Good afternoon.
A concerned reader of this blog has brought it to my attention that Lord Hardwicke's is spelled with an 'e'. I would like to post his email in full so that all readers have an idea of the type of constructive criticism that we get here on a regular basis:
"Young Mr. Hawkins seems to believe that he has some ultimate restaurant
review power because his blog is the first hit when googling for "Lord
Hardwick's". I googled for "Lord Hardwicke's" myself, and got an entirely
different set of results--among them this Cav Daily review:
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=14289&pid=941--but that's
only because I spelled it correctly. Among those who can't spell, Will
does have the ultimate power! Also, I've now learned that through poor
spelling I can locate Will's blog."
I should note that I don't think I gloated about my position as the top ranked web page for the search "Lord Hardwick's". I simply found it amusing. To make people happy, I have corrected all past posts to correct the spelling.
Thanks for helping make this blog the best it can be.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
The Friday Recap
Well, the day is just winding down. What a day it was.
As I like to say, everything started off normal. I was able to get to Cingular and get a refund on the Blackberry (I was withing that fine 30-day trial period.) While standing in line I was able to make conversation with the security guard. He was a bomb dog handler during his time in the armed services and now works private security at the National Executive Institute. From what I can tell, the private security sector is quite lucrative.
I made it right on time to lunch. No, I don't mean "Will's on time", I mean right on time. We double timed it to the Cafe Europa. How does that place make such good bread? It must be laced with something. During the walk over, Dan made the interesting point that if you are made of sugar and walk through the rain then you will dissolve, not melt. Certainly an interesting point considering everyone quotes it from the movie as melting. In either case, Julie made it to the Corner and back in one piece.
I will spare the remaining intermediate details, and move right to the good stuff. As mentioned in previous posts, Team A was participating in the annual ACM Trivia Bowl! Going in to the event, I assumed that we had about 0% probability of winning the event. Once getting over the "grab bag" questions in the first round (it was a Jeopardy style format), we really hit our stride. Nate was able to sum our win up in the following web page:
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/nate/winners.html
Just a few notes to keep in mind:
1. Its "Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol", not "Dynamic Host Control Protocol"
2. Undergrads are much better informed of world events (that does NOT include pop culture) than graduate students.
3. Graduate students are willing to play dirty when there are "prizes" on the line, even if we aren't quite sure what the prizes are.
To show off, Team A shirts are being made for next week's CS Department Annual end-of-the-year get-together. If you would like a "Friend of Team A" tshirt, just email me or post in the comments. Its your chance to get in on the next "so five minutes ago" fad.
Amanda came down tonight for the Happy Hour (which I will get to), but was nice enough to give me a swim lesson beforehand. Her tips were incredibly helpful and didn't make me feel like the loser I really am. You can decide for yourself if I am just a loser in the pool or a loser in general. Its great to have someone who can be so many things in your life.
Finally, Lord Hardwicke's. After our last trip to the Lord, we were all looking forward to going back. Staying away from the Corn Fritters (which no one could digest!), we grabbed the Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Fried Mushrooms for appetizers. How wonderful and healthy! Just kidding about the healthy, but I am dead serious about the wonderful. Again, I feel as if I chose the wrong item. Don't get me wrong, the Double Club was great. But, looking at the other entrees I was jealous that I didn't make *that* choice, or *that* choice. So, that can only mean one thing: another trip must be planned!
Overall, Friday was a great day. I have felt recently that I am not doing all the work that I need too. More specifically, I feel as if I am not working hard enough. I'm not sure why. Everyone here is so smart and I am struggling just to keep up. Additionally, I am struggling with priorities. I guess only time will tell what the choices will be.
For now, I am off to sleep. You know, you gotta be rested up for Java Java and Photohunt -- these things aren't for the faint of heart.
As I like to say, everything started off normal. I was able to get to Cingular and get a refund on the Blackberry (I was withing that fine 30-day trial period.) While standing in line I was able to make conversation with the security guard. He was a bomb dog handler during his time in the armed services and now works private security at the National Executive Institute. From what I can tell, the private security sector is quite lucrative.
I made it right on time to lunch. No, I don't mean "Will's on time", I mean right on time. We double timed it to the Cafe Europa. How does that place make such good bread? It must be laced with something. During the walk over, Dan made the interesting point that if you are made of sugar and walk through the rain then you will dissolve, not melt. Certainly an interesting point considering everyone quotes it from the movie as melting. In either case, Julie made it to the Corner and back in one piece.
I will spare the remaining intermediate details, and move right to the good stuff. As mentioned in previous posts, Team A was participating in the annual ACM Trivia Bowl! Going in to the event, I assumed that we had about 0% probability of winning the event. Once getting over the "grab bag" questions in the first round (it was a Jeopardy style format), we really hit our stride. Nate was able to sum our win up in the following web page:
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/nate/winners.html
Just a few notes to keep in mind:
1. Its "Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol", not "Dynamic Host Control Protocol"
2. Undergrads are much better informed of world events (that does NOT include pop culture) than graduate students.
3. Graduate students are willing to play dirty when there are "prizes" on the line, even if we aren't quite sure what the prizes are.
To show off, Team A shirts are being made for next week's CS Department Annual end-of-the-year get-together. If you would like a "Friend of Team A" tshirt, just email me or post in the comments. Its your chance to get in on the next "so five minutes ago" fad.
Amanda came down tonight for the Happy Hour (which I will get to), but was nice enough to give me a swim lesson beforehand. Her tips were incredibly helpful and didn't make me feel like the loser I really am. You can decide for yourself if I am just a loser in the pool or a loser in general. Its great to have someone who can be so many things in your life.
Finally, Lord Hardwicke's. After our last trip to the Lord, we were all looking forward to going back. Staying away from the Corn Fritters (which no one could digest!), we grabbed the Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Fried Mushrooms for appetizers. How wonderful and healthy! Just kidding about the healthy, but I am dead serious about the wonderful. Again, I feel as if I chose the wrong item. Don't get me wrong, the Double Club was great. But, looking at the other entrees I was jealous that I didn't make *that* choice, or *that* choice. So, that can only mean one thing: another trip must be planned!
Overall, Friday was a great day. I have felt recently that I am not doing all the work that I need too. More specifically, I feel as if I am not working hard enough. I'm not sure why. Everyone here is so smart and I am struggling just to keep up. Additionally, I am struggling with priorities. I guess only time will tell what the choices will be.
