I suggest updating your blogroll, or bookmarks to the new address. Cheers!
Nerd. and so much More
[Listening to: Can't Take it in - Imogen Heap - The Chronicles of Narnia: the (4:42)]
Thursday, May 18, 2006
I have a new home..
I bought the domain Nerd. and so much More, and am on a hosting plan along with Jesse for a couple of years. I've been tinkering with Wordpress blog adding functionality and looking for cool themes. I am currently using a heavily ajax enabled theme which I like. I have to tweak it to look right. I still have a lot of work left on it.
I suggest updating your blogroll, or bookmarks to the new address. Cheers!
Nerd. and so much More
I suggest updating your blogroll, or bookmarks to the new address. Cheers!
Nerd. and so much More
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Crumbs for May 14, 2006
who said gurls can't play with men's toys?
Not typical…but still typical. French Canadian but can actually speak and write in English. Haitian. Open to anything. Adores music and photography. Trendwhore but don’t have enough money to actually show it. Moody…single
Blursoft MetaForum sprang from a need that simply was not being filled by any other forum software. We concentrated on the user, not the system. We maximized the efficiency of the click-economy. You shouldn't need to go 12 pages deep to find the informati
[Listening to: Old Whore's Diet featuring Antony - Rufus Wainwright - WANT two (8:54)]
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Picking crumbs on the web on 12 May 2006
- A Chinese-American surgeon, living in Manhattan, is shocked when her single mother shows up on her doorstep pregnant. To help her mom save face and avoid the taboo in the Chinese community of an unmarried woman pregnant, the doctor helps her mom find Mr.
- Web site Paul's tips has posted 6 steps for learning difficult subjects in as little time as possible.
Paul's method suggests a sort of information overload at the beginning, followed by taking a few steps back, getting a little feedback, then over
- The ever-useful wikiHow has posted a how to detailing the finer points of taking good lecture notes, splitting the process into what you need to do before, during, and after the lecture to be prepared and capture the "perfect" notes.
These suggesti
- The Google Operating System blog offers a simple hack that allows you to listen to Pandora from inside Winamp.
The method requires that you replace a line in a .ini file in your Winamp plugins folder, but the post is detailed enough that this is very e
- Democratic and Republican politicians on Thursday both promised to enact new federal laws by the end of the year that would restrict some commercial uses of Social Security numbers, which are often implicated in identity fraud cases.
- A proposed law banning social networks from computers in schools and libraries could block access to a huge slice of the Net -- without protecting kids
The campaign to crowd out predators from MySpace.com is gathering steam in Washington. House of Repr
- cnet-declan writes "Politicians are looking for reasons to convince citizens to vote in November, and polls say suburban parents are worried about the internet. Wednesday top House Republicans announced a bill to make 'social' Web sites unreachable from
- Throughout history, artists, inventors, writers and scientists have solved problems in their dreams. Brilliant Dreams has compiled a list of twelve famous discoveries and creativity in literature, science, music and even sports attributed to dreams.
- The dictionary will tell you a "limit" is defined as a boundary.
To many drivers it's a lower boundary. To the law it's an upper boundary.
"It's not a speed average, it's not a speed minimum, it's not a speed that 'I can do 6 or 7 more than,' it's a
Tags: Links
[Listening to: Life On A Chain - Pete Yorn - Music For The Morning After (3:47)]
Thursday, May 11, 2006
things I found on 11 May 2006
The Consumerist: Shoppers Bite Back
Welcome, internet, to The Consumerist, the latest title from Gawker Media. The Consumerist loves to shop, and is reconciled to utilities, but hates paying for shoddy products, inhumane customer support, and half-assed service.
Each week The Consumerist
Gawker, Manhattan Media News and Gossip
Gawker is Gawker Media's flagship title, a mix of pop culture and media gossip, updated up to two dozen times a day. Gawker is compulsory reading for New York editors and reporters, and often sets the agenda for the entertainment weeklies, gossip columns
101 Free Games: The Best Free Games on the Web from 1UP.com
You don't care how you get your fix. You just want to play a new game right now and you don't want to pay a lot for the privilege. Thank God for the Internet, where everything (and its mom) is available for free. So, taking a break from downloading patche
Iran Leader Calls Israel an 'Evil' Regime - Yahoo! News
I wonder if he is senile.. He sounds really moronic and/or extremist. Stupid Stupid Stupid..
Google Co-op is about sharing expertise. You can contribute your expertise and benefit when others do the same. Help other users find information more easily by creating "subscribed links" for your services and labeling webpages around the topics you know
Film Ignites the Wrath of Hindu Fundamentalists - New York Times
Movie: Water. Director: Deepa Mehta
About widows in Pre-independence era in India.
