I have been eying e-readers
Progress indeed
The Kindle and Snobbery Via the times. They are missing out on one important fact here. At $300+ per, you don't need to know what someone is reading on a kindle to know where they stand on the literary snob meter. The fact that they put down 300 dollars plus to read when you can pick up a good book for 25c at a library sale is itself a good indication of the type of reader that they are.
I wouldn't want a kindle anyway. I don't want to marry a single company just to use an electronic device. I don't care how convenient (read:easy to spend more money) they make it. I was looking at the sony reader and the cybook, and there is the possibility of reading on my DS which would be nice considering I don't use it for anything ever. In particular I'd like to try out this 100 Classic Books Collection.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Notes
In an attempt to keep the blogging going, I present more awesome things part two!
More awesome things include:
The semester is almost over. Throughout I've had many meandering thoughts, questions, revelations, etc... but I have been very bad at writing them down, and when I sit in front of the computer all sense of productivity leaves me. On occasion I'll bother to write down a scrap of something into a notebook, and that's all I have as proof that my mind was working for the past four months.
Such random notes include "Philosophy is to be consumed and absorbed until it becomes manifest in one's own breath," another feeble attempt to outline a parable I have been mulling over in my head for years (statues are self aware, but can only understand themselves through men, philosophy ensues), "Past-laden presents bearing various possibilities." (To be fair I think that may have been a transcription of something else), and a dozen admonitions to myself on the vein of "GET THIS DONE FFS," "Stop sucking", "WTF is this shit?" and a few "GDI"s thrown in.
More awesome things include:
- Having a pigeon try to land on the front wheel of your bike while you are riding it. Dumbest pigeon I have ever seen.
- Sleeping
- Mochi Ice Cream
The semester is almost over. Throughout I've had many meandering thoughts, questions, revelations, etc... but I have been very bad at writing them down, and when I sit in front of the computer all sense of productivity leaves me. On occasion I'll bother to write down a scrap of something into a notebook, and that's all I have as proof that my mind was working for the past four months.
Such random notes include "Philosophy is to be consumed and absorbed until it becomes manifest in one's own breath," another feeble attempt to outline a parable I have been mulling over in my head for years (statues are self aware, but can only understand themselves through men, philosophy ensues), "Past-laden presents bearing various possibilities." (To be fair I think that may have been a transcription of something else), and a dozen admonitions to myself on the vein of "GET THIS DONE FFS," "Stop sucking", "WTF is this shit?" and a few "GDI"s thrown in.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Things I love in Life
- Midget Tandem Bikes. The people in the car with me refused to believe that we had passed one until a fortuitous red light forced them to look twice, and then a third time. Pretty damn awesome.
- Cinnabon. So delicious.
- Kicking a habit. I am so done with WoW.
- Eternal Recurrence, aka the purging of regret.
- HTML. I love a good puzzle.
- Bikes. I need to bike more.
- Libraries. While every other passion of mine has died down or been put on the back burner for more "pressing" priorities, my love for the library has only grown.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Looking for Work and the Employment Gap
This was day one of my hit the ground running employment search. I'm graduating in about a month, and so it's time to start preparing for the next big phase of my life. Step one in that preparation is getting a job. Of course, I've been doing job research for years before this on the Publishing and Library science industries, but now I am looking for particular contacts and actually destinations for my resume.
The biggest problem so far has been that I am either over or underqualified for every job offering. Internship is big in the publishing industry, but in an effort to get free labor without being sued for exploitation, most companies will give internships to people who can be 'paid' in college credit. Therefore, if you are not a college junior or senior you can't get in on a lot of these programs.
The next most common job offers are for senior level positions. Managers, executives, etc... These usually come with the caveat 'Prior experience required.' Luckily for me, I do have some prior experience because I wormed my way into getting a position at the university press, but that is not the two to three years that most people are looking for, and at 10 hours a week it has given me experience, but not enough for me to be experienced.
All of this is making me feel as if I am being punished for graduating in four years. I worked hard to concentrate on my studies and my studies alone so that I would graduate with a minimum of debt, but I now fear that this has actually hurt my chances of employment at the moment. I'm in the ugly position of having not that many extracurricular accomplishments to illustrate my passion for books and learning, and at the same time leaving the place where I can develop my resume in that direction.
