• • Trucksess.com • •

Journal 2000-01

Current entries

2000-01-31, Mon (Day 131, temperature at 08:14: 21.4°C, difference: +0.6°C, RC5-64 rank: 47,358, rank change: +148, total blocks tested: 35,754, overall rate: 731 KKeys/sec, rate change: +1 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 104,620, odds change: -3,391): I dreamed that I came in late to E6, only the room was one that I haven’t been in before, which I’m calling the hypothetical Ridley Middle School. For the 08:30 class, I walked in at 08:40 and Faruq didn’t even want to hear why I was late at first, then I later on explained that the snow was causing problems. Overnight it snowed a couple of inches and there also was freezing rain and sleet. I wasn’t late to E6 today but Faruq came in slightly after 08:40, which I mentioned to some classmates beforehand.

At night, I finished my Physics 4 problem set and lab prep in Cornell.

2000-01-30, Sun (Day 130, temperature at 08:31: 20.8°C, difference: +0.4°C, RC5-64 rank: 47,506, rank change: +149, total blocks tested: 35,456, overall rate: 730 KKeys/sec, rate change: +2 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 108,011, odds change: -9,921): I spent up to 11 hours in McCabe today trying to get engin problems done which I did after hours of sleep, thought, and work, but I’m not sure if they are correct. I also read Beowulf for English on Tuesday. At dinner, Kiyo, Bull, and I went before Student Budget Committee to request a budget for the HEV. I was kind of spaced out then since I found out about the meeting when I encountered Kiyo in the food court area.

2000-01-29, Sat (Day 129, temperature at 09:36: 20.4°C, difference: +0.1°C, RC5-64 rank: 47,655, rank change: +165, total blocks tested: 35,156, overall rate: 728 KKeys/sec, rate change: +1 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 117,932, odds change: -3,870): Today was a routine day until dinner. I did the wash, got one more book for English 5a (getting one book out of the four for each trip), and added links to The Phoenix Online. IEEE appliance day was today and I was busy so I didn’t go to it.

At dinner, I get in line. Dave is in front of me and I start talking to him. When I go to find a seat, I could have sat alone in the smaller room, but instead I go around, ending in the big room. I pass by Dave again and I sit with his group. I met Mark who lives in Willets and soon after Kiyo sits down.

Dave invited me back to Willets (I didn’t get stuck fortunately, even though I did have to find my way out) to work on the E6 problems due Monday. We did the problems in Mark and Christian’s room. Alyssa joined us as well. The music was the Dave Matthews CD “Before These Crowded Streets.” About the problems, since I didn’t even have a watch on me let alone my E6 stuff, I didn’t get much out of the problems, but at least I have a topical understanding of them now.

I arrived at the movie “Life is Beautiful” (La vita é bella) seconds before it started. This movie was different than what I expected in that it involved interment camps in World War II.

2000-01-28, Fri (Day 128, temperature at 08:16: 20.3°C, difference: -0.5°C, RC5-64 rank: 47,820, rank change: +163, total blocks tested: 34,857, overall rate: 727 KKeys/sec, rate change: +2 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 121,802, odds change: +11,807): Today was not a good day as in the good builds of the past two weeks suddenly have balanced out in one crappy day. Over the past few days I have been getting enough sleep (which actually is a little less than eight hours) meaning that I have been getting up before my alarm so I’m waiting for it to go off when it’s 07:00.

Today I had this dream where I was outside Hicks near the basement front and I realized about how I missed two meeting times and that I didn’t have my SAM’s phone number. When I realized all of this I said “shit” and everyone nearby looked at me, as I believe I have never cursed in a dream before. I went upstairs to the mural room that was brightly lit and had this wall of windows looking down below to this brightly-lit lobby where the parking lot should be. Prof. Siddiqui was talking to a few students in that room.

I was thinking about my dream as I went for my walk and it turned out that it actually did come true later today. Before that, Seth was out of town today so Michael Brown took his place for Physics 4. I was working on my E6 problems in the time gaps between E6 and physics as well as physics and lunch. It was harder to solve the problems so that task started to fall behind. I was so focused on the problems that I forgot about the HEV meeting at 11:30, which wasn’t too big of a deal, but I also forgot the meeting with my SAM and I realized it at 14:05 in Hicks mural room, which is exactly what happened in my dream. I also cursed the same expletive that I did in my dream. I didn’t have a difficult time finding my SAM’s phone number in my planner but it’s a good thing I don’t erase things completely.

