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[BeoPuppy]

... can we invite her?

Or any random celeb we'd like to read from?

[Loki]

Don't be silly, people are terrible.

*clears throat* I believe he was talking about me or Gareth.

[Patrick]

So if you're not technically dating, what do you call the breakup? That's how I've spent my morning. 

[Loki]

A misery.

Sorry to hear that, bro

[Patrick]

Danke sehr. But it's not really so bad, I'm just wondering how the fuck I'm going to alleviate my boredom from here on out. She's a lot of fun.

[Welu]

I visited my Grandda's house for the second time since he died. The first time was helping my Mammy sort and clear stuff and the house had been empty for months at that point. It was horrible seeing it that way. I have a specific memory of one of the windows being busted because a tree branch had grown through it.

It's in the middle of Fuck Nowhere, Ireland and the house is at least 120 years old according to the available dates, but the family had owned the land and had a different house on it before then. Now my uncle has modernised the whole house, it used to have no running water and he's brought all the electrics up to date. It's amazing but you'd never know what used to be there. It was surreal and, to me, more unpleasant than remembering the house how it looked disused. I guess because it felt more like a stranger's house instead of the house my Granny and Grandda used to live in.

[GarandMarine]

So if you're not technically dating, what do you call the breakup? That's how I've spent my morning. 

Aborting take off.

[bainidhe_dub]

Don't be silly, people are terrible.

*clears throat* I believe he was talking about me or Gareth.

Was weekend the Amsterdam thing?

[Loki]

Friday. Yes :K

[Thrillho]

T'was indeed, good people.

[Grognard]

[bitch & whine]
sooo. started out with Business Management Information Systems 340 at LU....
but then I realize...
SERIOUS papers must be written.
like: 2 pages, 800+ words, APA style.
SIX of them. peer-reviewable.
in the next 8 weeks.
fuck. me. sideways.
with a drainage cover.
++PLUS++
every week. 750 words+ for discussion boards.
I don't know if I'm up to that.
but I gotta have a 300 level information systems class.
fuck meeeeeee.

[/bitch & moan & whine]

[Grognard]

I ain't done serious college work in 5 years!!!

[Papersatan]

I have trouble writing less than 2 pages :/ but I started in a writing intensive field.
idk what kind of writing on what topics, but by the time you stick an into and a conclusion, the rest of the words get used up fast, especially if you actually have something to say on whatever topic.

-----

It's been two weeks since the email from my dream job which said they would know in 1-2 months.  That means I am 25% of the way through waiting to find out if they will hire me.  I've been interacting with the guy on twitter and doing some readings written by and recommended by people who work there, both of which are making me start to think about what working there would be like, which just makes me more anxious about the wait.  I want this job so bad, but I don't want to let myself get comfortable with the idea of having it, because I think I will be heartbroken if it doesn't work out, and then whatever job I do end up with will be less satisfying for me.  <sigh> I did apply to 3 other things over the weekend though, two of which seemed like positions/companies that would be good for me. 

[Barmymoo]

I still haven't heard back about my kitty cat I was hoping she'd be here by this afternoon!

[pwhodges]

My son is playing at the Wigmore Hall next month.

The Debussy in that program he's playing in Melbourne today (Weds); but instead of the Beethoven he's playing there, there will be Mozart/Busoni and Harrison Birtwistle (including a world premier).

[cesium133]

I wasn't sure whether to put this in the Happy thread or the Panic thread, so I suppose here is a compromise.

My advisor just told me he's sending me to a conference in Brazil in the beginning of October. I've been to the city we're going to before, and I loved it there. The panic part is that my visa is expired, and the consulate recommends applying three months in advance... 

edit -- apparently it's changed quite a bit from the last time I was there. Now the recommendation is two weeks.

As an update, I got my plane tickets today, and am submitting the visa paperwork tomorrow (just have to find a way to print a photo for the visa; the department office doesn't have any photo paper). The delay was because my advisor didn't realize that plane tickets to Brazil are expensive even though he's been there many times, so I had to find more funding so we could afford it. 

edit -- Oh, and the plane tickets are on United transferring in Chicago, because that was the cheapest option. I fully expect things to go horribly wrong.

