We Stopped Dreaming - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Transcript of We Stopped Dreaming by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Here’s what happened, in the 1960’s, we were at war with the Soviet Union, Cold war, and a little bit of hot war over in Vie- South East Asia. So, we fear them because they put up Sputnik. Which, by the way people forget, was an emptied out casing of an intercontinental ballistic missile. And, Sputnik itself means ‘fellow travellers’ it was all peaceful, but it was a ballistic missile head, without explosives. So that was a signal and we freaked in America. So NASA got founded on the fear factor of Sputnik. Alright, so, we then go to the moon on the fear factor that Russia will control high ground. Then, we go to the moon, space enthusiasts say “oh, we’re on the moon by ’69, we’ll be on mars in another ten years”. They completely did not understand why we got to the moon in the first place. We were at war, once we saw that Russia was not ready to land on the moon, we stopped going to the moon. That should not surprise anybody looking back on it.
Meanwhile, however, that entire era galvanized the nation. Forget the war as a driver; it galvanized us all to dream about tomorrow, to think about the homes of tomorrow, the cities of tomorrow, the food of tomorrow. Everything was future world, future land. The world’s fair, all of this was focused on enabling people to make tomorrow come. That was a cultural mindset the space program brought upon us. And, we reaped the benefits of economic growth because you had people wanting to become scientists and engineers who are the people who enable tomorrow to exist today. And, even if you are not a scientist or technologist, you will value that activity and that, in the 21st century are the foundations of tomorrow’s economies and without it we might as well just slide back to the caves, because where we are headed right now, broke.
I’m tired of saying this, but I have to say it again. The NASA budget is 4/10th of one penny on a tax dollar. If I held up a tax dollar, and I cut, horizontally into it 4/10th of one percent of its width, it does not even get you into the ink. So, I will not accept a statement that says we can’t afford it.
Do you realize that the 850 billion dollar bank bailout, that sum of money is greater than the entire 50 year running budget of NASA, and so when someone says we don’t have enough money for this space probe. I’m asking, no, it’s not that you don’t have enough money, it’s that the distribution of money that you’re spending is warped in some way that you are removing the one thing that gives people something to dream about tomorrow. The home of tomorrow, the city of tomorrow, transportation of tomorrow. All that ended in the 1970’s, after we stopped going to the moon, it all ended, we stopped dreaming. And so, I worry that decisions that Congress makes doesn’t factor in the consequences of those decisions on tomorrow. They are playing for the quarterly report, they are playing for the next election cycle and that it mortgaging the actual future of this nation. Tomorrow’s gone.
If you double NASA’s budget, right now it’s half a penny on the dollar, make it a penny, go ahead, make it a penny, go ahead, be bold. That would be enough to go to mars soon, with people, and go back to the moon, and onto asteroids. NASA, as best as I can judge, is a force of nature like none other and so what worries me is that if you take away the manned program. A program, which if you advance frontiers you make – heroes are made. There is a force operating on the educational pipeline that will stimulate the formation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists. You birth these people into society. They are the ones that make tomorrow come.
A half a penny. That buys the space station, the space shuttles, all the NASA centers, the rovers, the Hubble telescope, all the astronauts, all of that. Nobody’s dreaming about tomorrow anymore. The most powerful agency on the dreams of a nation is currently underfunded to do what it needs to be doing, and that’s making dreams come true.
How much would you pay for the universe?
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Why Apples Sell
I'm in the market for a new laptop. A small, cheap, powerful one. I've enlisted the help of my computer expert brother, and we've spent the last hour sifting through the various websites looking for the best deal. Prices vary widely and seemingly randomly, and the important details are hard to figure out. Things like battery life, screen resolution and weight matter when I'll be stuck at school for 8 hours on Saturday afternoon this fall, but you can't sort by that.
This is why Apples sell so well. They have (I think) three options, all logically priced based on obvious differences to the consumer. If I were a less patient and stubborn person, I probably would have bought one by now. Instead, I'll head over to asus.com and see what I can find.