1- I am from Hijaz, Saudi Arabia. 2- I am currently studying in the US & fully legal. 3- Since I am an alien (according to the law), I am allowed to make grammatical mistakes and endless run-ons. 4- I do pick sides and call them "educated opinions." (I am
How do you know if you're already addicted or rapidly tumbling toward trouble? Everyone's situation is different, and it's not simply a matter of time spent on-line. Some people indicate they are addicted with only twenty hours of Internet use, while othe
Is Internet addiction a real problem?
USATODAY.com - NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.
Advanced online privacy protection - Homeland Stupidity
The U.S. government seems to have a dizzying array of programs, both already running and in the pipeline, to gather vast amounts of data on virtually everyone, store that data for who knows how long, and do who knows what with it. One thing they’re doin
onfocus.com | Finding Lost URLs
A week or so ago, a page by Professor Solomon called The Twelve Principles made the link rounds. The prof lays out a 12-step plan for finding any lost object. Most of the principles are mental tricks to get you back to the place you lost a physical object
Download of the Day: TimeTracker Firefox extension - Lifehacker
Firefox extension TimeTracker keeps track of the time you spend surfing with the ‘fox.
Instead of simply tracking the amount of time Firefox is open, TimeTracker has a several options you can tweak to get an accurate idea of the time you spend workin
Atlas - powered by Fresh Logic Studios
Atlas, a new mapping program from Fresh Logic Studios, is an ambitious new AJAX map along the lines of Google Maps.
All the usual features are there (directions, satellite and hybrid views, etc.), but Atlas has taken extra steps to make itself look and
Tags: Links
[Listening to: Go Daddy-O - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Swingers Soundtrack (3:09)]
raspberries
links for 2006-05-11
See what the world is searching for.
How to Rip DVDs to Small AVI or MPG Formatted Files - WikiHow
In real time, WhoLinked shows the other websites that are linking to you - from all over the Web.
More innovation with OPML. Grazr is a nifty way to embed an OPML browser in your site. It's also a good way to see how OPML works by grouping feeds in an outline view.
Tags: Links
[Listening to: Duane Joseph - The Juliana Theory - A Small Noise (4:00)]
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Closing another marvelous chapter of my life
Here are the chronicles of the last 10 days of Joy (me ;) ) as an undergrad.. Here are pictures (flickr).
Finals week was me at my most boring self. I studied more than any other time during the school year. I was practically living in the library. There were a few people who studied with me on the last study table on the 2nd floor, most often being Angela F. I think we got to know each other better during the end of our time here. I'm glad about that. I guess the studying paid off. I made A's in Thermodynamics and Hindu Gods, A- in Modern Algebra, and B in Set Theory/Topology. Topology was the toughest and highest level course offered in my four years of math at Coe. So, I'm actually happy with that grade because I deserved it. Thermo was also my first A ever in Mario's class with a 100 on the final. Hindu Gods was a friggin' breeze, and Modern Algebra was interesting.
The week before graduation were incredible dinners. It started with the Annual Physics lavish feast at the Czech Village. We had a spectroscopy presentation by a Coe grad (Dr. Rachel Boekenhauer) doing research at Argonne National Lab. I like the fact that at this time of my academic life, I can actually understand basic and advanced talks at a higher level and can ask intelligent questions. I was very curious about the thin film analysis of Gen II superconductors. After that, physics seniors were invited by Doc for steak at his house. We finished 13 pounds of expensive T-bones within the 9 people present. I have never eaten such a big piece of red meat that was prepared so well. Doc is indeed a Pro. Finally, President Phifer had invited the Class of 2006 to the Country Club for dinner on Thursday and it was amazing! The set up was formal and it was great to see others dressed well. The food was great. Now that I think about it, I should have bought a senior picture because it may have turned out well. This was an excellent and relaxed night to be with people from our Class one last time before the craziness of Graduation decended on us.
Dad flew in on Thursday, and Robi on Friday to attend my graduation. Mum couldn't come because she had to stay for Dida's last rite. It was great having them around. Saturday, a bunch of friends and I went dancing at the Top of the Five, and had an amazing time. I really like slip and slidig on the floor. I was the only guy amongst 8 girls. I had a ton of fun dancing with Angela M and Kiki. I got a few pictures that I put up on flickr. I got to say this again. Angela is an amazingly natural dancer and she blows me away. She's only had one formal class in swing and she dances like she's been doing this for a while. Arm tension and movement is exactly what I look for. She also has a great time dancing and smiles through out. I wish I had known her before and gotten to dance with her some more..
Dad, Robi and I walked around a lot and saw quite a bit of downtown. It was nice to just hang out together. We were missing Mum. Goms ate out with us quite a bit. They got to see the campus and really liked it. Then came, D Day as in Graduation, and formal end to my life at Coe College. Graduation was practically flawless. After ringing of the Victory Bell, it was really quick after that. I had two tassles for double majoring, two sets of cords for Mortar Board and Sigma Pi Sigma (national Physics honors society), graduated with Cum Laude (GPA 3.6+) and College Scholars Program, GPA of 3.82, and along with some other miscellaneous honors for leadership and merit. The speaker Mass. Gov Mitt Romney was really good. We were happy that he didn't turn the commencement speech into a campaigning test bed. If you don't know who he is, he is Democrat-turned-Republican for the next Presidential election. A lot of people on Coe weren't too pleased about him speaking but it turned out to be a great speech, one which I didn't snooze through. I met Andi's parents later and then went out to Taj Mahal for some Indian food after taking more pictures with my friends. And so the day ended, and I hung out with Dad and Robi at the hotel again. They left the next morning, and I've been relaxing since.
