Writing Prompts 3/3

  1. What are your plans for the evening following what was surely a long week? Are you satisfied with how the year went?
  2. November 22nd is a big day for a graying segment of the population; calculate your age for that particularly bad day in Dallas, and describe the most important President of your lifetime.
  3. Last weekend before the short week. For fellow U-S Americans, this is essentially a three-day week. Do you have any big plans for the remainder of week before tryphtophan poisoning?
  4. Write a bit about why you’ve chosen to write this (and past) years. How many years have you been at it? Art you satisfied with what you’ve written this year? In past years?
  5. Describe your travel plans for the next few months. Is there any destination you’re really excited about? Any you’re dreading?
  6. Describe what you’re doing for the rest of this year.
  7. Write about your day. For Americans, if you’re stuffed/drunk/sleepy, describe why. If you’re a Cowboys’ fan, we understand why you’re drinking, but please elaborate anyway.
  8. Today is “Black Friday.” Is this just a gimmick? Will you be shopping for $religious_observance?
  9. Since today is the last day of the month with a prime number, describe your last prime-numbered age. What were the highlights? What were the low point?
  10. The end. Please free-write about what you’ve done this month, and the past year.

Writing Prompts 2/3

  1. Today is Veterans’ Day in the US, and Armistice Day everywhere else in the civilized world.  2014 is the hundredth anniversary of “the great war.”  Write what you know about World War I.  Do you have any relatives who served in the military?  Anyone currently? Do you have to work today? Go to school?
  2. Did you get a flu shot this year? Describe the last time you really had “the flu.” I’m really looking for the real flu.
  3. Now that we’ve talked about being sick, what medications and/or suppliaments do you take? Why do you take them?
  4. What are your plans for the weekend?
  5. Earlier this week, we wrote about drugs. Of which libations do you partake? When were you last drunk? What’s in your glass now?  What will be later?
  6. What’s the best place for brunch in the city where you live?  When did you last go?
  7. ~o/When I was seventeen/it was a very good year/o  Write about seventeen year-old you.
  8. Have you started your holiday shopping?  Any idea what you’re going to get people?
  9. Have you ever been to a foreign country?  List the ones you’ve visited, and what you remember about them
  10. Now that you’re two-thirds of the way through, write about whatever you’d like.  Will you finish this year?  When have you done this previously?

I will keep waiting to see if anyone offers some suggestions before I finish.

Writing Prompts 2/3

  1. Today is Veterans’ Day in the US, and Armistice Day everywhere else in the civilized world.  2014 is the hundredth anniversary of “the great war.”  Write what you know about World War I.  Do you have any relatives who served in the military?  Anyone currently? Do you have to work today? Go to school?
  2. Did you get a flu shot this year? Describe the last time you really had “the flu.” I’m really looking for the real flu.
  3. Now that we’ve talked about being sick, what medications and/or suppliaments do you take? Why do you take them?
  4. What are your plans for the weekend?
  5. Earlier this week, we wrote about drugs. Of which libations do you partake? When were you last drunk? What’s in your glass now?  What will be later?
  6. What’s the best place for brunch in the city where you live?  When did you last go?
  7. ~o/When I was seventeen/it was a very good year/o  Write about seventeen year-old you.
  8. Have you started your holiday shopping?  Any idea what you’re going to get people?
  9. Have you ever been to a foreign country?  List the ones you’ve visited, and what you remember about them
  10. Now that you’re two-thirds of the way through, write about whatever you’d like.  Will you finish this year?  When have you done this previously?

I will keep waiting to see if anyone offers some suggestions before I finish.

Writing Prompts 1/3

Followup to yesterday’s entry…. People who know me personally will see the impetus for some of these.

  1. List your schools, through high school. Describe a memory from each.
    List some of your earliest memories. Where were you? Is there anyone who could provide clarity about them?
  2. Describe your year to date.
  3. Since it’s Election Day, when did you first vote? Did you vote today? Have your political opinions changed as you’ve aged?
  4. Write about your siblings. Where are they now, what are they doing? When was the last time you saw him/her/them? Are you on good terms?
  5. Describe a typical day for you at work. You can go total Peter Gibbons on this one.
  6. Write about your mother.
  7. If you attended college, talk about your alma mater. Did you have a good experience? Are you happy with the major you selected? Are there any lessons that’ll stick with you forever? Do you have people you keep in contact with?
  8. Pro sports time — list your favorite teams, along with when you started following them.
  9. Describe the highs and lows of your fandom.
  10. With a third of the month passed, what are your plans for the rest of the month

Writing Prompts 1/3

Followup to yesterday’s entry…. People who know me personally will see the impetus for some of these.