This is why Apples sell so well. They have (I think) three options, all logically priced based on obvious differences to the consumer. If I were a less patient and stubborn person, I probably would have bought one by now. Instead, I'll head over to asus.com and see what I can find.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I retract my previous statement
I had stated on Dec 15, 2007 that I was done with the era of my life that includes school. This is no longer true. On September 9, 2009, or so, I will be back in school. The idea is to complete my degree through the University of Lethbridge, Calgary Campus. The unfortunate part of it is that it will take from 3 to 5 years to complete the program. I was enjoying my freedom, but in order to get my CHRP (the Canadian Human Resources professional designation) I will need a degree. And, it would be nice to actually have a graduation which my family can be proud of (my high school graduation was expected, and my college one ignored).
The other aspect is that I'm thinking of a slight change of career direction (potentially permanent, maybe not). This would make my schooling much less relevant, though it is always good to have a degree. Today a co-worker, who is hiring an assistant, talked to me (after I gave her a friends resume) and said that I should apply for said position. Now comes the inevitable internal debate as to if it is better to take the risk and jump, or to remain in a good job. If I fail at the potential job I would be terminated, and in this economy, that's not a fun proposition.
The other aspect is that I'm thinking of a slight change of career direction (potentially permanent, maybe not). This would make my schooling much less relevant, though it is always good to have a degree. Today a co-worker, who is hiring an assistant, talked to me (after I gave her a friends resume) and said that I should apply for said position. Now comes the inevitable internal debate as to if it is better to take the risk and jump, or to remain in a good job. If I fail at the potential job I would be terminated, and in this economy, that's not a fun proposition.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Plagiarism
I spent three and a half years at MacEwan, with a year of the University of Alberta in the middle. They both claimed to punish those who plagiarized. For some reason the U of A put the fear of god into me on that topic, more than anything anyone said to me while I was at MacEwan.
I remember staying after class one day to ask my TA if I was going to get in trouble for not citing a source from one of the movies we watched in class (it was a Film and Media Studies class). Boy was I nervous. I was hoping to all hell that they weren't going to kick me out of school for making a small mistake like that. The U made it clear that if they kicked you out, no other self-respecting school would allow you in either. Many of my classmates said that their professors made them submit papers through websites that had databases of papers and would check for plagiarism that way. This, of course, is really scary. What if, by pure chance and probability, you had the same sources as a student from last year? What if he highlighted parts of the book, so you noticed them, and used the same information? Is this plagiarism? Would you get expelled for it? These things seriously worried me. I made myself a system that, if followed precisely, would prevent me from inadvertently plagiarizing off of a website source.
Then, I get back to MacEwan, start a new program, get the ‘Don’t plagiaries’ speech at the start of each class, so I take it seriously. I use my same precautions, be extra careful. Then in my fourth year of post secondary, only a couple classes away from getting a Diploma and getting out of school, I’m in a group with three other people who are not from Canada. Their English is shitty at best. One of them disappears back to Mexico, I think someone died, but who knows. The other two are smart, but really, can’t put a proper English sentence together to save their lives. Obviously I’m in charge of putting the paper together because, well, I have a grasp on the language. So I’m reading, editing, trying to figure out what the hell this girl is trying to say and then magic. A perfect sentence. Not just perfect, extraordinary. Professionally written even. Hmm…. red flag much? So, I copy it into Google, I mean, what other choice do I have? And oh look. There it is.
I send an e-mail to the professor. I mean, I don’t want her kicked out, but I certainly want something done. When I talked to her she didn’t understand the seriousness of the issue, she didn’t care. Really, why should she? She fucks up she goes back to China, the world moves on, ok, no Canadian education, but it’s not like she’s going to integrate properly anyway. She fucked up, I get blamed, I just wasted $35,000, four years, and can’t get any more education because of the huge black mark on my folder. The professor never responded in any way. I don’t know if she ever spoke to the girl. The other students at MacEwan wondered why I was taking it so seriously.
I'm guessing the University makes you believe it because they believe it, while MacEwan just claims they do because they have to.
