Now that it's August, it's crunch time for my projects. I gave myself until the end of this month to finish my summer projects. If I don't finish any of them, I'll shelve them till I graduate.
A few weeks ago, my order for Euclid's Elements arrived, and I went to work trying out the constructions for myself. It's very enlightening to see the way Euclid worded certain things. One of the biggest realizations I had was that Euclid's text is not as rigorous as I first expected.
When I read Proposition 4 in Book I, for example, he says that if the three sides of one triangle are the same length as the three sides on another triangle, then the two triangles are equal. Now that sounds a lot like the SSS Postulate, doesn't it? But the SSS Postulate is a postulate, not a theorem to be proved. So I looked at how Euclid proved his proposition, and surprise! he says something to the effect of, "Well, look at them! If you lined them up they'd match up."
So with this in mind I continue to try out the propositions, thinking, "So hey, we've gotten better at this stuff over time." What's stopping me from doing the same?
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain, "Blame It".
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Scratchwork
The singular upheaval in the arrangement of my room has given me an opportunity to look at all those many pieces of paper I had stored away in those semi-neat folders. I'm finding that I am throwing away a good percentage of them. This is both good and bad. It's good because I need to reclaim space in my room. And it's bad because if I kept it at first and then now I'm throwing it away, that means I've already forgotten why I kept it in the first place.
But now I have an almost neverending stack of scratch paper.
If I borrowed anything from you ever, hold on; I've found it and I will return it to you as soon as I see you again.
Song in my head: Fred Astaire, "The Way You Look Tonight". I heard it when I saw Swing Time (1936). I rather enjoyed the movie, even though it was about people falling in love. That was surprising.
But now I have an almost neverending stack of scratch paper.
If I borrowed anything from you ever, hold on; I've found it and I will return it to you as soon as I see you again.
Song in my head: Fred Astaire, "The Way You Look Tonight". I heard it when I saw Swing Time (1936). I rather enjoyed the movie, even though it was about people falling in love. That was surprising.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Typing with both hands
I haven't walked in a week, and these days I've begun to feel restless during the night. Perhaps it would be a good thing to start again.
Hearing from an old friend is very much like coming back home from another country. You pick up where you left off and then move on.
The thing I dislike the most about blogging is, surprisingly, not typing with both hands. It's the realization that you've forgotten all those things you wanted to say on it by the time you've turned on the computer. This is the situation I find myself in at this moment. It is not a trivial thing to set up and maintain a blog.
I've started to write a short story in Tagalog, and after having written a few paragraphs I looked at what I wrote. And the strangest thing happened: it sounded foreign. I don't know whether I should be saddened by that, but I know that I am not happier for it.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Beck, "Moon on the Water".
Hearing from an old friend is very much like coming back home from another country. You pick up where you left off and then move on.
The thing I dislike the most about blogging is, surprisingly, not typing with both hands. It's the realization that you've forgotten all those things you wanted to say on it by the time you've turned on the computer. This is the situation I find myself in at this moment. It is not a trivial thing to set up and maintain a blog.
I've started to write a short story in Tagalog, and after having written a few paragraphs I looked at what I wrote. And the strangest thing happened: it sounded foreign. I don't know whether I should be saddened by that, but I know that I am not happier for it.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Beck, "Moon on the Water".
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
There are a couple of moving pieces.
In my web exploits today, I came across an article on a blog that is aiming to build their own working internet tablet. It was, of course, no small undertaking, especially for a blog that would attempt this for the first time. When I saw the picture of the rough prototype it struck me as a very no-nonsense design, which the editors contended they would try to make more "industrial".
When I went to the comments section, I came across a bystander who asked, "What are the hardware specs you have defined for the first beta?..." The answer from one of the team was, "we'll talk about the hardware once it's nailed down, there are a couple of moving pieces."
A couple of moving pieces.
