DK

I’ve got 1 more semester of school left and I still have problems explaining what my major, Informatics, is.  Here is some more information i found on one of IU’s webpages:

Informatics questions and answers

Formally established in 1999, the nation’s first school of informatics is located on the Indiana University Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses. The school is growing rapidly with more than 700 undergraduates and graduates enrolled in informatics programs.The undergraduate degree program in informatics presents a multidisciplinary curriculum that combines knowledge of a specific subject area, or cognate area, with a foundation in informatics. This educational background prepares students to adapt to technologic changes throughout their careers.

The newest figures indicate that in Bloomington, 85 undergraduates have declared informatics majors, with another 171 in University Division indicating such intentions as well. Two hundred ninety-one students are enrolled in the various sections of I101–Introduction to Informatics. At IUPUI, 600 undergraduate majors are enrolled in informatics degree programs. At the graduate level, 72 students are in degree programs in Bloomington and Indianapolis ranging from bioinformatics to human

How does informatics differ from computer science?

Computer science is theoretical and highly technical. People who study computer science learn to write programs with programming languages and study the mathematical foundations of computer science, software methodologies, operating systems and applications like graphics, robotics and artificial intelligence. Informatics requires an understanding of these areas, but is more focused on the best applications of these technologies and is therefore more applied and less technical.

What is a cognate area?

A cognate area is an integrated program of approved courses taken outside of the School of Informatics. These courses emphasize the foundations, applications and/or implications of information technology in the chosen area. Among the many diverse examples of cognate areas currently available are: geography, telecommunications, instructional systems technology, chemistry, journalism, fine arts and computer science. Many other areas have been proposed.

How does a cognate area relate to careers?

Because informatics gives students skills to apply IT to another field, the kinds of people or things that a person would be working with would certainly have a lot to do with the cognate area that the student studies along with informatics. Someone who studied psychology and informatics, for example, might become a usability tester, working as part of a development team to make new software applications easier for people to use. Informatics at IU gives the student the opportunity to choose a specific area of concentration–a cognate area–to better determine what people or systems meet the student’s career objectives.

What does a student learn in pursuing an informatics degree?

An informatics degree allows a student to develop marketable information technology skills that can be transported to a number of job settings:

• a technical understanding of how computing systems operate
• ability to adapt, assess and apply new trends in information technology
• well developed problem-solving skills
• ability to work in a team
• well developed communications skills to clearly convey solutions and observations to others
• an understanding of social and ethical principles as they relate to information technology issues.

E-mail: informat@indiana.edu

http://informatics.indiana.edu/

http://www.informatics.iupui.edu/

Doing some research on salary.com for my field of study.  I can’t wait till next may!

Job Description
	Information Services Consultant Works with end user groups to evaluate and solve technical problems. Evaluates existing systems and/or user needs to analyze, design, recommend, and implement system changes. Requires a bachelor’s degree and at least 7 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Familiar with a variety of the field’s concepts, practices, and procedures. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of complicated tasks. May lead and direct the work of others. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected. May report to an executive or a manager
	Alternate Job Titles: Information Services Consultant Information Services Consultant 25th%ile Median 75th%ile Indianapolis, IN 46217 $84,950 $95,630 $104,886 Job Description   Database Administrator Administers, maintains, develops and implements policies and procedures for ensuring the security and integrity of the company database. Implements data models and database designs, data access and table maintenance codes; resolves database performance issues, database capacity issues, replication, and other distributed data issues. May require a bachelor’s degree in a related area and 2-4 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on limited experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks. Works under general supervision; typically reports to a manager. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required. Alternate Job Titles: Database Administrator | DBA Database Administrator 25th%ile Median 75th%ile Indianapolis, IN 46217 $73,993 $84,933 $96,285

I hear the wind traveling down the Koalou
It touches my skin and makes me think of
how much I miss you, my Hawaii
I breathe the fragrance of the yellow ginger lei
I look inside myself to find the words to say
How much I miss you, my Hawaii

I catch the glimmer of your face across the sky
I watch the setting sun and I begin to cry
Because I miss you, my Hawaii
I rest my head upon the sands of Waikiki
I close my eyes and I hear you calling me
How I miss you, my Hawaii
my love

When I was in phoenix a couple of weeks ago, I dropped my PowerBook G4.  There is a cd stuck in the superdrive, and a metal clip blocking it to prevent it from ejecting.  The case was split open and the whole computer is cocked and out of kilter.  I just returned from the Apple Store and they said it will likely cost a lot to repair.  New superdrive, new bottom case, and other crap will cost around $1000 +.  Not worth repairing.  Apple needs to come out with the 17″ MacBook Pro’s so I can get a new one of those.  15″ is not enough.

waaaaahhhhh  

Lisa, where’s Christmas?

-Homer

Thats what I say everytime somebody tries to give me that “Happy Holidays” crap at a store. Fight the war on Christmas.

I found this sweet new theme for Christmas and New Years!!

I’m ready for school to be over! 1 week or so left. Happy early Merry Christmas!!

