So what is there too do this All Hollows' Eve? Go to the bomber of course. In many people's opinions, we're most likely too old to go trick or treating. And we'd probably be thought of as hoodlums looking for trouble. So what can a bunch of poor university students do? Go and get drunk. As we have all learned, alcohol solves all problems, for one night at least, and that makes all the difference.

So after deciding that I'm a loser at foos, I have concluded that the cause is because I suck. It's not that I don't play enough, I mean, two games a day should be plenty practice. I just suck, that's all.

Even Satchel knows that fighting is not nice.

I am beginning to wonder (well, not beginning, I've often wondered) about the point of getting good marks. I mean, they don't really seem to help with the coop thing, and they definitely don't help with the scholarship thing (at Waterloo anyways). The only purpose, it seems to me, is the emotional sense of well-being. And even that has its downsides, since it puts tremendous pressure to do well constantly, and people often look at one with a different opinion when they find out that one gets high marks. They have this misconception that good marks = brains or the lack of a need to study. Many people also seem to think that those with good marks are full of themselves, and are therefore less likely to befriend them.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have good marks.

Finally, the end of MS-DOS.

There should definitely be a webcam over the foosball table at work.

frustration

So I got to thinking, this blogging thing is a pretty good idea. I've been at it for almost three months now, and I'm still trying (actively) to update everyday. Of course, my innermost secrets may not be published here for the whole world to see, but it none-the-less is a good way of getting me to write. I like writing, but most of the time, I am either too lazy, or too lazy, and I just can't sit down and write. Also for all those English majors out there, I may not have perfect grammar or punctuation, but neither did any of the famous writers, and they still sold their books. I think this whole blogging thing is a good way to get the general populance, especially kids, to write something often. I have sensed a decline in the literacy (and I don't mean literate, but more so the ability to express oneself through writing) in younger children. I think writing everyday would not be detrimental, and it would also spark some much needed imagination.

"Overall, Microsoft, Intel, retailers, and PC makers will spend about $1 billion to promote Windows XP."

- article from news.com

I can't believe how much companies are spending on marketing now. Just think how much better the product would be if they put the money from marketing into R&D.

So here I am, at work, on a Saturday afternoon, all because I took some time off on Thursday because of the Stats midterm. And still nothing works for me. I think I'm going to go home soon.

Bush has signed the new anti-terrorism law saying:

"Today, we take an essential step in defeating terrorists while protecting the constitutional rights of all Americans."

even though the bill "gives police wide-ranging new anti-terrorism powers to secretly search people's homes and business records and to eavesdrop on telephone and computer conversations." - article at cbc.ca

Add another one to the Things Ming Hate list: compilers that generate invalid opcodes for reasons I cannot fathom.

So I had my stats midterm yesternight. Out of the seven pages the exam was written on, six of them contained written questions (like short/long answer questions), and only the last page had any calculations (a least squares estimate none-the-less). What kind of mathematics course is this I ask.

Also got coaxed into going to Phil's last night. Didn't stay long though, had to work today, and what a productive day I am having. I love it when nothing works, and it's snowing rain outside.

I've figured another thing I cannot stand: emoticons. Those little :) ;) =D =P ... can't stand them.

Maybe I should start a page on things I cannot stand.

The more I look around me, the more I think we should be designated Generation i. Just glace around, and you will find that information is everywhere, right at your fingertips; whether it's the 24/7 news channels, the countless internet pages devoted to countless indifferent topics, the cell phones that everyone seems to have, or the emails that I keep on checking. Even while I was travelling in Europe, I updated my blog and checked my email nearly everyday. Sometimes the first thing we looked for wasn't the museum, or church, or monument, it was an internet cafe. And nevermind the uselessness I feel when the network connection is down at work, or the complaints I get when our DSL connection at home is too slow or not working.

With information anywhere and everywhere, and people's increasing need to get it easier and quicker, I truly believe that our generation is one of the fast paced, unending search for information. Hence I dub myself a member of Generation i.

We've all played the foldover game before, well, now you can play it with people across the world here.

