I must post this for the purpose that it is preserved in my blog forever

There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection is the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted.
-- Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior.

Now how true is that? Let this be a lesson... don't ever cut out the affection part. Once the affection is there, make sure it is there to stay.

-Unix fortune

E3 Goodness

I'm still hung up on Spore. I haven't bought too many games in the last couple years since I really got into playing my old GameCube games. But Spore, for the PC, is looking like it's going to be a pretty rux0r game. And I'm not really into the whole strategy thing, but I think I can slog through it to get to the interplanetary domination.

I think I gained a whole 15 pounds from the week I spent in Calgary eating the conference food. It suddenly expanded my gut, causing me to notice. My girlfriend notices as well.

Nintendo Revolution (the next step, after GameCube). WiFi. Library of vintage games for download (possibly for a small fee). Backward compatibility. That's what's got me tingling for the system. However, I'm going to try to hold out until the system is dropped in price and comes with accessories; yeah, probably a year after its release it'll finally drop in price, which would put it at 2 and a half years until I get my hands on the system. I bought my GameCube when it had just been released. It had a whole 4 or 5 games released when I'd bought it. The Cube, an extra controller, a memory card and game rang up at around $500 (Canadian). You can buy all that for $150 today.

Value gaming with Nintendo. I bought Harvest Moon: It's a Wonderful Life. I've burned throught he first week and a half of game time. I've picked two tomatoes from my crop. I've got 5 watermelons on the way and19 more tomatoes (21 after the two I picked grow back) on the way. One cow, a hen and a rooster (and my dog). I've begun wooing the ladies. The shy (easiest to woo) girl is the one I'm avoiding. I'm going for the hard-to-get Nomi. She's a red head. Need I say more? The game is quite fun. A days chores leaves me with enough time to dig for artifacts and fish a little bit. Definately worth the $19 I paid for it.

-System of a Down - B.Y.O.B. gonna have a good time

Fido the Zombie

The film crew is staying on campus, where I'm working over the summer. I missed the casting call, which was held on Saturday, because I was away in Calgary for a conference. I was really looking forward to trying my hand at playing a zombie. How cool would it be to play a zombie in a movie? Even if it is a 'family-comedy zombie film'. So my hope is that the film is shot here on campus and I can just kinda hang out when they are shooting film. Then they can say, "You! We need an extra. Sit down and eat this pudding."

War of the Worlds...
what can I say about that? I read the book (both books, actually). All ~140 pages of martian invasions. I then borrowed the 1950's movie from the campus library and I have to tell you that the modernity of the changing times really sucks. The story tells of an invasion of martians on 100 foot tall tripods with mounted heat-rays and a slight reference to a single martian flying machine. Keep in mind the story was written in the late 1800's. The 1950's movie tells the story of a martian invasion using flying ships that are near indestructable.

The martians in the book were not indestructable, the martians simply took out the earths defenses before they could be drawn upon the invaders. And the martians of the book were huge round bodies with big eyes and small face who were too weak to maneuver about in earths gravity. The old movie shows bipedal creatures with a single eye who have no problem running about in earths (comparably) strong gravity.

At least the endings compare... I won't spoil it for you because the 2005 Spielburg film is released in just over a month. You'll probably want to see how it ends for yourself. So I just have this to say about the new film. I've watched all the trailers and TV spots in both english and japanese versions and it looks good. I am, however, a bit skeptical of how Spielburg is handling the mobility of the alien invaders. I'd still like to see 100 foot tall tripod walking machines with mounted heat-rays. But I guess with the ever-changing technology of earth as time continues, the walking machines would seem antique and truncated. It can be done right in reference of todays technology, I suppose. But I'd still like to see weak, fat blobs riding tripods while they roast people to death.

-One third a major city's population wiped out in the course of a month

Asshole of assholedness

You know, thinking back to who I was and who I am now; looking back on my old blogs and comparing them to my new; before today I has always thought I was a nicer guy 4 years ago than I am now. I call myself a cynic now, someone who could be nicer. I thought I was a nice guy back then but reading my old blogs I come across as a jerk. Maybe that was my night-time personality.

I'm just trying to be me, and I see myself as a nice guy. Sometimes I'm told I'm not, but I don't know. Maybe I don't know myself. I've lost my train of thought.

