twenty-Six

Twenty Six…

i like to play with numbers. i’m no mathematician and i’m not that great with numbers but i love the combinations they sometimes make. i once had a telephone number 5+1=6, 4+3=7, 5x9=45. And i loved to show people how easy it was to remember my number although i never much liked talking on the phone.
Well regardless of the combinations i have derived over the years, the number 26 recently popped into my head. i have been 26 for almost a year now (quickly pushing 27) but it wasn’t my age that got me thinking. In fact when people ask my age, i sometimes forget. it’s just not something i seem to remember. my recent fixation on the number 26 started when i looked at what date i would eventually complete my doctorate. The year, i can only hope, will be 2010. 2010 is an amazing number in its own right, but i am focused solely on the number 26. In 2010, i will have spent 26 years in education, not as an educator, but as a student.

26 years is a long time to invest on education. And now that i look back, i am convinced that it is impossible to spend too much time in the classroom. i make no assertion that knowledge is confined to the classroom, but it is the discipline the classroom setting demands that i value most. With every teacher there are different standards to meet in addition to a new learning curve. The classroom forces the individual to adapt to these challenges. Some students are naturally gifted and perform well in the classroom regardless of the subject and regardless of the instructor. i am one who is often challenged by both the instructor and the subject. Sometimes i find learning to be difficult and i find myself having to quickly adapt in the short timeframe. In the end, whether i was successful in achieving my own goals or missed my mark, i feel the experience enough is victory and this reward far outweighs the stress.
And this is the primary reason i do not regret what will be 26 years of education come 2010.

In fact, to repay my gratitude, i hope to spend the next 26 years (maybe x 2) giving back to the academic community through teaching, research and service in the field of information/computer science and the many disciplines it traverses. i hope to use the classroom setting to challenge a new generation of knowledge seekers, even those who do not realize that 26 years may be in their future.

a blog entry by Brian Thoms

Summer Dawn and Summer Dusk

Today is the 7th of july. It is friday as well. The sun is expected to set @ 8:05 pm. The surf is small, but the water is warm @ 72 degrees. The air temperature is a sultry 95 degrees farenheit but with low humidity. Nevertheless my joints still ache and the tremendous heat is causing the rubber on my tire to wear around the nail that has long made it's home. It must be two months since that nail's been in there occasionally needing filling. Maybe it's time for a new tire. i hear that tires should be bought in pairs. If that's the case, i guess it's time for two new tires.

i admit, with a slight air of arrogance, that i know nothing about cars. i do know they are a cancer in california. There are simply too many and they are multiplying. Many are big, dangerous and generally ugly. If the freeways are the arteries and veins of california, cars are certainly the plaque. But it is not all bad. They offer the 'freedom' of movement from the mountains to the sea with relative ease (relative being the fundamental term). @ 5.00 in the morning the ride to the beach is surreal with a lite fog transcending through the canyons and over the hills and @ 85 mph the journey is effortless and the ride a joy. @ 9.00am the ride is a hellish nightmare with trucks and jersey drivers (yes, they're even on the west coast) backed up for endless stretches, wrapping and raping the awesome landscape that brought them here.

i have learned that the only way to travel is early, or late. In fact, the only way to live is to adopt an off-schedule and not to be a part but be apart from the rest of the world. Work through midnight. Get up @ the crack of dawn. That's the key to survival in this overcrowded state. This is also the key to sanity. Some say it is people that make us sane but that is only because the definition of sanity depends on the majority voting on what is sane and insane to begin with. Early morning and late nights require no jury and can offer legitamite peace of mind.

Don't be like the rest of the world.

a blog entry by Brian Thoms

'till we meet again

(email written within last two weeks of my last day @ Citigroup)

-From brian

For all those who have been (un?) fortunate to know me on a personal level, the following will come as no surprise. Recently i have been afforded the opportunity to pursue further graduate studies in California. Neither the location nor the goal should come as any shock. Therefore, i have decided, along with my long time mentor and advisor on such matters, myself, to give it a shot. i mean, c'mon, we all knew this corporate thing wouldn't fly:o)

i would like to leave saying that during my four and one half years working on the Finance Desk i have been fortunate to work along side some highly intelligent and uniquely interesting individuals spanning multiple departments, firms and countries. i am forever grateful for my experiences and wish you all the best of luck in in your future endeavors.

Now, for those with an appreciation for drink and would like to raise a glass in my name or throw one @ my head (it's all good), please join me for a small send off (BYOB & BMB) next tuesday @ Buster's Garage (that's 8/16 @ the cheapest happy hour in tribeca). Please stop by, i hate to drink alone, but i will.

