<UPDATE>
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SNOW DAY #2!!!– 2/14/2007 – All Wednesday Classes CancelledFebruary 13, 2007All Wednesday (Feb. 14) classes at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Only personnel providing critical services should continue to report for each work
shift until further notice. Employees uncertain about their status should direct any questions to their supervisors. |
Okay, so I have two CS assignments to finish, so I’ll make this quick.
For those that asked, the song that was on previous is called “Interlude” by a guy who goes by SVC. He originally meant for it to be in an independent film, but that didn’t work out—so he’s selling the song online. I found it on the background of the Global Orgasm initiative website. Don’t ask, just read.
That said, it’s scary how quickly life can change—or at least, the future of a whole semester. I suppose it’s no secret anymore; Cathy broke her leg, and amidst other complications, having missed three weeks of school, has elected to withdraw for the term. It’s scary how a single slip can change the course of an entire year. Then again, many unexpected life events are like that… life/death even; we’re like fragile flickering flames in a vast windy uncaring universe. Sometimes we live so vigorously, that we forget that that something so small, a lapse in judgment, a mistake, a minor slipup, can… well, do quite a lot of harm.
Quite a paradox; somehow it seems like a grave injustice given the infinite meaning our lives hold.
Or simply a fact of existence. I sat in at an actuarial class today (to enrich my education? 
Okay fine, my main reason for being there was to finish my ECE 329 homework), and for that moment, saw that life and death… really are just statistics. Whether it’s the likelihood of death between insurance periods (0.02 for those in a certain coverage group), for some people, it’s part of their jobs to determine how high the death benefit needs to be to generate the most profits. Also, a fact of life, but still, a little morbid, don’t you think?
But alas, it’s all economics, and of course, I have nothing against actuaries—it’s still work that benefits our society.
What does all this mean? If this is life, then where to all the other infinite-valued concepts, like time or love, fit in? I don’t get why I’m having such a hard time reconciling this reality now, I’ve never had a problem with it before. Why am I suddenly acting like a disillusioned idealist?
Well, I think I’ve spent enough time thinking in terms of numbers, I have to get this sucker to spin around a mesh at a variable radius, while also getting an auto-centering camera to move in spherical coordinates according to user input.
Bunny! 
See ya, and stay safe! Don’t become a statistic!
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I haven’t been this excited to return to school since freshman year. Not that I’m particularly looking forward to this grueling semester of 6 classes and 20 hours, but I think some productivity would be nice. Mleh, what am I saying, I AM looking forward to this semester! Taking two classes that I’ve been wanting to take for years, CS 440 (Intro to Artificial Intelligence) and ECE 410 (Digital Signal Processing I), I’ve got research work involving human-machine interface, and I am absolutely going to gain 15 lbs this semester!
Xanga seems to be falling out of favor these days; maybe people are flocking to Facebook notes instead. I’d be sad to give up this writing venue after over three years of nearly consistent journaling. but, times do change, and we must change with them, so whatever. We’ll see how much life Xanga has left.
School’s been quite lively. The first two weeks have been manageable. My course load for the semester: a nice 20 hours, but from the looks of it, it might be the first time I actually keep my overload. Besides, right now, my schedule looks like a nice heart:
Quite the symmetry!
New for this semester: I’ve gotten some shades and a pair of Motorola wireless headphones (HT820 – the ones that create a striking resemblance to Princess Leia)!
At $80, some doubt it’s value, but I think it’s a pretty good deal. I’ve seen these sell for $140.
I’ve gotten mixed responses, (Flam for one compliments me and says I am a nerd), and a few others. But ya know what? It’s
the best way to listen to music on the go, while still being able to make and answer calls. And they also function as high-tech earmuffs.
Eh? Eh? Yeah, ok, stop laughing.
Yeah, I meant to write more… but, I’m hungry, so that’s all for now! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY today to Karen Wong, and Jen Kolar!
P.S. Pizza Hut delivery in Urbana sucks. I just ordered a pizza online, and the estimated delivery time is 75 minutes. Seventy-five minutes—as in, I ordered this at 6:50, and it’s not supposed to get here till 8:05. Is delivery not for those who are starving and yet too entirely weakened to get up and make food? Meanwhile, I am reduced to continuing a Xanga entry…
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