Bloggings about what I consume.....and what consumes me.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Do you know what's waiting beyond that beach? My Thesis! TAKE IT! ITS URS!!!


It took me around 9 months but I birthed my a Thesis! And now Im offering it up to any1 willing to give it luvz and affection. Mi Casa Su Casa... . .I hope it finds a good home, I kno it will . . ..

To download my Thesis, plz click on the Link below:
Thesis uploaded on RapidShare

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Only when users and designers collaborate within the Web 2.0 environment, can design directions be attained thru consensus

With an increased focus on user participation, a role of a designer in this user-generated medium should by one of “conversational leader” (Leadbeater 20). The user experienced gain in Web 2.0 is based on a system of reciprocity (Leadbeater 20). Designers should actively engage in establishing values and norms, they should continue to forge pathways to there network of peers, and offer these users access to their resources.

A metaphor I like to use in regards of how user participation in Flickr enriches it's service is, Flickr being a blank canvas in which users become the artists in painting a communal experience. Each new contribution of content, becomes a new colour in the awaiting masterpiece, where their user interactions within Flickr, becomes the force behind a new stroke of the brush on the canvas, melding the colours, creating vibrancy and creating depth. And Flickr says, PAINT ON!

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Designers in a User-generated medium must offer Users trails to their Resources. . . Cos Sharing is Caring Y'all!!!

Above is my Showreel of the scenes I had inbetweened as an intermediate IB at DisneyToon Studios Australia.

The advent of Web 2.0 services can be viewed as extending a familiarity of the importance and value of graphic design across disciplines (Gromala 55) as a designer acting within such a community can assist in a role of “creative interlocutor”. Traub and Lipkin describe a creative interlocutor as a navigator of associative trails of thought and resource, who enables others to freely and creatively manage their human interests. This individual is one who is integrated: his creativity functions as part of an organic part of society, and he acts to connect for the common good…In doing so, he enables others to further their creative potentials (in Heller 82).

To view my Show-reel as an IB trainee, plz click on the link below:
http://chasing-sandcastles.blogspot.com/2006/10/disney-ib-showreel.html

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A picture tellz a thousand (key)wordz


After doing a case study of Flickr for my thesis, one of the key points regarding connectivity is Flickr’s view of photos as a tool that prompts interactivity. As expressed this post's diagram, photos no longer lie dormant in photo albums, online they become “living entities” that are used as a resource that foster online activities. They add description to Websites, they enrich online libraries, they attract our attention in self-made slideshows, and they even become the instigator of dialogue between users. Photos once relegated for private collections have now been opened up for public consumption, and Flickr has upheld such opportunities by developing places “for the audience to take part in the action” (Shedroff 227), by permitting them to generate metadata to the library of the service.

To visit my user foto-sets on the Flicker Website, plz follow the link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chasing-sandcastles/sets/

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Existing Online; Its like opening ur diary and preaching ona soapbox... "C'MON READ THIS, BETTR YET READ THIS OUT-LOUD!!!"

C'mon users 4get ur pride. .. .Share ur artwork. .. Just enjoi da ride. .. .



To view my personal sketch-book made public on DeviantART, plz follw the link below:
http://chasing-sandcastles.deviantart.com/gallery/

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Your Web 2.0 Soup is served!!! Users, hurry up and grab a spoon ;-p


A useful analogy of the social milieu of Flickr could be being similar to a bowl of soup. In this analogy the bowl itself is represented as the Web, where the soup’s broth comprises of the entire Flickr community in which each member adds their own distinct flavour. The user’s contribution can be viewed as the force that moves the spoon, where the spoon itself represents the users ideas and messages. As users participate, the spoon mixes together all the ingredients in the bowl, aggregating together the constituents of the soup, constructing trails that direct back to them whilst overlapping with trails that lead to other users.

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Web 2.0 is all about offering other users opportunities to grow'n'learn.....So.. . ..Share your Design Work

As Web 2.0 users become increasingly responsible for performing tasks once relegated to designers,it encourages designers to function more as creative interlocutors. And in such a role facilitate the exchange of ideas and information between one human need and another. This person is the producer,director, the organizer-navigator…Creative interlocutors are: programmers, producers, inventors, researchers, teachers, scholars, and volunteers’ (Traub & Lipkin in Heller 89). Below, I have offered a slide-show of some samples of my Design work, in the effort that it may ignite the spark of ideas of other users. . .