Now it struck me that this was an excellent way to describe their device. It's very sensory; it's as if you were holding the device in your hands and as you move it around it makes clanking noises, indicating that the parts have not been nailed down. In essence, it gave an abstract quality of the device (the fact that its hardware specification has not been finalized) a physical dimension (that of the parts not being nailed down).
As I reflected on those words further, I realized that they offer some insight as to why I have so many projects. My life, as well as everyone's life, is always undergoing some major redesign. Everyone does have a couple of moving pieces. I'm beginning to see that my projects are a dramatization of these clanking noises. That is, if I were the TechCrunch Tablet prototype A, and you were to turn me over in your hands, you would hear the sound of Planet Run, of imo, of Kykonian and Samnite, and much more.
I think that it is a healthy thing to have a few moving parts. That way, when the specifications change, when the consumer wants a different functionality, only a few screws will need to be turned.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Abba, "Our Last Summer".
P.S. I will be going around the island tomorrow. (That is not a trivial feat, but neither is it profound.) Let me see if I could take some pictures of the effort.
When I went to the comments section, I came across a bystander who asked, "What are the hardware specs you have defined for the first beta?..." The answer from one of the team was, "we'll talk about the hardware once it's nailed down, there are a couple of moving pieces."
A couple of moving pieces.
Now it struck me that this was an excellent way to describe their device. It's very sensory; it's as if you were holding the device in your hands and as you move it around it makes clanking noises, indicating that the parts have not been nailed down. In essence, it gave an abstract quality of the device (the fact that its hardware specification has not been finalized) a physical dimension (that of the parts not being nailed down).
As I reflected on those words further, I realized that they offer some insight as to why I have so many projects. My life, as well as everyone's life, is always undergoing some major redesign. Everyone does have a couple of moving pieces. I'm beginning to see that my projects are a dramatization of these clanking noises. That is, if I were the TechCrunch Tablet prototype A, and you were to turn me over in your hands, you would hear the sound of Planet Run, of imo, of Kykonian and Samnite, and much more.
I think that it is a healthy thing to have a few moving parts. That way, when the specifications change, when the consumer wants a different functionality, only a few screws will need to be turned.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Abba, "Our Last Summer".
P.S. I will be going around the island tomorrow. (That is not a trivial feat, but neither is it profound.) Let me see if I could take some pictures of the effort.
Circumspect
I guess it does take a few years to notice any kind of pattern.
Today I finished writing Planet Run 2.5. As I think about it now, I remember that it was in early 2006 that version 2.0 came into being, as little more than paper cutouts, a borrowed chessboard, and an OpenOffice document. One broken leg, two years' worth of playtesting, and countless hours of ruminating on the matter later, the project is the closest it has ever been to completion. Is it true? Will Planet Run be my first ever completed project?
We'll see.
I also seem to have regained the ability to stay up past 2:00 am. I'm not glad at all, as it comes right at the point when I do not need it. I mean, where was this ability when I was trying to study for my exams this semester?
In other news, I still have not sent out any Christmas cards. I still am determined to send them, but perhaps I have to tweak the wording now a bit, seeing as how Christmas is almost over.
Thanks for reading. And a belated Merry Christmas.
Song in my head: Journey, "Any Way You Want It".
Today I finished writing Planet Run 2.5. As I think about it now, I remember that it was in early 2006 that version 2.0 came into being, as little more than paper cutouts, a borrowed chessboard, and an OpenOffice document. One broken leg, two years' worth of playtesting, and countless hours of ruminating on the matter later, the project is the closest it has ever been to completion. Is it true? Will Planet Run be my first ever completed project?
We'll see.
I also seem to have regained the ability to stay up past 2:00 am. I'm not glad at all, as it comes right at the point when I do not need it. I mean, where was this ability when I was trying to study for my exams this semester?
In other news, I still have not sent out any Christmas cards. I still am determined to send them, but perhaps I have to tweak the wording now a bit, seeing as how Christmas is almost over.
Thanks for reading. And a belated Merry Christmas.
Song in my head: Journey, "Any Way You Want It".
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Half-machine
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know... these dispatches are getting sparser. But I'm still here.