And on to Graduation presents, my parents got a Swatch 2006 (Chemical Blue) from Dubai. It's an incredible good-looking watch. This is to augment my existing Casio wrist watch that I bought 4 years ago in Hyderabad with Bhavya.
Andi's parents gave me a quilt with written sentiments of my friends. She asked Komal to get them signed by my friends and then sew them together. I love it!
Goms and Himali got me a giftcard from Express. Anh got me a cute little memento, and some spending money.
Britta and Kelly bought me chocolate and The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded] : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover). I've wanted to read it for a long time, and I know it's going to be an addicting read..
Tags: Life, Pictures, Books
Finals week was me at my most boring self. I studied more than any other time during the school year. I was practically living in the library. There were a few people who studied with me on the last study table on the 2nd floor, most often being Angela F. I think we got to know each other better during the end of our time here. I'm glad about that. I guess the studying paid off. I made A's in Thermodynamics and Hindu Gods, A- in Modern Algebra, and B in Set Theory/Topology. Topology was the toughest and highest level course offered in my four years of math at Coe. So, I'm actually happy with that grade because I deserved it. Thermo was also my first A ever in Mario's class with a 100 on the final. Hindu Gods was a friggin' breeze, and Modern Algebra was interesting.
The week before graduation were incredible dinners. It started with the Annual Physics lavish feast at the Czech Village. We had a spectroscopy presentation by a Coe grad (Dr. Rachel Boekenhauer) doing research at Argonne National Lab. I like the fact that at this time of my academic life, I can actually understand basic and advanced talks at a higher level and can ask intelligent questions. I was very curious about the thin film analysis of Gen II superconductors. After that, physics seniors were invited by Doc for steak at his house. We finished 13 pounds of expensive T-bones within the 9 people present. I have never eaten such a big piece of red meat that was prepared so well. Doc is indeed a Pro. Finally, President Phifer had invited the Class of 2006 to the Country Club for dinner on Thursday and it was amazing! The set up was formal and it was great to see others dressed well. The food was great. Now that I think about it, I should have bought a senior picture because it may have turned out well. This was an excellent and relaxed night to be with people from our Class one last time before the craziness of Graduation decended on us.
Dad flew in on Thursday, and Robi on Friday to attend my graduation. Mum couldn't come because she had to stay for Dida's last rite. It was great having them around. Saturday, a bunch of friends and I went dancing at the Top of the Five, and had an amazing time. I really like slip and slidig on the floor. I was the only guy amongst 8 girls. I had a ton of fun dancing with Angela M and Kiki. I got a few pictures that I put up on flickr. I got to say this again. Angela is an amazingly natural dancer and she blows me away. She's only had one formal class in swing and she dances like she's been doing this for a while. Arm tension and movement is exactly what I look for. She also has a great time dancing and smiles through out. I wish I had known her before and gotten to dance with her some more..
Dad, Robi and I walked around a lot and saw quite a bit of downtown. It was nice to just hang out together. We were missing Mum. Goms ate out with us quite a bit. They got to see the campus and really liked it. Then came, D Day as in Graduation, and formal end to my life at Coe College. Graduation was practically flawless. After ringing of the Victory Bell, it was really quick after that. I had two tassles for double majoring, two sets of cords for Mortar Board and Sigma Pi Sigma (national Physics honors society), graduated with Cum Laude (GPA 3.6+) and College Scholars Program, GPA of 3.82, and along with some other miscellaneous honors for leadership and merit. The speaker Mass. Gov Mitt Romney was really good. We were happy that he didn't turn the commencement speech into a campaigning test bed. If you don't know who he is, he is Democrat-turned-Republican for the next Presidential election. A lot of people on Coe weren't too pleased about him speaking but it turned out to be a great speech, one which I didn't snooze through. I met Andi's parents later and then went out to Taj Mahal for some Indian food after taking more pictures with my friends. And so the day ended, and I hung out with Dad and Robi at the hotel again. They left the next morning, and I've been relaxing since.
And on to Graduation presents, my parents got a Swatch 2006 (Chemical Blue) from Dubai. It's an incredible good-looking watch. This is to augment my existing Casio wrist watch that I bought 4 years ago in Hyderabad with Bhavya.
Andi's parents gave me a quilt with written sentiments of my friends. She asked Komal to get them signed by my friends and then sew them together. I love it!
Goms and Himali got me a giftcard from Express. Anh got me a cute little memento, and some spending money.
