A Busy End of Year...
*sigh* I feel somewhat resigned to the move from numbered entries to semi-informative subject headings...as much as I would have liked to give this entry it's appropriate position in the cheapsniper LJ chronology, I'm far too lazy and so will sacrifice future intellectual work (generating varied and "interesting" subject headings) for the immediate laziness of not checking the number of my most recent musing...
There's a definite temptation to create a "State of the Sniper" type address that will comment on recent history (Applications, Christmas, New Years) as well as the foreseeable future (Applications, Trip, Birthday).
"2005 saw a year with 0% sniper unemployment rate, 0% sniper mortality, and 0% population growth. The snipers of 2005 are seeking new education and employment opportunities in the new year, and we expect to see a mass exodus of the indigenous sniper population of Lebanon, NH in mid 2006."
Or perhaps a more stirring declaration of future plans...
"Over the past half-century, snipers have split the atom, they've spliced the gene, and they've roamed Tranquility Base. Snipers have reached for the stars, and never have they been closer to having them in their grasp. New science, new technology is making the difference between life and death, and so we need a sniper commitment equal to this unparalleled moment of possibility. And so, cheapsniper announces to you tonight, that I will bring the full resources of the sniper community and the full reach of my office to this fundamental goal: Snipers will cure cancer by the end of this decade."
Alas, such a speech shall not be made here. Rather, just a quick recap (to bring readers up to speed and what not) of current events.
Got in to Boston College (huzzah), deferred at Georgetown and UPenn, waiting to hear from 7 other schools, and still need to apply to 3 (unlikely thirteen???). Am considering various careers in the law depending on who's asking.
Nana - So, what do you think you'll do with your law degree.
cheapsniper - Reform the practice, save the world, and reunify church and state to better pave the road for the coming of the lord.
bakaninja - So, why are you going to law school?
cheapsniper - Get rich, become more rich, buy more toys...
wroughtironkite - So, you're off to...I SHIV YOU!
cheapsniper - That would be a problem if my blood were something other than ice...COUNTER SHIV!
*note* I think I only win shiv wars in emails and in lj...the numerous open puncture wounds in my side and back certainly seem to suggest..this..and as they're still bleeding, I don't think I have much longlaksj;dlfkjasdkgns;gjnb,/
Yet another joyful yuletide for me. A too short visit to CA involved re-meeting the frieds of littleredfrog who were much fun, a quick trip to DisneyLand, and an adventure in cookie decorating the night before I left. As for Dec. 25th, this is the first year that I haven't been up by 6:30am, and I enjoyed sleeping in. Present opening was much more casual and lasted about 5-6 hours (present opening was VERY casual), notable loot included a Nintendo DS, games, and a trick box that I still haven't figured out. Christmas Eve was also a lot of fun, as my sister and I put together a short movie as our "note" to Santa (it's become something of a christmas tradition to put together humorous notes to santa, previous entries included a parody of "The Night Before Christmas", a two line note with a page and a half of footnotes, and a corporate Christmas memo).
Ah the insanity. Worrying that we would be short on entertainment, bakaninja, littleredfrog, and I decided that in amidst the conversation, games, and generalized partying, we should hold a yankee swap. The rules dictated that everyone received a number. When your number was called, you had two options. 1) Open a new present from the pile. or 2) Steal someone elses present. Further, if someone steals your present, then you are given an immediate turn, wherein you can also steal a present or take one from the pile. This continues until all the presents are open, at which point the person who went first, initiates one final round of stealing that ends whenever someone picks up the gift discarded by whoever went first. The only additional rule was that you can't have the same gift twice in one round, so there wouldn't be any back and forth exchanges...at least not in a single round.
In any case, having done a similar yankee swap at work, and having observed the results, I learned the golden rule, never open an unopened gift. Always take something that either you personally want, or that you think someone else would want. This was put in to practice in the New Year's Eve game as every round I either stole the item of my dreams (in this case a Starwars Themed Transformer) or the most popular item of the evening (a Dartmouth Glass and shot glass) knowing that when the glass was stolen back I would be able to retrieve my toy. This strategy seemed to be going well, until the final round, wherein I took both the glass and toy early on and had both stolen from me. Then I became crazed...my purpose in life was to steal from those who had stolen from me in hopes of bringing the pain I felt to them. Popular gift after popular gift passed through my fingers as my options quickly dwindled (can't hold the same gift twice in one round), as I was faced with what seemed like a choice of evils, compassion found it's way into my heart, and I freed someone from the burden that was the gift that I had brought (a nerf blowgun, that I thought was kind of neat) allowing her a chance to pursue the gift she desired, a choice that would, in a few short turns, end the game (just in time for champagne, and New Year ringing-in fun).
I begin to believe that when given the opportunity, I over think simple and fun games. I can't handle too much complexity (I get frustrated trying to figure it out) but when a game is simple enough to break, I find the compulsion irrisistable...this combined with my ingrained belief that all games are zero-sum has apparently created something of a Yankee Swap monster that shall remain locked away for another year...
