The Bangus Ultimatum

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Yesterday was a lesson in non-linear dynamics. No matter how hard you set up initial conditions and painstakingly execute planned actions, results are not always what you wanted them to be.

Good: The abstract I submitted (with the Department Chair) for an academic conference in Cyprus (May 2006) got accepted. It’s something about memetics and constitutional change in the Philippines.

Bad: Imagine the work involved to get there. The thing has transformed from Clever Idea into a Project You Have To Do. I have to carve out the paper, and raise funds to go to Cyprus. I’m wondering now what to do with another paper idea I have, this time for Intellectual Property. I’m willing to sell the outline for a bag of beans.

Good: Got lots and lots of good reading for the holidays. My reading fare used to consist only of 1) Academic works/”Idea” books 2) science fiction and 3) fantasy. This time I’m rounding it out with comedy, political satire, and a work of fiction that has no spaceships or swordfights.

Bad: I think I’m going to need eyeglasses soon. Years of reading (reading while reclining, against the light, even!) and years in front of the computer staring at endless strings of code didn’t damage my vision, but now I’m finding it harder to focus, and my head aches after a few chapters (oh the pain!). I honestly think it’s the SCRA, and all those horribly typeset student-made reviewers.

Good: Party. Good food and beer. Videoke. Full sentences!

Bad: Not enough face time. Never enough face time.

Participated in Malcolm Madness yet again as an impersonator. I’m not going to give you the details, but it involves me wearing a blouse and black stockings, spoofing a lady professor (with parts of Darth Vader, Sauron, and Gollum). I didn’t attack her personality, but I did question her pedagogical methods. Rote memorization is certainly a useful trick, but it’s useful only for an extremely narrow context (TheSnappyLitigator Pattern), and often the costs involved in getting to that place is staggering. I look back at the mindless hours I’ve spent memorizing provisions, thinking just how much profitable the time would have been reading and comparing annotations, law journal articles, and just discussing finer points with my smart and capable classmates. Blind subservience to the text of the rules alone is dangerous - the unwarranted focus may give one the notion that there could only be one possible rule, one possible solution. Azh nazg durbatulûk, azh nazg gimbatul, azh nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

Found out this morning that my impersonation got first prize. Cool! My first ever prize in law school is for a comedy sketch! I see a fruitful career as a litigator. Or maybe a Congressman.

TEN FIRSTS
First Best Friend: Wally Boy
First Screen Name: zero
First Pet: dog called Kit
First Piercing: none
First Crush: Julie Vega
First Record: (bought with me own money) A The Dawn album
First Car: none
First Love: Probably My Grade1 Math Teacher’s Daughter
First stuffed animal: Kirby (lion)
First MP3 Player: none

NINE LASTS
Last Alcoholic Beverage: Red wine last night
Last Car ride: Taxi last night
Last Movie Seen: Advent Children
Last Phone Call made: Yesterday to Remir
Last CD Played: CD I burned myself
Last Bubble bath: What the hell is a bubble bath?
Last time you cried: Can’t remember
Last designer coffee drunk: Starbucks Peppermint Mocha
Last book read: Seinlanguage by Jerry Seinfeld

EIGHT HAVE YOU EVERS
Have you ever dated one of your best friends: Yes
Have you ever been arrested: No
Have you ever skinny dipped: Yes
Have you ever been on tv: Yes
Have you ever kissed someone, and then regretted it: No
Have you ever had a sex dream about someone: Yes
Have you ever had sex: Yes
Have you ever taken psychotropic drugs: Yes, but I was deceived into taking it

SEVEN THINGS YOU ARE WEARING

Cotton GUESS jacket,
Sauron T-shirt,
Black slacks,
Black socks,
Warren briefs,
McJim leather belt,
Diesel rubber shoes

SIX THINGS YOU’VE DONE TODAY

Passed by the law library,
Had spicy ramen for breakfast,
Bought a DVD,
Surfed the net,
Consulted a professor on human trafficking,
Updated my blog

FIVE FAVOURITE THINGS IN NO ORDER

Cuddles & Hugs,
Programming,
Reading,
Making someone smile/laugh,
Eating law

FOUR PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ALMOST ANYTHING TO

Remir,
Nayna,
Riel,
Walt

THREE CHOICES
1. Black or White: Black
2. Hot or Cold: Hot
3. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate!

TWO THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE

Learn to play an instrument,
Make the world a better place

ONE THING YOU REGRET

Not trying harder when I was younger

January: ” Just an overgrown essay with a post-modern pretense and the pedantic stench of a judicial opinion.”

February: “Next week comes the slope that will eventually turn into the sheer drop that is the finals.”

March: ” Someone once told me that I would die at this age.”

April: ” Pass or fail, I am relieved just to be through with the semester, along with all its articles, effects, and consequences.”

May: “So, dutiful nerd that I am, I still had to watch Star Wars last Wednesday night.”

June: ” Worked for a while. But now it’s totally fux0red.”

July: “I was anxious to protect democracy and during that time I killed off many people, including The Jedi.”

August: “I once breathed molten steel you know.”

September: ” Snacks will be served at the end of the afternoon session.”

October: “The response was way beyond my anticipation.”

November: ” I hope that I’ll never have to resort to dominance, to paternalism,to ridicule, to ‘icy indifference’ to teach my lessons.”

December: ” I’m proud to report that 95% of my workflow runs on free and open source software.”

View the archives for more randomness

Juyo/Vaapad! (Mace Windu’s saber-fu!)

Which Lightsaber form would you use?
created with QuizFarm.com

That seems to be the overriding motif for the day so far. Thanks to The J-Spot I get a heads-up that the latest version of my favorite Linux distro is out. I take a peek at the University’s Open Source Portal and discover that the UP Computer Center has a copy ready for burning. I pick up a couple of cdr’s at lunch and head to the center to have my own copy of Ubuntu 5.10 aka “Breezy Badger”.

After upgrading my linux partition, I go ahead with installing Firefox 1.5 (go get it) and Open Office 2.0. I’m proud to report that 95% of my workflow runs on free and open source software

Where do I want to go today? To Open Source, you criminal monopolist bastards.