New Computer April 30, 2004
Posted by Owen in : Weird , add a commentLast week I ordered a custom-built brand-spanking new Apple G4 laptop! (Back to the hood, yo.) Anyway, it shipped yesterday and I received a FedEx tracking number from the UCI bookstore (where I bought it from) and I noticed that they said it would take 6 days to arrive. I thought to myself: how can it possibly take 6 days to ship something from Northern California (where Apple is headquartered)? Then I realized that I didn’t recognize the orgin state abbreviation… the state was CN, not CA. But that must be a typo. Ok, so what city? Shanghai… as in Shanghai, China! So I guess that answers the question as to where they built the computer. 
Right now RedEx says it is in Anchorage, Alaska, so it’s really getting around. It’s traveled 10,000 miles and I haven’t even received it yet.
I’m looking forward to the new computer. I really like OS X, the ability to work anywhere, the convenience of having UNIX on the desktop (for my website), and anything shiny and new.
What happens in vegas, should stay in Vegas April 29, 2004
Posted by Owen in : Life , add a comment
Yeah, you didn’t see that.
Live from Iraq, It’s Saturday Night April 22, 2004
Posted by Owen in : Stuff... , add a commentPowerful images of soldiers returning from the war in Iraq. (From MetaFilter.)
Even the Dalai Lama needs a gun… April 17, 2004
Posted by Owen in : Stuff... , add a commentYesterday, around 4 PM, Bryan was standing near the UCI Power Plant, across from the Bren Events Center, with 20 other people waiting for a tour of the plant. The Dalai Lama was scheduled to speak at 4:30 and the road they were standing next to was closed to traffic. Around 4:15 a group of 5 or 6 vehicles drive by. As they pass, Bryan notices that each car has 3 people pointing machine guns (really!) at them… this was the Dalai Lama and his entourage. I guess there was an assassination attempt on him recently, so he has to travel carefully.
There was no noticeable police presence during the speech yesterday that I noticed, but the ushers were unusually buff.
I Say Dalai, You Say Lama April 16, 2004
Posted by Owen in : Stuff... , 2commentsToday Mike and I went to see the Dalai Lama speak. After waiting in a freakishly long line, we manage to get past the airport security (complete with “no parking in the white zone” style announcements) and take our seats. First, some beautiful Tibetan music is played then to much applause the Dalai Lama comes in. The lights are so bright he keeps putting his hands over his eyes, so someone hands him a UCI visor which he wears throughout the entire speech. The 14th Dalai Lama is a great guy—very compassionate, extremely funny, and quite interesting to listen to. He spoke on the need for compassion and ethical leadership among the youth of the world. We should find reward in positive experiences, not in negative or violent actions. A few gifts were given to his holiness and he answered some Q&A. He told some jokes, related some of his experiences, and explained his views on life. After he finished speaking Sharon Stone (Sharon Stone!) came on the stage and talked about a “karmatic explosion” because of this meeting of minds and how this lecture will irrevocably change the course of our lives. (And she briefly mentioned, to much applause, the need for Bush to loose the election.) On the way out, I received an official “His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama visits UC Irvine” mousepad.
Tonight, in a stunning polar opposite of what the Dalai Lama spoke about, we are going to go watch Kill Bill, part 2. In this movie, Uma Thurman shows no compassion as she violently, and probably unnecessarily, takes revenge on Bill.