The Upgrade Goes On
Guess what? Upgrade successful, and now I have an English operating system at last. ♥ Except I now have to keep working at making sure all the hardware works... T_T

I really should have just waited two weeks and bought a computer with Windows 7 installed. *sigh*

Without getting into the horrible politics involved, let me just say that a prep was added to our workload and I now have to teach a 16 week course (1 hour classes each week, so only 16 hours of material) about mythology. That's the only topic I have to stick with. The activities must be "rigorous, enriching, and accelerated for potentially advanced students." Ideas?

ETA: Mixed grade level, but 6th, 7th, 8th

On Monday Dan was invited over for dinner by one of his freshmen calculus students. Nurhak is from Turkey. So we went over and he lives in a nice, BIG apartment which he shares with 5 other guys and rotating Turkish guests who visit from all over Korea. In the apt live 2 guys from KAIST (Dan's job), 2 guys from Chungnam (my old job) and two guys who are working. Apparently, one of my former students is one of the CNU guys living there. He wasn't there when we arrived, but came back about 3 hours later and walked into his apt. to find his old English professor.

Dinner was great. Each guy takes a turn cooking and we were invited on Monday because Monday is the best cook - who happens to be an out of town guest who comes up every Monday? He's a student in Taegu, about an hour by train away.

They were a great group of guys, we had a really nice time visiting and they've invited us back anytime, which I've warned them we might take them up on it. I also promised them some cookies, and the next time I go up to Seoul I may buy phyllo dough to try and make them some baklava. For them I'll pay the 12,000Won for the pastry.

I wrote both my final exam tests yesterday so now I'm being a lazy ass today!

Wish List
Discovered Wishlistr today and made a universal wish list. Neat--I can even import from Amazon! Except that I had to delete a lot of things (because I use Amazon as a repository of books-to-think-about rather than a real wish list... ^_^;) But I made up for it. Sort of. Anyway. ^_^

Upgrading
Doing the Windows 7 upgrades today, and I'm thinking of wiping the drives and starting over. I saved everything I could--I just hope I remembered everything. ^_^;

ETA: Oh man. All I had to do was re-install the operating system and I could have chosen "English" as an option? Microsoft, you have to be kidding me--this was up your sleeve and you never said anything. I didn't have to pay the extra $120 for Ultimate after all. This has to be a joke. [Edit: Only for Vista. Windows 7 fixed that loophole. Huh.]

Birthdays
Happy Birthday, bigmog! I hope you are at home enjoying your Black Friday haul. ^_^

Found on the Internet
Via doubt72: a blog post addressing skeptics and people who think scientists should play nice. Amen.

Also via doubt72: Don't let that time of the month interfere with your relationship with your vampire boyfriend. Oh dear lord, I LOL'ed.

Blockbuster Employee of the Year
Poor Megan had to deal with David Thorne, who, quite honestly, seems like a real ass from the e-mail exchange he had with Blockbuster. If you have movies that are three weeks overdue and you are in the wrong, why on earth do you think harassing a poor customer service rep who's just doing her job is right? Same goes for poor Jane. And Peter. Can you tell I think David Thorne is an assh*le?

David also did Simon's pie charts, which are funnier and at least have me agreeing with David instead of wishing he would DIAF. Via doubt72.


Sleep
Did not get enough for the past few days, and today I crashed. Went to work, taught for five hours, came home and crashed in bed within a few minutes. Doug says he checked on me twice and I was out like a light both times. ^_^; I guess I really needed that sleep, huh?

DDR
Should do some tomorrow--DDR group is having a party this weekend, and if I don't make sure I'm at least somewhat useful on the pads, I'm going to suck so bad when we do it in a group... Hoo boy, that could so be misinterpreted...

Schedule Suck
I have a late start on Wednesday, which is nice except that Doug has to go to school. When he gets back, I'll need to prepare for work. Hooray. Doug has Thursday off, but this does me absolutely no good because I have to work all day and I won't be home at all. Hooray. Thank god we live together. We might never see each other, otherwise. >_<

ETA: Upgrading to Windows 7
I have run out of hard disk space. Again. *deleting things off external hard drive and having problems choosing* ARGH. Doug, we need to watch some of these series so I can toss them!

tomokoninomiya.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2009/11/23-aa12.html

Nodame Vol. 23

Today, Volume 23 goes on sale!
[PICTURE]
Since day before yesterday, access to my site
has shot way up, so I am taking the opportunity
to announce the release. The special pictures
drawn by my assistants are also in this volume.

