OK, I have worked my way through that book and I am getting the hang of this. It all seems rather simple really. I now know how to write SQL queries, including queries involving joins. I’m not sure how much more I actually need to know, given that I need SQL to interact with databases, not to create databases. I think I will learn a bit more before I mark this done.
Xenophanes's Life List
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1. Finish my PhD
7 entries . 74 cheers680 people -
2. get a job that will keep me interested as well as allowing me a reasonably nice lifestyle.
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3. run 5k at a speed of 11 kmph on the treadmill.
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4. become enthusiastic about learning again
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5. stretch every day
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6. Eat a more healthy diet and take vitamin supplements
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7. learn to deal with my panic attacks.
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8. think of things to eat for healthy and interesting lunches
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9. stop being made sick by stress and anxiety
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10. be able to run 10 miles.
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11. Get involved in non computer-related activities
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12. Learn how to use Linux
3 entries . 25 cheers29 people -
13. Improve my French
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14. lose 4 kilos
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15. invent something
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16. learn at least 10 German words every day, until I have a working vocabulary, by which I mean about 4000-6000 words.
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17. re-learn what I used to know about molecular quantum mechanics.
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18. write a book
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19. Finish reading "A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu"
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20. create a website
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21. inspire someone
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22. get out of this state of feeling depressed, worthless and stressed out all the time
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23. stop feeling enraged when it seems as though people around me are being stupid or rude
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24. Not be bovvered
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25. start kicking my weird eating habits and phobias.
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26. give blood
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27. publish some "non-academic" scientific writing
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28. see the northern lights
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29. Create a personal recipe book
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30. be one of those people that other people confide in.
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31. Walk the Earth barefoot, like Caine from Kung Fu
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32. clean the flat
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33. make a photo diary.
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34. throw out a load of stuff I don't need
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35. write more
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36. sponsor a child
1 entry . 2 cheers204 people -
37. Learn SQL
2 entries165 people -
38. Grok the book "Java in Easy Steps" by Mike Mcgrath.
1 person
I don’t do well on “learn X” goals because they’re a bit vague, at least where X is quite a big subject like SQL, so I need smaller targets that I can tick off my list.
So, the first part of this goal is to buy more memory for my computer so that I can run the latest version of Ubuntu (yep, my computer is almost obsolete…). Then, I need to download and install the stuff I need to play with SQL.
After that, the next challenge is to grok the book “Sams Teach Yourself SQL in 10 Minutes” by Ben Forta. Amazon told me that this book is good for beginners.
I need to wait a few months, until I pay off some debts I incurred while writing up my PhD, but as soon as I settle down with a stable income I hope I’ll be able to start doing this. I would like to think that I could really help someone out. I hear that World Vision are doing good work, maybe that’s the charity I’ll go for.
