10:00 AM

There was a unique experience in college that I would say most who attended had. It was when you stayed up all night writing a paper or finishing a project. After you hand it in and head back to your room, there a moment of pure bliss. Its a weird yet perfect combination of exhaustion from being up all night, relief from 9+ hours of stress of a deadline, and a sense of fulfillment from obtaining a difficult goal.

I miss that feeling. Where you are staring at you bed after such a long night and know that you can allow yourself to sleep as long as you want, because you earned it.

Maybe my work isn't challenging enough to put me through that pressure/relief cycle. Or maybe I'm just being nostalgic.

Bed of Roses

I always attempted to get out and see the world. As much as I could at least. When traveling, I think sometimes you are lucky enough to get into the heart of a culture and see beyond the big sights. Like while in Ireland, I was able to be there long enough that I feel like I got beyond the blarney stone (which I proudly never visited) and got a pretty good understanding of the Irish mentality and way of life.

Other times, you basically check off you've been there. Just so you can say you've done it. "Niagra Falls...yep, that's a lot of water. What's for lunch?" There are alot of sights that you really should see, and when you do them, you just need to get it over with and move on. Times Square in NYC, Notre Dame and the Mona Lisa in Paris, Liberty Bell in Philly, White House in DC, etc.

This weekend, I had a "check off" experience. I think while in Jersey, its important to get drunk and shout along with a Bon Jovi song in a crowded bar at least once in your life. Just to say you've done it.

Tats

After looking at some geek tattoos, (warning, it has a weird subscription thing after looking at like 5 pages. And do not look while eating as I did, geeks are generally not a good looking people with their shirts off) I've decided that if I were ever to get a Tattoo or T-Shirt to emblazon my geek pride, it would be:

c:\doom -fast


Yeah, I'm that hardcore.

Flight 93

Something that has always bugged me is that in the aftermath of 9/11, the story about how the passengers Flight 93 managed to take down the plane into a PA field was never the huge deal I thought it would/should. In essence, they potentially saved anywhere from hundreds of lives, the president's, half of congress, or who knows depending on where the plan was to crash the plane.

So why isn't that #1 story about 9/11 behind the Towers collapsing? On a normal news day, we search for heroes like bears for food. Ripping through the actual story in order to get 1 morsel of uplifting goodness. I would have thought that in the time after 9/11, American's would have rallied behind the fight back spirit of that flight and that it would have been used as a symbol by politicians. But it wasn't. I see a few "Let's Roll" bumper stickers, but I have no idea of the names of any of the people on that flight. And I should. They did more to help us from a complete post 9/11 free fall than Cindy Sheenan ever did, yet she's a hero whose name I know and the people on the PA flight are faceless and nameless to me.

Imagine if that plane does hit the Capital building. Our greatest symbols of Commerce, Government, and Defense all stuck in the same day. And the Capital building has 100% for symbolic value than the Pentagon does.

I'm sure the answer has to do it being a sign of the times. No video, no audio, no story. If it can't be replayed ad nauseam, then it just doesn't make the impact. All we had were accounts from relatives and I think there was a black box tape that was released too long after for the normal public to care.

Well, I think that might change:

Flight 93


Most people may say its too soon for a movie like this. I say it’s not soon enough. Depending on the slant the director takes, I think it may bring to the forefront how important this story should be in our memory of 9/11. I trust the director to do this correctly. I saw Bloody Sunday; another pseudo-documentary by Greengrass that I thought was very well done. Time will tell, I guess.

Bentham

I think my boss reads Faucault.

Not really, but it would be sweet if she did. During the winter months, there are a few days due to weather or school closings, she will be late to work. Which is of no relevence to me. However, here's the awesome part. On the days she knows she won't be in until 10 or 11, she has a insider in the office open her office door and turn the light on, thus providing the illusion that she's there.

ie: The Panopticon.

Her power so complete over us that she rules with only the chance of her being there to keep us in line.

I tried to explain this to my coworkers and was met only with blank stares. I don't think my revolt will go very well.