-No catching up to the locomotive now

Done and Done

The MITACS conference is over, at least for me it is. There's a few more hours of seminars and some meetings for the professors. However, the profs are leaving in the early evening and I'm staying behind.

I've got another night here on campus at the University of Calgary and will be leaving tomorrow, mid-morning. A professor from the school I attend was nice enough to offer me a ride back with her, which is great because that saves me spending $72 on the Greyhound (Greyhound is a bus-line here in North America).

Last nights dinner was great, a five course meal. Starting with tiger prawns with mango salsa followed by minestrone soup. Caprese salad came after that, which I didn't like too much. The salad was a ring of tomato slices seperated with brocrmksdf cheese on a leaf of lettuce with cracked pepper and basil oil. I thought I was eating dandelion. The main course came after the salad; beef roast with whiskey gravey and a couple pieces of potato with zucchini and carrot. Desert was mango, raspberry and blackberry gelato with strawberry sauce.

I didn't win anything with my research, not that I was really expecting to. This guy won one of three first place awards for his research which is kinda fun to play with. In just over 24 hours I'll be back at home with my girlfriend. I can hardly wait.

-See you soon, sweetie

You have been judged

I'm all done. The hard work is over. I've been questioned and judged and can now enjoy the food. Dinner tonight at the Calgary Tower, I've got no idea how to get around this city. A friend of mine from the University has offered to show me.

So I was in the Science building "A" yesterday and asking around for an aquarium. Hey, I like fish. Well, I get pointed in the direction of an office. When I ask, there, for an aquarium they said "Oh yes, we have one" followed by "Who are you trying to find?" and I said I just want to see fish. Show me an aquarium. She was singing a different song after that. Suddenly the aquarium didn't exist. What are they hiding? Sea-bass with lasers attached to their heads?

-Done for now

From the University of Calgary

I'm presenting my research in 30 minutes, and again 40 minutes after that, and again 20 minutes after that. Then my job here is done. From then on all I have to do is show up for food when it's available. And, I suppose, attend a seminar given by a professor from the University I attend.

I'm eating breakfast, and don't have too much time.

-Back to the food table

Punishable by law

For the last year, I've been trying to gain ownership of a motorcycle sold to me by a family friend of my girlfriend's. Hoops upon hoops, I don't know if I have the energy to jump through any more. The point of todays story is a declaration with my signature that guarantees my statement is the truth and is punishable by law if it turns out to be false.

I wasn't told what to write, I just assumed I was to write my story of what has happened so far, which was what I did. The guy at the notary asked if I was sure, if I wanted to add more, that more is better than less. He signed it, stamped it and charged me half price. I hope it's enough and doesn't come back to bite me in the ass. I've been looking forward to riding and want to get on it already.

-Vroom vroom

Helping those in need

I stopped in at the library this morning, before starting work for the day. I borrowed Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds for some reading, after I've finished Bram Stoker's Dracula of course. The latter should be finished tonight.

My sole purpose of entering the library was to pay my late fees. My school is in transition from one institution to another and I am worried that if I do not pay my fees ($10) that even so small a fine will hurt me later on. For all I know, the fine could prevent myself obtaining my graduation. I was prepared to pay the fine, and had in fact placed my money on the counter (it's about time, as the fee has been growing over the last 3 years), when the librarian informed me they are promoting "food for fines". This means, they will accept one food item per late fee to clear the fines. 5 food items, in the form of pasta/canned/etc seems a good deal to me, in helping the local food bank.

-Feedy the Needy

Helping those in need

I stopped in at the library this morning, before starting work for the day. I borrowed Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time and H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds for some reading, after I've finished Bram Stoker's Dracula of course. The latter should be finished tonight.

My sole purpose of entering the library was to pay my late fees. My school is in transition from one institution to another and I am worried that if I do not pay my fees ($10) that even so small a fine will hurt me later on. For all I know, the fine could prevent myself obtaining my graduation. I was prepared to pay the fine, and had in fact placed my money on the counter (it's about time, as the fee has been growing over the last 3 years), when the librarian informed me they are promoting "food for fines". This means, they will accept one food item per late fee to clear the fines. 5 food items, in the form of pasta/canned/etc seems a good deal to me, in helping the local food bank.

-Feedy the Needy

Mothers

It's Mothers day, soon. I have not forgotten. I've got a card for my Mom right here, waiting for me to write something nice in it, address it and post it. I love you, Mom.

