A collection of the innermost thoughts of Yours Truly - some serious, some funny, some utterly random.
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was amazing. If for some crazy reason you haven't read it yet, I won't spoil any of it here, but there were some great plot twists. And quite a few of my predictions turned out to be right, which I really liked. The only sad part is that it's finally over.
- Whoever ordered all those powered gloves for my lab deserves to be shot. I hate powdered gloves.
- Maybe I'm on a sci-fi jag or something, but Tabula Rasa and Mass Effect both look very appealing to me right now. Only problem - apart from finding time to actually play them - is that Mass Effect's for Xbox 360, which I don't have and am unlikely to get anytime soon...but I'm sure there'll be someone at MIT who has one. *grin*
- Speaking of MIT - dorm assignments come out today! Just three hours to go now....I'm really hoping for Baker, my first choice, but I'll be pretty happy with Simmons or Burton-Conner as well.
- One of the subtle perks of going to MIT is that your relatives and friends will buy you books simply because they were written by MIT faculty. My aunt, for example, gave me John Maeda's Laws of Simplicity as part of my graduation present. It's a very good little book, and it's rather inspired me to look more deeply into the Media Lab over the next few years. I would really encourage you to buy it, or at least browse one of Maeda's two "simplicity" blogs.
- On a side note - my aunt also gave me a 120 GB external hard drive and some nice cold cash. She knows me so well. :)
- I've just started listening to Pandora Radio, and it is amazing.
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I'm Not Sleeping (Yet)
Harry was amazing.
Naturally.
I would say more, but it's freaking three o'clock in the morning and I need some sleep before 7:45 rolls around. Yes, it's a tough life I live, but someone's gotta do it.
I see her on the TV, I see her in the movies
I see her in these animals that dance beside my bed
(Whoever knows who wrote the song I'm quoting gets a cookie.)
Naturally.
I would say more, but it's freaking three o'clock in the morning and I need some sleep before 7:45 rolls around. Yes, it's a tough life I live, but someone's gotta do it.
I see her on the TV, I see her in the movies
I see her in these animals that dance beside my bed
(Whoever knows who wrote the song I'm quoting gets a cookie.)
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
HARRY HARRY HARRY HARRY
So, in case you've been living under a rock for the past six months and haven't heard, tonight is the U.S. premier of the fifth Harry Potter movie.
And my friends and I - after camping outside the movie theater for weeks on end, fighting off hordes of crazed fans, and shelling out considerable cold cash - have tickets for the midnight showing.
In case it wasn't obvious, by the way, that's a blatantly fictitious story - except, sadly, for the part about the money. But it sounds much more exciting my way.
Anyway, to get to the point of this entry, the only minor drawback to this amazing opportunity is that - oh, right - I still have work tomorrow because someone decided to premiere this movie in the middle of the week.
Incidentally, I'm at work right now. But one of the great advantages of academia in general, and research specifically, is the tremendous amount of downtime. Which I am now putting to good use. I get another blog entry under my belt, you hopefully get some laughs or at least a smile - everybody's happy! Except maybe my professor, but fortunately he doesn't read this anyway.
But as I was saying, because I have work tomorrow, I have to be somewhat conscious about 7:30 in the morning. And since I know that coffee, Mountain Drew, and Red Bull are not, contrary to popular opinion, healthy alternatives to sleep, my schedule for the rest of the day looks something like this:
3:45 - stop slacking off and get back to work
5:00 - leave work
5:15 - get home
5:16 - fall asleep
10:30 - get up, get dressed, get out of the house, get in line
11:15 - theater starts seating
midnight - HARRY HARRY HARRY HARRY
2:45ish - movie finishes, I drive home
3:00 - crash in my bed
7:30 - wake up and begin the day
Needless to say, I have both high hopes and high expectations for this movie. Here's wishing Order of the Phoenix will be worth sacrificing some sleep.
And my friends and I - after camping outside the movie theater for weeks on end, fighting off hordes of crazed fans, and shelling out considerable cold cash - have tickets for the midnight showing.
In case it wasn't obvious, by the way, that's a blatantly fictitious story - except, sadly, for the part about the money. But it sounds much more exciting my way.
Anyway, to get to the point of this entry, the only minor drawback to this amazing opportunity is that - oh, right - I still have work tomorrow because someone decided to premiere this movie in the middle of the week.