Britta and Kelly bought me chocolate and The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded] : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover). I've wanted to read it for a long time, and I know it's going to be an addicting read..
Tags: Life, Pictures, Books
[Listening to: Why Worry - The All-American Rejects - The All-American Rejects (4:18)]
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Free, streaming prime time TV shows. Get it while it lasts!
However, for free fully legal, and authorized streaming prime time shows on ABC, visit's ABC's streaming video website. This is an experimental bed for ABC and I hope they keep this up. For now, it is going to be up from May 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006. I have watched part of the latest Desperate Housewives. The other shows are Lost, Commander in Chief and Lost thus far. They are going to put up Grey's Anatomy up too.
PeekVid
I found this great site to watch full episodes of several TV shows that are listed below by streaming and/or downloading. It's too good to last because it's bound to shut down soon. So, try it out and download as much as you can before that happens. I've been watching the TV shows (NCIS, Numb3rs) for some time now, and love it!
* 24 (17 episodes)
* Arrested Development (4 episodes)
* Battlestar Gallactica (2 episodes)
* Becker (16 episodes)
* Boondocks (12 episodes)
* Boston Legal (9 episodes)
* Buffy (57 episodes)
* Chappelle Show (1 episode)
* Charmed (20 episodes)
* Desperate Housewives (9 episodes)
* Earth 2 (4 episodes)
* ER (1 episode)
* Everybody Hates Chris (2 episodes)
* Everybody Loves Raymond (13 episodes)
* Family Guy (22 episodes)
* Farscape (4 episodes)
* Fat Actress (6 episodes)
* Greys Anatomy (16 episodes)
* Hoges The Early Years (5 episodes)
* Home Improvement (40 episodes)
* I Dream of Jeannie (11 episodes)
* Inspector Gadget (16 episodes)
* Lois & Clark (8 episodes)
* Lost (1 episode)
* MacGyver (16 episodes)
* Monty Pythons Flying Circus (44 episodes)
* NBA Action (1 episode)
* NCIS (5 episodes)
* Numbers (3 episodes)
* One Tree Hill (9 episodes)
* Pink Panther (32 episodes)
* Prison Break (3 episodes)
* Relic Hunter (3 episodes)
* Robot Chicken (10 episodes)
* Scrubs (12 episodes)
* Seven Days (9 episodes)
* Smurfs (38 episodes)
* South Park (4 episodes)
* Star Trek Deep Space 9 (10 episodes)
* Starhunter (44 episodes)
* Superbowl (2 episodes)
* Supernatural (3 episodes)
* The Ben Stiller Show (13 episodes)
* The Colbert Report (9 episodes)
* The Daily Show (21 episodes)
* The Exorcist - Movie (2 episodes)
* The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air (12 episodes)
* The Net (4 episodes)
* The Shield (1 episode)
* The Sopranos (14 episodes)
* Thundercats (31 episodes)
* Tom and Jerry (2 episodes)
* Tonight Show With Jay Leno (9 episodes)
* Untouchables (11 episodes)
Tags: Videos, Links
PeekVid
I found this great site to watch full episodes of several TV shows that are listed below by streaming and/or downloading. It's too good to last because it's bound to shut down soon. So, try it out and download as much as you can before that happens. I've been watching the TV shows (NCIS, Numb3rs) for some time now, and love it!
* 24 (17 episodes)
* Arrested Development (4 episodes)
* Battlestar Gallactica (2 episodes)
* Becker (16 episodes)
* Boondocks (12 episodes)
* Boston Legal (9 episodes)
* Buffy (57 episodes)
* Chappelle Show (1 episode)
* Charmed (20 episodes)
* Desperate Housewives (9 episodes)
* Earth 2 (4 episodes)
* ER (1 episode)
* Everybody Hates Chris (2 episodes)
* Everybody Loves Raymond (13 episodes)
* Family Guy (22 episodes)
* Farscape (4 episodes)
* Fat Actress (6 episodes)
* Greys Anatomy (16 episodes)
* Hoges The Early Years (5 episodes)
* Home Improvement (40 episodes)
* I Dream of Jeannie (11 episodes)
* Inspector Gadget (16 episodes)
* Lois & Clark (8 episodes)
* Lost (1 episode)
* MacGyver (16 episodes)
* Monty Pythons Flying Circus (44 episodes)
* NBA Action (1 episode)
* NCIS (5 episodes)
* Numbers (3 episodes)
* One Tree Hill (9 episodes)
* Pink Panther (32 episodes)
* Prison Break (3 episodes)
* Relic Hunter (3 episodes)
* Robot Chicken (10 episodes)
* Scrubs (12 episodes)
* Seven Days (9 episodes)
* Smurfs (38 episodes)
* South Park (4 episodes)
* Star Trek Deep Space 9 (10 episodes)
* Starhunter (44 episodes)
* Superbowl (2 episodes)
* Supernatural (3 episodes)
* The Ben Stiller Show (13 episodes)
* The Colbert Report (9 episodes)
* The Daily Show (21 episodes)
* The Exorcist - Movie (2 episodes)
* The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air (12 episodes)
* The Net (4 episodes)
* The Shield (1 episode)
* The Sopranos (14 episodes)
* Thundercats (31 episodes)
* Tom and Jerry (2 episodes)
* Tonight Show With Jay Leno (9 episodes)
* Untouchables (11 episodes)
Tags: Videos, Links
[Listening to: Drowned - Youth Group - Skeleton Jar (4:19)]
Monday, May 01, 2006
Stephen Colbert roasts the President
This guy (Comedy Central fame) has a lot of balls to crack at Bush while he is sitting two seats away. He is talking at the White House Press Correspondents Dinner, and the video is ripped from C-SPAN. Most of the people are trying real hard not to laugh. They keep looking at each other with surprise, and incredulous looks..
