Blog Archives: June, 2003
Shutdown
Each summer, Sun Microsystems does a company-wide shutdown. Which means that I, unfortunately, am obliged to take a week off and travel around the western United States. So I’m off to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, and then Seattle. While in Seattle, I’ll probably end up checking out the University of Washington campus, future home of House of Learn member Cecilia Cotton. So until we meet again, Happy Canada Day!
View comments (0) or Post a comment
Waterlooigans
The graduate Two weekends ago I went to Windsor and and then Waterloo for convocation. Convocation was, as you might expect, very convocation-like. I graduated with the St. Jerome’s folks, so I got to go up early instead of having to wait around with second-rate mathematicians with last names like Schlegel, Sitar, and Spitz (interestingly, if I had convocated with UW, I would have sat beside Spitz!). I was hooded by UW President David Johnston; he wished me well in Oxford and suggested that I drop them a line to let them know how I’m doing. What a smooth talker!
Scott and Laura Aside from convocation, of course, I got to spend time with friends and family. Scott gave a great concert, and then got photographed wearing a flattering Hawai’ian shirt. 
Glenn, Scott, Adam, and I at 110 I also have a picture of Adam, Scott, Glenn, and I, preserved in digital format for all eternity. Does Scott take any pictures where he looks normal? The picture at right is now my desktop and is staring back at me each and every time I use my computer. Isn’t that freaky?
The Unit 304 House Picture I also got to spend time with the rest of the house of learn, and its honourary members and in-laws. The picture at left is apparently the official House of Learn picture, taken after we conquered the Tower in April.
So that’s one degree down, two to go. This was certainly a fun one, and looking back it doesn’t seem like it was that much work. Perhaps the next two will be just as easy? Wishful thinking, I guess. But I can still make them fun. I started rowing today, and I’ll be ready to join a rowing team when I arrive in England.
View comments (1) or Post a comment
Otters, fish, and dragons
Sorry for the delay, folks. A graduation-related blog entry will be up in the next day or two, but first, a word about our animal friends.
I am now the proud guardian of a small sea otter, whom I have taken the liberty of (creatively) naming Otto. He’s quite young and is quite cuddly.
Monterey pink jelly On Saturday, we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Aquarium is home to three extremely cute sea otters, that you just want to cuddle and hug and take home with you. So of course, I did take on home, albeit a stuff animal sea otter. His name is Otto, and he’s from a grotto (he also likes gelato). My friend Meredith (also an intern at Sun) got a matching otter; his name is (get ready for this) Harry Otter. There was a beautiful tank (exhibit, really) of jellies (not “jellyfish”) of all different sizes and colours. Some were pink, some were orange, some were translucent, and some had fine hairs that refracted light like prisms.
After a day at the aquarium, we decided it would be mildly appropriate to take in Finding Nemo, Pixar’s latest film, about a lost fish in the Pacific Ocean. I laughed really hard at the peanut gallery fish in the dentist’s office. It’s an all-around funny movie, on par with previous Pixar hits. If you decide to go see it, you might want to stay through the credits; there are a few amusing things that happen throughout the credits, although not on the order of outtakes.
Peter Paul and Mary album cover On Friday I made my first official purchase from the iTunes Music Store. I thank you all for your suggestions. I’ll probably try out Jason Mraz as suggested by two readers, and I’ll see if I can find Matt’s eclectic collection somewhere in the Store. In the meantime, however, I opted for a classic: The Best of Peter, Paul, and Mary: Ten Years. It features Blowin’ In The Wind, Leaving On A Jet Plane (before Chantal Kreviazuk did a famous cover), and perhaps the best song on the album, Puff, The Magic Dragon. Puff is such a sad song; if you haven’t heard it in a while, I suggest you either dig out your vinyl or read the lyrics.
And while we’re on the topic of dragons, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out Trogdor, the Burninator. I don’t claim credit for discovering him (another treasure from the crazies at Grebel), but he’s worth sharing.
View comments (3) or Post a comment
What to buy?
I am now the proud owner of “Whenever, Wherever”, sung by an artist named Shakira. Why, you might ask, would I want to own this song? Well, it’s because my roommate wanted to download the song. But the important part is that I now have an account at the Apple iTunes Music Store. With some 200,000 songs at my virtual fingertips, priced at a clickable 99 cents, what is a music fan to do?
So, while I have technically made one purchase, that was the purchase of my roommate. What is a worthy first song purchase?
View comments (11) or Post a comment
Less than 1 week
A crooked Scott In less than one week, I’ll be back in glorious Waterloo. The official reason for my return, well, I don’t quite remember, something about a Bachelor of Mathematics, I guess. But an even better part of my return will be hearing a concert from Scott Sitar, a masterful pianist and an-all around nifty (albeit Manitoban) guy.
What will the concert entail? Well, I’ve been led to expect a little Lizst, some choice Chopin, and a dibby of devilish Dvorak (okay, how do you alliterate with Dvorak?). There might even be some Radiohead piano-y goodness. Sure, there’s already some transcribed Radiohead out there, but I’m willing to bet that the Scott Sitar version is even better. Friday, probably 8 p.m. (anyone know for sure?), the chapel of Conrad Grebel. See you there!
View comments (5) or Post a comment
The Evil Senator Dorrington
Evil walks among us. Faithful blog readers may recall my famous blog entry from March in which I document the crimes against humanity by the evil Senator Yolanda Dorrington, obviously the young apprentice of Senator Palpatine.
MathSoc constellation Yesterday morning I received an email from the accused, an innocuous-looking email, making idle chit chat and updating me on the activities of her partner in crime, Marshall “Darth Maul” Drew-Brook. And at the bottom of the email was a short postscript, inviting me to check out the orientation web site (MathSoc Council, weak minds obviously under the influence of the control of the Sith lord, appointed her as an orientation director). And at the end of the page, a logo for the “Stebila Major” constellation, as reproduced at right.
Guilty as charged! Be afraid, citizens of the free world. You, any one of you, could be the next target of this evil menace to society. Only when the son of Skywalker defeats the Sith once and for all can we be truly safe and free.