I was very nervous the rest of the day. I also met Melanie from Haverford officially, who was also in my dream from before. I didn’t finish the E6 problems on time so I just turned in what I had. The IEEE was setting up for Appliance Day tomorrow. I went to dinner right after that and then I took an afternoon nap before “Three Kings,” which was about humanitarian efforts after the Gulf War ended.

2000-01-27, Thu (Day 127, temperature at 08:16: 20.8°C, difference: 0.0°C, RC5-64 rank: 47,983, rank change: +197, total blocks tested: 34,557, overall rate: 725 KKeys/sec, rate change: +2 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 109,995, odds change: -10,839): Once again this entry is being entered well into the next day although it’s before 22:00. I worked on The Phoenix Online for about eight hours in the afternoon and early evening. This time, instead of doing two back-to-back passes I did one that included local testing and images. I plan to do my E6 problems tomorrow during the gaps of time I have.

2000-01-26, Wed (Day 126, temperature at 08:14: 20.8°C, difference: -0.3°C, RC5-64 rank: 48,180, rank change: +153, total blocks tested: 34,229, overall rate: 723 KKeys/sec, rate change: +1 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 120,834, odds change: -457): I’m writing this entry at 23:00 on Thursday night so it’s going to be really vague since I remember what happened tomorrow because it happened today.

Physics lab was a workshop that was directed by the instructor, Prue Schran. It ended about an hour early, so that gave me time to finish my work around 22:00 that is due tomorrow.

2000-01-25, Tue (Day 125, temperature at 08:32: 21.1°C, difference: +0.3°C, RC5-64 rank: 48,333, rank change: +158, total blocks tested: 33,929, overall rate: 722 KKeys/sec, rate change: +2 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 121,291, odds change: +70,748, lots of snow): I dreamed that I met this really beautiful woman, Melanie-Elizabeth or some other name that I kept asking her to repeat, but was continually forgetting. At the end of my dream, she was outside and got caught in this whirlpool of mud about a meter or two in diameter. She managed to swim to the outer ring of this maelstrom and pulled herself out.

I still went for my walk this morning even during the heavy snow. My footprints disappeared in less than an hour. Most classes were also held today.

I took a nap in the afternoon and started my linear algebra tonight and got about half of it done for Thursday.

2000-01-24, Mon (Day 124, temperature at 08:15: 20.8°C, difference: +0.2°C, RC5-64 rank: 48,491, rank change: +385, total blocks tested: 33,623, overall rate: 720 KKeys/sec, rate change: +3 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 50,543, odds change: -5,881): E6 lab today in Kohlberg 117 was scheduled from 13:30 to 16:00 but lasted from 13:15 to 16:15. It was about the lab done last week and a conceptual way to solve it with MATLAB.

I got back to Mertz feeling tired like I did last year. I went to McCabe tonight to do my Physics 4 problem set, but the problems are really theoretical and difficult to solve with equations. Kai stopped by to read his psych book.

2000-01-23, Sun (Day 123, temperature at 08:01: 20.6°C, difference: 0.0°C): I dreamed in was in the 300 level I believe of my high school. Professor Orthlieb was handing back lab worksheets and answered some questions. Then Orthlieb handed out mail; actually TV Guide subscriptions. My address was screwed up in that before my name was Y200 and the town-state-zip line was faded. I also noticed that the cover price was $2.95. I turned to my right and said to another classmate that I remembered when they were only $0.69 in 1992. He and I agreed that we were getting old. I checked the TV Guide web site today and the cover price right now is $1.79.

I didn’t go for my walk today since it is a Sunday.

Early this morning, I found out that the Mac version of the RC5 client was updated. They dumped the GUI and it now runs in a text window. This is to allow parity updating with the Win32 and other clients. Blocks are submitted more often, so I’ll be checking stats daily.

I discovered that I have been turning my refrigerator setting the wrong way since when I checked this morning the thermometer said 20°F (-6.7°C). My blueberry bagel was frozen so I had to thaw it out.

I worked on my E6 problem set due tomorrow in the late morning and afternoon. I also did the Physics 4 tape experiment that involved ripping pieces of Scotch tape off of a desk to see electrical charges.

My stats craving has now switched to The Phoenix Online and it is more enjoyable since the site gets about 50 visitors a day.

