My Thesis Ate My Dog. And Princess Lea.

See this guy here? I know EXACTLY how he feels. Here we are, fast approaching the end of the weekend, and I have far less to show for my thesis than I would like. There must be some scientific explanation for my incredible ability to accomplish so little in so much time.

My thesis has effectively devoured what small, pathetic vestiges of a social life I had left. I'm enough of a loner as it is; now the only contact I have with the outside world is either the guy behind the counter at Starbucks ("I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong, sir; I thought I heard you say 'hextuple' shot latte! Haha! . . . You did?") or the pizza delivery man ("Dude, you again? What are you doing in there?").

I have decided that writing and researching a thesis is very much akin to a job feeding Jabba the Hut, primarily because you shovel inordinate amounts of food/crap into the thing and get so little back (except for the stuff that it vomits and/or burps back out at you. That you get to keep for free). And, of course, there's the oh-so-appropriate parallel created by the fact that if you don't give the thesis enough to eat, it most certainly will eat you.

Such a sad, sad existence, this thesis-life. November 2nd can't get here fast enough. All I can say is thank God for RefWorks, which the university gives us all free access to, and which will also hopefully preserve some small portion of my sanity for me to use once this is all over. If not, well, I trust my family and friends to find the nicest of sanitariums for me.

It's Saturday night. Do you know where YOUR honors student is?

At the library, of course!

Too bad it closes at midnight. I'm on a roll.

Album of the Week

KT TUNSTALL - EYE TO THE TELESCOPE

I bought this album less than 24 hours ago (on Amazon Mp3, no less, where I paid only $9.78 after tax) and I'm already addicted to it. KT Tunstall is one of those artists who is so genuinely talented that you can't help but appreciate her music. It's spunky but also soulful (not surprising since Ella Fitzgerald was an inspiration for her), it's awash in optimism but also punctuated with quiet, acoustic tunes that bring you back down to earth for a bit.

My two favorite tracks are also probably two of her most well-known: "Suddenly I See" and "Black Horse and The Cherry Tree." "Suddenly" is one of those optimistic tracks I referred to and has made it into my "Good Morning" playlist, which Iisten to while riding the bus to campus and reading the newspaper. It's a perfect addition to the wake-up lineup.

"Black Horse" is probably the song you'd recognize from being ridiculously overplayed on the radio a while back. I honestly hated it then, but somehow hearing it in isolation and amid the album that it's meant to be coupled with it just clicks. It's one of those "spunkier" ones I was talking about, with a sort of country-esque vibe to it that makes you feel like you're driving through the desert. It's also the song where the Ella influence shines through most obviously.

Overall, if you have 10 bucks to spare, this album is completely worth it.

[Drink of the Day: Iced Latte]
[Currently Listening to: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall. Duh]

Screw iTunes

I'm buying all my music from here on out on Amazon. Mp3 format, no DRM, and you can even find songs for .89 instead of the normal .99. AND obviously because it's Mp3 format you can put it in iTunes or Windows Media Player. And of course your iPod.

I am currently sifting through the $5 CD "bucket" to find some new music. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

P.S. iTunes, I love you, I really do. But Jobso, you better get those record companies to strip off their DRM or mark my words, Amazon is going to beat the pants off of you.

Steve friggin' hates consultants

See here.

Big Smile

Today: a supremely good day. And that's all I'm gonna say for now.

[Drink of the Day: Starbucks drip w/ room]
[Currently Listening to: "Saving" by Thirteen Senses]

The Library

So like the raging nerd that I am, I'm sitting here in the library on a Friday night trying to be studious and productive. I was all excited about getting some major work done on my thesis and getting a jump on all the crap that I have to do this weekend. I even found an über-comfortable chair and table right next to the big 2-story windows that will let me watch the sun go down as I work. I have my thermos freshly-filled with nice hot coffee. I'm ready to go.

And then I hear this *ding*! And I don't think anything of it. And then 15 seconds later another *ding*! Still don't pay attention. *Ding!*

*DING!* *DING!* *DING!*

The friggin' elevator is opening and closing its doors down here. It's not going anywhere. It's just opening and closing its doors like there's some stupid ghost sitting in there screwing with us.

Anyway, gotta focus. Lots to do. Time to put the iPod headphones in!

*DING!*