Mary “Frances” Browning Kelly 76, passed away on October 25, 2005 at her Glenns Valley residence with her family by her side. She was born on August 26, 1929 in Asheville, North Carolina to the late Joseph Samuel and Mary Frances Browning. She was raised and graduated in Efland, North Carolina. She married James Kelly on April 16, 1951. She is survived by her husband; four sons, James Timothy Kelly, Kevin Brian Kelly, Steven Mark Kelly, and Daniel Lee Kelly; two daughters, Sandra Gail Kelly and Vera Karen Earle; one sister, Lois Westbrook; sixteen grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded by one sister, Elizabeth “Liz” Boyle. Mrs. Kelly was a homemaker. A service will be conducted at 1:00 pm on Thursday, October 27, 2005 at Wilson St. Pierre Funeral Service & Crematory, Greenwood Chapel. Friends may call on Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Glenns Valley. Memorial contributions may be made to the Home for the Friendless Animals, P.O. Box 17511, Indianapolis, IN 46217.

Ma-maw, I am blessed that you are my grandparent and that I am part of this family. I know you will be looking on over the Kelly family to make sure we all are taken well care of. Thank you for everything. I love you, miss you and can’t wait until I get to see you again in Heaven.

Goodbye.

Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor, asks and provides his view regarding the question, “Why do FIRST folks talk so much about that phrase?”

Obviously it would not make sense to endorse “asinine professionalism” or “gracious incompetence.” It is, however, completely consistent with the FIRST spirit to encourage doing high quality well informed work in a manner that leaves everyone feeling valued. Gracious professionalism seems to be a good descriptor for part of the ethos of FIRST. It is part of what makes FIRST different and wonderful.

Gracious professionalism has purposefully been left somewhat undefined because it can and should mean different things to each of us. We can, however, outline some of its possible meanings. Gracious attitudes and behaviors are win-win. Gracious folks respect others and let that respect show in their action. Professionals possess special knowledge and are trusted by society to use that knowledge responsibly. Thus, gracious professionals make a valued contribution in a manner pleasing to others and to themselves.

In FIRST, one of the most straightforward interpretations of gracious professionalism is that we learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. We try to avoid leaving anyone feeling like they are losers. No chest thumping barbarian tough talk, but no sticky sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, pride and empathy comfortably blended.

Understanding that gracious professionalism works is not rocket science. It is, however, missing in too many activities. At FIRST it is alive and well. Please help us take care of it.

In the long run, gracious professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. If one becomes a professional, and uses knowledge in a gracious manner, everyone wins. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you have acted with integrity and sensitivity. That’s good stuff!

I have finally done it. I am now a car owner and have a car payment to pay for the next 5 years! I purchased my Black 2005 Pontiac G6 GT last Tuesday, 16 August. The beast is loaded with leather, XM Sattelite Radio, OnStar, 17″ ChromeTech wheels, heated seats, 3.5 V6 with 201 horses. It purrs as you give it some gas. Super comfortable and extremely easy to drive. It honestly feels like I am strapped into a cockpit when I get in it. I lub it.

I sold my ‘94 GMC pickup to my cousin whos now a senior in HS. It runs perfect and should be a reliable vehical for him.

View more pictures of my 2005 Pontiac G6 GT!

Anyways, school starts back up on Wednesday. Honestly, I don’t think I’m looking forward to going back to school this semester. I’ve been working a lot at Rolls-Royce and things have going well there. I’m pretty backed up on all the things I need to get accomplished but I feel that as a positive thing. I’ve enjoyed working with everyone and excited that the system I have been working on for 2 years now is finally getting used by everybody in the group! It’s done a lot of positive things for us and has made a substantial difference already. There’s still a lot of work to be done and I hope that I can continue to make a difference in the company as I have been.

I found the following posted on craigslist.org and I found it to be so true. I hope I can get me some piece of geek loving action one of these days….

Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It…

Reply to: anon-66795671@craigslist.org
Date: Sun Apr 03 21:30:08 2005

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they’re well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are… plus, I’ve never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

2.) They’re useful. In this tech-savvy world, it’s great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

3.) They’re more romantic than they’re given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such… but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like ‘em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like ‘em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

5.) They’ve got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it’ll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they’re more attentive than guys who “have more options”. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they’ll likely have mental lists of all the things they’d love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I’m not really familiar with this myself, but I’ve friends who’ve been intimate with geek guys and it’s raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra… all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

8.) They’re relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you’re not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won’t have to worry much about your geek guy getting his “groove” on with club hotties because, frankly, he’ll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won’t have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he’ll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I’ve seen this happen.
Me: “Eww. Victoria Secret’s Models… They’re so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!”
Geek Guy: “ooooooo…”
Me: “Hey!” *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: “What?”
Me: “Never mind…”

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you’ll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he’ll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn’t want to go someplace with you, you won’t have to worry much about what he’s up to. You’ll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It’s ok. He’s used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

11.) His friends aren’t jerks. I can’t stress this enough. You’ll more likely get “Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?!” than “Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on…” They’re awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code… a geek can dream).

12.) They’re rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won’t care. He does too! They won’t get pissy if you don’t wear make-up or don’t want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won’t try their best to make you feel like crap.

13.) They’re usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won’t have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he’ll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce…

14.) You’ll almost never have to hear, “Yaw dawg whazzap!!” plop out of their mouths. Unless it’s in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get “wasted”, so you won’t have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps…

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that’s a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than “DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!!” Believe me.