**
For the updated sites where the videos are hosted, visit DanB. Apparently, YouTube pulled the videos off for copyright infringement.
Tags: Videos
**
For the updated sites where the videos are hosted, visit DanB. Apparently, YouTube pulled the videos off for copyright infringement.
Tags: Videos
[Listening to: The Vast Spoils of America (From the Badlands Through the Ocean) - Saves The Day - Through Being Cool (3:08)]
Friday, April 28, 2006
Bush Opposes Singing Anthem in Spanish - Yahoo! News
Bush Opposes Singing Anthem in Spanish - Yahoo! News
Not allowing the largest minority population to sing the National Anthem in their native language. For being tolerant of other cultures, Bush rejecting the spanish version is rather intolerant.
As you can see, this version was well intentioned and I believe them. It was supported by artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon.
Read Michelle Malkin's take on this issue.
Update:
shirley buxton said...
I'm with Bush. I love people of all nationalities, but this is America, and the national anthem should be sung in English.
My reply: You speak as though English is the state language of the US. Unofficially, maybe but that doesn't mean that people can't express patriotism in the language that they are most comfortable with. It almost seems like speaking english is critical to being American. I think if you or anyone else thinks that, you are delusional. In a cosmopolitan nation like the United States, diversity must be encouraged and cherished. Not suppressed. Are you scared of diluting US culture? You don't have an ethnic culture to dilute. Actually, we come into the country making you realize that there is more outside than just yourselves..
Tags: Politics
Not allowing the largest minority population to sing the National Anthem in their native language. For being tolerant of other cultures, Bush rejecting the spanish version is rather intolerant.
British music producer Adam Kidron, who came up with the idea of the Spanish anthem, said it was not intended to discourage immigrants from learning English or embracing American culture.
"We instead view `Nuestro Himno' as a song that affords those immigrants that have not yet learned the English language the opportunity to fully understand the character of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' the American flag and the ideals of freedom that they represent," Kidron said in a written statement.
As you can see, this version was well intentioned and I believe them. It was supported by artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon.
Read Michelle Malkin's take on this issue.
Update:
shirley buxton said...
I'm with Bush. I love people of all nationalities, but this is America, and the national anthem should be sung in English.
My reply: You speak as though English is the state language of the US. Unofficially, maybe but that doesn't mean that people can't express patriotism in the language that they are most comfortable with. It almost seems like speaking english is critical to being American. I think if you or anyone else thinks that, you are delusional. In a cosmopolitan nation like the United States, diversity must be encouraged and cherished. Not suppressed. Are you scared of diluting US culture? You don't have an ethnic culture to dilute. Actually, we come into the country making you realize that there is more outside than just yourselves..
Tags: Politics
performance under pressure?
I passed my Physics oral. So, I am officially allowed to graduate with a physics major. We do have stringent standards for graduating physics majors at Coe College. A written comprehensive on General Physics and oral comprehensive on Modern Physics just so we don't embarrass ourselves and our school when we go to graduate school..
UPenn sent me the most trite rejection letter ever. I just laughed and so did my friends when I showed them the letter.
My dad and brother are coming to my graduation. Dad's flying from India, and I bought him an incredibly expensive ticket from Chicago to Cedar Rapids because all the low priced tickets were gone. Now, since dad is not coming in till Friday, I have to change the reservation. Guess how much extra money is needed? $100 for penalties, and $100 ticket price increase. $200 friggin' on top of $450. Argghhh! Hopefully Dad can change his reservation in India..
Hear my previous podcast for the rest of the stuff that's going on in my life..
Tags: Life
UPenn sent me the most trite rejection letter ever. I just laughed and so did my friends when I showed them the letter.
My dad and brother are coming to my graduation. Dad's flying from India, and I bought him an incredibly expensive ticket from Chicago to Cedar Rapids because all the low priced tickets were gone. Now, since dad is not coming in till Friday, I have to change the reservation. Guess how much extra money is needed? $100 for penalties, and $100 ticket price increase. $200 friggin' on top of $450. Argghhh! Hopefully Dad can change his reservation in India..