Back to Work

Tomorrow, the first official day of my summer occupation. Back to the moth research after only a couple days off.

-Summer Fun

I'm blogging this!

Times like today when you wish you had a shirt with those words written across it. My girlfriend's Dad, tonight, wanted to treat us to dinner. He'd bought a cake for dessert; had expected to pay $6.99 for it but was charged $25.99 at the till. He shrugged and went home.

My girlfriend and I had picked up dinner and appies from a meat deli her Sister works at and drove to her parent's place. We had the appies and dinner, followed by the cake for dessert. Heh, more dessert than we bargained for. While eating my slice I thought I'd noticed a funny taste around the place where a banana slice was placed. I ate the banana and DAMN it was gross. I'd warned the others not go to there. I'd eaten my entire piece of cake; my girlfriend couldn't finish hers. She'd eaten a quarter, from the bottom.

So I proceeded to finish hers off. Got to the banana slice on her piece, tasted different again. Decided that it must be the different coloured whipped cream used on that part. Yeah, different coloured. Reddish, with little green spots. Wait a minute, the spots are fuzzy. Moldy cake. Her Dad had eaten two pieces, her Mom had one. Her little brother one, and I'd almost eaten two.

That thing was no doubt meant to be priced at $6.99, and should have been pulled the day before, for sure. The cake was returned, money was refunded. The shirt "I'm blogging this" would have come in handy during the refund. To warn the public, it was bought at The Real Canadian Super Store also affiliated with Extra Foods. So buyer beware.

-Fear Factor

Study Study

Updated my profile, added some items to my wishlist. Posted a picture, he's everyones favorite criminal. Replied to a new random question, something about the taste of pennies in your mouth. Misread as the taste of penis in your mouth.

Still studying here. Systems Analysis and Design along with Linear Algebra. Haven't touched SAD today, going with LinAlg. SAD later, maybe tomorrow. Just taking a break here, covered determinants, will now review eigen-vectors/values.

Reading Dracula by Abraham (Bram) Stoker. Excellent book, opened my eyes to the world of shorthand (as written in this blog). New style, may be a bit annoying to read, but easy to write. Back to studying for me.

Oh yeah: ChairDancing O numa numa song

-Girlfriend still got a sore side

Home Time

My girlfriend has been home since Tuesday afternoon. It's good to have her back.

I've written two exams so far, still have Systems Analysis and Design left, as well as Linear Algebra. I've written Discrete Structures and Machine Architecture. It feels good to have those classes over with. And to never have that professor again, as he's taking a long vacation.

-Study, buddy

Blogging from the Hospital, sort of

I gathered up my bravery today and ate the hospital food. My girlfriend was never going to touch the "FF Cream of Broccoli Soup" and I was feeling curious. It was almost like they'd poured cream and broccoli into a blender and mixed it up. She told me not to be silly, that it probably comes from a box and I was giving them too much credit. She's probably right. And what does "FF" mean anyway? We guessed "Full Flavoured" as opposed to half/half.

I'll be posting this when I get home, seeing how there's no wireless connection to be found anywhere in this hospital.

-They need to be tech'd

Trackmania

Great game for racing. Very much so unrealistic, but that's the kind of game that appeals to me. Unrealistic in the sense that I can escape the real world and occupy myself for a brief moment in another. Think F-Zero but with modern cars. Jumps, track editing, skin/paint editing, video save/replay. I haven't tried multiplayer, but the single player part of the demo I've seen shines very nice. The full game was just released April 8, so maybe I'll have my hands on it soon.

-vroom vroom

Master of Doom

Way back in the day, my Grandpa bought Final Doom (yeah, when you could still find Final Doom on store shelves ~ ie it was just released). I'd been exposed to Doom long before that, in the form of Doom 1. I've been playing around with Doom II lately. Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake, as people have been playing the source ports for quite some time. I've tried out zDoom and jDoom (Doomsday).

zDoom is quite nice, for playability. The graphics are nicely updated for higher resolution, much like jDoom. But jDoom lacks in the gameplay department. Sure, jDoom shares jumping with zDoom and higher resolution textures, but jDoom just doesn't have the keyboard customizability that zDoom does. I like having my mouse wheel swap through weapons. You know, I think if jDoom had just that one little feature, I might play through Doom II with it, rather than zDoom. But in the mean time, it's zDoom all the way.