I met with Pat in Parrish Parlors tonight about the E6 weight confusion.

2000-01-22, Sat (Day 122, temperature at 07:41: 20.6°C, difference: -0.3°C, RC5-64 rank: 48,807, rank change: +427, total blocks tested: 33,000, overall rate: 717 KKeys/sec, rate change: +3 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 56,424, odds change: -39,491): Before 12:00, I went to the bookstore to get my books. The engin book that sold out this week was restocked but I was only able to get one book out of four for English 5a and it was the last one. I was told to check back on Monday. I met with my SAM at 12:00 and then went to lunch.

In the afternoon, I finished up The Phoenix Online including the testing phase. I started working on this week’s edition on Wednesday afternoon and it took four days to fully complete. I would like to reduce this to three days and move it over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I watched the South Park movie where the U.S. goes to war with Canada in LPAC at 19:30 with Kai. I was walking back to Mertz and I met Shari who was smart and walked on the side of the pathway. I fell down walking in front of Mertz and almost went into cardiac arrest since it almost happened in the wrong fraction of time.

There was lots of partying tonight in the dorm partly because Siobhan’s birthday party was tonight.

2000-01-21, Fri (Day 121, temperature at 07:26: 20.9°C, difference: +0.1°C): The HEV had their first meeting of the semester in Sharples at 07:30. I didn’t go for my walk; instead I just went to E6 very early since I’m counting my walk yesterday as what I would do today. I’m more flexible with this now.

After E6, I went to Cornell after a brief routine stop in Beardsley to figure out the problem that was discussed in class. Norense came a few minutes after I sat down and we figured it out. Physics was next and Seth was really organized today in that he gave a written topic list of what the topics of today’s lecture were going to be although we only got through the first half of the list.

I worked on the online edition of The Phoenix in the early afternoon and added a cover feature to it since the front cover of the print edition looks so nice. I went to Hofan’s speech about her teaching experience in China at 16:00. She showed some very beautiful slides of the natural environment along with the documentary that included her first week at Swat. They showed Sharples and one thing that the children from China said for the return food conveyer, “Is that the food that gets fed to the pigs?” When they were told it just gets thrown out, they considered it to be a waste.

I had a long dinner with Kai, Jeremy, David formerly from ML, and Kiyo. We talked and argued about various things and had a good time. I went to the first movie committee showing of the semester, which was “American Beauty.” I found this to be a very emotional movie that shows how things can just fall apart in otherwise ideal settings. I did manage to be in bed before 23:00 so I’m getting up at 07:00 tomorrow.

2000-01-20, Thu (Day 120, temperature at 08:15: 20.8°C, difference: +0.4°C, RC5-64 rank: 49,165, rank change: +200, total blocks tested: 32,385, overall rate: 714 KKeys/sec, rate change: +3 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 95,915, odds change: +38,305): I woke up today to lots of white stuff outside — it was snowing! I still went for my walk and it was so early of course not much was plowed, so the sight of everything in white just looked cool. The Phoenix came out early this morning and it looks cool also. Most of the class including me gave their identity speeches in English today; I talked about my Top Seven list and how it changed Ridley High School.

In the afternoon, I readied The Phoenix online edition for the server and it was up by 16:00. There are still some rough edges and I spent the rest of the day straightening some of them out. After I put the first version up, I went outside and took pictures of the snow and walked around campus. I also went into the woods and was awed by the sights of trees covered with snow.

The Phoenix staff meeting was tonight at 21:00 and a lunar eclipse was around 23:00, both of which I experienced.

2000-01-19, Wed (Day 119, temperature at 08:15: 20.4°C, difference: +0.4°C, RC5-64 rank: 49,365, rank change: +356, total blocks tested: 32,036, overall rate: 711 KKeys/sec, rate change: +2 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 57,610, odds change: +18,697): Upon waking up I remembered one part of my dream rather well; the other parts are present, but kind of vague. The part that stands out is I was in the Tinicum marsh area looking north and as I was taking a picture of my family, a plane that has a red stripe on it crashes into the marsh.

I was still a little angered that I didn’t buy that engin book but as I was walking back to Sharples after breakfast, there was a consolidated rainbow in the sky.

After classes in the morning and lunch I went to the publications office on Parrish 5th to work on the online edition of The Phoenix. I went to the Parrish basement bathroom first, which was redone nicely over the break. There was a fire drill while I was down there, so I went outside (in the sun of course since it was cold) until it was fine to go back in.

