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February 27, 2007
Cherry Coke Zero
Yes I just drank a 20oz caffeinated beverage. I can report to you that caffeine still affects me as I believe my hands are now shaking. Hopefully it will have its intended consequences on my productivity.
Posted by kfeigh at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2007
FYI Identity Theft
Here's a good resource to check to see how safe your information is. I'd guess that if your credit card information was on the list, you'd already know about it though.
Posted by kfeigh at 08:12 AM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2007
Hat in the ring
There is a saying that you'll never make it if you don't try. I've been holding on to it tightly as I've sent my application in to various universities. Today I turned in my hardest one today, the one for here. I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my entire life, and I've done some fairly nerve wracking interviews before. (Nothing quite like a shuttle certification I'm sure, but enough for me).
We'll see how it goes. Right now I'm just trying to concentrate on my thesis work and on my seminar talk for VT. Let all the other stuff just wash over me...
Posted by kfeigh at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2007
Wouldn't you know it?
The week after getting a flush email from UV*A I get an interview invitation from Virginia Te*ch. I'm excited and nervous. Mostly I'm nervous because I tried giving an interview seminar on Monday, and found out that I'm no where near where I need to be with it yet. There were a lot of confused looks/faces. Must figure this out soon as it is not longer an academic exercise so to speak, but actually must happen soon. The other reason is that I'm also putting in an application to GT soon, and while imagining all of the politics going on about my potential hire somewhere else is not too bad, imagining it going on around me is terrifying. And lastly this means that I actually need to be done by July (also terrifying).
Other than that life goes on. Brian turns in his thesis to his adviser today :) Happy Dance. Hopefully this means one of us will have time to do laundry this weekend. Laundry is hard because it requires that you be at home to do it. Unfortunately, I really need to be at work with my two big monitors coding.
My dad is in town for about 30 hours and got to come by yesterday and hang out for a while.
I'm spending most waking hours coding and not seeing much visible progress. (why is that in coding as your effort increases the visible output decreases?).
Posted by kfeigh at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2007
2nd Rejection
Just when I said my life was boring, I get a flush letter from UVA to add some spice. The good news is that it came from the departmental secretary via email, so I can share it with you.
Thank you for your interest in the tenure track position in the Systems and Information Engineering department at the University of Virginia. Our committee has carefully reviewed all applicants to date. While we were impressed with your application materials, I regret to inform you that the committee felt that your current portfolio did not match the needs of the department.
Sigh.
Posted by kfeigh at 08:22 PM | Comments (1)
Programming and Writing
That was my weekend. Except for a short trip to the grocery store after a haircutt, I spent all weekend working. Gee my life is exciting. Now back to more programming -- the writing part is over for a little while at least.
Posted by kfeigh at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2007
Code Day
I have a conference paper due Monday and then another one due Friday. The one for Friday is done, the one for Monday is in a shambles. So what did I do today? Code, of course.
I am horribly unenthused about writing this conference paper and so have been ignoring it. I'm hoping that magic elves will write it for me (or that my supervisor will tell me that I don't have write it at all).
I spent all day learning the vagaries of java and hunting down "bugs". I've got this new IDE so the bugs aren't the usual kind. The IDE is really good about making sure I comply with all the compiler's rules -- so the bugs are more of the 'what's it doing now" kind. Or better yet the I-know-there-must-be-a-way-to-do-this-but-how kind. Eitherway I spent all day and am now ready to go home. I'm just waiting on Brian.
This is his crunch period. His finished thesis is due to his supervisor on the 28th of Feburary. He still has 3 chapters to go. His thesis is due to his Committee on week after that. We are working on the plan that he should write the final chapters in this order: conclusion, introduction and background. We are also both working under the assumption that the background chapter is going to need a substantial re-write in the post defense period. Needless to say, no one is seeing much of Brian these days, save his computer.
Oh, and Becca Brian wants to know if you'll write the last chapter of his thesis. He thinks that your default final paragraph is fitting, "I'm done now"
Posted by kfeigh at 05:54 PM | Comments (1)
February 06, 2007
Sleep, glorious sleep
Last night I got 11 hours of fairly uninterrupted sleep. It was wonderful. For the second time in 7 days I didn't have to trade sleeping and breathing off. Normally this is a common tradeoff when one is sick, but my case went further in that not only couldn't I breath because my nose was stuffed up, but I also couldn't breath because my lungs were filling with goo.
I'm still not 100%, but I do feel much better after a good night's sleep:)
In other news I've decided to forward my CV on to NA*SA along with some pictures of me in costume. I hear that's all the rage in the astronaut core these days...
Posted by kfeigh at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2007
What do you call it
One of the most frustrating things about learning a new coding language (or well any new skill) is learning the jargon. For example right now I'm trying to figure out what something would be called in java. I want to place some tables in the ?? container where the container will have a plus/minus toggle button. When the plus sign is showing the table will be hidden, when the minus sign is showing the table will be revealed. I thought this would be a tree thing, but after reading up about trees I'm not so sure. So if anyone knows what the official name for this plus/minus button container is, please put me out of my misery. Otherwise I'm going to implement it the old fashioned way using a toggle button (with special graphics) and the visible property. Which seems like a kluge to me.
I'm still sick by the way. At around 3am last night my sore throat finally disappeared, which I am grateful for. Now if only my sinuses would similarly heal themselves.
Posted by kfeigh at 05:35 PM | Comments (2)