i'm back

It's good to be back from my one week blog hiatus, although I almost didn't make it back today. The house cable modem failed this weekend and there was no Internet access here for 48 hours. Whether or not this is a good thing depends on who you ask :) Alright, so I'll start with some shorts today and work my way back to some more meaty content.

UVA Stuff
Finals Weekend 2005 will be on 21-22 May. Valedictory Exercises will be on Saturday 21 May with Ron Suskind (College '81, author of The Price of Loyalty, George W. Bush, the White House and the Education of Paul O'Neill). Final Exercises will be on Sunday 22 May with Vivian Pinn, M.D. (Medicine '67, director of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health) as the Commencement Speaker. Congrats Jessica! (I wonder if they will play the Star Trek music again at the Engineering School's diploma ceremony...)

Reunions Weekend for the class of 2000 (as well as 1995, 1990, ..., 1960) will be in Charlottesville on 3-5 June 2005. Registration is due by 25 May.

The UVA Club of Washington has a plenty of upcoming events as usual, so check out their website for the official word and for event details, but the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy Hike is on Sunday 15 May and the Spring Happy Hour at Clarendon Ballroom is on Thursday 26 May.

Edward Tufte Course
Edward Tufte returns to Arlington on 24-26 May to offer his one-day course, Presenting Data and Information. If you haven't taken this course, take it! I've convinced six friends so far to take the course and they tell me it was well worth their time. I came out of this course with a fresh perspective on design and to some degree a fresh perspective on the world -- and it's reflected in my work :)

Upcoming Entertainment Events
Super Diamond: The Alternative Neil Diamond Experience (a Neil Diamond Tribute band), Saturday 14 May, 9:00pm at the 9:30 Club. I don't know why it makes me grin every time I see their listing when they come through town, but it's surprisingly popular as I hear the shows sell really well. Here's David Segal's review from the Washington Post:

When Randy Cordero worked a cover of "Sweet Caroline" into his acoustic act at a Tempe, Ariz., club in 1989, he figured he'd get booed into oblivion and pelted with Bud bottles. Instead he learned a life-altering truth: People love Neil Diamond. He eventually quit his job as an engineer, and for more than a decade Cordero has been serving up zirconium versions of Diamond originals in his highly un-ironic tribute band, Super Diamond. Now known as "Surreal Neil," Cordero dons sequins and slaps an alternative-rock spin on Diamond's canon. Among those who've seen the act and said "I'm a Believer" is Neil himself, who has performed with the group on a few occasions.

I can attest that people really do like Neil Diamond as every time I go to Cafe Japone to watch people sing karaoke, someone sings Sweet Caroline and everyone joins in.

Kevin James (from The King of Queens) performs stand-up comedy on Sunday 5 June, 7:30pm at the Warner Theatre. All seats $45.00, tickets available through Ticketmaster (ergh).

Lewis Black (from The Daily Show's "Back in Black" segment) comes to town on Friday 17 June for his "Nothing's Sacred Tour." He'll be performing his stand-up comedy routine on Friday 17 June at 8:00pm in the Warner Theatre. Orchestra seats $45.50, balcony seats $40.50. Tickets available through Ticketmaster (argh).

Les Miserables returns to the National Theater on 7 December 2005 through 21 January 2006. I'm not sure what happened to Chicago -- they were supposed to return to Washington later in 2005, but the latest news tells me they will be back in 2006.