Last night it rained. It was too cold for actual snow so a rain like ice storm took place in its stead. The already snow covered ground got a thin layer of ice. Not enough to cause any problems if you stepped on it and broke through to snow underneath (I love walking on snow like this by the way) but if it was on asphalt or concrete you have difficulty. To make matters worse the morning snow covered it all up so you couldn't tell one way or another.

After digging out my car and skillfully sliding out of my developments parking lot I drove to school to find my morning class canceled. Dr. Howe, a hippie by nature (likes to play pool I hear) lives out near the shore and commutes every morning. Following Josh's wisdom that 'if you say he won't be there he will be there' I never decided that he probably wasn't coming to school today. So I've got 2 hours to kill.

My next class at 9:50 is Java for Object Oriented Programming with John Robinson. I've heard good things but I'm a little annoyed he made us buy 2 textbooks (and recommended two more) for a one-credit class. I have yet to have a class with him since he canceled his first class.

I decided I'd pick up a copy of 'Pattern Recognition' (by William Gibson) from the Campbell Library here on campus. I figured I could read to pass the time and I haven't touched my copy since I got here 2 weeks ago. I walked into the library and used the computer to look up up the call number. The librarian told me the 4th floor. The fourth floor of the Campbell Library is huge. Row after row of shelf after shelf of book after book I looked at trying to find just one. Its humbling the amount of literature in that library. The shear amount of information in each one of those books is impressive but to have hundreds of thousands of books all in order and each one completely thought out. Every book given a unique number thought about and then placed in a specific section. It's quite impressive.

I chatted with the librarian about their new circulation and catalog software and how a piece of paper won't crash and that's why it's important to keep a paper trail. I mentioned how I set up a (albeit much smaller) similar system at a junior high school up in New York and how the librarian still uses cards along with the computer 'just in case'.

I like getting up early.

-Francis

Joro's Place John Robinson's home page.
Campbell Library at Rowan University