Can you be unbiased?

No.

Comfy shoes

I overheard this brief snippet of conversation today in the office:

Woman A: I love your sandals!
Woman B: I know! They're comfy, right?

Um...yes?

How to emulate a good score! Innocuously!

Dictionary.com has a new feature for learning new words: flashcards.  It’s kind of interesting; there are various “decks” of cards based on different subjects.  You can create your own decks, etc.

What caught my eye was the description for the GRE prep deck.  Is it just me, or does this description get increasingly strange?

Graduate schools demand articulate students with appropriate skills to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. The GRE is a somewhat enigmatic exam that requires acumen and an advanced vocabulary. Studying GRE flashcards is an innocuous way to emulate high GRE scores.

Just one!

Overheard this one-sided discussion in the office kitchen:

"You know what I heard today?  Margarine is just one molecule apart from plastic.  Just one molecule.  That's why I don't eat margarine.  I mean, I didn't eat it before, but now..."

Three Steps in the Afterlife

Act I
Part I : The Status Quo

Although our base was old and run down, it was still secure: the Watchdogs kept guard on us all, and we did our required tasks. I was working with one other person on the top level when the Rabbitrun broke down. The Rabbitrun is the power and materials source for our entire system, so when it stops, it's a big deal. It's a small and self contained unit, about a foot on each side; with an antiquated terminal interface and a long screwdrive coming out the side that would feed power to the gears throughout the base. The Watchdogs circled us warily as though the breakdown was something we had planned. Munjal came up quickly from the lower levels and had it sorted out and running again. It was a testament to how serious the situation was that he didn't spend time berating us. Eventually, the Watchdogs went back to their normal enforcement patrol; they still couldn't get out, we would continue to live.

Part II : The End of All Things
They stormed the base from the outside in a well coordinated, but dangerous, attack. Stun grenades were thrown in, and we were carried out quickly. Watchdogs were shot where they lay, or were grenaded in groups. We watched nervously from outside as the HUD showed the Watchdog numbers dropping steadily, down from their original 25 down to a single survivor. Then the mistake was made, as the invader miscalculated where the Watchdog must be. The lone Watchdog, protected from the initial blasts, charged from the basement and caught the would-be liberator. The soldier was absorbed instantly, and we watched in horror as the HUD showed the Watchdog numbers jump up to 300, as they instantly streamed out the still open doors before anyone could react. The unprotected human population would feed their unending hunger, and their growth would be exponential. We wept as we witnessed the beginning of the end of the world.



Act II
Part I: An Unexpected Purgatory
I was born into a new world, a place that seemed almost idyllic. A constantly changing castle, infinite in scope, enclosed us all. But, rather than a prison, it seemed like a kind of achingly beautiful haven. There was a perfect scale model of the local area, and I watched in awe as it changed and modified itself, agog at the complex beauty: the widening stone tiled passages and the varied panels of inlaid wood lining the ever-rising stairwell. Life itself here was not forever, but after death here, everyone was reborn into this world, in a seemingly endless cycle.

Part II: Darkness Within Light
The denizens of the castle were intelligent and curious, but it was a desire for knowledge that was tempered by their unhurried nature. There was no need to vie for food, clothing, or housing, but more than that, the atmosphere was one of unhurried contemplation. I watched as a resident was working with a seemingly simple wooden board puzzle. He seemed to have it nearly complete, but then he removed a large section, and transferred it to another area, where it also seemed to fit. That caused other areas to have to move, but each of them could be relocated to several positions as well. He was enjoying the complexity, but as he moved to try one more small piece, a small golden scarab popped out of the spot and ran away. I was surprised, and asked him to do it again, but he refused, and told me "bugs" were very dangerous. Like viruses in a computer system, they were the product of malevolence, hidden away, waiting to be triggered by certain actions. Once triggered, their effects could range from minor hindrance to serious problem. But I didn't understand how.

Part III: A More Permanent Death
My mother was the local librarian, and we could go to look for books, movies, in the amazingly well stocked library. I noticed a section that was normally locked was open, and it seemed to contain horror movies, and other similar fare that was less lighthearted in nature than the media that we normally had access to. My mother told me that this was because the dark nature of these things had a real effect here in this world, that dark thoughts would actually change the environment in bad ways. As she spoke, she unconsciously batted away a white ball that seemed to roll towards her of its own accord. After she touched it, it returned again and again. I didn't understand at first, but each time she knocked it away, it became darker, eventually turning a mottled deep red, and becoming lumpy, and tumorous. This was the manifestation of a "bug", and each time she touched it, it became stronger, and affected her. I realized it, and looked at her: she was now very pale, splotched with red, cancer filling her body. I watched in horror as she began to cough and die.



Act III: The End of Eternity
After many cycles, I suddenly left the castle, and found myself standing on the body of the Overseer. He was the previously distant ruler of the castle, and was reborn and empowered periodically. I balanced on his enormous chest, and looked at the iron cage that encased his mighty head. He explained that I need only unlock the cage to renew the cycle. But I noted that the Doctor and the Assistant were here as well: small shrunken heads growing out of the shoulders of the Overseer, similarly caged. The cruel acts of the Overseer were in my mind as I ran over to the left shoulder and uncaged the Doctor, while the Overseer writhed in anger. I didn't know what the effects would be; the Doctor had little more than an automaton; would it become sentient?  Would it be a new Overseer?  Or had I just broken everything?



The moral of this story is, I think, that going off my medications for a few days makes my dreams very odd.

Things I would like to do before I die

• Work with stained glass to create an arboreal themed picture window, much like the classic Tiffany designs.
• Create a framework for a collaborative medieval fantasy on-line world, where communities would slowly evolve, based on user input and design, eventually ideally creating entire unique cities from thematically designed building blocks.
• Start an exercise regimen that will get me into shape, so I can compete in running competitions, and play various local sports.
• Learn Blender, so I can use it to create a photorealistic 3D theme for my personal website.
• Create a set of sliding shoji screens, with bamboo silhouettes, backlit with LED strips, to provide both a soft ambient light and a nice facade for the built-in bookshelves I'll build.
• Memorize the lyrics to "Never Do Anything" by Barenaked Ladies.