For those keeping track or just itching to get your hands on all my cubicle treasures (you leeches), the 17th will be my last day. And by the way, i dropped a stress ball somewhere below the power adapters, so whoever finds it, it's all theirs (just be careful, i got zapped reaching for it).

Again, i would like to thank everyone for the memories which have formulated my experience during my 'Citigroup Years' and hope that one day our paths will cross again. Don't hesitate to drop me an email: brian@radicalzero.com.

To All -

a blog entry by Brian Thoms

On Perfection...

The mind of a perfectionist is a madhouse, with every task finished incomplete, every thought left inconclusive. All for the fear that someone will 'spot' an error.
i know i am far from perfect, however, i struggle with the problem of perfection. i am, one can say, a perfectionist. A cruel irony for any one. However, i know that all humans are far from perfect. Therefore, for any person, perfection is a stuggle in vain for something that is seemingly unattainable.
Or is it?
If humans are far from perfect, maybe the perfection i seek is attainable, at least conceptually. The imperfections of the tasks i do, and the words i write may just as well be overlooked by the many imperfections of the surveyor.
And therefore, perfection, as beauty, truly does lie in the eyes of the beholder...

A twist on the famous line, "to err is human," allows for me to continue writing, accept all criticism, and never be perfect.

a blog entry by Brian Thoms

The Website

Personal HomePage for Brian Thoms
http://www.brianthoms.com

Experimental Site
http://www.radicalzero.com/ (enhancements coming soon)


a blog entry by Brian Thoms

On making the big one...

3 hour commute times...
10 hour work days...
lunch @ the desk...
on-call support in the dead of night...
weekends in the office...

giving your two weeks... priceless...
because there is more to life than money!


a blog entry by Brian Thoms

The End is Near.

It has been a while since my last blog... Not that people are reading this, but it is important, at least for me, to continue jotting little notes for my own sanity.

my last entry was a summary of my academic career in the hopes i will be accepted into a PhD program in California. My dreams have been answered and i was accepted into the Claremont PhD program for Information Science.

i will leave new york in August. i leave behind my family, a few friends, and a somewhat comfortable job in technology.

Will leaving be hard? i don't think so. There is more to life than being comfortable. It is exciting in a way, the sense of fear, the unkown. i look forward in anticipation for the years that lie ahead.

Wish me luck!

a blog entry by Brian Thoms

My life and dreams in a nutshell...

I was born in the fall of 1979…
As I surpass the quarter-century marker I have learned that in the grand scheme of things, my existence is but a spec of cosmic dust in the age of the universe. Yet time is relative and although statistically I am one-third into my life, I have far from accomplished one-third of my life’s goals. Sitting atop that list is achieving a doctorate.

To describe myself in one hyphenated word, jack-of-all-trades…
It was August 1997 that I first stepped foot on the hallowed ground at Fordham University. I entered as a young soccer player with enthusiasm for the future. In my 3.5-year journey to a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, I maintained a full schedule working as a freelance web designer, a computer technician and a tutor in addition to my responsibilities as a student and soccer player. Academically, I was able to preserve a 3.5 GPA, which was enough to earn me a spot on the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team for soccer. I departed Fordham an active member of the Gaelic and Computer Science Clubs and have even been welcomed back by the CIS Department Chair, Dr. Hsu, as an adjunct professor.
Before I had a chance to officially say goodbye to Fordham I was drafted, not by Major League Soccer, but by Citigroup’s Global Finance Desk as a Software Engineer & Systems Analyst. After less than two years I was given the opportunity to attend graduate classes at Stevens Institute of Technology for a Master of Science in Information Science. I am forever changed by the experience of working part-time with students from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. I am also fortunate to have studied under some of the most dedicated and respected professors in Information Science. As a result, I will leave Stevens as a more seasoned academic with a 3.8 GPA.
Throughout my life, I have never taken a day for granted and I have treasured every moment my brain is still able to calculate. There is nothing greater than the gift of life and I have looked to make the most of what little time we are afforded. Since there is more to this life than work and study, I am actively involved in volunteer work through Citigroup and look forward to further work in 2005. I have also maintained a love for adventure and travel and continue friendships in such far-off places as Europe and Central America.

