Following the Willie Nelson interview, I started watching a documentary on Snoop Dogg's life. I wasn't aware that he goes by Snoop because his mom called him "Snoopy." When he was a baby she nick-named him after the Snoopy -- you know, the cartoon dog in Peanuts?
That doesn't seem very hard. Not that I doubt that Snoop is hard. Of course Snizzle is hizzle.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
I love Willie Nelson
I just watched a rerun of a 60 Minutes interview with Willie Nelson, and I can't get over how cool he is. His life is fascinating. They talked a lot about his early history (man he looked clean in his twenties!) and his commitment to Farm Aid. He once had a hog farm in Tennessee that burned down. He also spent at least five minutes of the interview discussing how much he enjoys marijuana. He said he needs it to relax and manage stress. I think I'm gonna read his autobiography.
I've seem Willie perform a couple of times. Each time I've gone to see him, he just sings, and sings, and sings. It's amazing. I actually don't like going to see live music all that much because you wind up standing there forever, the performers always start hours later than the show is supposed to start, they usually don't sound as good as they do in recordings, and they never seem to play for very long. And they do that stupid we're-done-but-really-we're-going-to-come-back-out-after-you-clap-for-us-to-show-us-how-much-you-love-us thing. I hate that. Have you ever noticed that they come back out even if the crowd doesn't clap that much? Anyway, none of that applies to Willie. At both of the shows I went to, he outlasted me. They were three hour plus performances.
I've seem Willie perform a couple of times. Each time I've gone to see him, he just sings, and sings, and sings. It's amazing. I actually don't like going to see live music all that much because you wind up standing there forever, the performers always start hours later than the show is supposed to start, they usually don't sound as good as they do in recordings, and they never seem to play for very long. And they do that stupid we're-done-but-really-we're-going-to-come-back-out-after-you-clap-for-us-to-show-us-how-much-you-love-us thing. I hate that. Have you ever noticed that they come back out even if the crowd doesn't clap that much? Anyway, none of that applies to Willie. At both of the shows I went to, he outlasted me. They were three hour plus performances.
Bucky the fetus
I forgot to mention that because they're not going to find out the sex of the baby until it's born, Clare has dubbed the baby "Bucky" for the time being. She says we're not allowed to call it Bucky after it's born, though. Yeah, good luck with that! I think the kid is branded.
Knocked up!
Before you go and get your knickers in a twist, I'm not talking about me. I'd like to announce that my dear friend Clare is going to have a baby. It's her first pregnancy and the baby is due in January.
Clare being pregnant is pretty trippy for me, as she's one of my closest friends -- a sister, really. I'm expecting the pregnancy to be a recurring topic on RBlog, so I want you to know a little bit more about Clare, for background.
Clare and I met each other in our first year of college. She was a bit of an odd duck, coming from the Mid-West to a school full of West Coast kids. As a result of her Mid-western upbringing, Clare has a sense of propriety about her that made her stand out to me. For instance, she was (and is) an excellent conversationalist, in a way that I think is underappreciated (and almost non-existent in college freshmen). I admired her in school because she had such an easy time talking to people, especially guys -- she'd ask them tons of questions about themselves and would always remember every detail they told her. Then later, she'd follow up and ask them how each specific thing was going. It makes you feel really special when someone remembers the details about your life. Everyone loved her for that. It also made her a fabulous person to go to parties with. Of course, it didn't hurt that the parties we went to were at frats, and Clare is super hot in an athletic way: trim, big ta-tas, and would regularly hold her own in co-ed soccer and racquet ball matches. She literally had a fan club at Sigma Chi.
Here's a photo from a rained-out backpacking trip we took to the Olympic Peninsula just before our graduation:
Clare and I were supposed to hike in and set up camp. Ross (the now dad-to-be) and another guy were going to hike in and meet us. It was raining so hard, that by the time they got there everything was soaked, including the inside of the tent (because we spilled a beer or three in it). The ladies wanted to tough it out, but Ross was having none of it -- he drove us to a motel. We camped there instead.
These days, Clare works for a book publisher. She's married to the above mentioned Ross. They got married in St. Louis (Clare's hometown) a couple of years ago. I got to be in the wedding, which involved an astonishingly good-looking wedding party, if I do say so myself.
Since the wedding, I have seen less and less of Clare and I blame Ross for that.* Clare and Ross recently bought a house in Washington DC, which is a little far away for my taste. Something about Ross being a consultant in intelligence means they have to live where the intelligence agencies are... or something like that. Every time try to clear up the details, he just says he can't discuss it. The house thing seems like it would be good for the kid, though. It will have its own room and everything.
*Hi Ross!
Clare being pregnant is pretty trippy for me, as she's one of my closest friends -- a sister, really. I'm expecting the pregnancy to be a recurring topic on RBlog, so I want you to know a little bit more about Clare, for background.
