had by all. We saw Venice beach, drove through downtown and hollywood, saw *Kevin Nealon* do stand-up at the comedy and magic club, and hit a water park on saturday. The water park was pretty excelent. I was going on rides all day, but it was kinda overcast in the morning. But when the sun came out, let me tell you, it was a generous helping of fun for all. We were there for a co-worker's birthday. Three of them, actually. Good stuff. And I'm lookin' good in a swimsuit too. *Flex...Flex*.
What else...still playing City of Heroes a lot. If any of you out there are playing that game, let me know. My character's name is Zeroth power, and I'm on the victory server. And for those of you that don't know, City of Heroes is an online RPG that you can play with people all over the world. It's great fun. And since Tabitha is leaving for texas, it'll be a good way to keep in touch with her. Video games...they bring us *together*.
I wrote this e-mail to my coworkers today. Every word of it is true.
***********************************
This is great:
We just got some new room labels up here on the 10th floor. They're pretty nice-looking. Got the Raytheon Logo on it, a neat little red stripe, big lettering, replacable 'occupant name' area. Very chic.
Now someone had the clever idea of marking the room numbers in braile on these room numbers, which was pretty nice of them. So what they did was create a printout with the room number in regular letters above, and the braile letters below. A printout. On paper. With ink. Of Braile. There's no texture to ink on paper. You following me?
So now we have our rooms up here marked with regular characters and braile that you can *only read if you can see*. Come up and see, it's hilarious.
Spotlight Award, anyone?
***********************************
Quoth Charlie brown: Good grief.
Midterm coming up in a week-and-a-half. We'll have to see. Personally, I dislike classes with only one midterm. I like having one to 'feel out' the class, know what kind of things the teacher expects us to do. I might have some trouble, but with any luck the class will be curved. So I won't have to be good, just better than everyone else. Not easy, granted. This is graduate school now. Everyone is clever.
Still working on my origami project. Long road ahead. I think I'm about 1/3rd done. I do it during slow moments, or while watching TV, which really doesn't happen that often these days. Cept for TLC. The only channel I ever watch ever. 'What Not to Wear'...'Clean Sweep'...'Faking It'...'A Makeover Story.' So great.
Right, so hopefully that will keep you well tided with news of me. I'll try to update more frequently in the future. Ta, ducks!
-N
Sandlin visited! Woohoo! I'd say quite a fine time was had by all. We saw Venice beach, drove through downtown and hollywood, saw *Kevin Nealon* do stand-up at the comedy and magic club, and hit a water park on saturday. The water park was pretty excelent. I was going on rides all day, but it was kinda overcast in the morning. But when the sun came out, let me tell you, it was a generous helping of fun for all. We were there for a co-worker's birthday. Three of them, actually. Good stuff. And I'm lookin' good in a swimsuit too. *Flex...Flex*.
What else...still playing City of Heroes a lot. If any of you out there are playing that game, let me know. My character's name is Zeroth power, and I'm on the victory server. And for those of you that don't know, City of Heroes is an online RPG that you can play with people all over the world. It's great fun. And since Tabitha is leaving for texas, it'll be a good way to keep in touch with her. Video games...they bring us *together*.
I wrote this e-mail to my coworkers today. Every word of it is true.
***********************************
This is great:
We just got some new room labels up here on the 10th floor. They're pretty nice-looking. Got the Raytheon Logo on it, a neat little red stripe, big lettering, replacable 'occupant name' area. Very chic.
Now someone had the clever idea of marking the room numbers in braile on these room numbers, which was pretty nice of them. So what they did was create a printout with the room number in regular letters above, and the braile letters below. A printout. On paper. With ink. Of Braile. There's no texture to ink on paper. You following me?
So now we have our rooms up here marked with regular characters and braile that you can *only read if you can see*. Come up and see, it's hilarious.
Spotlight Award, anyone?
***********************************
Quoth Charlie brown: Good grief.
Midterm coming up in a week-and-a-half. We'll have to see. Personally, I dislike classes with only one midterm. I like having one to 'feel out' the class, know what kind of things the teacher expects us to do. I might have some trouble, but with any luck the class will be curved. So I won't have to be good, just better than everyone else. Not easy, granted. This is graduate school now. Everyone is clever.
Still working on my origami project. Long road ahead. I think I'm about 1/3rd done. I do it during slow moments, or while watching TV, which really doesn't happen that often these days. Cept for TLC. The only channel I ever watch ever. 'What Not to Wear'...'Clean Sweep'...'Faking It'...'A Makeover Story.' So great.
Right, so hopefully that will keep you well tided with news of me. I'll try to update more frequently in the future. Ta, ducks!
-N
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Ooooh...I think my happy-gland is swoolen from too much happy.
Yes, my internet is finally back up, joy of joys. I could catch you all up on all the minute details for things that happened while I was away, but perhaps we'll just stick to the more important ones this time.
I have move sucessfully, yay for me, and so Derek and I are now officially roomates. He's goone this weekend, though. Its worked out pretty much super-fly so far. Both nerds, both spend a lot of time at work and our regeneration time on the computer or on video games. We had some difficulty combining two houseolds into one, Derek especially, because he has a lot of stuff. Me, I like not having much. I hate having to 'file things away'. I'd like to think that I could just be happy with less and less and less and then I'd be happy with nothing, and then I'd just be happy.
