[GEM Development] GEM software still being downloaded quite a lot

[Peter Green]

G'day again, Shane!

Well, you'll be somewhat closer to Australia if you go to Japan -- 
there's that to it. Our son (from England) went there about 2 years ago 
as accompanist with a choir performing The Messiah, and was able to 
visit us as a detour on his way back to scenic downtown Gravesend (his 
former home, which he leaves today for his own place in Sidcup.) He 
rather enjoyed the visit to Japan.

I've got a bit of study behind me, and always have mixed feelings about 
it.  I am glad that I did it, but I also look at the things I could have 
done with the time. As I did my first degree as an evening student and 
my second essentially in the same fashion, that took up 10 years of 
life, and it was hard to really get into important things like my 
family. I imagine that you are 5 or 6 years away from high school now, 
with two degrees behind you; I started late (at 24) and finished that 
lot at 36. I also squeezed a practicing certificate into the gap between 
the bachelors and masters degrees. I'm glad for you that you got it all 
done quickly -- assuming that you did. Nevertheless, you've had perhaps 
5 to 7 years carved out of your life, and refocusing on the rest of life 
is not easy.

I remembered that you did something on cybernetic warfare... you asked a 
couple of questions about the issues of the GEM group, and I read the 
paper to which you directed us at the time. I remember it was 
interesting. Was that the final paper? Or did you have to tidy up and 
expand something you did in less detail earlier in the year? I think 
it's an important issue. My father used to ruminate about the effects on 
an economy of a good-sized magnetic pulse from a nuclear device, but I 
imagine that a coordinated DoS attack could achieve something similar 
with less fallout (pardon the pun).

Well, keep in touch, and let me know how Japan is from your perspective. 
Will you be maintaining Shaneland from afar, or will you let it lie 
until you return?

All the best,

Peter

Shane M. Coughlan wrote:

>>Good news, Shane!
>>How are you going?
>>Peter
>>    
>>
>
>Hi Peter!  Long time no see :P
>
>I am doing well.  A lot of little things happening in my life at the moment.
>I finished my MA degree in December, and since then I have been busy with
>just sorting out my life after doing two degrees back-to-back.  I have been
>doing some tests with regards joining the British Army, and I have been
>applying for jobs in Japan...I wanted to go there for a year or so.  As it
>happens I have been offered a job as a full time English teacher with a
>company called NOVA, and I will be flying from the UK to Japan in August for
>a twelve month period.
>
>My MA was in International Studies, but my research was in cybernetic
>warfare.  I have my thesis online at www.shaneland.co.uk/ewar  I'm hoping to
>continue that research into a PhD at some stage, perhaps as research done
>part time while I work.  I'm going to start examining those options as soon
>as I am safe and secure in Japan.
>
>That..in a nutshell...is me!
>
>Shane
>_______________________________________________
>gem-dev mailing list
>gem-dev at simpits.org
>http://www.simpits.org/mailman/listinfo/gem-dev
>
>  
>