I worked on Opinions and then Living although even by 22:00, no section was really complete, but I put in seven hours out of an estimated ten so I guess I’m seventy percent complete.

2000-01-18, Tue (Day 118, temperature at 08:17: 20.0°C, difference: -1.1°C): The temperature was much lower today although it didn’t feel as cold even though the wind chill was also lower. Linear algebra or Math 16 seems interesting in an abstract sort of way. English 5a ended early today since the prof had a declining voice. We are to have identity speeches ready for Thursday. The math notes took awhile to type due to the notation and length. I went to McCabe for two hours in the early afternoon but soon dosed off. At 15:00, I went to the bookstore to buy the engin book but I got confused and walked out with nothing.

I took about a 90 minute nap in the late afternoon even though I awoke before my alarm this morning, meaning I should have been rested. After dinner I went to the student publications office and asked if any Phoenix sections were ready enough so I could use them for the online edition. Opinions would be done later tonight but not now.

2000-01-17, Mon (Day 117, temperature at 07:10: 21.1°C, difference: +0.5°C, RC5-64 rank: 49,670, rank change: +431, total blocks tested: 31,479, overall rate: 709 KKeys/sec, rate change: +3 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 38,913, odds change: -11,418, MLK day, first day of classes for 2000 spring semester): I had a dream that I was near to the area of the east entrance of the field house. An ice cream truck pulls up (I had an ice cream cone at Sharples last night) and the person in front of me gets something. The seller then leaves to go on the SEPTA tracks to do some work while the person still in the vehicle that is not permitted to sell simply tells me that. I leave and hear a band playing in the far southern background. It is Saturday night and a Strath Haven High School game is going on although I don’t know if they play on Saturday nights. I head up towards the PA 320 underpass and walk through there.

Today was almost a worse case scenario day in one sense, especially upon reflection. After Engin 6 and Phys 4 lectures I typed my notes at Beardsley but I show up “just in time” for the afternoon Engin 6 lab. Luke said I was late, and I responded “just a little bit.”

2000-01-16, Sun (Day 116, temperature at 08:13: 20.6°C, difference: +0.1°C): Upon getting up this morning the double seat couch in the quad was gone. I thought Ben and Sven took it into their room, but it turned out that someone else took it. I searched the hallways and it was not there. Just the couch was taken while other things were undisturbed. The couch was very heavy and to get it out of the quad it would had to been tilted sideways.

This morning I finished the stylesheet tutorial and in the afternoon I read the HTML 4.01 specification. The first Sharples dinner seemed familiar and unfamiliar. The lighting is really nice and also the table layout in the big room has changed to no more super long tables but instead a grid layout with twelve-seat tables in the middle. The tables also face a different direction probably for the sound tiles to work well.

There was a Phoenix staff meeting tonight at 19:30. After the meeting, I was able to convert the front page to pixel widths for the interim while the site is being redesigned thoroughly. All I need to do now is just convert a few more pages.

2000-01-15, Sat (Day 115, temperature at 08:18: 20.5°C, difference: -0.9°C, RC5-64 rank: 50,070, rank change: +332, total blocks tested: 30,922, overall rate: 706 KKeys/sec, rate change: +5 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 50,331, odds change: +10,136): Even though it was a Saturday I still got up at 07:00 and walked outside. I got back, had breakfast, and did the wash. In the afternoon, people started arriving as I was working on reading my e-mail. I came across a stylesheet tutorial that will be very helpful as I redesign The Phoenix Online.

Ida brought in Boston Market for dinner tonight and after that good meal, my impassioned redesign rants encouraged Kai to come back to my room so I could show him how IE 4.5 for the Mac totally draws The Phoenix front page wrong and why I need to redesign.

The quad seemed to gain most of the character back as hallmates returned. We played hearts and then another game.

2000-01-14, Fri (Day 114, temperature at 08:27: 21.4°C, difference: 0.0°C, RC5-64 rank: 50,402, rank change: +402, total blocks tested: 30,463, overall rate: 701 KKeys/sec, rate change: -128 KKeys/sec, odds of finding the key: 1 in 40,195, odds change: +9,444): It was really cold today, but I still went for my walk two hours later so that it would be warmer when I went outside. The January Workshop concluded today with a talk from the head of psych services and a discussion and feedback period about the workshop in general.

