No Syntax Errors

I have just discovered something really satisfying. This spring I'm trying to get the grasp of Java, and it is fun. Basically it's like learning any other language, and it's equally as important here not to be shy. Just dive in, and make a fool of yourself, it won't kill you. Imagine yourself trying to learn french, and after only a few lessons be sent into a shop to buy 2 litres of milk and a bread, only to end up with yesterdays newspaper and a football in your hands. Does it really matter? It's just something to laugh about later.

In this Java-course they are taking advantage of an interactive learning environment called BlueJ, and it's here I found my new little thrill. Programming code written in high level language, needs to be compiled into low level language machine code so the computer knows how to execute the program. If compiling in BlueJ is successful it will tell you:

file saved - no syntax errors

Rewarding, I must say, but as usual I had to reflect a little over it. As computer programming could resemble using any other language, and language is what makes us people human, I couldn't resist a thought. Why don't we have a compiler, a program that takes our high level thinking and translates it to something that can be put into action by our mindless bodymachines? And more important: warn us when it doesn't make sense? I think we all, from time to time, could have use for something that prevented us from behaving erroneously .

A World Of Music

If anything is going to get me through this it must be the music, without it I'm lost. On the other hand I have all these "contaminated" songs and artists which make me too sad at the moment. But the rescue was out there all along, I just had to discover it.

I think I mentioned the other day that I bought an Mp3-player. I soon found out that a pair of speakers would go nicely with the player, making it possible to enjoy my music in the kitchen too. A quick search let me know that there was a very practical little dockingstation with inbuilt speakers suitable for my Zen Micro. Just a tad too expensive. Surfing Creative's website for alternatives I hit the jackpot, some poor guy had made the mistake forgetting to convert the price of a speaker+Mp3-player package to Norwegian currency. In just seven days I had the whole thing delivered on my doorstep for only 145,- Nok.! (That's less than £13...) They must have realized the blunder as soon as they got my order, 'cause the offer was gone the day after. Sometimes you just get lucky.

The result is that I now have decent sound from my laptop as well, and I can take full advantage of SHOUTcast. From here I can reach a world full of music as uninfected as an Antartic Penguin.

All Things Must Come To An End?

Maybe it's not the end, but I think I need a break at least. So nighty-night little blog, sweet dreams. See you then...

Fakin' It?

I read about the Postsecret art project the other day, and started to do a little pondering, about which secret of mine would be the hardest to admit to. There are a few, but maybe it's time to come clean:

I'm an imposter.

Almost everyday I have this feeling that someone will reveal my true nature, and catch me as The Great Pretender I am. First of all, I try to speak and write in languages that not are mine. I am a traitor to my roots. Then I try to act intelligent and educated, and I even pretend to be nice and caring. How rude!

But this is probably just my poor self-esteem talking, and my sometimes desperate need for confirmation. The identity issue, you know. 'Cause I think real imposters most likely are completely devoid of any guilt regarding deceiving honest people.

Do Not Cross

I was thinking I did a pretty good job staying on the right side, not crossing the Line. Then I started to think; did I really know where the Line was? Who drew the Line in the first place? And even more important; how could I be sure that there weren't a number of lines, each looking differently depending on the view? Is my Line the same as yours? Or how about his Line?

My suspicion is that the above assumptions may indeed contain some truth; and therefore might explain why I keep stumbling all the time. There simply are too many Lines, and I can't see them!

I need a map, I need someone to tell me where the freakin' Line is.

Gadgets

As I'm supposed to be writing an essay right this moment (due tomorrow) and I can't seem to find a good entrypoint, I thought I'd rather post a few words here. Just to start things up, so to speak. And what could be more innocent than just happily show off my most recent gadget?

On and off, I think I've been a Gadget Girl for all my life. Nowadays I try to be more sensible, and really think it through before I buy anything, but the feeling now is the same, as when I got my first Nintendo Game&Watch back in 1981. Gadgets are toys for people who claim that are not playing.

I like words in general and some even more, "gadget" being one of them. So I thought I would look up what Wikipedia had to say about the subject, and I found that the top example of a gadget is a Mp3-player! Can you now guess what I bought?
This probably just shows how predictable I am, more than anything, but yes, I am now the extatic owner of an Creative Zen Micro. And yes I know, late as well. I know people have been using Mp3-players for a long time, I just thought I didn't need one. A walkman would do just fine for me, or a MD-player. I've tried that too.

But just imagine bringing your whole CD-collection (or a large chunk of it, anyway) with you, whereever you go. Usually I'm too tired to enjoy any music when I get home, this way I can listen to my favourites outdoors, crisscrossing the City of Bergen.

While I was doing more "important" stuff on the computer, I ripped about a thousand songs and transferred them to the player in no time. Nifty! Tom Waits, Barbara Morrison, Nicolas Repac, Van Morrison, Jan Garbarek, and all that Jazz...

Here's another Gadget Girl with things on her mind.

Winter Classes For Men...

...AT
THE NASHVILLE LEARNING CENTER FOR ADULTS
REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY Monday Jan. 9, 2006

NEW CLASSES WILL BEGIN ON Jan. 14, 2006

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM.

Class 1
How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays --- Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2
The Toilet Paper Roll --- Does It Change Itself?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3
Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and
Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub? --- Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor ---
Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
After Dinner Dishes --- Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning
at 7:00 PM

Class 6
Loss Of Identity --- Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7
Learning How To Find Things --- Starting With Looking In The Right Places
And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum .
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch --- Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.
Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost --- Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 10
Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live --- Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.
Online Classes and role-playing .
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12
How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion
Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy --- Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven --- What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses,
diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

The Best Mathexam Answer Ever

The translation is a bit superfluous really, isn't it?...