My second semester of grad school started this week. So far it hasn't been too strenuous. Of course, the first week rarely is. There were a couple of discussion-forum assignments, nothing too difficult, and one chapter from each textbook.
I'm taking Systems Analysis and Design and Information Systems Infrastructure. Of course, there will be research papers. This semester I'm not going to screw myself by waiting until the last minute. Fortunately, they don't have to be quite as long as last semester's.
Each class also has a group project. Ack.
I can't wait to be done with these IT core classes and get into the telecom-specific ones.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Election 2008
I've been really agonizing over whom to support in the upcoming Presidential election. How does one decide between imperfect alternatives?
Well, I've made my decision:
Well, I've made my decision:
Monday, December 24, 2007
Time does fly
See? As I said a month ago, not posting for a month does happen.
My first semester of grad school is done. Now, a few weeks of blessed respite until the Spring 2008 semester starts in late January.
I did end up with an A in each class (although by less than a point in one of them). Along the way I learned what it takes to do well in grad school. I may even be able to hold a 4.0 through the whole thing and graduate with honors.
My daughter is home from college for a few days. It's nice to have the whole family together for Christmas.
In other, important news:
My first semester of grad school is done. Now, a few weeks of blessed respite until the Spring 2008 semester starts in late January.
I did end up with an A in each class (although by less than a point in one of them). Along the way I learned what it takes to do well in grad school. I may even be able to hold a 4.0 through the whole thing and graduate with honors.
My daughter is home from college for a few days. It's nice to have the whole family together for Christmas.
In other, important news:
 | I received 100 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you? |
| Take the Sci-Fi Movie Quiz canon s5 is | |
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Been a while
So, I haven't blogged in a month. It happens.
I've been struggling with a couple of research papers that I waited far too long to start, but it looks like I won't have any problems getting them in on time. I just need to edit a lot...
Hard to believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already. It's crazy to think 2007 is winding down and my first semester of grad school will be over in less than a month. (YESSSSS!!!!!!!)
Anyway, with the four-day weekend maybe I'll have time to put up a post or two.
In gadget news, I finally got a new wireless router/access point to replace my old clunky 802.11a/b access point. Amazing how much faster the web pages populate. Plus the new one has WPA with AES encryption. Good stuff.
The Red Wings game is on...maybe I'll treat myself and watch some of it. My son got hold of a can of Coca-Cola and is running in circles around the living room...
I've been struggling with a couple of research papers that I waited far too long to start, but it looks like I won't have any problems getting them in on time. I just need to edit a lot...
Hard to believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already. It's crazy to think 2007 is winding down and my first semester of grad school will be over in less than a month. (YESSSSS!!!!!!!)
Anyway, with the four-day weekend maybe I'll have time to put up a post or two.
In gadget news, I finally got a new wireless router/access point to replace my old clunky 802.11a/b access point. Amazing how much faster the web pages populate. Plus the new one has WPA with AES encryption. Good stuff.
The Red Wings game is on...maybe I'll treat myself and watch some of it. My son got hold of a can of Coca-Cola and is running in circles around the living room...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Charlie Foxtrot: Good War News....from Atlanta
Via Instapundit, milblogger Charlie Foxtrot (heh...great name) relates the story of a soldier's very positive experience on his way back to Afghanistan after his mid-tour leave.
Charlie Foxtrot: Good War News....from Atlanta
The war is not lost, and neither are the American people.
Charlie Foxtrot: Good War News....from Atlanta
The war is not lost, and neither are the American people.
ack.
So, I got my first midterm back, and I got an 87. I'm not happy. Mike does not get B's.
Fortunately, the professor is good with feedback and I'm pretty sure where I need to improve. I did send her back an e-mail with some additional comments I put on the exam. She'll get back to me next week, entirely understandable as she's got another batch of exams to grade.
I'll definitely be taking any recommendations. I absolutely hate anything besides A's.
Yes, I know apostrophes aren't supposed to go there, but they make things easier to read.
Fortunately, the professor is good with feedback and I'm pretty sure where I need to improve. I did send her back an e-mail with some additional comments I put on the exam. She'll get back to me next week, entirely understandable as she's got another batch of exams to grade.
I'll definitely be taking any recommendations. I absolutely hate anything besides A's.
Yes, I know apostrophes aren't supposed to go there, but they make things easier to read.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
On Beauchamp
As a military veteran, I'm pretty sensitive to any unjustified criticism (or outright slander) of our men and women in uniform.
I've not posted on the whole New Republic/Scott Beauchamp debacle, mostly because it all came and went before I started this blog.
Until today, that is...
The Drudge Report had linked to some documents apparently showing Scott Beauchamp had essentially made up some stories published in The New Republic that asserted some serious misconduct by troops in Iraq. They were first published under a pseudonym; subsequently, Beauchamp came forward and claimed authorship.
There was suspicion from the beginning, and these documents seem to confirm what was suspected: Beauchamp fabricated the stories in an attempt to become "the next Hemingway."
His chain of command conducted an investigation and Beauchamp's punishment, whatever it was, is between them and him. His commander elected to keep him in the unit, and Beauchamp himself has stated he wants no more to do with the entire disaster because he feels it has harmed his fellow unit members, for whom he professes great love and devotion.
Too bad he didn't think about that BEFORE he slimed them.
Anyway, I don't have a whole lot to say about this. If his commander wants to keep him on, good for him. The commander certainly knows more about him and his attributes as a soldier than we do.
Maybe there's hope for Beauchamp, if he grows up and gets his priorities in order. I've known troops who were much like him, but turned out fine after they got a little more mature and a little less selfish.
