Post #136,105
1/16/04 11:54:51 AM
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I almost quit my job yesterday (a little long)
A little background first:
- I'm an instructor at a technical college in Denver, which has a lot of campuses (campi?) all over the country
- I'm currently teaching a course in UNIX system administration
- Our school recently installed a filtering proxy to control "inappropriate" Internet access.
Okay, here goes.
It began with our local tech support guy telling me that corporate insists on documentation for every single software package that we install in my course so that it can be verified as being legally used. (You know, stuff like Apache, Bind, Webmin, qmail, etc.)
I thought this was kind of stupid, but I could sort of understand the whole "corporate liability" thing. I managed to haggle it down to an agreement that I only needed to document packages that didn't come on the Red Hat 8 install CDs. (Since RH8 was on the Approved list.) This left packages such as Webmin and a handful of others for me to provide verification.
So far, not great, but not terrible. I sat down to my laptop to hit www.webmin.com.
At least I tried. I got the message "This site is blocked by WebBlocker".
Okay, what about www.redhat.com?
Blocked.
www.ibm.com?
Blocked.
My home page (where I keep lecture notes and tutorials for my students)?
Blocked.
Every single URL on the home page for this course?
Blocked.
www.microsoft.com?
No problem.
www.msn.com?
No problem.
www.cisco.com? (We're a Cisco Academy.)
No problem.
I went ballistic. This was all on top of a slew of dumber and dumber decisions from higher-ups ("Our beginning programmers should be learning C++.NET, not ANSI") and I just lost it. I didn't yell and scream, since students had begun to enter the classroom but I was fuming. After several moments of this, I decided that there was no point in running that day's class (the course is very Internet-intensive) so I told my students to shut down and go home for the day.
I snapped off a polite e-mail to our MIS guy, giving him a list of URLs and asking pretty please would he unblock them and CC'ed my program director, our director of education, the executive director of our campus and one or two of my fellow instructors.
Then word comes down that it's a technical fault. If the filtering server can't reach some other machine, it defaults to blocking (almost) everything. Somehow, I'm not comforted. This morning had brought home to me that the very fact that we have blocking software in place means that with a flick of a switch MIS can effectively shut my class down and they've already proven (with the demand for printed license information) that they don't have a clue about FLOSS.
Went over to my program director's office and had a long, heated, closed door discussion with her. We then both went to our director of education and had a discussion with him. He mouthed soothing nonsense, gave me a mild lecture on Corporate Liability and truly didn't seem to understand what my problem was.
I'm still pretty upset. With my recent re-entry into grad school, I've been considering shifting to part-time teaching, but I really, really love what I do (I'm certainly not in it for the money and prestige) so time after time I've put off the decision. Yesterday I've never been so close to just walking out. The passion for the work and my sense of responsibility to my current students is still just enough to keep me around.
All right, I need to go out and punch something.
Tom Sinclair
"What is this thing, anyway?" said the Dean, inspecting the implement in
his hands.
"It's called a shovel," said the Senior Wrangler. "I've seen the gardeners
use them. You stick the sharp end in the ground. Then it gets a bit
technical."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man)
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Post #136,112
1/16/04 12:01:00 PM
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Re: I almost quit my job yesterday (a little long)
The bosses have learned nothing from the burst bubble - just as NASA learned nothing from Challenger. ManagerPeople here are just butt-stupid on tech matters.
We should build a Great Sphincter on the Mall to memorialize our civilization. 5000 years from now, they'll all be mystified and have their tourist pics snapped in front of it.
-drl
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Post #136,115
1/16/04 12:04:19 PM
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ICLRPD (new thread)
Created as new thread #136114 titled [link|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=136114|ICLRPD]
===
Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
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Post #136,125
1/16/04 12:47:12 PM
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Hang in there!
The utter frustration is totally understandable. But, it sounds like there is some hope of sufficiently undoing the ignorant draconian measures.