Even though this is the final volume,
there will be one more tankobon volume
for the "Opera Chapter". Speaking of
which...hopefully....
(I'm not making myself very clear, am I...)

[PICTURE]
Look at the pile of research materials I have...
Opera is hard...(Weep)
But it's interesting, too. Soon I'll have
more to say about it!

Baby Corner
[PICTURE]
The tricycle he got for his first birthday!
But his feet still don't reach the pedals...

------------------------------------------------------

November 27, 2009 12:53pm

(Not) Writing At Work
I cannot run LSB XE from work unless I bring Kazuki--the computers are set to block USB keys for anything beyond documents!  *sad*  That netbook is looking mighty tempting again.  Ah well--I should just get used to toting Kazuki around.  

Recording Stuff
My external sound card (the one I bought specifically for voice recording) has not worked at all with Vista, but I only just realized recently that this was probably because of Vista's new sound architecture (which will carry forward to Windows 7). I'm pretty sure Sound Blaster has drivers out, so I'll just wait until I can start on the installation etc and then update everything and make sure my drivers are all in order too.

Windows 7 Upgrade
I'm planning furiously at the moment (not sure if furiously is the right word to use, but hey). I've already figured out everything I want to back up, and I think my list of programs to re-install is more-or-less written in stone by now. The only thing I'm still sort of worried about is Adobe Creative Suite 2, specifically Photoshop CS2. Oh well--that's what compatability mode is for. I can't wait to upgrade--error messages composed entirely of question marks REALLY bug me. At least when the error messages are in Japanese I can read them, but what do you do when the bloody things use different (and more importantly, incompatible) encodings?

In Search of a Less-Material Existence
I need to go to Book-Off one of these days. Once I import my CD collection to hard disk, I think I'm going to just sell the CDs. I also have a lot of manga and other stuff that is just sitting around and not really being very useful. I'm afraid I don't have time to read them, and Doug doesn't have the inclination to. Rather than just let it continue to sit there, I think monetizing it might be a better idea. Who knows--I might get enough to pay taxes next year. ^_^

I also need to sell my radio. No CDs, no radio. Now that I have a desktop with speakers, I can just play music from it whenever I want music. I'm also going to be getting iTunes at last (*sigh*)

I suppose I'd better start looking around for a buyer for Saeki, too. I could always just keep him, I suppose.  He doesn't seem to be useful any more, though, since a portable laptop is a better way to go. Kazuki just isn't as portable as a netbook, and his LCD screen is getting darker (showing his age, sadly). On the other hand, he's all paid for, so there is no additional cash to fork out.

Oh god, I don't know. Brain fried. Tired. Burned out. And it's only Monday.

This video makes me smile

Just got back from a trip to Wakayama and Mie. Here are a few photos I'd taken. 8)



( More photos in larger size! )

Japan in autumn is awesome. 8)

so after meeting upon meeting and very little to do and projects that seemed to be on low, everything has been put on equal footing which means finish all back-burner mid to low priority projects started at any time in 2009 by the end of 2009. and so now, thinking there was sufficient time, realize that there's just barely enough time to finish all the extra duties that i've taken on. so no more short breaks out to chat or stuff with the co-workers. no chatting with people or posting anything on the internet. all things have now been deemed must finish now, as if i was supposed to just assume this to be true.

i just wish that i had been informed of this urgency ahead of time, for as far as i knew these projects were not that important. but now i've got 4 weeks to really just get everything done on top of taking one more person's work. yep, another team member has left (on maternity leave this time) and i was 'asked' if i could take on about half of her duties. so i'm doing the administrative/coordination work of about 4 people on top of my original workload, and 2 side projects.

hizah?

anyhow, i'm just going to be working for the working to get these done. I'm going to be taking on part-time work if it comes (which some has already come my way, but who knows how many more will arrive) and i'm going to be going out and socializing even less, but there are a couple things that i've planned to head out/hang out. other than that, my time is not my own, but belongs to work, my home, and my kitchen.

Wakemate
For someone with the sleep patterns of a caffeinated monkey (like me), this WakeMate might actually help. Maybe.