And Beauchamp is doing his duty in Iraq, which, although he has screwed up, does mean something.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I kind of feel an odd mix of anger and pity towards the guy that makes me want to give him another chance; that maybe he's not a bad guy and he just had some asinine ideas and dopey notions.
One thing's for sure, though: after what he did, he'll have to make a career out of rebuilding trust.
UPDATE: Looks like Michael Yon feels the same as I do about second chances. I could hardly ask for better company.
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/linking-policies-media-inquiries
I've not posted on the whole New Republic/Scott Beauchamp debacle, mostly because it all came and went before I started this blog.
Until today, that is...
The Drudge Report had linked to some documents apparently showing Scott Beauchamp had essentially made up some stories published in The New Republic that asserted some serious misconduct by troops in Iraq. They were first published under a pseudonym; subsequently, Beauchamp came forward and claimed authorship.
There was suspicion from the beginning, and these documents seem to confirm what was suspected: Beauchamp fabricated the stories in an attempt to become "the next Hemingway."
His chain of command conducted an investigation and Beauchamp's punishment, whatever it was, is between them and him. His commander elected to keep him in the unit, and Beauchamp himself has stated he wants no more to do with the entire disaster because he feels it has harmed his fellow unit members, for whom he professes great love and devotion.
Too bad he didn't think about that BEFORE he slimed them.
Anyway, I don't have a whole lot to say about this. If his commander wants to keep him on, good for him. The commander certainly knows more about him and his attributes as a soldier than we do.
Maybe there's hope for Beauchamp, if he grows up and gets his priorities in order. I've known troops who were much like him, but turned out fine after they got a little more mature and a little less selfish.
And Beauchamp is doing his duty in Iraq, which, although he has screwed up, does mean something.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I kind of feel an odd mix of anger and pity towards the guy that makes me want to give him another chance; that maybe he's not a bad guy and he just had some asinine ideas and dopey notions.
One thing's for sure, though: after what he did, he'll have to make a career out of rebuilding trust.
UPDATE: Looks like Michael Yon feels the same as I do about second chances. I could hardly ask for better company.
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/linking-policies-media-inquiries
Monday, October 22, 2007
I'm glad...
...that THIS didn't exist when I was a teenager:
Walk on the wired side: jacket that lets parents keep track of children
...The small rechargeable device - it has a 15-hour battery - fits neatly into a pouch inside the jacket. You switch it on when you leave the house and what you get is nothing less than the ability to know where someone is - within four square metres - anywhere in the world. You can watch them move, check where they've been and get updates every 10 seconds. You don't even need to be permanently logged on to your computer, as you can have email alerts sent to your Blackberry or text messages to your mobile...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/23/news.crime
Walk on the wired side: jacket that lets parents keep track of children
...The small rechargeable device - it has a 15-hour battery - fits neatly into a pouch inside the jacket. You switch it on when you leave the house and what you get is nothing less than the ability to know where someone is - within four square metres - anywhere in the world. You can watch them move, check where they've been and get updates every 10 seconds. You don't even need to be permanently logged on to your computer, as you can have email alerts sent to your Blackberry or text messages to your mobile...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/23/news.crime
Amusing blog
Here's an amusing blog, The Blog Of Unnecessary Quotation Marks.
Because unnecessary punctuation is a scourge we can't ignore.
Perhaps I'll start a counterpart blog, The Blog Of Unnecessary Apostrophes, or something.
Link: http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/
Because unnecessary punctuation is a scourge we can't ignore.
Perhaps I'll start a counterpart blog, The Blog Of Unnecessary Apostrophes, or something.
Link: http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/
Sunday, October 21, 2007
OUCH
Today we made our annual visit to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Yes, we dress up. It's fun and we look pretty good. One of our favorite musical groups, the Mediaeval Baebes, performed. They look pretty good, too: http://www.mediaevalbaebes.com
Anyway, our son, who at his best behavior is a real handful, decided to have one of his really "active" days. He kept extracting himself from his stroller (he knows how to undo any restraint we put on him) and running off.
Late in the day, I was speaking to a friend and got distracted, and didn't notice my son sneaking off. Imagine the feeling when I realized I couldn't see him in this huge crowd of people. After a few moments, I spotted him running off and took off after him, probably a little faster than I needed to, but hey, it was a minor panic.
About halfway to him, I stepped wrong on the uneven ground and almost wiped out. I was able to catch myself, but in the process I really tore up my left hamstring. It freakin' HURTS. I'm pretty sure I didn't destroy it, but it's clearly a level 2 strain. And there's a lot of pain in one of those tendons.
If it doesn't get somewhat better in the next day or two, I'll be taking it to the doctor. Hopefully I won't need anything severe, like surgery. Right now I'm wrapping it and icing it down.
Otherwise, it's been a fun day. But, ouch!
Anyway, our son, who at his best behavior is a real handful, decided to have one of his really "active" days. He kept extracting himself from his stroller (he knows how to undo any restraint we put on him) and running off.
Late in the day, I was speaking to a friend and got distracted, and didn't notice my son sneaking off. Imagine the feeling when I realized I couldn't see him in this huge crowd of people. After a few moments, I spotted him running off and took off after him, probably a little faster than I needed to, but hey, it was a minor panic.
About halfway to him, I stepped wrong on the uneven ground and almost wiped out. I was able to catch myself, but in the process I really tore up my left hamstring. It freakin' HURTS. I'm pretty sure I didn't destroy it, but it's clearly a level 2 strain. And there's a lot of pain in one of those tendons.
If it doesn't get somewhat better in the next day or two, I'll be taking it to the doctor. Hopefully I won't need anything severe, like surgery. Right now I'm wrapping it and icing it down.
Otherwise, it's been a fun day. But, ouch!
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