despite what we did last year in scaring away two prospective graduate students (this was right after the TA strike and S&A were over doing the quantum mechanics assignment -- we were not in the brightest of moods), the department has graciously allowed us to host more visiting students next week.

this prospective student -- i have no information as to whether this dude is going for a master's or a PhD -- hails from the university of toronto and when i googled his name (is that creepy?), up came this nostalgia site that he apparently put together all about the racoons. you know, the cartoon with cyril sneer and the pigs. kinda cool idea, but the site itself is unfortunately pretty lame: there aren't even any pictures of the racoons on it -- just audio links that don't actually work.

whatever. it also appears that, at some point, this student also wrote some science piece for the varsity, so he could be pretty cool. we'll see.

what this does mean is that i have to sanitize our hovel: clean the week-and-a-half-old dishes cluttering up the sink and marinate various bathroom fixtures in bleach. i have warned the grad advisor pairing us up with this dude that we'll likely be more like innkeepers rather than sociable hosts, since we're both so ridiculously busy, but at least he'll have a comfortable place to sleep.

...

journal elections open in one hour! as of yesterday, there were three uncontested positions and two vacant ones. i fretted.

now there is only one vacant position and it may very well be filled in a matter of months by a friend who just didn't want to commit to something concrete at this moment. the prospect of a full board relieves me. the propsect of a largely inexperienced board kinda frightens me, though. i won't lie.