I spent more time at the library today than I have probably since freshman year, if you don't count watching movies. And if you don't count that time that I worked with my Algorithms group there, because we were doing decidedly non-library things (i.e., math).

I was doing research on Spike Lee for a presentation I'm giving in my film class tomorrow. It's ok that I spent so much time on a class that's mostly irrelevant to me, though, because my entire department (save me and about four other students) is out of town at a big conference all week.

Of course, this means that every professor I ran into on Monday was like, "Are you going to CHI?" And I had to be like, "No... um... I... can't afford it."

Which isn't actually true. The main reason I didn't go is that I'm totally intimidated by the idea, and I'm still kind of a fake grad student, and I'd feel like a total poser. Except that by this time next year, I'll be finished my degree and may not be a grad student anymore, so the school wouldn't pay my registration fee.

Am I passing up a big opportunity here? I don't know. Even if I went, I'm not really the kind of person who "networks", so I'd probably just take in a few lectures, blend in to the wallpaper at the party my department is throwing there, and walk around and look intimidated the whole rest of the time.

I don't think I've committed career suicide or anything, though. About a week ago, somebody sent out a list of the ten people who have published the most papers at CHI. Two of the professors I've TAed for (and also rocked the hell out of their classes when I took them) were #3 and #5, just behind the guy who invented the mouse. So I think I'm in pretty good shape.

I should have an anti-CHI party, like the anti-prom party I went to junior year of high school. If any of you aren't going to CHI, you're invited.