Incidentally, I'm at work right now. But one of the great advantages of academia in general, and research specifically, is the tremendous amount of downtime. Which I am now putting to good use. I get another blog entry under my belt, you hopefully get some laughs or at least a smile - everybody's happy! Except maybe my professor, but fortunately he doesn't read this anyway.
But as I was saying, because I have work tomorrow, I have to be somewhat conscious about 7:30 in the morning. And since I know that coffee, Mountain Drew, and Red Bull are not, contrary to popular opinion, healthy alternatives to sleep, my schedule for the rest of the day looks something like this:
3:45 - stop slacking off and get back to work
5:00 - leave work
5:15 - get home
5:16 - fall asleep
10:30 - get up, get dressed, get out of the house, get in line
11:15 - theater starts seating
midnight - HARRY HARRY HARRY HARRY
2:45ish - movie finishes, I drive home
3:00 - crash in my bed
7:30 - wake up and begin the day
Needless to say, I have both high hopes and high expectations for this movie. Here's wishing Order of the Phoenix will be worth sacrificing some sleep.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Summer flavor
So today was the Summer Solstice. "Sun stop," for all you Latinists out there (me). Apparently, if you happened to be standing outside at (local) noon, your shadow would have been the longest possible. Ever.
However, I did not see my longest shadow ever, because at local noon for South Bend I was shut up in my lab, either cutting bone or slacking off. There's a lot of slacking off in my lab. It's kind of the culture.
Also, I definitely meant to watch sunset this year, but I didn't. Instead I was in my room, wasting still more time on my laptop. Which inevitably calls to mind one of my favorite scenes from The Great Gatsby, when the ineffable Daisy Buchanan utters these ageless words: "Do you always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it?"
Yes, Daisy, I do.
I love my laptop, by the way. I'll probably post an entry dedicated to him soon. His name is TIM. And in case you're wondering, no, I did not name him after the beaver who seems to share his name. I named him TIM long before I found out Tim Beaver existed. Ergo, in a relativistic sense of things, my laptop was named TIM before the beaver was named Tim. So there. ;)
You may also be thinking it's weird/geeky/nerdy/insert-adjective-here to name your computers, but really it's not. Computers have always needed names, for networking purposes and such. So my personal thought is, why not give them actual names? Especially when said name actually means something to the owner.
Other random stuff going on, today was my parents' 32nd anniversary. Today was also Harry Potter's birthday, and probably should have been the day Book 7 came out, but I guess someone decided that delaying it a month would be a better plan, commercially speaking. As if the book wouldn't break all the records anyway.
Bitter much? Yes, just a little.
(EDIT: It has come to my attention that Harry was not born on the solstice, but rather on July 31, also known as Lammas, which used to be the solstice but no longer is, thanks to the precession of the equinoxes. And in case you're wondering why in the universe I know about the procession of the equinoxes, I used to be an astronomy nerd. Science Olympiad forever, baby.)
Other random comments: okay, I actually do read Jess' blog, I was just being sarcastic in the other comments, as I am wont to do. I pretty much stalk the MIT blogs, actually. It's kind of a bad habit.
More exciting news: I got my FPOP decision yesterday. Quick explanation - FPOP is MIT-speak for Freshman Pre-Orientation Program - they're basically wicked cool explorations of one particular academic or social area. Anyway, I got my first choice, Discover Mechanical Engineering! Because making robots is sexy and we all know it. I even went so far as to create the Facebook group for the DME'ers - which I named "Robots Are Hot." Clearly I am a geek, but I'm having hella fun with it, as my California friends would say.
By the way, I am utterly surprised I actually have readers. Thanks for all your comments and such guys, I don't take it for granted...you make this actually seem meaningful.
Oh, one more thing, which is kind of embarrassing but I'll tell you anyway because you may find it funny. For some reason my internal clock has been completely off today, probably because it's summer and all the days sort of run together, like all the different flavors of ice cream in a big cone. Instead of getting Monday flavor, and Tuesday flavor, and Wednesday flavor, and so on, all I get is summer flavor...one big, sticky, undifferentiated scoop of day.
So the net result of all this was that, this afternoon I thought it was Monday, and tonight I thought it was Friday. Which basically means that I am probably going to hate getting up for work tomorrow because it'll seem like Saturday.
When did summer vacation get so hard?