For now, I am off to sleep. You know, you gotta be rested up for Java Java and Photohunt -- these things aren't for the faint of heart.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Lewis Black
I forgot to post about this.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/books/04/28/lewis.black/index.html
This great article about Lewis Black is enough to make me go out and buy his book. Of course, being a huge Lewis Black fan, I have long considered buying the book. But, I didn't really know what it was about, so I was a little timid of dropping the coin.
Read the article and you'll be convinced too.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/books/04/28/lewis.black/index.html
This great article about Lewis Black is enough to make me go out and buy his book. Of course, being a huge Lewis Black fan, I have long considered buying the book. But, I didn't really know what it was about, so I was a little timid of dropping the coin.
Read the article and you'll be convinced too.
We've hit that sweet spot
I must say, a rather inocuous post about Harris Teeter has lit up this little blog. Of all (and by "all" I mean "three") the comments, "PequalsNP" certainly had the most disturbing comments. Simply put, he/she will eat absolutely any part of the cow as long as it is cheap. I enjoy being frugal as much as the next guy, but when it comes to parts of the cow, I don't mind paying that extra buck. Having said that, I don't eat red meat but two or three times a year.
I am slowly but surely breaking in my new running shoes. Given the price, each run should include a happy ending. If you don't know what that means, you should watch more Chapelle Show. Seriously, the second run with them was must better than my first. They keep me from running towards the outside of my foot. This shift towards running more balanced will eventually help, but in the short term it is a bit awkward.
Tomorrow should be an interesting day. By the numbers, I expect it to go something like this:
2: Events I will attend where free food is available.
2: Meals "out" with some greats of the CS department.
1: Hours of swimming lessons.
2: Hours of meeting time with the NESTers.
6: Teams in the annual ACM Computer Science trivia contest.
4: Members of our team in the aforementioned contest.
1: Winners in the contest.
0: Probability that said winner will be us!
1: Probability that hysteria will ensue.
Hope to see everyone around!
I am slowly but surely breaking in my new running shoes. Given the price, each run should include a happy ending. If you don't know what that means, you should watch more Chapelle Show. Seriously, the second run with them was must better than my first. They keep me from running towards the outside of my foot. This shift towards running more balanced will eventually help, but in the short term it is a bit awkward.
Tomorrow should be an interesting day. By the numbers, I expect it to go something like this:
2: Events I will attend where free food is available.
2: Meals "out" with some greats of the CS department.
1: Hours of swimming lessons.
2: Hours of meeting time with the NESTers.
6: Teams in the annual ACM Computer Science trivia contest.
4: Members of our team in the aforementioned contest.
1: Winners in the contest.
0: Probability that said winner will be us!
1: Probability that hysteria will ensue.
Hope to see everyone around!
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Kroger vs The Teet
As many of you will remember, when I first came to Charlottesville I was totally committed to Kroger. I swore up and down that Kroger was the best -- there were no others that even came close. Then, thanks to the prodding of Tuba, I decided to try the Teet. I agreed to try Harris Teeter since it was such a funny name. I still can't say it without laughing! Can you?
Well, after my first visit, I was hooked. The apples, carrots, green peppers and turkey were fresh and the staff was incredibly nice. As a matter of fact, I have built up a friendship with the guy who runs the automated check out line. As a side note, I was worried last week when I hadn't seen him for a while -- I thought they fired him. But, it turns out he was just sick and took some time off to remember.
I digress. Tonight I encountered a terrible situation. The normally 24hr Harris Teeter was closed for rewaxing the floors. The guy at the door was nice enough to inform me that Kroger was still open. I really needed Turkey and apples for dinner, so I decided to give the K another try. First, Kroger is much dimmer than the Teet. Not inviting at all. Its like the Kmart of grocery stores -- odd and definitely retro 80s. I did find some turkey, but I couldn't find any Fuji apples. Once I located where the Fuji apples should be, I found only 3 left. They were mealy and perhaps even worm infested. Okay, they weren't that bad.
I guess the bottom line is this: Harris Teeter is clearly preferred to the Kroger. I would have to say that the x-factor in the grocery store list is Publix. These are only really common in the south and are actually headquartered in Florida. They have a great in-store sandwich shop that makes incredibly filling subs. The Boar's Head turkey that they serve is absolutely incredible.
In other news, I have recently been thinking alot about Greenville. I have been spending time reminiscing about my years in Greenville and at Furman. I have mostly been thinking about the summers with random Puerto Ricans (not to be confused with Mexicans) and all my college friends (and Cincinnati friends that I have kept up with throughout). I have also been thinking lots about the last two semesters I spent at Furman and the relationship that I formed and continue to enjoy. Its just incredible how much all my friends at Furman (who will go unnamed since they know who they are) have helped me and how I enjoyed my time at Furman. Based upon that, its hard NOT to think about it.
However, I am well-aware of the danger of spending all your time looking backwards -- you're bound to run into something and look stupid. I am very grateful to be making friends with people at UVA. So far they have put up with my neurosis and I really quite enjoy their company. There have already been a number of times where they have helped me without even knowing it.
I know that's a bit odd, or sappy, or whatever. But, its something that I have been thinking about alot recently, so I thought that I would write it down. I am looking forward to a great summer. Let's make it through finals and get down to it!
Well, after my first visit, I was hooked. The apples, carrots, green peppers and turkey were fresh and the staff was incredibly nice. As a matter of fact, I have built up a friendship with the guy who runs the automated check out line. As a side note, I was worried last week when I hadn't seen him for a while -- I thought they fired him. But, it turns out he was just sick and took some time off to remember.
I digress. Tonight I encountered a terrible situation. The normally 24hr Harris Teeter was closed for rewaxing the floors. The guy at the door was nice enough to inform me that Kroger was still open. I really needed Turkey and apples for dinner, so I decided to give the K another try. First, Kroger is much dimmer than the Teet. Not inviting at all. Its like the Kmart of grocery stores -- odd and definitely retro 80s. I did find some turkey, but I couldn't find any Fuji apples. Once I located where the Fuji apples should be, I found only 3 left. They were mealy and perhaps even worm infested. Okay, they weren't that bad.
I guess the bottom line is this: Harris Teeter is clearly preferred to the Kroger. I would have to say that the x-factor in the grocery store list is Publix. These are only really common in the south and are actually headquartered in Florida. They have a great in-store sandwich shop that makes incredibly filling subs. The Boar's Head turkey that they serve is absolutely incredible.
