I am (sometimes)

So, apparently this happens every year, and I'm just now able to notice and appreciate it. ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) hosted a barbeque today on the lawn below drumheller. It wasn't for just CS people either. All were welcome. Anyway, that made the lines long, but they still had enough food for everyone. They had this inflatible bouncy thing with a post in the middle, and two basketball hoops on the other end. Apparently you're supposed to get two people to strap themselves to a rope in the middle then try to make a basket. This proved quite popular - besides the dunk tank of course. But by far the most interesting part was the fact that they had a keg. On campus. UW is supposed to be a dry campus, so it's quite surprising when a student-organization is allowed to not only serve alcohol on campus, but have a keg too. So, the whole thing being free, even the beer, I took advantage of the situation and tried some. It was Fat Tire, which, much to my surprise, I didn't hate. In fact, I kinda liked it. Weird. Still weird to have them serve beer on campus. And to think everyone was making such a big deal about the seniors maybe having a beer garden. Heh, I guess if there's any department they're going to trust it's the CS department. I still would have thought that we'd draw a larger crowd. We were out in the open and it was open to all. Either way, we did finish off the keg, much to Ben's disappointement. Fun times. I even got to hang out with people I know (mostly Dan and Steve). A toast, to university-exceptions!

"Though the local rum made my head spin, the lovely women pressed more and more upon me. Their dance, their skin, their flowery perfume all combined to engorge my loins. Oh, yes... many virgins were sacrificed that night. On the altar of my pelvis." - Beck Bristow, Sea Lab 2021

PS No, I didn't get tipsy or drunk or anything. I even proved it by catching and throwing a frisbee quite well.

Well, today I just got so fed up with work, and waiting, that I finally gave it. I read The Sentry. For those of you (all of you) who don't know, Sentry was the original Marvel superhero. Even before Stan Lee created The Fantastic Four, there was Sentry. Sentry was such a model for all the heroes to come - an inspiration, a mentor, a leader. Then he was not. The story opens with Robert Reynolds, a middle-aged, overweight man with a fear of open spaces. He wakes up and recognizes the sinister presence of The Void, the Sentry's archnemesis. We're taken through Bob's discovery of himself as the Sentry, and why he forgot. Why everyone, including his best friend Reed Richards, forgot. Why Stan Lee, his creator forgot. Why we forgot.
The story was very well done. Quite a tragic story, really. The forgoten hero taken to the extreme. Even in a few issues, Jenkins and Lee managed to really develop this guys inner demons, and his great relationships some major heros - Reed Richards, Spider-Man, even Hulk. The artwork was gorgeous, and they even included some flashbacks to the original comics, which was a very nice touch. The series ended at a closed door (more so than usual), but I've seen Sentry appear on other covers, so I'll have to see where he shows up. But I really like the character. The series was really cool, and the marketing was genius (ask me or google it). Talk to me, I may consider loaning it to you.

'Nuff Said!

Philosophy got out a bit early today, and Melissa and I hung out for the next hour or so until my next class. It was enjoyable. It's nice to have someone new with whom I can have a conversation. Though I am rather hesitant. I don't know if I should be expected to fall head-over-heels in love with that person who'll be "the one," but I know this isn't falling like that. Isn't head-over-heels supposed to be rather immediate? I suppose it is not always, and can be gradual as well. Perhaps I'm trying to expect too much too soon - this would not be surprising.
Anyway, Melissa's going into social work. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't like alturism - helping others besides yourself is moral and helping yourself isn't. But I'm not sure it's that large an extreme in her case. We chatted today, and she said that she really enjoys helping these people make up for mistakes and realize their potential. This is certainly valid. She's not acting out of a perceived obligation, a good first step. I suppose I'm concerned it may be taken too far, such that she sacrifices herself for this. After talking with Morgan for a bit on this, he pointed out that it is more important to share your "sense of life" (your emotional evaluation about life and it's purpose) with your significant other. I give some credence to this, but I think the views and knowledge you accept in virtue of this sense of life is just as important. The best course of action at this point would appear to be to continue gaining information, while being aware of these shortcomings (if they truly are shorcomings). Heh, what a general-purpose answer.
We talked a bit about her moral skepticism. But she listened to and understood my arguments against such a position, so I'm not ruling that against her just yet. She may yet be turned.
She's also going to move to New York in August. That leaves precious little time.
She also smokes. Which is a rather disguesting habit. Besides, it's already stained her teeth. I can only imagine how much worse it could get.

If any of you have advice, I'm more than willing to hear it.


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)

I woke up this morning really wanting to quickly record my awesome dream. I wanted to so much, that I went back to sleep, and dreamed of writing about it. Twice. As a consequence of not being able to transfer this file which I typed up in my dream onto my hard drive, what I've got is a bit lacking, but here goes: Gargoyles, Fantastic Four, and Colm Meaney. Basically, the Fantastic Four got captured, gassed in some pit, and passed out while Thing got coroaded. Goliath and a bunch of the gargoyles tried to free them from this large castle, and got lost doing so. When they finally got to them, and tried to get out, they ran into Colm Meaney. We were all quite surprised to find this mob guy was behind all this. I know where the Fantastic Four came from, I just read a series where they were captured, but played no part in the plot whatsoever (kinda weird, really). Gargoyles are always around. But Colm Meaney? I mean, yeah, he was in two Star Trek series (one as a regualar), and a Stargate series (as a reoccuring bad-guy), but I think it was from the previews I saw last night of him as a mobster in Layer Cake, which looks like it could be good, but not as good as Snatch or Lock Stock. Incidently, the last two people I've looked up on IMDB (Colm Meaney and Liam Neeson) were both in a movie called "Nailed" in which Neeson played "Young Catholic." I'm not sure I want to know any more about this movie.

I saw Kingdom of Heaven last night. It was enjoyable. The action sequences were good, and I appreciated they guy who did the right thing instead of "a little evil for a greater good" still coming out ahead in the end. I also appreciated having the central male lead not being completely infatuated with his love interest and sacrificing his kingdom and integrity for her. It was kinda weird seeing Alexander Siddig (Julian Bashir on Deep Space Nine) as a bearded Muslim Commander. Though, as his name is also (cited as) Siddig El Fadil, he was born in the Middle East. Anyway, I recommend Kingdom of Heaven for what it is - well-done and enjoyable, but unthinking entertainment.

"I... I.. don't know exactly how to put this sir; but are you aware what a serious breach of security that would be? I mean, he'd see everything! He'd see the big board!" - General Buck Turgenson, Dr. Strangelove