Okay, with this "war" going on, I'm sure there's been a lot of conspiracy theories out there. So here's my attempt. I think that this whole attack on NYC was either known to the US elite, or they had a hand in planning it. I mean, in reality, things couldn't have turned out better for GWB. His approval ratings are at 90%, the relationship with China is better, the whole world is cooperating (aka bending at the knees) with the US, and they have a war to fight (which gives George W. something to occupy his time with).

With the whole American population behind him, and carte blanche authority approved by the senate, how can Bush go wrong. So here's his plan: first of all is Afghanistan. Use this excuse to get rid of the Taliban as well as bin Laden and establish a pro-American state. Then it'll be onto Iraq. Who would protest? They have already given Iraq ample warning, and the slightest sign (no doubt triggered by some covert US operation) that Saddam is up to something will bring on the biggest Iraqi-ass-whopping they've seen yet. Once they have the middle east under control, or maybe at the same time, the Operation For a United Century of Kindness and Understanding (Operation FUCKU) will move on to Palestine. This will no doubt have Israel kissing America's ass even more, and now they have the Balkans in their belt. Once Operation FUCKU takes over eastern Europe and western Asia, it will break into two political operations and another military one. The two political ones will focus on western Europe (the EU) and eastern Asia, while the militant one will use the excuse of the "War on Drugs" to beat their way into South America. The EU will no doubt bend under strong American pressure as well as British conformance and form the Coalition of United Liberal Territories (CULT), while the Asia campaign will probably bring on another bout of anti-communism in the CULT. The drug countries in South America will be no contest for the advanced US military technology (like the million dollar Tomahawk missiles), and while they're down there, mind as well take over the whole continent. As for Canada, well, we would already be competing for the most coveted spot of the 51st US state, and will surely get it before Columbia does. So I'd give 10 years before our third rock from the sun will be known to the universe as United we Stand - America (or the USA if you prefer).

"You gain almost nothing by bombing over there, even if you don't hit the UN, the Red Cross or some village. You may hit the sites of training camps since the U.S. or Pakistan built most of them, but surely they're empty by now. All you do is create new recruits to terror, and motivate those already involved."

- article by Rick Salutin for The Globe and Mail

Now is it really that people like O₃ so much, or is it because most people (like me) don't know what Ci₇H₅N₃O₆ is?

"Microsoft's biggest underlying fear is that it will become like IBM�a company that still has a strong business but no longer sets computing standards. "

- article from The Economist

I just saw Heather and Dan's baby (Darren is his name) this afternoon. What a precious little thing. He'll be a month old tomorrow, and through most of the time I saw him, he was either sleeping, feeding, or being burped. Oh, what I'd do to be a wee baby again. I still can't believe I know someone my age with a baby. It's a little scary, a little exciting, and a little warm. It's good to see that no matter what the world is going through, there will always be the next generation that we can hope for, even though we may be lost ourselves.

I am sad. I am sad for all the people who died in New York. I am sad for all the people who are going to die in this war. I am sad for the trees with their falling leaves. I am sad for the rain clouds who cry everyday. I am sad for the parents who outlive their children. I am sad for the kids who have outgrown their shoes. I am sad for those who have to pay $3000 a year for insurance. I am sad for the Canadians who can't name our ten provinces and three territories. I am sad for those who don't understand other cultures around the world, and those who understand it too much. I am sad for all the pains we encounter through life. I am sad for the Mars orbiter that burned up because scientists can't decide to use metric or imperial units.

I am sad for mother earth.

I am happy. I am happy at the fact that I am still alive. I am happy that I can eat food and enjoy it. I am happy that I can see the orange hue of sunset, hear the flight of birds, smell the cold fresh air in the morning, taste the hot sauce in my soup, and feel the keys on my keyboard. I am happy that I am at the best university for computer science in Canada. I am happy that I have a job that pays well. I am happy that I can wake up and smell the coffee in the morning. I am happy that I just went backpacking in Western Europe with my good friend. I am happy that I have a double bed with no one to share. I am happy that I live in a decent house, away from my parents, with my friends.

I am happy to be here.

