I never had a good title for these things

So I should be doing some kind of work right now, but I can't decide what to do, so I'm not doing work right now.

No breakfast taco today, sadly. I really should have gotten one, too, because I'm super hungry. Yesterday I went for a 16.5 mile bike ride out in some hills. It wasn't bad, except it reminds me of how great shape i used to be in. And I wish I could go farther, but being out for about an hour is all I can do without freaking out about work. Also, my neck/shoulder area really can't handle more than an hour, so its ok.

I need to bike more. It just makes me feel good.

This weekend, i go to Philly for Aaron's wedding. I'm pretty excited, tho I wish it were over the summer when I have a little more time. Still, it'll be great to see Aaron and Megan, and to meet Lauren. I hope that, when I'm there, I can see the Rocky Statue. But I seriously doubt I'll get the chance. Still, that's ok. Hopefully I'll get to go back to Philly one day. I just get seriously nervous about taking time/days away when I should be working on school

So its hot here. Like mid to high 80s daily. 2 weeks ago, it was sort of cooler. then all of a sudden BAM! hot. interestingly, part of me wants to be back in the cold. I think its almost entirely because I'm still homesick. And home = crappy weather, in many ways

I haven't given more thought to my cleveland theory.

I have given some thought to the crowdsourcing paper. right now, I plan to address at least, IP, securities, and clickwraps, and outsourcing comparisons. I still feel quite scattered about this paper, but I hope that by next week I can start getting some stuff on paper. I have the feeling like this paper may not be as hard as I think. I wrote a 3 page status report, which suggests to me that I can easily fill 15 pages. My main concern over this paper is that I think Lease has some hopes for me that Im worried about fulfilling. Anyway, more on that as it develops

Finally, I think that school/life is continuing to kil my brain. I really want Pokemon White for some reason, having never played a pokemon game and not having played an rpg in forever. why oh why do i want it? probably because everything sound better than work/school right now

of course, i doubt i'll buy it. my trike and ipad are far more important.

ok this is seriously not going anywhere. tata

I dreamt I had a dream

No breakfast taco today. but I'll probably get a torchy's tomorrow.

I did however, have a dream last night. It was a weird mash up of being in borders (which was designed more like borders was what I first worked there) and talking to someone about reviewing his film (as if I were a film reviewer), then having a painful conversation with an old friend. it woke me up in the middle of it, and I laid awake at 2am thinking for a while.Of course, I wasn't composing any important thoughts beyond "I wish I was asleep." But still, I was awake.

So there isn't a lot to report on today. I dont have any further thoughts on my crowdsourcing paper because I haven't given it any further thought. That, however, I really need to do tonight. But, getting in teh way of that is my planned bike ride. Sadly, the neck/shoulder region has been bugging me recently, so I hope it holds up today. I really should just suck it up and buy the trike already. But I'm hesitant, as I am. I just want my bike to work with me. but it doesnt and I should just get the trike and be happy about it. Ugh.

Sadly, I have no much to say and I have to get back to work soon. fun fun

Mi Madre: Review: I need a Torchey's to wash out the Mi Madre

It's not that Mi Madre's taco was bad. Indeed, it was ok. But it certainly wasn't great. And certainly not what I've come to expect from breakfast taco places here in the ATX. With Mi Madre, everything was ok. The eggs were ok, but mostly flavorless. The potatoes were about the same. The Tortilla tasted mass produced and a little gummy. And the salsa was decent enough, but not great. All in all, it just wasn't satisfying. Torchey's still reigns supreme here.

I have a lot on my mind today and a lot i want to blog about. Right now, I should be working. But I suppose that's always the case in grad school. One of those things that ISN'T on my mind, however, is my dreams. I've had them recently, but I can't remember them. I've had kind of restless nights over the past few nights. I think because a lot of Michelle's stress is rubbing off on me. I'm normally a pretty stressed person, and when she gets stressed, it makes me tense. and that's no good. Furthermore, I have my own work to do, but I've spent a sort of lot of time helping her with stuff, and that cuts into my own work time, which i feel is suffering now because of it.

