2005-04-21 - 1:38 a.m.
So, this undergrad crypto course I'm grading. I just got an email from the prof, which ended with "and congrats on Dartmouth!" I don't think I told him either, so word's got around a little. I'm glad he's happy for me. and Im glad I have a couple of months to enjoy things before I get to stress again about where I'm going and getting there and stuff.
Instead of doing homework today, I started working on this open graph theory problem. (for non-math/cs types, and open problem is a problem no one has ever solved) its not like a mind blowing earth shattering problem, but if ar and i solve it, we get published and a pat on the back. honestly, I'll probably get accepted into NYU too, if I publish. (but fuck them. I'm goin' to dartmouth!)
seriously, a phd student told me he was actually embarrased for the school he goes to that I didnt get in/probably wont get accepted. I have the freedom of feeling this way on account of getting into a good school, but I right now, I feel like mailing them a rejection letter consisting of a big ol' photocopy of my middle finger.
its late, and I digress. I was pretty blue today, but I think it was all on account of working at home. I didn't talk to another human being until 3PM or so. you can get a little stir crazy doing that. at least I can.
all the religious stuff seems interesting to me, a non-christian outsider. I mean, all the rules for electing the pope. fascinating!
and the virgin mary that appeared under an overpass in chicago in the form of concrete corrosion. my feeling is, who's to say it isn't a miracle?
some say the pope was elected by cardinals. some say he was selected by god, who (roughly speaking) spoke through the cardinals. if every single cardinal truly believed that, Im not sure you could say it wasnt true. what is a miracle anyway? maybe its just something that people come to believe.
i dont think you can prove that the corrosion under the overpass in chicago wasnt a divine inspiration. i dont think it was, but I'm hard felt to prove it wasnt.
and yeah, the new pope was a hitler youth. I'm not sure it matters, although I haven't heard his views on it. they say he's super conservative. I wonder how that all will play out. My first impression is that he'll have just enough time to piss some people off before he dies, and the next person will be more liberal. but what do I know?