I am pissed off. I am pissed off at this war. I am pissed off at George W. Bush. I am pissed off at Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. I am pissed off at people who own $80 000+ cars. I am pissed off at people who don't have a car at all (myself included). I am pissed off at people who don't give a shit about anything or care too much for everything. I am pissed off at the fact that I have no girlfriend. I am pissed off at the realization that my code doesn't work. I am pissed off at the fact that my computer is too old even though I got it 2 years and 2 months ago. I am pissed off at the sober reality that the internet is too fast, and my connection is too slow. I am pissed off that my vocabulary is too small, that I can't think of big words to express my feelings. I am pissed off because I have to write a stats midterm next week and I still don't know the material.

I am pissed off at the world, and it's probably pissed off at me.

I am jealous. I am jealous of people with a good car. I am jealous of people with beautiful girlfriends. I am jealous of people with better marks, better jobs, better bodies, more money, more friends, more life. I am jealous of people with worse marks, a beer belly, no money, and no life. I am jealous of those who are more outgoing, outspoken, open minded, strong minded, stubborn and sensitive. I am jealous of those hermits, who are closed minded and insensitive. I am jealous of those who can make the best of everything, whose friends won't let them down, who are more successful than me. I am jealous of those who are skeptical of everything, don't trust their closest friends, and have nothing. I am jealous of those who can run faster, speak their minds, know more, type quicker and listen better. I am jealous of everyone in the world who isn't me because they have something I don't, whether it be riches, poverty, culture, ignorance, women, cars, or just plain ordinary. Yes, sometimes I wish I were ordinary, and sometimes I wish I wasn't. Sometimes I wish that I just wasn't me.

But I guess I really shouldn't complain, other people are probably jealous of me.

Night shifts linked to increased risk of breast cancer - CBC

Next up, recent study shows that walking outside is linked to an increased risk of being hit by a car.

Okay, I might not be on top of all current events, but I like to think that I'm well-informed most of the time. Apparently not. I just read that Mike Harris will be stepping down as leader of Ontario's PC party. That was announced on Tuesday, three days ago, and I didn't hear anything about it. I guess I've got enough problems myself than to actively go find out what's happening around me all the time.

New York City officials gave the following numbers for dead and missing from the September 11 attacks, as of Thursday: Number of bodies recovered: 458; number of bodies identified: 408; number of people missing, according to the police department: 4,515; total victims (bodies identified plus missing): 4,923; number of missing persons reported to the family center: 4,450; number of death certificate applications: 1,665. (source - CNN)

Here are some more interesting statistics:
Infant mortality in Iraq before 1990: 4.7 %
Infant mortality in Iraq after 1994: 10.8 % (Source - UNICEF newsline)
Annual number of under-5 deaths in Iraq: 103 000
Population of Iraq: 22 million (Source - UNICEF statistics)

Infant mortality rate in USA: 0.7 %
Annual number of under-5 deaths in USA: 30 000
Population of USA: 276 million (Source - UNICEF statistics)

Dead people is dead people. It doesn't matter if they're US citizens, children, women, or people in armed forces. No one should be able to kill someone, and feel righteous about it. I hate it when people differentiate between civilians and those in the military; women and children and those "others we could care less about". Death is death, and one kind is no different from the other.

If Britain is America's lapdog, then Canada would be the wagging tail.

If there's anything I hate, it's people who say they'll do something, and then don't. Especially when you trust them. I mean, a certain level of expectation is put into this trust, and when they don't do what they have promised, the disappointment is paramount.

In other news, I have a stats midterm next Thursday, so I'm going to try and keep this weekend as an alcohol-free weekend.

"Stats 231 is the English course for Math majors" - Jason

Part of American propaganda to air dropped radios in Afghanistan:

"Our forces are armed with state of the art military equipment. What are you using, obsolete and ineffective weaponry? Our helicopters will rain fire down upon your camps before you detect them on your radar. Our bombs are so accurate we can drop them right through your windows. Our infantry is trained for any climate and terrain on earth. United States soldiers fire with superior marksmanship and are armed with superior weapons."

