Project608: Opening Day

Opening Day

Project608 is a series of blogs planned over the next several years. These are topics I have played with over time and this is an effort to bring them into the to light and see what develops. 

1. PeopleSoft Development: Peoplesoft608
2. History and Culture of Slavery in the United States: Slavery608
3. Astronomy in Madison WI: MadCityAstronomy608
4. Geology of Wisconsin: Geology608
5. Kayaking and Hiking Journal: Hoofer608
6. James Joyce: Joyce608
7. Odd Thoughts, Notes, Ramblings: Thoughts608
8. Family/Friends: NotFacebook608

The first effort will be to publish two items on PeopleSoft Development. This is what I do for a living and it will give me a start with the logistics of blogging. Also, it may help keep me employed and find new assignments.  First, a Time Entry Case Study for PeopleSoft HCM 9.2. This is a current project and I hope to detail the difficulties and the dead-ends as we work toward a solution. Next, a logging package for PeopleSoft called Log4PS based on the Java Log4j package.  This is a program I started a year or so ago and have completed at my current assignment. Both of these will take at least 6 weeks to complete (all the life, work and family interference).

Meanwhile, my current reading binge is centered on the history of Slavery, Reconstruction and African American Culture through the Harlem Renaissance.  Why am stopping at the  stop Harlem Renaissance? It all started with a reading binge of the United States in the 1920's until I ran into David Levering Lewis' "When Harlem Was in Vogue". That led to W. E. B. Dubois' "The Souls of Black Folk", then to his 1938 publication of "Black Reconstruction in America 1860 - 1880".  Now I'm back in the history leading up to the Civil War: the Missouri Compromise, Kansas/Nebraska, Lecompton, Dred Scott. I have a reading list I am struggling to keep under control that will take me through Eric Foner's works on Reconstruction, Jefferson Davis' two volume history of the Confederacy,  Robert E. May's "The Southern Dream of a Caribbean Empire" (a fascinating topic that Dubois brings up in the Souls of Black Folk),  and finally, a collection of African Folktales. I hope to have be through all this with a better focus to start specific topics by around September (2014).  Until then there will be sporadic comments on readings.

I just joined the Madison Astronomical Club this year. There are several events throughout the year I will try to document and perhaps publish some photos from club members. I have no plans to do photography myself, but one goal is to build a telescope by summer of 2015. We'll track the progress on that.  I also joined the University of Wisconsin Hoofer Outing Club, but my work is keeping me from much activity. Do hope to get a few kayak and camping trips in with them over the next few years.

James Joyce. I managed to read Ulysses three times over the past few years. The first time took me about 3 years and it was a struggle all the way. The last two times were an inspiration. I love that novel and hope to get back to one more time for a more careful reading. Then, it will be off to "Finnegans Wake".  This will expand, if I live that long, to cover Modernist Literature in general. Probably, not much going to happen here for about two more years.

Isn't the Odd Thoughts Project what blogging is all about? I jot down weird, personal stuff like philosophy, insights, wishes, dreams, and opinions. Then people respond to tell me how wonderful I am or tell me that I'm an idiot or to offer their own weird, personal stuff..  We'll see how it goes.

Finally, Family and Friends is a private blog for family and friends that want to respond with their own pictures, plans and ideas. The only rule is: they can't just dump some link to an article or kitten video. It can be drivel, but it has to be original drivel. Also, data won't be captured and sold (who am I kidding, this is a Google Blog.)