However, I did not see my longest shadow ever, because at local noon for South Bend I was shut up in my lab, either cutting bone or slacking off. There's a lot of slacking off in my lab. It's kind of the culture.
Also, I definitely meant to watch sunset this year, but I didn't. Instead I was in my room, wasting still more time on my laptop. Which inevitably calls to mind one of my favorite scenes from The Great Gatsby, when the ineffable Daisy Buchanan utters these ageless words: "Do you always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it?"
Yes, Daisy, I do.
I love my laptop, by the way. I'll probably post an entry dedicated to him soon. His name is TIM. And in case you're wondering, no, I did not name him after the beaver who seems to share his name. I named him TIM long before I found out Tim Beaver existed. Ergo, in a relativistic sense of things, my laptop was named TIM before the beaver was named Tim. So there. ;)
You may also be thinking it's weird/geeky/nerdy/insert-adjective-here to name your computers, but really it's not. Computers have always needed names, for networking purposes and such. So my personal thought is, why not give them actual names? Especially when said name actually means something to the owner.
Other random stuff going on, today was my parents' 32nd anniversary. Today was also Harry Potter's birthday, and probably should have been the day Book 7 came out, but I guess someone decided that delaying it a month would be a better plan, commercially speaking. As if the book wouldn't break all the records anyway.
Bitter much? Yes, just a little.
(EDIT: It has come to my attention that Harry was not born on the solstice, but rather on July 31, also known as Lammas, which used to be the solstice but no longer is, thanks to the precession of the equinoxes. And in case you're wondering why in the universe I know about the procession of the equinoxes, I used to be an astronomy nerd. Science Olympiad forever, baby.)
Other random comments: okay, I actually do read Jess' blog, I was just being sarcastic in the other comments, as I am wont to do. I pretty much stalk the MIT blogs, actually. It's kind of a bad habit.
More exciting news: I got my FPOP decision yesterday. Quick explanation - FPOP is MIT-speak for Freshman Pre-Orientation Program - they're basically wicked cool explorations of one particular academic or social area. Anyway, I got my first choice, Discover Mechanical Engineering! Because making robots is sexy and we all know it. I even went so far as to create the Facebook group for the DME'ers - which I named "Robots Are Hot." Clearly I am a geek, but I'm having hella fun with it, as my California friends would say.
By the way, I am utterly surprised I actually have readers. Thanks for all your comments and such guys, I don't take it for granted...you make this actually seem meaningful.
Oh, one more thing, which is kind of embarrassing but I'll tell you anyway because you may find it funny. For some reason my internal clock has been completely off today, probably because it's summer and all the days sort of run together, like all the different flavors of ice cream in a big cone. Instead of getting Monday flavor, and Tuesday flavor, and Wednesday flavor, and so on, all I get is summer flavor...one big, sticky, undifferentiated scoop of day.
So the net result of all this was that, this afternoon I thought it was Monday, and tonight I thought it was Friday. Which basically means that I am probably going to hate getting up for work tomorrow because it'll seem like Saturday.
When did summer vacation get so hard?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The things I would like to tell people
(but usually don't)
Introductions, someone once said, are tricky things.
Okay, so no one actually said that. I said that. But it's true, isn't it? So often in this world, you only get one chance to make yourself stand out. First impressions really do matter, and I don't want to screw this up. It's like introducing myself to a room full of strangers - only worse, because this is actually an entire Internet full of strangers.
So where to start? At the risk of being unoriginal, let me start by saying my name's Paul Baranay. I was born in South Bend, Indiana - I'm pretty sure that if anyone knows about it, they know it because of Notre Dame (as in Notre Dame football). I technically now live in Michigan, which annoys me to no end, especially since my house is right on the state line. And besides, it's more fun to say I'm from South Bend.
I'm 18 and just graduated from high school - glory hallelujah for that. Next year I'll be going to MIT, which I personally regard as the best school in the world. (Of course, I'm biased.) I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering, but apparently most people change their minds once they get to college, so don't hold me to that. This summer I'm working at good old Notre Dame, doing research with cow bones...but that's a story for another day. (It's also a good line on a resume.)
So, that's the boring stuff. It's lucky I'm not in high school anymore, otherwise I'd feel obliged to talk about all the stuff I did there. In retrospect, I did too much in high school anyway. But, hey, it didn't kill me and I still have a decent social life, so I guess it's all good.