Also, you shouldn't have to use your home web page space for the school's benefit. They need to provide you with space that you can access remotely.
Alex
The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. -- Plutarch
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Post #136,144
1/16/04 1:18:15 PM
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Re: Hang in there!
Thanks for the encouragement.
>Also, you shouldn't have to use your home web page space for the school's benefit. They need to >provide you with space that you can access remotely.
Well, I somewhat agree, but when I first came to work there I was forced to implement a lot of these solutions on my own. For a technical school, they didn't have much in the way of technical aids to learning. On the other hand, since it's my site (and I clearly state on the main page that it is not an official school Web site) I can organize it the way I want, including any links and/or content that I think is useful or fun without having to run it past the school's legal beagles. In addition, any content I create for the site (such as my tutorials) are mine and not the schools.
The school now has something of an online presence. I had to write a course for it last term and found it terribly restrictive.
I'm still pretty upset about this even a day later. It's not like I hate my job. I *love* my job. In fact, one of the reasons our campus was named 2003 Campus of the Year was because of the passionate attitude of our local faculty. After yesterday morning I thought some more about this and decided that another reason we won was that we had managed to either ignore, side-step or work around most of the directives coming down from Corporate.
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,128
1/16/04 12:52:23 PM
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I have an idea how you feel
Not the same technology, for sure, but same concept. At the job I had all the problems at, boss ordered me to type a number of things and then ordered me not to use the typewriter, OR leave the office to find another one.
Hours later, I hadn't typed them, because she watched me every time I was near the typewriter, and I'd asked her repeatedly when I could use it, and the answer was always not now.
I got yelled at for failing to type the papers, but I loved my job so much I put up with it all. At least you didn't get yelled at because you couldn't access the sites, right?
Anyway, I know how it feels to be unable to use something you desperately need to get your job done.
Nightowl >8#
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences." Harry S. Truman
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." Timothy Bentley
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Post #136,145
1/16/04 1:19:02 PM
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Wait a minute
You were ordered to type something, but not to use the typewriter?
Is it me, or is that completely and utterly insane?
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,154
1/16/04 1:27:14 PM
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It was completely insane, I agree
And I was a fool not to realize it wasn't going to get better and stick it out for 9 months... I just loved the job itself so much...
Regardless, it is just the tip of the iceberg of the stupid things they tried to do to get me to quit.
Nightowl >8#
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences." Harry S. Truman
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." Timothy Bentley
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Post #136,129
1/16/04 12:52:29 PM
1/16/04 12:53:38 PM
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BTW, good luck on it!
I hope it all gets straightened out for you so you can teach your class.
Nightowl >8#
P.S. EDITED post to say something else, it was a dupe.
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences." Harry S. Truman
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." Timothy Bentley
Edited by Nightowl
Jan. 16, 2004, 12:53:38 PM EST
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Post #136,149
1/16/04 1:22:06 PM
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Re: BTW, good luck on it!
Looks like we're okay for now, but I discussed my options for teaching part-time so she's now very aware of my frustration.
To be fair, she is also passionate about her job, completely supports all of her instructors when working with the administration and is feeling pretty frustrated herself these days.
Our director of education, on the other hand, is a former muckety-muck from Lucent's sales organization who has no educational background whatsoever.
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,224
1/16/04 7:33:48 PM
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I did quit mine on Wednesday
Got tired of the Big Bang Oracle implementation. Been through the SAP big bang before (at Halliburton no less) and just didn't want to repeat that path. Don't get me wrong, Oracle is a nice DB. But the Apps (11i) package is a massive undertaking and I wasn't getting paid any more in the interim.
Start new job on Feb. 2nd.
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Post #136,225
1/16/04 8:01:50 PM
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Luck! Enjoy your time off!
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Post #136,231
1/16/04 8:17:25 PM
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Unfortunately no time off :-(
Two week notice, then start immediately.
