big baby steps

out of the 41 possible songs remaining on my progressive rock playlist this morning, i had a strange feeling (before the previous track, either tool or a perfect circle, was done) that the next up would be pink floyd - you gotta run. i was wrong. it was run like hell. no, there are no repeats.

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i left later than i'd intended this morning, but due to stupendously fortunate timing i managed to catch the train, and i made it to the venue early. i was let into the conference on the strength of my beard - i'd arrived early, and the blonde girl in charge took an immediate shine to me. the shaggy facial hair is the only possible explanation!

i had a cup of coffee, made a round of the exhibits (horrified at how awful some of the transrations were. moke-ups? come on!), and entered the chilly auditorium. the first two speakers demonstrated powerpoint monotonics absolutely beautifully - i struggled to keep my eyes open.

nothing like an hour of nothing to get the day started.

the next two speakers - IAI and elbit - were actually pretty good, and then we had a coffee break. i ran into a guy i had to work with on my big project in 2007, and we milled around together for a bit before heading back inside.

i slept wonderfully until lunch, waking up every now and again to ascertain that i wasn't missing anything* and hoping fervently that i hadn't been snoring. i'm fairly confident that the guys in charge were playing a game of "let's find the worst speakers possible". these guys and the technologies they were shunting could only be described as "bottom of the barrel". and it's a pretty deep barrel.

i'm talking about projects that *really* don't deserve the government grants they're reliant on.

* the tagline for the "future battlefield" or "miltech" conference this year was "already here". that's a bit of a giveaway. some of us were there because we were interested in the future, not the crap that you've all got to showcase now. you monkeys.

my favourite pitch: "our software's so good that even mediocre soldiers can use it". mediocre soldier = backward baboon in uniform. nice one.

of course, no lunch for *our* conference, so i headed off to the strip mall and got myself asian take-away. it wasn't bad. i got on the phone to the university's admissions department and things got confusing so i decided to bail on a day whose future wasn't looking too bright and headed back to tel aviv.

i got in touch with the english department's secretary, only to discover that they'd lost my application material from last year. i tried desperately to phone the interdisciplinary center, but nobody was answering at the number i was referred to so i went home in the hope that i had a spare copy of my degree authorization and grades lying around.

success! i'm organized, ek sé. i hopped on the bus to the campus, and made my way to the admissions department... only to find them closed.

what - a - bummer.

fortunately, someone answered the phone and talked me through the process of putting the envelope in the giant box next to the door*, and then i paid the secretariat a visit just to make myself known. i was invited to a lecture that was scheduled to begin an hour later, so i got on the phone with ru55 before stopping for a cup of coffee.

* i'm being facetious - i had a bunch of questions and in turn received a bunch of weird instructions. even the secretariat has told me to ignore half of them :P

i couldn't concentrate enough to read my book while i waited, because after chatting with ru55 i got to thinking about the practicalities of working and studying. until i'm out and doing it, i won't know what to expect - and by applying i've already taken a solid step forward.

speaking of solid steps - i've gotten in touch with someone who's in the know as far as my request for early release is concerned. he's given me a positive feeling about it.

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i found the auditorium, it was half full and i was shocked to be bringing the average age down by a considerable amount. it turned out to be a memorial thing for someone, an annual tradition for the past two decades. i sat chatting with a belgian guy who isn't too keen on literature... we had a riveting conversation until it got underway, by which time i was no longer the youngest in the room :)

the speaker was john carey, and the topic william golding and what went into his becoming a novelist. i thoroughly enjoyed listening to both the speaker and the content, it was extremely interesting and provocative :)

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i got in touch with my old boss on the way out, who's always a good contact for freelance work... in fact, he has a job for tel aviv university that needs doing... hmmmm. would i qualify for free studies?
[probably not, but it's a nice thought]

i carried on reading on the bus: i'm almost done with the iliad, and the last bit is, of course, the best of it.

i got home in time to change before the electrician came by. he replaced the wires to my bedroom light, but it's not a good solution and i'm decidedly unhappy with the installation itself. he such a nice guy, it's going to make me feel bad when i don't use him for the rest of the stuff that needs doing :/

i've stuffed myself on watermelon, then made a decent tuna-salad (using leftover ginger), i've uploaded photos and run laundry and posted... i think i'm good to go.

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i had an amusing thought the other day - cinema popcorn prices are so ridiculous, that maybe it'd be a good idea to take in a gas cooker and a pot and make my own in my seat. and then i could sell to anyone around me.
"psssst! want some popcorn?"

spiritual paedophile from monday's post