Saturday, May 19

Recent conversation:

Him: "The problem is that Sir John owns our college. So at all the other colleges, student union presidents say 'Yeah, we'll do this and institute that!' but at our college it's more like '[sigh] Well, uh, you know, we can't really do anything but hey! Having a college bar that closes at 8PM can be good for, uh, some... things..."

Me: "So when Sir John dies -?"

I wonder if it's indicative of my character that I would say such a thing. Hmm.

/ forum / 01:07 am GMT

Thursday, May 17

I'm having a bit of a problem remembering what day it is. Considering that I have three lectures on Saturdays so that they're just as busy as my Tuesdays, every day of the week seems to run into each other. It's gotten to the extent where I have to consciously think for a few seconds to work it out. Mind you, this isn't as bad as one of my friends who managed to happily live out of step with time (one day ahead) for the better part of the week.

After getting a bit irritated that my last two posts have received a minus karma score, my suspicions that the minus points were from the same person were confirmed when I went to check up the IP logs. Hah, I bet you didn't think I could do that, eh? Naturally, I'll mention no names (cough wfp2.almaden.ibm.com cough).

/ forum / 06:49 pm GMT

Wednesday, May 16

Horribly short update, blah blah blah, but if you're bored you should have a look at the hijinks going on in the forum.

How private radio stations in Ghana are transforming the democratic process and promoting transparency. Now this a truly heartening example of the good that media can do. It puts the Internet to shame.

/ forum / 10:23 pm GMT

Monday, May 14

You'll have to forgive me for talking about the A.I. game again, but...

I've recently written an editorial about the game, which should be perfectly comprehensible to anyone who has the most basic knowledge of the game. I think it's pretty interesting (but then, of course I would). Also, it turns out that the interview I had with BBC World Service was aired last Saturday and Sunday during the 'Arts in Action' programme, so that was a bit of a blow. Anyway, they're sending me a tape of the programme so I'll probably get around to writing a transcript of it sometime.

/ forum / 10:16 pm GMT

Sunday, May 13

Shamelessly lifted from a post I read from Slashdot - this is the episode list of the new Star Trek: Enterprise series, starring Scott Bakula (he of Quantum Leap fame):

• Introduction to the crew and their quirks. Crisis requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation.


• More character development. Crisis requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation.


• Precocious child prodigy episode. Crisis (caused by precocious child prodigy) requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation.


• Introduction to hostile and recurring alien species. Crisis requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation.


• Lesser character exposition. Shore leave give the ship's librarian a chance to discover love and recover two overdue books.


• True mettle. Recurring enemy reappears again to threaten crew during which time one of the crew discovers courage they never knew they had. Crisis requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation.


• Sparks of romance as two diametically opposed crew members grudgingly become attracted to one another. Crisis requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation.


• Moral crisis as the crew wonder if they should intervene in an alien civil war, especially as one of crew is attracted to one of the rebel leaders. Crisis requires clever use of technology to get out of a tricky situation. Moral crisis neatly sidestepped.


• Q episode. Q causes some crisis which requires clever use of technology to get out of a wacky situation while being mocked continuously by Q.


• Cliffhanger. Hostile, recurrent alien species return and threaten to destroy the ship. Series ends with enemy firing a photon torpedo and the ominous utterance "Brace for impact!"

You just know it's right. I mean, the cliffhanger is perfect.

/ forum / 12:16 am GMT