Went to see a movie tonight. I wanted to see Weather Man since the trailer looked good and it involved archery of which I have some experience. But after arriving at the theatre, my friend and I balked at having to pay $14 so we went to a different theatre instead to catch another movie.

It came down to Legend of Zorro, Saw II or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. My initial choice was Zorro but my friend said it had a score of 8% on Rotten Tomatoes. Well, it has a somewhat higher score now but it's still pretty low. We decided on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang because we both never heard anything about the movie and wanted to be surprised. Also, the girl was pretty hot in the poster - that had such little bearing on our decision I don't know why I mentioned it.

It turned out to be a great decision. The movie was really funny with twists after twists in the plot. I totally recommend it. Rotten Tomatoes agrees.

The fencing coach offered me a position on the team this year. After mulling over it a bit, I had to tell him no. It's just too busy this year and there's too much other things I want to do. He tried his best to lay the guilt trip on me though :lol: He said if I have time for friends, I have time for fencing. When I said civil engineering takes up a lot of time, he dismissed it as not a real engineering course then offered to get me a tutor haha. Anyhow, I told him maybe next year.

One of the things I want to do this year is the bridge building competition in February. We've already put together a team. I have to say we are pretty serious about it as we have already begun researching designs. Other teams watch out!

On a completely different note, it just came to my attention that many laser printers imprint a near to invisible code that contains the serial number as well as other information such as date printed on every printout. Apparently, this was an agreement that the Secret Service quietly brokered with the manufacturers to aid in tracking counterfeiters.


The code is in the form of tiny patterns of yellow dots that's placed intermittingly within the document. It is invisible to the naked eye but it can be seen when a blue light is shone on the page.

This, of course, raises many privacy issues. What can be used as a tool to track down criminals can also be improperly used to intrude on personal privacy.

Big Brother is watching you!

Read more about it here.

So here I am typing on my custom built watercooled computer and you know what I just realized? This year was the first time I did not tinker with it! Is it true? Did entering civil engineering really quell the computer geek inside me? Or was it merely suppressed, to emerge once again with dire girl-repelling consequences? Oops! I just had a thought about upgrading my video card. Haha, wasn't that fantasy short-lived.

But while we are on the subject of computers, let's revisit some of Brian's more memorable computing moments:

• Hunting for the elusive mother-of-all-overclock Thoroughbred 'B' CPU core and getting kicked out of a computer store in the process for asking to examine manufacturing codes (good ol' times eh Hojo lol)


• Hooked up my computer outside in the Winter at -20C temperature to see how much more juice I can put through it to later find out I broke the CD drive. When I took it back to the store for warranty, the guy asked me what happened. I honestly told them my computer simply froze - ROFLOL - genius. Oh, don't you love people like me abusing warranties ;)


• Converted my computer to watercooling. It has a magnetic drive pump and a 1978 LUV truck heater core radiator inside. They say electricity and water don't mix. But they also say pigs will never fly... I believe pigs will fly one day.


• Had 3 hard drives go on me. It could be sheer coincidence or it could be because I'm running them 40% above specs. Nahhhh, coincidence.


• Spent one frustrating day rewiring my CPU with a magnifying glass, conductive paint and a toothpick. God damn you technology for making CPUs so small!!! Trust me, just buy a faster CPU. It's not worth the effort.

I came across this a long time ago. It's one of the most amazing optical illusion you can create in your own home. Just print it out - preferably on thick paper - and follow the instructions!

• Check out video of illusion
• Make your own!

I threw a small hockey party today at my house. A couple of my friends came over and we cheered and jeered the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season opener against the Ottawa Senators.

The game was very dramatic and it almost seemed like it was showcasing the new NHL rules: near to no icing, exciting double-line passes, speed through the neutral zone, sudden death overtime and ultimately, the final shootout that the Senators won.

The opener also revealed some serious flaws in the Leafs. Belfour reacted painfully slow during the shootout, now an integral part of the game under the new rules. He's still a great goalie because he can read plays and has a lot of experience but you cannot deny the fact he is 40 years old and has nowhere the reaction time of younger goalies. I say put in Tellqvist, the rookie backup goalie, for the shootout in the future.

Another concern is Antropov. He's big and tall and carries a big stick but he sucks balls! How long are the Maple Leafs going to keep saying this year is the breakout year?? We've been hearing that for 3 seasons and all he has shown us during that time is his inability to finish plays and his uncanny ability to get injured. Maybe the coaching staff should teach him how to skate first because I swear I see his legs move while he hardly moves.

I am a retard. I finished the economics assignment that was due today a week ago but forgot to hand it in after class. I dropped it off in the professor's mailbox later today. Maybe he will be lenient :fingers crossed:

I had fencing lesson today. After the class, the coach approached me and said he wanted to work privately with me and try me out for the university team next year! I'm flattered but I'm just not certain how far I want to take this fencing thing since school comes first for me.

Last two parts of the Monkey Island play have been posted.