(C-Day minus 1 edits, revisions, defence) An open letter to computer virus designers:
Dear a-holes,
You make me sad.
Unkind regards,
Guy Drinking Milk
So my computer is in the shop because it was shut down by a particularly nasty virus. Don't ask me how I am writing this...it's maa-a-gic. This virus will cost me at least 100$ which I would gladly collect in teeth from these hackers...any hackers really. It is a job and industry of zero moral value. Virus software and other programming companies' hiring of "successful" virus programmers make some feel warm and fuzzy because obviously the "best" are off the "streets" and working for the "good guys" now, but really, what is it other than perpetuating the idea that the most prolific virus = fattest paycheque, ad nauseum. Those fat paycheques should go entirely into dentistry bills while allowing anyone impacted by their virus to knock a few teeth in.
One thing that has come out of getting this virus has been the emphatic reminder to back up anything I wish not to lose (my thesis, my music, my pictures...probably in that order). While I have everything that I have created or added to my computer backed up on an external harddrive (as well as a few friends' music libraries too. Genius move!), I also have a lot stored online. While some may hark at the fact that I ranked my documents and my tunes ahead of pictures of my family, friends, etc, most of those pictures are happily stored either on Facebook or with the emails in which they were sent to me.
Which brings me to my 2nd PSA (the first one was for the mothers of hackers - keep them in the basement if you want to continue to see them smile), which is to keep your email account organized! Folders! Folders! Folders! I would hazard a guess at the number of emails in my account being in the many thousands, but I keep them all neatly filed away in folders. One for emails with pictures, one for anytime I email myself something, one for articles, and a few for individuals who email me frequently. It is through these folders (and my constant emailing to myself copies of minutely altered copies of the thesis) that I am able to safely back up, as well as track the progress of my thesis. Wonderful, aside from clearly seeing how slow this process has been. Ugh. I could write a paper on the trends of my writing, were I not so engrossed in my writing. Interestingly enough, highly productive weeks and highly unproductive weeks look exactly the same - long time between emails.
'Song virus' (ear worm/tune stuck in your head) of the day (for the hackers): It's a Small World After all - the Disney Childrens Chorus
The 'this is what you are, hacker' song of the day: A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
all this virus talk, I may have to get a Mac...
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Mo'vember to Remember
(C-Day minus ch.1 edits, revisions and defence) Today is the day that I feel ready to announce the arrival and residence of my mo'. In honour of the month of Movember, I, along with several thousand other men around the globe, will become a Mo'Bro and grow a moustache in order to raise awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer. This is one of the few awareness campaigns I have ever supported and I am happy to see fairly widespread recognition from both men and women who know why half the city population suddenly (-ish) got a little bit (very much) uglier...if not manlier. It is a month of pride and the gentlemanly pursuit of reaching out (from the upper lip) to our brethren struck (and not yet struck) by cancer. Grow on!
The moustache culture is a funny one, in that there is (in the "literature") some animosity towards the beard growers, and definite differentiation from the goatee sporters. I suppose that is fair though, given the vast number of moustache jokes (and seemingly few beard jokes). Though it cannot be denied that it truly is a community, with undoubted claim to a culture. There are the hardships of growing our first, the resilience of the first week past the "studly shadow" through the "teenage lookalike" into the majesty of the "Tom Selleck" or the "King of Diamonds", the "Freddy Mercury" or "Hulk Hogan" and all the unnamed hair-bars in between. These hardships bring these men together in a ridiculous looking yet studly bond. We are, you could say, waxed together into a community of the upper (lip) crust. My advice to people new to or looking to join this illustrious club has always been 'commitment'. If you commit to the 'stache, the 'stache will commit to you.
There are most certainly communities of men that are closely tied with the sporting of the lip warmer (policemen, firemen, lounge singers, upper lip wax 'before' models), and I would say I fall on the fringe of one of these: the academics/jobless. I say fringe because these are traditionally (for the men) bearded populations, and there is that gentle animosity/healthy competition between them. Nonetheless it does put me in a solid position to take part in Movember without being told that I am being disrespectful (to aesthetics), am too unkempt (to work) or merely gross (from the hairless perspective), but rather that I am in a community that supports me in my (upper lip's) endeavour (to shame the rest of my face). So too, I will say to my other Mo'Bros: Grow on!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Me, MySpace and i(Tunes), Web 2.0 and You(Tube)
(C-Day minus 1, 4 edits, revisions and defence) Given that my thesis is on matters technological it requires that I keep up to date on the comings and goings of the web. As I say in my thesis though, the web now moves more and more quickly. Remember back in the (virtual) day when an internet meme (a unit of cultural information) would be funny and prominent for months? Star Wars Kid, Jackass antics, Chuck Norris. Now, a joke on the internet ceases to be funny 3 seconds after you read it. Lolcatz (?), dramatic chipmunk (?) and I am sure there are numerous other anthropomorphic animals with feelings/emotions/sitcoms and somebody to tape them. In fact, I think these memes passed through so quickly they ceased to be funny before they were even viewed. So what, the cats are English preteens? I don't get it.