[Grognard]

I have trouble writing less than 2 pages :/ but I started in a writing intensive field.
idk what kind of writing on what topics, but by the time you stick an into and a conclusion, the rest of the words get used up fast, especially if you actually have something to say on whatever topic.

damnit!
lost two paragraphs & a whole chain of thought.

anyway: I google fu for stupid is fine.  My ability at finding peer-reviewd research articles just STINKS.  I wasted an entire evening trying to find an article with sufficient material from which to create my paper.
I can WRITE.  blah, blah, blather on....
I can write progress reports and product recommendations with skill enough to make a Beltway Bureaucrat nerdgasm.
but I'm having a ridiculously hard time finding an article to review.

1st week: current information security trends (peer-reviewed, 5+ pages in length AND up-to-date?)
2nd week: mobile application vulnerabilities  (by the time these vulnerabilities are written in depth about ... they're out-of-date by 2 years)
3rd week: current methods that are used to successfully prevent identity theft (I could easily write a 12 page paper about this, but not with a "current" article as a point of origin)
4th: current social engineering threats (ditto as above)
5th: discuss the security risks associated with social networking sites.

I can write these papers.  I have personal knowledge and experience in dealing with ALL of these subjects!
I just cannot find a 'paper of origin' that I can 'review and reflect upon' 

[Papersatan]

Librarian

Contact one

I bet your school is paying one to help you with just such things!
(Drunk sorry if this isbweirdly written)

[Grognard]

LU Online
online librarian is next to useless.

[Barmymoo]

Check out whether any bricks-and-mortar universities near you have reciprocal reading rights for students of other establishments. My old uni did; although you couldn't borrow books unless you were a student of that university, you could get a library card that entitled you to access the library, read the books in the reading rooms, and get the assistance of the librarians.

[Papersatan]

I'm kind of appalled at any "institution of higher learning" which doesn't have a library/librarian.  That's a cost savings measure which robs students of real opportunities to learn and grow and screams "we care about your money not your education"  But I guess as a library school graduate I am bound to feel that way. 

You can also check out your local public library.  They don't usually have as much access to subscription journals, but the librarians still have Master's degrees in helping people find information; they might be able to help you come up with better search strategies, and point you towards any universities which will let you use their resources. 

In the meantime http://doaj.org/ might be a good resource for finding open access (read free) articles. 

[Aimless]

http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=4357

Specifically, databases:

http://libguides.liberty.edu/browse.php?o=s

Or Google Scholar to find one paper that seems reasonably on-topic and use that to direct your search (eg. by looking at key references that are mentioned in the intro and discussion and by searching for articles that have been marked as reviews that cite any on-topic papers that you have found).

In many fields, reference literature will contain references to peer-reviewed work that can be used to direct your search. If you can't get hold of reference literature at a library, you can often find them in PDF form *cough*

Keep an eye out for mentions of conferences where these questions are discussed or where research has been presented. Sometimes your google-fu will return results that mention eg. some digital security-related conference, and you can then look up info on those conferences to find titles of presentations and papers or writers in the field. Their papers may in turn cite useful papers or (if you're lucky) in-depth reviews. Conferences tend to have more up-to-date research, for better or for worse.

No doubt you're already very good at using/abusing tabs in your browser. If you haven't already, get Mendeley and use both the desktop version as well as the bookmarklet. It's probably the best all-round solution I've found for managing the mass of papers and references under which you may soon be buried. Chuck any downloaded PDFs into it.



Your paper topics seem to revolve around security, and I wonder: are there any security-related blogs you enjoy reading?

[Lines]

If I couldn't find something on my university's database, I looked on Google Scholar. Use it. You need to be very specific of what you're looking for (Know Your Keywords, as a former professor said), but I found a lot of current articles on there in my related field.

Also I know my main branch library (dunno about the local branches so much) has excellent resources and very knowledgeable staff, so maybe asking a public library would also be a good idea. Like Kat said, these people have Masters degrees in helping people find information.

[hedgie]

LU Online
online librarian is next to useless.