Full script here.

Do the Americans not understand why other people hate them so much? Why they can't sew their flag on their bags when they go backpacking? Why the citizens of Iraq would rather live under Saddam than overthrow his government? It is because of arrogant statements like the ones above. You cannot just go into a country and push your policies onto their society when theirs do not agree with yours. People live in different cultures, some of them going back millenia, and cannot reverse their ideals overnight. Just look at what happened to Russia when the USSR broke up. The truth is, the terrorists have gotten the American population so afraid, so terrified, that the citizens are ready to go out and buy full biowarfare suits and build bomb bunkers. They have achieved their goal, and bin Laden is sitting in his cave smirking at the success. And what has the FBI, CIA, NSA, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, NYPD, *PD, National Guard to show? They've arrested hundreds of people, frozen some accounts, received some Anthrax mail, and still has no clue where or who are the ones responsible for the attack.

So now that most of my SWM friends are getting hooked up -- Brad* with "Oh I hate her" ( - Kelly*) Julie*, and Roger* with "bitch" ( - Kelly and Helen*) Carol*, Johnny's the only one left. I don't know what I will do if he finds a girl, because then everyone will be too overwhelmed with school and their significant others that no one will spend time with me (poor Ming).

Quote of the day:

"We can't hang out with them [R and B] anymore if they're gonna go out with those girls." -- K

* - names have been changed to protect the innocent

How wonderful it is for --------- to ship an example that doesn't work ...

I feel tired. Things don't work at work, stat is boring, I have a midterm next week, etc. etc. It's just so frustrating when something so simple doesn't work, and you have no idea why. I'm looking forward to Bomber tonight too loosen up some of this tension.

Oh, and it's raining again, plus it's cold. Why can't it just snow? I hate the rain, especially when it's cold outside.

According to this article on Slashdot, IBM has just been granted a patent

"for software that automatically 'generates [a] customized Web site without the Web site creator writing any HTML or other programming code'"

or more simply, the WYSIWYG editors. It's interesting to state that (although I cannot back this up at all) IBM also had a patent on the blinking cursor for a long time. A BLINKING cursor for Christ's sake. I've never really agreed with software patents (like the 1-click thing at Amazon), but this one takes the cake.

well, I guess I'm not as lucky as Ben in that I've never been picked up by a girl. So now that all my friends are getting hooked up, I'm starting to feel a little lonely. And what am I going to do about it? Probably nothing, which is a lot like Ming.

Thanks to Heather for sending in this quote:

"In light of current events, we are changing the name of the band to something more friendly, 'Basket Full Of Puppies.' "

-- Scott Ian, leader of the metal band Anthrax

Here's an interesting quote:

We "Americans" should continue our drops in Afghanistan. But it should be more food, supplies and medicine ... but we are not accomplishing anything by dropping bombs on the poor. All we are accomplishing is the further alienation of Islam and the rest of the Middle East. Bush should quit being so damned pleased with himself. He is just as much a fanatic as Bin Laden with his ultimatums to the Taliban!

by Jason of the USA
From a reader debate on the BBC website

Bush has rejected the latest Taliban offer to try bin Laden in a neutral country (story here), stating that "There's no need to discuss innocence or guilt, we know he is guilty." This makes me wonder what would happen if the Taliban had handed bin Laden over to the states. Would they just sentence him without a trial? Has that ever been done before? And if he does stand trial, is there an unbiased jury in the states? I don't see how they can convict him without a fair trial (keyword being fair).

Now I'm not trying to say that bin Laden isn't guilty, or that the Taliban is a good government. But if the US wants to uphold this image of "righteousness" and the beliefs of the "free world", then it cannot do the things it is doing now. Namely the increased surveillance of the general public, the accusations without evidence, and the bombings without result except the deaths of more innocent people.

As Ghandi once said: "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

I think that Matt's got a good point with the parallels of the CNN headline "America Strikes Back" and the evil Empire.

Just remember: "Assume makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'."

Just took the Myers-Briggs Test, and apparently I'm a type ENFJ (Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging). It is the profile of a teacher according to Keirsey, or "the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity" according to Butt.

