I'm Intrigued By Your Cubicle Knick-Knacks

When work feels overwhelming, remember that you're going to die.

I am constantly bored at my job at the school of Gerontology. I really enjoy the people and appreciate that they value my opinion on things, even if it is petty stuff like what kind of white-out to buy.

I guess my real issue boils down to the fact that I'd like to spend the downtime I have at work doing homework but things never quite work out in a way for me to do it so I just check my email a lot. I want to be busier with actual work for the school (excluding calling inquirers because that sucks) or doing things that will benefit me directly.

I love pretending I have the courage to quit my job.

I have been looking at several job listings on the interweb to see about maybe getting a full time position that would pay me more and actually give me some real work experience but I keep thinking that right now, things are too easy to jump into something different. I have a unique opportunity to be taken care of financially and spend most of my time focusing on schoolwork. Though I am concerned that there will be nothing for me once I graduate with the master's because I have little work experience; this just might be the low stress focused approach that will lead to a good internship over the summer and a position in the fall and beyond.


Everything is uncertain. I am glad I have time. I know a lot of my friends are stressing because they are having to figure out what they are doing in like 3.5 months.

ch-ch-ch-changes.

Stay Like This Forever

I am having a really hard time managing my time. Mostly because I'd rather sleep and do nothing than do anything at all. I am going to fail at being a productive member of society as a gainfully employed adult.
I have about a metric shit ton of reading to do every week. So far I have been able to stay on track and get it all done, but I feel like it is all that I do. (note: it most definitely is not all that I do, but it just feels like it)
I guess the real issue is that I feel like I get nothing done in a day, though I may read blog after blog and pages upon pages of readings. It is a strange feeling to deal with. It is odd how sitting at a computer often makes you feel like you aren't doing anything when in fact you are often doing a lot. And in the case of much of my reading, dealing with some really complex ideas and problems etc.



I am considering going to a piercer to get a second earlobe piercing. If I do I am going to have them put in my CBRs. I am a flip flopper on the prospect.


I recently started a twitter thing. I sort of like it, though it does seem like it is just adding to the plethora of things that I have to update. I don't want everything to become clutter. I like that I can update from my phone. I wrote about it in my response paper (see other blog) and, to summarize the beginning, I have developed a complex system of what kinds of status updates go where and why. It is a strange negotiation that I have made with all these outlets.

Communication Scholarship for your lulz.

Read this. Contemplate.

danah boyd came into a class I took from Jonathan Taplin and at the time I only was interested in the fact that she doesn't capitalize her name. I thought it was awesome.

Now, I think her research is fascinating and want to be her. But when I really think about it, I don't really want to do research. I am just not that interested in doing anything that involves collecting data and determining if change is statistically significant.

I'd rather follow the Marshall McLuhan model of theorizing about communication. [that was a comm joke... He was high all the time but genius]. Also you should check out Neil Postman's response to his idea that the medium is the message. Postman argues that the medium is the metaphor. Illuminating stuff. I am going to write a response paper on it, I think .


In other news, Dan and I had an interesting conversation about casino gaming and the joys of penny slots. They are becoming very sophisticated with their interactivity. I am going to be spending a part of my weekend with chain smoking older adults in front of blinking screen in a dimly lit room with shinny lights. Normally I would be off put by the obnoxious noise of the games, but there is just something so alluring about getting to bonus rounds and touch screens.

Updating for Updatings Sake

I am about to head off to work at the School of Gerontology. I am not excited. It feels like a waste of time most of the hours that I am there.

I've been doing a ton of reading for my classes. I think that will be the theme of graduate school... reading. I am glad that, so far, it has all been interesting stuff. I recently read Next-Generation Media: The Global Shift put out by the Aspen Institute. It is a concise and easy to read intro to a lot of things that are going on in new media.

I don't have anything else to say... I was just bored.

So Fresh

I've had a rough couple of nights of late. I have been feeling down. I watched Elizabethtown, which sent me over the edge. I miss Courtney.

I had my first grad class last night. I really like the way they have set it up and I hope that it continues to be stimulating conversation like the introduction was. There are some pretty awesome minds that are teaching the course and will be coming in to speak. I am supposed to create a new blog for the class. I have yet to decide on the title and such (which is really the only thing holding me back). Suggestions?

Things have been rather boring otherwise. I still need to clean up my room but I am so unmotivated.

I think part of the reason why I liked New York so much was that I had zero responsibility. I really enjoyed being in that city. I liked watching all the people going and doing... I need to end up in a city in which I can people watch a lot. New York would be nice, if it weren't so expensive.

Non-Emo V.1.0

Heather recently moved away from the emotastic land of xanga to blogger. I want to do the same but I dislike that I cannot take all of my entries from xanga with me. I have been a somewhat dedicated member of the xanga community since junior year in high school, but I guess with new phases in my life come new ways to share them with everyone. I think I will end up a dual blogger.

I am a grad student now. Click for the program website. I am very excited about the whole thing but also scared. All to be expected I suppose.

Macy*s is ruining my life. I tried to pay my bill in store a while back and the internet bill pay shows I have a negative balance but I still have a collection notice from them saying I owe what I paid in store. It apparently has something to do with the credit card being both a Macy*s charge card and a visa charge card and all this hoopla about two different accounts. In the end I am going to pay them double what I should and have a negative balance on one of the accounts which I don't want. I feel like they are holding my money hostage.