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Post #136,233
1/16/04 8:26:35 PM
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that blows
When contracting I'd insist on at least 2 weeks between to "cool off" from the old one (at least when I could afford to be picky). What you're describing is impossible! I'd almost suggest asking the former employer to wrap things up in one week.
-drl
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Post #136,236
1/16/04 8:35:28 PM
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Well, the story is a bit too involved
While working on the company I'm leaving, I was moonlighting in the company I'm going to. Now the tables are turned: I'll be working full time on my moonlight job and then take the old job on a limited contract basis. Basically, I'll still have two jobs as before, but I'm swapping the relationship betwixt the two.
You gotta confuse the PHB's outlook on life every once in a while. Rinse the relationships up and then recycle.
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Post #136,249
1/16/04 10:55:00 PM
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On the positive side, it is good to have a choice! :)
Alex
The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. -- Plutarch
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Post #136,431
1/18/04 7:00:51 PM
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Makes all the difference
If they know you don't have a choice, they've got you by the balls. This way I can toy with them (mind you, I can't let them on that I'm toying with them - have to make them think I'm doing them a favor).
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Post #136,435
1/18/04 8:19:50 PM
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Very good, you've got it!
Alex
The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. -- Plutarch
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Post #136,226
1/16/04 8:04:39 PM
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I hope things have settled down. Job stress is pretty bad.
You're they type of teacher that they should do their best to keep happy. I hope they realize that.
Don't make the jump unless you have something lined up, if you can. Bird in the hand and all that....
Best of luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #136,227
1/16/04 8:06:52 PM
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No-job stress is much worse
-drl
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Post #136,250
1/16/04 11:05:25 PM
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I'm still upset
but for now things are all right.
However, I really need to start planning an exit strategy or at least a shift to part time, if only so I can put in more time on my grad work.
In addition, I think I should take up the guitar again....
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,255
1/17/04 12:48:48 AM
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there ya go!
In addition, I think I should take up the guitar again.... Good plan. Everyone needs an escape valve. I just put my [link|http://www.larrivee.com/content/products/guitars/specs/L-03/images/front_reg.jpg|acoustic] away for the evening. Nothing relaxes me more than spending a couple hours letting my mind escape in music :) -----
Steve
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Post #136,264
1/17/04 4:50:06 AM
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Re: there ya go!
Funny, I tend to avoid my piano when I'm in a state. In fact I avoid all music.
-drl
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Post #136,278
1/17/04 10:04:33 AM
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I find playing guitar quite meditative
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,290
1/17/04 12:12:07 PM
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I feel the same way
About my piano!
When I'm in a really angry mood, I love to go in and play things like Chopin's Pollanaise, and Fantasia! I learned this procedure from my mom who did it often when I was a child! Sometimes I also play Funeral For A Friend by Elton John, as well.
When I'm feeling depressed or sad I tend to gravitate towards playing Three Preludes by Chopin, preferably my favorite, #4 from Opus No. 28. That piece just gives me the chills and moves me to tears sometimes. I also like to play Ragtime's (the movie's) One More Hour waltz, the haunting theme from Titanic, or Bread's "If."
And when I want to be uplifted the most, I play either the Theme From Ice Castles, "It's My Turn" or "Out Here On My Own" or "The Greatest Love Of All"
Music soothes the soul, heals the heart and uplifts your life.
Nightowl >8#
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences." Harry S. Truman
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." Timothy Bentley
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Post #136,316
1/17/04 6:59:22 PM
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Cooking is the same
Just focus on chopping, mixing and putting things together and let everything else just go away for a while.
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,317
1/17/04 7:03:55 PM
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Re: Cooking is the same
I can't do anything requiring order when I'm upset. I envy you. I tend to just daydream or brainstorm - I don't dwell on what upset me, I just can't do "ordered" things when distracted. Cooking? I'd burn the house down.