In other news, I have recently been thinking alot about Greenville. I have been spending time reminiscing about my years in Greenville and at Furman. I have mostly been thinking about the summers with random Puerto Ricans (not to be confused with Mexicans) and all my college friends (and Cincinnati friends that I have kept up with throughout). I have also been thinking lots about the last two semesters I spent at Furman and the relationship that I formed and continue to enjoy. Its just incredible how much all my friends at Furman (who will go unnamed since they know who they are) have helped me and how I enjoyed my time at Furman. Based upon that, its hard NOT to think about it.
However, I am well-aware of the danger of spending all your time looking backwards -- you're bound to run into something and look stupid. I am very grateful to be making friends with people at UVA. So far they have put up with my neurosis and I really quite enjoy their company. There have already been a number of times where they have helped me without even knowing it.
I know that's a bit odd, or sappy, or whatever. But, its something that I have been thinking about alot recently, so I thought that I would write it down. I am looking forward to a great summer. Let's make it through finals and get down to it!
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
BMP File Format
Hello!
I recently had occasion to do some programming with the bitmap file format. The bitmap (bmp) file format was originally created for Microsoft Windows version 1.0. It has evolved to version 5 and now includes compression and other nicities. In my dealings, I did not need these advanced features. What I found is that version 3 of the protocol suit me just fine!
While it should have been easy to accomplish my simple BMP manipulations, it was not. Some suggested that I switch programming languages and use prewritten libraries (some even posted suitable code in the comments at this blog). In the end, I decided to fight through it and see what I could learn. Most of what I learned can be found here:
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/dataformats/bmp/
This site is very informative and very simple. While I did not use it, the source code linked from that site may be a useful reference for some programmers.
One important detail of the protocol that is not properly explained in that site is the required data alignment scheme. According to the protocol, the number of bytes representing each row in the image must be divisible by four. For example, consider a row of five pixels. Each pixel can be represented by a different number of bytes, but assume that each pixel takes 3 bytes. Therefore, in this example, each row requires 15 bytes. So, to conform to the protocol, a 1 byte padding must be applied before moving to the next row. This is very important.
Also, it is important to note that most C compilers will pad the bmp header data structure that is given in the aforementioned site. This means that you cannot simply write the structure to the file and assume everything will work. Each field must be written invidually. Of course, this is architecture and compiler independent so your mileage may vary. Just be careful.
Finally, remember that the BMP will be rendered to the screen in the opposite way that it is written into the file. In other words, the first data written to the file will be all the way at the bottom of the image. Not a big problem, just something of which to be aware.
Hope this helps someone, somewhere.
See you at the Guad!
I recently had occasion to do some programming with the bitmap file format. The bitmap (bmp) file format was originally created for Microsoft Windows version 1.0. It has evolved to version 5 and now includes compression and other nicities. In my dealings, I did not need these advanced features. What I found is that version 3 of the protocol suit me just fine!
While it should have been easy to accomplish my simple BMP manipulations, it was not. Some suggested that I switch programming languages and use prewritten libraries (some even posted suitable code in the comments at this blog). In the end, I decided to fight through it and see what I could learn. Most of what I learned can be found here:
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/dataformats/bmp/
This site is very informative and very simple. While I did not use it, the source code linked from that site may be a useful reference for some programmers.
One important detail of the protocol that is not properly explained in that site is the required data alignment scheme. According to the protocol, the number of bytes representing each row in the image must be divisible by four. For example, consider a row of five pixels. Each pixel can be represented by a different number of bytes, but assume that each pixel takes 3 bytes. Therefore, in this example, each row requires 15 bytes. So, to conform to the protocol, a 1 byte padding must be applied before moving to the next row. This is very important.
Also, it is important to note that most C compilers will pad the bmp header data structure that is given in the aforementioned site. This means that you cannot simply write the structure to the file and assume everything will work. Each field must be written invidually. Of course, this is architecture and compiler independent so your mileage may vary. Just be careful.
Finally, remember that the BMP will be rendered to the screen in the opposite way that it is written into the file. In other words, the first data written to the file will be all the way at the bottom of the image. Not a big problem, just something of which to be aware.
Hope this helps someone, somewhere.
See you at the Guad!
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Pete Gillen and other Sports Notes
Good evening.
I just came back from the gym and had to share this interesting experience.
As a Cincinnati kid, Xavier has always been the hometown favorite when it comes to College Basketball. Who do the rest of you like? The Bearcats? WHAT THUGS! Anyways, back in the "day", Pete Gillen coached the Musketeers. He moved on from Xavier and eventually ended up at Virginia, where I now study. A few weeks ago, after another dismal Cavalier basketball season, Gillen was fired. But, to my surprise, he still has gym privileges. How do I know this? you ask. Its simple: I SHOWERED with PETE GILLEN. Okay, its not like that. Its a locker room thing. Maybe you don't get it!
In other sports news, I must say that I am terribly disappointed by the layout/presentation of content on all major sports web sites. Espn.com is an absolute joke that is overloaded with Flash and links to commentary. Cnnsi.com does not have any discernable news content on the front page -- like ESPN.com, it is heavy on commentary. I must say that I don't care at all about what the pundits have to say. I want the scores, the rundown of the game. If, while reading the box scores, I notice something interesting, maybe then I would enjoy reading commentary. For instance, if I was reading the box score (recap) of a game between the Boston Red Sox and someone else and there happened to be a fight (yes, Red Sox and "fight" are redundant) then I would want to read what the experts have to say. Otherwise, leave me with the facts. I think that sportsline.com is the only remotely passable site. They have a live updating scoreboard that is especially great during March Madness. I have not had much occasion to use it for other sports, but for basketball it is incredible. The technology behind it is rather simple, but they were one of the first people to put it into practice. Today, this is referred to as AJAX -- asynchronous javascript and XML. What hacks! ;-)
Keep up the great work!
I just came back from the gym and had to share this interesting experience.
As a Cincinnati kid, Xavier has always been the hometown favorite when it comes to College Basketball. Who do the rest of you like? The Bearcats? WHAT THUGS! Anyways, back in the "day", Pete Gillen coached the Musketeers. He moved on from Xavier and eventually ended up at Virginia, where I now study. A few weeks ago, after another dismal Cavalier basketball season, Gillen was fired. But, to my surprise, he still has gym privileges. How do I know this? you ask. Its simple: I SHOWERED with PETE GILLEN. Okay, its not like that. Its a locker room thing. Maybe you don't get it!