In any event, I try to stay on top of the Social Web/social networking sites that crop up, as these at least last long enough to sign up (8 seconds). I blog (naturally. I MySpaced for a short time i.e. I listened to music on their site instead of my iTunes. Easy to see why that one didn't last. I Twittered for a short time. I'm followable, but I wouldn't recommend it (that was less than 140 characters). I even have a Del.icio.us account (to share bookmarks), but a) there was no one I knew to share with, and b) what bookmarks am I going to share? Del.icio.us? MySpace? I think people know about these sites, not exactly adding to the community there. Who bookmarks anymore anyways with predictive-text address bars? But I digress...
So my supervisor asked me to help him sketch out the options (and their respective benefits and detriments) for a Web 2.0 presence for his course program. Thankfully (because he is my supervisor and could crush me) I managed to provide a pretty solid answer to his query. While I am thrilled to be able to provide advice to my supervisor I think it was more satisfying to know that I had at last found an outlet for all of the knowledge I have accrued through this whole process that is not the thesis itself. Because, given the ego-fulfilling prophecy (see Glossary), it is unlikely that anyone will even read that. Hello practical application to GWW (see Glossary)! ...But what is 'practical' other than the antonym of 'useless', therefore...well you see where this is going. Told you I was good at rationalizing, though it is a bit of a stretch to claim usefulness for the thesis.
Re-reading this blog post, I think there will be 3 types of readers. 1. Tech savvy young people who think it is funny because they can relate. 2. Tech savvy people who don't think it is funny, because...well because they don't think it is funny. and 3. the non-tech savvy, who don't get it. "What's a Lolcat? Who's a Star Wars Kid? I remember when Chuck Norris was a movie star not an internet meme"
'Could be encouraging, could be prescriptive' song of the day: Use It - The New Pornographers
In any event, I try to stay on top of the Social Web/social networking sites that crop up, as these at least last long enough to sign up (8 seconds). I blog (naturally. I MySpaced for a short time i.e. I listened to music on their site instead of my iTunes. Easy to see why that one didn't last. I Twittered for a short time. I'm followable, but I wouldn't recommend it (that was less than 140 characters). I even have a Del.icio.us account (to share bookmarks), but a) there was no one I knew to share with, and b) what bookmarks am I going to share? Del.icio.us? MySpace? I think people know about these sites, not exactly adding to the community there. Who bookmarks anymore anyways with predictive-text address bars? But I digress...
So my supervisor asked me to help him sketch out the options (and their respective benefits and detriments) for a Web 2.0 presence for his course program. Thankfully (because he is my supervisor and could crush me) I managed to provide a pretty solid answer to his query. While I am thrilled to be able to provide advice to my supervisor I think it was more satisfying to know that I had at last found an outlet for all of the knowledge I have accrued through this whole process that is not the thesis itself. Because, given the ego-fulfilling prophecy (see Glossary), it is unlikely that anyone will even read that. Hello practical application to GWW (see Glossary)! ...But what is 'practical' other than the antonym of 'useless', therefore...well you see where this is going. Told you I was good at rationalizing, though it is a bit of a stretch to claim usefulness for the thesis.
Re-reading this blog post, I think there will be 3 types of readers. 1. Tech savvy young people who think it is funny because they can relate. 2. Tech savvy people who don't think it is funny, because...well because they don't think it is funny. and 3. the non-tech savvy, who don't get it. "What's a Lolcat? Who's a Star Wars Kid? I remember when Chuck Norris was a movie star not an internet meme"
'Could be encouraging, could be prescriptive' song of the day: Use It - The New Pornographers
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Worst Friend Ever
(C Day minus 1,3,4 edits, revisions and defence)I have a companion who only has bad things to say. I have so seldom heard anything good, that I am beginning to believe it not possible. This companion, mere intimate decimetres from my sleeping head (often full metres on a bad morning) is the alarm clock: the perpetual bearer of bad news.
Having moved from an East-facing bedroom into a North-facing bedroom I have lost the luxury of being woken up by the rising sun. It was a romantic lifestyle, using the curtain to estimate my morning rise, waking lazily and slowly into full awareness. Not that it didn't have it's problems; a summer morning wake up was also accompanied by the light's BFF, the heat. But for the most part, it was enjoyable and lovely. I have, since the move, had to rely on the obnoxious yelp of that square box of pain (Little House on the Pain-rie?). Every morning that I have to work, my morning starts with bad news: it's time to get up. If I had wanted to get up, if I felt I was ready to get up, I would have done so myself. I am instead jarred out of my slumber by the naive child that believes that the world should rise and fall with their schedule. This isn't even the only reason I dislike my little "friend."
