When I was a kid, I used to have the same nightmare over and over. There were a few variations and slight differences, but they always played out similarly.

I would be in the street, typically at night. Nobody else would be around, and no cars were on the road, but I would have very oppressively uneasy feeling from which I couldn't escape. It was like something was very wrong...

Then, in the distance, I would see a car turn into the street, and the headlights point right at me. I knew I needed to get out of the street and to get out of the way of the car, so I would start to move towards the curb. And though I could walk, it was impossible to get out of the street... almost as if something were holding me back, but nothing was. The car would also get closer and closer, but it would never hit me. The feeling of panic and fear would just keep getting stronger, and the car would keep coming straight towards me... there was nothing I could do.

Then the slight uneasy feeling would grow to fear and then just short of utmost terror... and I'd panic until I finally would wake up...

It scarred the shit outta me as a kid.

What did it mean? Thinking about it years after I realized maybe it was my fear of something I felt was inevitable or unavoidable... but what? Who knows, maybe it was just random synapses firing in my brain.

The dream itself wasn't that scary, but it was the feelings associated with it that felt just real enough to really freak me out as a kid.

I haven't had a nightmare like that for years, but I still remember it very vividly. I guess it was just something I outgrew maybe.

Weird stuff, huh?

There's a famous quote that says,

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

This of course referring to the fact that in times of great need, the demand for innovation and scientific development swells to try and compensate for whatever society is needing.

A lesser-know variant is "Boredom is the father of innovation". For some reason, given 2 or more bored people in an enclosed space, it is almost guaranteed that somebody will come up with a stupid game. Examples:

Water Jousting

While bouncing around a foam ball one day, my roommate and I had the brilliant idea of creating the exhilarating game of water jousting. To play, fill a cup about half-way full with water, and place it on the very edge of the counter (a bar-like counter), and take turns trying to knock the cup over by bouncing the ball off the floor.

The fun part? The person not trying to knock over the cup stands directly behind it, ensuring that if the other player successfully hits the cup, the loser gets soaked. The best part? Its also the loser that has to clean up the floor afterwards.

Shuffle Phone

This game came about on a slow night during tutoring. At work, all the tutors sit around a huge conference table until a student comes in that needs help. When not many students showed up, some of the guys had the bright idea to play "shuffle phone". Exactly like shuffleboard, except you use your phone instead of a puck, and there's just a target circle drawn in pencil in the middle of the table. The winner walks away with pride, honor, and a phone thats scratched as hell.

That was one of the few times in my life that I wish I had a shitbox of a phone so I could have participated...

Plate Frisbee

As another game born from late night boredom with a roommate, this example is illustrative of how even while doing work, you can still have fun. While emptying the dishwasher, we were tag-teaming the plates... but instead of just placing them back in the cabinet (boring), I found it significantly more entertaining to try an under-the-leg frisbee toss to put them up.

It's a lot harder than it sounds (think about the angles), and it soon became competitive. Especially with the glass dishes*.

Omega

The classic boredom game, I actually got this from an episode of Malcolm In The Middle (though I've heard the game dates back even before the show, and is known as "The Circle Game").

The aggressor makes the "OK" sign with his index and thumb touching, with the rest of the fingers extended. If he holds that hand below his waist and somebody else looks (the victim), then the aggressor gets to punch the victim without fear of retaliation.

I've been playing this game with my equally-immature friends of mine since the 8th grade, and the game has since exploded into something much more serious. With rules and regulations, as well as advanced moves such as the Around the World, the Gravy Train, the Solid Snake, and the Willy Wonka... the game only gets deeper and deeper.

I'm sure there have been plenty more, and there's no doubt in my mind that there will be plenty more to come.

I can't wait.

Only five days until Spring break! And considering the fact that the only significant obstacle between now and a full nine days of absolute relaxation is a compilers test on Friday, my week has definitely shifted into low gear. Essentially, this means even more jasterbation than normal and a significant reduction in my overall stress.