I remember staying after class one day to ask my TA if I was going to get in trouble for not citing a source from one of the movies we watched in class (it was a Film and Media Studies class). Boy was I nervous. I was hoping to all hell that they weren't going to kick me out of school for making a small mistake like that. The U made it clear that if they kicked you out, no other self-respecting school would allow you in either. Many of my classmates said that their professors made them submit papers through websites that had databases of papers and would check for plagiarism that way. This, of course, is really scary. What if, by pure chance and probability, you had the same sources as a student from last year? What if he highlighted parts of the book, so you noticed them, and used the same information? Is this plagiarism? Would you get expelled for it? These things seriously worried me. I made myself a system that, if followed precisely, would prevent me from inadvertently plagiarizing off of a website source.
Then, I get back to MacEwan, start a new program, get the ‘Don’t plagiaries’ speech at the start of each class, so I take it seriously. I use my same precautions, be extra careful. Then in my fourth year of post secondary, only a couple classes away from getting a Diploma and getting out of school, I’m in a group with three other people who are not from Canada. Their English is shitty at best. One of them disappears back to Mexico, I think someone died, but who knows. The other two are smart, but really, can’t put a proper English sentence together to save their lives. Obviously I’m in charge of putting the paper together because, well, I have a grasp on the language. So I’m reading, editing, trying to figure out what the hell this girl is trying to say and then magic. A perfect sentence. Not just perfect, extraordinary. Professionally written even. Hmm…. red flag much? So, I copy it into Google, I mean, what other choice do I have? And oh look. There it is.
I send an e-mail to the professor. I mean, I don’t want her kicked out, but I certainly want something done. When I talked to her she didn’t understand the seriousness of the issue, she didn’t care. Really, why should she? She fucks up she goes back to China, the world moves on, ok, no Canadian education, but it’s not like she’s going to integrate properly anyway. She fucked up, I get blamed, I just wasted $35,000, four years, and can’t get any more education because of the huge black mark on my folder. The professor never responded in any way. I don’t know if she ever spoke to the girl. The other students at MacEwan wondered why I was taking it so seriously.
I'm guessing the University makes you believe it because they believe it, while MacEwan just claims they do because they have to.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Done.
An era has ended. It started on a sunny morning in September 1990, it ended on a snowy afternoon in December 2007. 17 years and four months. Never more than 4 months away from it. 76.6% of my life. Over. Gone. No more books. No more tests. No more group projects. No more school.
In other news, I move in 4 weeks. Leaving Edmonton for the first time on a permanent basis. So much to do. I have to find a place to live, and pack up this place. I thought I would be here for a lot longer. I'm trading in my stable life for something else. If nothing else, it will be an adventure. I haven't had nearly enough of those in my life, so it's about time I started.
In other news, I move in 4 weeks. Leaving Edmonton for the first time on a permanent basis. So much to do. I have to find a place to live, and pack up this place. I thought I would be here for a lot longer. I'm trading in my stable life for something else. If nothing else, it will be an adventure. I haven't had nearly enough of those in my life, so it's about time I started.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Presentations
So, there you are, standing at the front of the class. Your throat hurts because you've had a cold for the past week. You don't trust one of your group members to talk slowly enough for your presentation to hit the minimum 20 mins. Luckily you trust your technical abilities for the video to work properly. You introduce your group, and hand the speaking off to the first person and hope for the best. Neither of your group members prepared very well, and this is worth 25% of your mark. You are so screwed.
Alright, so the presentation worked out. Next is the paper for that class. And the mini assignments, and the final exam, and the presentation for the other class, and the final, and the paper for that other class. Then it's over. Forever. And concentration can shift. From the present, to the future. To the move, and the new life.
Ah, the move. Can't wait. Change. A new start. Now I just need a place to live and a car. Then I'll be set. Move date is mid-January. Moving out of my place as soon as it sells or rents.
Alright, so the presentation worked out. Next is the paper for that class. And the mini assignments, and the final exam, and the presentation for the other class, and the final, and the paper for that other class. Then it's over. Forever. And concentration can shift. From the present, to the future. To the move, and the new life.
Ah, the move. Can't wait. Change. A new start. Now I just need a place to live and a car. Then I'll be set. Move date is mid-January. Moving out of my place as soon as it sells or rents.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Life
Alright, I got all the interesting stuff out of the way, now for the boring life plan stuff.