In other sports news, I must say that I am terribly disappointed by the layout/presentation of content on all major sports web sites. Espn.com is an absolute joke that is overloaded with Flash and links to commentary. Cnnsi.com does not have any discernable news content on the front page -- like ESPN.com, it is heavy on commentary. I must say that I don't care at all about what the pundits have to say. I want the scores, the rundown of the game. If, while reading the box scores, I notice something interesting, maybe then I would enjoy reading commentary. For instance, if I was reading the box score (recap) of a game between the Boston Red Sox and someone else and there happened to be a fight (yes, Red Sox and "fight" are redundant) then I would want to read what the experts have to say. Otherwise, leave me with the facts. I think that sportsline.com is the only remotely passable site. They have a live updating scoreboard that is especially great during March Madness. I have not had much occasion to use it for other sports, but for basketball it is incredible. The technology behind it is rather simple, but they were one of the first people to put it into practice. Today, this is referred to as AJAX -- asynchronous javascript and XML. What hacks! ;-)
Keep up the great work!
Good Weekend
Just giving you an update on the past weekend. It was a bit great.
On Friday night I decided that after dinner I would workout. So, between the hours of 1am and 5am I was on the bike. I went to sleep by 6am and was up at 8am.
By 8:15 I was on the road towards Culpeper. From Culpeper, our next destination was Dulles. Amanda's parents and I were hoping to get there in time to see Amanda fly overhead before landing. Well, we just barely made it. It was great to see her touch down and know that she was safe.
After we got her we went to lunch. It was quite good. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it now. That's disappointing.
Once I got back to Charlottesville, I got to take a nice nap. Saturday concluded with some Starbucks and the Harris Teeter and then some work. Sunday, of course, was Java Java. Post coffee consumption (and hilarious chatter with Dan, Nolan and Julie about compilers), Amanda joined me for a workout. My new shoes were a bit of a disappointment, but I will give them one more try. For that amount, they better be like running on air!
By the time we got home and showered, I started to get a bit sick. I was light-headed and hadn't eaten enough for the amount that I worked out. So, we made a quick getaway to food. I really wanted the Ruby Tuesday but it closes at 10pm on Sunday. Bummer. But, good news, Subway was still open for business. Let me just say that the green peppers were radiant!
Well, that was the weekend.
I can't sign off without mentioning Monday. We had a great lunch with a whole host of people (including AMANDA!). It was the Humper, Spiegel, Julie, Dan, Nolan, Cliff and me! We got to watch about an hour of the world juggling championships on "The Deuce" -- how do those guys know that juggling can be so intriguing?
Hopefully Tuesday will be just as fun. Although, its not looking hopeful! ;-)
On Friday night I decided that after dinner I would workout. So, between the hours of 1am and 5am I was on the bike. I went to sleep by 6am and was up at 8am.
By 8:15 I was on the road towards Culpeper. From Culpeper, our next destination was Dulles. Amanda's parents and I were hoping to get there in time to see Amanda fly overhead before landing. Well, we just barely made it. It was great to see her touch down and know that she was safe.
After we got her we went to lunch. It was quite good. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of it now. That's disappointing.
Once I got back to Charlottesville, I got to take a nice nap. Saturday concluded with some Starbucks and the Harris Teeter and then some work. Sunday, of course, was Java Java. Post coffee consumption (and hilarious chatter with Dan, Nolan and Julie about compilers), Amanda joined me for a workout. My new shoes were a bit of a disappointment, but I will give them one more try. For that amount, they better be like running on air!
By the time we got home and showered, I started to get a bit sick. I was light-headed and hadn't eaten enough for the amount that I worked out. So, we made a quick getaway to food. I really wanted the Ruby Tuesday but it closes at 10pm on Sunday. Bummer. But, good news, Subway was still open for business. Let me just say that the green peppers were radiant!
Well, that was the weekend.
I can't sign off without mentioning Monday. We had a great lunch with a whole host of people (including AMANDA!). It was the Humper, Spiegel, Julie, Dan, Nolan, Cliff and me! We got to watch about an hour of the world juggling championships on "The Deuce" -- how do those guys know that juggling can be so intriguing?
Hopefully Tuesday will be just as fun. Although, its not looking hopeful! ;-)
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Jeremy is a big LIAR
Well, there were at least two *very* amusing things that transpired this past day.
The first of those two shall go unmentioned on this site. For those of you within earshot (who wasn't?) then you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you witnessed one of the great embarassing moments. Let me just say that for that moment in time I completely forgot where I was. Hopefully it won't happen again and hopefully the damage wasn't too great. I certainly didn't think that she said "liberal".
Immediately after this event, Jeremy mentioned to me that John Conway would be speaking. I was immediately up for attending the talk. John Conway was, after all, the inventor of the Game of Life. The Game of Life is one of the first programming assignments that any CS major will complete. This program teaches loops and two dimensional arrays (I am sure there are plenty of other things involved that would be a learning experience for new programmers.) More importantly, the Game of Life is one of the most important examples of a two dimensional cellular automata. Basically, it exemplified that a simple set of rules for determining the topology of future generations can yield incredibly complex behavior. It may (or may not, depending on who you talk to) have led to the creation of a very important field of computer science and math (physics too!) called complexity theory.
I digress. Nevertheless, the opportunity to see a mathematician like this (despite the cynical protesting of one professor) was something that I could not pass up. At 4:20, Jeremy, Nate and I departed for the math department. Interestingly, Jeremy knew exactly where it was -- apparently there are chats in the math department on a regular basis and "they have great food." I think that we all know who to attribute that quote to! ;-)
The classroom was small. We had to pile all the way into the back. At this point, there's no turning back. We are in for the entire talk, for better or worse. Jeremy was making some comments and a professor in front of us leaned back and simply said, "This is a different John Conway." I was shocked. As it turns out, this John Conway is an expert on complex analysis and topology. While interesting, this is definitely not what we signed up for! As I mentioned, we were locked in. Fourty-five minutes and approximately 20 slides later, I was dumber but FREE. After Jeremy grabbed some free food, we made our getaway.
On a side note, I discovered the joys of having a left handed desk. When the little desktop is on the left side, it is so much easier for me to cross my legs comfortably. I'll have to make a mental note.
Well, it was disappointing that we didn't get to see*the* John Conway, but it was hysterical nonetheless. Jeremy lied, but it was FUN!
Hope to see you at Java Java.
The first of those two shall go unmentioned on this site. For those of you within earshot (who wasn't?) then you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you witnessed one of the great embarassing moments. Let me just say that for that moment in time I completely forgot where I was. Hopefully it won't happen again and hopefully the damage wasn't too great. I certainly didn't think that she said "liberal".