To tell the truth, I am not as focused as I would like to be. In fact, I am certain that I was much more focused as a junior in high school than I am now. I think I have relaxed too much, and I don't know how to spring back up.
It just feels as if I am unable to do anything at all, that any actions I am taking in order to further myself and those around me (chores at home, schoolwork--rather the lack thereof, my health, etc.) are being forced upon me. I came upon the conclusion that I've more or less felt like this for almost as long as I can remember anymore. A few minutes ago, when I realized this, I was very puzzled, but now it's like I do not know the correct way to react to that revelation.
What puzzles me further is the fact that I have so many open side-projects, many of them languishing just short of being completed. Can it really be called creativity if the creations are not complete?
So here I am. Still waiting for input, I guess.
Song in my head: Lil' Wayne, "A Milli".
To tell the truth, I am not as focused as I would like to be. In fact, I am certain that I was much more focused as a junior in high school than I am now. I think I have relaxed too much, and I don't know how to spring back up.
It just feels as if I am unable to do anything at all, that any actions I am taking in order to further myself and those around me (chores at home, schoolwork--rather the lack thereof, my health, etc.) are being forced upon me. I came upon the conclusion that I've more or less felt like this for almost as long as I can remember anymore. A few minutes ago, when I realized this, I was very puzzled, but now it's like I do not know the correct way to react to that revelation.
What puzzles me further is the fact that I have so many open side-projects, many of them languishing just short of being completed. Can it really be called creativity if the creations are not complete?
So here I am. Still waiting for input, I guess.
Song in my head: Lil' Wayne, "A Milli".
Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
That's all she wrote
Well, look at what we have here... a full set of 17-syllable verses. The work now begins on the rest of the book.
I am enjoying a spurt in creativity and productivity. I don't know why. Today in Foundations class one of my classmates presented a proof of the law of cosines, and before that the professor told us to ask one question after the presentation. After the proof was done, I asked, "OK, so I can see a squared, b squared, and c squared, but can you show me negative two a b cosine theta?" Everyone stopped, and my friend was not able to answer, and then the professor asked me if I could construct it. When I paused, they moved on to a more interesting question. I, however, continued to be intrigued, and I have been working on getting the answer to my own question until now, almost a half day later.
This inspiration could not have come at a more opportune time... there are only two weeks left in classes at Colleague, and I am once again riding the cutting edges of my grades, I am sure.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Queen, "Love of My Life".
I am enjoying a spurt in creativity and productivity. I don't know why. Today in Foundations class one of my classmates presented a proof of the law of cosines, and before that the professor told us to ask one question after the presentation. After the proof was done, I asked, "OK, so I can see a squared, b squared, and c squared, but can you show me negative two a b cosine theta?" Everyone stopped, and my friend was not able to answer, and then the professor asked me if I could construct it. When I paused, they moved on to a more interesting question. I, however, continued to be intrigued, and I have been working on getting the answer to my own question until now, almost a half day later.
This inspiration could not have come at a more opportune time... there are only two weeks left in classes at Colleague, and I am once again riding the cutting edges of my grades, I am sure.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Queen, "Love of My Life".
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Ypao-Matapang walkabout
I know, I know, I shouldn't use a sacred word such as "walkabout" to describe such a commonplace walk through two beaches. But then again, the point is that until now it has not been commonplace.
As I was walking back to my vehicle after having snapped some pictures of the beach, I contemplated on why photography is an art. My first reaction was, "Good question." I decided that songwriting is less like writing than it is like picture taking; songwriters don't go to the songs, the songs come to them. Then the songwriter decides whether that song idea, like a certain unposed composition in a picture, is worth writing about. If that happens, then, well, you have a song. ^_^
Then, I realized that we dwellers of this century have actually put photography in a sort of double-standard: we maintain that the camera does not lie, but then turn around and beg and coax it to tell the truth the way we see it.
