| 009: bye, bye, miss american pi |
[Mar. 15th, 2009|12:26 am] |
The history of π is an illustrious one, to be sure. It begins almost 4,000 years ago, with the likes of the Babylonian and Egyptian geometers, and continues to the piphilologists of today. I myself can only claim to know the first twenty or so digits, but it is rather fascinating, the lengths some go to remember, and the tricks they use to do so. For example: "How I want a drink, alcoholic of course, after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics!" etc.
Nevertheless, the history of π includes such illustrious figures as Archimedes and Isaac Newton himself, who in fact used infinitesimal calculus to develop his own series and calculated the constant to what he admitted were embarrassing digits. I believe he claimed he had no other business to which he might have attended at the time, though I remain under the impression that he had been lonely. π even warrants a mention in the Bible, specifically 1 Kings 7:23. Of all the sources of its age, the Bible was likely the least accurate about the value of π, approximating it as 3, as in the following quotation: "And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other... and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about."
In any event, though its precise calculation took thousands of years, π is a simple concept, one that many cover in the early years of elementary school. C = 2πr; we all learn it. People of all levels of experience with math may bond over it, due to their shared understanding. The same should be true for other things. |
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| 008: sing it like it's going to be your last day |
[Mar. 12th, 2009|10:08 pm] |
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It just dawned on me that my parents will be here roughly in time for my birthday. |
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| 007: the times, they are a-changin' |
[Mar. 9th, 2009|12:27 pm] |
There are 86 days remaining on the final deadline for the court decision on Proposition 8, down from 90 on Thursday, although I don't imagine it will take quite so long. Nevertheless, the entire process has been rather lengthy and convoluted, and at times I've felt as though I had said everything I had to say on the matter. However, the circumstances continue to change.
Initially, the chances that Prop 8 might be overturned seemed good -- after all, our state Supreme Court passed gay marriage in the first place. Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black's successes at the Academy Awards only seemed to add to the pro-civil rights sentiment. Unfortunately, reports of the court sessions themselves leave the "No on 8" side looking tentative at best. I'm not sure what to make of it, all things considered.
Honest and truly, I'd rather this entire mess went away.
In other news, is anyone willing to donate a blood sample? I won't need more than 5-10 mL. |
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| 006: you will find me in the matinee, the dark of the matinee |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|01:13 am] |
I suppose, if we're being honest, "The Mad Scene" actually has next to nothing to do with the actual act of doing laundry. Nevertheless, thanks again for helping with the machines, Ira.
In other news, I've finally looked up details on the Watchmen movie, and I must admit my continued disappointment and pessimism in regards to the title. While the ad campaign was clever and visuals look impressive, I find myself having doubts. Certainly, the descriptor "visionary" does not seem to apply to Zack Snyder, whose only prior credits of note are 300 and the Dawn of the Dead remake. As relevant to pop culture as these may have been, I would be loath to say they signify the scope of vision required for a -- well, a visionary. He could surprise, I suppose. Stranger things have happened in the world of film.
Still, I stand by my assertion that Watchmen is a fascinating take on a world largely without superpowers, especially from the perspective of one who has grown up in Neopolis. Although vigilantes and certainly supernatural beings existed before then, the idea of masked vigilantism is something that seemed to come to prominence around WWII-era. The idea that similar events may have unfolded even without such a catalyst -- it's a subject worth pondering, to say the least.
But I digress. Molly, who else is for sure going to see the midnight showing? And, if it's not too much trouble, do you know which movie theater chain we'll be going to? |
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| 005: après moi, le déluge |
[Mar. 2nd, 2009|05:01 pm] |
Again last night I dreamed the dream called Laundry.
In it, the sheets and towels of a life we were going to share,
The milk-stiff bibs, the shroud, each rag to be ever
Trampled or soiled, bled on or groped for blindly,
Came swooning out of an enormous willow hamper
Onto moon-marbly boards. We had just met. I watched
From outer darkness. I had dressed myself in clothes
Of a new fiber that never stains or wrinkles, never
Wears thin. The opera house sparkled with tiers
And tiers of eyes, like mine enlarged by belladonna,
Trained inward. There I saw the cloud-clot, gust by gust,
Form, and the lightning bite, and the roan mane unloosen.
