So a few things have been going on lately that I am quite excited about. First off, El University has gotten its act together with their new registration system. Apparently, the new system created a series of erroneous holds on the records of every student that started this (Spring 07) semester, which included myself. At this, I was laced with frustration because it jeopardized my chances of getting into the Calculus I class that I need in order to keep my little time schedule going smoothly and to not get in would be a huge set back. So here I am, I finally have myself sorted and headed in a genuinely productive direction, and it’s the University is messsing things up. Calls were made to try and rectify the situation but I was jostled around until I found myself speaking with some woman who feigned utter ignorance, changed her tune to authoritatively apologetic, and then to plain helpless and to call back next week.

After saying all of that: the problem was resolved with no more loud complaining through the phone on my part, and I am enrolled for some summer-time-calculus-fun-time-jhah. However, just like that whole master’s thesis issue, my esteem for this campus as it is, largely, a technical university is degraded yet again. It’s part of the Internet backbone! but their software engineering minds, at least the ones with any prominence, simply don’t have a clue.

At any rate, some more good news, but with a jollier tone. Look at me, I’m Santa, “jolly,” ha. Anyway, the time of impending greatness is nearly at hand. That’s right, El Apartment! At this point, Andrew and I are set to move in July 17. Originally, the plan was for a downstairs unit but the tenant decided to stay so we will be setup upstairs. Personally, I’d rather have to complain about noisy people above me then to feel like I should tip-toe about. The downstairs places have these sick hardwood floors with a blackish finish—very nice—and would probably be cheap to cool. These were the two main reasons for wanting the downstairs unit, that, and my friends are loud as ever. My room is full of dishes and towels and other stuff that has been amassing in the current anticipation.

Work is moving in an interesting direction. Other than the possibility of picking up an account with the Sidney Frank Importing Company (from what I hear) and the running joke of being payed in Jägermeister (they’re joking; I’m serious), I’ve come up with some interesting—and as much as I don’t want to use this words because it cheapens everything that it touches—paradigms (it’s a damn managerial buzz word and you know it). Anyway, it’s a way of phased form processing that is generic and powerful, yet simple. All of the phases are handled in one logic unit that includes other units applicable to the current phase in the process. Things like getting data and from what source, error catching and reporting, form population, input validation, and database interaction just to name a few can all be included separately from the form logic which makes what used to be a one-armed juggling act from hell into something that’s really quite simple. The best thing is that it’s applicable for pretty much any data profile and as long as the same structure is followed, it can be replicated almost instantly for different data sets. I’ll share it with you sometime. Also work related is the current buildup of libraries for PHP, Javascript, and paradigm user/data interaction models. I’ll be boring with that one later.

Oh, I got some new clothes too! I feel like Miss New-Booty, but it’s about damn time I restocked on things like shorts: I have/had one pair. Crap like that just don’t work in the desert. I think it’s been about two to three years since I’ve really gotten new garb in any respectable amount. The best part is that I somehow intrinsically picked out the items that were on sale; I made out quite well. I have a surprisingly large amount of pockets, need me to hold anything?

Lastly, I’m going to be up for a promotion pretty soon here in Kung Fu land. Master Dave, the head master of the school, has been asking about the my “card” (a card with several rows of squares for marking attendance), and when that happens, it’s a fairly sure sign that you’re being considered for the next rank. Currently, I’ve only two of four rows filled, and just scratching into the third row of my green belt, but my brown belt is close I can taste it . . . whatever…belts…taste…like. Exciting none the less!

Also, and even more exciting is the esteem that I am somehow held in. Master Dave made the comment a week or so ago after a large subset of students had been promoted to black belt that more people will be going up very in their respecitve ranks very soon (pointing out the green and brown belts), and said something along the lines that I could be teaching there in the next two years. An offhand comment, yes, perhaps, but he says very little without intention. It would be my great honor and I am humbled at the thought of it.

I’ve found it hard for a very long time to really focus or have any sort of excitment about university for a long while. I’ve let other things get in the way, which I really should not have allowed, yet, detract they did. The reason for this is that many moons ago, I came to the conclusion that, for at least my B.S., I way outpace my peers in, if not all, then almost every aspect of my field. I’m not keen on bragging, this is simply a case-and-point scenario.

Tuesday, while in Computer Languages (a 300 level class), the good doctor passed around a flyer announcing a student who was giving a review of his master thesis on Thursday (today). When the flyer reached me in the rotation I was utterly and wholely depressed at what I found.

Typically, a master’s thesis is intended to be some sort of break through, innovative, hell, even a novelty in its field. This was none of those things. It was so far from such earth-shattering ideas that it hardly seemed academically related at all. In fact, this master’s thesis turns out to be what I do everyday and while getting payed to boot.

A damn website. “Self-maintaining” at that. A website for an honor society that would take me longer to design a pretty layout for than to actually code the supposed features. The self-maintaining part seemed to be stressed for some reason, when, in actuality, there is no such thing (or at least not in this case). Self-maintaining implies that there is an AI built in that is actually going keep a tab on things: generate code when something breaks, send magic messages when something else happens, etc.

The point of all of this is bleh. I’ve received more of a challenge from the general education classes than my degree courses, and for what? The road to a B.S. is such a long one that sets through piles and piles of tediousness that makes continuing really something of considerable consideration. The only condolence is that when the time finally comes, if I can make it through this arduous curriculum, I can just copy and paste my latest job assignment, do a write up, orate at some department heads, and be on my way.

I tried to tell Andrea this quite a while ago when she was frustrated at my lack of progress. Honestly, I was frustrated too, but for different reasons (ala the scope of this entry). I just never had any really concrete examples of just how silly this pursuit actually is.

So, all in all, my daily work is some guys master’s thesis. That’s either saying a lot about me (which, if you know me, I don’t think it is) or it says very little about today’s expectations for higher education. I’ve been saying for a while that I’m just here for my little piece of paper. That has never been so true as it is now.

So, I realize that it’s been pretty quiet on all fronts here and for which I am ashamed. I was struck with an idea while in the shower last night and have began working on a short story of epic short story proportioins. I’m trying out the stream of consciousness angle; we’ll see how it goes. I hope to have it posted in a sort of rough draft sometime this week.

In other news, I was able to get my grubby little paws on 5 pieces of art (all in 16×22) that now adorn my no longer bare walls: two Van Goghs, a Picasso, a Rivera, and a Cappiello. Check. it. out.

Leonetter Cappiello;
Bitter Campari

Pablo Picasso;
Blue Nude

Diego Rivera;
Os Semeadores

Van Gogh;
Chambre de L’Artiste

Van Gogh;
Cafe Terrace at Night