What Happens in Davis Stays in Davis.

I am off to a short workshop at UC Davis.

However, I just almost accidentally boarded a flight to Hawaii.

I am flying to Sacramento for the workshop at UC Davis.

[I also just noticed: One of the PhD students in my class is actually here and probably on the same flight.]

Emotional-Support Pig

Make sure, when you are on a flight, that your emotional-support pig doesn't become disruptive. Yes, really.

Achievement Unlocked: Break Expedia's Shortest-Path Algorithm

No, Expedia, if I try to go between Ithaca and Newark with stops first to Philadelphia and then to Boston, it is not ok to insist that I do Ithaca->Newark->other city->Philadelphia when I try to go directly from Ithaca to Philly.

Actually, there was additional shortest-path failing besides that (like insisting that particular direct flights that exist for some searches don't exist for others).

Expedia really needs to hire some graph theorists!

After several failed attempts and significant frustration, I basically went and bought the tickets I wanted with Orbitz instead.

Anyway, this is what I get for trying to arrange an SFO -> Clarkson -> Cornell -> Rutgers -> SFO trip, because all three of those colleges are in the middle of bloody nowhere, except with slightly different nowheres. (That said, I am very excited about this academic trip. I will visit collaborators at Clarkson, I will be starting at a collaboration at Rutgers, and I will be visiting Cornell for the first time since I left when I graduated and will be giving a talk in the colloquium for the program from which I graduated. Awesome!)

'Volcano Anger'

One of my Ph.D. students has coined the term 'volcano anger' to describe my state.

Volcano leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

(Man, I am seriously stressed out over this, and it's been making it hard to get myself to eat at times.)

Or maybe: Volcano leads to stress. Stress leads to anger. Stress also leads to not eating.

U.K. airspace is now closed.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

It looks like I might be in the U.S. just a little bit longer than I intended.

Anyway, we shall see... Hopefully the ash plume from the volcano in Iceland won't alter my travel plans too much.

Also: Why is it always Iceland? (Damn you, Iceland!)

Update (4/17/10): My 4/18 flight is no longer happening, and I am now going to try a 4/25 flight (that's the earliest I could get) and see if I can arrive on 4/26. Wish me luck. And check out how I have decided to rail against the gods.

Second-Hand Obesity

You don't believe that this exists? Well, Kevin Smith just got kicked off of a flight for it.