But all is not lost. The job search is frustrating for everyone right now, but if I keep at it and keep all of my options open I still have a chance at finding my in. If I can't find any traditional listings that I fit, I will simply start sending out direct e-mails to places that may be hiring, and once I graduate I can start doing that on foot. There are jobs if you look, that's what I'm hoping. Even in a recession some things just need to get done, and the world needs good people to do them.
The biggest problem so far has been that I am either over or underqualified for every job offering. Internship is big in the publishing industry, but in an effort to get free labor without being sued for exploitation, most companies will give internships to people who can be 'paid' in college credit. Therefore, if you are not a college junior or senior you can't get in on a lot of these programs.
The next most common job offers are for senior level positions. Managers, executives, etc... These usually come with the caveat 'Prior experience required.' Luckily for me, I do have some prior experience because I wormed my way into getting a position at the university press, but that is not the two to three years that most people are looking for, and at 10 hours a week it has given me experience, but not enough for me to be experienced.
All of this is making me feel as if I am being punished for graduating in four years. I worked hard to concentrate on my studies and my studies alone so that I would graduate with a minimum of debt, but I now fear that this has actually hurt my chances of employment at the moment. I'm in the ugly position of having not that many extracurricular accomplishments to illustrate my passion for books and learning, and at the same time leaving the place where I can develop my resume in that direction.
But all is not lost. The job search is frustrating for everyone right now, but if I keep at it and keep all of my options open I still have a chance at finding my in. If I can't find any traditional listings that I fit, I will simply start sending out direct e-mails to places that may be hiring, and once I graduate I can start doing that on foot. There are jobs if you look, that's what I'm hoping. Even in a recession some things just need to get done, and the world needs good people to do them.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
I've been doing a lot of employment research, and sometimes looking through the mistakes of others makes me feel a little bit more confident about what I can achieve. I found a good example of this today via NotHired.
When I saw this I started thinking of a similar situation I ended up in last year when I was looking for a summer internship. I had sent in an e-mail inquiring about working for a smaller publishing house in New York and received back an e-mail so riddled in errors that I crossed that house off my prospects list immediately. What's crazy is that in this case the error went the other way around, and it was the publisher that failed, not the applicant.
When I saw this I started thinking of a similar situation I ended up in last year when I was looking for a summer internship. I had sent in an e-mail inquiring about working for a smaller publishing house in New York and received back an e-mail so riddled in errors that I crossed that house off my prospects list immediately. What's crazy is that in this case the error went the other way around, and it was the publisher that failed, not the applicant.
Monday, March 2, 2009
March Madness, aka Ulysses
There is a group on Librarything that has decided March is best spent twisting one's brain up into knots with Ulysses, and I've been invited to partake in the insanity. On top of studying for my Japanese class more (read: studying for Japanese, period) and keeping up with my reading in other classes, finishing this 700 page behemoth is going to be a challenge indeed.
I'll be updating with reading notes daily if I actually manage to adhere to the schedule I've set for myself.
And without further ado, I will now read out loud, onto digital paper.
It feels like I'm climbing in hard mode. I'm zooming through my last semester in college and reading constantly for school, and yet somehow I think I can make some time to read Ulysses. I was never very good at knowing my limits.
I think I'll hold out on reading critically for the second time around and spend this one in blissful, leisurely ignorance.
Anyhoo, it's been interesting to see the things that have stuck for other people as they read, so I'm planning on doing something similar.
I don't have many expectations in terms of the content of this book. In fact, the most concrete facts I have now are from the court decision included at the front of my edition, in which is stated, "In respect of the recurrent emergence of the theme of sex in the minds of his characters, it must always be remembered that his locale was Celtic and his seasons Spring."
OK, Celtic, Spring, Sex. I guess I should start reading (and writing) in true stream of consciousness fashion.
... stumped on the second paragraph? Really? "I will go to the alter of God." Ok, after a quick flip through the pages it doesn't look too bad. Some Latin here and there, some French, some... I don't know what that is, but I'll deal with it when I get to it.
I think I should have picked up the 'Annotations to Ulysses' in the library. I've had too look up a term or phrase four times within the first page!
"The scrotumtightening sea." Hmm, I think I will enjoy this book.
"epi oinopa ponton" Wait... maybe not.
Someone who had the book before me has left little graphite signposts along the margins, but they're all illegible. Very depressing.
