Both of the textbooks I need for the class I’m taking this semester are available as ebooks, but my options are Kindle or a proprietary publisher owned system. Of course, I can read them on my computer, but now I’m pondering buying a Kindle.
Reset, Continued: 2024
I adopt a theme each year and last year, the theme was Reset. That theme included focusing on physical and mental health, writing more, getting organized and rediscovering creative endeavors. I made progress with three out of four goals. I wrote more, getting my first journal article published and I have several others in the works. I’ve written more here on Micro.Blog in 2023. So mission accomplished. I did a good job getting organized, but I need to stay organized.
Got word a couple of days ago that a coworker of mine passed away unexpectedly. She’s got two young kids. Just devastated for the family.
It’s Christmas Eve and two of the presents we ordered haven’t arrived. One is scheduled to arrive Dec. 26. The other one hasn’t shipped.
How to fix American democracy, from ranked-choice voting to open primaries - The Washington Post
There are some interesting ideas for reform in this article. I was especially interested in the idea that maybe the House of Representatives needs to be significantly larger.
2023 Favorite Eight
I always pull together my favorite eight shots of the year (as a contrast to those algorithmically generated “Best Nine” posts). I love that it gives me an excuse to go back over all of my images from the last year and relive a lot of great memories. Our oldest decided to attend the University of South Carolina and had a great first semester. Liz and I are notably bad a selfies, but this outtake was better than the actual selfie and I love it.
I was thinking about buying my middle child a non-smartphone camera for her to experiment with. She loves taking pictures and has a great eye. I looked at what’s available and realized that the market only offers really cheaply-made cameras, or really expensive cameras. Virtually nothing in between.
Woke up this morning to low water pressure. Turns out a water main at the front of our neighborhood burst overnight…
How NASA Learned to Love the Worm Logo - The New York Times
Now the worm is back. And the meatball is still there too, still the official insignia for NASA.
Enjoyed this article about the two NASA logos. As designers, we typically preach consistency. But in this case, having two logos seems to work.
Had my last in-person class of the semester this morning. It might be my last in-person class of my PhD program. I have mostly independent studies, online classes and my dissertation to go. I’m a part-time student, so I still have a couple of years left, but it seems like some sort of a milestone.
Every Sunday afternoon after a shift change, the music at this coffee shop switches to 100% Taylor Swift. My daughter and I call it the Taylor Shift.
I know we are a women’s basketball school, but the South Carolina men’s team just beat Notre Dame to remain undefeated on the season. These guys are really good. We’ll see how they do in the SEC once conference play starts.
This NY Times articles on the changing nature of the American workplace took an unexpected turn:
In an ironic twist, other workers are now also finding themselves nostalgic for the age of the cubicle.
Not sure about that. As someone who recently moved from a cubicle to an actual office with walls, a door and windows, I can honestly say that I don’t miss my old desk. That said, the article is an interesting read on the changing nature of the office after the pandemic.
SC defeats Mississippi Valley State 101-19. I knew this year’s South Carolina Women’s Basketball team could score, but holding any team to 19 points in an entire game is an impressive defensive performance.
Had some downtime today and built a quick monospace “pixel” font over at Fontstruct. It’s still a work in progress, but you can download it.
This year, I’m thankful for all of the alternatives to Twitter.
Leaving the office for Thanksgiving break. And I will be thankful on Monday that I left myself a detailed to-do list of everything I need to knock out next week so I can hit the ground running.
Years ago, I had a professor who discouraged the use of “non-profit” and preferred “not-for-profit.” Her logic was that the goal of a not-for-profit organization was the mission, not the profits. But that didn’t mean there weren’t profits. Most large non-profits are, indeed, profitable.
I’ve been involved in many non-profits over the years. And many of the boards I’ve been a part of try to run the non-profit like a for-profit businesses. The tension between fulfilling the mission and keeping the lights on is real, and the only background most of us have is rooted in business.
I watched the most insane high school football playoff game last night. The final score was 68-53. The running back on the losing team was essentially unstoppable and had eight touchdowns and 306 yards rushing. My nephew’s team just kept scoring, though. On to the next round of the playoffs.