As I said, though, that's the boring stuff, the easy stuff - the things that don't really tell you much about me, about what makes me different from anyone else, because everyone says those sorts of things.
The things I would like to tell people, but usually don't, are these:
I am basically the dumbest smart person you will ever meet. I am an undercover geek, an occasional athlete, a social butterfly, an unforgivable bibliophile. I am a nerd in prep's clothing, a scholar and a gentleman, a walking dictionary. I am optimistic and ironic, cynical and sarcastic.
I am lazy and I am an over-achiever. I used to be too involved for my own good and still think I've been cured.
I count by squares when I am nervous. I am working on memorizing pi and I actually think math jokes are funny.
I want to learn Italian and insist that Latin is a useful language to know. I am basically in love with Rome.
I am a poker player and a computer addict, a Facebook stalker and a fledging blogger. I am making a list of movies I need to see before I go to college. I buy too many books and not enough music.
I believe dark chocolate is God's gift to man. I pretend I don't like going to the mall. I love Oakley sunglasses, North Face fleece, and leather jackets.
I will always be a fan of the Notre Dame football team, no matter how much I claim to hate their performance during any given season. I have mostly gotten over my hatred for USC, but I will always despise Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. I recently converted to the Red Sox but I'd still cheer for the Colts over the Patriots.
I admire Dr. Gregory House as much as I despise the entire cast of Grey's Anatomy. I am obsessed with Harry Potter. I swear that Snape is not evil and Dumbledore is not dead. I dream of riding motorcycles and curing cancer. I think everyone could benefit from a little more dry humor.
Okay, so no one actually said that. I said that. But it's true, isn't it? So often in this world, you only get one chance to make yourself stand out. First impressions really do matter, and I don't want to screw this up. It's like introducing myself to a room full of strangers - only worse, because this is actually an entire Internet full of strangers.
So where to start? At the risk of being unoriginal, let me start by saying my name's Paul Baranay. I was born in South Bend, Indiana - I'm pretty sure that if anyone knows about it, they know it because of Notre Dame (as in Notre Dame football). I technically now live in Michigan, which annoys me to no end, especially since my house is right on the state line. And besides, it's more fun to say I'm from South Bend.
I'm 18 and just graduated from high school - glory hallelujah for that. Next year I'll be going to MIT, which I personally regard as the best school in the world. (Of course, I'm biased.) I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering, but apparently most people change their minds once they get to college, so don't hold me to that. This summer I'm working at good old Notre Dame, doing research with cow bones...but that's a story for another day. (It's also a good line on a resume.)
So, that's the boring stuff. It's lucky I'm not in high school anymore, otherwise I'd feel obliged to talk about all the stuff I did there. In retrospect, I did too much in high school anyway. But, hey, it didn't kill me and I still have a decent social life, so I guess it's all good.
As I said, though, that's the boring stuff, the easy stuff - the things that don't really tell you much about me, about what makes me different from anyone else, because everyone says those sorts of things.
The things I would like to tell people, but usually don't, are these:
I am basically the dumbest smart person you will ever meet. I am an undercover geek, an occasional athlete, a social butterfly, an unforgivable bibliophile. I am a nerd in prep's clothing, a scholar and a gentleman, a walking dictionary. I am optimistic and ironic, cynical and sarcastic.
I am lazy and I am an over-achiever. I used to be too involved for my own good and still think I've been cured.
I count by squares when I am nervous. I am working on memorizing pi and I actually think math jokes are funny.
I want to learn Italian and insist that Latin is a useful language to know. I am basically in love with Rome.
I am a poker player and a computer addict, a Facebook stalker and a fledging blogger. I am making a list of movies I need to see before I go to college. I buy too many books and not enough music.
I believe dark chocolate is God's gift to man. I pretend I don't like going to the mall. I love Oakley sunglasses, North Face fleece, and leather jackets.
I will always be a fan of the Notre Dame football team, no matter how much I claim to hate their performance during any given season. I have mostly gotten over my hatred for USC, but I will always despise Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. I recently converted to the Red Sox but I'd still cheer for the Colts over the Patriots.
I admire Dr. Gregory House as much as I despise the entire cast of Grey's Anatomy. I am obsessed with Harry Potter. I swear that Snape is not evil and Dumbledore is not dead. I dream of riding motorcycles and curing cancer. I think everyone could benefit from a little more dry humor.
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