The Grand Skive

Yesterday morning I went to South Ken to see my second supervisor. He's a computer scientist, and is escpecially interested in visual information processing and image registration. I'll be working with him to register magnetic resonance brain images to a reference space using a technique called deformation based morphometry. I'll describe it a bit more comprehensively in a future blog. It was a great meeting and I know have a much better idea of what I'll be working on over the next few months.

In the evening, though, was something a bit more fun: our department's annual skive. It was advertised with the following fun email. Just don't tell my supervisor!



From: DL
Sent: 12 August 2005 17:27
Subject: The grand skive 2005

Footnotes are annotated with a superscript letter. References are annotated with a square bracketed number. Footnotes and references can be found at the bottom of the text

Technical definition: Sitting still, drinking and occasional chat will henceforth be known as "the event". "the event" may alternatively be defined as "having fun" or "the grand skive"


Hello all

A little later than in previous years I am organizing the annual ISD grand skive [a]. This is an afternoon out for the Physics and Engineering members of the Imaging Sciences Despartment (ISD) [b]. The location is the Dove beer garden, by the river in Hammersmith. The evening will end in Sagar restaurant, Hammersmith. The time: We will leave the hospital at 3pm Thursday 25th August.

Faculty:
Organizer: DL
Staff representative: MC
Student representative: HM

For those of you who have not been around for previous years the events ideology and guidelines are below:

Ideology:
The event is an acknowledgement of the fact that often inaction is as productive as action [1].
The event is a celebration of summer and laziness but it is never cancelled for bad weather [2].
The event is a "torch to be passed from generation to generation"[3]

Guidelines:
Ideally several drinks should be consumed before 5pm, the "being paid to drink" [c] concept is a vital part of the event.
Preferably one or more important work deadlines should be missed because of this event. [d]
Conversational subject matter should not relate to your own work [e].
Sleeping is not encouraged at the event but will be tolerated.
The first person to the bar will be bought a complementary drink by the organizer.
Freestyle entertainment is encouraged, nudity is not [f].
Friends, partners etc are all welcome [g].

Finally, these are only guidelines, there are no rules at the event...

The faculty look forward to seeing you.


References:
[1]“We achieve certain things by being energetic, but it may be questioned whether, on balance, the things that we achieve are of any value..” Bertrand Russell
[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/
[3] Tony Benn

Footnotes:
[a] skive: skive verb skived, skiving colloq To evade work or a duty, especially through laziness.
Example: I'm going to skive class today
Example: We're skiving off class today
Form: skive off (also)
noun
1. The act or an instance of skiving.
Example: I chose biology instead of physics ‘cos it's such a skive
Derivative: skiving
noun
Derivative: skivy
adj
Etymology: 19c: from Norse skifa.
[b] Carefully chosen affiliates are also invited.
[c] Being paid loosely refers to the exchange of money for services, no judgment on value or quality is made here. The assumption that work officially ends at 5pm is implied and is reasonable for the purposes of this event.
[d] A prize will be awarded for the most irresponsible skive.
[e] Discussion of general science is accepted up to and including the 3rd drink.
[f] The faculty accept that there is a fine line between these for some, please ask a faculty member before initiating entertainment if you are in doubt about its content.
[g] Overt displays of affection are not encouraged out of sensitivity to those currently without love.