Cool Slideshows

Cool Slideshows

In response to such a refocus, designers must learn to collaborate. For the act of designing has been transformed from an individual endeavour into a group effort. As learning through collaboration rather than competition, fosters an environment where exploration, analysis and risk-taking are encouraged (Burns in Heller 2001 102). This mode of Design fosters an interdisciplinary team dynamic, since designing for interactivity is about working with others (Niederhelman 17). Web 2.0 services call for a mode of Design that encourages collaborative methods of working, between teams of designers and non-designers, and between various design specialties – where the primary focus is on critical listening and communication skills (Nowacek in Heller 191). It appears that another emerging role for designers within this user-generated medium is this role of critical observer. As Charles Leadbeater remarks, History tells us the inventors (designers) are often very bad at guessing how technologies will be used, and further concludes that, consumer contributors are vital to innovation, for disruptive innovations which upset traditional markets and business models often start in the margins of a sector, with innovative users with distinct needs (Leadbeater 2006, 28-29).

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In Web 2.0 services, Design is the work of Multiple Authors. .. .

In open-sourced communities as this diagram illustrates, “the order comes from within these communities not from the top” (Leadbeater 5). In such an equal platform, ‘Consumers turn out to be producers as creativity becomes a mass activity not just an elite one.’(Leadbeater 5-6).

In the photo-sharing site Flickr, user participation flows in both directions, where contributions are circulated and re-circulated. In Flickr it its not the photos, but what users do with the photos that puts the mechanism of Design into action. In this user-generated medium, the enrichment of a user experience becomes the primary focus, as our methods of content exposition gives our online activities meaning and purpose.


Summary of findings from Flickr Case Study in Thesis:


Strengths
• There are strong levels of feedback, since all users are in fact contributors.
• Flickr’s open API allows for the development on new features, through the modification of JavaScript.
• Flickr facilitates for creative dialogues between members, where users practices tasks of listening, thinking, and speaking.
• Flickr’s responsive and participatory nature helps to immerse users into their engagement of the service.
• Flickr’s multiple approaches to organization supports greater navigational variations.

Weaknesses
• A folksonomy has a tendency to be ambiguous, as users assign the same tag to different items.
• Users are only granted a finite amount of control of the system, which hinders autonomy and self-expression.
• Users without knowledge of JavaScript can’t make sophisticated modifications.
• Flickr chooses to ignore, rather than devise solutions for members who user Flickr for non-photographic material.

Opportunities
• A folksonomy allow all users to have a “voice” to negotiate the value and meaning of communal content.
• Flickr offers users various choices for archiving, annotating, appropriating and recirculating their generated content.
• Flickr allows users to utilize their content, in and amongst other Web 2.0 services they belong to.
• A designer belonging to Flickr can aim to respond to the challenge of multiple ways that users access information.

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Friday, November 24, 2006

To get where ur goin' u gotta kno where u've been. .. .

In an analysis of the current trends found in Web 2.0, it is important to review it’s position in the context of the historical evolution of the Internet. By doing this, it makes the task of understanding how it came into being, the pioneering vision and objectives behind its development and its possible directions in the future much more definite. For this reason a timeline that tracks these events is presented here.

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Share Your Photos Y'all!!!



As a designer acting a user, it was important to promote the need to be community active (figure 39), as user participation has become the new vehicle for designers to enrich the understanding of Web 2.0 audiences. This should be an objective for any designer acting as a user; this should be the objective for every ordinary Flickr member.

As ‘Interaction is a cyclic process in which two actors(users) alternately listen, think, and speak (Chris Crawford in Shedroff 142), the role of a designer in a user-generated medium is to uphold the conversational and participatory nature of the community. They can achieve this be being community active in their own designated groups (figure 40, 41, 42), and being visible in accumulated community resources.

To view more of my photo-collections, plz follow the link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chasing-sandcastles/

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My procedures for doing Qualitative Research on Web 2.0 services


The steps undertaken to establish an online presence included:

• Creating a user account for a Web 2.0 service

• Generating content within its user page

• Enrolling my accounts into Web 2.0 search databases

• Making informative contributions to the service’s public library so that other users can benefit and can deviate to my user page

• Communicating with other users of the service by offering opinions, joining user groups, and participating in communal discussions.

