Some tears were shed (mostly by Jake), but good times were had by all.
We kind of made a mess.
And, of course, we had a Nerf fight.
It's a good start for the break.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Halo Night 7
Earlier tonight, the seventh Halo Night took place. Mitchell, Pat, Matt, Jake, Colin, Andy, Graham, and myself were all in attendance. Of course, we were using the boss Battlefield setup to enjoy the game.
Some tears were shed (mostly by Jake), but good times were had by all.
We kind of made a mess.
And, of course, we had a Nerf fight.
It's a good start for the break.
Some tears were shed (mostly by Jake), but good times were had by all.
We kind of made a mess.
And, of course, we had a Nerf fight.
It's a good start for the break.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Battlefield Night the Fourth
As we approach the break, NJAB, my brothers, and I are preparing to maximize the utils we derive from our free time. How would we go about doing that?
Battlefield, of course.
Tonight was the first of many gaming nights that will be taking place at the Rabalais residence. Tomorrow is Halo Night 7, where the carnage will continue on Reach. Expect a blog post on Friday or Saturday.
In the meantime, some photos.
Battlefield, of course.
Tonight was the first of many gaming nights that will be taking place at the Rabalais residence. Tomorrow is Halo Night 7, where the carnage will continue on Reach. Expect a blog post on Friday or Saturday.
In the meantime, some photos.
Airframe Again
Today I finished Airframe. It was pretty good, though I would say that it wasn't the strongest of the works of Crichton that I have read. That said, it was still a good story. It was an interesting change of pace, as there was almost no action in it. It dealt more with corporate espionage, the airplane industry, and the media's representation of information. It's nice to read a book that isn't about action but still manages to be fast-paced and tense.
I feel like I learned a lot from this book. My perception of the FAA is a bit different, and my awareness of the JAA (the Joint Aviation Authorities) increased from zero over the course of my reading. I also found out a lot about planes that I didn't expect. For example, did you know that there can be over 100 black boxes on a large airplane? I didn't.
I liked this book for many reasons, but the educational aspect was the part I liked best.Michael Crichton always weaved a story around facts that he researched, so the stories always feel real. Airframe was no exception to this trend.
I feel like I learned a lot from this book. My perception of the FAA is a bit different, and my awareness of the JAA (the Joint Aviation Authorities) increased from zero over the course of my reading. I also found out a lot about planes that I didn't expect. For example, did you know that there can be over 100 black boxes on a large airplane? I didn't.
I liked this book for many reasons, but the educational aspect was the part I liked best.Michael Crichton always weaved a story around facts that he researched, so the stories always feel real. Airframe was no exception to this trend.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Airframe
For my independent reading assignment, I chose Airframe by Michael Crichton. I chose this book because Crichton is one of my favorite authors and I want to read more of his books. So far I have read State of Fear, Prey, and Rising Sun, and all of them were excellent. I think that any book by Michael Crichton would be a book I could enjoy.
The main reason that I like Michael Crichton books is that they present a lot of facts about subjects that I find interesting. For example, State of Fear was focused on the subject of global warming. It gave (and cited) a ton of facts about global climate change, and it forced me to think about it. Most books don't do that, so it's nice when one comes along and educates you in an unexpected way.
That's what I'm looking forward to in Airframe. I hope that it can help me learn about airplanes and the travel industry as much as Rising Sun taught me about Japanese business and culture. Here's hoping that the book is good.
The main reason that I like Michael Crichton books is that they present a lot of facts about subjects that I find interesting. For example, State of Fear was focused on the subject of global warming. It gave (and cited) a ton of facts about global climate change, and it forced me to think about it. Most books don't do that, so it's nice when one comes along and educates you in an unexpected way.
That's what I'm looking forward to in Airframe. I hope that it can help me learn about airplanes and the travel industry as much as Rising Sun taught me about Japanese business and culture. Here's hoping that the book is good.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Stocks
For SUPA Econ, we were asked to invest an imaginary $20000 in the stock market. We had to invest $10000 in the DOW market and $10000 in more aggressive stocks. After that, we monitored the stocks in preparation for the paper we have to write. The project is due on 12/27.
After about a month of monitoring, my brother and I are going to sell our stocks. If our stocks are up 10% total at the end of the project, we get bonus points. Unfortunately for Mitchell and I, we are only up about $760. I hope that Amazon stocks skyrocket by tonight or else we probably won't get the points.
After about a month of monitoring, my brother and I are going to sell our stocks. If our stocks are up 10% total at the end of the project, we get bonus points. Unfortunately for Mitchell and I, we are only up about $760. I hope that Amazon stocks skyrocket by tonight or else we probably won't get the points.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Holmes
Sherlock Holmes, the most recent adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous character, is one of my favorite movies. I've read a few Holmes books, including A Study in Scarlet and The Hounds of the Baskervilles, and I really enjoyed them, so it was nice to see a movie about Holmes that didn't suck. I found the characters and their dialogue to be witty and engaging, and the plot was exciting.