Clare and I met each other in our first year of college. She was a bit of an odd duck, coming from the Mid-West to a school full of West Coast kids. As a result of her Mid-western upbringing, Clare has a sense of propriety about her that made her stand out to me. For instance, she was (and is) an excellent conversationalist, in a way that I think is underappreciated (and almost non-existent in college freshmen). I admired her in school because she had such an easy time talking to people, especially guys -- she'd ask them tons of questions about themselves and would always remember every detail they told her. Then later, she'd follow up and ask them how each specific thing was going. It makes you feel really special when someone remembers the details about your life. Everyone loved her for that. It also made her a fabulous person to go to parties with. Of course, it didn't hurt that the parties we went to were at frats, and Clare is super hot in an athletic way: trim, big ta-tas, and would regularly hold her own in co-ed soccer and racquet ball matches. She literally had a fan club at Sigma Chi.
Here's a photo from a rained-out backpacking trip we took to the Olympic Peninsula just before our graduation:
Clare and I were supposed to hike in and set up camp. Ross (the now dad-to-be) and another guy were going to hike in and meet us. It was raining so hard, that by the time they got there everything was soaked, including the inside of the tent (because we spilled a beer or three in it). The ladies wanted to tough it out, but Ross was having none of it -- he drove us to a motel. We camped there instead.
These days, Clare works for a book publisher. She's married to the above mentioned Ross. They got married in St. Louis (Clare's hometown) a couple of years ago. I got to be in the wedding, which involved an astonishingly good-looking wedding party, if I do say so myself.
Since the wedding, I have seen less and less of Clare and I blame Ross for that.* Clare and Ross recently bought a house in Washington DC, which is a little far away for my taste. Something about Ross being a consultant in intelligence means they have to live where the intelligence agencies are... or something like that. Every time try to clear up the details, he just says he can't discuss it. The house thing seems like it would be good for the kid, though. It will have its own room and everything.
*Hi Ross!
Saturday, July 30, 2005
I couldn't be more sick of calculus
Still, I'm gonna give you an update.
We got our last tests back this morning, which was irrelevant to me since I had already learned my result via email from the instructor. However, while he passed the tests back he commented that he was surprised at how poorly everyone did, which made me feel a little bit better. I like to take solace in the fact that I am not alone in my struggle. I saw at least one grade that was way lower than my C. Engineer Guy got another 100%, of course.
The instructor reiterated that if we did a good job on the final exam, we could expect a good final grade in the class. He says that the final exam grade is all he's really counting.
After reviewing for the final, which is on Wednesday, we got some problems to do for extra credit. I made it through only four extra credit questions and didn't really even get the last one. I had the sign wrong (negative when it should have been positive), but he generously gave me the point anyway. I think some people, like Engineer Guy to name names, made it through at least eight extra credit problems. Why does one need extra credit when one gets 100% on all of one's tests? I suspect he was racing through them just to spite me.
We got our last tests back this morning, which was irrelevant to me since I had already learned my result via email from the instructor. However, while he passed the tests back he commented that he was surprised at how poorly everyone did, which made me feel a little bit better. I like to take solace in the fact that I am not alone in my struggle. I saw at least one grade that was way lower than my C. Engineer Guy got another 100%, of course.
The instructor reiterated that if we did a good job on the final exam, we could expect a good final grade in the class. He says that the final exam grade is all he's really counting.
After reviewing for the final, which is on Wednesday, we got some problems to do for extra credit. I made it through only four extra credit questions and didn't really even get the last one. I had the sign wrong (negative when it should have been positive), but he generously gave me the point anyway. I think some people, like Engineer Guy to name names, made it through at least eight extra credit problems. Why does one need extra credit when one gets 100% on all of one's tests? I suspect he was racing through them just to spite me.
Movie review: The Island
Inga and I went to see The Island this afternoon. I was curious after reading gossip about its production in Entertainment Weekly and though she hadn't heard of it, Inga was game. There's not all that much to say about the movie, though. The stars are pretty to look at, there are an extreme amount of explosions and fight scenes, and the film attempts to include a dab of social commentary. If I had to sum The Island up in one word, that word would be "gratuitous." Still, I wish there had been more luuuuv scenes (there was really only one). They should have taken out a few explosions and replaced them with a little more skin.
Unless you're desperate for a way to blow a few hours, save your ten bucks.
Unless you're desperate for a way to blow a few hours, save your ten bucks.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Serenity now
I've just washed down another handful of ibuprofin with some tepid coffee. As the torture (aka "studying") continues, I'll try to picture myself here:
This is the scene of a fishing trip Jeff went on with his family a couple weekends ago. They spent a week in June Lake. Check out all the trout they caught:
That's Mr. Lupo. Again, Jeff took both of these with his cell phone. I'm going to have to do some serious camping in August to make up for the rest of this summer.