Thesis writing has put me in an odd relationship with time. There is never a good time. I'll get home around 5, and by the time I have wound down and am ready to work, it is 7...already?! Open the documents, track down a citation and reword a sentence...9?!?! Couldn't be! Even if I am productive, time seems unwelcome. I could edit a whole chapter, rework the most troubling of passages, update my bibliography AND have come to a profound conclusion about my thesis or my life, but if only 10 minutes have passed (I said 'could' not 'did') I am still left with the "It's only been 10 minutes?! I should work for another 50 at the very least before I quit for the night!" Is there ever a time that is welcome? Well, maybe 7:30. Time for Jeopardy!
'This is a patent lie' song of the day: Time is On My Side - Rolling Stones
Though if you have seen the movie 'Fallen', it is the serial killer/spirit that sings the song, in that regard, it makes more sense. Just imagine my thesis singing this song. It'll wait me out if I don't beat it first.
Having moved from an East-facing bedroom into a North-facing bedroom I have lost the luxury of being woken up by the rising sun. It was a romantic lifestyle, using the curtain to estimate my morning rise, waking lazily and slowly into full awareness. Not that it didn't have it's problems; a summer morning wake up was also accompanied by the light's BFF, the heat. But for the most part, it was enjoyable and lovely. I have, since the move, had to rely on the obnoxious yelp of that square box of pain (Little House on the Pain-rie?). Every morning that I have to work, my morning starts with bad news: it's time to get up. If I had wanted to get up, if I felt I was ready to get up, I would have done so myself. I am instead jarred out of my slumber by the naive child that believes that the world should rise and fall with their schedule. This isn't even the only reason I dislike my little "friend."
Thesis writing has put me in an odd relationship with time. There is never a good time. I'll get home around 5, and by the time I have wound down and am ready to work, it is 7...already?! Open the documents, track down a citation and reword a sentence...9?!?! Couldn't be! Even if I am productive, time seems unwelcome. I could edit a whole chapter, rework the most troubling of passages, update my bibliography AND have come to a profound conclusion about my thesis or my life, but if only 10 minutes have passed (I said 'could' not 'did') I am still left with the "It's only been 10 minutes?! I should work for another 50 at the very least before I quit for the night!" Is there ever a time that is welcome? Well, maybe 7:30. Time for Jeopardy!
'This is a patent lie' song of the day: Time is On My Side - Rolling Stones
Though if you have seen the movie 'Fallen', it is the serial killer/spirit that sings the song, in that regard, it makes more sense. Just imagine my thesis singing this song. It'll wait me out if I don't beat it first.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
This Week on Thesis-Drama Theatre...
(Completion Day minus peer editing, revisions, defence) Today marks the day of my glorious return to form. My form being not just the mindspace of writing in this blog, but also that of someone who is in the final throes of their Master's Thesis. The key to my progress? Staying away from blogging. That is correct, like a TV sitcom or Soap dealing with a pregnant or salary-greedy primadonna actor/actress, I am poorly explaining away an awkward and misunderstood absence. The important part however, is that I am back!
Update: The thesis trucks along, slowly if not surely. My first draft is complete, and aside from peer editing (and subsequent revisions) it will be ready to go to the supervisor soon (relatively speaking of course) - grain of salt in hand. This is both exciting and nerve wracking. Mostly because the supervisor has not read the thesis or heard specifics of it since....well since I last wrote a post for this blog (that's a year for anyone counting). But nonetheless exciting to be further along in the process.
Update: The thesis trucks along, slowly if not surely. My first draft is complete, and aside from peer editing (and subsequent revisions) it will be ready to go to the supervisor soon (relatively speaking of course) - grain of salt in hand. This is both exciting and nerve wracking. Mostly because the supervisor has not read the thesis or heard specifics of it since....well since I last wrote a post for this blog (that's a year for anyone counting). But nonetheless exciting to be further along in the process.
The peer editing has been interesting if only because of the process of selection. Years in an MA program, cavorting with PhDs, academics and just plain ole smart people has left me a veritable fleet of people who like me enough to offer their services. Selection then comes down to who I think has the time (some people offer, but given their own academic or occupational demands, it would be absurd to ask them), who has the expertise, and who has the ability to deliver bad news. It's not that I am expecting bad news from my editors, it's just a precaution, as confidence in the project can waver like the favour of a disinterested prof. It is thus important to pick people who will honestly tell you that it blows, but precisely not in those words.
Just a quick post to start folks, but let it be known, I'M BACK!...and here to stay.
'Marking my return' song of the day: Back in the Saddle Again - Aerosmith
and,
'For any endearing fans' song for the past year: All Apologies - Nirvana
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