Today, the course schedule for next fall was released. It's always exciting for me, picking out the next semester's classes.
There are three classes I still need to take:
Principles of Programming Languages
Linear Algebra
Probability & Statistics OR Abstract Algebra
I should note that I eventually intend to take both Prob & Stats and Abstract Algebra, so it's not really that important which one I take now. But in any case, here is when the classes are available this fall (TR = Tuesday/Thursday, MW = Monday/Wednesday):
Principles of Programming Languages
TR 1:00-300
Prob & Stats
TR 11:00-1:00
MW 7:00-9:00 (PM)
Linear Algebra
TR 1:00-3:00
MW 5:00-7:00 (PM)
Abstract Algebra
TR 7:00-8:15 (PM)
I try really hard to avoid taking classes during the day. I also try, though much less hard, to get Tuesday/Thursday classes rather than Monday/Wednesday ones.
It's pretty clear that the obvious choice of two classes from this list is Linear Algebra and Prob & Stats on Monday and Wednesday nights. That puts them in a solid block from 5-9, which is similar to the schedule I started this semester with (though I have Tuesday/Thursdays instead).
My fear is that the same professor will be teaching linear algebra again. I really don't want to take it from him. It's still "TBA" right now. But if he teaches it at night two semesters in a row, then there's no reason to think he won't do it next Spring too, so there's kind of no point in skipping it for that reason.
This is a lot of hours. It's possible I could instead take Prob & Stats and Abstract Algebra. I'd have class four nights a week, and having a single class at 7PM two days a week is not that great, but I could use the time before class to do homework. And it would be 7 rather than 8 credit hours.
But linear algebra, unlike either of the other two maths, is non-negotiable, so leaving it for Spring of '09 would mean I'd have to take it at that point. As things stand now, the only class I'll actually have to take next Spring is Principles of Programming Languages.
I guess we'll see next semester if I can really get through those two courses. At least the first half or so of linear should be easy the second time through.
Monday, March 17, 2008
A Painful But Correct Decision
I made a decision Saturday night. I am dropping linear algebra.
I'm getting an A in the class. The material is, with a reasonable amount of work, comprehensible to me. I'm getting the homework done. I can probably continue this way and get an A.
But I'll flunk sweprac. (This is "Software Engineering Practices," my senior experience course. It's a big group project.)
Linear algebra is simply consuming all of my available time. It doesn't help that I have a terrible professor. (It helps that Ed loves it, and helps me with it a lot. But this doesn't save me time, really - it just gives me a better understanding of the material. And something fun to do.) It really doesn't help that linear algebra homework is so much more straightforward than working on my sweprac project, and so much more deadline-driven, that at any given moment I am bound to choose it.
But sweprac is important. It's my senior experience course. It's only taught in the Spring. I really, truly do not want to have to re-take it. I also don't want to let down my professor - who is happy for me to finally have the positive group experience I've never had. And I really do have a fantastic team for the class. I owe them my effort, and it's also a great opportunity to really do something.
The idea of re-taking linear algebra another time sounds perfectly fun and delightful, so it's not a loss in that way. Maybe I'll even get a good professor next time.
So...goodbye, linear algebra. And hello, scary sweprac project!
I'm getting an A in the class. The material is, with a reasonable amount of work, comprehensible to me. I'm getting the homework done. I can probably continue this way and get an A.
But I'll flunk sweprac. (This is "Software Engineering Practices," my senior experience course. It's a big group project.)
Linear algebra is simply consuming all of my available time. It doesn't help that I have a terrible professor. (It helps that Ed loves it, and helps me with it a lot. But this doesn't save me time, really - it just gives me a better understanding of the material. And something fun to do.) It really doesn't help that linear algebra homework is so much more straightforward than working on my sweprac project, and so much more deadline-driven, that at any given moment I am bound to choose it.
But sweprac is important. It's my senior experience course. It's only taught in the Spring. I really, truly do not want to have to re-take it. I also don't want to let down my professor - who is happy for me to finally have the positive group experience I've never had. And I really do have a fantastic team for the class. I owe them my effort, and it's also a great opportunity to really do something.
The idea of re-taking linear algebra another time sounds perfectly fun and delightful, so it's not a loss in that way. Maybe I'll even get a good professor next time.
So...goodbye, linear algebra. And hello, scary sweprac project!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Too Many Things
There are too many things in my life right now. Work. School. Ed.
My current resolution is to turn screens (computer and TV, though the latter isn't much of a problem for me) off at 10 PM. Ed's under strict instructions not to talk to me via IM after that time. And, if I'm at my house, I've asked him to kick me out by 9:30. (It's a 10-minute drive back to my place.)
I have eight (8) sections of homework due next Thursday. I got a week behind, and next Thursday is the test, so it would be good to be caught up, though probably not all eight of those sections will be on the test. But our professor hasn't said which ones will, and I don't intend to go back to class again until the test itself, so I had better just finish all of them.
I've done one section, so basically, if I complete one per day from here on out, I'll be fine. But there's really no such thing as completing one section per day. While I can't exactly sit down and do several sections in a row, I also can't usually complete a whole section on the first pass. So I need to do some unspecified amount of work that averages, by Thursday, to a section a day.
This is the most boring blog post ever.
Anyway, aside from this trauma, things are all right. At some point I will need to do some work for sweprac if I'm to pass that. The week after next is Spring Break. I might survive.
My current resolution is to turn screens (computer and TV, though the latter isn't much of a problem for me) off at 10 PM. Ed's under strict instructions not to talk to me via IM after that time. And, if I'm at my house, I've asked him to kick me out by 9:30. (It's a 10-minute drive back to my place.)
