Moore Musings

Wandering the Galaxy

The end-parts of my week have been crazy indeed. I journeyed to Marion, IN on Wednesday night with a friend to meet up with most of my friends from church. They were still in session at Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor Universities, so my friend Ben and I set out on the two-hour drive in his new-to-him Volvo stationwagon.
Unfortunately we had only traversed half the distance when a cloud of steam errupted from under the hood. We pulled to the side of the road to discover a hose had blown off the engine. We had stopped in front of a machine shop and were able to quickly secure a hose clamp to affix the hose in its proper location. When we started the vehicle we discovered a second hose had burst deep inside.
Ben called his parents and they set out to rescue us. They delivered a nice pickup truck (non-rusty) and we continued on our journey. After nearly hitting a deer we finally arrived at the IWU campus. Pizza, Mountain Dew, and lots of crazy people converged. The movie was enjoyable, but not that memorable. I relegate it to the "well done, fun, and at times intriguing" list of movies.

Fast-forward to Friday morning: I stand at straggly wire fence in Dayton Ohio, surrounded by shivering, anxious ham radio operators. The moody sky threatens rain, but I clutch a trusty umbrella at my side. A security guard says the word and I move with a mass of radio-happy hams into the country's largest flea market for computer and radio parts. While my Dad, a hard-core operator, scans transceivers and attends talks on digital shortwave, I move quickly down row after row of outdoor vendors, scanning for sweet deals and cool things in general. I have only two purchases to make here, but I am hopeful that I will find something generally cool. An AGP VIVO and TV tuner card hops into my bag within the first few minutes. I am pleased, but also annoyed that I was too eager to barter. I decide my next purchase will be a read bargain. As I walk I note flat-panel displays. Bruised 15" TFT's sell for 3 figures and the occasional 17" lies in the rain for $35 marked "As is". I don't bite.
Then I see it: a Princeton 17" standing neatly inside its clear plastic bag. In contrast to the drab used joysticks and sound cards lying about, this TFT glints pristinely in the early morning glow. I move closer, and the sweet flatness softly whispers my name. It is lonely, unappreciated. Morose. I pass a warm hand over its brow, comforting the flawless surface with words of digital cheer. The dealer looks up at me, a half-intelligent look flits briefly across his face.
"It has some wierd connector, doesn't work with anything."
I can feel the plastic under my palm stiffen at the insult. I glance quickly at the suspect connector. Its DVI. This is my morning.
I speak kind words to the display and shrewd words to the dealer. Three minutes later I am cradling my new friend in the cold foggy wind and the dealer is counting 13% less than his asking price. I remember why I love Dayton.

Crazy Weekend

I am blogging from the 2nd balcony in the Music Hall of Purdue University. The campus's wireless network is crafty and secure, but my brother's girlfriend was kind enough to provide me with her password.
I'm here because my older brother, Josh, just graduated as with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. He is going on to graduate school in a year at Cornell University in New York. He's a great brother, you all ought to obtain an older brother if you don't already have one.
Yesterday he and I went to ACEN, or Anime Central, an Anime convention in Chicago. Cos-Players are kinda scary, look out for pictures of Vash the Stampede, Bobba Fett, and Zelda.

Goodness of Oh's

Today I made a trip to Oh's. There my brother and I acquired a pile of hubs for $15. There were about 12 of them, all 24-48 ports, 10 Mb.
When I asked Oh what he had in monitors, he offered me a 21" black flat tube IBM monitor for $50. I took it. Yahoo!

Arrived

After two hours of sleep, 1600 miles, five states, two colleges, and three brothers, I have returned home. Goodnight.

A Last Day in Texas

After a very eventful year it is now time to return to Indiana.
I've been shuttled about from apartment to Ice Cave, jammed all my things into the back of a van driven down here by my wonderful Dad, and now I am preparing to leave this "special" state.
I would ask for prayers as I drive home, but instead I suggest you direct them towards this fellow, who shall shortly be married. Congratulations Scholl, may your life be full of love and good food.
So long, and thanks for all the cookies.