• Becoming community active by establishing trails to resources of information within the service, and offering links to contacts in other Web 2.0 services.

• Promoting a convergent use of Web 2.0 services by interlinking the content amongst my various user accounts.

It was important to establish a sense of connectivity with resources found in various services, as the features of Web 2.0 services promote the circulation and re-circulation of online content. In my qualitative research as a user, it was a goal to create opportunities for open dialogue with other users to as certain emerging user needs, and as a designer, co-develop appropriate design directions through this exchange. In linking my online activities and resources in my various user pages, the probability of this occurring became highly likely.

The main Web 2.0 services I participated in are:
• My Blog (http://www.chasing-sandcastles.blogspot.com/), which is a form of an online diary,

• My Wiki (http://chasing-sandcastles.pbwiki.com/), which are online places where people can easily add and edit content, and are therefore often used for collaborative writing (Kloos 2006 8).

• Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chasing-sandcastles/) which is a photo-hosting service which manages content through folksonomy

• Del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us/chasing_sandcastles), an online bookmarking service which heavily relies on a user self-tagging system.

• DeviantART (http://chasing-sandcastles.deviantart.com/) Which is a image-hosting service where users upload their art, for critiques and opionions from the DeviantART community.

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Sunlight sends u on ur way, and those restless thoughts that cling to yestadai, nvr be afraid of change. .. .16/11


DSCN2888 16/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
My spirit still feels a little broken after everything, im still a little sore, I look like Ive aged a year within the past month but the word that describes how I feel right now is RELIEF!

This is all that really remains, a phone number to ring given to me by my mentor that I wrote on my arm, as there was no paper around. But that too will disappear after my shower. washing away all the negativeness, starting again, anew. I can feel myself coming back now, its over, im smiliing again, Im coming back

Thanx for the ride,
Chase :-)

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Thursday, November 23, 2006

Jump starting my life after thesis 16/11



The night b4 after my thesis was delivered I had the best sleep in days! and slowly but sure I began to repair the damage that had happend. It was time to heal.

After my car got towed bak to my home, alot of the time spent to day, was helping my dad fix the car. helping him test it, holding the light as it got dark. ..

During me break I now plan to learn a bit more about what makes a car tick, under the tutelage of my dad. It still feels a little strange though. I still wonder around the house, thinking I should be writing or reading something, instead of just R-E-L-A-X-I-N-G.

Healin'
Chase.

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In my darkest hour, angels saved my life. .. 15/11

I began to write this post, detailing everything that went wrong on the day I submitted my thesis, and BOY! I had probably wrote about 700 words and I looked at it, and all I saw was negativity, and I dont believe that that should the point of my story of that day.

So I deleted it, and began to write this post. I'll keep it short and sweet. I survived it, I got it (my thesis) in on that day, thanks to all these kind strangers that helped me on the way. I had no idea ppl, especially people u have never met before can be so nice and supportive. It was really a life-changing lesson, and I shall never take the kindness of others for granted ever again.

That day was so hard, but the real point is. . . . I pulled through. Although I would never wish such bad luck and bad timing to even my worst enemy, Im glad I went thru it, becos now I kno my tru character, and finally believe that I can overcome even the worst of fates, becos I view things in a whole nue perspective now.

And if u still wanna kno those specific details, get in contact wif me, and I'll fill ya in ;-p

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A1 poster designing - my sweet escape 11/11

Even on my breaktime I was working. I put some time aside to work on my a1 poster. I had the idea in my head, and it turned pretty accurate. I need to thank MC-Btweenr again for really helping me out, the image looks great! Sorry I wreckd it abit by flipping it, but it matches the rest of the poster layout that way. U win some u lose some.

I really like the simple yet strong visual style of my poster, and considering how professional the quality of how the laptop looks, when it was made in my hallway, with some really nice mid-day light coming from the front door.

It was also a happy accident, that the quoatation marks complement the pumping fist of my picture. I love it when happy accidents happen. And I like how the text has that second layer of expressing a reading of the words online design, and participation Web 2.0, if the title is read diagonally.

That's the hotness right thur!!!

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Things always look btr on paper 10/11


DSCN2856 10/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I finished a rough version of my thesis today, in 5 days I hand it in, talk about cutting it close. I have been racing the clock since day one, and although my body is telling me to stop, I keep on going. everything is sore, my eyes hurt, my liver hurts, my body is sooo weak, but something inside wont stop.