I move to Calgary as soon as possible. I'm going to try and move over the new year, but there are too many variables right now. I have a job there, Office Manager for the Calgary branch of my current department. I will be assisting two guys with paper work, and one of them is retiring soon. I will have to brainwash myself into liking it.
The well thought out Saskatchewan plans fell through for a couple reasons. First, I did not get the land that I wanted. Someone apparently outbid me, and that was that. Also, I visited my family in Calgary and realized that I wanted to be closer to them instead. So, to Calgary I go.
I'm selling my previously discussed motorbikes. They are currently in my parents basement, but in the spring, I will hopefully have people happy to haul them away for me. I am, of course, replacing the bikes with a better one. It's going to be custom painted for me, and should be nice and fast.
While school is almost done, there is a lot that I still have to do before I can graduate. Most of this is being pushed back, as per usual. This time, instead of cleaning my house (that's being procrastinated on too), I'm reading a blog. It's highly entertaining. Some of the writings come across as being fact, but it is all her rantings and ravings. After surfing randomly for a while, I decided to start at the beginning and read her life story. I am currently just starting February 2007.
I move to Calgary as soon as possible. I'm going to try and move over the new year, but there are too many variables right now. I have a job there, Office Manager for the Calgary branch of my current department. I will be assisting two guys with paper work, and one of them is retiring soon. I will have to brainwash myself into liking it.
The well thought out Saskatchewan plans fell through for a couple reasons. First, I did not get the land that I wanted. Someone apparently outbid me, and that was that. Also, I visited my family in Calgary and realized that I wanted to be closer to them instead. So, to Calgary I go.
I'm selling my previously discussed motorbikes. They are currently in my parents basement, but in the spring, I will hopefully have people happy to haul them away for me. I am, of course, replacing the bikes with a better one. It's going to be custom painted for me, and should be nice and fast.
While school is almost done, there is a lot that I still have to do before I can graduate. Most of this is being pushed back, as per usual. This time, instead of cleaning my house (that's being procrastinated on too), I'm reading a blog. It's highly entertaining. Some of the writings come across as being fact, but it is all her rantings and ravings. After surfing randomly for a while, I decided to start at the beginning and read her life story. I am currently just starting February 2007.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
It has been a while
Alright, so, the world changes quickly. An update on my last entry, we did lose the dog. About 27 hrs after the attack we put him down as there was more shaking than we had originally anticipated. It was heartbreaking, and I miss him terribly. Even now I can barely think of him without welling up.
Also, I started a new job on the Monday after that (July 16) . This caused me great joy at the beginning because I was finally back on a computer, and I was promised lots of work to do. This has since evolved into being not nearly as busy as I had hoped, and the challenge to create ways to make it seem like I'm doing work when in fact I am not. This I have truly excelled at. One of my co-workers is highly entertaining and keeps my ears full of helpful advice be it to become a cop, or to read one of the files he is working on. For some reason he seems to care about my life, something that I am not used to from people like him. My other co-workers love hearing about my personal life, and two of them know people in my life as well, which makes the stories a little more entertaining and the advice a little more relevant.
In other news I got a new toy which is much faster than my first one, and a lot of fun. I am not sure where I will store my motorbikes during the winter, but I hopefully have a month or two of snow free weather to figure this out. Leather, I have discovered, is one of my best friends as it keeps me safe and warm when all other things are against me.
School also recently started. With any luck my last day will be Dec 17, if I have bad luck, my last day will be sometime in April and I will get to curse the program for holding me back and charging me lots of money for another 4 months. So far the one group I have is not fun. We'll see how that turns out in the long run.