Any decent library will grant access to academic databases upon enrolment.  Those are generally provided through the library without any need for anything 'cept student credentials.  Even the last place I went gave me access to both EBSCO and Lexis-Nexis, and betwixt the two, I got all of the access to said databases without any problem.

[Grognard]

well, I did talk to my local librarian.
FIRST online resource she mentioned was 'Google Scholar'.
I've been diddling in the internet longer than some of our forumites have been alive:
I'd never heard of Google Scholar before.
SECOND, she showed me how to properly sift thru a research portal when I'm not sleep deprived and hair-trigger frustrated.
THIRD, she gave me the access info for ZINIO, which allows me to download whole publications.
then, she patted my head and sent me forth.
***
I don't think I've had such a productive library visit in DECADES.
and
She's definitely on the Christmas card list for life.  My wife thought the head pat was cute.
sorta like a librarian's "Well, bless your heart..."

[Carl-E]

D'awwww...

OK, I mentioned somewhere else that I've lost some weight recently.  I think most of it's because I've been moved to evenings at the beer barn, which means I get to restock the cooler for the next day.  We only sell cases, so I'm trowing around 40 - 50 cases of beer every night.  [manly grunt]. 

I've also been hired at Macy's as a seasonal employee, dual position, receiving and merchandising.  We'll see what happens.  If you're good, they keep you on.  Not quite minimum wage, but pretty close. 

I think I've mentioned that my parents are willing to help support me (us) if I go back to school for something more marketable.  Which is stupid, I could get a teaching job if I could just move, but ... I can't really move right now.  Don't ask, I really just can't.  It's complicated and involves love and trauma.  Is IT really as hot a field as it sounds? 

Or maybe a master's in instructional tech - something I'm already pretty familiar with, could keep me in education in a role I usually filled with my colleagues anyway...

Trying to find a way to pay off the IRS now, too.   

[Welu]

I shared this on Facebook, I'm trying to be open about mental health stuff since it's really affecting me right now, and Tumblr already, so some of you probably saw this but for those that have not seen it.

After 8ish months (plus years of personal research) of assessments with two doodlies, the conclusion is I very likely am not on the autism spectrum.

I have some social difficulties, which are usually exasperated by recurrent low mood. They recommend continuing to try to understand my mood issues and more importantly doing what I can improve it, especially by reaching out to friends, family and medical professionals.

I think having an answer, even an incomplete one, will help me go on in relevant and constructive ways.

Tonight though I’m gonna eat some ice cream and play video games.

[Carl-E]

Both guaranteed mood-raisers, moreso with friends. 

Wait, isn't moreso a word?  OK, OK, more  so. 

[Akima]

Or maybe a master's in instructional tech - something I'm already pretty familiar with, could keep me in education in a role I usually filled with my colleagues anyway...

You've mentioned in the past that they won't let a man with a PhD in mathematics and years of experience, teach maths in schools without a Dip. Ed. (or whatever they call it there; a teaching credential anyway). I know it is a bit like hiring an F1 driver for a driving school, but is that an option? The school system here is always hurting for maths teachers.

[BeoPuppy]

We're celebrating this kid's fourth birthday today.

Wasn't he a lovely baby?

[Barmymoo]

He was! I bet he's a lovely toddler too.

I no longer need an alarm clock - Paige knows to the second when it's 7am and adorably woke me this morning by touching her nose against mine and chirruping. She didn't wake me up all night. She is the best roommate!

[BeoPuppy]

He is! Even on this fairly crap iPad picture.

Toddler is the official term for a four year old?

[Barmymoo]

Dunno. To my mind, people are still at least a little bit baby until about the age of six; not all the time (I have a memorable image of a four year old I looked after sitting on a bench with her feet in brown cowboy boots hooked up in front of her, on the phone, and realising she would look just like that except bigger as a teen) but still sometimes.

[Carl-E]

Or maybe a master's in instructional tech - something I'm already pretty familiar with, could keep me in education in a role I usually filled with my colleagues anyway...

