Google Turns to Goggles When You Type it Too Many Times

(Day 1 billion) So there is much news (i.e. excuses as to why I have not updated the blog). Firstly, I have a new job as a government mule. The basic breakdown of my day/job consists of me on Google for hours. Google this, google that, lunch, google these, google those, home. The government spends big bucks on academic databases and fancy referencing tools and all I like to use is Google. All in all not a terrible way to spend a paid day, and I even sneak in a game or two of foosball too.

I've also agreed to do a speaking engagement for a local hgh school. The downer is that in the negotiation of this, I have ventured further and further from the original topic. In trying to turn my project into something that 15 year olds can digest it has lost a lot of its edge.... and body. But if I remember the high school cast of characters correctly all I need to do is put together an awesome PowerPoint slide show and they will be happy/not all angsty and stuff.

Finally, I have also joined up at the local letter-named-fitness facility. Gonna pump some iron and rock the delts! ... A joke that goes over a lot better offline, when you can see that I would never "rock my delts." What they do have that I am interested in is a pool and a gymnasium. The pool is no big deal other than the fact that it is right behind my government mule feeding trough, which is nice. But the gymnasium is nice because it hosts pick-up volleyball of a surprisingly high calibre. Frankly, it is always surprising when there is decent volleyball to be had, but that is a story for another blog.

So there is the life wrap up: job, speech, gym. Notice how thesis wasn't in the top three? Wonder why? It's because I am not working on it! Combination of severe writer's block, lack of a positive number in the time/energy quotient, and just plain not wanting to until things settle in a bit....you know, after I adequetly rock my delts.

In celebration of a new exciting job song of the day: Getupgotoworkgohomegotobed - Rat Silo

Also: a long overdue congratulations on the successful defences of two highly intelligent, superiorly well written theses on the parts of Mr. Tab A and Ms. DoGooder, fellow members of my cohort, and new members of PhD programs in the area. I tip my hat to you both.

Wouldn't a Caveman's Writer's Block Be the Thing He Writes On?

(Day 119?) Wow, we are really getting up there in dates. So high in fact that I am not even sure if I did that math correctly. I have been struck with a mean case of writer's block. Having been outwitted by my own logic, this blog has not helped me write when I am stumped, as writer's block has struck me here too. For my birthday just passed, I wished for a complete, well written thesis on my topic area, delivered in a timely manner. However, most of the people I know are also working on theses, so they thought this an unreasonable request given my unwillingness to write their theses. Oh well.

This writer's block has forced me into changing up my methods. I have to force this Greatest Writing Work (GWW) through whether it likes it or not. I was fond of my previous methods (wait in the sun for inspiration) but it was not the most time-responsible method. My new method (do-it until it gets done) is starting to work I think. I have printed off all of my written pages and my themes in attempt to look at this problem (thesis writing) old-school (or Old Skool). I was prepared to be pleased with myself for writing an entire thesis on technology, technologically. People complain of their eyes hurting from staring at a screen for so long, or inability to maintain organization on their computer, issues that I have overcome, only to be struck by writer's block, the oldest, least technological writing problem since ancient man started writing on walls.

A pencil and a stack of papers in hand, I can at least do some of my work outside, although realistically, the closest it sees to outside is the bus, as that is still a favourite place of mine to do work. See here for the story. And speaking of throwbacks to past writing, I was presented with an off the cuff use of one of the words I coined in the Reed Glossary. In pining about some trouble I was having, and whether it would affect the readability (Reedability, hahah - lame joke, but to me, at this point, very funny) of my thesis. In response to this, I was asked if my plight was not frought with an 'ego-fulfilling prophecy' or the misguided thought that my thesis would actually be read. See glossary here. Hoisted by my own petard, eh. I guess that is what happens when you put this stuff publicly online.

Maybe I could submit this song instead of a thesis song of the day: You, Me & the Bourgeoise - The Submarines