I told Jesse yesterday that love is a uniquely human construct partly because it draws its justification from another uniquely human construct: the awareness of our own mortality. However, when I was telling this to him, I still did not have it worked out fully. When I was driving around this morning the answer suddenly came to me, and now I can't wait to put it down on some paper.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: The Frames, "Pavement Tune".
P.S. Check out some pictures from my walkabout at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathwizard/tags/fffff
As I was walking back to my vehicle after having snapped some pictures of the beach, I contemplated on why photography is an art. My first reaction was, "Good question." I decided that songwriting is less like writing than it is like picture taking; songwriters don't go to the songs, the songs come to them. Then the songwriter decides whether that song idea, like a certain unposed composition in a picture, is worth writing about. If that happens, then, well, you have a song. ^_^
Then, I realized that we dwellers of this century have actually put photography in a sort of double-standard: we maintain that the camera does not lie, but then turn around and beg and coax it to tell the truth the way we see it.
I told Jesse yesterday that love is a uniquely human construct partly because it draws its justification from another uniquely human construct: the awareness of our own mortality. However, when I was telling this to him, I still did not have it worked out fully. When I was driving around this morning the answer suddenly came to me, and now I can't wait to put it down on some paper.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: The Frames, "Pavement Tune".
P.S. Check out some pictures from my walkabout at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathwizard/tags/fffff
Thursday, February 21, 2008
So it's like chess, but it's in space...
I'm finally putting the finishing touches to my board game, and now I'm trying to get the word out as much as I can, so much so that I'm even telling my students at hte Stairwell about it. It's kind of crazy; this is one of the first side-projects that is finally coming to fruition! I wonder what the public would think of it.
I'm glad I'm getting a lot of hours at work, but there's got to be a point when you say, "Enough." I don't know when that time is.
This year is already turning out to be a turning point of sorts; finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know I haven't been digging, but there are times when I can afford to catch my breath. Now if only I can be a lot better with my time... ^_^
Thank you for reading.
Song in my head: Death Cab for Cutie, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark".
I'm glad I'm getting a lot of hours at work, but there's got to be a point when you say, "Enough." I don't know when that time is.
This year is already turning out to be a turning point of sorts; finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know I haven't been digging, but there are times when I can afford to catch my breath. Now if only I can be a lot better with my time... ^_^
Thank you for reading.
Song in my head: Death Cab for Cutie, "I Will Follow You Into the Dark".
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Illuminate the "no"s on their vacancy signs
My room is a mess, but curiously there seems to be more space in it than there was yesterday. In the morning I met up with the other Imaginary Friends, and after a walk on the beach, we kind of regrouped as a band. It was nice to be together, in one piece there, sitting on the sand and trading stories and tunes. (For his part, Jesse recommended me a really good "imo"-message song by DCFC that we can cover, and Elmo helped me with the old-school island jams.)
I think that the biggest thing I have to remedy for this year is the impression people seem to get that I am not willing to be as helpful as it is possible for me to be. I really thought that over the years my personal feeling of responsibility towards the groups the belong to--most importantly my family--has grown in leaps and bounds; however, when I attempt to extrapolate what others think of me, I always seem to fall short. I don't mind being labelled as a "dreamer"--really, I actually like the ring of that. ^_^ But if with it comes the conclusion that "this guy just doesn't care for such and such thing that he belongs to," well, I'm going to have to correct that.
It must be true, then, that ability is not the last thing about an assigned task. It's the follow-through, or the final implementation.
The calendar I bought myself in the beginning of the year is really helping me focus on what needs to be done. I am glad I am getting into the habit of looking in it and writing things down on it. With a (qualitatively) heavy semester ahead of me, I will need every advantage I can muster.
Wish me luck. And in exchange, I wish you luck during the semester.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Andrew Gold, "Never Let Her Slip Away". Oh, and the title-line reference will be the next entry's headsong. Watch out for it.