Immediately after this event, Jeremy mentioned to me that John Conway would be speaking. I was immediately up for attending the talk. John Conway was, after all, the inventor of the Game of Life. The Game of Life is one of the first programming assignments that any CS major will complete. This program teaches loops and two dimensional arrays (I am sure there are plenty of other things involved that would be a learning experience for new programmers.) More importantly, the Game of Life is one of the most important examples of a two dimensional cellular automata. Basically, it exemplified that a simple set of rules for determining the topology of future generations can yield incredibly complex behavior. It may (or may not, depending on who you talk to) have led to the creation of a very important field of computer science and math (physics too!) called complexity theory.
I digress. Nevertheless, the opportunity to see a mathematician like this (despite the cynical protesting of one professor) was something that I could not pass up. At 4:20, Jeremy, Nate and I departed for the math department. Interestingly, Jeremy knew exactly where it was -- apparently there are chats in the math department on a regular basis and "they have great food." I think that we all know who to attribute that quote to! ;-)
The classroom was small. We had to pile all the way into the back. At this point, there's no turning back. We are in for the entire talk, for better or worse. Jeremy was making some comments and a professor in front of us leaned back and simply said, "This is a different John Conway." I was shocked. As it turns out, this John Conway is an expert on complex analysis and topology. While interesting, this is definitely not what we signed up for! As I mentioned, we were locked in. Fourty-five minutes and approximately 20 slides later, I was dumber but FREE. After Jeremy grabbed some free food, we made our getaway.
On a side note, I discovered the joys of having a left handed desk. When the little desktop is on the left side, it is so much easier for me to cross my legs comfortably. I'll have to make a mental note.
Well, it was disappointing that we didn't get to see*the* John Conway, but it was hysterical nonetheless. Jeremy lied, but it was FUN!
Hope to see you at Java Java.
I WIN
Good evening.
This will be a short post. I just wanted to gloat slightly. Some said that it couldn't be done and some bet against me. They said that I couldn't go one week with AIM. One person, who will remain nameless, even bet me a free meal that I couldn't make it. Well, as of now, I have been off AIM for one week! That means, I have won a free meal!
You can post congratulatory comments if you choose. I should alert you that I will not eat for a few days before this free meal. I'm going to make it worth my aggravation! :-)
I will post more later this morning!
This will be a short post. I just wanted to gloat slightly. Some said that it couldn't be done and some bet against me. They said that I couldn't go one week with AIM. One person, who will remain nameless, even bet me a free meal that I couldn't make it. Well, as of now, I have been off AIM for one week! That means, I have won a free meal!
You can post congratulatory comments if you choose. I should alert you that I will not eat for a few days before this free meal. I'm going to make it worth my aggravation! :-)
I will post more later this morning!
Friday, April 22, 2005
Happy Friday
Let me start this post by revealing that Adelphia sucks. Of course, those who are subject to the grip of Adelphia are already aware of this. At least we are back online -- better late than never.
Unfortunately nothing very "bloggable" happened today. Also, last night's post did not gather much reader attention by way of comments. So, I have nothing to talk back about.
One annoying thing: Its very difficult to find documentation about the bitmap file format. After an hour of google, I finally happened on an interesting reference. We'll have to see tomorrow morning whether the information found there was accurate. I will post my created bitmaps as soon as I figure out the format. Don't worry, dear readers, nothing dirty will be in those bitmaps!
Look forward to seeing everyone on Friday. The last colloquium means only one more chance to double-fist the coffee. Are you ready?
Unfortunately nothing very "bloggable" happened today. Also, last night's post did not gather much reader attention by way of comments. So, I have nothing to talk back about.
One annoying thing: Its very difficult to find documentation about the bitmap file format. After an hour of google, I finally happened on an interesting reference. We'll have to see tomorrow morning whether the information found there was accurate. I will post my created bitmaps as soon as I figure out the format. Don't worry, dear readers, nothing dirty will be in those bitmaps!
Look forward to seeing everyone on Friday. The last colloquium means only one more chance to double-fist the coffee. Are you ready?
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Up to the minute
Good evening.
Tonight I'm reporting live from the "hot, but not quite as hot zone." With the window open, and the incandescent bulbs turned off (or moved away), the temperature has decreased significantly. I will have to decide tomorrow if we will actually turn on the AC. (Note: I am using the royal "we". My next post may, or may not, include a third person reference to myself. You'll have to check back and see!)
I read a report today by ESPN/ABC claiming that 1/3 of the people with Tivos do not actually skip the ads while watching recorded programs. While that is surprising, I will report that I do not skip the commercials. I think that subconsciously I enjoy that "break" from concentrating on the content of the show. While most would argue that tv is a mind-numbing activity, there is no way that you can get the same enjoyment from, say, a comedy if you are not actively paying attention to the jokes. So, the bottom line is this: I'm a good consumer -- I don't skip commercials.
Do you have Tivo? Do you skip the ads? Why or why not?
Finally, I will report on my new Nationals hat. Simply, its great. I chose the faded navy blue with the white, script w outlined in red. The bill is preformed. I enjoy this style since it can be worn immediately without the messy break-in time of the standard fitted baseball hat. With my hat comes another win for the Nationals. I am hoping to get tickets to a game soon. If anyone is interested in going with me, please let me know. I think it'll be a great summer time outing.
See you Thursday!
Tonight I'm reporting live from the "hot, but not quite as hot zone." With the window open, and the incandescent bulbs turned off (or moved away), the temperature has decreased significantly. I will have to decide tomorrow if we will actually turn on the AC. (Note: I am using the royal "we". My next post may, or may not, include a third person reference to myself. You'll have to check back and see!)
I read a report today by ESPN/ABC claiming that 1/3 of the people with Tivos do not actually skip the ads while watching recorded programs. While that is surprising, I will report that I do not skip the commercials. I think that subconsciously I enjoy that "break" from concentrating on the content of the show. While most would argue that tv is a mind-numbing activity, there is no way that you can get the same enjoyment from, say, a comedy if you are not actively paying attention to the jokes. So, the bottom line is this: I'm a good consumer -- I don't skip commercials.
Do you have Tivo? Do you skip the ads? Why or why not?