I have so much work to do, so I try to stay positive, but I kno im running out of time. Although its not my best work, I'm sooo proud of myself becos I kno deep in my heart, I did the best I can, I pushed myself to the utmost limit, and I survived.

I really cannot remember these past 2 weeks, it was all too surreal, I felt like I was floating in a dream, the rest of the world did not exist, the only space that was real was the area between my eyes and the computer screen, where the universe was whirling in my head, transferring all the galaxies from my finger tips, creating sparks of life as I typed in words on the keyboard.

The next few days were the stressful of all, there was alot of reading out printed versions of chapters, to sructinize any spelling errors, then re-reading my thesis in both pdf, doc, and indesign files. There was also alot of managing my days to kno what still needed to be done.

I survived, all I can say is I survived.

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My mentor says that my soup needs more salt. .. but all I have is peppr and I cant stop sneezing! 7/11

My thesis is due in less than I week, I still get the shivers just thinking about it. I was so stressed, each day, my mind felt like it was going down spirals. Talking to my mentor didn't really help, although they were supportive I still felt under-prepared, like many students that I kno, when deadline is approaching, u find yourself saying "only if I had one more week".

Anyway, I put these new post its up on my wall, reminding me about the arguement structure I should follow so that what I was talking about seems more digestible to a reader, as advised by my mentors. Its times like this I go into work overdrive. I stop feeling sorry for myself and I go hard, telling himself, to not worrying about the insurmountable task at hand, take it day by day, and make every second count, work urself so hard each day, that evn if u are an insomniac, u would not have any trouble falling asleep. And I swear, each nite, even if all I got was 5 hours sleep, I woke up ready to fight the good fight, not only becos I believed in my work, but becos of all the ppl that hav been generous enougf to offering me their help along the way :-)

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No Melbourne Cup of Life for me :-( 6/11


DSCN2829 6/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I ended up working all week the Melbourne Cup was on. I didn't even watch the race. The call it the race that stops a nation, I bet that nation didnt have a thesis to write!

To cure my feeling of academic imprisonment, I move surrondings every few days, somedays Im at my dad's, others my mums, other times uni, other times library, actually many different libraries. I like being around others that r studying, it makes me feel less like im in a one man race.

I swear I was a gypsy in a former life.

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Design ideas can come from the most unexpected places. . . 4/11


Picture0100 4/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I was in the mall today, buying a present from my littl cuz, cos its his b'day. and I was inspired by the lettering infront of a store display, not really a place u would expect to be effected by novel ideas.

I enjoyed the second layer of detail, as u slowly walk closer to the text. Their a map hidden in the lettering, and after seeing it, all these ideas flooded my cortex, about how I should approach my a1 poster design.

Since my own poster is so large, I think these"in closer inspection" technique mite just work. I love creating works with detail, that sometimes go un-noticed, I feel it gives them more life, and add cult value for those readers who put in enough effort to decipher any hidden value. Such an approach asks u to always question, and a curious and analytical person I am.

Although in the end, I opted to not use a layering effect in my poster design, I just let me mind conger up a design, and when I woke up from the trance, there it was, on my screen. My design intuiton decided that crisp, neat and bold design was the order of the day, and I was only happy to oblige. But the message of that letter in the mall, although discarded, still lingers in my pysche....the voice still faintly echoes, look for treasures in the most unusual places, give it a new home, fit it with a new attire, make it a vehicle for ur own distinct style, always be open to nue ideas, dont try to control them, let them instead guide you, and never discriminate that innovation can happen in the most unexpected places, in my online/offline life and evn in my thesis, I had tried to follow just that . . .

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The Call - Why parents need to kno how to do emails. 3/11


DSCN2828 3/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I had some free time to help my friend out with his file recovery, becos, after driving for an hour to get to Uni, I discovered that I left the USB with my most updated version of my thesis still plugged into my computer.

I was so used to the sudden surge of panic, that I didnt even flinch when it set in. I spent most of today on the fone with my mum, coaching her on how to email me my documents so that my trip to Uni wouldn't have been for nothing.

After 4 hours, she just couldn't do it. frustrated and exhausted as I was, I kept my cool. I was running on only 3 hours sleep and I decided to conserve my energy for the drive bak come. I did snap at my friend from time to time, but overall I handled the situation pretty well.