So yea... this is not to say that I'm unhappy with Michelle. Quite the contrary, I'm very happy with her. But it's been hard recently because school weighs on my heavily ordinarily, and the external pressure compounding my frustrations. It concerns me a bit.

Anyway, on to school. Before the end of the year I have to seriously approach this ethical guidelines thing, really start studying for law libraries (because I have no idea what he wants us to know) and think about crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is going to be the most difficult because I dont think i understand what Matt Lease is looking for with this paper. Basically my paper is about some of the legal implications of crowdwork. However, as an entry point into this conference on collaborative work, he wants me to say something like "collaborative work is going to increase in the future...." and then do a little compare and contrast between crowdsourcing and outsourcing

so here are my initial ideas. 1. crowdsourcing is likely to increase. As it increases, it also runs an increased risk of running up against the law. There many things that people who are thinking of using crowd work need to consider when thinking about engaging in this type of work. 1. Employment issues. Are crowdworkers employees or something else? I dont really think they are like the traditional independent contractor either, so what are they? What sort of tax issues are there that a company will have to consider? Does even virtual money create tax problems? 2. IP issues. If a creative company produces a creative work using crowd workers, who is the author and thus who profits off of it? Under copyright, all authors are due payment for their portion of profits off of a work. if you crowdsource a creative work, that means that everyone who contributes an independently copyrightable portion should earn off a sale. Under patent law, i think it's similar. What if you crowdsourced work on an invention? Should everyone profit off of it? 3. clickwrap licenses. they can be effective at getting rights away from people. but how effective?

SO that's where I am, but I'm not really sure where Matt Lease is. I have to do some serious thought about this. And start working on the paper. I'd like to get some stuff written down by Friday. My thoughts are that this paper shouldn't be as hard as I think it is and I'd like to only spend 2 real weeks working on it. I'm more concerned about timing of everything as end of the year stuff has a tendency to bump up against everything. Also, I have no idea how to make a poster and have to think about that as well. seriously, a poster. eff that in its face.

And I still haven't written anything about sxsw. I'll get to that later, i guess.

TIme

No breakfast taco today. Why? WHY? WHY GOD WHY!?! I really could go for a good one right about now.

I do have a dream, tho. I can't remember much of it, unfortunately. But I can say that I was trying to get together with a friend and went to her house, spoke with her family, and eventually I foudn her, and then I woke up. That's all I can really remember. hmm..

there's someone who is coughing like crazy next to me. I actually may have to move. Things here have all of a sudden gotten quite loud. I do not like loud, sam i am. Now another person joined in the noise. And a third is talking loudly to someone on the phone. Loudly and angrily. Holy jesus, that woman's coughs sound like she's about to die.

So tomorrow is the 2nd anniversary of dad's passing. and I'd say I'm not dealing with it exactly "well" or "good" or "constructively." Instead, I decided it'd be a good idea to listen to some music which would remind me of him and cry while at work. mmmm...

Anyway, on to more happy stuff. I'm still thinking about what makes clevelander special. What gives us our identity. First, I think the East-West Split has something to do with it. Second, I think that the town of "former glory" helps to bind people a bit.Third, maybe weather? who knows.

I"m really disturbed today. really really

What's there to say about today?

So I missed a couple of days, but I'm still resolute about writing here with frequency. Especially since I'll be buying my ipad soon! Yep, I sold my Masi and will soon be buying a iPad with my winnings. and man I'm excited. I guess it was a little strange to see my bike go, but that pretty much clears the way for me to buy my iPad and maybe a trike.