-drl
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Post #136,263
1/17/04 4:48:39 AM
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It will not improve
I know exactly what you are feeling, and I also know that it will not get better. You've banged off a metaphysical wall that separates you from them. Every approach to this wall will generate the same reaction in you. Since you cannot adopt their wrong ideas and they will not accept your right ones, you will exist in a permanent state of tension until you sever your ties with them.
Sorry but that's how it is.
-drl
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Post #136,276
1/17/04 9:36:33 AM
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Not true
He's fighting against seagull managers. He can outlast them, or take them out. He CAN win.
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Post #136,277
1/17/04 9:50:17 AM
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Re: Not true
I would agree if it were the cut and thrust of corporate life (although victory would be Pyrrhic) but this is academe. Faggetaboutit. Ivory towers cannot be stormed.
-drl
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Post #136,279
1/17/04 10:08:45 AM
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Have to agree with DeSitter on this one
I certainly don't see it getting better.
In fact, one of the reasons I'm trying to get my Ph.D is so I have a better shot at working somewhere else. I want to stay in higher education but I don't see myself staying at my current employer.
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,281
1/17/04 10:35:09 AM
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Re: Have to agree with DeSitter on this one
It's a severe test of patience to adjust to people who you know are wrong.
Example: Someone who participates in the sci.physics.research forum, a very vocal supporter of string theory at Harvard, decided to send me unsolicited flame mail over my new gravitational work. It was clear that he 1) did not actually read my paper 2) did not understand the geometric basis of the work 3) did not really understand gravity even as it stands. Nevertheless he felt quite justified in calling me a "crackpot" in public (the group came to my defense). My work is still not on the arxiv.org preprint server, even though it is appearing this month in a well-known journal with a stellar editorial cast - I suppose it is just beyond the comprehension of the so-called site editor that a non-affiliated person could do original work. More amazing is that all manner of pointless trivia are allowed to accumulate in the archive, like mental dust bunnies under the furniture of reality. These things are frustrating in the extreme, but there is nothing to be done about it other than draw a deep breath and bide one's time. Academics have so much ego invested in maintaining their personal status quo ante that getting any new ideas past them is almost necessarily a fortunate accident.
-drl
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Post #136,283
1/17/04 10:58:40 AM
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Politics
It's everywhere.
You either play or you lose, you can't ignore it.
The PHD will not save you.
People without technical awareness making technical
decisions, screwing up your life. Forever.
Who's the next step up the ladder? What faculty
gatherings are there that you have been avoiding?
Create an elevator pitch. Get every point you
require to open up a conversation in under 30
seconds. You have to state a problem HE cares
about, and offer enough possibility for a solution
that he wants to hear more.
Practice. Practice. and Practice some more.
Then for each possible question, map out a response.
A simple, low tech, in words that tickle his preferences
response.
What is his educational background? Where did he work
before? What successes did he have that you can refer
to in awe and admiration?
Is this the Lucent exec? Research. What projects did
he work on? In the case of his losses, find out enough
to know what NOT to talk about unless he brings them
up later. Wins? Go for it. People love to talk about
their wins. And maybe it'll affect your viewpoint and
you will learn a bit more.
It might be months before you have your chance. Use them
well. Practice. Research. Be prepared.
Your goal is not to get an answer that satisfies your
issue. Your goal is to impress upon him that you have
a valuable viewpoint. An appreciation for his problems.
A respect of his opinions.
And then, and ONLY then, you can lay the groundwork for
change in a direction that you prefer. That you are SURE
is a good thing. That you can discuss in his terms. For
all you know, there is a position open that he is trying to
fill, that you fit in, that you can have a larger ability
for direction.
People at our level have valuable knowledge which is almost
never tapped unless we do this type of networking. Which
means the people without the knowledge get in dangerous
positions and end up harming us and the company/institutions
we work for. You need a seat at the table before you are
heard. These steps are required to get there.
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
The following is a tech writeup of my current "under the
radar" implementation of a few Linux boxes. It was written
while you were writing the above depressing post. It may
be helpful on the tech level, but I feel you really need
the above political viewpoint before you can apply the tech
portion.