Finally, I will report on my new Nationals hat. Simply, its great. I chose the faded navy blue with the white, script w outlined in red. The bill is preformed. I enjoy this style since it can be worn immediately without the messy break-in time of the standard fitted baseball hat. With my hat comes another win for the Nationals. I am hoping to get tickets to a game soon. If anyone is interested in going with me, please let me know. I think it'll be a great summer time outing.
See you Thursday!
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Franchise Update
I did some additional research about franchise opportunities.
As I discussed with my college friends (Gnesda, Ben, Jen and Robby), my goal is to own and operate (with the aforementioned friends) a Chilis. According to the Chilis website, it will take approximately $5 million in personal and $10 million in business equity as well as 5 years of franchise experience. En route to that goal, it was my idea to get the equity/experience with a Subway franchise. To get a Subway franchise, no experience is required. You can draw your own conclusions about this. What you do need, however, is between $200k and $300k. That's a respectable chunk of change. Any thoughts on where I can get that money? I doubt saving from my grad student income is going to cut it!
Note: Its still HOT! :-)
As I discussed with my college friends (Gnesda, Ben, Jen and Robby), my goal is to own and operate (with the aforementioned friends) a Chilis. According to the Chilis website, it will take approximately $5 million in personal and $10 million in business equity as well as 5 years of franchise experience. En route to that goal, it was my idea to get the equity/experience with a Subway franchise. To get a Subway franchise, no experience is required. You can draw your own conclusions about this. What you do need, however, is between $200k and $300k. That's a respectable chunk of change. Any thoughts on where I can get that money? I doubt saving from my grad student income is going to cut it!
Note: Its still HOT! :-)
TV Shows and HEAT
As it turns out, it has been quite hot these past few days. And by "few", I mean two. Before that, we had a brief cold snap. Due to this cold snap, I had the heat fired up again. Well, when I walked in the door today, I realized a serious error had been made. Its about four-thousand degrees in my office. Okay, yes, there may be some exageration there. But, the point remains: its HOT!
To remedy the situation, two things were done. The first and obvious remedy to the situation is to turn off the heat. Done. Second, I opened a window. You may ask yourself, "Why is he telling me this?" Well, opening (and sleeping with it open) a window is not an easy thing for me to do. For some reason, the sound of the outdoors while I sleep is incredibly upsetting. As it is, I have a terrible sleeping pattern so any little distruption can cause some serious havoc. We'll see how it goes. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.
In other news, I just got done watching my Tivo of the "Deadliest Catch". Its a new Discovery Channel show that chronicles these Alaskan crab fisherman as they fish constantly for 5 days. These five days are considered a fishing season and are highly regulated by the gaming commission. During the past seasons, at least one person has passed away at sea per week. That's crazy (quoting Brian Fellows)! I have always had a very big fear of waves. So, I suppose its a little odd that I am drawn to this show that follows fisherman as they brave giant rogue waves washing aboard. I give the first episode a huge thumbs up. If the death rate weren't so high, I would probably add this to my dream job list. Ask me personally if you are interested in the current contents of this list.
Well, a new person has entered the blog commenting fray! Welcome Anonymous. Of course, we all know who it is since he confessed. But, he (or she) posed a question: is my IM "strike" a Super Size Me type experiment? Am I going to return to IM after 1 month a new and refreshed user? Will I make a social commentary about my time away from IM? Well, for the record, the answer is "no" to all those questions. Saying that now, things could change. So far my hypothesis has played out exactly: the amount of time that I wasted with idle chat has been reclaimed into my day for meaningful work. Moreoever, thanks to my friends, I have yet to miss out on a social event. I was almost positive that this would happen as events are spontaneously planned, changed, confirmed, rechanged and reconfirmed within minutes over the IM network. I would highly recommend trying out the IM strike for a few days to see if you like it! One of our commenters tried this strike for 1 day last year. This commenter has revealed to me that it wasn't as bad as he/she expected. Give it a try -- what's the risk?!
Keep it up!
From the jungle,
Will
To remedy the situation, two things were done. The first and obvious remedy to the situation is to turn off the heat. Done. Second, I opened a window. You may ask yourself, "Why is he telling me this?" Well, opening (and sleeping with it open) a window is not an easy thing for me to do. For some reason, the sound of the outdoors while I sleep is incredibly upsetting. As it is, I have a terrible sleeping pattern so any little distruption can cause some serious havoc. We'll see how it goes. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.
In other news, I just got done watching my Tivo of the "Deadliest Catch". Its a new Discovery Channel show that chronicles these Alaskan crab fisherman as they fish constantly for 5 days. These five days are considered a fishing season and are highly regulated by the gaming commission. During the past seasons, at least one person has passed away at sea per week. That's crazy (quoting Brian Fellows)! I have always had a very big fear of waves. So, I suppose its a little odd that I am drawn to this show that follows fisherman as they brave giant rogue waves washing aboard. I give the first episode a huge thumbs up. If the death rate weren't so high, I would probably add this to my dream job list. Ask me personally if you are interested in the current contents of this list.
Well, a new person has entered the blog commenting fray! Welcome Anonymous. Of course, we all know who it is since he confessed. But, he (or she) posed a question: is my IM "strike" a Super Size Me type experiment? Am I going to return to IM after 1 month a new and refreshed user? Will I make a social commentary about my time away from IM? Well, for the record, the answer is "no" to all those questions. Saying that now, things could change. So far my hypothesis has played out exactly: the amount of time that I wasted with idle chat has been reclaimed into my day for meaningful work. Moreoever, thanks to my friends, I have yet to miss out on a social event. I was almost positive that this would happen as events are spontaneously planned, changed, confirmed, rechanged and reconfirmed within minutes over the IM network. I would highly recommend trying out the IM strike for a few days to see if you like it! One of our commenters tried this strike for 1 day last year. This commenter has revealed to me that it wasn't as bad as he/she expected. Give it a try -- what's the risk?!
Keep it up!
From the jungle,
Will
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
More AIM Insanity
Good day.
As it turns out, at least one person found my question about AIM away messages and personalities interesting. This person wrote a comment in response to my previous AIM post. I would agree with all the points made therein. I think that away messages are for the person writing them, not those reading. In other words, writing an away message can be a way to vent. It can also serve as a todo list for the day or an easy way to plan events and meetings while not at the computer.
I remember as a Freshman in college writing away messages telling people I was down the hall or taking a pee. Apparently I found it incredibly important to keep my friends/colleagues informed as to my location in the event that I was needed. I would definitely attribute this to an inflated feeling of self-importance that I felt during my freshman year in college. *That* is definitely the subject of another post.