The big event in my life are my future plans. Oh how it is confusing. In four days I find out for sure that the town will let me buy about an acre of land in the small town of Pelly Saskatchewan. Yes, this is a town of around 400 people, with all the basic amenities of life in town, and all the extra ones available within a hour drive on the highway. The plan has been to build the house of my dreams on this property. Yes, I have a floor plan ready and am just waiting to hear back from the builder on a cost estimate. This estimate will determine if I want to build or buy. I have put the worth somewhere around the $150,000 mark for the fully completed house, including garage. While I could buy an older house in the same town for around $60,000, my house would be bigger, customized, and on my wonderful land. The older house needs a lot of work, which would take a lot of time and effort. Of course funding for this new property and life would come from the sale of my condo downtown. I am willing to do this because life out there is so much quieter than life here. As I sit and type I can hear the traffic on the main road, and the occasional siren reminding me that life is quickly moving around me. While sitting on the grass that is my new property I heard crickets and it was wonderful. The stars shine brightly and the world moves slowly. No stress, and little hurry. Many of you will wonder why I would like that, a year and a half ago I moved downtown to be close to school and work. After a year and a half of stress sitting in my shoulders, and hearing traffic, snow plows and sirens at any time of the day or night, I am ready to move to quieter ground. Yes, I will have to commute to work, but instead of sitting in traffic for an hour each way, I'll be driving 120 on the highway. I won't have a mortgage, or a very small one, and at 22, that is a great accomplishment. My close friends will know that I grew out of my party stage a while ago, and I'm settling into grownup life. And, as much as I thought that I was a city girl through and through, the city is driving me nuts, and I'm discovering that I'm a country kid at heart.
No, this is not a 100% concrete plan, as mentioned above, I can not move until January, maybe as late as May. A lot can change between now and then. But I like my plot of land with it's views of 10km of field and trees. Oh yeah, Saskatchewan has rolling hills, it's not as flat as people say.
Enough ranting for now, I really should do my homework that is due at midnight,
Melina
Also, I started a new job on the Monday after that (July 16) . This caused me great joy at the beginning because I was finally back on a computer, and I was promised lots of work to do. This has since evolved into being not nearly as busy as I had hoped, and the challenge to create ways to make it seem like I'm doing work when in fact I am not. This I have truly excelled at. One of my co-workers is highly entertaining and keeps my ears full of helpful advice be it to become a cop, or to read one of the files he is working on. For some reason he seems to care about my life, something that I am not used to from people like him. My other co-workers love hearing about my personal life, and two of them know people in my life as well, which makes the stories a little more entertaining and the advice a little more relevant.
In other news I got a new toy which is much faster than my first one, and a lot of fun. I am not sure where I will store my motorbikes during the winter, but I hopefully have a month or two of snow free weather to figure this out. Leather, I have discovered, is one of my best friends as it keeps me safe and warm when all other things are against me.
School also recently started. With any luck my last day will be Dec 17, if I have bad luck, my last day will be sometime in April and I will get to curse the program for holding me back and charging me lots of money for another 4 months. So far the one group I have is not fun. We'll see how that turns out in the long run.
The big event in my life are my future plans. Oh how it is confusing. In four days I find out for sure that the town will let me buy about an acre of land in the small town of Pelly Saskatchewan. Yes, this is a town of around 400 people, with all the basic amenities of life in town, and all the extra ones available within a hour drive on the highway. The plan has been to build the house of my dreams on this property. Yes, I have a floor plan ready and am just waiting to hear back from the builder on a cost estimate. This estimate will determine if I want to build or buy. I have put the worth somewhere around the $150,000 mark for the fully completed house, including garage. While I could buy an older house in the same town for around $60,000, my house would be bigger, customized, and on my wonderful land. The older house needs a lot of work, which would take a lot of time and effort. Of course funding for this new property and life would come from the sale of my condo downtown. I am willing to do this because life out there is so much quieter than life here. As I sit and type I can hear the traffic on the main road, and the occasional siren reminding me that life is quickly moving around me. While sitting on the grass that is my new property I heard crickets and it was wonderful. The stars shine brightly and the world moves slowly. No stress, and little hurry. Many of you will wonder why I would like that, a year and a half ago I moved downtown to be close to school and work. After a year and a half of stress sitting in my shoulders, and hearing traffic, snow plows and sirens at any time of the day or night, I am ready to move to quieter ground. Yes, I will have to commute to work, but instead of sitting in traffic for an hour each way, I'll be driving 120 on the highway. I won't have a mortgage, or a very small one, and at 22, that is a great accomplishment. My close friends will know that I grew out of my party stage a while ago, and I'm settling into grownup life. And, as much as I thought that I was a city girl through and through, the city is driving me nuts, and I'm discovering that I'm a country kid at heart.
