Computer Applications Development

Re my just-started "Plan B" studies in Computer Applications Development at Conestoga College, I kicked ass on some recent course assignments and lab work, over the weekend worked on a tough-to-accomplish one-page resume (difficult given that my academic CV is nine pages long), yesterday went to a Research In Motion co-op job info session at the college (also with free pizza and soft drinks, and we each got a deck of cards with Blackberrys on them!), and today am going both to a career fair (where I hope to meet people from a couple of relevant companies: RIM, Desire2Learn, and RealNetworks) and to a session with the college's IT Dean for those of us in computer programs, but who are older (“mature”).

"9" (movie)

I just saw the weird “puppet” movie 9, which I’ve decided to rename The Wizard of Pinocchio: The Rise of the Machines. It's visually inventive, but the story is rather incoherent and a mish-mash of various and--one should have thought--incompatible influences, such as a mysterious scientist who inadvertently sets nasty things in motion, puppets who try to become heroic, Judy Garland’s original performance of “Over the Rainbow” (The Wizard of Oz) underscoring an extended scene, and Terminator-like near-future machines trying to blow up everything and everyone. As with District 9, it was derived from a young filmmaker’s short film and backed by a major director/producer, in this case not Peter Jackson, but Tim Burton.

Academia

Recent thoughts about Academia:

• Here's an example of how silly academic music job postings can be: "Primary responsbilities include teaching music theory, musicianship, composition, musical instrument digital interface, and low brass private lessons."
  
• Academia in the humanities exists so that many of the 50% who are lucky enough to get "permanent" jobs can move around to better jobs, whereas the other 50% never get to have permanent jobs at all.
  
• On the other hand, a dissertation is an elaborate information system, developed through an iterative and incremental life cycle. In other words, that's pretty similar to what systems analysts do! So, maybe there is hope for me in my new proposed career in computer appilcations development.

depressing news about my "Second Career" funding

The program I'm taking in Computer Applications Development has already started, and I don’t want to have to quit.

However, I have a feeling that Ontario government Second Career funding is going to be a dead deal, after SEVEN MONTHS of prep work and waiting. They will probably argue that even though my U of Guelph Record of Employment from 2007 has code A (“laid off”) on it, it was actually just a sessional/contract appointment, not to mention just part-time. My MPP’s office will keep on them regarding this for a bit longer, but it will probably be futile to appeal the decision, not to mention likely into at least October or November by then.

I can’t get OSAP student loans, either, because they say that even if I wasn’t going through bankruptcy, my “grace” period for paying back my initial loans (some of which date back to 1984!) and potentially getting more loans had already expired. Also, because I’m going back to school for one more year, it’s entirely possible that my “end of study date” (despite the fact that the first one was for a Ph.D.) will change from 2000 to 2010 and I’ll still get stuck having to pay back my moderately large student loan amounts from the 1980s and ’90s, despite having gone through the humiliation of a bankruptcy that would otherwise have taken care of them. I have my MP’s (not MPP’s) office looking into that, as well as the office of my bankruptcy trustees.

So, I seem to have no choice but to see if my Dad will be able to get a suitable loan for me.