-Yeah, I've read the book Masters of Doom cover to cover

Just to let you know, I'm calling security!

Escorted out of the hospital last night for sitting beside my girlfriend after visiting hours.

-Not as exciting as TV makes it out to be. Bo-ring!

More Hospitality

That's a good word, isn't it? Hospitality, being hospitable. Welcoming and catering to another and their needs. We've had a good run of nice nurses and volunteers at the hospital, which helps to make the stay more pleasant. At least tonight nobody was pressing me to get out of there before I was ready, I left when my girlfriend was ready to fall asleep for the night. I'll be back there early tomorrow morning, just as I was this morning.

-I watched her sleep for almost an hour

Transitioning... Conglomerating... Consuming

The school I attend is being consumed by a larger, better known school. I figure it's just as well, seeing how I'm paying big-school prices, I may as well get the big-school degree. To help ease students into the transition of one school consuming another, the new institution has printed up brochures to help inform the new and transitioning students. It just happens that I'm 'featured', as one friend called it. Here's the quote:

rak ~ (8) take the skin and peel it back... doesn't it make you feel better? (8):
hey, dude... you're featured prominently in that [big all absorbing conglomerate] transition booklet they were handing out.

I haven't had a chance to look at the page in detail, but from what I've glanced at, it's me striking a pose (because I was posed) talking to some girl. That's how those brochures are thrown together. They aren't reallystudents doing real student stuff, it's a photographer gathering a bunch of ... well, ok, students ... and posing them doing student stuff. I'm also smattered around the website of the new (and as of yet still non-existing, but soon to be new and existing) school. I'll give you a hint, I'm in the middle wearing the grey sweater bearing the school initials. 'rakslice' is the guy doing the 'hey ho, kool-aide' in the white shirt behind me.

-Sleep time, gotta visit and take care of my girl some more tomorrow

Hospitals and their ilk

I've spent the majority of the last 29 hours at the hospital; my girlfriend went under emergency surgery. So I spent the night at the hospital last night (seeing how she was out of surgery at 12:30 midnight) and skipped school and work today to be with her. I made up an hour and a half of work today, seeing how I'm on salary for researching. I ate hospital food... that I paid for. $4 for 2 sausages, 2 eggs (scrambled), 1 english muffin (crumpet?) and 2 scoops of shaved hashbrowns (because nobody likes hairy hashbrowns).

I'm going to sleep now, though. Now that I'm back home, and I'm going to work and school tomorrow.

-Checking up on her early in the morning and after school

Guru of sorts

I've been playing with mazes as of late. Attempting to solve the secrets to creating one, actually. And there's a method to my madness, it's for level generation in my game. So, I'm learning to program mazes.

Anything I'm learning, I'm learning from this site, Think Labyrinth which truly is a great source for anything maze related. This guy really knows what he's talking about, and was even blurbed about on Ripley's Believe It or Not section of a newspaper .

I'm trying to code my own 'Hunt and Kill' agorithm, which basically, when no more rooms can be carved in a certain segment, scans the array of rooms and searches for the first available room that is not too crowded, which means there's room to start another segment of room creation.

Start at one location and carve a room. Next, choose an adjacent room at random. Test to see if that room is not too crowded. If it's not too crowded, place the room and choose another adjacent room at random. Test and repeat. If a room is too crowded, 'Hunt and Kill' to find the next available uncrowded room and continue from there.

A room is concidered too crowded if there are two rooms adjacent to that room. What you want to ensure is that every room you add is a continuation of only the preceding room. This ensures that there are no loops in the maze, which guarantees there is only one path to the exit. This is called a 'perfect' maze.

Admittedly, I've been having trouble with my program. But only because I did not understand these simple concepts. It took me the last two hours laying in bed for my brain to really dumb it down to something I could understand. And here I have crawled out of bed to make a note of it so I don't forget my brilliance in the morning.

-Because that's something I would do

The home stretch

I've finally put the finishing touches on my research poster... you know, how exciting is it to read about another persons life? I can't see that it's really all too exciting. I don't expect people to be even slightly entertained in reading my blog. It's here for me, as a record of events in my life. Maybe one day my grandchildren will read my blog and write up a family history of it or something. I don't know.

But I know I've got nothing to offer the random passerby. Go on, find another blog. There's nothing of interest here, at least not yet.

-Heh, that was fun