Here I sit

Here I sit all brokenhearted,
Tried to checkout but I didn't,
Tried to find food and none came,
Tried to rhyme and couldn't either.

Tried to find a constant count,
Of syllables, but none came out,
Then suddenly and just in time,
I wrote something that had some rhyme,

But meter avoids me still,
And so I type.

And sit.

And wait, much as the reader waits for this post to end.

But my RA doesn't come, and so this post will never end.

The adventure would continue for days.

Just kidding.

Remember

Remember what's important, in all your exams and papers. Remember what the goal is, and why you are here. Remember that life is going, not having but being and living. Remember that you are priceless for who you are, not what you do. Remember that love is in choosing, not feeling or wanting. Remember that each moment is untouchable once it is past. Remember and live in full.

Finally

My finals have organized. They have formed Finals United to Cause Chaos in an effort to force me to raise study rates. As they threaten a strike I fear I will be forced to concede to their demands. I present for your perusal:
Monday
9:45 am Micro-Economics
8:00 pm Speech
Tuesday
9:45 am Ethics
Wednesday
3:00 pm Linear Algebra
Thursday
7:30 am Electronics II
9:45 am Software Systems

Life in a big family

Ever wondered what life is like with five brothers and a little sister? Here's an email I just got from my Dad about our busy life:

Tomorrow (Sun 5/1) I take the twins to Taylor in the evening. We leave after SEMP (~5PM) and arrive before 8:30PM They stay in dorms. We return on Monday, leaving at 3 PM and arriving at early evening.
I work Tuesday and Wednesday.
Next weekend, I am now planning to go to Wheaton on Thu 5/5 and return that day with Dan. I pickup Dan and his stuff at 6PM at his dorm. I expect to get home before midnight.
I can move your (Josh's) stuff on Friday 5/6. I realize that is the same day as your last exam. When does it end? I will be available all day once Dan's stuff is unloaded. I can come down in the AM and expect to return in the evening with the van full of books and lumber. I could bring Dan to help.
Sat 5/7 I drive to LeTu to get David and possibly help him deal with the truck. I will arrive very late at night. The next day we leave with Sharon and his stuff (and him). I expect to be back on midday Monday 5/9 if we drive through, but that may not happen.
I work Tues, Wed & Thu.
The next weekend (5/12-5/13-5/14) I have a single room with double beds in Lafayette (at the red Roof Inn) on Friday 5/13 night. You graduate at 9:30 AM and there is a reception for the department immediately following. I believe that the twins will be staying in Elkhart for alternative Prom. Mom and Joy will be with me, and potentially David and Dan will too.
Anime convention [at O'Hare] in Chicago which takes place over the same weekend [5/12 - 5/14, Fri, Sat and Sun] that I [Josh] graduate[s]. Josh, Emily?, Sharon and David are expecting to attend, I think. Have you talked together about this? How does this fit?
I work Mon - Thu.
Dayton Hamfest is 5/20 to 5/21 (Fri & Sat.) I return home Sat PM. Josh, Dv, Pete, and Jn are going with me (I think). Dn is also welcome.
East Coast Pastors Conference is Sun 5/22 to Wed 5/25. I fly out of O'Hare early on the 22. I am being asked to stay longer.
Enoch finishes Thursday May 26 - Last Day of Classes, Dorm Cleaning, and Graduation at 3p.m. He may be delayed if he can't get the car running and I expect to help them get back if so, possibly driving out (alone, 31 hours driving time) to work on the car. This is less certain than the above.
EBCS Exams 5/27.
EBCS ends June 1.
EBCS athletic banquet 6/2 (Pete).
Nita is in Indy Fri 6/3 and Sat 6/4 at a woman's event.
SAT exams Sat 6/4. (Pete & John)
Dn to China 6/25 to 8/3.
Jn to SEMP Sat 6/25 to Sat7/2.
Dv to Letu 8/17, back to Goshen 8/19 returning to LeTu 8/21.
Enoch & Tiffany wedding 8/20

Its a crazy life, but it sure is fun.