Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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.

Friday, January 25, 2008

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.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

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.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

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.


Monday, January 14, 2008

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.