I have eight (8) sections of homework due next Thursday. I got a week behind, and next Thursday is the test, so it would be good to be caught up, though probably not all eight of those sections will be on the test. But our professor hasn't said which ones will, and I don't intend to go back to class again until the test itself, so I had better just finish all of them.
I've done one section, so basically, if I complete one per day from here on out, I'll be fine. But there's really no such thing as completing one section per day. While I can't exactly sit down and do several sections in a row, I also can't usually complete a whole section on the first pass. So I need to do some unspecified amount of work that averages, by Thursday, to a section a day.
This is the most boring blog post ever.
Anyway, aside from this trauma, things are all right. At some point I will need to do some work for sweprac if I'm to pass that. The week after next is Spring Break. I might survive.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Blows My Mind
Do you know what blows my mind?
This:
From Astronomy Picture of the Day, this is a Hubble telescope image of the Sombrero Galaxy.
OK, so, it's not all that fabulous, but think about this. In our sky you can see lots of stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is huge. And then, also in our sky, you can see whole other galaxies. They are so far away that they are, like, the same apparent size as stars.
It is just freakin' amazing the range of orders of magnitude present in our universe. It reminds me of this, of course (from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, which I remember seeing in the theater in New Orleans as a little kid, with my mom and her friend and her friend's kids):
This:
From Astronomy Picture of the Day, this is a Hubble telescope image of the Sombrero Galaxy.
OK, so, it's not all that fabulous, but think about this. In our sky you can see lots of stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is huge. And then, also in our sky, you can see whole other galaxies. They are so far away that they are, like, the same apparent size as stars.
It is just freakin' amazing the range of orders of magnitude present in our universe. It reminds me of this, of course (from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, which I remember seeing in the theater in New Orleans as a little kid, with my mom and her friend and her friend's kids):
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
New Layout
I hope you like it. I'm glad I figured out how to get recent comments to show up. I enjoy this feature on other blogs.
Brilliant Math Genius
The other day, I showed up at Ed's house, found the front door unlocked, raced up the stairs to his room, met him in the hall, and said, "Your girlfriend is a fucking brilliant math genius!"
Let's back it up.
I'm not a math genius. I am pretty good at math, and getting better all the time. I also think that almost anyone can learn and enjoy math, and that most people who think they are "bad at math" just haven't had good experiences with it and thus haven't stuck to it. (This applies double to my mom, who loves formal logic and puzzles and therefore is obviously math-inclined despite apparently never having enjoyed math itself.)
But math can really kick you around. Unlike history or literature, where you have progressively increased knowledge leading to mastery and insights, math can make you feel really stupid when you don't get it. (I might not understand the causes of the Great Depression, but this makes me feel, at worst, ignorant. When I do know some history, I am unaware of my lack of insight about it. You don't have to have the proper insights to understand what others have written.) The flip side of feeling like an idiot when you don't understand math, though, is feeling like a genius when you do.
Last week, I had a section on transition matrices and change of basis. (I promise I won't talk about this in detail.) I did all of the homework pretty quickly by stumbling (by some insight I couldn't recreate until recently) onto a method that worked, but when I triumphantly showed it to Ed, he didn't like my method (he's not a fan of the augmented matrix; he prefers an algebraic approach).
When we sat down to figure out the actual algebra, we found the section of the book rather inscrutable. (I have since seen the completely clear presentation in his linear algebra book, so I have a basis for comparison. No pun intended.) What we found by deduction from what I'd done in my homework didn't seem to make any sense, and Ed didn't feel it was consistent with the book's text. He hypothesised (hypothesied? hypothesized?) that someone different had written the questions from whoever wrote the text, and that the two didn't match. He also found that the questions and answers were not themselves consistent.
"But I did them all the same way," I protested, "based on what I read. And my answers match the ones in the back."
I said this over and over, but I couldn't show how it was true, because I had lost the understanding of what I'd done, somehow. I'd lost the knowledge of how it made sense.
I don't want to make it sound like I just rolled over, either. We worked on this hard for a long time, on two different days. We came to a conclusion about how most of the problems worked, but the conclusion was just stupid. It would sometimes require things to be multiplied backwards, in the direction that doesn't work for matrices. And it was just plain not sensible, even though it was workable in a lot of instances.
I was troubled. The night before my breakthrough, I felt that I thought about these problems all night while I slept. By morning, I had a new tack to try, and I hastened to the library to work it out.
By 90 or so minutes later, I was ready. I had figured out how to show that the book was consistent, correct, and sensible, and I was eager to demonstrate this to Ed. We had been stupid and missed a kind of obvious point. (For my fellow linear algebra students, I will state the central insight thusly: a transition matrix does not change a basis to another basis; it changes a vector stated in terms of one basis to the same vector in terms of a different basis.)
Hence my rushing up the stairs, declaration of myself as a genius, etc.
Ed was skeptical. We'd worked pretty hard and pretty clearly on this, after all.
"We're going to run this like a game," I said. "And games have rules, right?"
"Does this mean our relationship is a game?" he asked.
"Yes, but you knew that already."
"I guess you're right."
"OK," I said. "These are the rules. You can't go ahead of me, and you can't go sideways from me. You have to let me show you this. You can only interrupt me if you think I've done something wrong, or if you don't understand what I'm doing."
"No going forward, no going sideways. But I can go backwards? Got it."
We chatted a little more while he made some tea. He asked if I was going to be crushed if he didn't agree with me, once I had showed him my argument. I told him I'd only be crushed if I still thought I was right, but that I was confident we could come to an agreement either way. He was pretty sure I was going to turn out to be wrong.
I wasn't. In fact, once I gave him the central insight, the rest pretty much fell into place, though I went through my demo anyway. It was terrifically fun. Some of my algebra was wrong (for instance, in one place I divided each side of an equation by a vector, which is an undefined operation), but it led to the place we'd ended up the other day anyway, except that now that place didn't seem nonsensical. (The algebra worked in the other direction, just not in the way I'd derived it. What I provided was not in any way a proof, but I did show some relationship between our work the other day and the sensical way that the book was really working.)