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
I'ved just moved into my MIS department.
It is split between IBM mainframe, Coldfusion, and
SQL/Server / desktop programming.
I was told to produce a filter program that must be
executable on the mainframe, processes a bunch of data,
moves a bunch of files around to multiple systems, mainframe,
FTP server, etc.
This program is the definition of mission critical. Without
it in operation, we would be unable to put mail in the
mailstream.
I was told it would be good (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
if the program ran either on the mainframe or NT to limit
the number of system dependencies. My response is that
I could easily do it on Linux, but painfully / slowly on the
mainframe and in a way I would not be able to support on
NT. If they want, I could code it for NT, but I'm not willing
to stake my job on it's continuing operation.
Told to do it on Linux.
It has been in operation for about a month now. No burps,
everyone happy. Since I had stolen resources to whip it up,
ie: no development investment, and now it is proven, we are
about to buy 2 identical Linux servers to dedicate to it. Not
that it needs the CPU, just we want that level of isolation in
the event of failure.
Our West coast operation has the same issue, and needs to run
the same code with some modifications for their environment.
They are a 100% NT based. They were purchased by us a few years
back, but the operations was never integrated with our MF based
system for the printing. But they have the same business problem.
Their internal IT is fiercely independant. Why shouldn't they
be? They make money so should be left alone.
We can't move their data back and forth to run it "here", would
swamp our comm lines with them. They asked to see my code and
documents concerning the development. No problem, I sent it to
them. About 1,200 line of code that handles the core business
problem and 900 lines of glue code that moves files around, send
emails, etc. And I'd say that 1,200 lines is about 30% comments.
The only programmers they have on their side are VB and Foxpro
coders. They have a good reputation. And I heard nothing back.
So we offered to install a couple of Linux "black boxes" on their
site. I would modify the code for their particular environment,
our IT department would support the hardware / OS, and the
application would be supported by MIS.
This will be the 1st Linux installed on that site, and is solves a
major business problem. This is the type of install that has a major
impact on the people following the $$ and there are no OS religious
issues involved. It just works.
I think that should be the Linux battle cry.
It just works.
[link|http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ItJustWorks|http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ItJustWorks]
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Post #136,288
1/17/04 12:09:29 PM
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Thanks. Good advice, as always.
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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Post #136,351
1/17/04 11:13:54 PM
8/21/07 6:08:36 AM
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Guitar
I've begun unarchiving my music life.
About a week ago I went through a big box of old cassette tapes of songs, snippets, old band demos, etc. I've been digitizing them before the tapes degrade much further. Also unpacked my piano (Alesis QS8), my studio monitors, and restrung my trusty old Washburn Hawk.
I'm inspired by the release of GarageBand. I expect to resume writing and recording soon. Stay tuned for announcements on download location.
Gotta do something fulfilling - work isn't it.
Hey, maybe us Denverites ought to get together and jam sometime!
ps - how to know you are OLD - when the guitar you bought as a teenager is reissued as a "vintage classic reissue".
"I believe that many of the systems we build today in Java would be better built in Smalltalk and Gemstone."
-- Martin Fowler, JAOO 2003
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Post #136,358
1/18/04 1:01:46 AM
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My soon to be 15yold
has been learning electric guitar, trombone, basoon. Lately he is hitting the the AC/DC live CD from Donington (circa razors edge tour) note for note, I will be a roadie again before I die.
Miss, ya wanna meat the star I hafta inspect ya :-)
solly about that his wife wont let him meet females, I'm the best yer gonna do.
"Dad, will you get that groupie off yer schlongue(long schlong) long enough to pack the equipment!"
no probs, grunt
thanx,
bill
same old crap, con artists ripping off fools. Ah, hell, Catholic Church it start off that way. They All do. Jesus probably had three walnut shells one pea, then he's dead and can't be questioned,
Gabriel Dupre
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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Post #136,360
1/18/04 1:10:44 AM
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Music
I've been revisiting my childhood music life I guess. I've been collecting and listening to old old musicals like "Camelot" and "Sound of Music" and less old musicals like "West Side Story." I just ordered two more tonight with my belated Christmas money from my sister, "The King And I" and "Brigadoon."