I don't remember enough of Portrait to recall Dedalus' mother dying, or his reason for refusing to pray for her. I'll have to look all that up later.
P. 12 "Liliata rutilantium te confessorum turma circumdet: iubilantium te virginum chorus excipiat." "May the crowd of joyful confessors encompass thee; may the choir of blessed virgins go before thee." Phrase spoken during the Recommendation of a Soul Departing. I can see where firm knowledge of the Latin mass would come in handy here.
"In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti." I know that one! Jesus be praised!
"Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam." "And I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church"
p. 22 "The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind." I like this quite a bit. Malachi really is sounding more and more like the devil.
p. 24 Seems that Malachi is very witty but Sephen doesn't think him very wise. I guess even back in the early 20th century people who wanted to sound fancy quoted Nietzsche!
Stephen leaves thinking of the last rites again, but I don't know why.
And then the scene abruptly changes at the next page, so I think I'll take my rest here.
Seems like easy going so far, save the boulders of Latin and Catholicism strewn about my path, but I assume I'm moving quickly because I am at the base of the mountain.
The Bloomsday Book is making more solid the few suspicions I have about themes and roles and so on and so forth. It's a very nice, concise guide. I'm very glad I picked it up.
I'll be updating with reading notes daily if I actually manage to adhere to the schedule I've set for myself.
And without further ado, I will now read out loud, onto digital paper.
It feels like I'm climbing in hard mode. I'm zooming through my last semester in college and reading constantly for school, and yet somehow I think I can make some time to read Ulysses. I was never very good at knowing my limits.
I think I'll hold out on reading critically for the second time around and spend this one in blissful, leisurely ignorance.
Anyhoo, it's been interesting to see the things that have stuck for other people as they read, so I'm planning on doing something similar.
I don't have many expectations in terms of the content of this book. In fact, the most concrete facts I have now are from the court decision included at the front of my edition, in which is stated, "In respect of the recurrent emergence of the theme of sex in the minds of his characters, it must always be remembered that his locale was Celtic and his seasons Spring."
OK, Celtic, Spring, Sex. I guess I should start reading (and writing) in true stream of consciousness fashion.
... stumped on the second paragraph? Really? "I will go to the alter of God." Ok, after a quick flip through the pages it doesn't look too bad. Some Latin here and there, some French, some... I don't know what that is, but I'll deal with it when I get to it.
I think I should have picked up the 'Annotations to Ulysses' in the library. I've had too look up a term or phrase four times within the first page!
"The scrotumtightening sea." Hmm, I think I will enjoy this book.
"epi oinopa ponton" Wait... maybe not.
Someone who had the book before me has left little graphite signposts along the margins, but they're all illegible. Very depressing.
I don't remember enough of Portrait to recall Dedalus' mother dying, or his reason for refusing to pray for her. I'll have to look all that up later.
P. 12 "Liliata rutilantium te confessorum turma circumdet: iubilantium te virginum chorus excipiat." "May the crowd of joyful confessors encompass thee; may the choir of blessed virgins go before thee." Phrase spoken during the Recommendation of a Soul Departing. I can see where firm knowledge of the Latin mass would come in handy here.
"In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti." I know that one! Jesus be praised!
"Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam." "And I believe in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church"
p. 22 "The void awaits surely all them that weave the wind." I like this quite a bit. Malachi really is sounding more and more like the devil.
p. 24 Seems that Malachi is very witty but Sephen doesn't think him very wise. I guess even back in the early 20th century people who wanted to sound fancy quoted Nietzsche!
Stephen leaves thinking of the last rites again, but I don't know why.
And then the scene abruptly changes at the next page, so I think I'll take my rest here.
Seems like easy going so far, save the boulders of Latin and Catholicism strewn about my path, but I assume I'm moving quickly because I am at the base of the mountain.
The Bloomsday Book is making more solid the few suspicions I have about themes and roles and so on and so forth. It's a very nice, concise guide. I'm very glad I picked it up.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Semester 8 Rundown
It's now almost halfway through the semester. My schedule has solidified (but not my sleeping habits) and I have gotten into the general groove with my classes enough to make a pass at guessing my grade in each.
Japanese 401 - Advanced Japanese Reading
What was I thinking?! This is a class similar to the one that DESTROYED me in Japan, and by destroyed I mean that it caused so much mental anguish that I developed a severe case of insomnia and was wandering the city like a madman during class hours because I could no longer bring myself to actually go.