Like I said. Brilliant math genius.
Let's back it up.
I'm not a math genius. I am pretty good at math, and getting better all the time. I also think that almost anyone can learn and enjoy math, and that most people who think they are "bad at math" just haven't had good experiences with it and thus haven't stuck to it. (This applies double to my mom, who loves formal logic and puzzles and therefore is obviously math-inclined despite apparently never having enjoyed math itself.)
But math can really kick you around. Unlike history or literature, where you have progressively increased knowledge leading to mastery and insights, math can make you feel really stupid when you don't get it. (I might not understand the causes of the Great Depression, but this makes me feel, at worst, ignorant. When I do know some history, I am unaware of my lack of insight about it. You don't have to have the proper insights to understand what others have written.) The flip side of feeling like an idiot when you don't understand math, though, is feeling like a genius when you do.
Last week, I had a section on transition matrices and change of basis. (I promise I won't talk about this in detail.) I did all of the homework pretty quickly by stumbling (by some insight I couldn't recreate until recently) onto a method that worked, but when I triumphantly showed it to Ed, he didn't like my method (he's not a fan of the augmented matrix; he prefers an algebraic approach).
When we sat down to figure out the actual algebra, we found the section of the book rather inscrutable. (I have since seen the completely clear presentation in his linear algebra book, so I have a basis for comparison. No pun intended.) What we found by deduction from what I'd done in my homework didn't seem to make any sense, and Ed didn't feel it was consistent with the book's text. He hypothesised (hypothesied? hypothesized?) that someone different had written the questions from whoever wrote the text, and that the two didn't match. He also found that the questions and answers were not themselves consistent.
"But I did them all the same way," I protested, "based on what I read. And my answers match the ones in the back."
I said this over and over, but I couldn't show how it was true, because I had lost the understanding of what I'd done, somehow. I'd lost the knowledge of how it made sense.
I don't want to make it sound like I just rolled over, either. We worked on this hard for a long time, on two different days. We came to a conclusion about how most of the problems worked, but the conclusion was just stupid. It would sometimes require things to be multiplied backwards, in the direction that doesn't work for matrices. And it was just plain not sensible, even though it was workable in a lot of instances.
I was troubled. The night before my breakthrough, I felt that I thought about these problems all night while I slept. By morning, I had a new tack to try, and I hastened to the library to work it out.
By 90 or so minutes later, I was ready. I had figured out how to show that the book was consistent, correct, and sensible, and I was eager to demonstrate this to Ed. We had been stupid and missed a kind of obvious point. (For my fellow linear algebra students, I will state the central insight thusly: a transition matrix does not change a basis to another basis; it changes a vector stated in terms of one basis to the same vector in terms of a different basis.)
Hence my rushing up the stairs, declaration of myself as a genius, etc.
Ed was skeptical. We'd worked pretty hard and pretty clearly on this, after all.
"We're going to run this like a game," I said. "And games have rules, right?"
"Does this mean our relationship is a game?" he asked.
"Yes, but you knew that already."
"I guess you're right."
"OK," I said. "These are the rules. You can't go ahead of me, and you can't go sideways from me. You have to let me show you this. You can only interrupt me if you think I've done something wrong, or if you don't understand what I'm doing."
"No going forward, no going sideways. But I can go backwards? Got it."
We chatted a little more while he made some tea. He asked if I was going to be crushed if he didn't agree with me, once I had showed him my argument. I told him I'd only be crushed if I still thought I was right, but that I was confident we could come to an agreement either way. He was pretty sure I was going to turn out to be wrong.
I wasn't. In fact, once I gave him the central insight, the rest pretty much fell into place, though I went through my demo anyway. It was terrifically fun. Some of my algebra was wrong (for instance, in one place I divided each side of an equation by a vector, which is an undefined operation), but it led to the place we'd ended up the other day anyway, except that now that place didn't seem nonsensical. (The algebra worked in the other direction, just not in the way I'd derived it. What I provided was not in any way a proof, but I did show some relationship between our work the other day and the sensical way that the book was really working.)
Like I said. Brilliant math genius.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Exercise Music
I usually listen to music when I exercise. I'll listen to almost anything, but some songs give me extra joy when my iPod plays them. There are even songs I've intentionally bought through iTunes just so I'd have them for exercising. My tastes run towards inspirational lyrics and cheesy 80s-ness. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite songs to hear while working out.
"Africa" by Toto
(I am now trying not to let the horror of that video destroy my enjoyment of the song.)
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
"Rain King" by The Counting Crows
NB: This is NOT the real video for this song, but it was the best YouTube version I found. Don't let the images inform your understanding of the music.
"Jeopardy" by the Greg Kihn Band
This song just has a fantastic beat that I can't get over.
"Lose Yourself" by Eminem
"Success is my only motherfucking option, failure's not."
"I Wish" by Skee-Lo
"First We Take Manhattan" by Leonard Cohen
See the video here. Note that this should also be known as the only Leonard Cohen song that it is even possible to exercise to.
There are others, but this is a good chunk.
"Africa" by Toto
(I am now trying not to let the horror of that video destroy my enjoyment of the song.)
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
"Rain King" by The Counting Crows
NB: This is NOT the real video for this song, but it was the best YouTube version I found. Don't let the images inform your understanding of the music.
"Jeopardy" by the Greg Kihn Band
This song just has a fantastic beat that I can't get over.
"Lose Yourself" by Eminem
"Success is my only motherfucking option, failure's not."
"I Wish" by Skee-Lo
"First We Take Manhattan" by Leonard Cohen
See the video here. Note that this should also be known as the only Leonard Cohen song that it is even possible to exercise to.
