Local goals

After my last meeting with my advisor, I have a goal:

Submit my thesis by December 15.

This is to allow enough time for it to be read, and for me to amend mistakes. It does not, however, allow a lot more time for me to wander about the topic, wildly flailing my mental tendrils as I absorb the problem from every angle. I have to be direct and effective, without reading every article ever written on the subject.

I have a lot of other things -- a veritable swarm -- hovering over me, emails to write, internships to apply for, articles to read, cleaning to do, posts to write (yes, I still have my GHC reflections bouncing around in my head), and miscellaneous tasks. (It would be nice to have food in the kitchen so I don't starve.) These things are all on pause while I cram in some more work before my weekly meeting with my advisor; as soon as I leave his office tomorrow, I'm going to go on a task-completing rampage.

My more local goal is to get back down to inbox zero, which I achieved over the summer and maintained up until two weeks ago. A more long-term goal is to pick up where I left off with Project Simplify.


This post's theme quote is from Siméon Poisson:

Life is good for only two things, discovering mathematics and teaching mathematics.

Keyboard recommendations?

My keyboard is limping to its death after a recent encounter with a cup [read: lake] of tea. I'm looking to buy a new keyboard which is:

1. suitable for small hands,
2. ergonomic (slightly tilted/curved, different hands' keys separated),
3. has a number pad, F keys, arrows and insert/delete/home/end/page up/page down, and
4. has a satisfying action (not too mushy; an audible click on key depression is ok).

I went yesterday to Best Buy and Future Shop, and wasn't too impressed with the small selections of keyboards there. However, I'm hesitant to buy a keyboard online, since I can't test it out.

Any suggestions? Do you love your keyboard?


This post's theme word: bosset, "a small protuberance or knob."