I think that the biggest thing I have to remedy for this year is the impression people seem to get that I am not willing to be as helpful as it is possible for me to be. I really thought that over the years my personal feeling of responsibility towards the groups the belong to--most importantly my family--has grown in leaps and bounds; however, when I attempt to extrapolate what others think of me, I always seem to fall short. I don't mind being labelled as a "dreamer"--really, I actually like the ring of that. ^_^ But if with it comes the conclusion that "this guy just doesn't care for such and such thing that he belongs to," well, I'm going to have to correct that.
It must be true, then, that ability is not the last thing about an assigned task. It's the follow-through, or the final implementation.
The calendar I bought myself in the beginning of the year is really helping me focus on what needs to be done. I am glad I am getting into the habit of looking in it and writing things down on it. With a (qualitatively) heavy semester ahead of me, I will need every advantage I can muster.
Wish me luck. And in exchange, I wish you luck during the semester.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Andrew Gold, "Never Let Her Slip Away". Oh, and the title-line reference will be the next entry's headsong. Watch out for it.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Somewhere in the darkness
I don't know what it was about where I slept (or at least tried to sleep ^_^) yesterday. It was a velvety dark and warmly gloomy night (whatever that means...) as I sat within view of the sea. Sometimes when the wind whipped up the right way, I was even able to smell it. The white tops of the waves were small but it was due to distance. It was so peaceful, bordering on the eerie, actually.
And I was ready. I had a guitar and some paper to write on.
About two hours later, I woke up with a start. I looked up from where I sat. The night was still as dark, and the division between sea and sky remained shrouded. But now there was a completed song on a piece of paper, and another almost done. It was a moment: I haven't written anything in verse for the longest time, and for me to be able to come up with these songs kind of confirms me in a significant way this year.
Soon I'll type them out and store them somewhere safe. I hope my bandmates receive these songs warmly, at least.
Thank you very much for reading.
Song in my head: Leann Rimes, "But I Do Love You".
And I was ready. I had a guitar and some paper to write on.
About two hours later, I woke up with a start. I looked up from where I sat. The night was still as dark, and the division between sea and sky remained shrouded. But now there was a completed song on a piece of paper, and another almost done. It was a moment: I haven't written anything in verse for the longest time, and for me to be able to come up with these songs kind of confirms me in a significant way this year.
Soon I'll type them out and store them somewhere safe. I hope my bandmates receive these songs warmly, at least.
Thank you very much for reading.
Song in my head: Leann Rimes, "But I Do Love You".
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Speed test
Sometimes, it's not the speed at which you get things done; it's the actual things themselves that you get done. Today is a classic example of such an axiom: out of the six things I wanted to do today in terms of "errands", I was only able to do 3. Poor planning contributed to the noncompletion of the other three. All I can say is, I have my work cut out for me if I want to succeed in reorganizing.
In better news, it looks like a good semester, and the wind comes into my Plantation bedroom with the crisp coldness that it always greets me with. I don't know how much power consumption I now save by not running my airconditioner (I have lost count, having done it for almost a year now), but I have to say that it's one of the first lifestyle changes I was successful in doing. Now my airconditioner is on as an exception, not as a rule.
I almost cannot wait for the semester to begin. Almost. ^_^
I heard from my Chinese penpal today, via email. I was happy about that, but it entailed poring over the online Chinese Dictionary in order to decode much of what she said. Or maybe that's a good thing? ^_^ All I know is, I'm getting rusty at this! I'll need to practice more.
OK, that's it for me. 謝謝你閱我的網誌!
Song in my head: Yes, "Owner of a Lonely Heart". Now this one really was in my head all weekend!
And before I forget, I'd like to invite you to take a speed test of your own, which was the inspiration for the title, anyway. Are you really getting broadband throughput rates? (No, it's not a scam... ^_^)
In better news, it looks like a good semester, and the wind comes into my Plantation bedroom with the crisp coldness that it always greets me with. I don't know how much power consumption I now save by not running my airconditioner (I have lost count, having done it for almost a year now), but I have to say that it's one of the first lifestyle changes I was successful in doing. Now my airconditioner is on as an exception, not as a rule.