There are others, but this is a good chunk.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Dedicated Spaces
I am noticing a pattern - I really enjoy going somewhere specific to do something.
In the past week, I have visited my local library branch twice to work on my linear algebra homework, and both times, I was quite productive. The library just got remodeled, so it's pretty nice inside. (Unfortunately, the chairs are uncomfortable - as in, my feet don't reach the ground - but I was able to move one of the comfy sitting chairs to a table and use it instead.) There are computers there, but you have to reserve one if you want to surf the Internet, and there are no computers at the plain tables where I sit. There are virtually no distractions - just enough so that when I get bored, I can wander through the stacks for a few minutes to invigorate myself.
I am the same way about exercise. I have an annual pass to our local rec center, and going there to exercise is actually easier for me than exercising at home, or by walking around outside near my home. It's a dedicated place. It's a trip. I think I like going places to do things.
Last night, Ed and I went to Perkins (a 24-hour chain restaurant like Denny's or IHOP). We had dinner, and then pushed the plates and condiments to one side of the table while he joined me on the other. We spent the next hour or so hashing through some math that I didn't understand.
It was perfect. The flat, smooth plastic table was ideal. The restaurant was nearly empty, so I didn't feel we were stealing a table from our waitress. (I did overtip when we left.) Our drinks still got refilled. It was just much nicer than attempting the same thing at either of our homes.
I think my preferences in this respect may be the opposite of what most people want. It's not that I don't value being home. I just feel like I get more done, more easily, and with more fun, if I go to a dedicated space to work.
In the past week, I have visited my local library branch twice to work on my linear algebra homework, and both times, I was quite productive. The library just got remodeled, so it's pretty nice inside. (Unfortunately, the chairs are uncomfortable - as in, my feet don't reach the ground - but I was able to move one of the comfy sitting chairs to a table and use it instead.) There are computers there, but you have to reserve one if you want to surf the Internet, and there are no computers at the plain tables where I sit. There are virtually no distractions - just enough so that when I get bored, I can wander through the stacks for a few minutes to invigorate myself.
I am the same way about exercise. I have an annual pass to our local rec center, and going there to exercise is actually easier for me than exercising at home, or by walking around outside near my home. It's a dedicated place. It's a trip. I think I like going places to do things.
Last night, Ed and I went to Perkins (a 24-hour chain restaurant like Denny's or IHOP). We had dinner, and then pushed the plates and condiments to one side of the table while he joined me on the other. We spent the next hour or so hashing through some math that I didn't understand.
It was perfect. The flat, smooth plastic table was ideal. The restaurant was nearly empty, so I didn't feel we were stealing a table from our waitress. (I did overtip when we left.) Our drinks still got refilled. It was just much nicer than attempting the same thing at either of our homes.
I think my preferences in this respect may be the opposite of what most people want. It's not that I don't value being home. I just feel like I get more done, more easily, and with more fun, if I go to a dedicated space to work.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Movies Update
All right, I have added my fourth and (no doubt) final quote to #10, my one remaining unidentified movie. Now go solve the puzzle, please.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Not Tired
Well, OK, right now I am tired, but that's to be expected - after a three-day weekend, I had to get up at 6:15 this morning. The day should be fine, except that I also have class tonight until 9 PM. I might die.
But in general, the three-day weekend really let me catch up on rest, so that I got to a point of not being tired for the first time in about four weeks since school started. It was nice. Last night I even got bored, a sensation so unfamiliar that it took me a little while to identify it. I also did seven loads of laundry.
I spent much of the weekend with Ed - so much, in fact, that I think we kind of got sick of each other. I know I got irritable a lot, which is kind of the bane of my existence as a person. But mostly it was good. I even made food that he willingly ate.
Wednesday night, we had Valentine's Day. He was working furiously on his thesis (for which his defense is March 21 - exciting!), so we just ate dinner at a nearby place before going to my apartment for a while. I love that guy.
I had no linear algebra homework to fall behind on this weekend, but I did utterly fail to accomplish anything for sweprac, which is getting critical. Ouch.
But in general, the three-day weekend really let me catch up on rest, so that I got to a point of not being tired for the first time in about four weeks since school started. It was nice. Last night I even got bored, a sensation so unfamiliar that it took me a little while to identify it. I also did seven loads of laundry.
I spent much of the weekend with Ed - so much, in fact, that I think we kind of got sick of each other. I know I got irritable a lot, which is kind of the bane of my existence as a person. But mostly it was good. I even made food that he willingly ate.
Wednesday night, we had Valentine's Day. He was working furiously on his thesis (for which his defense is March 21 - exciting!), so we just ate dinner at a nearby place before going to my apartment for a while. I love that guy.
I had no linear algebra homework to fall behind on this weekend, but I did utterly fail to accomplish anything for sweprac, which is getting critical. Ouch.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Those New Grocery Bags
I'm not sure if they're everywhere yet, but here in Colorado, something new has shown up over the past few months: very cheap reusable grocery bags.
The bags are $1 each (or $5 or so for an insulated version, which might be useful if you shop far from home) and seem to be made of some kind of rigid, offensively synthetic cloth. They are shaped like brown paper bags, and have handles, so they are functionally equivalent to the paper bags at nice places like Whole Foods. The bottom has a plastic insert to help make it rigid.
As grocery bags, they kick the ass of canvas tote bags, are a substantial bit nicer than ordinary plastic grocery bags, and they are $1, folks. It's finally become easy, convenient, and cheap enough for me to start bringing my own bags to the store. (Considering I get a credit for bringing my own bags, they could conceivably even pay for themselves.)
Every store seems to have their own logo version.