I got home at about 4, and since Im on a tight schedule of doing 8 hours of work a day, I didnt hit the hay until 2. I felt beyond exhausted. I was on the verge on collapsing. And all I had to hold on to, was tomorro, it started all over again.

But hey, I survived, and Im still standing, so I guess it aint all bad.

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The search for files delected from the recycle bin 3/11


DSCN2827 3/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
As I had a problem a while back about recovering files that I had accidentally deleted. I helped my firend at Uni try to recover some files that he deleted accidentally too. I felt for him, her worked on it for hours and as the security guards at Uni kikd students out of the editing suites, in his haste he deleted them.

It crunch time at Uni at the moment, that laid back attitude of most uni students in the beginning of semester has now been replaced with a scampering to get assessments submited.

Funnily enough, the time taken for us to find the lost files, would have been the same amount taken if he had just rewrote the work.

U can't win them all .. . .

This is Web 2.0 HOTNESS!!! 2/11


DSCN2825 2/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
tHeres this new (will I think its new) add on that u can install on your blog, that records the activity of ur links and rates the popularity of them, and offers thes results to users in a pop-up menu as they roll over it with there mouse.

I just had to get me it. Talk about a social interactive layer onto of the systems. Vannevar Bush will be proud!

Damn u Flickr, U turnD me Nipsa 1/11


DSCN2824 1/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Flickr actually turned me Nipsa, those cretins! After I'll im doing for them, with writing a case study and all about the service. Where jokes on u! this in goin in my paper. Hurry up and reply to me request, I WANNA B SEEN!!!

"you're terrible muriel"

Contribution, bta late than nvr 1/11


DSCN2823 1/11
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I finally paid my grad show contribution. it took me a while b4 I had enougf money saved up so that I won't go into debt. Its a wonder the things u can do on the Net these days. U can pay bills with a few simple clicks.

Wowza!

The first of many bad omens 31/10


DSCN2822 31/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Today my favorite pacer broke. I used it when I applied for Disney (in which I got accepted) and it was a memento from my highschool days. I was sooo attached to it, its my favorite pacer, it was my lucky pacer and it broke, and with it, I felt that part of my spirit broke too.

Panic began to sink in, as I realized that now I must deal without this notion of luck on my side. I felt a sea-change beginning to brew in me, a new strength not brought on from some value in superstition, but rather from a belief in myself. I can do it. It was me all along, not the pacer. I began to believe that. .. .I had to believe that.

When ur blinded by uncertainty, its ur faith that brings u home. . .. 30/10


DSCN2815 30/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Since I was already at Hyde Park, I decided to go to church to give thanx. I beleive in God, but I do not force my beliefs onto others, to each their own I say.

I haven't attended church in a while, for the past few months my church has been my bedroom and my alter, was my computer. Argh! thinks feel so suffocating at the moment, but I dont blame anyone or wallow in self pity in bad situations. I see them as a test of character, bad situations dont necessary result it bad conclusions, its up to us to rise above, find the strength inside, or change our perspective on things, these experiences are brought upon us not to kill us, but to make us grow, and become stronger from it.

This reminds me of a saying I wrote as part of my yr. 12 art major project, and that is "from the ashes of a dying phoenix is another phoenix reborn". And I believe that, I have to believe that.

Things will turn out alrite,
Chase.

Found a place 2 hide in Hyde 30/10


DSCN2811 30/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I was in the city 2dai, to return some videos and drop into some of the comic and big books stores. yeH, I would travel all the way to the city just to borrowd vids. There collection in massive, and I usually get a craving for an old moving, or an art house movie, that if I asked if they had it at my local video stores they will just stare bak at u all confused. Its even funnier wen they ask u to spell it, and u watch them fathom the title as the type it on their computer.

Anyways, whilst at the city, I decided to walk through Hyde park, I love this place, it always cheers me up. its so beautiful and green. Its funni, from all the shit Ive been goin thru the past few weeks trying to finish my thesis, as ridiculous as it sounds, it seems so surreal to see that the whole world continues to turn without u, it makes u feel so small but yet so comforted, all obstacles feel frivolus and u can find solstice and hide their for a while, until u recouperate and find urself again.

