I am (sometimes)

I'm feeling quite off this morning. I don't know how to descrive it. I just woke up feeling weird. Maybe my spleen's attacking my kidney. I dunno.

Friday was totally awesome. Well, Friday night at least. Lisa, Julia, Zach (and Kristina and Jim) and I went to see Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy last night. It was a very good movie - extremely funny, and it felt very true. I do, however, have a few quibbles. I'm not sure I liked how the new Marvin looked. I liked him in the BBC miniseries, and was very greatful when they had the original costume (or at least I thought it was) as an extra in one of the scenes. I also liked Zaphod with the two heads side-by-side. It was weird having one in his neck - though not too bad. I would've like to see more of his third arm too. Though, to be fair, there were many towels. Towels were done well.

I had offered to pick up the tickets to Hitch Hiker's, since I had a break in the morning and didn't have much else to do. But when I went up to the theater between classes, wasn't yet open. Frustrating. Even the comic books store next door was closed. I wanted to get a chance to browse the comic book store, but alas, it too opens too late. I was going to pick up the fifth Exiles trade issue, since I've the first four, and it really is the best comics series I've seen so far. But alas, 'twas not to be. I'm very interested in the next issue. I just hope it's not the end of the series. Oh, and speaking of comic books, I found out what the Marvel Knights series is. Apparently they give a team (writer, artist, color) a single year. That means it'll change every twelve issues. Interesting idea, but I'm very disappointed to see Mark Miller leave. His Spider-Man issues were incredible. I wasn't a huge fan of the wall-crawler until this series. Now I'll have to gather the trade issues. I wonder if they have the Marvel Knights Spider-Man in a trade issue by now. Stupid comic book store closing early.

I've found myself looking more and more forward to turning 21. I never really expected it to be a big deal. I mean, I don't really care about drinking. I don't expect to do it much even once I turn 21. I guess I'm just looking forward to being able to be more social with everyone. I can go to all the stuff they can now. Plus there will be more concerts et al which shall accept my admission.

Pirate 1: "Argh!"
Pirate 2: "Argh!"
Pirate 1: "Argh!"
Pirate 2: "Argh!"
Pirate 1: "Argh!"
<They fight, Pirate 2 dies>
Pirate 1: "Fairly warned be thee, says I!"
- UCB (1, 04) - Power Marketing

For those of you who don't know yet... we've finally have cold fusion! Woot! Of course, it's not good enough to make unlimited power... yet. But it's a great (and very simple) first start. You can read about it a the USA Today and The New York Times. Fun times.

"Miss Taggart says - quote - I expect to make a pile of money on the John Galt Line. I will have earned it. Close quote." - Dagney Taggart Atlas Shrugged (220)

My ethics class has been quite enlightening. We're reading lots of different authors and learning lots of stupid views. The most frustrating part is, everyone seems to get something right. (Okay, not everyone. <cough> Gibbard <cough>) Anyway, we just finished the section on the realists, who provide the most accurate account so far. Railton presented a good account of non-moral good. It seems obvious to me what a person's good is, but apparently it's actually difficult for these philosophers to say. A lot of them are wed to desire-fullfillment, even of irrational, stupid, or contradictory desires. Railton gives a decent account of determining best interest via a hypothetical, infailable agent. I wrote my paper correcting Railton, but he did a pretty good job of this. Anyway, I thought if there were any place to get Rand into the curriculum, it would be with these people. So I asked Sam and Chad to recommend something of hers to read. They decided on The Objectivist Ethics. So I'll finish reading that, then recommend it to my prof. Hopefully we can get something really good into the reading if not this term then into next year's.
But that's not what I'm here to write about. Thank's to gmail's privacy-intruding ad system, I was led to this article. It would seem that Toyota's CEO is afraid of his competence. He wants to sabotage his company to help the ailing General Motors and other American companies. Sounds like something straight out of Atlas Shrugged. Please people. Competence is not a crime! If you can't put out, shut up and get the fuck out.

On an unrelated note, I was cleaning off my hard drive and was watching an episode of Penn and Teller's Bullshit!. Apparently these magicians decided it was more fun to tell everyone else how full of shit they are. Anyway, the episode had this very amusing scene in it:



I've never known of a guy owning a dildo, let alone a suitcase full. Not to mention the look of excitement of Penn's face. Teller looks properly disgusted.

Oh, and appreently one of our good friends has started a blog. About time.

Scientist: "I don't think that such a motor should ever be made.... It would be so superior to anything we've got that it would be unfair to lesser scientists, because it would leave no field for their achievements and abilities. I don't think that the strong should have the right to wound the self-esteem of the weak."
Dagney Taggart: < Ordered him out of her office, and sat in incredulous horror before the fact that the most vicious statement she had ever heard had been uttered in a tone of moral righteousness. > - Atlas Shrugged (330)