In the afternoon, I looked over the problems that I wrote down at the beginning of the workshop and wrote solutions with them. There was still dinner at the IC and tonight it was pizza from Carmen’s. There also was a lot of food that needed to be given away or thrown out. I ended up taking some Chinese food back as well as lots of brownies, cookies, and other desserts.

I finally cleaned the stuff on the floor into neat piles in less than an hour before I watched “Raising Arizona” at 20:00 in the second floor lounge. I actually did stop at 22:00 like I wanted to and I was in bed before 23:00. Since I finally got the right amount of sleep, I woke up seconds before my alarm was to go off tomorrow. That is such a good feeling.

2000-01-13, Thu (Day 113, temperature at 09:05: 21.4°C, difference: -0.5°C): After going for my walk and stopping at my room briefly, I went to Tarble for breakfast. It wasn’t as confusing as the first time I went. I got eggs, bacon, toast, a muffin, and a drink. The January Workshop today started in McCabe and we were in a computer lab to go over the library search materials on the network. Before lunch, Sarah gave a discussion about writing and in the afternoon Lynne Molter talked about science at Swat and potential engin majors stayed later to continue the discussion.

2000-01-12, Wed (Day 112, temperature at 08:52: 21.9°C, difference [from last year]: +0.1°C): This morning I started something new. I woke up, got dressed, walked past DuPont, up Whittier Place, and off campus. I passed by Woolman and continued walking up the street until it formed into a ‘T.’ The left branch going to Baltimore Pike gave a view of the Macy’s at Springfield Mall. I went right and then turned back on the next street that headed back to campus. I continued my walk back to Whittier Place and eventually got back to Mertz. This all took about 30 minutes.

The January Workshop meets in Kohlberg during the day. After introductions, Lisa from the Education department came in and talked about reading skills and then lunch was served (chicken or a veggie option). Dean Bob Gross talked about time management and Becca and Jenny, both SAMs, talked about how to read a syllabus.

Dinner in the IC was Chinese food and afterwards we watched “Pleasantville,” which was a move about conformity and just pure “swellness.”

Dad brought the Sanyo radio in at night and I set it up to play through my iMac Cozo speakers.

2000-01-11, Tue (Day 111): I arrived at Swat at about 13:30. I was told the January Workshop plans for tonight. I moved the furniture around in the room. I pushed my desk into the corner and brought out my bed and angled it so I can get to my closet. I also moved the printer to the wall counter and now I can get to my shelves more easily. I also found out that the triple light pole could have each light bend in a direction besides swiveling around so I moved the lamp and positioned the lights.

A wind event occurred in the late afternoon along with a rainbow.

It seems like orientation again with the amount of clutter in my room. Dinner was at 18:00 in the Intercultural Center (IC). There were different varieties of pizza and cookies. After dinner, I set up my computer again and figured out a way for the iMac to play the radio without using the network. I called Dad about this, so all I need now is a radio with a stereo headphone jack.


Journal 1999-12

Trucksess.com
Family
Maps
Photo Relator
Statistics
Swarthmore
  • Graphs
  • Journal
     • 1999-08
     • 1999-09
     • 1999-10
     • 1999-11
     • 1999-12
     • 2000-01
     • 2000-02
     • 2000-03
     • 2000-04
     • 2000-05
     • 2000-09
     • 2000-10
     • 2000-11
     • 2000-12
     • 2001-01
     • 2001-02
     • 2001-03
     • 2001-04
     • 2001-05
     • 2001-08
     • 2001-09
     • 2001-10
     • 2001-11
     • 2001-12
     • 2002-01
     • 2002-02
     • 2002-03
     • 2002-04
     • 2002-05
     • 2002-08
     • 2002-09
     • 2002-10
     • 2002-11
     • 2002-12
     • 2003-01
     • 2003-02
     • 2003-03
     • 2003-04
  • Schedule
Misc
Search
Show all pages

Go to top | Journal | Swarthmore | Front page

Front page | Family | Maps | Photo Relator | Statistics | Swarthmore | Misc | Search

Last modified: 2013-11-06, Wed, 17:29:03Z | First created: 2000-02-01
Page served: 2024-03-29, Fri, 07:31:01Z | Processing time: 0.08 seconds
URI: http://www.trucksess.com/swat/journal/2000-01.php