In other news from the day, Lance Armstrong plans to retire after this year's Tour. I think its great that he is retiring to spend time with his Children. Hopefully he is medically well enough to have children with Sheryl. As a retiree he says that he will spend more time promoting cancer research.
Finally, in upsetting sports news, the Nationals have lost the first home game of the season. This breaks up the 5 game winning streak. Hopefully the Nats can get back on the horse and starting winning again. I think that with Screech on their side, nothing can stop them from winning the division!
As it turns out, at least one person found my question about AIM away messages and personalities interesting. This person wrote a comment in response to my previous AIM post. I would agree with all the points made therein. I think that away messages are for the person writing them, not those reading. In other words, writing an away message can be a way to vent. It can also serve as a todo list for the day or an easy way to plan events and meetings while not at the computer.
I remember as a Freshman in college writing away messages telling people I was down the hall or taking a pee. Apparently I found it incredibly important to keep my friends/colleagues informed as to my location in the event that I was needed. I would definitely attribute this to an inflated feeling of self-importance that I felt during my freshman year in college. *That* is definitely the subject of another post.
In other news from the day, Lance Armstrong plans to retire after this year's Tour. I think its great that he is retiring to spend time with his Children. Hopefully he is medically well enough to have children with Sheryl. As a retiree he says that he will spend more time promoting cancer research.
Finally, in upsetting sports news, the Nationals have lost the first home game of the season. This breaks up the 5 game winning streak. Hopefully the Nats can get back on the horse and starting winning again. I think that with Screech on their side, nothing can stop them from winning the division!
Monday, April 18, 2005
Great Researching Document
Late last night I was doing some research on how to research. Boy, that sounds like an infinite loop if I've ever hear one. However, I happened across the following document:
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to.html
It gives some great insight on how to do research and how to not be frustrated and overwhelmed with the graduate school life. It was written quite a few years ago and specifically targets researchers at the AI Lab at MIT. However, you can easily see where these suggestions and heuristics (their terminology) can be applied to any graduate school in any field.
I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/mit.research.how.to.html
It gives some great insight on how to do research and how to not be frustrated and overwhelmed with the graduate school life. It was written quite a few years ago and specifically targets researchers at the AI Lab at MIT. However, you can easily see where these suggestions and heuristics (their terminology) can be applied to any graduate school in any field.
I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Thoughts about IM
Well, its been about two days since I have given up IM. I gotta tell you that there have been times where I had muscle memory going for the GAIM icons -- I think it was my desire to check away messages. The time that I have saved by not being interrupted by IM has probably been lost other places. But, I can only make one step at a time. The ultimate goal is to find where technology and connectedness are helpful to be and where they are a hindrance. Once I find that balance, I will be happier -- at least I think. The one thing that I miss dearly about IM is putting up the away message. I think that the away message morphed from a polite message letting people know that you aren't at the keyboard to something that represents and even defines a personality. I will spare you the details, but its easy to tell the difference between a person who chooses "I am away from my computer" as their away message and someone who comes up with something witty and funny. I enjoyed putting up random quotes from movies and shows. I enjoyed making riddles and posting inside jokes. But alas, those days have passed. Does anyone else think that away messages can help inspect someone's personality?
Before I close this post, I would like to thank those who have gone the extra mile to email or call my cell phone to alert me to events that I may otherwise have missed as a result of the IM strike (thanks for that name Tuba). So far so good -- here's to hoping that it can last.
Before I close this post, I would like to thank those who have gone the extra mile to email or call my cell phone to alert me to events that I may otherwise have missed as a result of the IM strike (thanks for that name Tuba). So far so good -- here's to hoping that it can last.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Quite A Nice Day
Well, today was quite interesting. I won't subject you to all the details, but I will run-down the highlight's. First, I got a good workout in this morning.
Afterwards, Dan, Julie and I made a run to Panera. Once there, I ordered the usual -- the Chicken Caesar Salad and Chicken Noodle Soup half-and-half. This time, however, was more sweet: they actually gave me the salad instead of calling an audible and giving me a Chicken Caesar Salad SANDWICH. Also, I got some coffee. At first I tried some sort of flavored coffee. Along with the splenda (the best type of sugar), the taste left something to be desired.
Once lunch was over, it was time for the main event: Vint Cerf's talk. I was slightly disappointed by two things:
1. No one in the CS department was alerted to his talk. I think that for someone as influential to the Computer Science world, the Computer Science department would have been notified. Not so much.
2. I cannot believe that Vint Cerf's name is not as well known as, say, Knuth. Obviously Cerf did not offer any sort of theoretical advance in Computer Science (in terms of Algorithms, computational complexity, software design principles), but he did perform an incredible engineering feat. This was no normal accomplishment: it is something that has changed the society forever. I'd say that's enough to get name recognition! :-)
Anyways, pressing forward. For someone who actually did great work more than 30 years ago, he is incredibly sharp and very clever. He told a very heartwarming story about how his wife actually was deaf for many years until she received a special implant that simulated the nerves around her ears helping her regain her hearing. How cool is that? During the hour and a half talk, he covered many topics: IP theft, peer-to-peer, IPv6, software engineering principles, software/OS/network security and interplanetary network communications. I should tell you that Interplanetary network communication protocols are really, really cool. If you want to know more about his talk, just email me. I will be happy to talk about it. However, the bottom line is this: He's a really engaging and entertaining speaker and I am very glad that I was able to attend.
Finally, in the third piece of big news: I have actually given up IM. Effective at 11:40 tonight, willatfurman and sandbaggerfour have signed off permanently. I have heard the naysayers tell me that it won't last a week. Its going to take a while to get used to. I think the hardest part will be the fact that I get very lonely at night time when I am in the house by myself. I guess that we'll just have to communicate via the blog! I know that won't bother people like Dan who have been trying to get me to write more. Here's to you DanO!
In the future, if you find yourself wanting to IM me, you'll just have to take the 1980s method and email. Either that, or you can hit me up on the cell. What a technological society.
Afterwards, Dan, Julie and I made a run to Panera. Once there, I ordered the usual -- the Chicken Caesar Salad and Chicken Noodle Soup half-and-half. This time, however, was more sweet: they actually gave me the salad instead of calling an audible and giving me a Chicken Caesar Salad SANDWICH. Also, I got some coffee. At first I tried some sort of flavored coffee. Along with the splenda (the best type of sugar), the taste left something to be desired.