  1. List your schools, through high school. Describe a memory from each.
    List some of your earliest memories. Where were you? Is there anyone who could provide clarity about them?
  2. Describe your year to date.
  3. Since it’s Election Day, when did you first vote? Did you vote today? Have your political opinions changed as you’ve aged?
  4. Write about your siblings. Where are they now, what are they doing? When was the last time you saw him/her/them? Are you on good terms?
  5. Describe a typical day for you at work. You can go total Peter Gibbons on this one.
  6. Write about your mother.
  7. If you attended college, talk about your alma mater. Did you have a good experience? Are you happy with the major you selected? Are there any lessons that’ll stick with you forever? Do you have people you keep in contact with?
  8. Pro sports time — list your favorite teams, along with when you started following them.
  9. Describe the highs and lows of your fandom.
  10. With a third of the month passed, what are your plans for the rest of the month

November is almost here

Obviously, this past winter was more than a little tumultuous, between getting laid off by the four-letter company, dealing with a separate financial matter, being bummed out about Shady Grove Marketplace closing, and an MS exacerbation, I basically stopped writing for awhile. During this hectic time, the place where I’d been writing since 1999 shut down for good.

Since 2010, I’d been writing every single day of November, and continued that last year, despite the site’s death rattles. Unfortunately, I haven’t latched onto something for next month yet.

This year, I want to write. I will write. But what to write about? This is the question.

If I was lazy, I’d recycle prompts from the past four years. Instead, I’m looking for inspiration from my, to steak a phrase from Katy, nonexistent readers.

Hmmmmm.

Exhaustion Got Me

Yeah, I didn’t write about what I’d meant to. I also didn’t run an errand I desperately need to.

I can forgive myself. This situation is taking every ounce of patience I have. (Yes, there’s something fishy going on that I’m not going to write about here. Let’s just say that I really shouldn’t have to put up with shit like this at this stage in my life. This is even more true when I’m doing a favor…..)

I haven’t gotten very far into Chopra’s book; my eyes get weird when I’m tired. But I’ve had time to think about it all more. With that consideration, I find myself really confirming my initial thoughts.

Similarly, I do know what I’m supposed to expect in my current position. I’m not getting it.

Whatever.

A friend, and former co-worker is coming by in a bit to discuss ITS757. One of the places I really take Mr. Chopra’s approach to heart is the emphasis on open data.

This change in thinking is something the certification wizards don’t understand.

Exhaustion Got Me

Yeah, I didn’t write about what I’d meant to. I also didn’t run an errand I desperately need to.

I can forgive myself. This situation is taking every ounce of patience I have. (Yes, there’s something fishy going on that I’m not going to write about here. Let’s just say that I really shouldn’t have to put up with shit like this at this stage in my life. This is even more true when I’m doing a favor…..)

I haven’t gotten very far into Chopra’s book; my eyes get weird when I’m tired. But I’ve had time to think about it all more. With that consideration, I find myself really confirming my initial thoughts.

Similarly, I do know what I’m supposed to expect in my current position. I’m not getting it.

Whatever.

A friend, and former co-worker is coming by in a bit to discuss ITS757. One of the places I really take Mr. Chopra’s approach to heart is the emphasis on open data.

This change in thinking is something the certification wizards don’t understand.

The Weekend That Was

I probably should write a longer reax to what I saw at Start Norfolk Friday and Saturday, but that can wait until later this weekend.

I seriously blew the 30 seconds I had for the pitch after having microphone confusion. I did get to meet, speak with Aneesh Chopra, which was seriously cool. At the same time, I asked him why he’d gone around to invent a whole new process for technology acquisition. He said even the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) process took too long.

That irks me a bit, but it’s perhaps emblematic of the modern Democratic Party, who’d rather not have any sort of investigation into their decision-making. SBIR is fast when compared to normal acquisition, but it forces people to compete. When one of these things fails to work, which will happen, where’s the accountability?

As you can imagine, I have a lot to say about this, as well as reliance on “value” propositions. I was quite disappointed to see that academia is now embracing such nonsense. Of the seven elements of the “business model” presented in the first talk, only two are immediately quantifiable.

Unfortunately, my body got the best of me for the second half of Saturday, and today. I’m trying to be as well-prepared as I possibly can be for a full week of work.

It is what it is; meanwhile, the Windows Server 2003 support end date of 14 July 2015 draws a week nearner.

Admit You're Wrong

“Oh no, not yet.”
Background music here. (Along with the coolest CGI 1993 had to offer, and a depressingly-sad song set to colossal synth orchastra hits that prevent you from noticing first few listens…. I like that kind of thing.)
But back to the message. Everybody makes mistakes. We’re human. If Lovie Smith is the coach he’s purported to be, he’s telling himself that today, after last night. The key is learning to recognize when what you’re doing isn’t working, and to change things up.
Sticking to the football references, this is somewhere where Al Davis didn’t “get it.” Maybe speed, and throwing downfieldd all the time worked in 1983; it doesn’t work anymore. The coaching staff who got you to your last Super Bowl was boring “West Coast Offense,” and Rich Gannon. You didn’t win fast enough, and you got JaMarcus Russell.
So much of what I see being done in my career field is looking for JaMarcus. Hey, this worked in 2003, it should work in 2014. Cluestick — it doesn’t. In fact, trying to recreate it is foolish in light of what’s happened technologically.
So, what I’m trying to do is do honest analysis, and choose the best solution(s) for the current situation. Maybe they’re not textbook. Maybe they don’t lend themselves to an expensive multiple-choice test. Still, I am confident that ultimately, I can help someone make the correct decision based on the situation.
I’m writing this just before I attend Start Norfolk, so that’s affecting my thought patterns quite a bit. My current work position is also a bit akin to being a Tackle in an Art Shell Air Coryell offense. *sigh*