Monthly Archive for December, 2006

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Published on December 22, 2006 in Books and Harry Potter. 4 Comments

Harry Potter 7The title for the 7th Harry Potter book has been announced! With death in the title, we must assume that there will be characters killed off, but who? Harry? Voldemort? Both!? I think that one of those two must go but the possibilities for deaths of secondary characters are endless. I really must say that I can’t wait for this book to come out; I love the Harry Potter series and I’m dying to hear what happens. My first prediction for a release date is July 31, 2007; that’s Harry’s and J.K. Rowling’s birthday, and my second pick is July 7, 2007 because of all the sevens in the date.

Update: It was announced on Feb. 1 that the release date will be July 21, 2007. I’ve already started a countdown widget on my dashboard; only 5 months and 20 days to go!

Update 2: Apple’s dashboard site now hosts a true countdown widget, courtesy of The Leaky Cauldron.

The best plot speculation that I’ve seen so far is that Dumbledore is not actually dead. The article gave a lot of convincing evidence for his death being a ruse cooked up by him and Snape. J.K. basically shot that theory down, saying that “you shouldn’t expect Dumbledore to do a Gandalf,” but there is still room for speculation on how he will factor into Book 7. It is possible that he will communicate with Harry through his portrait in the headmaster’s office.

In any case, I’m sure that J.K. knows what she is doing; the rest of the books (with the exception of the sixth) have been masterfully crafted. All of the loose ends will be tied up, and the plot will probably hinge on something that no one expected. We’ll just have to wait a few more months to find out. Luckily paper is widely available; there probably won’t be copies of the book selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay (that was a PS3 joke, in case you didn’t get it).

A Third Semester Done (Well, Almost)

Published on December 14, 2006 in Life Events and School. 2 Comments

Busy StudentI guess I can’t call myself done when I still have a paper to write, four exams to study for, and a random problem set that all must be completed by next Thursday at noon. But I have been absolutely immersed this past week and a half in wrapping things up, and little milestones mean everything to me right now. I’m done with webwork (possibly forever!), a project for one class, a paper on RFID for physics, lab reports, and almost all problem sets, but I still have the aforementioned items to get through. Tonight is off-limits for work, though, and tomorrow morning I am going to sleep in for once in my life get up early and go to the Mt. Hope Diner with some awesome cross-country alumni.

I’m hesitant to speak about the semester when it isn’t actually done yet. Although 23 credits was absolutely insane, and I’m entirely sure that I won’t take that much of an overload ever again in my life, I must say that it was a really good experience to have. It will make next semester feel like vacation in comparison, and it has really gave me an idea of what it is like to be so busy you feel like you are going to go out of your mind. Another great thing about it was that it made the semester absolutely fly by. Most weeks I didn’t have a spare minute to think, from Monday at 8am to Friday at 3pm, and I really enjoyed it. It also helps that my classes were interesting.

Looking back, I thought that:

  • My Multivariable Calc class was going to be easy (Hell no)
  • My Discrete Math class would be interesting (Turns out I already knew most of the course material, and the homework was really long and repetitive busywork)
  • My Physics class would be moderately hard (There were pages, and I mean pages, of math every lecture. I still haven’t wrapped my head around all of the derivations)
  • My Arabian Nights class would have really good discussions (There were classes where only one or two people talked)
  • I would really like my Circuits class (I loved it)

Top prize for my favorite class of the semester was my circuits class. The lectures were well taught, the labs actually helped me learn the material, mostly because they required designing circuits as pre-lab exercises, and the homework was almost fun in a nerdy way. Physics was a close second. That class took me to a whole new level in calculus, and made me want to get a minor in Physics. Lectures were good, but not outstanding, but the lecture notes that our professor gave us every class were fantastic. It was like he wrote his own textbook. So if you attend the University of Rochester and you ever have the chance to take Circuits with Professor Jones or Honors Physics with Professor Cline, I highly recommend it.

Next semester is the first semester that I am taking not a single liberal arts class. Quantum Mechanics, Data Structures, Signals & Circuits II, and Computer Organization are all on the horizon. I’m pretty excited, but first I have four exams and a hopefully fun and relaxing holiday break to get through. A thoroughly satisfying fall semester, but one that I’m glad is almost over so I can stop being so busy! Now back to the books for the next seven days straight…

Sunday Foxtrot Treat

Published on December 10, 2006 in Asides. 2 Comments

Today’s Foxtrot is a synergy of two of my all-time favorite comics. Unfortunately it was just announced that there will be no more Foxtrot dailies after this year is over. This means that out of my four favorite comic strips — Calvin & Hobbes, Peanuts, Foxtrot, and Garfield — only one is still being drawn regularly.
Foxtrot comic

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