Somethings I'll never understand about the English language:

Why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways?

Why is it that when we send something by car, it's a shipment, but if we send the same thing by ship, it's cargo?

Quote from last night:

Matt: "Four sausages, four girls, what a match"
Lauren: "obviously"

It's raining outside, and I didn't bring my umbrella. Poor Ming.

But enough about me. So who's actually caught any news other than the 24/7 coverage of the "WAR" (and no, not the WWF thing)? What about China joining the WTO (almost a month ago), or the Nobel Prizes being awarded (Kofi Annan and the UN winning the peace prize), or that Nortel is laying off another 20 000? It's shocking how the media can throw (useless) information at us, and we just devour it. Every time I turn on the TV to CNN or any American channel, the news is about "America's New War" and its developments. I don't see how much further it can develop -- US city gets blown up, US pissed off, US attacks, US takes over the world -- game over.
What amazes me is how hypocritical we all are. It baffles me to see that a serial killer in the western world can get a fair trial while they won't even negotiate with a country full of innocent people, a couple of terrorists, and a corrupt government. These attacks won't do jack to the terrorists, it'll just make them go deeper into the mountains, and plan their next attack because they're even more pissed off now. With all the billions of dollars the US is pouring into intelligence gathering, they don't even know where this bin Laden guy is. What a poor showing.

How to write your r�sum�

So did anyone actually watch the Bush address last night, or was everyone like me and switched to Who's Line after about the first 20 minutes? Maybe if this whole President thing doesn't work out, he could have a jab at acting, he already looks enough like a monkey, so the sequel of Planet of the Apes ...

Just read an article about an 85 year old man who is building (or trying to build) a hydrogen powered rotary engine that uses "no oil, no seals, no rings, and no coolant", weighs only 220 lbs, and can theoretically generate 1000 horsepower. I could just see how fast the oil and major motor companies will buy his ideas and seal them in a vault 200 m underground.

So today I'm going to the Queensmount for the annual Oktoberfest celebrations, and by celebrations I mean a lot of beer and shnitzels, should be a good time.

Last night was the premier of Survivor Africa, and I, survivor's biggest fan (well, in my house anyways), was glued to the tv screen for the hour it was on. What amazes me is the slew of reality shows that have developed since Survivor, and how I've never really watched any of them.

So I've been working on this one bug for ages now, and I think I might have found out what's wrong (stupid Palm), but still have no idea of how to fix it. God I hate computers.

Back to my monotonous life again. My stat lab today was horrible, and the teacher almost yelled at me. Maybe it's not as bad as I describe it, but it tires me out so. And after work Deirdre and I worked on our lab (part II) for yet another 3 hours, and we still have not finished it. I still have to make a bunch of graphs, and instead of doing that tonight, I drank some stolen Kahlua with my roommate Mel, and watched part of James Bond - The World is not Enough.

This weekend has got me thinking about my life, and reflecting on what I have done and achieved. I wonder why I deserve to get the things I get, because I really don't try hard enough for them. I think I might take too many things for granted, like the good marks, or the decent job, or the lack of a girlfriend (oh wait ... that's not a good thing).

I just realized something. During the wedding ceremony, while the bride was walking down the eisle, or when the pastor was making his comedic speech, or when the couple was saying their "I do's", there was this constant whirring of camera lenses turning on and off, zooming in and out, and flashes lighting up the hall (myself contributing to a small but significant part). It just made me reflect on how much our society relies on technology, that you can't even go to a wedding, and just enjoy the moment, instead, we must "capture" the memory frozen in time, so we can cherish it forever. I think sometimes it's better to leave things up for memory, it could be a much more interesting experience.

And Gord and Lesley can never forget their wedding date, since it will be forever be known as the day that America invaded Afghanistan.

A lot of things to say about this weekend.

First of all, I see that my new domain name is up and running. Now I just have to get some content onto it.