This is the scene of a fishing trip Jeff went on with his family a couple weekends ago. They spent a week in June Lake. Check out all the trout they caught:
That's Mr. Lupo. Again, Jeff took both of these with his cell phone. I'm going to have to do some serious camping in August to make up for the rest of this summer.
Panic consumes me
Yesterday I calculated that I have to get at least an 89% on our calculus final in order to wind up with the B I need in the class. I think I deserve some extra credit for being able to figure that out.
I had emailed my instructor in a panic after our last test. He told me I got a C on it (75%), but that there is still some hope for me.
He wrote:
"I am sure you can do your best on the final exam, just follow the rules and the methods I explained at the board in the class. Please do not get nervous, I am sure you will be fine. For me, the most important part is the final exam, it has the best value. So PLEASE be successful on your final exam, and study the mistakes of the quizzes and midterms, in order to avoid any unexpected and unwanted results. I believe in your knowledge and talent to be very successful in Calculus, all the best to you, and see you very soon."
He's a nice guy. He must have to deal with people like me freaking out about Haas all the time, which I'm sure is annoying. I wish I had as much confidence in my ability to master basic calculus as he does.
Less than a week until I don't have to fret about calculus anymore and you don't have to read about it anymore. Everyone is looking forward to that, right?
This afternoon I'm reviewing antidifferentiation, again, since I obviously didn't understand it as well as I should have. Then I plan to go over applications of the definite integral and implicit differentiation. I think I'm going to bring a bunch of donuts to our class tomorrow morning, too. It's the last Saturday class.
I had emailed my instructor in a panic after our last test. He told me I got a C on it (75%), but that there is still some hope for me.
He wrote:
"I am sure you can do your best on the final exam, just follow the rules and the methods I explained at the board in the class. Please do not get nervous, I am sure you will be fine. For me, the most important part is the final exam, it has the best value. So PLEASE be successful on your final exam, and study the mistakes of the quizzes and midterms, in order to avoid any unexpected and unwanted results. I believe in your knowledge and talent to be very successful in Calculus, all the best to you, and see you very soon."
He's a nice guy. He must have to deal with people like me freaking out about Haas all the time, which I'm sure is annoying. I wish I had as much confidence in my ability to master basic calculus as he does.
Less than a week until I don't have to fret about calculus anymore and you don't have to read about it anymore. Everyone is looking forward to that, right?
This afternoon I'm reviewing antidifferentiation, again, since I obviously didn't understand it as well as I should have. Then I plan to go over applications of the definite integral and implicit differentiation. I think I'm going to bring a bunch of donuts to our class tomorrow morning, too. It's the last Saturday class.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Rumor has it
Supposedly, Angelina Jolie is already looking for a third baby to
adopt -- this time from Russia. I was underwhelmed with the news. The proportion of news coverage relating to her adoptions to news coverage of her making out with Brad Pitt is way off right now. Someone needs to check that.
adopt -- this time from Russia. I was underwhelmed with the news. The proportion of news coverage relating to her adoptions to news coverage of her making out with Brad Pitt is way off right now. Someone needs to check that.
Last days of calculus
Tonight in class, we got our take-home tests back and took yet another test. The take-home test was fabulous, as I got 100%. I'd like to thank the Academy, as well both the Matts for their advice and leadership. I couldn't have done it without you! The test I just took, however, was much more difficult than I expected. It covered antidifferentiation and Riemann's sums. Also, some substitution. I fear I wound up with a low B at best.
My stress level regarding this matter has reached an all-time high. There are only two more classes left. One is review and the other is the final. I don't see how I am going to come out of this with a B, unless there is some sort of intervention on the part of benevolent calculus gods.
Can Haas afford to skew their statistics by having a fair number of admitted students fail to start classes due to complications with prerequisite courses?
Will I really not earn a B?
Will I be able to defer, or will they just give me the boot?
If I can't start the program, can I take my $30K in student loans to Vegas?
Could this be any more stressful?!
My stress level regarding this matter has reached an all-time high. There are only two more classes left. One is review and the other is the final. I don't see how I am going to come out of this with a B, unless there is some sort of intervention on the part of benevolent calculus gods.
Can Haas afford to skew their statistics by having a fair number of admitted students fail to start classes due to complications with prerequisite courses?
Will I really not earn a B?
Will I be able to defer, or will they just give me the boot?
If I can't start the program, can I take my $30K in student loans to Vegas?
Could this be any more stressful?!