Sort of Writing At Last
Okay, no, not really, but does outlining and other similar stuff count? I've been sticking my WIPs into Liquid Story Binder to learn more about using it. Fanfiction helps act as a really convenient (and still productive) way to learn things. ^_^

Eyeglasses
I need to get new eyeglasses--I'm beginning to squint too much, which is a Bad Thing™. I'm really not sure where the money is going to come from, but maybe if I wait a little, somehow I'll be able to get a new pair when my tax refund comes in. (If the money isn't going towards my plane ticket home...)

The Sims 3
Armed with a workaround for the region limitation (thank you cienna and ramble_corner), I just pre-ordered World Adventures. It won't get here until January 2010, but that's okay--I wanted to lock in the price (¥2810) while I still could. ^_^ Yay for Amazon's price guarantee!

Liquid Story Binder
Still interesting. I'm working on a story (not original, but only because I don't want to kill my original bunny by accident) and figuring things out as I go along (and enter things). This isn't a half-bad way to learn how to use the software, and I'm helping myself with the whole process anyway. The manual is really horribly written. *whimper* I wonder if they're looking for anyone to rewrite the manual for them? (Thing is, if I do, will I get any payment at all? That's one of those things you'd consider a labor of love, and all that.)

My Spot
Doug is playing on Sims 3, and I'm using Kazuki while sitting in a corner of the room. I even have extra light, because I bought a lamp for the purpose of spot lighting for the piano when we moved in... funny how it's being pressed into use as a computer light now, too. ^_^ Anyway, this is working fine--I can do my thing and Doug can do his, and everyone is happy, whoohoo! ♥

Computer Upgrading
I'm making to-do lists for tasks I need to do when upgrading Sangria to Windows 7 Ultimate. Saved games, Sims 3 downloads, other things... oooh, I love this. Computer stuff rocks so hard. ♥ Finally I'll get an operating system that doesn't suck. (At least, one sure hopes Windows 7 doesn't suck... even though anything is better than Vista.)

I don't know if I'm alone in this, but shallow and / or insensitive behavior really, really disturbs me a LOT. I mean, sometimes it's just to the point of annoying me or making me angry, which is probably pretty typical and I'm sure many people would react similarly. But other times it really upsets and saddens me, even if the behavior doesn't actually affect me personally.

I don't know how else to describe it, but when I see something happening that I know would be hurtful to someone else, even if that person isn't around and they'll never know about it, I start to feel the hurtfulness of that within myself and it is really, really upsetting to me. If it goes on for long enough I'll have to leave and get myself away from it, because it bothers me too much. People do a lot of sick stuff to each other with a total lack of consciousness about what their actions imply or what they might mean to someone else, and that's something that is very difficult for me to understand or accept. I spend so much time thinking about what things mean to me, and trying to sort out my own feelings and how my feelings affect what I do for myself and with regards to others, that I find it hard to understand how some other people can be much more cavalier in their actions and behaviors.

It hurts me when I see something wrong happening -- and for me, "wrong" is anything that someone does that they wouldn't want to have done to them. That's the best definition of "wrong" that I've ever been able to come up with. Double standards are especially wrong in my book, because by definition you're setting a standard for someone else that you personally wouldn't want to be held to. There are days when it makes me really upset knowing how much of that goes on in the world, from very petty personal levels all the way up to greater levels of corruption and oppression. The topics that you will find that I have a very strong sense of judgment about are situations where I feel that someone's freedom or best interests are being preyed or infringed upon, because I literally can't stand it. I can't stand the thought, for example, of parents who don't strive their utmost to do the best they can by their children, or people in positions of power who live to exploit the people below them for their own personal benefit.

If I had one wish, it would be for greater conscientiousness and self-awareness for everybody -- including myself, because I'm sure I could be doing a better job than I'm doing, too. The only thing I can try to do is be better and better every day -- more self-responsible, more self-aware, and more considerate. And I can hope that if I do a good job at those things, I'll inspire other people to want to do the same for themselves.

Those of you in the Minneapolis area or possibly elsewhere.. I found two fabulous christmas cookie recipes from Penzey's catalog of spices about 5 years ago. It was pre-Dan so it had to be the Christmas or Winter spice catalog before 2005. I'm thinking 2003 or 2004, but it could possibly be 2005. I'm looking for the Ginger Cookies and Pecan Fingers. What I remember about the ginger cookie recipe is that it asked for a lot of ginger, like 3 TABLESPOONS of ginger. It was my favorite ginger cookie recipe and it's in a box in Wisconsin at my mother's house and I can't ask my nearly 70 year old mother to go through all my boxes to find my recipe.

