Course Nomenclature in our Imminent Data Theory Major

The UCLA mathematics department has a course called "Math 142: Mathematical Modeling", and my new lower-division mathematical-modeling course for our new Data Theory major was thus given the label "Math 42".

Given such an opportunity, I needed an appropriate name for the course. pic.twitter.com/mUGK1th012

— Mason Porter (@masonporter) March 1, 2019

10/10/10 = 42 Day

I was well aware that today is 10/10/10---especially given the birthday party that reminded me of it!---but I hadn't caught that 101010 is the binary representation of 42.

(Tip of the cap to Puck Rombach.)

"We apologize for the inconvenience."

I returned to my flat from lunch and noticed outside the back door that there was an unmanned forklift that had been left on. Thus far, one of my pictures of it will probably make my photoblog today, but in any event it made me think of Hitchhiker's Guide. (I also thought about the fact that maybe forklifts are the new Daihatsus. And on looking at a picture I took, I think that "forklift" isn't actually the correct name for this things. Please remind me what this is actually called.)

Shortly after that, I finally started dealing with some extra-special tax forms that I now have to fill out because my consulting arrangements required me to register as self-employed. A Somerville accountant was kindly helping me with these forms, and we were going through the various line items. Here is a snippet of what transpired:

Accountant: "Charitable contributions? [pauses... looks at me for a minute] Probably irrelevant."

Right.

Caltech imitiates Mel Brooks and Douglas Adams

This doesn't actually affect me (my office is in a different building), but because I am on the Daraio group mailing list, I received the following message earlier today (I removed parts of it; all emphasis is mine):

"Beginning Monday, August 6 through Friday, September 7, the air conditioning system will be restored throughout the entire Firestone building. In consequence, the building's air vents will be shut down. The basement and subbasement occupants will receive the worst of the air shortage. Please have patience while were all dealing with the reconstruction. If you need anything to make this situation a little easier, please let me know and I'll try to help. Sorry for the short notice and inconvenience."

Anybody for Perrier Air? Not to mention interstellar bypasses...