Burning Man: I don't get it
Why drive for days and pay hundreds of dollars* in order to do drugs and get naked with a bunch of people from the Bay Area? We can get naked and do drugs together ANY weekend. We can do it here, at home, with showers in close proximity! We won't have to spend money on gas! We'll conserve fossil fuels! We won't wreak havoc on the fragile desert ecosystem of Nevada!
The Burning Man website describes Burning Man as a "unique experiment." SFGate describes it as a "counterculture phenomenon." In its twentieth year, with more than 25,000 attendees annually, the Burning Man experience is neither unique, nor countercultural. Sorry to be a grouch, but I call it like I see it.
Stay home. Do some E, get naked, and light a sparkler in your backyard. Roll around in the dirt and don't shower for a week, if you feel the need. Then, donate your couple hundred bucks to a charity (may I suggest the Sierra Club and its fight to preserve fragile ecosystems), and call it a day.
*Tickets to Burning Man start at $250 this year.
The Burning Man website describes Burning Man as a "unique experiment." SFGate describes it as a "counterculture phenomenon." In its twentieth year, with more than 25,000 attendees annually, the Burning Man experience is neither unique, nor countercultural. Sorry to be a grouch, but I call it like I see it.
Stay home. Do some E, get naked, and light a sparkler in your backyard. Roll around in the dirt and don't shower for a week, if you feel the need. Then, donate your couple hundred bucks to a charity (may I suggest the Sierra Club and its fight to preserve fragile ecosystems), and call it a day.
*Tickets to Burning Man start at $250 this year.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Movie review: The Yes Men
Sadly, I don't have much time to write anything about this movie other than you should rent it and watch it. It was hilarious and eye-opening all at the same time. It also made me feel sketchy about pursuing an MBA, but whatever. I'm sure I'll get over that soon. Or choose to use my MBA for good. One or the other.
Monday, July 25, 2005
It's an Inspiron
Here's a link to the actual picture and description of the computer, in case anyone is actually interested or wants to give me some tips.
The dreaded PC arrived
My new Dell laptop showed up this afternoon. I'm actually kind of impressed with it. It only weighs about four pounds and it's much sleeker and cuter than I expected it to be. It's almost chic. One of my coworkers mentioned that it looks much more high-tech and intimidating than my iBook, too. Check it out:
I look powerful and corporate, no? At least slightly deranged in a business-savvy way? This picture made me think that I should really get back in the habit of putting on make-up and brushing my hair before coming into the office. I should at least slap on some lipstick or something, Jeezus.
At any rate, I still don't know how to do anything with the new computer. Tomorrow the little laptop gets set up with some more powerful software than the stuff it came with. I may also get a tutorial, but that remains to be seen.
I look powerful and corporate, no? At least slightly deranged in a business-savvy way? This picture made me think that I should really get back in the habit of putting on make-up and brushing my hair before coming into the office. I should at least slap on some lipstick or something, Jeezus.
At any rate, I still don't know how to do anything with the new computer. Tomorrow the little laptop gets set up with some more powerful software than the stuff it came with. I may also get a tutorial, but that remains to be seen.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Hours of entertainment and unique, stylish furnishings
I'm sure most people based in the Bay Area already know about Urban Ore. I have been hearing about it for years, but somehow never actually made it there until yesterday. Most likely that's because it requires a car to get to the lot and haul away all the stuff you wind up buying. Still, I can't believe I missed out for so long, especially since Urban Ore is only about two blocks from my office.
In a nutshell, Urban Ore is like eight hundred garage sales in one. Their idea is to promote reuse and recycling by selling stuff as-is that would normally be tossed. You clean it up, fix it up, make it into an art project, whatever. They have clothes, art, every type of furniture you can think of, records, books, dishes, knick-knacks, plus stuff you would use to finish a house, like toilets, doors, fireplace mantels, pipes, etc. Pretty much anything you can think of is stacked up in this big old warehouse in Emeryville. It's cool stuff, too. Most of it is pretty old -- at least from the eighties or earlier.
Yesterday I came home with about five pieces of framed art and a fabulous pink armchair for my office -- all stylishly retro and all for around $60. If you're a Bay Area kid, you should check it out. It beats Ikea any day.
In a nutshell, Urban Ore is like eight hundred garage sales in one. Their idea is to promote reuse and recycling by selling stuff as-is that would normally be tossed. You clean it up, fix it up, make it into an art project, whatever. They have clothes, art, every type of furniture you can think of, records, books, dishes, knick-knacks, plus stuff you would use to finish a house, like toilets, doors, fireplace mantels, pipes, etc. Pretty much anything you can think of is stacked up in this big old warehouse in Emeryville. It's cool stuff, too. Most of it is pretty old -- at least from the eighties or earlier.
Yesterday I came home with about five pieces of framed art and a fabulous pink armchair for my office -- all stylishly retro and all for around $60. If you're a Bay Area kid, you should check it out. It beats Ikea any day.
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