Hear my previous podcast for the rest of the stuff that's going on in my life..
Tags: Life
[Listening to: Doris - Clemency - The Beauty Of It All (3:59)]
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Time when Hell descends upon us..
I have been studying like crazy the last week which explains the lack of posts. I have another week or so of this stressful ordeal and then I'm free! I have 4 finals with most being comprehensive. Finals are crazy times. Tempers flaring, head aching, panicking, sweating profusely, lack of sleep, tensions right before the exams.. Ahh!! Shit, five more years of this! Thank God for the little break at home to recuperate, and revitalize and getting excited about graduate school, and work, and lack of life in general.. I have to keep sane. Being a bum in the summer never looked so inviting ;).
I also have to deal with moving out of Coe for the first time ever (sigh..), make plans to get across the country to DC before I leave for Nigeria (road trip with Jessi and her family!), figure out immigration details for graduate school (Beauracracy is taxing on my patience), and other such critical details.
On a positive note, my paper Structural studies of solution-made high alkali content borate glasses (PDF) got published in the Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, which is the most prestigious journal for glass science. So, I'm a published first author along with my advisor Dr. Feller. This was the culmination of three summers of research using a novel technique making glasses no one had ever made before. I have journal entries describing my summer research days if anyone is interested ;). Exciting, eh?
Here is the abstract for those curious:
Keeping with PhDcomics humor, this strip is pertinent to the subject of me being published. This strip is not necessarily accurate in my case ;).
Tags: Life, Pictures, Science
I also have to deal with moving out of Coe for the first time ever (sigh..), make plans to get across the country to DC before I leave for Nigeria (road trip with Jessi and her family!), figure out immigration details for graduate school (Beauracracy is taxing on my patience), and other such critical details.
On a positive note, my paper Structural studies of solution-made high alkali content borate glasses (PDF) got published in the Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, which is the most prestigious journal for glass science. So, I'm a published first author along with my advisor Dr. Feller. This was the culmination of three summers of research using a novel technique making glasses no one had ever made before. I have journal entries describing my summer research days if anyone is interested ;). Exciting, eh?
Here is the abstract for those curious:
The glass forming range of alkali borates has been extended to R = 5.0 (83 mol% alkali oxide) using a solution method. This method involves the reaction between solutions of boric acid (H3BO3) and alkali hydroxide (MOH). Physical properties and NMR studies were performed on the intermediate and final glass products of this method. We have obtained results for the entire alkali borate system including lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium. The structure of these invert glasses remains enigmatic.
Keywords: Glass formation; Glass transition; Glasses; Raman spectroscopy; Oxide glasses; Borates; NMR, MAS-NMR and NQR; Structure; Short-range order; Glass transition; Water
Keeping with PhDcomics humor, this strip is pertinent to the subject of me being published. This strip is not necessarily accurate in my case ;).
Tags: Life, Pictures, Science
[Listening to: I Wish - Semisonic - All About Chemistry (7:55)]
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Pink - Dear Mr President (live music video, streaming mp3, and lyrics)
Pink - Dear Mr President (live)
Dear Mr. President - Pink (4:33)
Powered by Castpost| mp3 | 48 kbps VBR
Album: I'm Not Dead
Tags: Politics, Blog Finds, Music, Videos
Dear Mr. President - Pink (4:33)
Powered by Castpost| mp3 | 48 kbps VBR
Album: I'm Not Dead
"Dear Mr. President"
( PINK feat. Indigo Girls)
Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why
Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell
What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh
How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you
Tags: Politics, Blog Finds, Music, Videos
[Listening to: Illusions - Ryan Cabrera - Take It All Away (3:36)]
Sorrow
Grief. It's an incredibly intense emotion capable of rendering even the most powerful person helpless. It works by capturing all our attention and concentrating into one point. Like a black hole with infinite gravity. It takes a lot of will power and time to heal and move past it.
Now, all my grandparents are looking at me from up above. My maternal grandmother was the last to pass on. She lived a great 81 years survived by 4 children and a massive extended family. My parents are flying to New Delhi for her last rites this week. Mum won't be able to attend my graduation. I understand because her mom's funeral is more important, and this is not my last graduation. I will graduate at least once more. I mean graduate school.
I also realized that I don't know how to handle grief or sorrow. I feel strangely disconnected. I guess it still has to sink in that I will never see her again.
Tags: Life
Now, all my grandparents are looking at me from up above. My maternal grandmother was the last to pass on. She lived a great 81 years survived by 4 children and a massive extended family. My parents are flying to New Delhi for her last rites this week. Mum won't be able to attend my graduation. I understand because her mom's funeral is more important, and this is not my last graduation. I will graduate at least once more. I mean graduate school.
I also realized that I don't know how to handle grief or sorrow. I feel strangely disconnected. I guess it still has to sink in that I will never see her again.