Fingers were running in panic over the flute’s nine gates.
Why did I flinch? I loved you. And in the downpour laughed
To have us wrung white, gnarled together, one
Topmost mordent of wisteria,
As the lean tree burst into grief.-- James Merrill, "The Mad Scene" In other words, the vending machines aren't the only problem machinery in the science dorms. Does anyone know where the Janitor is? The whole laundry room is flooded. |
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| 004: i watch the tv, forget what i'm told |
[Feb. 17th, 2009|02:09 am] |
This is an idea that I mentioned to Annie a few days ago, and I thought it best I put it into practice.
Say you, by some miracle, find yourself with nothing to do one evening. Say you've had a strange urge to watch a certain movie, documentary, or television show, but you'd rather watch it on our luxurious television than on your tiny laptop screen. Say you don't download illegally (you're a liar or in denial). Say you're too impatient to wait for Netflix. Say you don't want to pay for Netflix.
This is a list that should be able to help with all of that. I've compiled a list of all the DVDs I've brought with me to school, and I'm willing to lend them out, provided they're handled with respect and returned quickly. If any of you are similarly willing to lend out your own DVDs, I encourage you to comment here, and I will edit you into this list. I'm planning on organizing alphabetically by title, with the exception of movie series, which will be posted in order. Repeats of movies are completely acceptable. For organizational purposes, please include your name and room number.
For convenience's sake, I've split this list into two parts: movies and documentaries, and television shows. This is mainly because television shows require an extra column to denote seasons available.
ETA: In other words, this is a list of movies available for borrowing. Your titles, give me them.
( Movies )
( TV Shows ) |
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| 003: i can see clearly now the rain is gone |
[Feb. 13th, 2009|02:17 am] |
I would like to point out that, although you may find me once more bespectacled, this does not necessarily mean that I found my glasses. As a matter of fact, this is a spare pair I had sent from home. The originals are as missing as ever they were, and if anyone happens to stumble upon them, I would still very much appreciate if they were returned to me.
I'm sure you all found that absolutely enthralling. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. |
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| 002: and when i find myself alone, i feel like i am blind |
[Feb. 7th, 2009|02:27 pm] |
Naturally, I come to school and the one thing I forget is a spare pair of glasses. I really ought to call home for some, as it hasn't even been a week yet, and I've already lost the main pair. Simon? Have you seen them lying about the room anywhere? I thought I left them on my desk last night, but I woke up this morning, and, lo and behold, they were nowhere to be found.
Just so you're all aware of how blind I am, I'm holding this thing about three inches away from my nose as I type. Fortunately, I believe my timing has allowed for minimum inconvenience -- I can't imagine the result, should my glasses have decided to go on vacation during the school week. I doubt I'd be able to function. However, the fact that I don't have any immediate, pressing concerns about seeing blackboards and the like doesn't make it any less troublesome that the world is a giant, multicolored blur.
Just how pathetic would it be if my glasses were sitting around in plain sight, and I had no idea?
On second thought, don't answer that. |
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| 001: oh, the city rain, it floods the city streets |
[Feb. 2nd, 2009|02:42 am] |
I forgot that the main entrance to Disneyland was called "Main Street, U.S.A." I don't know how I could have; I went to Euro Disney with my parents when we were on vacation in France, and I remember my initial shock at seeing the "Main Street, U.S.A." sign in the middle of Europe. I shouldn't have been shocked, though, considering how much like America the rest of the park turned out to be. It makes more sense to have it in Anaheim, but I wonder: do the shops have their addresses listed on a Main Street?
I wish I'd remembered "Main Street, U.S.A." during the elections when the politicians were talking about taking business away from Wall Street and putting it on Main Street. A different Main Street, most likely, but what the hell.
Speaking of hell, the area by the sign in Mr. Toad's ride labeled "Nowhere In Particular" looks quite like it, fire and brimstone and everything. I can't believe I never noticed that before, but it fits right into Disney's sanitization of just about everything for children. Even when Disney pushes the envelope, as it does with Pirates of the Caribbean, it falls far short.
That causes me to wonder: if Disney is making movies of all the rides that weren't movies to begin with, where will they stop? I can't imagine a Monorail movie being any more exciting than the ride itself. If you can even call that a ride. |
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