In the spring, I had a contest to name my new computer. The offer to the eventual winner was a pizza.

Well, as fans of my journal know, I am planning on getting an octopus next month. As of yet, I do not have a name for the octopus. So I am opening up to suggestions, with the same prize on the line to the winner.

12 days. 2 carry-on bags. 3 airports. 2 islands. 4 ferry rides. 7 books. 2726 pages. 5 days of snorkeling. 97 digital pictures. 27 underwater film pictures. 2 sea-turtles. 3 coral reefs. 10 newspapers. 2 magazines. 5 cab rides. 1 hour waiting at U.S. Customs.

An update on some previous journal articles:

1) When we were debating going to war with Iraq (well, when the world population was debating the U.S. going to war, and the Bush administration having already made up its mind), I spoke of how the information did not seem to be adding up.

At Midway Airport, I was allowed to walk through normally.

At Oakland, everyone is told to take their shoes off.

At Louisville International Airport, I was told to take my shoes off. The gentleman behind me was allowed to keep his on.

[Note: I think I take driving a little more seriously than the average Joe American. One possible career path for me is as a traffic engineer. I think a lot about driving while driving. This weekend I drove about four hours on interstates in Kentucky.]

OK, Kentucky has signs up, some of the best signs on the subject I have seen, that say "Keep Right Except to Pass". On a three lane highway, this means you should stay in the far right lane, not in the center lane.

The is a discussion on Slashdot regarding government developed code.

[WARNING: This journal entry contains spoilers for "The Matrix: Reloaded". If you have not seen it yet, I suggest you stop reading this now, and probably go see the movie, as well.]

I went back this past weekend and saw "The Matrix: Reloaded" again. Surprisingly, the movie is much better the second time through. The stupid beginning part of the movie does not seem *quite* as slow the second time through. The cave orgy scene still needs to go...

1) it was about 70 degrees and sunny yesterday. Just about perfect weather. I was driving home from tutoring when I saw a convertable Mustang with the top up. If you are going to spend an extra couple of grand or so for the covertable, get a little worse fuel milage due to weight and aerodynamics, PLEASE ACTUALLY USE THE TOP on those type of days.

2) "Wuthering Heights" is far from the best book ever written.

3) Downloads are much faster with all of the students gone from campus.

I bought my coffee table in February. It is a nice coffee table. Cheap (from Ikea), but still a nice coffee table.

About a week or so after I got it, though, I started working on a scrapbook covering my summers spent at VAMPY, an academic camp. I attended the camp for three summers and then worked there for six summers.

So I have a lot of pictures and junk from those times.

I started working on this scrapbook in February.

I finally broke down and bought a PDA to cell phone cable from Gomadic They are the same people that supplied me with a Handspring to Samsung SCH-3500 cable before. This time I purchased a Sony Clie T-series to Samsung SCH-3500 cable.

Took it out of the box, set up the Clie in about three minutes, and was able to view Slashdot from the PDA.

A little on the Nitrogen Cycle, and cycling a tank...

For a good read about the chemistry required in a saltwater tank, I suggest "Water Chemistry for the Marine Aquarium" by John H. Tullock. Today I will be writing on the Nitrogen Cycle, which is one component of a healthy marine tank.

Just want to clarify something from my last journal entry.

The octopus will not be residing in my apartment until August at the earliest, and probably September at that.

I thought that was clear in my previous entry, but enough people have asked to see the octopus that I thought I should take the time to clarify.

And now on to more explanation of the aquarium planning.

So I decided about a month ago to get a new pet. As some of you all might know, I already have one pet, a cat named Nametag. Unforunately, my job dictates where and how I live, at least to the extent that I cannot have a pet that does not stay in the water most of its life.

Let me just go on the record now and say that tax forms (both federal and state) are some of the worst things to have come along in a long while.

I spent four hours over the last week working on my taxes.

There has to be a better way.

I ended up about $120 down in the end. Not a fun way to end up, either.

What a waste.

Once again, I feel like I should write about what I see as obvious, since while it seems obvious to some people I know, it does not seem obvious to those who are in positions to do something about it right now.

From remarks by Attorney General John Ashcroft: