Ok, now a new computer

The new computer is set up. I'm still deciding which Linux distro I want to set up on here. I'm torn between Gentoo and Slackware. Debian is still a possibility, but the other two are in the lead for now. I am even wondering which window manager I want to use. I suppose I could experiment with all these variables, but I find research first means the experiments can be much more efficient.

Anyway enough about my new computer and on to a tiny rant. Recently a few people have been making some 'job proposals' to me. These 'jobs' tend to be more like free labor for a doomed project. Now I have no problem working on doomed projects, but not for free. I have heard so many people offer to pay me after the project takes off, or by giving me a percentage of the company itself.

I have said no every single time. It's hard enough getting people with money to pay me what they owe me sometimes. I do not want to deal with people who have no money, but 'the next (youtube, facebook, twitter, digg, etc.)'. Not that I wish for these people ill fortune. If they make it, awesome. I, however, have a desperate urge to eat on a fairly regular basis, and so I prefer to be paid when I am working or when I have finished my work.

If you are wondering what I mean when I say it's hard to get people with money to pay me sometimes, I have had a conversation pretty close to this several times over this past year:

Me: Hello, Kate here.
Employer w/ finished work: Yes hello..
(insert pleasantries and small talk)
Me: (Cutting past the attempt at small talk) So what can I do for you? Is there a problem with (the project)?
Employer: Well yes and no. Everything looks great and works just fine, but there's a small issue...(Pause)
Me: Yes?
Employer: I'm afraid we can't pay you what you're asking.

Now it's at this point I should tell you that any job that this is an issue for, I always give them an exact figure at the start. They have already agreed to pay me the amount in question, signed a contract to that extent, and now wish to cut down the costs. The conversation at this point varies quite a bit. But the jist of it is I try to be somewhat nice. I don't want my reputation to take a nosedive because my employers refused to pay. Still I remain firm on the cost, and if they keep trying to weasel out of it I inform them that they can either pay me in full or they can pay a lawyer to tell them they have to pay me in full, and then go ahead and pay me anyway. But I leave that only for the most stubborn of asshats.

Sometimes it feels good to rant about these things, although doing it at 2:30 am may not be the best time. I am sure my prose has suffered due to how tired I am. Is prose even appropriate there? I feel like it could be, but I'm not sure. Too lazy to look it up.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Seems unlikely, but who knows.

Have fun!

Learning How To Lose

I have yet to meet anyone who likes to lose. Be it an argument, a game of risk, or anything else the appeal of getting the better of your opponent is far greater than letting someone be dominant you. So I would like to appeal to anyone reading, that they learn How To Lose.

Games can be a great example of knowing how to lose being a beneficial thing. I mentioned the game of Risk because I just recently saw a game escalate into an argument and some raised voices. Anger over a board game. The reason the person sat down and began to play the game was that he intended to have some fun with his friends. His anger and yelling are probably good indicators that he has failed to achieve his goal of having fun. So when he began to lose he failed to remember his original goal of having fun and forfeited it for a new goal of winning the game. Thus he lost. Even if he turned it around, and began to win the game, his original goal of having fun has been diminished if not obliterated.

This applies to life as well. I avoid time consuming arguments by letting people win. You might recall me having a brief 'argument' with a co-worker in a sketch a while back. I avoided correcting him, didn't press any issues I had with what he said, I just made my best attempt to move along in order to get the job done. The goal was to repair his computer and get back to work quickly. I achieved that goal far faster than I had hoped, despite the holdup.

I don't think I did this topic the justice it deserves. Sometimes you have to bite your tongue. Hold back that urge to inform people of their own ignorance or even that your opinion differs from theirs. It will usually do very little but waste your time, given the inherent difficulty of changing anyone's opinion. I'd like to try and be more through, but sadly I must return to my work. But look forward to sketches soon, as I have ordered a new scanner out of a necessity. (I took a job that required one. Deductible!)

This movie made my brain crawl

Now I'm not a movie reviewer by any means, but 'The Last Templar' offended my geek sensibilities. The main character, might have been a bad female Indiana Jones, except that she really could care less about any artifact that isn't associated with the Templars. So she breaks through a roof into a supposedly ash and pumice buried city (with tons of inaccuracy there). She cares nothing for the potential find of the city itself. She could care less about the fact that her haste is basically to blame for the site's destruction. Nope, she just loves the fact she found the one item she was after. That is treasure seeking, not archeology. *grumblemuttergrumble* It seemed to be a commercial for religion, and christianity specifically. Not exactly what I call a good premise for a movie.



I'll stop there, much more of it bothered me than that, but I just had to complain a little.

Shock and awe! I have readers!

I have to say I didn't pay any attention to this for a while even after 'coming back' because the people I thought were reading it apparently had not been but failed to look and see if anyone had come by.

I will update a sketch soon for anyone still diligent enough to check, with a little hint as to where I have been over the past few weeks (I have no excuses for before that.)

I'm back

Well I had completely forgotten about this blog. It's impossible for me to scan anything at the moment so it will be text only if I remember to post. I've been very lazy as of late, I'm not currently at school, nor am I currently working. I'm taking a break. A nice long break. I have to admit it's probably a little late to be thinking that Computer Science is not the best fit for me, but I can't help but look at engineering and figure that its a job that I would not mind doing day in and day out. Granted programming is a great hobby, I just don't know how much I enjoy doing it for someone else.

I could definitely see myself going for a PhD in CS, attempting for a professor position. I could also enjoy working as a sys admin. I don't think I'll switch majors on a whim. I will hope that an internship or two give me a better idea of what I can look forward to with a CS degree. That is assuming I can pay for it.

St. Patrick's Day Post

It's St. Patrick's Day Night. (No this is not a drunken post. Sorry.) I just feel that I have been neglecting my blog. It was going to be updated daily, but I just don't know that I have that much to say.

I am a shut-in geek. So my activities are more or less limited. If nothing else I will have at least one post a week. So visit, comment. I could use the interaction. =/

I might as well post my activities for tonight. I did homework and studying until around 9:30. I then was going to go out for some air when I ran into some people starting up a game of risk. They asked me if I wanted to join them and I agreed. I took away a respectable second place. They were completely civil too. No arguing, no whining. I was shocked. =P

The game ended at 11:20. A fairly short risk game, all things considered. The people who lost played a few games of jenga on another table. Another game was ready to start, but I still wanted to go out for that fresh air. I had planned on sleeping after that. I am still awake, but mostly due to all the parties that have been going on. They are trying to be quiet, and I can appreciate that, but it's not going to happen when you stuff 12 people into a dorm room that can usually support 5 at max. So it rolls out into the study lounge and the halls. They are dying down now. So maybe sleep after this post. That would be all that I have to report for today.

Anyway thanks for reading! Keep it up!

Introductions

Hello.
As boring as it must be to read a blog of someone you don't know I'll start with an introduction.

My name is Kate Wissen. I am a 23 year old university student studying Computer Science. I am an admitted geek, an avid roleplayer, and a very enthusiastic Linux user. I also run Windows because I enjoy games without hassling with wine every time I want to play. As one would assume from my major I am also a programmer.

The reason for this blog is for me to keep up a sketch diary of sorts. I hope to be posting the first within the week. College is, however, my first and formost concern. Therefore I cannot give any guarantees as to the update schedule.

Feel free to comment on anything you see or read here.