Gord and Lesley's wedding on Sunday was a great time. I arrived at the Highwayman Inn in Orillia at about 3 pm, and tried to look around for people I knew, but to no avail. I tried to ask the receptionist for the room numbers of some of my friends, but she gave me a cold "we can't give out room numbers". So pitiful Ming decides to walk around the outside of the hotel, to see if anyone is around, and behold, sees the groom's brother outside having a smoke. Success. I quickly found my other acquaintances, my hotel room which I shared with Scott, and got changed for the wedding. The ceremony was medium length, at around 30 minutes, which is good. I still can't believe that Lesley made all the bridesmaids' dresses. She's quite the seamstress.

Then we went back to Jenn's room, and had a drink before the reception. I was going back and forth between Jenn and Heather's rooms, trying to talk to everyone (Head and Jenn are having a conflict right now, mainly because Head can't be in Jenn's wedding next August). Head seems very happy with Fin, so I'm happy for her. Then, finally, after all the waiting, and the hunger, free food. The dinner was a buffet (a first of all the weddings I've been to), with like 10 different types of salad, some psudo-Chinese food, lasagna, scalloped potatoes, and roast beef. All in all, it was very fulfilling, and the wine helped too. I think we all had a little too much wine. Oh, I also saw Meghan and Carolyn at the wedding. Carolyn is at Guelph right now, and Meghan just came from TBay.

After the reception, and the speeches, we did plenty of dancing. Everyone know that I don't dance, but I think the wine helped. After all was done, Lorch and I took all the empty wine bottles (and emptied out all the non-empty ones -- what a waste), and put them all in Gord and Les's get away car, along with plenty of toilet paper. When I woke up this morning, I found that there was even more TP on the car. Apparently Gord's cousin got more and just plastered the car with it.

So that was the wedding. After a round of goodbyes, I was once again on the road, heading back to the Loo. I just have to wait til next August, when I have to go back to the Bay for Jenn and Lorch's wedding.

I'm getting excited about this weekend. I am going to Gord and Lesley's wedding on Sunday, so I'll get to see a bunch of friends (well, about 5 or so) from back home. That should be exciting, considering I haven't seen them since Easter, and now that my parents have moved to Guelph, I probably won't see them half as often as before.

Other than this, there's really nothing much happening in my life. I sometimes reflect on how scary it is to see your friends who are your age getting married, or having babies, or other such traumatizing events; and I try to see where my life is taking me, and I don't really see anything. I don't really have any set plans for the future, nor do I have any specific goals that I'm devoted to. I don't even know what I'm going to eat for dinner tonight (well, that's a lie actually, but a lot of times I don't). And this brings up the eternal questing, "why are we here". I'm just rambling now, so I'll stop.

The 2001 lg Nobel Prize Ceremony is tonight at Harvard University. And no, it's not the real nobel prize, but the awards are given out by nobel laureats.

They didn't need a review team to tell them this, just ask the students around campus:

"Review teams note that many undergraduate programs are trying to do 'too much' in regard to number of subfields or themes being covered and number of courses being taught," says Bruce Mitchell, associate vice-president (academic), in a report to the UW senate about the program review process.

article from the bulletin

All's well until someone makes fun of you ... see matt's posting today at 5:25:24 pm.

This is just too good. I think it's the epitemy of what the internet has come to be.

Let's just hope that blogging from work actually works.

My resolution for today is to actually do some work, rather than just sitting on my behind. I've also got a Stat 231 class at 12:30. It's two hours long, and is indeed a very painful event to endure. I was also up until 1 am last night finishing off part II of the stat lab that we have to hand in today. I guess I could have finished it earlier had I not gone out for Martinis (I still disagree on the plural spelling of martini) at the Mongolian and wings at Fiasco's (we wanted to go to Weaver's, but they had an event there).

I would also like to file for bankruptcy sometime soon, seeing how I have no money left. I don't even know if I'll have enough to live next term, and I don't want to run back to the parents (seeing how they're pretty tight as well right now, buying a new house and all). See, what I need to do is win the lottery, then all my immediate problems would be solved (well, except maybe for the lack of a girlfriend, but then again, money can solve a lot of things).

"American weapons can kill people, but cannot save Americans from being killed."