One of my favorite things about this movie is that it represents Holmes in a form that is closer to Doyle's character than most other adaptations since then. In most modern depictions, Sherlock is a brilliant detective with perfect logical methods and always has his game face on. This isn't how the character was at the beginning. In the books he would enter periods of near depression between cases. He would do drugs like cocaine and morphine just to keep himself stimulated, much to the chagrin of Dr. Watson, and would not leave his house for days. The movie keeps the character more true to his original form.
I was excited to hear that we were watching the movie in class, especially since the sequel comes out tomorrow. I plan on seeing it on Saturday, so keep watching the blog. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows might be the first movie to get a review on the fastest growing blog on the internet.*
*Not even close.
One of my favorite things about this movie is that it represents Holmes in a form that is closer to Doyle's character than most other adaptations since then. In most modern depictions, Sherlock is a brilliant detective with perfect logical methods and always has his game face on. This isn't how the character was at the beginning. In the books he would enter periods of near depression between cases. He would do drugs like cocaine and morphine just to keep himself stimulated, much to the chagrin of Dr. Watson, and would not leave his house for days. The movie keeps the character more true to his original form.
I was excited to hear that we were watching the movie in class, especially since the sequel comes out tomorrow. I plan on seeing it on Saturday, so keep watching the blog. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows might be the first movie to get a review on the fastest growing blog on the internet.*
*Not even close.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
A Hero's Return
After nearly two weeks away from home, Oswego High School's #1 graduate will be making his triumphant return this Saturday. That's right, Mason Rabalais will be home for the holidays. After destroying some finals at Auburn University he has earned a month's respite, and I'm sure cold New York is his dream destination for a winter sojourn.
During Mason's stay, I imagine that we will get the triple Xbox setup running again downstairs. Long-time followers (has it been two weeks already?) might remember the ultimate gaming station that Mason, NJAB, and I played on. Expect new posts about our Battlefield shenanigans and Halo Night 7, which will be happening on December 23.
By a strange coincidence, Christmas happens to fall on one of the days that Mason will be here. I am entertaining the idea of giving him a present, but I don't know what to get. If you've got any good suggestions, please leave a comment below.
During Mason's stay, I imagine that we will get the triple Xbox setup running again downstairs. Long-time followers (has it been two weeks already?) might remember the ultimate gaming station that Mason, NJAB, and I played on. Expect new posts about our Battlefield shenanigans and Halo Night 7, which will be happening on December 23.
By a strange coincidence, Christmas happens to fall on one of the days that Mason will be here. I am entertaining the idea of giving him a present, but I don't know what to get. If you've got any good suggestions, please leave a comment below.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Book Review
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is an interesting read. The pacing was different as the story often jumped from the main story to a loosely related fact or formula, such as chapters 149 151, where Christopher, the narrator, jumps from reading a letter from his mother who he assumed was dead to an explanation of the calculation of animal populations (pages 90-102). This method of storytelling is nice, though, as it is a departure from the boringly linear stories we normally read at school.
Reading a story from the perspective of someone with Asperger's syndrome is interesting. The writing style reminds me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest because they both are narrated by a character who doesn't think like an ordinary person does. In The Curious Incident, however, the narrator seems to be able to distinguish between what's real and what isn't, which makes the book easy to understand. This makes the book more accessible to the average reader.
The ending was heartwarming, I wanted to know if there was an escalated level of animosity between Mrs. Shears and Christopher's dad and what effect that would have on Christopher. Other than that, I think the ending was pretty good. This was definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
Reading a story from the perspective of someone with Asperger's syndrome is interesting. The writing style reminds me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest because they both are narrated by a character who doesn't think like an ordinary person does. In The Curious Incident, however, the narrator seems to be able to distinguish between what's real and what isn't, which makes the book easy to understand. This makes the book more accessible to the average reader.
The ending was heartwarming, I wanted to know if there was an escalated level of animosity between Mrs. Shears and Christopher's dad and what effect that would have on Christopher. Other than that, I think the ending was pretty good. This was definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Quote Reaction 2
Henry David Thoreau believed that in order to live well, we need to reduce the amount of material goods we have. Otherwise, these things begin to dominate us. Take a position on this and explain.
I mostly disagree with Thoreau. The problem is that we get too attached to our possessions, not that we have too many (I won't exclude myself from this). People seem to forget that things are replaceable and they place sentimental value upon the lowliest of objects. If we can move past this notion, we can own as much stuff as we want and not have our lives be consumed by it. However, some people do seem to be incapable of ridding themselves of their things (just watch Hoarders), and these people prove Thoreau to not be completely incorrect.