Tags: Life
[Listening to: Armies Walk - Nada Surf - The Weight Is A Gift (3:28)]
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Rate Your Students: Advice to Parents: Which College Major is Best?
Rate Your Students: Advice to Parents: Which College Major is Best?
This post lists some of the majors and kind of people who do that majors. It also talks about their future. It's a hilarious read.
And while, we are talking about academic humor. I found a comic strip called "Piled Higher and Deeper" (PhD). It is the popular comic strip about life (or the lack thereof) in grad school.
It's ironic that I find this humorous because that's going to be my life in 3 months. I am going to be a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering for the next 4-6 years.
Here is a sampler:
Tags: Blog Finds, Random, Pictures
This post lists some of the majors and kind of people who do that majors. It also talks about their future. It's a hilarious read.
And while, we are talking about academic humor. I found a comic strip called "Piled Higher and Deeper" (PhD). It is the popular comic strip about life (or the lack thereof) in grad school.
It's ironic that I find this humorous because that's going to be my life in 3 months. I am going to be a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering for the next 4-6 years.
Here is a sampler:
Tags: Blog Finds, Random, Pictures
[Listening to: Something to Look Forward To - Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (2:16)]
Bulleted thoughts
- Missed Flunk day. Yeah! The day that I was looking forward to all year. I told everyone I knew about it. And. I friggin' miss it. I knew if I thought about it, I wouldn't be very happy. So, I suppressed all thoughts about Flunk Day while and after the PSU visit. I missed hanging out with friends, drinking endless amounts of beer, and taking ton of pictures. Flunk day would have been a great day for photography
- Swing at PSU sucked. This is one of my foremost passions. The swing lessons and social dance I went to was painful. It was so painful that I left part way. I hope it gets better when I start PSU. Let me tell you, I was sorely disappointed to sum this experience up.
- I'm in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. I guess I was nominated and selected. This is an annual award given to outstanding campus leaders for their scholastic ability, participation and leadership in academic and extra curricular activities and community service (link).
- Got PSU's official offer today. I have been given a Research Assistantship, with a bi-semester stipend and a summer stipend totalling around $18,700.
- Taking the oral Modern Physics test next Monday. I have to memorize a lot of equations, and understand the concepts to pass this trial of fire! Well, here's to hoping for the best..
- Browsing PhD Comics and getting addicted. I must have spent a few hours going through and saving my favorites. After I'm done saving all the ones I want, I'll put them up on Flickr.
- Had a bad dream about rejection. Again. I wish there was a better way for me to stop feeling this way. Well, apart from time anyway. I suppose this sort of dreams are getting sporadic and that is progress. There has been a lot of rejection in life so far. Grad schools, certain people, scholarships.
Tags: Life
[Listening to: She Was My Girl - Jerry Cantrell - Spider-Man [Soundtrack] (4:17)]
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
PSU impresses!
Travelling. I seem to do a lot of that. Even though, I have plenty of "air time", I still get nauseous when the plane bobs up and down. You know, I should have been acclimated to that by now. But, oh well! The trip was fine except for the 3 hour delay at Detroit. That meant I got to Penn Stater at University Park at 2.30 am. Include 5 hours of sleep.
I met with Dr. Carlo Pantano for breakfast and he talked to me about the two projects pertaining to glass fibres including one on nanodiameter fibreglass. He has a lot of projects from industry and no dearth of funding. I was also enlightened about an Entrepreneurial program that graduate students can enroll in to gain business sense. That is something I intend to look into more when I decide on Penn State. The MSE department at PSU is one of the best in the country ( ranked 8th for graduate school), and ranked 1 for highest research spending. This information was courtesy Dr. Pantano while exalting the Materials Science and Engineering program. I met three other professors who described the research (thin films, photonics) that they needed students for including a Chem professor (Dr. Karl Mueller) that collaborated with Dr. Pantano in NMR studies of fibreglass. I was also taken on a tour of the most of the research facilities (MRI, MCL, MRL and Steidle Building) and shown a ton of equipment. I was duly impressed by the sheer scale of instrumentation available in user facilities including W. M. Keck Smart Materials Integration Laboratory. They are also constructing a new building in the next couple of years of MSE which is a multi-million dollar project.
I am now waiting for an offer from Dr. Pantano. The stipend should be around $18000, and he wants me to start in the summer. Unfortunately, that will not be possible to the immigration constraints. I won't have my US visa in time for that to happen..
Apart from the science, I also got to interact with a few graduate students during the tours and meals (dinner: Korean). I have a good feeling of graduate life, and what is expected as a student. There is plenty to do outside work and school. There are a lot of clubs, and recreation opportunities. It is also within 4 hours of major cities like Philidelphia, Washington DC, Pittsburg and such. The town is essentially a college campus as PSU has 40,000 students. They are crazy about football. The downtown is compact but has plenty to offer with nightlife and stores. One of the grad students took me to a bar that had 180 different kinds of beers from various countries. The cost of living is not very high, and so I should be comfortable with the stipend. I need to get an apartment and lease a car. So, I will have quite a few expenses..
