After ten years of loyal service, my television died on me. The last thing it ever played was "The Straight Story" by David Lynch; typically. That movie is about an old man who makes one last bold statement before he dies, that is actually what my TV did by showing the movie.
My dead TV is still sitting on it's usual spot, next to the disfunctional DVD-player and broken VCR. My mediaset turned into a graveyard for old machines. I mourn in silent contemplation.

When I bought the TV it was brand new and at first I mainly wanted to watch Baywatch, Hercules, Xena and porn on it. Because those things weren't much appreciated in the living room at my parents place.
Of course not, those shows are really crappy, but when I was 14, my cultural preferances weren't that developed yet. Though in another 10 years I'll probably say the same about my current taste.

I already miss my TV, we had such good times together.

posted by Marian @ 8:15 PM 7 comments

When I got home today after a long day at school, hungry and tired, I found a little packet in my mailbox. To my surprise it contained a cute little book with encouraging "seize the day" kind of quotes. Only after opening it I saw my mom's name written on the envelope. Thanks mom, you're the sweetest!

I especially liked this quote from Mark Twain:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines,
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.

posted by Marian @ 9:28 PM 6 comments

I really should be writing a paper about genetic algorithms and evolution right now. To explain why we are maiming existing programs, to make something that is not evolving a solution but a bunch of wacky things.
It's an old strategy, to simulate evolution in finding a solution. You just use a fitness function to evaluate your agents, and then breed the best ones from a generation.
Our idea was at first to do it the other way around, breed the worst few and see what happens. But before even testing this we realized it wouldn't be different from regular evolution, just with the fitnessfunction reversed. The aim is to give the individuals in our simulated world the chance to evolve the way they want.
Humans, for example, don't have the problem with survival as much as they used to anymore. At least not in this part of the world. But there are still rules they have to live by, telling them was NOT to do. For the rest they are pretty much free to choose who and what they want to be, usually only limited my their imagination (in my honest opinion).
We are going to try and implement this kind of freedom in an evolutionary algorithm. The concept is still distilling in our brains, but right now we think we might be able to make a program and breed not the top rated individuals, but random ones from the entire population.
If these virtual entities have no raison d'être and are just allowed and even encouraged to do random, innovative things: what will happen?! They will probably be flopping about the place, doing nothing... mmm doing nothing...

So now I have to look up some articles, and whip up a good story of 3 pages. Wish me luck!

posted by Marian @ 5:35 PM 3 comments

Huzzaa, the trip to Dublin is booked and paid for. With my friends Meno and Tex I'm heading for Ireland on the 5th of april, to spend a weekend drinking ale and whatever else is fun over there...

Really looking forward to it! :D

posted by Marian @ 9:19 PM 1 comments

posted by Marian @ 6:03 PM 6 comments

My long hair got boring, so I went to the hairdresser and asked for a hip mohawk. It took some time curving it out, but the result is worth it, totally. I'm too lazy to take a picture right now, so you will all have to meet me in real, or wait a bit.

posted by Marian @ 5:00 PM 1 comments

I made myself a bit unpopular at the Mac Store today. I spotted dead pixels in the screens of no less than TWO laptops. My buddy, Menno, was buying a nice black MacBook, but only the third one they showed was flawless.
Don't order those MacBooks online people...

Tomorrow I will go back to the Mac Store though and maybe even spend some money. Of course I don't want no fruity computer or ipod!
It's just... My tough, trusty DELL, Bertrand, could use one of those fancy bags to travel in. Right now I stuff the poor machine into the bag I bought for Fred, who was much smaller and way fatter.
I hope Bert will like the striped one I saw.

posted by Marian @ 8:33 PM 7 comments