Ok, on to other things. First, I can't remember my dreams for the past few nights, so no dream diary right now. I have a somewhat busy week ahead of me. Today I work the late shift, 11-8. So I'm sitting at Tarlton trying to do some homework while waiting for work to begin. Today and this evening, I have to think about what I'll be doing for my final project in crowdsourcing. I plan to use this space to help work out some of my questions Matt (Lease) sets up these discussion places on blackboard that I dont ever remember, so this is going to be the place where I try to work out some thoughts. Matt suggested to me to do a paper about why we should care about some issues facing crowdsourcing in the future, like ethical and legal issues. I think it's an interesting idea but I'm having a hard time thinking about how to research and write it. So Im going to try to email him today and see what he has to say.

Other things to do. I have to start reviewing my notes and reviewing in general for law libraries. i'm getting a little tense about the final in that class, mainly because it's very early. So yea, I dont quite know what to do. Either way, I plan start doing that tonight, possibly at Epoch with Jocelyn.

Meanwhile, time with Michelle has been great. But it takes up time that ordinarily I'd use for freaking out and figuring out my classes. Instead, I have to organize myself a bit better. And SXSW is next week, so basically I have to double down and really try to get some good work done during this week. I hope it actually happens. Yet, with Wednesday baring down on me, and me feeling sort of not great about it right now, well, ugh.

Mainly I miss old friends. and yes, I miss cleveland. I think part of it is hearing about borders crumbling has made me nostalgic about those days back at the big B. I was talking with Kevin the other day about what might make cleveland special. and I may use this space too for that. I think that Clevelanders have a certain something that bind them together that's more than just a granfaloon. The thing is, Clevelanders find Clevelanders throughout the country, it seems. Maybe its the weather. Maybe its the perpetually failing sports teams. But there seems to be an identity that I'm not sure other towns really have.

Ok. I really need to try to get some other stuff done.

and another one

One thing I think I'll be writing here is my dreams. Since often when I sit down at the blog, I dont have anything to say, and I end up ranting about sadness and stuff. So instead I'm going to try to have a topic in hand. So one topic will be my dreams.

Last night I can only remember a very short portion of my dream. I went to south by south west and was in some theater that had multiple screens separated only by curtains. I was watching some kung fu movie and the only person there was some girl who kept coming on to me. So eventually I moved spots (we were sitting on bleachers) and then left, out onto the streets, which were wet as if it had just rained (or it was a movie -- they always wet down streets in movies.

I have to start work in about 2 minutes. But before that happens...I've been thinking a lot recently about old friends. I've been neglecting friendships recently. or that's how it feels. There's something different about my cleveland friends. I honestly believe that there is something unique about clevelanders that I haven't put my finger on yet. But I'm still thinking.

Ok. I need to run. I need to commit more time than 8 minutes to this.

Back at it

Only 3 months. only 3 did it take me to start writing here again. But this time I'm going to keep it up. I read recently that it helps with writing to write. So this is going to be like exercise.

So I haven't had a breakfast taco is probably 6 weeks and that's very sad for me. Breakfast tacos are one of the best reasons for Austin and indeed part of the reason for this blog.

But anyway, lets see what's been going on. School has been really busy. Life has been really busy. And I've been letting the business of school really get to me recently. The problem is, I'm not really sure I even want to be a law librarian. And I'm not sure what kind of training I'm getting here. Megan tries to say that "I can do anything. blah blah blah." But it looks more to me like I'm writing myself into yet another super specialized profession. Its not that its so bad, its just it irks me to be perceived as some sort of second class citizen. It irks me when people are surprised when I say I practice law. Because I do.

Oh sigh. I need to work on the self confidence, but now just isn't the time. I really miss mom and andrew and kathryn and dad. Oh dad. It's 6 days from the anniversary of his passing and i feel on the verge of breaking down a little. I miss dad every day. Every day I have a "oh why isn't dad here" moment. I wish there were some way that I could remember him better. I'm still so conflicted over his passing. I don't really know how i should feel.

But anyway, work is work. class is class. tomorrow i have to put up with crowdsourcing, which is part of the reason for this blog. so i can start jotting down ideas so my paper doesnt suck. and the exam i have in law libraries. dont want that to suck either.