adventures in XML

Took the first day of my XML class today.

Very glad I'm taking the class. The basic XML markup was simple enough, but we got into schemas/DTDs already and it's a lot to take in at once. I also learned that XML's primary role in the future will probably be for backend applications (which explains why you end up learning all this stuff that none of the current browsers support - it's not really for use in the browser. Having said this its a bitch to try and test something you can't even see - but it is only the first day, maybe it will be clearer by Friday). There are only 3 other people in the class so it's very informal and we can ask a lot of questions, etc.

I'm also kind of happy to be away from the office, even though class is certainly not a vacation as such. Not like work is dull - plenty going on with new people, new/more projects - but for the past few months I've been unaccountably irritated whenever I've had to be around my co-workers so the break is unarguably a good thing.

I'm reading "The Art and Science of Fencing" on the Metro ride and even though I'm not very far into it I think I will really enjoy it. It is clearly written and beyond the usual terminologies and description of equipment/movement, it discusses the psychologial benefits and strategies involved with the sport. Again I regret not having the guts to try fencing sooner - by its very nature fencing engages the mind as well as the body and it is the total antithesis of the team sports "jock-win-at-all-costs" mentality that turned me off of all physical activity (except dancing) until well after college.

I had to get up an hour earlier than usual in order to catch the Metro this morning, so I am really dragging - that 2nd cup of coffee did nothing but give me a headache :( Think I'll be getting to bed soon, if I can resist playing one more round of feather/fur toy with the cats...

(Note to self - listing mood as "tired" once again... I list it as that entirely too often).

have to rethink that one

While reading through friends-of-friends journals I ran across an entry mentioning that Claudia Black (from Farscape) has a role in "Queen of the Damned".

As a former teenage goth I'm kind of required to see "Queen" for nostalgia's sake, but I was going to wait for matinee/video as the reviews aren't very good - the impression I get is that if it weren't for Aaliyah's death it would have gone straight to video. But..mmm...Aeryn.. might have to make more of an effort to go see this in the theater, however painful the rest of the movie might be.

Seriously, I wonder how Claudia Black got sucked into this (almost certain to be) turkey? She's actually quite a good actress and IMDB says she got some kind of award in Shakespearean drama.

I guess the same law that says that amazing actors like Ralph Fiennes can be in an Oscar award winner like "The English Patient" one year and in a silly (but amazingly costumed) stinker like "The Avengers" the next.