Alright, that's enough for now...perhaps later I'll do some sort of meme, or talk about the future...which may not be for another couple months...who knows...
There's a definite temptation to create a "State of the Sniper" type address that will comment on recent history (Applications, Christmas, New Years) as well as the foreseeable future (Applications, Trip, Birthday).
"2005 saw a year with 0% sniper unemployment rate, 0% sniper mortality, and 0% population growth. The snipers of 2005 are seeking new education and employment opportunities in the new year, and we expect to see a mass exodus of the indigenous sniper population of Lebanon, NH in mid 2006."
Or perhaps a more stirring declaration of future plans...
"Over the past half-century, snipers have split the atom, they've spliced the gene, and they've roamed Tranquility Base. Snipers have reached for the stars, and never have they been closer to having them in their grasp. New science, new technology is making the difference between life and death, and so we need a sniper commitment equal to this unparalleled moment of possibility. And so, cheapsniper announces to you tonight, that I will bring the full resources of the sniper community and the full reach of my office to this fundamental goal: Snipers will cure cancer by the end of this decade."
Alas, such a speech shall not be made here. Rather, just a quick recap (to bring readers up to speed and what not) of current events.
Got in to Boston College (huzzah), deferred at Georgetown and UPenn, waiting to hear from 7 other schools, and still need to apply to 3 (unlikely thirteen???). Am considering various careers in the law depending on who's asking.
Nana - So, what do you think you'll do with your law degree.
cheapsniper - Reform the practice, save the world, and reunify church and state to better pave the road for the coming of the lord.
bakaninja - So, why are you going to law school?
cheapsniper - Get rich, become more rich, buy more toys...
wroughtironkite - So, you're off to...I SHIV YOU!
cheapsniper - That would be a problem if my blood were something other than ice...COUNTER SHIV!
*note* I think I only win shiv wars in emails and in lj...the numerous open puncture wounds in my side and back certainly seem to suggest..this..and as they're still bleeding, I don't think I have much longlaksj;dlfkjasdkgns;gjnb,/
Yet another joyful yuletide for me. A too short visit to CA involved re-meeting the frieds of littleredfrog who were much fun, a quick trip to DisneyLand, and an adventure in cookie decorating the night before I left. As for Dec. 25th, this is the first year that I haven't been up by 6:30am, and I enjoyed sleeping in. Present opening was much more casual and lasted about 5-6 hours (present opening was VERY casual), notable loot included a Nintendo DS, games, and a trick box that I still haven't figured out. Christmas Eve was also a lot of fun, as my sister and I put together a short movie as our "note" to Santa (it's become something of a christmas tradition to put together humorous notes to santa, previous entries included a parody of "The Night Before Christmas", a two line note with a page and a half of footnotes, and a corporate Christmas memo).
Ah the insanity. Worrying that we would be short on entertainment, bakaninja, littleredfrog, and I decided that in amidst the conversation, games, and generalized partying, we should hold a yankee swap. The rules dictated that everyone received a number. When your number was called, you had two options. 1) Open a new present from the pile. or 2) Steal someone elses present. Further, if someone steals your present, then you are given an immediate turn, wherein you can also steal a present or take one from the pile. This continues until all the presents are open, at which point the person who went first, initiates one final round of stealing that ends whenever someone picks up the gift discarded by whoever went first. The only additional rule was that you can't have the same gift twice in one round, so there wouldn't be any back and forth exchanges...at least not in a single round.
In any case, having done a similar yankee swap at work, and having observed the results, I learned the golden rule, never open an unopened gift. Always take something that either you personally want, or that you think someone else would want. This was put in to practice in the New Year's Eve game as every round I either stole the item of my dreams (in this case a Starwars Themed Transformer) or the most popular item of the evening (a Dartmouth Glass and shot glass) knowing that when the glass was stolen back I would be able to retrieve my toy. This strategy seemed to be going well, until the final round, wherein I took both the glass and toy early on and had both stolen from me. Then I became crazed...my purpose in life was to steal from those who had stolen from me in hopes of bringing the pain I felt to them. Popular gift after popular gift passed through my fingers as my options quickly dwindled (can't hold the same gift twice in one round), as I was faced with what seemed like a choice of evils, compassion found it's way into my heart, and I freed someone from the burden that was the gift that I had brought (a nerf blowgun, that I thought was kind of neat) allowing her a chance to pursue the gift she desired, a choice that would, in a few short turns, end the game (just in time for champagne, and New Year ringing-in fun).
I begin to believe that when given the opportunity, I over think simple and fun games. I can't handle too much complexity (I get frustrated trying to figure it out) but when a game is simple enough to break, I find the compulsion irrisistable...this combined with my ingrained belief that all games are zero-sum has apparently created something of a Yankee Swap monster that shall remain locked away for another year...
Alright, that's enough for now...perhaps later I'll do some sort of meme, or talk about the future...which may not be for another couple months...who knows...