As I'm gearing up for baking season - I'd really like some help please!

Okay, that's enough doom-and-gloom, Ai. Time for some thanks-giving.

Thanksgiving
I am thankful for:
♥ Having friends like you guys.
♥ My family being healthy.
♥ Meeting Doug.
♥ Being employed (though in constant fear of unemployment).
♥ Having a college education.
♥ A wonderful apartment in Yoyogi.
♥ A great boss and colleagues.
♥ The Internet.
♥ The little kindnesses people do for me that I never appreciate enough but should.
♥ Finally realizing it's better to struggle through life somehow than the alternative.

Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday, lady_mari_chan!

Best Keyboards
What is the best keyboard you've ever typed on? I own an IBM Model M (bought it used for RM20 at a secondhand hardware store in Malaysia that had no idea what a treasure they had on hand). Unfortunately for me, when I moved to Japan, the Model M got left at home. I told everyone in my family that I loved the keyboard and that people were NOT allowed to throw it out or give it away. I sure hope they remember. ^_^;

The Filco Majestouch I'm working on right now cost $89--I plan to use this baby for years to come. (At least, until I get my beloved IBM back. Then I might alternate or just give in and have two computers. ^_~) For the record, I've also used a Microsoft Natural and loved it--I just wish one could buy those in Japan with an English layout and a cord (what is it with the focus on wireless ergonomic keyboards anyway?)

Digital Nomad
Windows 7 arrived at last, but I haven't been able to get anywhere near my computer all day! Doug has been playing Sims 3 all day (and the only time he hasn't been playing is when we've been out), and so I was reduced to surfing on his Powerbook. It gave me a headache--I couldn't stand the screen, somehow, and his keyboard, urgh... plus don't get me started on how horribly fiddly scrolling on that touchpad was in Google Spreadsheets. I surfed over and checked out Scrivener's video tutorial, but it turned out to be less than what I originally thought it was, so I think I've been cured of wanting a Mac for a very nice long time now. I don't want a netbook anymore. ^_^

Anyway. I finally decamped and ran away to Kazuki, old faithful Kazuki who I have neglected shamefully. ^_^; He's still good to use, even though I don't have a good keyboard plugged into him. I guess I'm just a PC girl through and through, and I am never going to change that. I also really like Kazuki's keyboard. Acer keyboards are nice to use. And roomy--hooray for full-size computers!

If I had the foresight to install Liquid Software Binder on this computer and set it up so that my saved stories were on Dropbox, I might have been able to work on Planeswalker today. ^_^; I think I'll have to do that in the future, just because it's unfair that Doug paid for half of the computer and never gets to use it. So I set up LSB XE on my USB key so at least in the future I won't waste an entire day off doing nothing again.

Now that I think about it, if I give Kazuki to my mother, then I won't be able to use a PC when Doug is playing games. >_< That's no good... I think I'm going to have to re-think this whole old-PC thing again. Maybe a netbook is the way to go?

*sigh* Seriously though, today felt like an absolute waste. I got nothing done. Christmas cards are out, but that's it. Nothing else got done, and I feel like a pretty big git for wasting one more precious weekend. I don't get it--everyone else manages to fit so much into their time, so why is it I get nothing done at all?

JTE A often makes vocabulary handouts. I saw the word 水夫 as the translation for sailor in one of the handouts and said かこ, the JTE was totally shocked that I knew that reading of the word off the top of my head. Now how do I know this? Video games(specifically Breath of Fire 2 and LoH3: Shiroki Majo) of course, I didn't just assume it was すいふ, I went through the trouble of confirming my hunch and found that it also has the reading of かこ, and thereby was able to shock my JTE that day.

The story gets way too convoluted in the end, it's like they're trying to cram an entire separate game's worth of plot into the game at the end. Too many names to remember that you can't attach a face to initially. So it's easy to forget who's who.

Suikoden games have 108 characters, and I've never had that problem with Suikoden. So it must be TRS' problem.

Ultimately, I prefer Berwick Saga. Better, easier to understand story, more well-developed characters. And the character balance is just amazing. There's only one useless character, but he's meant to be a joke. Berwick Saga is harder, but it's more balanced at the same time, and you don't have to think "hmm, maybe I should have spent more time arena abusing," since that doesn't exist in BS. There's a proper strategy around everything in BS, no time-consuming power leveling involved.

So I eventually gave up TRS at Ch. 37, the story lost my interest.