You've mentioned in the past that they won't let a man with a PhD in mathematics and years of experience, teach maths in schools without a Dip. Ed. (or whatever they call it there; a teaching credential anyway). I know it is a bit like hiring an F1 driver for a driving school, but is that an option? The school system here is always hurting for maths teachers.

I'm stuck in a stupid system in the most restrictive state in the union.  I'd rather just move, but for a short list of reasons am not able to.  Not without leaving literally everything (and everyone) behind. 

Sure,they need math teachers.  I can't even get a sub job without certification, though.  Ed degrees around here are a dime a dozen...

[Welu]

There was an issue in work that wasn't my fault and I asked for help but even they weren't sure what to do and advised me to leave a note for the during the week person. Argh, anxiety.

[ankhtahr]

How the hell did this happen?

I discovered a passion for handwriting with fountain pens.

My handwriting is extremely ugly and uneven, but I intend to work on that. Maybe do some calligraphy as well. I've now fitted my trusty Lamy Studio which I had since 7th grade with a Lamy OB nib (Oblique Bold), which fits the way I hold the pen better. I'd have preferred an Oblique Medium nib, but at least inside Germany Lamy doesn't sell Oblique nibs anymore at all, so I was lucky to have grabbed one of the two nibs the stationary had still in stock. Right now I use bottled ink made by "Graf von Faber-Castell". It's a permanent ink according to ISO 12757-2, so I'm allowed to use it in university exams as well. I'm looking into buying a Lamy Joy with a stud nib (a flat nib without the iridium ball at the tip which is used for calligraphy) right now, and am also considering buying a small bottle of Diamine's "Teal" or "Indigo" ink, or maybe the "Nebelgrau" (fog grey) by De Atramentis.

[Grognard]

I'm a techie, and I love having a fountain pen.
'course, my penmanship has always been good.

handwriting forces you to think: better. more logically. with more forethought?
it just lets my brain catch up and move faster than what I'm putting on the page.

[jwhouk]

That probably explains why I prefer touch-typing to writing.

EDIT: On a more serious note: has anyone else noticed that Project Wonderful appears to be down? Their ads are apparently slowing down the main website, along with a few other sites I peruse regularly.

[Carl-E]

My handwriting is extremely ugly and uneven

Looks good to me - plenty of character, still easily legible! 

stationary

File this under "English is weird".  Stationary = standing still, stationery = writing supplies. 

Oddly enough, they actually have the same root, that of a station; in the first case, a station (military) doesn't move; in the second, the reference is to materials sold by a stationer, a book and paper seller of fixed location, usually associated with a university. 



Thank you, mother.  Kids, this is what happens when you're raised by an English major...

[nekowafer]

I have super terrible handwriting. It hurts to write too

[Pilchard123]

plenty of character

 

[Metope]

My handwriting is pretty good I think, I write by hand a lot, especially in my sketchbooks. Can't use fountain pens unfortunately, I'm left handed so I just end up stabbing the paper with the tip and dragging my hand through the wet ink.

[ankhtahr]

Hmm. There are lefthanded nibs from Lamy. From what I read those were specially designed so that they even allow overwriting (i.e. having your hand above the text to not smear the ink so much).

[Metope]

They don't really work that well, I've tried them. You still have to push the pen in front of your hand as opposed to dragging it across the paper, so if you have to tilt your hand in a weird way to write it'll come out wonky. I guess it's all about practice, but I don't care about nib pens that much. I got a B in calligraphy in art school, good enough.

[Akima]

plenty of character

Speaking of characters, my calligraphy is not very good but the Four Treasures of the Study (文房四宝) still have a certain magic.

[BeoPuppy]

My kid is crashed out. Turns out, if you're four, a weekend with a BBQ AND a birthday is a bit much.

Who knew?

[Carl-E]

Most parents of four year olds. 


At least he didn't puke at either event.   Right?

[Patrick]

Oh god. Drinking all day at the Highland games followed by more drinking, followed by marathon breakup sex, followed by chillin til 5am with my homie... I'm god damn exhausted today.


Sent from my Spacephone using Tapatalk

[BeoPuppy]

Most parents of four year olds. 

At least he didn't puke at either event.   Right?

He did not. Large blessings, to be sure.

[nekowafer]