I also have to admit, having cheap-ass, ugly $1 grocery bags emblazoned with the King Soopers logo (left) satisfies my tiny bit of anti-elitism: I like not looking like some yuppie who was willing to pay $12 for a damn grocery bag. When I carry them into Whole Foods, it will give me a funny little pleasure (although, to be fair, I am sure Whole Foods is also selling these).
The bags are $1 each (or $5 or so for an insulated version, which might be useful if you shop far from home) and seem to be made of some kind of rigid, offensively synthetic cloth. They are shaped like brown paper bags, and have handles, so they are functionally equivalent to the paper bags at nice places like Whole Foods. The bottom has a plastic insert to help make it rigid.
As grocery bags, they kick the ass of canvas tote bags, are a substantial bit nicer than ordinary plastic grocery bags, and they are $1, folks. It's finally become easy, convenient, and cheap enough for me to start bringing my own bags to the store. (Considering I get a credit for bringing my own bags, they could conceivably even pay for themselves.)
Every store seems to have their own logo version.
I also have to admit, having cheap-ass, ugly $1 grocery bags emblazoned with the King Soopers logo (left) satisfies my tiny bit of anti-elitism: I like not looking like some yuppie who was willing to pay $12 for a damn grocery bag. When I carry them into Whole Foods, it will give me a funny little pleasure (although, to be fair, I am sure Whole Foods is also selling these).
15 Movies Meme
(via Note of the Living Deb)
The rules:
1. Pick 15 movies you know/like/love.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search functions.
These are listed in the order I thought of them, which could help.
UPDATE: I have added additional quotes (not necessarily by the same character) to the unidentified entries.
1. In one way or another I've always suffered. I didn't know why exactly. But I do know that I'm not so scared of suffering now. I feel more than I've ever felt and I've found someone to feel with. To play with. To love in a way that feels right for me. I hope he knows that I can see that he suffers too. And that I want to love him.
One scoop of creamed potatoes. A slice of butter. Four peas. And as much ice cream as you'd like to eat. - Secretary, Mosch
2. Like I'd marry you! You'd be the meanest wife ever, okay? And I know that you weren't bored that day because there was a lot of stuff on TV, and then 'The Blair Witch Project' was coming on Starz and you were like 'I haven't seen this since it came out and if so we should watch it' and 'but oh, no, we should just make out instead la la la' - Juno, Cartaufalous
3. I just remembered something from a long time ago, I think it may help you. Once, when I was little, I dropped my shoe into a river. When I tried to get it back I fell in. I thought I'd drown but the water carried me to shore. It finally came back to me. The river's name was the Kahaku river. I think that was you, and your real name is Kahaku river. - Spirited Away, Ed
4. The lake goes around for miles. You, and your children, and your children's children, will dig for a hundred years, and you will never find it. - Holes, Debbie
5. You don't know how lucky you are being a monkey. Because consciousness is a terrible curse. I think. I feel. I suffer. And all I ask in return is the opportunity to do my work. And they won't allow it... because I raise issues.
Lots of things. That jewel thief movie, for example. He's very well respected. Anyway, the point is... this is a very odd thing. It's Supernatural, for lack of a better word. I mean, it raises all sorts of philosophical-type questions, you know... about the nature of self, about the existence of a soul. You know, am I me?
Have you ever had two people look at you, with complete lust and devotion, through the same pair of eyes? - Being John Malkovich, Robin
6. Ned, there is no such thing as adventure. There's no such thing as romance. There's only trouble and desire. - Simple Men, Cartaufalous
7. It's a philosophy. A poetics. A politics, if you will. A literature of protest. A novel of ideas. A pornographic magazine of truly comic book proportions. It is, in the end, whatever the hell I want it to be. And when I'm through with it it's going to blow a hole this wide straight through the world's own idea of itself. - Henry Fool, Cartaufalous
8. Don't mock me my friend. It's a condition of mental divergence. I find myself on the planet Ogo, part of an intellectual elite, preparing to subjugate the barbarian hordes on Pluto. But even though this is a totally convincing reality for me in every way, nevertheless Ogo is actually a construct of my psyche. I am mentally divergent, in that I am escaping certain unnamed realities that plague my life here. When I stop going there, I will be well. Are you also divergent, friend? - 12 Monkeys, Ed
9. I assure you, Mrs. Buttle, the Ministry is very scrupulous about following up and eradicating any error. If you have any complaints which you'd like to make, I'd be more than happy to send you the appropriate forms. - Brazil, rvman
10. Family entertainment? Bollocks. What they want is filth: people doing things to each other with chainsaws during tupperware parties, babysitters being stabbed with knitting needles by gay presidential candidates, vigilante groups strangling chickens, armed bands of theatre critics exterminating mutant goats. Where's the fun in pictures? Oh, well, there we are. Here's the theme music. Goodnight.
Shut up, you American. You Americans, all you do is talk, and talk, and say "let me tell you something" and "I just wanna say." Well, you're dead now, so shut up.
You see that house? That is where I was born. My mother said to me, "Garcon. The world is a beautiful place, and you must spread joy and contentment everywhere you go". And so I became a waiter... Well, I know it is not a great philosophy but...
Just remember that you're standing on a planet thats evolving
and revolving at nine-hundred miles an hour
it's orbiting at ninety miles a second
so it's reckoned
a sun that is the source of all our power
the sun and you and me
and all the stars that we can see
are moving at one million miles a day
in an outer spiral arm at forty-thousand miles an hour
of the galaxy we call the Milky Way
Our galaxy itself
contains a hundred billion stars
its a hundred thousand light years side to side
it bulges in the middle
sixteen-thousand light years thick
but out by us its just three-thousand light years wide
we're thirty-thousand light years from galatic central point
we go round every two-hundred-million years
and our galaxy is only one of millions of billions in this amazing and expanding universe - The Meaning of Life, Sally
11. How am I not myself?
I've thought about hacking you up with an axe Albert, and smashing your face in with a baseball bat. - I Heart Huckabees, Mosch
12. His destructive programming is taking effect. He will be irresistibly drawn to large cities, where he will back up sewers, reverse street signs, and steal everyone's left shoe. - Lilo & Stitch, Ed
13. Now, what is it that has four pairs of pants, lives in Philadelphia, and it never rains but it pours? - Duck Soup, Sally
14. Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'? - O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Sally
15. Nothing's more suspicious than frog's breath! - The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sally
Guess away!
