Just returned from another round of mind over body... − 3 October, 2002
Just returned from another round of mind over body training (a.k.a., the fight to remain conscious during night school). The subject this evening: Management of Information Systems. One of these days I'll get it through my thick skull that it wouldn't be a crime against nature to go to bed at a reasonable hour on the night before one of these long days. I've been working on my Masters in Information Systems for the past year. It's actually been quite interesting. Some nights, however, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak...
Since my first post, my mind has been turning over ideas on future musings. There's one particular topic that I need to get down in some permanent form. Memories are so imperfect. Before that, however, I want to lay down a basic statement of purpose; a "mission statement", as it were. I actually think that most mission statements, such as those promulgated by corporate entities, are a waste of mental effort. Usually, it's those who contribute very little to the actual workings of the business who feel the need (or comprise the committees) to give birth to these bulletin board curiosities (but, that's a subject for another time). My purpose is to inform those who may peruse these logs, as to their origin.
First off, why publish these things in a publicly accessible format in the first place? I've been keeping a journal on and off since 1985. Do I really think that my life is that exciting? In a word - no. My life is pretty normal, even if occasional circumstances drift left of center. However, I do think that some of my experiences MAY be of interest to those who find themselves in similar circumstances. Kinda like when you search the USENET to see what other folks have done when their 1976 AMC Pacer starts burning oil. (Actually, if you can still drive your 1976 Pacer at all you may be a candidate for the Darwin Awards.) Sure, that's an extreme example, but you get the idea. In good times, people like to share what makes them happy, in bad times, misery loves company. The bottom line is, I have no delusions that mine is the life that everyone must read to believe. By the same token, I have refrained from delving very deeply into any of the personal accounts on this site, for the moment, so that I don't find myself subconsciously emulating the ideas or style of anyone else. That brings me to the second point -
Honesty. As is known to all by now, the 'net is a place where you can be whatever you want to be. Self-image is defined in the time it takes to press ENTER. That's not what this log is about. That's not to say that sins of omission won’t creep into the text. Honesty hurts sometimes and I have no desire to throw virtual daggers at friends, co-workers or acquaintances. No, this won't be a sanitized version of reality (there's very little about me that I keep close to the vest), but I'm not wearing the Emperor's new clothes, either. Neither will I (at least intentionally), become something I'm not through this medium. Here's the facts: I'm a 37 year old, white male, single (no distinguishing scars, Ha! Ha!) who has been, as society labels it, fairly successful career-wise. No strong family ties (more about this later), but I have a circle of friends that I care about very much. My tastes, like many things in my life, run to extremes. For example, on the drive to class this evening, I was enjoying a trance CD that I picked-up while on vacation. On the return trip, I cranked up the stereo when "Thunder Island", one of those staples of '70's pop, hit the airwaves. There will probably be a lot of things that I'll explain in the way of an aside as things get rolling. At least for now, you should be content that I'm not a 50-year-old male pretending to be Britney Spears.
Lastly, I don't want this to turn into a liturgy of gripes, gloom and depression. I'm actually something of an optimist (sometimes overly so). I've been blessed with a pretty darn good life. The reason I preface the log with such a statement is two-fold. One, I've seen far too many web sites constructed by angst-ridden Generation Y types (yes, that is an over-generalization and a term used by marketers to package entire populations into neat consumer receptacles) who feel that their lives are Darkness incarnate. I won't debate that things are a bit rougher now, but I also know a good many kids today who don't rest on the excuses of a troubled age. Two, I'm going to cover some pretty depressing stuff right out of the box. This year (2002) has been the worst of my life, made up of the kinds of things that most people face at some point in their existence. Once again, my situation is no worse than others who have faced tragedy (and in some ways. it was probably easier). Still, maybe someone can use these logs as a reality check, if they begin to think that their situation is hopeless or unknowable.
Are you still with me? Great! Unfortunately, I need to get some sleep. The engines of progress demand my full attention at the 8am meeting tomorrow. Ok, maybe 8:15...
Since my first post, my mind has been turning over ideas on future musings. There's one particular topic that I need to get down in some permanent form. Memories are so imperfect. Before that, however, I want to lay down a basic statement of purpose; a "mission statement", as it were. I actually think that most mission statements, such as those promulgated by corporate entities, are a waste of mental effort. Usually, it's those who contribute very little to the actual workings of the business who feel the need (or comprise the committees) to give birth to these bulletin board curiosities (but, that's a subject for another time). My purpose is to inform those who may peruse these logs, as to their origin.
First off, why publish these things in a publicly accessible format in the first place? I've been keeping a journal on and off since 1985. Do I really think that my life is that exciting? In a word - no. My life is pretty normal, even if occasional circumstances drift left of center. However, I do think that some of my experiences MAY be of interest to those who find themselves in similar circumstances. Kinda like when you search the USENET to see what other folks have done when their 1976 AMC Pacer starts burning oil. (Actually, if you can still drive your 1976 Pacer at all you may be a candidate for the Darwin Awards.) Sure, that's an extreme example, but you get the idea. In good times, people like to share what makes them happy, in bad times, misery loves company. The bottom line is, I have no delusions that mine is the life that everyone must read to believe. By the same token, I have refrained from delving very deeply into any of the personal accounts on this site, for the moment, so that I don't find myself subconsciously emulating the ideas or style of anyone else. That brings me to the second point -
Honesty. As is known to all by now, the 'net is a place where you can be whatever you want to be. Self-image is defined in the time it takes to press ENTER. That's not what this log is about. That's not to say that sins of omission won’t creep into the text. Honesty hurts sometimes and I have no desire to throw virtual daggers at friends, co-workers or acquaintances. No, this won't be a sanitized version of reality (there's very little about me that I keep close to the vest), but I'm not wearing the Emperor's new clothes, either. Neither will I (at least intentionally), become something I'm not through this medium. Here's the facts: I'm a 37 year old, white male, single (no distinguishing scars, Ha! Ha!) who has been, as society labels it, fairly successful career-wise. No strong family ties (more about this later), but I have a circle of friends that I care about very much. My tastes, like many things in my life, run to extremes. For example, on the drive to class this evening, I was enjoying a trance CD that I picked-up while on vacation. On the return trip, I cranked up the stereo when "Thunder Island", one of those staples of '70's pop, hit the airwaves. There will probably be a lot of things that I'll explain in the way of an aside as things get rolling. At least for now, you should be content that I'm not a 50-year-old male pretending to be Britney Spears.
Lastly, I don't want this to turn into a liturgy of gripes, gloom and depression. I'm actually something of an optimist (sometimes overly so). I've been blessed with a pretty darn good life. The reason I preface the log with such a statement is two-fold. One, I've seen far too many web sites constructed by angst-ridden Generation Y types (yes, that is an over-generalization and a term used by marketers to package entire populations into neat consumer receptacles) who feel that their lives are Darkness incarnate. I won't debate that things are a bit rougher now, but I also know a good many kids today who don't rest on the excuses of a troubled age. Two, I'm going to cover some pretty depressing stuff right out of the box. This year (2002) has been the worst of my life, made up of the kinds of things that most people face at some point in their existence. Once again, my situation is no worse than others who have faced tragedy (and in some ways. it was probably easier). Still, maybe someone can use these logs as a reality check, if they begin to think that their situation is hopeless or unknowable.
Are you still with me? Great! Unfortunately, I need to get some sleep. The engines of progress demand my full attention at the 8am meeting tomorrow. Ok, maybe 8:15...
