still not convinced that you get it homie

check out this post from jd's global14 blog

buddy starts out on the right track, but then he tails off drastically with some 'interesting' statements. he almost has it, but i think he still has some work to do. i thought this was interesting from the vantage point of seeing what superficial 'things' people associate with being different/making a positive statement/progressiveness/etc.

maybe i am just being to tough on the dude.

food stamp usage up in the US (awesome display of a ton of info)

check out the article in the nytimes [registration may be required]

the term 'IT' as an insult....please read

when people don't really know what you do, and all they know is that you are heavily involved in computers....they can tend to describe you as being in the IT field. this cannot be more insulting. for me personally, i am a computer engineer by degree, and my phd is in computer science. as dijkstra so eloquently put it "computer science is as much about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." computers are just tools we use to prove our work (and are also the manifestations of the usefulness of our work), which is a great deal of the time complicated mathematics.

any smuck with no education that fixes internet connectivity issues or removes viruses from your pc can be called an 'IT guy.' because of this, when you call a computer scientist or computer engineer an 'IT person' there can be a feeling that you have disregarded their many years of education to attain their level of knowledge and expertise. and no one likes this. call it arrogance if you will, but we have a right to feel this way.

here is a post i saw this morning that resurrected these thoughts that i have held for almost 10 years now:

don't call me an IT guy

p.s. - the video professor is a scam

understanding the importance of temporary

zab 'super' judah was touted as a very promising up-and-coming boxer around the same time as floyd 'money' mayweather. zab was really making a name for himself and was known for being an arrogant bastard. BUT, he always backed up his talk and antics in the ring, so no one could really say anything to him. in the video below however, he really illustrates that pride and arrogance goeth before a fall......LITERALLY!!!

watch the video. it's ok to laugh because the sh*t is hilarious. BUT, think about how zab was so prideful that he could not accept that he got knocked down enough to STAY THE HELL down until he regrouped. just because you get knocked down does not mean that the fight is over. any and all 'setbacks' are ALWAYS temporary. temporary is defined as lasting, existing, or effective for a time only; not permanent. NOT PERMANENT. everything in life is temporary...even success. think about this next time you feel that things are going bad. just know that they are not that way forever, and we all have the power to change our situations, starting with our state of mind.

have a great weekend.

doublin' up on turkey day

very ironic that i run across this blog post by tim ferriss as i was pondering very similar thoughts on the walk to work today

the benefits of pissing people off

the last thanksgiving away from family

4 years and 4 thanksgivings later, today will be the last time i spend thanksgiving away from my family and friends. i miss you all. oh yeah, the food too.

enjoy your family and friends everyone. there is ALWAYS much to be thankful for. happy thanksgiving.

continuation from my last post

randomly, i had a conversation with a friend yesterday very much along the lines of what i posted monday. one comment she made was this:

"the people that are strong are put in positions where they must be strong whether they want to or not"

i couldn't have said it better myself. BUT, is it by chance or by choice that these 'strong' individuals find themselves in situations where they are required to be strong? is this 'happenstance' a result of being strong? just some things to ponder.

on the road to submission front, i am continuing to work on my dissertation and finalize it. i have looked at the damn thing for the past 3 days, and i am ready to wash my hands of it for a few weeks. 40,000 words and 180 pages will be submitted THIS friday. can't wait.

implicit responsibility

what's been really interesting in the social conversations that i have had recently as i am finishing up my phd is that there is so much responsibility and implicit pressure for me to finish and be successful. this feeling can be really weird because you find out that you have so many people that seem to have so much invested in your success and you don't want to let them down. on the other hand, it makes me feel really good in having established 'my brand' so successfully that people EXPECT success from things that i am involved in.

understanding all of this, what responsibility is there because of this situation? is this something that is shared amongst all but possibly in other ways? how does awareness of this situation change things, if it does at all?

just some thoughts...sorry for the short post, but i have to run.

back in the uk for the final stretch

things are progressing very well. it's hard to digest the fact that i am almost done. it feels great. there is still some writing to be done in the next couple of weeks, but i hope to submit my dissertation by the end of the month. it was awesome to see the last four years of my life printed out. then, i spent 3 whole days editing the last four years......not that fun. making corrections to my dissertation was almost as painful as writing the damn thing. it's done now, and i am waiting on comments from colleagues.

my job interviews went well in the us, and i have several more interviews in the us and the uk.

i will keep you updated. my other, personal endeavors are coming along nicely, and my personal website will be up soon. things could not be more exciting right now.