Once lunch was over, it was time for the main event: Vint Cerf's talk. I was slightly disappointed by two things:
1. No one in the CS department was alerted to his talk. I think that for someone as influential to the Computer Science world, the Computer Science department would have been notified. Not so much.
2. I cannot believe that Vint Cerf's name is not as well known as, say, Knuth. Obviously Cerf did not offer any sort of theoretical advance in Computer Science (in terms of Algorithms, computational complexity, software design principles), but he did perform an incredible engineering feat. This was no normal accomplishment: it is something that has changed the society forever. I'd say that's enough to get name recognition! :-)
Anyways, pressing forward. For someone who actually did great work more than 30 years ago, he is incredibly sharp and very clever. He told a very heartwarming story about how his wife actually was deaf for many years until she received a special implant that simulated the nerves around her ears helping her regain her hearing. How cool is that? During the hour and a half talk, he covered many topics: IP theft, peer-to-peer, IPv6, software engineering principles, software/OS/network security and interplanetary network communications. I should tell you that Interplanetary network communication protocols are really, really cool. If you want to know more about his talk, just email me. I will be happy to talk about it. However, the bottom line is this: He's a really engaging and entertaining speaker and I am very glad that I was able to attend.
Finally, in the third piece of big news: I have actually given up IM. Effective at 11:40 tonight, willatfurman and sandbaggerfour have signed off permanently. I have heard the naysayers tell me that it won't last a week. Its going to take a while to get used to. I think the hardest part will be the fact that I get very lonely at night time when I am in the house by myself. I guess that we'll just have to communicate via the blog! I know that won't bother people like Dan who have been trying to get me to write more. Here's to you DanO!
In the future, if you find yourself wanting to IM me, you'll just have to take the 1980s method and email. Either that, or you can hit me up on the cell. What a technological society.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Lord Hardwicke's
Well, we had a great time tonight at Happy Hour. It was a small, but great group. I must say that as I walked into the Lord Hardwicke's establishment I was a bit suspect. However, once I saw the menu I was sold -- it was huge. We actually got two appetizers, but once I realized what Corn Fritters were I stuck with the Spinach and Artichoke dip.
In other news, my week long rest period has lapsed and I am getting back into the swing of things. Today I did 1hr on the bike and felt okay. My anxiousness and generally annoyed disposition seem to have waned with the time off. So, that's good. I am going to stick very closely to the published traning schedule until the race. Hopefully this will avoid another bout with the Overtraining. Once the race is over I am going to take at least two weeks off. I can't wait! :-)
Okay, its time to sleep. Tomorrow is another big meal day -- Panera for lunch. I can't wait.
In other news, my week long rest period has lapsed and I am getting back into the swing of things. Today I did 1hr on the bike and felt okay. My anxiousness and generally annoyed disposition seem to have waned with the time off. So, that's good. I am going to stick very closely to the published traning schedule until the race. Hopefully this will avoid another bout with the Overtraining. Once the race is over I am going to take at least two weeks off. I can't wait! :-)
Okay, its time to sleep. Tomorrow is another big meal day -- Panera for lunch. I can't wait.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Two Posts in One DAY
Are you kidding me? Two posts in the same day?
Well, I am writing to inform everyone that the Flying Ninjas won their first softball game of the season. The Flying Ninjas is the intramural softball team of the CS Department Graduate students. In our first three games we lost by large margins -- we're talking 30-40 run deficits each game. By the third game we had managed to finally score a run. As a matter of fact, by virtue of being the visitor and scoring in the first 1/2 inning, we actually held the lead for the smallest of times.
Each game we improved -- slowly but surely. Finally today we pulled out the victory. It must be stated that the team we eclipsed was a group of mostly undergraduate computer scientists. This does not lessen the excitement of the 'W'. In the next few days we have a couple of makeup games. In two weeks we are going to enter the playoffs. Of course we are only in the playoffs because every team makes the playoffs. Again, this sobering fact does not diminish our hope!
Well, send congratulations to the team if you see any of us in the hallways!
I'm still not sure which is more amazing and unlikely: two posts in one day or a team of CS grad students winning an intramural softball game. You be the judge!
Well, I am writing to inform everyone that the Flying Ninjas won their first softball game of the season. The Flying Ninjas is the intramural softball team of the CS Department Graduate students. In our first three games we lost by large margins -- we're talking 30-40 run deficits each game. By the third game we had managed to finally score a run. As a matter of fact, by virtue of being the visitor and scoring in the first 1/2 inning, we actually held the lead for the smallest of times.
Each game we improved -- slowly but surely. Finally today we pulled out the victory. It must be stated that the team we eclipsed was a group of mostly undergraduate computer scientists. This does not lessen the excitement of the 'W'. In the next few days we have a couple of makeup games. In two weeks we are going to enter the playoffs. Of course we are only in the playoffs because every team makes the playoffs. Again, this sobering fact does not diminish our hope!
Well, send congratulations to the team if you see any of us in the hallways!
I'm still not sure which is more amazing and unlikely: two posts in one day or a team of CS grad students winning an intramural softball game. You be the judge!
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
DHL
This morning I was walking from the bus to the building where I work and saw something so unbelievable I almost lost control of my bowels:
A DHL delivery truck was parked on a sidewalk. However, this is no ordinary sidewalk. This is a sidewalk that begins where the road ends. The delivery person had driven her truck nearly 200ft down a sidewalk to avoid the trouble of moving the packages to a dolley and walking them that last 200ft. I mean, seriously, that would almost be what they pay her to do. However, things get worse: As she climbed back in the truck after making her deliveries she speeds off down the sidewalk and HONKS at the students repeatedly to get out of her way. Its almost like the students were supposed to be there on foot considering it was a sidewalk, and everything!
In other news: YES, we shall dine again as two kings!
Finally, I must note that this is the year of the Cincinnati Reds. Buy those World Series tickets now!
Time for class!
A DHL delivery truck was parked on a sidewalk. However, this is no ordinary sidewalk. This is a sidewalk that begins where the road ends. The delivery person had driven her truck nearly 200ft down a sidewalk to avoid the trouble of moving the packages to a dolley and walking them that last 200ft. I mean, seriously, that would almost be what they pay her to do. However, things get worse: As she climbed back in the truck after making her deliveries she speeds off down the sidewalk and HONKS at the students repeatedly to get out of her way. Its almost like the students were supposed to be there on foot considering it was a sidewalk, and everything!
In other news: YES, we shall dine again as two kings!
Finally, I must note that this is the year of the Cincinnati Reds. Buy those World Series tickets now!
Time for class!
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