I almost cannot wait for the semester to begin. Almost. ^_^
I heard from my Chinese penpal today, via email. I was happy about that, but it entailed poring over the online Chinese Dictionary in order to decode much of what she said. Or maybe that's a good thing? ^_^ All I know is, I'm getting rusty at this! I'll need to practice more.
OK, that's it for me. 謝謝你閱我的網誌!
Song in my head: Yes, "Owner of a Lonely Heart". Now this one really was in my head all weekend!
And before I forget, I'd like to invite you to take a speed test of your own, which was the inspiration for the title, anyway. Are you really getting broadband throughput rates? (No, it's not a scam... ^_^)
Friday, January 4, 2008
High resolution
I was conversing with Kim tonight, mainly on nothing at all, when she asked me whether I made any resolutions this year. It gave me pause, but when I was ready to answer her I found that she has gone offline. The answer still fresh in my head, I have decided to instead respond on this public forum.
The reason I haven't made any New Year's Resolutions in the past years is simply that I felt that I have not had the wherewithal to stick with them through the entire year. It was quite an unfortunate time I had last year, having bad things happen, but more importantly than that, I very often felt sorry for myself last year. I could not even fathom any self-improvement at the time. My healing leg prevented me from accomplishing many of the things I hoped to do in 2007. And my deflated self-esteem made me unable to do much else after that.
You shouldn't get the impression that I was depressed. I don't think I was ever depressed in the last year; I was merely severely limited, I should say.
But I did make--and keep--a resolution back in 2007. I resolved to keep the wrapper to every double cheeseburger from McDonald's I ate last year. Sure, it was both meaningless and pointlessly stupid, but the point was that it was easy. And sure enough I was able to carry it through the whole year. I will count the wrappers tomorrow.
And I guess I am making a resolution for 2008 as well, and it is thus: Whenever I can do more than one thing, I resolve to do the more useful and beneficial things first. I purposefully left it a little vague so that I can interpret for myself what it means for something to be useful and beneficial. This year I want to finally stanch the horrible gash in my side wherein I leak copious amounts of perfectly good time. I've had this for years now, but I believe that it is not yet too late to correct myself.
One of the priests (I cannot remember who anymore) said last year around this time, "The difference between a wish and a resolution is that a resolution is both sensible and possible to achieve." I only got one resolution, but I recognize it as a real resolution, one that would undoubtedly be difficult to carry out (heck, I'm breaking it right now; I could be sleeping! ^_^) but something I can certainly hope to achieve this year.
What about you? Any resolutions from out there?
Thank you very much for reading.
Song in my head: Ambrosia, "Biggest Part of Me". A really hopeful song, which I hope reflects my outlook this year.
The reason I haven't made any New Year's Resolutions in the past years is simply that I felt that I have not had the wherewithal to stick with them through the entire year. It was quite an unfortunate time I had last year, having bad things happen, but more importantly than that, I very often felt sorry for myself last year. I could not even fathom any self-improvement at the time. My healing leg prevented me from accomplishing many of the things I hoped to do in 2007. And my deflated self-esteem made me unable to do much else after that.
You shouldn't get the impression that I was depressed. I don't think I was ever depressed in the last year; I was merely severely limited, I should say.
But I did make--and keep--a resolution back in 2007. I resolved to keep the wrapper to every double cheeseburger from McDonald's I ate last year. Sure, it was both meaningless and pointlessly stupid, but the point was that it was easy. And sure enough I was able to carry it through the whole year. I will count the wrappers tomorrow.
And I guess I am making a resolution for 2008 as well, and it is thus: Whenever I can do more than one thing, I resolve to do the more useful and beneficial things first. I purposefully left it a little vague so that I can interpret for myself what it means for something to be useful and beneficial. This year I want to finally stanch the horrible gash in my side wherein I leak copious amounts of perfectly good time. I've had this for years now, but I believe that it is not yet too late to correct myself.