The rules:
1. Pick 15 movies you know/like/love.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search functions.
These are listed in the order I thought of them, which could help.
UPDATE: I have added additional quotes (not necessarily by the same character) to the unidentified entries.
1. In one way or another I've always suffered. I didn't know why exactly. But I do know that I'm not so scared of suffering now. I feel more than I've ever felt and I've found someone to feel with. To play with. To love in a way that feels right for me. I hope he knows that I can see that he suffers too. And that I want to love him.
One scoop of creamed potatoes. A slice of butter. Four peas. And as much ice cream as you'd like to eat. - Secretary, Mosch
2. Like I'd marry you! You'd be the meanest wife ever, okay? And I know that you weren't bored that day because there was a lot of stuff on TV, and then 'The Blair Witch Project' was coming on Starz and you were like 'I haven't seen this since it came out and if so we should watch it' and 'but oh, no, we should just make out instead la la la' - Juno, Cartaufalous
3. I just remembered something from a long time ago, I think it may help you. Once, when I was little, I dropped my shoe into a river. When I tried to get it back I fell in. I thought I'd drown but the water carried me to shore. It finally came back to me. The river's name was the Kahaku river. I think that was you, and your real name is Kahaku river. - Spirited Away, Ed
4. The lake goes around for miles. You, and your children, and your children's children, will dig for a hundred years, and you will never find it. - Holes, Debbie
5. You don't know how lucky you are being a monkey. Because consciousness is a terrible curse. I think. I feel. I suffer. And all I ask in return is the opportunity to do my work. And they won't allow it... because I raise issues.
Lots of things. That jewel thief movie, for example. He's very well respected. Anyway, the point is... this is a very odd thing. It's Supernatural, for lack of a better word. I mean, it raises all sorts of philosophical-type questions, you know... about the nature of self, about the existence of a soul. You know, am I me?
Have you ever had two people look at you, with complete lust and devotion, through the same pair of eyes? - Being John Malkovich, Robin
6. Ned, there is no such thing as adventure. There's no such thing as romance. There's only trouble and desire. - Simple Men, Cartaufalous
7. It's a philosophy. A poetics. A politics, if you will. A literature of protest. A novel of ideas. A pornographic magazine of truly comic book proportions. It is, in the end, whatever the hell I want it to be. And when I'm through with it it's going to blow a hole this wide straight through the world's own idea of itself. - Henry Fool, Cartaufalous
8. Don't mock me my friend. It's a condition of mental divergence. I find myself on the planet Ogo, part of an intellectual elite, preparing to subjugate the barbarian hordes on Pluto. But even though this is a totally convincing reality for me in every way, nevertheless Ogo is actually a construct of my psyche. I am mentally divergent, in that I am escaping certain unnamed realities that plague my life here. When I stop going there, I will be well. Are you also divergent, friend? - 12 Monkeys, Ed
9. I assure you, Mrs. Buttle, the Ministry is very scrupulous about following up and eradicating any error. If you have any complaints which you'd like to make, I'd be more than happy to send you the appropriate forms. - Brazil, rvman
10. Family entertainment? Bollocks. What they want is filth: people doing things to each other with chainsaws during tupperware parties, babysitters being stabbed with knitting needles by gay presidential candidates, vigilante groups strangling chickens, armed bands of theatre critics exterminating mutant goats. Where's the fun in pictures? Oh, well, there we are. Here's the theme music. Goodnight.
Shut up, you American. You Americans, all you do is talk, and talk, and say "let me tell you something" and "I just wanna say." Well, you're dead now, so shut up.
You see that house? That is where I was born. My mother said to me, "Garcon. The world is a beautiful place, and you must spread joy and contentment everywhere you go". And so I became a waiter... Well, I know it is not a great philosophy but...
Just remember that you're standing on a planet thats evolving
and revolving at nine-hundred miles an hour
it's orbiting at ninety miles a second
so it's reckoned
a sun that is the source of all our power
the sun and you and me
and all the stars that we can see
are moving at one million miles a day
in an outer spiral arm at forty-thousand miles an hour
of the galaxy we call the Milky Way
Our galaxy itself
contains a hundred billion stars
its a hundred thousand light years side to side
it bulges in the middle
sixteen-thousand light years thick
but out by us its just three-thousand light years wide
we're thirty-thousand light years from galatic central point
we go round every two-hundred-million years
and our galaxy is only one of millions of billions in this amazing and expanding universe - The Meaning of Life, Sally
11. How am I not myself?
I've thought about hacking you up with an axe Albert, and smashing your face in with a baseball bat. - I Heart Huckabees, Mosch
12. His destructive programming is taking effect. He will be irresistibly drawn to large cities, where he will back up sewers, reverse street signs, and steal everyone's left shoe. - Lilo & Stitch, Ed
13. Now, what is it that has four pairs of pants, lives in Philadelphia, and it never rains but it pours? - Duck Soup, Sally
14. Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'? - O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Sally
15. Nothing's more suspicious than frog's breath! - The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sally
Guess away!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
My Personality
I took a personality test based on five personality factors.
I'm an O59-C2-E53-A69-N32 Big Five!!
It was fun and didn't take long.
I'm an O59-C2-E53-A69-N32 Big Five!!