No, this is not a 100% concrete plan, as mentioned above, I can not move until January, maybe as late as May. A lot can change between now and then. But I like my plot of land with it's views of 10km of field and trees. Oh yeah, Saskatchewan has rolling hills, it's not as flat as people say.
Enough ranting for now, I really should do my homework that is due at midnight,
Melina
Friday, July 6, 2007
Summer
Summer has arrived. Yesterday was a scorching 32 degrees, enough to make me want to sit in an air conditioned house all night. I would have been happy to stay at work, because my house does not have the wonderful thing that is air conditioning. The closest I get is fans on and windows open in the cool of night, and blinds drawn and windows closed in the heat of day. It works well, except for when it does not happen. I am currently enjoying a cool breeze after a pleasant 25 degree day.
Reading back, I was right to be sad about leaving Canada Place, my new job is boring and repetative. After my first week I stated that I would not last two months. It is now two months later, and next Monday I transfer into a new department. This time I will have my own cubicle and computer, but still be restricted to the intranet. I did make friends with my co-workers and I am sad to leave them as my new co-workers are closer to the baby-boomer generation. In other work news, I have the opportunity to try and become a Correctional Officer at the Edmonton Maximum Security Prison. While talking to the lady in charge of staffing, she realized that I had an education and put me in touch with someone who might be able to get me into the HR side of Corrections. This would likely mean that I would have to move to Grande Cache or Drumheller. I am looking into it, but nothing can happen with that until the new year. With 3 classes left, and four years of post secondary under my belt, I am not leaving anything before I get that diploma.
A noteable change in my life is that of transportation. In May I got my Class 6 license, which allows me to drive a motorbike. On June 9th I drove away from Heritage Harley driving my brand new (used from 2000) Buell Blast. It is freeing to drive a motorbike. Yes, other cars are dangerous, but I do my best to avoid them and stay alive. There are pictures to be found if you know where to look. All you car drivers should watch out for me, and my fellow bikers, we are vehicles too and hate being overlooked... mostly because it hurts us more than it hurts you.
Oh yeah, and I turned 22. It was a fairly uneventful day. I had lots of cheesecake, and a good BBQ at my parents house. There were also many messages and writings on the wall from friends. Thank you all of you.
Some of you may have heard of my cousin Petra Blundell. She had cancer five years ago, and in the fall she is running a marathon. While she has passed her goal, every little bit helps. She has been an inspiration in my life for quite some time, if you read her story on this website, you can start to understand why.
I'm off to dinner and a movie, so I have to go and suit up.
Reading back, I was right to be sad about leaving Canada Place, my new job is boring and repetative. After my first week I stated that I would not last two months. It is now two months later, and next Monday I transfer into a new department. This time I will have my own cubicle and computer, but still be restricted to the intranet. I did make friends with my co-workers and I am sad to leave them as my new co-workers are closer to the baby-boomer generation. In other work news, I have the opportunity to try and become a Correctional Officer at the Edmonton Maximum Security Prison. While talking to the lady in charge of staffing, she realized that I had an education and put me in touch with someone who might be able to get me into the HR side of Corrections. This would likely mean that I would have to move to Grande Cache or Drumheller. I am looking into it, but nothing can happen with that until the new year. With 3 classes left, and four years of post secondary under my belt, I am not leaving anything before I get that diploma.
A noteable change in my life is that of transportation. In May I got my Class 6 license, which allows me to drive a motorbike. On June 9th I drove away from Heritage Harley driving my brand new (used from 2000) Buell Blast. It is freeing to drive a motorbike. Yes, other cars are dangerous, but I do my best to avoid them and stay alive. There are pictures to be found if you know where to look. All you car drivers should watch out for me, and my fellow bikers, we are vehicles too and hate being overlooked... mostly because it hurts us more than it hurts you.
Oh yeah, and I turned 22. It was a fairly uneventful day. I had lots of cheesecake, and a good BBQ at my parents house. There were also many messages and writings on the wall from friends. Thank you all of you.
