The Major

Author: FourMajor

  • Languages

    This summer I intend to learn some Spanish through self study. (That is, studying by myself, not the study of myself.) I have a three-faced approach I want to take.

    I am going to buy the Rosetta Stone program, getting the set that goes through beginner to expert level. It is a bit pricey but the reviews are good. I would also like to read Don Quixote in Spanish. Lastly, I will watch some Spanish television and/or movies. I think these things are a good approach. Maybe I will even seek out a language partner.

    After I get a better grasp on Spanish, which would be beyond this summer, there are other languages that I would like to learn, not necessarily fluently. I’d like to learn French so I can read certain texts in their original language. Most recently I have wanted to read Proudhon, one of the fathers of anarchism. I’d also like to learn some Arabic and a dialect of Chinese.

    So there I have it. Spanish for now, and then the others for later on down the line.

    Update: Earlier I forgot to mention Hebrew. For a similar, but not the same, reason as French.

  • Oatmeal

    God damn, I love oatmeal.

  • Ipod Resurrection and Sacrifice

    William/Will/Billy/Oogablah lent me his Ipod. I sacrificed it to the Apple gods, took the 10GB hard drive out, and replaced my dead 40GB hard drive. It’s like getting an inferior kidney from a family member. Better than your now defunct kidney but it’s not as good as you once were.

    I did cut my finger though opening William’s Ipod.

  • More Posts

    I think I am going to start posting more. And start posting more mundane, everyday things…like Twitter. That should help to get rid of all those pesky readers.

    First one of the new style: I just watched water boil. It didn’t take that long, but I grew impatient nonetheless.

  • Construction in the Alley

    I love it how for 2.5 years the people outside of my window on the other side of the alley seem to have been working on constructing something (constructing what? don’t ask me) on and off the whole time.

  • English Paper

    Writing a paper that I am not interested in for English class sucks.

  • My Ear

    It started as the flu. Then it turned into a sinus infection. Then I supposedly got another cold. The doctor gave me some medicine. The nasal congestion and cough cleared up (for the most part). My left ear still felt clogged. I went back to the doctor’s today and he said it wasn’t congested but it was now inflamed. Ugh. Now I have ear drops. Which I have to use four times daily. For ten days. I’ll also have an appointment with an ear/nose/throat specialist if the prescription doesn’t help.

    All I want is to be able to hear well again out of my left ear! Enough already, argh!

  • Google transit finally included MUNI in their service. An example.

    I’ll be using this a lot more frequently now.

  • Next Up

    MCSE. Hoping to get it by the end of the year. I might go for either the messaging or security specialization which would require nine tests, instead of seven for the base MCSE.

  • FNCNE

    I am now a Foundry Networks Certified Network Engineer (FNCNE). I like to pronounce it “Fahnooknee.” They need new people in marketing.

    Anyway, passing score is 75 out of 100. Last time I got a 74. After intense cramming, especially last night, I raised my score to a 78. Haha I almost would have rather just gotten a 75.

    Anyway, yeah, last night, with the help of my first caffeine in 1.5 years (and a lot of it, about 300mg total), I had the most productive mental night I have had in a long time. I spent about three hours studying for Foundry, one hour working on a rough draft for English, and one hour reading for English. To bed by 3:15am and up at 7:15am. That was after working for 12 hours. Wow…crazy. I didn’t want to go back on caffeine but in this case it was worth it, even if all it got me was four more correct answers.

    Anyway, I’ll be buzzing until tonight…and then I intend to sleep very well. This is a very strange feeling, I’m very anxious, excitable, on edge, etc. Whatever 🙂