Well, it seems that history is repeating itself. The chances of me getting a good grade in this class are next to none.
Chado Practicum
Talk about a neat class! Twice a week about 15 of us make our way to a teahouse build by a prior grand tea master of Japan and learn the art of the tea ceremony through hands on practice. The class is fun, it's a real education, and you get to drink lots of tea.
Literature and Philosophy
Another great class. So far I have been introduced to Borges, Kafka, and Calvino through it. It would be nicer of more than say 3 or 4 people spoke in class, but that's generally how classes like this go. A few of us will be willing to put our opinions on the line, and the rest will either listen quietly, too afraid to say something wrong, will not know what the hell is going on and thus not speak, or, and these are always the frustrating ones, will not know what the hell is going on but not know that either and end up talking a lot anyway.
Luckly we have very few of that last catagory in the class.
Modern Japanese Society
This class is difficult to suffer though. The professor's lectures leave me cringing constantly, with her constant mangling of grammar and her tendancy to repeat the last pharase of whatever she says multiple times.
And example of the crap I have to sit through involves phrases like "As far as to the others, there were much warriors who did not acustom well to the change in government, the change in government."
For an hour and fifteen minutes I have to listen to that. I live in dread of this class, not just because I have to listen to this mangled English, but because I'm terrified that I may adopt some of it as part of my own broken speach. Truely terrifying.
Modern Chinese Politics
This is the exact opposite of my Japanese Society class. Unlike the Japanese class, where the professor is a 'native speaker' but does not know how to speak English, my professor in this class is not a native speaker but is well spoken. He has a heavy Chinese/UK accent, so that even the English he speaks isn't American English, but his grammar is perfect and his lectures easy to follow and easy to remember. I look forward to this class every week, but it can be a bit of a struggle to sit all the way through, considering the fact that it is about 3 hours long.
So that's my final semester. Two classes that drive me nuts for completely different reasons, and three that I love to death. I think that's an excellent ratio considering my previous years' experience.
Japanese 401 - Advanced Japanese Reading
What was I thinking?! This is a class similar to the one that DESTROYED me in Japan, and by destroyed I mean that it caused so much mental anguish that I developed a severe case of insomnia and was wandering the city like a madman during class hours because I could no longer bring myself to actually go.
Well, it seems that history is repeating itself. The chances of me getting a good grade in this class are next to none.
Chado Practicum
Talk about a neat class! Twice a week about 15 of us make our way to a teahouse build by a prior grand tea master of Japan and learn the art of the tea ceremony through hands on practice. The class is fun, it's a real education, and you get to drink lots of tea.
Literature and Philosophy
Another great class. So far I have been introduced to Borges, Kafka, and Calvino through it. It would be nicer of more than say 3 or 4 people spoke in class, but that's generally how classes like this go. A few of us will be willing to put our opinions on the line, and the rest will either listen quietly, too afraid to say something wrong, will not know what the hell is going on and thus not speak, or, and these are always the frustrating ones, will not know what the hell is going on but not know that either and end up talking a lot anyway.
Luckly we have very few of that last catagory in the class.
Modern Japanese Society
This class is difficult to suffer though. The professor's lectures leave me cringing constantly, with her constant mangling of grammar and her tendancy to repeat the last pharase of whatever she says multiple times.
And example of the crap I have to sit through involves phrases like "As far as to the others, there were much warriors who did not acustom well to the change in government, the change in government."
For an hour and fifteen minutes I have to listen to that. I live in dread of this class, not just because I have to listen to this mangled English, but because I'm terrified that I may adopt some of it as part of my own broken speach. Truely terrifying.
Modern Chinese Politics
This is the exact opposite of my Japanese Society class. Unlike the Japanese class, where the professor is a 'native speaker' but does not know how to speak English, my professor in this class is not a native speaker but is well spoken. He has a heavy Chinese/UK accent, so that even the English he speaks isn't American English, but his grammar is perfect and his lectures easy to follow and easy to remember. I look forward to this class every week, but it can be a bit of a struggle to sit all the way through, considering the fact that it is about 3 hours long.
So that's my final semester. Two classes that drive me nuts for completely different reasons, and three that I love to death. I think that's an excellent ratio considering my previous years' experience.
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