Of course, I'm just ignoring the horrendous onslaught of projects and tests that will accompany my return to school at the end of it all, when I come crashing back into reality...

But regardless... five days 'till freedom, and five days until I get to see my lovely Nicolle again for the first time since January! Being 500 miles away from the girl of your dreams for months on end is enough to drive anybody crazy right??

The only bad thing about Spring break is the inherent chillness that goes on not only during the break, but also the weeks immediately before and after. Like I said, I'm already in jasterbation mode, and the week after will be slow getting started. Inevitably this happens every year, as the week after Spring break seems to be the hardest time to want to do ANYTHING school or work related.

I guess it's time to go see if I can actually get something done, or if the rest of the night is going to be wasted playing my roomate's guitar in his room while he's trying to do his homework...

I have no idea how I came across this the other day but I found it mildly interesting. And by that I mean it leaves you thoughtful for a few fleeing moments, but then you basically forget about it and carry on with your life as normal. Anyway, the following is taken mostly from the wikipedia article outlining philosopher Nick Bostrom's idea:

The Premise

Bostrom's argument first requires us to make the following assumptions:

1. It is possible that some day, a civilization (us, or anybody in the universe really) would have the technical ability and resources to create a computer-based simulation containing self-aware intelligent entities.
2. It is likely that this civilization would run a huge (~10⁹ and up etc.) amount of the simulations, for observing behavior, research, or whatever.
   
3. The nature of the simulation is such that an individual inside the simulation would be unable to detect that they are not in "the real world", as their entire reality as perceived by them (IE a false reality) is provided solely by the simulation.

Basically, think The Matrix. From here, if one assumes that 1-3 are at least remotely possible, then which of the following is more likely?

1. We are the one real civilization that will eventually develop the simulation, or
   
2. That we are one of the billions of simulations that have run?

If you agree 1-3 are at least possible, the the following trichotomy emerges:

1. Intelligent species will never reach a level of technology to create simulations accurate enough to be mistaken for reality, or
2. Species who reach this level of technology and are capable of running such simulations, don't tend to do so, or
3. We are almost certainly living in a simulation.

Uh... Okay?

So essentially, this entire thing hangs on assumptions 1-3. Assuming humanity doesn't wipe itself out, maybe those aren't that huge of assumptions. Interestingly enough, even if you consider the probability that 1-3 are true to be very small, the vast numbers of simulations that would be run still make part 3 of the trichotomy very very likely.

Like I said, think about it, let it marinate, and then go on with your life. This sort of thing is just one of many skeptical hypotheses, a theory that basically says we have no idea what the hell is really going on with life.

Interesting...

This semester, four of my five classes are based on programming. A compilers class (hard), a computer architecture class (very difficult), a Python class (moderately time consuming), and a VHDL design class (time consuming... and hard). This translates into me having about 1.8 projects due a week that involve a heavy amount of coding... as well as hours upon hours staring at nothing but a computer screen.

This might seem pretty awful, and sometimes (usually) it is, but personally, I tend to completely zone out and focus only on the task at hand. Its easier for me to do things in large chunks of time and remain focused than it is to break it up over small periods. There happens to be a very serious downside though:

I turn into a computer zombie.

With hours straight of doing nothing but code/compile/debug/repeat, my brain seems to shutdown all other rudimentary functions. Basic conversation skills seem to escape me, and social interactions begin to approach the awkward stage.

It's almost like the feeling of riding a roller coaster and getting off... after you get off, you still feels like your ass is flying around the track. Computer Zombie Mode is very similar... it takes a few moments to re-calibrate my reality. Example:

"I sure worked up an appetite writing all that code! Time to make a sandwich. Shit no bread! I better throw an exception! Time to write an error handler..."

Of course if I had be writing for one my C classes, I would make the sandwich anyway with invalid pointers to my bread slices on accident. My first bite would result in a mouthful of segfaults followed by me vomiting all over the place.

Luckily it doesn't usually take long to get back to the real world. So barring a few semi-awkward initial conversations and distorted thought patterns, it's a relatively painless process.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go write VHDL for my design lab.