It was fun and didn't take long.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Electoral Compass
A note: I answered the questions in a way that would achieve the political outcome I wanted. For instance, when asked whether the federal government is responsible for providing people with a retirement outcome, my truthful answer is, "No, but I think it's a good idea," and thus I answered yes. In a simple quiz like this, I try not to let the framing of a question deter me from answering its intent. (However, sometimes that's impossible. The death penalty question asked whether I thought the death penalty dettered crime. Well, I'm against it, but I do think it deters crime. I answered truthfully.)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Juno
Mosch and I saw Juno last night - a movie about a smart, quirky teenager who gets pregnant. I thought it was pretty fabulous, with consistently smart dialogue, unexpected humor, and a lot of warmth.
At first, I was concerned that the main character (played by Ellen Page) was going to just be too much - too amazingly quirky and cool in a way that even the best high school kids aren't. Instead, I really bought into the character and fell in love with her almost immediately. And I loved Michael Cera here (similar to how I loved him in Superbad). All of the characters were great, actually.
There are times when you think the movie is going to take potshots at easy targets (yuppies, for instance) and...it doesn't quite, or it does so only gently.
Ultimately, the movie is very cool, but not too cool. It's clever but not in love with cleverness. It doesn't idolize coolness or cleverness above other qualities.
Go see this movie, or put it on your Netflix queue.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wrong But Not Ridiculous
In the car last night, Ed and I were discussing the blog I Blame the Patriarchy by Twisty Faster. It is a favorite read of mine even though my style of feminism is pretty far away from Twisty's in many ways. For Ed, the blog goes wrong in many ways, and he appreciates it less than I do.
Twisty could be reasonably accused of holding that all heterosexual sex is rape, a position that strikes most people as ridiculous. It's an idea that is often used as a straw man. But we were talking about this last night and I wanted Ed to understand why I see this argument, like many on Twisty's blog, as wrong but not ridiculous. (I can't find an instance of Twisty actually arguing that all heterosexual sex is rape, and she may not actually espouse that position, but it doesn't actually matter for the purposes of this post. You could read this delightful post about anal sex, or this one proposing a legal solution to rape to get a general idea.)
I argued it to Ed this way. Is consensual sex possible between a slave and a slave owner? Even if the slave wants it? You might answer yes, but surely you can see how it's possible to answer no.
Consent is really a continuum, from the enthusiastic and informed "yes" of free, sober persons, to actual forced sex. At some point, we draw a line and say, "This isn't consensual enough." I think sex with a willing but drunk lover is fine, but sex between a teacher and a horny 16-year-old is not consensual enough for me.
So, slaves and masters: consensual enough or not?
Assuming you can see this point, it's not such a stretch to say that insofar as women are subordinate to men in a culture, sex between the two is less consensual than sex between free people. If you don't think there's real consensual sex between masters and slaves, do you think there is consensual sex between husbands and wives in Saudi Arabia? What about 1940's America?
What about present-day America?
For me, the question about present-day America is easily answered: sex between willing adults is plenty consensual for me these days. It's not really a close thing for me at all. But Saudi Arabia is.
That's why I think the position (which may or may not only be held by strawfeminists in any case) is wrong but not ridiculous.
Twisty could be reasonably accused of holding that all heterosexual sex is rape, a position that strikes most people as ridiculous. It's an idea that is often used as a straw man. But we were talking about this last night and I wanted Ed to understand why I see this argument, like many on Twisty's blog, as wrong but not ridiculous. (I can't find an instance of Twisty actually arguing that all heterosexual sex is rape, and she may not actually espouse that position, but it doesn't actually matter for the purposes of this post. You could read this delightful post about anal sex, or this one proposing a legal solution to rape to get a general idea.)
I argued it to Ed this way. Is consensual sex possible between a slave and a slave owner? Even if the slave wants it? You might answer yes, but surely you can see how it's possible to answer no.
Consent is really a continuum, from the enthusiastic and informed "yes" of free, sober persons, to actual forced sex. At some point, we draw a line and say, "This isn't consensual enough." I think sex with a willing but drunk lover is fine, but sex between a teacher and a horny 16-year-old is not consensual enough for me.
So, slaves and masters: consensual enough or not?
Assuming you can see this point, it's not such a stretch to say that insofar as women are subordinate to men in a culture, sex between the two is less consensual than sex between free people. If you don't think there's real consensual sex between masters and slaves, do you think there is consensual sex between husbands and wives in Saudi Arabia? What about 1940's America?
What about present-day America?
For me, the question about present-day America is easily answered: sex between willing adults is plenty consensual for me these days. It's not really a close thing for me at all. But Saudi Arabia is.
That's why I think the position (which may or may not only be held by strawfeminists in any case) is wrong but not ridiculous.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Looking Forward to "Sweprac"
Next semester, I am taking my Senior Experience course, which is Software Engineering Practices (aka "sweprac"). It's the big project class. Last semester, I took Software Engineering Principles, which is where you (theoretically) learn about the things you're supposed to do in sweprac.
I kind of am and am not looking forward to the course. I've historically hated group projects, like most people, and project management seems like a kind of horrible thing.
At the same time, not only is it with a professor I like, but I really did enjoy the first half, even the (bad) group project that we did. I love doing software design in a group. I love working in a code repository with other people. I like writing requirements. I basically like just about everything about it.
I think my reluctance towards the class is more a sort of slight intimidation than it is about not enjoying what we'll have to do.
I did email the professor lately, to see how his current Principles class (which will be the feeder for my sweprac class) is going:
and he wrote back
You'll no doubt be hearing (reading) a lot about this next semester, so be prepared!
I kind of am and am not looking forward to the course. I've historically hated group projects, like most people, and project management seems like a kind of horrible thing.
