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Year View| Summary| Highlights| Month View| Tuesday 27 July 2004 (Day View)

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27.07.2004 – Tuesday 27 July – I, Robot

Morning

• I woke up when my alarm went off, at six o’clock, and again eight minutes later. Eight o’clock starts aren’t my favourite things. Nevertheless, I managed to get to uni on time, and it wasn’t even that cold. I found the right room for my COMP2801 practical, and formed a group with the three people sitting nearest me – all of whom I happened to know, vaguely. I had been a little worried that I’d end up being automatically assigned a group of dumb people – less intellectually endowed people, I should say, or people who wouldn’t do any work, couldn’t speak English, were intolerable, had multiple open wounds, etc. I just wasn’t quite sure what people would go to an 8 AM practical, because, by my logic, no sane person would intentionally sign up for something that early. Fortunately, though, I think the group I’ve managed to get are reasonably intelligent, willing and able to try, well versed in basic English and other associated communication skills, including, but not limited to, the ability to write and talk in an understandable manner, and so on, and so forth. In other words, I’m hopeful that I’m in a good group.
  We then proceeded to “bond”, by attempting to survive a plane crash in snowy, sub-zero northern Canada, in a wooded area crisscrossed with creeks and roughly 20 miles from the nearest town. Luckily, we had some vital survival equipment, such as a lighter with no fluid, a ball of steel wool, and two dead pilots. We had to individually rank these (and several other) items in order of importance to our survival, and then do the same again but as a group. We then compared our results to that of an “expert”, who, I suspect, would accidentally kill himself (and several innocent bystanders) while trying to survive a trip to the local supermarket. Nevertheless, we bonded, and, apart from one member who took the whisky and headed towards town and certain death, and another member who didn’t place enough importance on the lighter and froze to death, and myself and another member who left the steel wool behind and not only froze to death but were also unable to signal for help due to the unreflective properties of Crisco shortening, we all survived.

Afternoon

• Kieran, Marcus and I went to our inaugural COMS3200 lecture, and I wasn’t impressed by it. Admittedly, it’s only the first one, and I can’t actually remember anything that was said as I was designing and drawing detailed plans for a butter-curling machine at the time, but what I do remember wasn’t promising. The lecturer, who is a woman, is, as usual, foreign, and didn’t appear to be at all engaging. I found the lecture boring, and I’d probably have learnt more from reading the notes at home. I’ve heard COMS3200 is difficult, so didn’t really want the added burden of a boring, difficult to understand, and unengaging lecturer. Apparently, we’ve another lecturer who will teach half the course, who is new to UQ, having just come from Zurich – so maybe he will be better. Or perhaps this lecturer will warm up to the topic – as two hours of her today wasn’t pleasing.

Evening

• I went and saw Kieran. Kieran and I went to POD and printed $28.80 worth of pages at 6¢ a page. Kieran and I went to the union bookshop and didn’t find any textbooks. Kieran and I went to Clint’s and found one Clint, slightly worn. I went to the labs and didn’t do what I planned to go to the labs and do. Raymond came to the labs. Raymond and I went to Clint’s room. Clint, Raymond and I met Sméagol. Sméagol offered to drive us to the bus stop. Sméagol drove us all the way to Indooroopilly. I ate a felafel kebab. Clint ate something that may perhaps have been a chicken, once upon a time. Raymond had already eaten college food, and isn’t feeling sick, yet.

Night

• Clint, Raymond, and, most importantly of all, me, bought tickets and “super-mega frozen coke with both flavours please”, and went and saw “I, Robot”. We met Kieran, who was already there, having decided to, after having decided not to, come – so to speak. The movie was movie-like, and had loud sounds, but unfortunately decidedly Hollywood. Even so, I had fun – and then, as Clint would say, “Train station”.

Comment by maddox – Thursday 29 July 2004, 11:07 AM

  http://maddox.xmission.com/c.cgi?u=i_robot

Comment by Ned – Saturday 31 July 2004, 3:36 AM

  Amusing, and accurate – in a way...