Some of you may have heard of my cousin Petra Blundell. She had cancer five years ago, and in the fall she is running a marathon. While she has passed her goal, every little bit helps. She has been an inspiration in my life for quite some time, if you read her story on this website, you can start to understand why.
I'm off to dinner and a movie, so I have to go and suit up.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Tablet PC
So, I have recently, quietly, come into possession of a tablet PC. While my old laptop is not quite yet dead, I felt the need to splurge, and so, a new toy for me. The touch screen is fun, surfing Nexopia has never been easier. No worrying about losing the mouse, just point and click. Writing recognition is a little sketchy, even after going through the tutorial, but that should get better as we both learn how the other works.
On the mouse issue, if I can ever get Sims installed, it will be great fun to be able to play it on long bus trips without the bulkiness of a normal laptop computer. It is only 13", wide screen, no bigger than a text book, and lighter than most. When I saw it, I just had to have it. Lucky for me, it was on sale.
In other news, school is over, so far, two B's. I'm mostly happy with that, though it will bring my overall average down. I'm not overly hopeful about my last class, so who knows.
Also, I'm done work on Thursday. My 90 shifts this year are up, so something new for me. I will be back at Nexopia until my papers come through for my new job. Nexopia will be helping out with HR/Accounting stuff, they need some support there. Then off to K Division with the RCMP to work in their mail room. Should be boring, but I'll make the best of it, and work on getting a better job in the building. If I stay in the RCMP for the next 30 years, I can retire at 50 with no loss in my pension plan... this could be the start of a wonderful relationship.
On the mouse issue, if I can ever get Sims installed, it will be great fun to be able to play it on long bus trips without the bulkiness of a normal laptop computer. It is only 13", wide screen, no bigger than a text book, and lighter than most. When I saw it, I just had to have it. Lucky for me, it was on sale.
In other news, school is over, so far, two B's. I'm mostly happy with that, though it will bring my overall average down. I'm not overly hopeful about my last class, so who knows.
Also, I'm done work on Thursday. My 90 shifts this year are up, so something new for me. I will be back at Nexopia until my papers come through for my new job. Nexopia will be helping out with HR/Accounting stuff, they need some support there. Then off to K Division with the RCMP to work in their mail room. Should be boring, but I'll make the best of it, and work on getting a better job in the building. If I stay in the RCMP for the next 30 years, I can retire at 50 with no loss in my pension plan... this could be the start of a wonderful relationship.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Overtime
Before the holidays I was doing 12 hrs of overtime per two week period, in January I was too busy to do it. But in the past two weeks I have done about 20 hrs which will be really nice to pay for the holiday shopping bill that just came in. Since I have been starting earlier in the day it's a lot easier to put in a couple hours each day, as long as I don't have to go to school early for group meetings.
Hopefully the two new girls will be able to show up on Saturday, it will be my responsibility to get them up to speed in the next three days so they are valuable enough to actually be allowed to get paid OT.
School... yes, I'm in class right now. Don't worry, it's the break. Luckily my project got pushed back a week, so I have two weeks before I have to hand in a 10 page paper on Nexopia. Then, when that one's done, I have to do another two projects, also on Nexopia. This close connection to a company makes it so that I always have to be the company contact. I didn't even want to do the group projects on Nexus, but no one else had any good companies that we could study.
Hopefully the two new girls will be able to show up on Saturday, it will be my responsibility to get them up to speed in the next three days so they are valuable enough to actually be allowed to get paid OT.
School... yes, I'm in class right now. Don't worry, it's the break. Luckily my project got pushed back a week, so I have two weeks before I have to hand in a 10 page paper on Nexopia. Then, when that one's done, I have to do another two projects, also on Nexopia. This close connection to a company makes it so that I always have to be the company contact. I didn't even want to do the group projects on Nexus, but no one else had any good companies that we could study.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Homework
What usually happens when I have homework to do is that everything else gets done first. My house is clean, I've done as much overtime at work as they will let me, I have no new Nexopia messages, my bird is entertained, etc. This time is no different. Oh well, at least my house is cleaner than it was this morning.
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