Hair grows more when u aint seen a pillow 29/10


DSCN2794
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Argh! I look a mess, me skin in so blotchy and pasty, my teeth are yello from Coffee, something I try to avoid, but these days I drink 2, and my stumble, justs keeps on popping out. I feel like im deteriorating, my strength is slowly fading, and with it, it has kidnapped my passion to fight for wat I believe in. But worse of all, with this constant insominiaic state, those words, that eloquent phrasing of knowledge, all those magical words that usually sugarcoated my lines, has finally abandoned me. My head is ringing, as my soul is battered and briused. Today is not a good to be Chase, its days like this that damage the light inside. All I can hear, is the heat of the sun, and my heart, juiced up from too much coffee, fluttering like a wild bird in a cage, fighting to be free. ..

Colour coding notes for easy retrieval 29/10


DSCN2783
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I had divised a system, to sort out the good points from the not-so good points. I colour code them. I assign different colours for different topics, different sections, to used text, to text still waiting to be used. I have become a product of my own topic of study, and that it, forming my own interaction layer on top of the systems. My layer is codes of colour, the system's would be, the words on the pages.

I'm such there is an easier way, like book marking sections of something. but as I dun have the time to go thru Word tutes, this method would suffice.

Thesis is due in about 2 weeks. .. .scary. .

Mess Glorious Mess 29/10


DSCN2782
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Oh where will I be without of piles of notes scattered across my table, my floor and on my bed. For some strange reason, most of the time I kno wehere everything is, which is funny, cos my room usually gets messy as I pick up one pile of notes and then halfway thru, spark an idea, which caused me to rummage through other piles until the next thing u know. papers are muddled everywhere.

I dunno, I guess I love. hahahaha, Talk about Vannevar Bush associated trail making. hehe-hoho.

HMmmm, this will make the art of MLA-ing quotes that much easier. 28/10


DSCN2781
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
After the whole copy-n-pasting text debarkly, I browsed through other features in Acrobat reader, and discovered that you can find words, just as u can in Word, and on Web pages (something I only learned 2 weeks b4).

This is gunna make finding which pages my quotes in my thesis came from that much easier....(*sigh of relief*)

WHAT!!! U CAN COPY'N'PASTE TEXT OFF PDFS!!!! 28/10


DSCN2780
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
uNTIL today, I didnt kno u can copy and paste text from a pdf doc. ALL THIS MOTHERFUKEN TIME I hav been retyping, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. I have spend days just retyping academic papers in Word documents. Man! this sux!!!

Dun worry Chase, turn a negative to a positive Chase, Learn Chase... . . Grow Chase.

And the world just keeps on turning. . .28/11



DSCN2779
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
At the time, it felt as if the world would stop if I left my computer and neglected my thesis, But, I realized today that the world doesnt stop for anyone. Ppl still bleed, ppl still die and ppl still need to pay their car rego.

So thats wat took up most of my day, going into RTA and settling my car shite. It was hard, all I could think about was how to make my paper seems more insightful, or what areas that my paper was weak in. Thats the hard thing about spending hours waiting in line for ur number to be call...when ur not 'going' all those self-doubts manage to seep their way in . .. .

AAARGH!!! IT'S HIDEOUS!!! 27/10


DSCN2777
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
bEFORE i took this photo, I spent 2 hours speed reading faster then I had ever done b4 in my life. As I past the mirror in the hall way, to my dismay, I noticed that my eyes had gotten COMPLETELY BLOODSHOT!, they were soooo swollen it was scary. and what was worse, is that i didnt know that it happened. I just thought ur eyes hurt and u got a headache, I didnt think ur end up looking like u were smokin chronic.

OMG! I must hav looks like this so many times after leaving the library after spend 5 hours plus doing non-stop research,

iamsoembaressed!
Chase.

Smile(y). .. it confuses ppl 27/10


DSCN2761
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
This is a little off topic, but I nevr realized how much I type in a dialogue style. For e.g. in MSN, Im always laughing, or exclaiming, or changing the pace with .. . . and also, within every 5 lines I NEED to add a emoticon. as Tom2k would say. . .IT JUST IS.

It seems so normal to write like this, and when im writing academically, I must just seem to switch off that part of my brain. F-A-S-C-I-N-A-T-I-N-G...