At the same time, not only is it with a professor I like, but I really did enjoy the first half, even the (bad) group project that we did. I love doing software design in a group. I love working in a code repository with other people. I like writing requirements. I basically like just about everything about it.
I think my reluctance towards the class is more a sort of slight intimidation than it is about not enjoying what we'll have to do.
I did email the professor lately, to see how his current Principles class (which will be the feeder for my sweprac class) is going:
So...is most your sweprin class going to pass? Are there any women in that class?
I'm just curious who I might see in sweprac next semester. Should I be afraid or very afraid? :)
and he wrote back
Most of the class should pass. No women. Some good students. Issues are (as expected) with respect to working as a "team", but awareness definitely raised during this semester. Should be interesting. :)
You'll no doubt be hearing (reading) a lot about this next semester, so be prepared!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Fuck you, Land's End
I was at Land's End's web site today, messing around looking at some coats they have. There's a button for "try it on" somewhere, and it took me to a site that appears to be run by "My Virtual Model" where you can set up a whole model of yourself to try clothes on with.
When I put in my actual height and weight, I got this message
I am fat, but not some freakishly sized person that it would be difficult to build a model for. So fuck you, Land's End, and My Virtual Model too if they are a different entity, for wasting my time so you could essentially insult me at the end of it.
I think it's really stupid to release this product with these limitations.
When I put in my actual height and weight, I got this message
We're sorry.
You cannot create a model with the height and weight combination you have entered. You may be able to create a model close to your size by adjusting one or both of these measurements.
Or, click "Cancel" to use our generic model.
I am fat, but not some freakishly sized person that it would be difficult to build a model for. So fuck you, Land's End, and My Virtual Model too if they are a different entity, for wasting my time so you could essentially insult me at the end of it.
I think it's really stupid to release this product with these limitations.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Presidential Candidates
A coworker sent me to Glassbooth, one of no doubt numerous sites that helps you choose between presidential candidates. I enjoyed this one because it includes the step where you indicate what your actual priorities are.
It's helpful to distinguish between different meanings of "priorities." I think the Iraq War is really important, but it's not something I'm likely to distinguish very much between candidates on. What I want the next president to do is to see what the actual situation is and respond appropriately. I care that their general attitude is not "we can solve our problems only by attacking everyone" (hello, Giuliani), and I don't think immediately withdrawing all of our troops is sensible (or even possible), but this is an issue where I'd be judging between candidates based on their credibility rather than their stated positions.
Civil liberties and domestic security, on the other hand, is a real issue of concern for me right now.
At any rate, these were my results, from best to worst.
It's interesting that all of the Dems fell within a 10-point range for me, there is then a 10-point gap between them and Republicans, and then the Republicans cover a 20-point range of their own.
I didn't totally follow my own advice about priorities, or at least it wasn't possible to in all cases. One of my disagreements with Obama was on gay marriage, but IMO there are only two viable political positions for a presidential candidate: I'm against it, or I'm against it but civil unions are a good idea. I don't hold it against Obama that he takes the civil unions position. I think his stance on gay rights is actually peachy.
My breakdown on Obama is as follows:
All of these types of quizzes have major limitations, of course. I think the 10-point gap between Obama and Clinton, and the fact that Kucinich came up higher than Clinton, makes me look a bit more liberal than I really am. I disagree with Obama on trade and economics more than this quiz thinks (because I think it only had one or two questions about it). And stated policy positions are only part of the picture.
It's helpful to distinguish between different meanings of "priorities." I think the Iraq War is really important, but it's not something I'm likely to distinguish very much between candidates on. What I want the next president to do is to see what the actual situation is and respond appropriately. I care that their general attitude is not "we can solve our problems only by attacking everyone" (hello, Giuliani), and I don't think immediately withdrawing all of our troops is sensible (or even possible), but this is an issue where I'd be judging between candidates based on their credibility rather than their stated positions.
Civil liberties and domestic security, on the other hand, is a real issue of concern for me right now.
At any rate, these were my results, from best to worst.
Bill Richardson 79%
Barrack Obama 78% [my actual top choice]
Christopher Dodd 77%
Mike Gravel 74%
John Edwards 72%
Dennis Kucinich 72%
Joe Biden 72%
Hillary Clinton 69% [my actual 2nd choice]Ron Paul 59%
John McCain 59%
Mike Huckabee 54%
Fred Thompson 54%
Rudy Giuliani 52% [my very least favorite candidate]
Mitt Romney 49%
Duncan Hunter 43% [who?]
Tom Tancredo 39% [I HATE this guy]
It's interesting that all of the Dems fell within a 10-point range for me, there is then a 10-point gap between them and Republicans, and then the Republicans cover a 20-point range of their own.
I didn't totally follow my own advice about priorities, or at least it wasn't possible to in all cases. One of my disagreements with Obama was on gay marriage, but IMO there are only two viable political positions for a presidential candidate: I'm against it, or I'm against it but civil unions are a good idea. I don't hold it against Obama that he takes the civil unions position. I think his stance on gay rights is actually peachy.
My breakdown on Obama is as follows:
Abortion: 100%
Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy: 100%
Environment and Energy: 100%
Health Care: 100%
Civil Liberties and Domestic Security: 88%
Trade and Economics: 75% [I’m less protectionist]
Immigration: 75%
Taxes and Budget: 75%
Iraq and Foreign Policy: 50%
Social Security: 50%
Gay Rights: 25% [I am in favor of gay marriage]
All of these types of quizzes have major limitations, of course. I think the 10-point gap between Obama and Clinton, and the fact that Kucinich came up higher than Clinton, makes me look a bit more liberal than I really am. I disagree with Obama on trade and economics more than this quiz thinks (because I think it only had one or two questions about it). And stated policy positions are only part of the picture.
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