Somehow listening to all those old musicals that I used to stay up and watch with my mom has been really comforting. :) Kinda like a reminisce, I guess.
Nightowl >8#
"It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences." Harry S. Truman
"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." Timothy Bentley
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Post #136,364
1/18/04 8:49:57 AM
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Re: Guitar
Odd, I'm working on a string quartet and a piano sonata, or maybe a piano quartet since they seem to share a lot of thematic material. Same reason, gotta do something creative.
What computer tools do you use? I play fragments and capture the output to my music editor over a serial MIDI connection, and edit from there.
-drl
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Post #136,425
1/18/04 6:42:59 PM
8/21/07 6:10:49 AM
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Gear
"What computer tools do you use?"
My first sequencer was built into my Ensoniq ESQ-1. 8-tracks and basic 8-button menu driven interface. I could put stuff together really fast with that. Still have it but I want more control so I purchased Vision, then upgraded to Studio Vision (added digital recording). Most of my stuff is in Vision file format and Opcode was purchased and killed by Gibson. I'm going to start out with GarageBand, but I'm considering the competitive 1/2 price upgrade to MOTU Performer. Its pretty cool of them to take a competitive upgrade from a dead product.
I also need a new midi interface - old one was based on serial ports and there are no serial ports anymore. I'm looking at the 828mkII. I have 6 keyboards, 2 drum boxes, a rack D-50, guitar, and vocal mike. The 828 will let me get away with not buying a dedicated mixing board for all that stuff. I'm going to start with the 828 and GarageBand and see how it goes - I suspect I'll need to add additional midi interface more or less right away and we'll see if I can be productive with GB.
"I believe that many of the systems we build today in Java would be better built in Smalltalk and Gemstone."
-- Martin Fowler, JAOO 2003
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Post #136,495
1/19/04 1:08:00 PM
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OK, I'll bite...
what is an 828mkII (I assume that's 828-mark-2 in english)? Is it an A/D, or multichannel MIDI in-out-thru (if its the latter, what do you intend to do with the guitar and mike?)?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Also, any ideas on a decent VST synth?
jb4
shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating that facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf. BULLSHIT
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Post #136,535
1/19/04 7:22:27 PM
8/21/07 6:13:16 AM
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Chew on this
MOTU = Mark of the Unicorn
[link|http://motu.com/english/motuaudio/828/body.html|http://motu.com/engl...dio/828/body.html]
Gadget has 8 line ins, 8 outs, 4 sends, 2 mic/guitar ins with available phantom power, midi in/out, etc.
Basically, this should handle my audio stuff including guitar and vocal mic, plus basic midi. I suspect I'll need another midi interface for more channels soon - but for writing I expect to record the midi, clean up my sloppy playing, and then record the synth to audio, then mute the midi track....
"I believe that many of the systems we build today in Java would be better built in Smalltalk and Gemstone."
-- Martin Fowler, JAOO 2003
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Post #136,905
1/21/04 2:21:50 PM
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Sweet!
Nice box! (and the 828 is OK, too!) Only complaint is its Mac-specificity for the attached SW. Seems like it should handle anything.
I wonder if its FireWire implementation is compatible with the Audigy flavor?
jb4
shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating that facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf. BULLSHIT
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Post #137,031
1/21/04 11:58:06 PM
8/21/07 6:29:13 AM
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Supports both Mac and Windows
Don't know about the firewire issues. I picked one up - haven't had time to set it up this week. :-/
"I believe that many of the systems we build today in Java would be better built in Smalltalk and Gemstone."