Given those exceptions, I think that Thoreau just had a problem with materialism. He could have easily picked another target for this statement. He could have chosen religion, or money, or people, as I think these are all things that can consume a person's life if they don't manage them properly, but he probably just didn't like the way people became attached to possessions. I bet he was a communist.
I mostly disagree with Thoreau. The problem is that we get too attached to our possessions, not that we have too many (I won't exclude myself from this). People seem to forget that things are replaceable and they place sentimental value upon the lowliest of objects. If we can move past this notion, we can own as much stuff as we want and not have our lives be consumed by it. However, some people do seem to be incapable of ridding themselves of their things (just watch Hoarders), and these people prove Thoreau to not be completely incorrect.
Given those exceptions, I think that Thoreau just had a problem with materialism. He could have easily picked another target for this statement. He could have chosen religion, or money, or people, as I think these are all things that can consume a person's life if they don't manage them properly, but he probably just didn't like the way people became attached to possessions. I bet he was a communist.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Quote Reaction
"Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all of the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules even if you spent all your time thinking about them." (Haddon 12)
I don't really understand what he means by this. The part I don't get is "you could never work out the rules." The rules are easy to figure out because there is only one. A prime number is an integer whose only factors are one and itself. The only confusing prime number is two, which is an anomaly because it is the only even prime number. Other than that, prime numbers are easy to figure out. Since the main character of the story knows so many prime numbers, it seems strange that he would say something like this.
If I were to revise the statement, I would say that life is more like a composite number than a prime number. With a prime number, there is only one way to get to your answer, whereas with a composite number there are multiple avenues of approach. Just as life does, composite numbers give you options. That makes more sense to me than saying that life is like prime numbers.
I don't really understand what he means by this. The part I don't get is "you could never work out the rules." The rules are easy to figure out because there is only one. A prime number is an integer whose only factors are one and itself. The only confusing prime number is two, which is an anomaly because it is the only even prime number. Other than that, prime numbers are easy to figure out. Since the main character of the story knows so many prime numbers, it seems strange that he would say something like this.
If I were to revise the statement, I would say that life is more like a composite number than a prime number. With a prime number, there is only one way to get to your answer, whereas with a composite number there are multiple avenues of approach. Just as life does, composite numbers give you options. That makes more sense to me than saying that life is like prime numbers.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Mission Accomplished
What could be better than winning the Poker Cup? Most would say that nothing could compare to that sweet victory. However, most didn't also get an appointment to West Point.
Take a good look. That's a future general right there.
Poker Club
Earlier today, Poker Club 6 (sponsored by Nils) commenced. Later in the day, it ended.What transpired between the beginning and the end was a grueling eight hour game of (relatively) high stakes Texas Hold 'Em. The game was close, but the victor did eventually emerge from a tense final hand. Who could the winner be?
No, it wasn't just Mason. The real winners were him, Mitchell, NJAB, and myself. The hours spent building that magnificent table were well worth the fun we had playing on it. That was the victory the four of us can take away from this.
Also, I won Poker Club 6.
Photo courtesy of GROB. That's me holding the coveted Poker Cup. It has been likened to the Holy Grail for its value.
Best Poker Club in history.
Also, I won Poker Club 6.
Best Poker Club in history.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Battlefield 3 Night 3
Naturally, our bloodlust drove us back to the battlefield. NJAB, Mason, and I picked up our controllers again tonight to slake our thirst for virtual combat. If Mason hadn't sucked as bad as he did, we might have been successful in our endeavor.
Poker Table
The construction of the Official Poker Club (sponsored by Nils) Table is still underway. Go to http://umlnc.blogspot.com/ and check out the pictures if you want to see how awesome it will be.
Battlefield Night Again
After a grueling Halo Night, could we possibly play more video games?
Of course we could.
NJAB, Mason, and I got back into Battlefield 3 to kill some Russians.
NJAB and Mason had a romantic moment.
This might have been better than the first Battlefield Night.
Of course we could.
NJAB, Mason, and I got back into Battlefield 3 to kill some Russians.
NJAB and Mason had a romantic moment.
This might have been better than the first Battlefield Night.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Poker Club
The sixth iteration of Poker Club (sponsored by Nils) is upon us. In preparation for this momentous occasion, construction of a poker table is underway. Funded by NJAB and the Rabalais brothers, this table, upon completion, just might be the greatest object ever created.
Halo Night
Mason, Annal, Baer, C. Morgan, Livoti, Difabio, Mitchell, and myself all participated in Halo Night 6. Lots of tears were shed, but in the end the weak were culled. And by weak I mean Jake. Rest assured, the Covenant hordes no longer threaten Reach.
Battlefield Night
Mason, NJAB, and myself got together to play Battlefield 3 last night. I have decided that this is the only way to play. Three flat panels + three Xbox 360 consoles + Battlefield 3 + late at night = greatest gaming experience.
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