A jumpstart into research…
To polish off my Masters and jumpstart my career in research I opted out of my last two graduate electives, which focused heavily on finance. Instead, I chose the more arduous course work of a Master’s Thesis (http://www.radicalzero.com/thesis/Thesis.pdf). Although the 6-credit paper was for a degree in Information Systems, the topic chosen, outsourcing, has allowed me to explore various themes outside the realm of technology. The end product is an evolution of the knowledge workplace incorporating a wide range of areas from economics to ethics. The experience gained in writing a Master’s Thesis was twofold. Not only was I able to examine the controversial topic of outsourcing but I was able to explore my own self-discipline as well. The accomplishment of managing countless hours of research while working for a company that never sleeps in a city that never sleeps has instilled the confidence needed to move onto a higher level of research.

I am ready for a PhD…
As we fast forward to the present, I thank you for taking the time to review my application and I am hopeful you are strongly considering me for candidacy into the PhD program at Claremont Graduate University. Some people consider twenty-five too young for a PhD. I can’t speak for any other young adult, but I know who I am and I know what I am capable of achieving. There are three main reasons why I am ready to pursue a PhD. I believe any ‘great’ thinker must be open-minded and broad-minded, which I am thanks in part to a liberal arts education and what will be five years working for the Global Finance Desk. Secondly, without desire, all the talent in the world will go to waste. This essay alone should indicate my aspiration and dedication for higher education. The last area concerns courage and the ability to challenge the status quo. I have always made it a point to stand up for what I believe, both in and out of the classroom and in and out of the workplace. For these reasons, along with an eclectic love of physical and social science, I am confident that I am ready for a higher level of education.

Why a PhD in Information Science?
Before I get into why the PhD program at Claremont is right for me, let me discuss the evolution of my interests and how they align Information Science field. I have been in and around technology my entire life. From my first Commodore to my latest Pentium, being up to speed on the latest technologies has brought me closer to science. With close to eight years in information technology, I have been fortunate enough to become fluent in a variety of programming languages. However, over the past 4 years I have shifted focus from building systems to analyzing them and as a result have developed greater interest in the ways in which systems interact with surrounding environments.
The Internet ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ has brought into the spotlight just how ubiquitous technology is. It is utilized in every aspect of life and often maintains a dual nature. On the one hand, technology can bring tremendous convenience such as GPS navigation and online banking, but without careful monitoring of the methods by which it is used, technology can also be used to subvert human rights, aid immoral behavior and harm the environment. Looking to leverage my Master’s degree in Information Science, I look forward to exploring the vast interconnections and interactions between technology and society.

Why Claremont is right for me…
E-harmony.com uses 500 questions to determine the compatibility of a couple; I have chosen 3 to determine the right doctoral program.
Location, Location, Location: First and foremost is location. Being comfortable in your surroundings is paramount to learning and I can’t imagine a more dynamic setting than California to augment my energy and creativity. With the vast Pacific Ocean to the west, the majestic mountains to the east and an international flavor to the south, California truly is where my heart lies. Although at this time I am not a resident of California, I maintain a love of California since my youth and look to establish residence in the upcoming year. I can only encourage you to not let my New York residency sway your decision.
Program Flexibility & Diversity: While discussing the possibilities of further graduate study with my graduate advisor, Professor Christine Bullen, I was encouraged to pursue the PhD program at Stevens. After mentioning the fact that I was also looking for a change of scenery, in particular Southern California, she introduced me to the Information Science program at Claremont. After thoroughly researching the program, I agree with Claremont’s interdisciplinary approach to Information Systems. Since IS is only as important as the benefits it can provide, it is important to understand and incorporate the various disciplines it affects including management, business and society in general.
Strong Faculty: The last piece to the puzzle is a strong faculty. Although much of my research this year was independent I am greatly appreciative of Professor Bullen’s guidance throughout the process while still maintaining focus in her own areas of research. It is encouraging to know that faculty at Claremont are all actively involved in research and many are recognized for contributions made in their respective fields. The program also advocates strong teacher-student relationships, which I believe is beneficial not only to the student or advisor, but to the department and field of study as well.

The only thing constant is change…
I never liked the question, “Where do I see myself in ten years?” Although it will go by in the blink of an eye, it still seems light-years away. Nevertheless, it is important to set goals and my ultimate goal, after achieving a PhD, is to become a Professor. I feel I have tremendous capacity for creativity and feel somewhat stagnant working for a large corporation. If I can incorporate my enthusiasm and love of education into the dynamics of a classroom, I feel I can instill a sense of inspiration and innovation in each of my prospective students.

I would like to thank you for your time and hope that my qualifications and ambitions exceed the minimum requirements for candidacy and look forward to working along side Claremont's distinguished faculty and student body.


a blog entry by Brian Thoms