One of the priests (I cannot remember who anymore) said last year around this time, "The difference between a wish and a resolution is that a resolution is both sensible and possible to achieve." I only got one resolution, but I recognize it as a real resolution, one that would undoubtedly be difficult to carry out (heck, I'm breaking it right now; I could be sleeping! ^_^) but something I can certainly hope to achieve this year.
What about you? Any resolutions from out there?
Thank you very much for reading.
Song in my head: Ambrosia, "Biggest Part of Me". A really hopeful song, which I hope reflects my outlook this year.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
399
Currently I'm reading (for outside class) TL Heath's translation of Euclid's Elements of Geometry. I never thought I would hear such succinct "definitions" for lines and planes:
- A straight line between two points is the same distance as the distance between the points.
- A plane is a surface for which any line segment drawn between two points on the surface, falls fully in the surface.
Yeah, yeah, so they really are undefined, but these come really close. ^_^
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Trina Belamide, "Tell the World of His Love".
Thursday, October 18, 2007
SiliconValley/Code/4023
A few weeks ago I decided to install Google Desktop to help me search my computer. Then a few days ago, while searching for something completely different, I came across the link to my very first webpage, the very first "Math Wizard on the Web." As a bonus, the link was still in the GeoCities "neighborhood" format, so I was able to recall that I had a homestead in the Code section of the SiliconValley.
I'm thinking of applying a "poor man's copyright" to my current board game idea: stick it in an envelope and mail it to myself. Now if I can find a place to print it all out. ^_^
Thanks for reading, everyone.
Song in my head: Cranberries, "Linger".
I'm thinking of applying a "poor man's copyright" to my current board game idea: stick it in an envelope and mail it to myself. Now if I can find a place to print it all out. ^_^
Thanks for reading, everyone.
Song in my head: Cranberries, "Linger".
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Through-composed
It's official, and every moment that passes it's getting more and more official. I will not be able to return for another semester at the Writing Gym. Why I won't be able to return is a matter I would rather not discuss here, but suffice it to say that I have served it as best and as loyally I could.
The things that started in Chapter Five are coming to an end alarmingly quickly, actually. As far as I can tell, there is no more Stud Life. There is also no more Bohemia, and the Bohemians have now sought shelter elsewhere, with varying degrees of success, of course. I have two or three side-projects that are finally seeing the first tentative light of day: Planet Run, God/Man, and some odds and ends here and there, including a portion of a short story. Even the debt I incurred Colleague seems to be manageably sifting away... because of my Collective check I was able to pay off a huge chunk of it. I think I'll be able to turn the page pretty soon... but I don't think I've anticipated Chapter Six quite as well as I did this one.
What do you do when you have a serious problem that's rending you into pieces, and the only people you can talk to about it are the ones who rent you in the first place? "Something bothering you?" What do I say? That's why I've said "No."
If all this life, together with the drama, were composed (and choreographed and scored) all in one go, I'd like to have a word with the Director.
Song in my head: Cora Corman and Alex Fletcher, "Way Back into Love".
The things that started in Chapter Five are coming to an end alarmingly quickly, actually. As far as I can tell, there is no more Stud Life. There is also no more Bohemia, and the Bohemians have now sought shelter elsewhere, with varying degrees of success, of course. I have two or three side-projects that are finally seeing the first tentative light of day: Planet Run, God/Man, and some odds and ends here and there, including a portion of a short story. Even the debt I incurred Colleague seems to be manageably sifting away... because of my Collective check I was able to pay off a huge chunk of it. I think I'll be able to turn the page pretty soon... but I don't think I've anticipated Chapter Six quite as well as I did this one.
What do you do when you have a serious problem that's rending you into pieces, and the only people you can talk to about it are the ones who rent you in the first place? "Something bothering you?" What do I say? That's why I've said "No."
If all this life, together with the drama, were composed (and choreographed and scored) all in one go, I'd like to have a word with the Director.
Song in my head: Cora Corman and Alex Fletcher, "Way Back into Love".