SON OF A B****H!!! 27/10


DSCN2755
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
In the one month I had from leaving Disney, to beginning Uni, I took a holiday, and decided to go on a health kik. BUT as the stress of deadline grew nearer, and the comfort food eating had begun, I gained bak all my wieght plus some! Thats wat u get folks if u wanna be intelligent but u aint got the smarts. U lock urself in a room, and stare at a screen, while u sweat from from all the typing and the lamp heat, that ur arm pits begin to smell like rust, UNTIL U GET IT, OR GET IT AS MUCH AS U CAN!

It bettr be worth it . . .. . all the excess weight, the oily screen, the dying muscles, the falling hair, the black eye bags, the yellow teeth, the lack fo sleep, the growing voices in ur head from the months of isolation. .. . . Or you can think of it this way, Now I can make a COMEBACK!

Oh! I can imagine the Hype now. ... .

Hi Mr. Strange glove. . . 27/10


DSCN2754
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Im a pencil tp paper sorta guy. here's a pic of the cursor I dru for my pic in the grad show catalogue. Instead of just drawing it straight with the mouse. I decided to draw it free hand first, get the dimensions right and then trace it with my grafix tablet.

HAHAHA, I found this picture after steping on it, in the white river of old notes that have engulfed my floor. Who has time to clean when their is thesis writing to be done. Obviously not moi!!!

Frum 4 Pink knuckles to 3 Pink Skulls - 2 students fighting for honours glory, with 1 semester to go. .. . 26/10


DSCN2751 26/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I got some feedback from a student who me mentor happened to mention my assignment to. And she has posted my work in her blog. It's quite touching really, It made me feel that flying in this tornado of work, a littl more bearable.

But my advice to u AS6 is to....RUN, RUN WHILE U STILL CAN!!! lol, juss joking.

No really, I say go for it, get it everything u got, and then cry in ur pool of sweat when its all over. Ur more well off then me, cos I deferred my last semester, and when I came bak, my whole topic changed 270 degrees, so basically I had to scamper to get a yrs. worth of work within 1 semester, I couldn't even use my lit review from semester 1, I had to rewrite one, HAHAHAHA, and I ended up writing 90 pages.

I laugh now. .. . .
Chase.

Thesis typing is MY extreme sport 26/10


DSCN2750 26/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
My friends have noticed that my knuckles are a little pinker lately, and i've begun to notice it too! They don't look to bad here in the foto, but in really life, my pink knuckles are LUMINOUS!

I guess thats what u get when u spend weeks type away with ur index fingers all day, or mayb its just me injuries that I acquired frum Disney being agitated again. Either way, when ur knuckles turn pink. ... .u kno it isn't gewd ;-p

Chase.

I'm bringing Feedyback! TAKE-IT-TO-THE-CHORUS!!! 26/10


DSCN2749 26/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I got feedback, I got feedback!!! and they found me, it wasnt just one of my friends writing a pity comment ;-p. The vehicle is slowly begining to be set in motion.

Buckle-up Buckleeroos!

False Alarm 26/10


DSCN2747 26/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
I thought today I got a comment on my blog, but it was just some company selling their service. Hmmm, I wonder if this happens alot. They do bring home a very interesting argument....mayb I'll join. ... on second thought. .. .nah. I'd rather spend time blog browsing.

Chase.

Trying to lighten the mood. .. IN HELL!!! 26/10


DSCN2743 26/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
It getting harder, the pressure is on. Less then a month, but been working so long.

Everyday for the past 3 months has been spent in this Honour's prision. My only voice of comfort is my DVD collection in which most days I watch my favorite movies, as it puts me in a good place.

So far . . .its working

Name it, rate it, tune it, print it, Scan it, send it, fax - rename it, 26/10


DSCN2737 26/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Correspondence with my mentors is so technologic! E-mailing feedback during the week, sending progress, sending helpful links, printing things out for clarity.

I'm so thankful for all the support if been getting so far. And part of me is pushing myself for them, so that their efforts are neother unnutured or futile.

Chase.

Thanx Web 2.0! Boo Thesis!!! 25/10


DSCN2735 25/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Man, I missed the premiere of Tripping Over, cos I was locked away from the demon that is thesis. Luckily, I found out u can downloade episodes of the Web, for an honest sum.

SNAP!

Frost Yourself 25/10


DSCN2719 25/10
Originally uploaded by Chasing SandCastles.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- David Frost