Now comes the tough decision of choosing in between Vanderbilt and PSU. I am calling Vanderbilt to see if a visit can be arranged because I want to see what else they have to offer. I am incredibly impressed with PSU's MSE department, and swaying in that direction for a fewreasons apart from being awed. I get to start in the fall and I can live off the stipend to state a few.
Need to sleep. Only had 10 hours of sleep in 3 days. Fatigued and lethargic. Need to replenish self.
Tags: Life
I met with Dr. Carlo Pantano for breakfast and he talked to me about the two projects pertaining to glass fibres including one on nanodiameter fibreglass. He has a lot of projects from industry and no dearth of funding. I was also enlightened about an Entrepreneurial program that graduate students can enroll in to gain business sense. That is something I intend to look into more when I decide on Penn State. The MSE department at PSU is one of the best in the country ( ranked 8th for graduate school), and ranked 1 for highest research spending. This information was courtesy Dr. Pantano while exalting the Materials Science and Engineering program. I met three other professors who described the research (thin films, photonics) that they needed students for including a Chem professor (Dr. Karl Mueller) that collaborated with Dr. Pantano in NMR studies of fibreglass. I was also taken on a tour of the most of the research facilities (MRI, MCL, MRL and Steidle Building) and shown a ton of equipment. I was duly impressed by the sheer scale of instrumentation available in user facilities including W. M. Keck Smart Materials Integration Laboratory. They are also constructing a new building in the next couple of years of MSE which is a multi-million dollar project.
I am now waiting for an offer from Dr. Pantano. The stipend should be around $18000, and he wants me to start in the summer. Unfortunately, that will not be possible to the immigration constraints. I won't have my US visa in time for that to happen..
Apart from the science, I also got to interact with a few graduate students during the tours and meals (dinner: Korean). I have a good feeling of graduate life, and what is expected as a student. There is plenty to do outside work and school. There are a lot of clubs, and recreation opportunities. It is also within 4 hours of major cities like Philidelphia, Washington DC, Pittsburg and such. The town is essentially a college campus as PSU has 40,000 students. They are crazy about football. The downtown is compact but has plenty to offer with nightlife and stores. One of the grad students took me to a bar that had 180 different kinds of beers from various countries. The cost of living is not very high, and so I should be comfortable with the stipend. I need to get an apartment and lease a car. So, I will have quite a few expenses..
Now comes the tough decision of choosing in between Vanderbilt and PSU. I am calling Vanderbilt to see if a visit can be arranged because I want to see what else they have to offer. I am incredibly impressed with PSU's MSE department, and swaying in that direction for a fewreasons apart from being awed. I get to start in the fall and I can live off the stipend to state a few.
Need to sleep. Only had 10 hours of sleep in 3 days. Fatigued and lethargic. Need to replenish self.
Tags: Life
[Listening to: Everything Is Alright - Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This to Memory (3:26)]
Sunday, April 16, 2006
EmpressOtterPop asks 5
EmpressOtterPop asks me five questions since I asked her five here.
1. Why did you choose the college you attend and your particular major?
Out of the twenty schools that I applied to, Coe gave me the best offer. I guess I knew I was going to study science from childhood. Coe had one of the best physics faculty in the country because the two professors were very well known. Additionally, I would be able to do research at undergrad level, and that sealed the deal.
2. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?
Well, you never said that it couldn't be fictional ;). So I choose Atlantis for all its wonders and intrigue.
3. What superpower would you like to have, and why?
I would want the power of telekinesis because that would be just cool. Moving objects with mind. Mind over matter. That would be the ultimate powertrip.
4. What was your favorite childhood toy?
GI Joes and Hot Wheels.
5. If you could meet any author, living or dead, who would it be?
That's a tough one. The choice I would be tossing between is Arthur C Clarke and Orson Scott Card. I guess I would choose Arthur C Clarke.
I'm such a nerd.
Tags: Random
1. Why did you choose the college you attend and your particular major?
Out of the twenty schools that I applied to, Coe gave me the best offer. I guess I knew I was going to study science from childhood. Coe had one of the best physics faculty in the country because the two professors were very well known. Additionally, I would be able to do research at undergrad level, and that sealed the deal.
2. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?
Well, you never said that it couldn't be fictional ;). So I choose Atlantis for all its wonders and intrigue.
3. What superpower would you like to have, and why?
I would want the power of telekinesis because that would be just cool. Moving objects with mind. Mind over matter. That would be the ultimate powertrip.
4. What was your favorite childhood toy?
GI Joes and Hot Wheels.
5. If you could meet any author, living or dead, who would it be?
That's a tough one. The choice I would be tossing between is Arthur C Clarke and Orson Scott Card. I guess I would choose Arthur C Clarke.
I'm such a nerd.
Tags: Random
[Listening to: I Won't Give Up - Everyday Sunday - Anthems For The Imperfect (4:29)]
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