News You Can Bruise for 2000 June 9

For some reason, editor@segfault.org gets an incredible amount of Japanese spam.

UCLA is operating under the dual misimpression that:

1. My mother lives with me in my apartment.
2. My mother has a lot of money which she is just aching to spend on class rings for me and various foundations.

At some point I'll tell you about the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (couldn't they have changed the name after I graduated?) letter they sent to my mother at my address.

Oh, and look at this hilarious non sequitur from the class ring propaganda booklet:

After all, tradition isn't just about what each student receives from UCLA - it's about what they leave behind. As upcoming graduates take a particular joy in putting on the enduring symbol of a revered university, this university finds an equal joy in the caliber of those people who will be wearing a UCLA ring for many years to come.

I'm sure that made more sense in the original Russian.

"Jackson's findings suggest, however, that not every moment of Microsoft history should be viewed with pride." Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

For the life of me I cannot obtain a follow set by using the algorithm. Fortunately, I figured out a rule of thumb that should work so long as the grammars given on the final don't have a lot of rules or a lot of terminals (which they probably won't, since the professor has to grade the exams).

I just now noticed that the Tolkien Sarcasm page has a serialized parody of Lord of the Rings which, among other things, explains why they're called "High Elves".

UCLA's student health center doesn't accept any insurance other than the student insurance they try to sell you every quarter. I think I've bitched about this before. They can't stand the thought of ripping off an insurance company instead of you directly. So when I went to see a doctor about my horrible sore throat (the actual visit is paid for by my registration fees, thank goodness), I got a prescription for antibiotics, took it to the drugstore downtown, and was told it would take over an hour. I really don't think it takes them an hour to get a bottle and put it in a bag. The big time consumer is probably paperwork. I'm at home right now waiting for them to call me.

It's probably strep throat. I have a fever of 101.3 (power FM) and I don't even feel it. That's how sick I am. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Oh yeah, the CS132 final was easy.

There's some problem with the insurance (it took them 2 hours to discover this, so the question re-arrises, what exactly is taking all this time?). They can't find out what the problem is because the insurance company is closed. I may have to actually buy the damn medicine with my own money tomorrow. At least UCLA won't be getting it.

I hear tell that there are so-called "emergency" medical situations where if you don't get help to someone they die. I hope I never end up in one of those.

I'm complaining because I can complain. Apart from my being sicker than a dog and not being able to get any medicine, everything in my life is great.