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Who really knows what goes on in the mind of a monkey
Truer words have yet to be said this week. ^_^
My classes and work are in full swing, with their usual difficulties and dramas that I have become accustomed to over the semesters. I finally feel like I have a definite schedule, though the time I leave the house is still largely dictated by my brother. I also notice that I am halfway through my Summer haiku, well in advance of my deadline (21 September). The thought that I will soon be busy with some of my other projects excites me a little bit.
Never thought that a straw-type hat would be branded as gang-related. ^_^ But we shall see how I manage.
And I finished the card. I hope it says what I want it to say.
Looking around at my room at this point in time, I get the distinct impression that it is time for moving on has come, and that I have been making big strides in that regard since this Summer. There are things in my room (like unopened wine bottles, a naked Rubik's Cube, and stacks of paper everywhere) that are now older than my current attention to them--had a few of these things were to be irrevocably lost, I would look for them for a few days, but then give up and feel blessed for a tidier room. I'm looking at a pink folder that contains bank statements from 2002 onwards, and I know that there are some more in one of my drawers. Why do I keep them around? Will I ever get around to matching them against the mountain of receipts going back to that time in the red shoebox in the other corner?
There's another thing I know is in my room, but right now its view is hidden by the very high ledge it is sitting on. It's a small "world clock" with two independent clock faces, and two other faces which used to be less independent than they are now. ^_^ I don't think there is a proper way to get rid of something like that, you know? Even if it were to turn up missing, its mere absence would remind me of the thing itself, so in the end I would accomplish nothing by disposing of it. So, even though it has ceased to function, there it is in an unseen corner of my room, collecting dust.
My teacher for the class Modern Japanese Novel (a very interesting class) said something about the philosophy called phenomenology, which claims that objects and facts are meaningless unless viewed through your experiences with that object or fact. This claim fits in with that two-faced clock. The only person I can ask about the value of that clock is myself, and in this case I say that it is worth more than to be thrown out.
Maybe a major cleaning of my room is not a bad idea. ^_^ We'll see if we can follow through with that thought.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Express Yourself".
My classes and work are in full swing, with their usual difficulties and dramas that I have become accustomed to over the semesters. I finally feel like I have a definite schedule, though the time I leave the house is still largely dictated by my brother. I also notice that I am halfway through my Summer haiku, well in advance of my deadline (21 September). The thought that I will soon be busy with some of my other projects excites me a little bit.
Never thought that a straw-type hat would be branded as gang-related. ^_^ But we shall see how I manage.
And I finished the card. I hope it says what I want it to say.
Looking around at my room at this point in time, I get the distinct impression that it is time for moving on has come, and that I have been making big strides in that regard since this Summer. There are things in my room (like unopened wine bottles, a naked Rubik's Cube, and stacks of paper everywhere) that are now older than my current attention to them--had a few of these things were to be irrevocably lost, I would look for them for a few days, but then give up and feel blessed for a tidier room. I'm looking at a pink folder that contains bank statements from 2002 onwards, and I know that there are some more in one of my drawers. Why do I keep them around? Will I ever get around to matching them against the mountain of receipts going back to that time in the red shoebox in the other corner?
There's another thing I know is in my room, but right now its view is hidden by the very high ledge it is sitting on. It's a small "world clock" with two independent clock faces, and two other faces which used to be less independent than they are now. ^_^ I don't think there is a proper way to get rid of something like that, you know? Even if it were to turn up missing, its mere absence would remind me of the thing itself, so in the end I would accomplish nothing by disposing of it. So, even though it has ceased to function, there it is in an unseen corner of my room, collecting dust.
My teacher for the class Modern Japanese Novel (a very interesting class) said something about the philosophy called phenomenology, which claims that objects and facts are meaningless unless viewed through your experiences with that object or fact. This claim fits in with that two-faced clock. The only person I can ask about the value of that clock is myself, and in this case I say that it is worth more than to be thrown out.
Maybe a major cleaning of my room is not a bad idea. ^_^ We'll see if we can follow through with that thought.
Thanks for reading.
Song in my head: Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Express Yourself".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
