Archive for March, 2009

uptime

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

computer uptime should be maximized.  this is why when someone pulls the plug on one of your machines, you should ask why.  especially true if your machine processes operational datasets for scientists…  i’ll never forget the time i was travelling for work and received an email saying one of my machines was taken off the network without consulting me.  i had to have one of the principal investigators drive the process to get it re-plugged while i was in d.c. for a conference.  frustrating.  unix machines should remain up!  they get offended otherwise.

human uptime needs to be moderated.  after many insomnia-driven spurts of creativity and workaholism over the past few years, i’ve come to undersntand i need more sleep.  this time allows the body to heal, the mind to store ideas long term, and the spirit wander into new domains.

one thing that will hopefully remain up for some time is this short story i submitted a few months back to aphelion magazine, now published online.  good news for people who want more publications.  good to have someone outside my social group find my work worthy of sharing with a wider audience.

hope for more of these over the course of this year, asuming i regularly submit work.  but i’m not going to lose any sleep over it…

are you listening?

Monday, March 9th, 2009

realized that i need more negative space in my mind.  been spending a lot of time and energy making things, to great success, but also to great mental excess.  it’s time to focus purely on work and the thesis for the next few months.

this will give me more time to sit and listen.  to myself, to the world.

interesting parallel in tonight’s film, the lives of others, a well-regarded german film that went home with the oscar for the best foreign language film back in 2006.

are you listening, self?

an acquired taste

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

woke up with a sore throat; have had hints of this for a few days now.  could be the late nights coding, the lack of sleep in general, specific stresses that i won’t go into now, or possibly allergies, as we’re getting pretty deep into spring here, and everything’s opening up, sending buds forth accompanied by new pollens.

spent the morning making french toast, cleaning house and recording a few demos.  then the rest of the day with kristin.  had a bad meal out (happens every now and again – remind me never to try an “asian” buffet again… especially with so much good food so close to the house)

after three rejections from other magazines, i had one of my stories, “an acquired taste”, accepted in aphelion magazine today.  i’ll post the url when it shows up on the site.  this is good news; finally acceptance in a magazine that i’m not involved with on the editorial side!  if my throat would allow me to drink wine, i’d toast this.  for now it’ll have to be a tea toast.

my writing, it appears, is an acquired taste!

the hour is getting late

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

Currently
Rattle and Hum
By U2
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all day, and all of the night

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Currently
Kinks (The Ultimate Collection)
By The Kinks
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golden light of coming dawn

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Currently
Airbag/How Am I Driving? [EP] [Limited Edition]
By Radiohead
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a new budget

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Currently
More Tales Of Pirx The Pilot (Harvest Book)
By Stanislaw Lem
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