-- Martin Fowler, JAOO 2003
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Post #136,368
1/18/04 9:30:06 AM
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Re: Guitar
I got GarageBand yesterday (Edu. price US$29) and have been playing with it.
It's got me inspired as well. It's very easy to use and in fact encourages experimentation.
I've got it on my desktop G4 and am now clearing out some disk space on my TiBook so I can have a portable music studio.
Tom Sinclair
And, while it was regarded as pretty good evidence of criminality to be
living in a slum, for some reason owning a whole street of them merely got
you invited to the very best social occasions.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay)
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Post #136,369
1/18/04 9:33:17 AM
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Re: Guitar
Duh, I thought GarageBand was am album. <- dolt
-drl
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Post #136,496
1/19/04 1:13:18 PM
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Actually
I think neil Young released an album with that name
(on further review: "The Third Greatest Garage Band in the World"
jb4
shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating that facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf. BULLSHIT
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Post #136,270
1/17/04 5:47:24 AM
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"I can not live with this shame"
1) Copy of Shogun episode, wound to the seppuku episode and this quotation.
2) Given your excellent command of English and the techno- eptness to assert your Professionalism VS this ex-flack's:
A list of the (whatever stuff was on this silly list, that you didn't mention) and your response to the time-overhead, the side effects and the implications re teaching technical principles of the General kind (?)
3) Request for a formal debate on the efficacy of the languages you plan to emphasize for educational experience VS "commercial considerations".. (not the least of which might be -?- "whether there will BE a 'Microsoft Presence'" for your students.. some months after Longhorn's database-file-system + auto-obsolescence of all old software - is pushed out). Emergency ref: aaxnet.com :-\ufffd
Sorry, but - everything Is a Play! So I'm just pondering how you can create the most dramatic effect, a stark (engaging?) revelation of your natural aversion to the arbitrary dictats of Suited-ones: who have no direct stake in the ethical consequences of purveying mindless *commercialized* -but stupid and transitory- IT marketing ploys.. and calling that, ed-ja-Kay-shun. (Natch not so directly)
Samurai-grade Nyet on .nyet, in other words. (Reminding said droid of the Universal Bizness unWillingness to 'trust' M$ with the stupid Passport lock-in scam - either: a true "sense of the Marketplace"). Aver: mistrust has only Grown. For that ya gots lots of recent links re the odor of that reputation.
Yeah, long shot - yet Novelty (as within CVs and such) can occasionally momentarily-awaken even the banana slug, long enough to salt its slime-trail.
At the least, you could go out like a blazing meteor ^^^
Luck,
Ashton
Thank Gawd for the Free French -
Let no good deed go unpunished..
Vengeance is a dish which should be eaten cold..
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Post #136,280
1/17/04 10:33:01 AM
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I can appreciate the sentiment
along with the suggestions. (Though I had to read through your post several times to parse out what you were saying. Your prose is thick and chewy, my friend.)
However, I don't feel that there would be sufficient long-term payback in the strategy you suggest. It's a for-profit school, therefore short-term thinking and the bottom line are the primary decision generators.
As I mentioned earlier, I don't plan on staying there too much longer. While I'm here, I feel that the best use of my time and energy would be to continue improving my classes, do the best I can for my students and try to set as best an example as I can.
They know that I'm one of the best instructors they've got (we get evaluated by our students every term and my numbers are consistently high). When something interferes with my teaching, they find out from me right away.
Threats and ultimatums aren't my style. If I'm going to do something, I just do it.
Before I took this job, I was a senior consultant with a Big Five firm that wouldn't even talk to you if your sales revenue was less than x million/year. I left that job because I had certain disagreements with the ethics of my employers. I took a very large pay cut to become a teacher, but I sleep better at night now.
They can't motivate me with money or threats. What motivates me are things over which they have no control.
Tom Sinclair
The question seldom addressed is *where* Medusa had snakes. Underarm hair
is an even more embarassing problem when it keeps biting the top of the
deodorant bottle.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Soul Music)
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