Origami! My most favoritests of arts. I've gotten back into the swing after finding my next project: Behold. It's called modular origami. You fold a few (or a few dozen) shapes, often identical, and combine them into one super-cool thing. That one above involves 72 shapes, but they're simple, so I think it'll be okay. I notice I swing back and forth between hobbies a lot. Writing, Origami, Music, Drums, Tarot, Wonder what's next?
I've started playing City of Heros. And if there's anyone out there who wants to join up, please do! I'm on the 'Victory' server, and the game is a lot of fun. Drop me a comment or e-mail if you want to join.
Becca made a blog too. Good for her.
Anything else important? No, not really. Still single, being single sucks, I ease my pain with video games. Could be worse, could be heroin. Mmm...sweet, sweet video games.
-N
Yes, my internet is finally back up, joy of joys. I could catch you all up on all the minute details for things that happened while I was away, but perhaps we'll just stick to the more important ones this time.
I have move sucessfully, yay for me, and so Derek and I are now officially roomates. He's goone this weekend, though. Its worked out pretty much super-fly so far. Both nerds, both spend a lot of time at work and our regeneration time on the computer or on video games. We had some difficulty combining two houseolds into one, Derek especially, because he has a lot of stuff. Me, I like not having much. I hate having to 'file things away'. I'd like to think that I could just be happy with less and less and less and then I'd be happy with nothing, and then I'd just be happy.
Origami! My most favoritests of arts. I've gotten back into the swing after finding my next project: Behold. It's called modular origami. You fold a few (or a few dozen) shapes, often identical, and combine them into one super-cool thing. That one above involves 72 shapes, but they're simple, so I think it'll be okay. I notice I swing back and forth between hobbies a lot. Writing, Origami, Music, Drums, Tarot, Wonder what's next?
I've started playing City of Heros. And if there's anyone out there who wants to join up, please do! I'm on the 'Victory' server, and the game is a lot of fun. Drop me a comment or e-mail if you want to join.
Becca made a blog too. Good for her.
Anything else important? No, not really. Still single, being single sucks, I ease my pain with video games. Could be worse, could be heroin. Mmm...sweet, sweet video games.
-N
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
MY STUPID INTERNET IS STILL DOWN!
Huge bummer, not the least of my problems coming from the fact that I have to watch classes at work now, though only after I'm done working. Like I want to hang out here more. Heh.
I've tried everything to get myself connected, and I've got a few more things to try, but if that doesn't work I'm down to 2 options:
2) System Restore
1) Buy a new computer
I'm hoping to pospone number 1 for a while, yet, until things start to migrate to 64 bit processors, hopefully.
And, to Kevin, I promise to e-mail as soon as I get the internet...it just might take a while.
Short post, back to work!
-N
Huge bummer, not the least of my problems coming from the fact that I have to watch classes at work now, though only after I'm done working. Like I want to hang out here more. Heh.
I've tried everything to get myself connected, and I've got a few more things to try, but if that doesn't work I'm down to 2 options:
2) System Restore
1) Buy a new computer
I'm hoping to pospone number 1 for a while, yet, until things start to migrate to 64 bit processors, hopefully.
And, to Kevin, I promise to e-mail as soon as I get the internet...it just might take a while.
Short post, back to work!
-N
Friday, June 04, 2004
Brief post, cause I can only do this at work (until saturday).
Mary and I: No longer dating. Yes, sad, feeling a bit down, but getting better all the time, so I'm not worried about sprialling into mind-altering depression, and neither should you be. I'm not going to catalog all the details here, but here are a few:
1) We kinda had our definitions of 'dating' crossed, a little. I tend to reserve 'boyfriend/girlfriend' for more serious relationships, and 'dating' for less serious ones. (Course, by this definition, I've *never* had a girlfriend. Sigh.)
2) She's not in a 'boyfriend/girlfriend' or even a 'dating' mode at the moment. (Where have I heard that before?)
3) I'd seen the 'end', as it were, coming for a while, so it wasn't a particular shock, and while I am a bit down at the moment (just a bit), the end was amicalble, and I think I will be able to use my super power of being able to maintain freindships with people I've dated to it's utmost. And if Mary ever changes dating modes, at least she knows where I stand.
In related news, I really hate being single. I'll discuss that more later, when I have my own internet connection to write on.
Okay, break over, back to manual-reading.
-N
Mary and I: No longer dating. Yes, sad, feeling a bit down, but getting better all the time, so I'm not worried about sprialling into mind-altering depression, and neither should you be. I'm not going to catalog all the details here, but here are a few:
1) We kinda had our definitions of 'dating' crossed, a little. I tend to reserve 'boyfriend/girlfriend' for more serious relationships, and 'dating' for less serious ones. (Course, by this definition, I've *never* had a girlfriend. Sigh.)
2) She's not in a 'boyfriend/girlfriend' or even a 'dating' mode at the moment. (Where have I heard that before?)
3) I'd seen the 'end', as it were, coming for a while, so it wasn't a particular shock, and while I am a bit down at the moment (just a bit), the end was amicalble, and I think I will be able to use my super power of being able to maintain freindships with people I've dated to it's utmost. And if Mary ever changes dating modes, at least she knows where I stand.
In related news, I really hate being single. I'll discuss that more later, when I have my own internet connection to write on.
Okay, break over, back to manual-reading.
-N
