quote:

Originally posted by Bravus:
Found a (very angry) rejoinder to my response to a review of my book, in which I was roundly slapped for 'dancing and playing about' with the serious issues of science education research. They still missed my point entirely, but the really fun thing is the rolling profundity - not to say redundancy - of their writing style: http://edrev.asu.edu/essays/v10n4.pdf

Their first sentence runs to 98 words. That alone makes it difficult to take them seriously.

I gave the credit card a serious workout over the weekend, but the coup-de-grace is the purchase this morning of tickets to see Steely Dan in September.

Woo-fucking-hoo!

quote:

Bigend?

i wish!

Me too! It would sure as hell make buying a wetsuit easier.

It's also somewhat amusing that Perla and Carifio make a point of pointing out that my response to their 3600 word review ran to 3000 words. Their point is slightly dulled by the fact that their response to my response runs to just over 6000 words...

quote:

Originally posted by Bravus:
Looks like it... well, to the extent that they'll go for it with me. All the signs are positive, the money is great, it would basically put me 7-10 years ahead of where I am now in my career in a single leap, and I think we've worked out a way to make it happen that doesn't involve Suzie changing jobs or the girls changing schools... in fact shortens all their commutes and only marginally increases mine... I feel like a bit of a slut, having only just taken on my current job... but the new one is just too damn hot.

It sounds like a good deal- I hope you get it- You have all my excess postive stuff coming yur way-

My struggles with utilities continue as even after my home was reconnected to the power supply, I am still unable to get online. My cable modem seems to have been aversely affected by the power outage.

So I'm now at a friend's place, taking advantage of his outlet to the cyber world for a while.

Our cable modem came with instructions to turn it on first, without the computer or router on, and leave it there for five or ten minutes, only then turning on the other components. Being a geek, I did try out not waiting, and it did not, in fact, work. I can't shake the feeling that this is not a necessary feature of the way the internet works, but rather the fact that this particular cable modem design is stupid.

Thank ya muchly, Noirjyre

May try it out, but it's never worked that way before. Still, better than a net free night.

I had my computer on a small end table and decided to by a actual computer desk for it. At the same time I bought a new printer and web cam and some speakers. The entire process of unhooking everything and reassembling it on the new desk with all of the new stuff was a horror.

Holy shit, I came home and my modem had just decided to work. I didn't do anything... sweet. Electronics can be weird some times.

Ahhhh. You're safe, now. In the stream, so to speak. It's now inevitable........a matter of timing and space.

The Dan are coming to Gromit.

yesterday i went into glasgow. had a wander around. bought some comics, a couple of trades (death note 11, new hellblazer, sugar kat), a basic tripod for my camera, the new novel by stevey mosby.

then went to see pathfinder in the cinema. got out cinema towards 9 at night. hadn't eaten since last lunch. so decided to go to the thai across from the cinema. had a nice salmon in red curry, followed by iced melon in sweetened coconut milk, and a pot of chinese tea.
read sugar kat between courses. lovely waitress asked me about the book - whether i liked anime, where i got the book, she flicked through sugar kat, asked if it was funny? told her it was. she took my order and wandered off.

i'm thinking eating thai food so late probably isn't a good idea though. i don't sleep well at the best of times. last night i was awake a few times with heartburn, drinking water to soothe it, turning over again and trying to get back to sleep. so not feeling at my best this morning.

quote:

Originally posted by colin:
Our cable modem came with instructions to turn it on first, without the computer or router on, and leave it there for five or ten minutes, only then turning on the other components. Being a geek, I did try out not waiting, and it did not, in fact, work. I can't shake the feeling that this is not a necessary feature of the way the internet works, but rather the fact that this particular cable modem design is stupid.

I'd blame whoever (whomever?) maintains your routers They must be incompetent.

The one loan I still have on its feet right now is in trouble so I am in the office early.

New gf spent the weekend again and I am feeling a bit trapped I'll admit. Need a few days to myself. Not sure how she will react when I tell her about the trip I am planning but October is a long way off.

We went to dinner Saturday night at the original Bahama Breeze on the Courtney Campbell Causeway with some people from my night job, including my boss. It was packed, prom night, but one of our teamates had called a friend and gotten a reservation on a semi private deck over the water. It was a little cool but beautiful and it was nice to have the privacy of the deck.

Leaving my girl, who is applying for a job there, says to me "They are so normal! Not like call center people at all!"

(if you haven't had the pleasure, working in a call center exposes you to a certain stereotype. Folks whose social skills are a bit stunted. No eye contact, uncomfortable shuffling of the feet, general hygiene "issues", and weight problems)

Spent all afternoon wandering The Valley, scoping out pro Photolabs. First one was exactly what was looking for, but I wandered on to the second (after scoring an excellent short black straight from the soure, the Merlo roasting house) and realised that I needn't have bothered. Took about three weeks umming and ahhing over paper choices and labs for this uni assignment, and I've settled on Kodak Endura paper stock (with a bias to their awe-inspiring Metallic.) As much as the damn tutor hinted that we should print on unconventional media (canvas, watercolour paper) I'm not having a bar of it - my photos should stand on their own, kick you in nads and steal your wallet. Well, with a little help from the paper. I've shot film as well, as I need to play on these old-school tutor's fear of digital.

So, anyway, caught up later with a few mates, including that chick who broke my *istDS by simply touching it. She wants camera buying advice. I'm tempted call her in on her debt.

And, tomorrow I have a lecture in seven hours, but I've got fresh Java and Dunhills, so I should be alert, or at least awake, or even able to fall asleep in class without drooling.

quote:

Originally posted by lithos:
my photos should stand on their own, kick you in nads and steal your wallet..

I'm going to be wearing cup, and wielding wiffle bat, the next time I look at yur pictures-

quote:

Originally posted by editengine:
I'd blame whoever (whomever?) maintains your routers They must be incompetent.

Comcast, natch.

And alsoer, what happened last night, and the night before: I took Stephen King's advice* and closed the door. Just sat and wrote and didn't read over what I'd done earlier (except for a couple of paragraphs at the end to remember where I was). Tried to stay away from editing or revising, and instead just write the story straight.

I don't know exactly where it's going, but it is moving ahead, and that's a major improvement over the past couple of months.

_{* Mr. King says he writes novels as a beginning-to-end first draft, with the door closed, usually in about three months. He then leaves them in a drawer for six weeks while he does something else. After an appropriate amount of time has passed, he does a revising, mainly cutting, pass, and then gives it to his wife to read. Oh, and he also sets himself a goal of 2000 words a day, every day. He sits in his room until the 2000 words are done. It seems like a reasonable way for a pro to structure his novel-writing work. I figured I might try out something like that, with adjustments. (For example, I won't be giving my draft to Stephen King's wife to read.)}

Hey, AFAIK, Tabitha's a pretty good editor...