More and more the books I've read are fading from memory. I decided long ago to keep a list, and have been less than diligent about keeping it up. It is becoming more of an issue now because I will start a book, usually listening to one, only to eventually remember that I've done it already. I decided to put the google documents to good use and took a few minutes to update my list as best I could and save it there. I even put a link on the blog, mainly to be easily accessible to me.

I have been thinking about it because I offered to maintain a suggested reading list for the website of the local atheist group. There isn't much on my list that would be relevant to such a list, but I needed it for reference at least. A big reason for wanting to maintain the list was to get the suggestions first hand, and also a little practice for the html class I'm taking.

Speaking of classes, I spent the last few days rushing through my server 2003 class. the third test will be done today. They make it almost too easy. You are supposed to do the reading, the online labs, and then self grade that stuff. That just means you agree that you've done it on their website, and you get credit. You have to do this before you can take a test. Before you even take a test however, you have to have done at least 3 tests, what they call review tests, which count for nothing. It is just several tests of random questions, and you have to have completed three tests within 48 hours of attempting the final test for the section. They make it easy because after you do three of those tests, one more is simple. How many times have you taken a test, only to realize that you remember the content after been through the stress of trying to answer a related question on a test. The reviews really work. They expect you to use the book, so the questions are difficult, and if you don't actually read the damn thing and do the labs, you will sit there for hours trying to find the answers. I find I have to look up about ten out of fifty, but I realize a lot of the stuff in this version of Windows is very similar to XP. It would be a lot more difficult if I were starting from scratch.

Anyway, I've forced myself to sit here and got through all this stuff the past few days to get ahead so I can relax a little. It does wonders for my peace of mind, because if I feel I am behind, the stress of trying to get caught up hinders my ability to absorb the information, and I can't focus. I have enough trouble focusing on this shit because it's so boring, it only compounds the problem if I'm stressed about it as well.

So I am way ahead in the server and html classes, but only a week ahead with the Cisco content. This is because the pace is so brutal for the Cisco class. They require a lot of information absorption in a short amount of time, the class is only 3 months long, so they fit two parts of the basic networking curriculum into one semester. It's a lot, and some of it is very confusing. I've done five or six tests already and am doing ok but my retention is certainly not stellar. My experience helps a lot, I could not imagine having to introduce myself to all this information from scratch.

I started out with the intention of itemizing a few more books. I found a website that keeps track of volunteers reading books out of copyright and in the public domain. They have over 800 fiction books and close to 200 non-fiction. The non-fiction list is so long because they have a few of the books of the bible listed individually. Not sure why they are doing it that way... in fact I'm not sure why they are doing the bible books at all, because they are available online already in several different places.

About this Librivox.org, I have been listening to one of the works done there, a title by Descartes (pronounced 'day cart' - I think) called Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One's Reason and of Seeking Truth. Helluva long title.

A portion of the third part reminded me of the things Mill talks about, that reasonable thought welcomes argument in order to hone clarity.

Descartes says this...

I formed a provisory code of Morals, composed of three or four maxims, with which I am desirous to make you acquainted.

The first was to obey the laws and customs of my country, adhering firmly to the Faith in which, by the grace of God, I had been educated from my childhood, and regulating my conduct in every other matter according to the most moderate opinions, and the farthest removed from extremes, which should happen to be adopted in practice with general consent of the most judicious of those among whom I might be living.

I have a hard time with this. On the one hand, I agree with Mill that reasonable discourse will sharpen one's understanding, yet I will find it hard to take anything Descartes has to say seriously while he prefaces things with 'adhering firmly to the Faith in which...'.

Just some of the things I think about.

Enough of this, time to get moving on homework....