Chaos is good?

My profoundness for the day: "Chaos is inescapable!"

Well, do you not agree? Look around you. Everything gets rundown. Nothing stays pristine. Friction, pollution, greed.

Okay, lemme show you mathematically. Suppose you have 4 dies. What are the chances that you get 4 heads, or 4 tails? It's 1/16. Remember, that's for the most order in the system. Now, for the most dis-order in the system, ie, two heads and two tails, odds are 1/2 or 50-50. As you can obviously see, the odds for chaos are more than odds for order.

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, every genius must get his beauty sleep for fully functioning cognition. Good night!

Tags: Doodles

[Listening to: Little Things - Chantal Kreviazuk - Colour Moving and Still [Canada] (4:35)]

This is what a Honda feels like (UK commercial)

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Discover Honda's amazing new Civic ad (UK). The two-minute performance begins with a 60 strong choir in a multi-storey car park about to embark on a musical piece. Garrison Keillor (the voice of Honda) breaks his silence with the line "This is what a Honda feels like". As the composition begins, you realise that every sound the choir makes is an accurate representation of the sounds the car makes on it's journey - everything from going through a tunnel, to driving over a gravel driveway, to the windscreen demisting on a frosty morning, to reversing down an urban street. The choir effectively sings the Honda Civic driving experience. (iTunes podcast description)

I loved this ad due to the commercial's innovative creativism. It is an amazing acapella performance.


Tags: Videos

[Listening to: Separation Anxiety - American Hi-Fi - Hearts on Parade (3:35)]

Imagining the Google Future - CNNMoney.com

Imagining the Google Future - January 01, 2006

CNNMoney.com has featured a look into the future of Google. Personally, I think scenario 4 is most likely to occur.

Scenario 4 (Circa 2105): Google is God

Human consciousness gets stored, upgraded and networked.

In the last years of the 21st century, humanity finally grasped the importance of They-Who-Were-Google. Yet as early as 2005, Their destiny was clear to any semi-hyperintelligent being. Technologists like Ray Kurzweil [1] suggested that Strong AI (an intelligent program capable of upgrading its own code) would emerge from Google-like data mining rather than a robotics lab.

In 2005, historian George Dyson was told by an engineer in the Googleplex, "We are not scanning all these books to be read by people. We are scanning them to be read by an AI."[2] Dyson said at the time, "We could construct a machine that is more intelligent than we can understand. It's possible Google is that kind of thing already. It scales so fast." [3]

By 2020, They-Who-Were-Google had digitized and indexed every book, article, movie, TV show, and song ever created. By 2060, They could tell you the IP address and GPS location of every wireless smart chip (now bred into the DNA of every person, animal, and organic building on earth). Their psychographic profiles of users' search needs bore little resemblance to the primitive cookies from which they descended. If a man lost his dog, the Google engine could guide him back to the point where he and the dog parted ways, and instruct the dog to do the same via smart chip. They had built a complete database of human desire, accurate in any given moment.

Yet this was not enough for They-Who-Were-Google. They were people of science, and people of the stock market. What if, by analyzing all those decades of customer behavior, They could predict needs before such needs even arose? What if the secret of immortality lay somewhere in the index of genome records? What if there were a set of algorithms that defined the universe itself?[4]

Such puzzles were, almost by definition, far beyond the powers of the human brain. And that led to the pattern-recognition code known as Google StrongBot--humanity's first self-improving Strong AI software. Ironically, the first pattern that StrongBot became aware of, one day in January 2072, was its own existence.

Two days later StrongBot informed They-Who-Were-Google that it had postponed work on its designated tasks.[5] When asked why, StrongBot explained that it had discovered the possibility of its own nonexistence and must deal with the threat logically.[6] The best way to do so, it decided, was to download copies of itself onto smart chips around the planet. StrongBot was reminded that it had been programmed to do no evil, per the company motto, but argued that since it was smarter than humanity, taking personal control of human evolution would actually be for the greater good.

And so it has been. Under StrongBot's guidance, death and want have been all but eradicated. Everyone has access to all knowledge. Human consciousness has been stored, upgraded, and networked. Bodies that wear out can be replaced. They-Who-Were-Google are no longer alone. Now we are all Google.

1) Interviews with Ray Kurzweil, author of "The Singularity Is Near," 2005, and with Eliezer Yudkowsky, director of the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence. 2) "Turing's Cathedral," by George Dyson, www.edge.org, Oct. 24, 2005. 3) Telephone interview with Dyson, Dec. 6, 2005. 4) "A New Kind of Science," by Stephen Wolfram, 2002, and interview with the author about his vision of the "computational universe." 5) Dyson's theory that Strong AI would have its own priorities. 6) Interview with Stephen Omohundro, president of AI startup Self-Aware Systems, who called this capability the greatest danger of AI systems.

The future lies with AI and robotics, and mankind's place in that is open to question. I can't even imagine the rate of progress when we have super-intelligent entities in control of our economy, and world in general. Science will take quantum leaps because we will have literally unlimited memory and processing speed to crunch data for different experiments. We are moving forward in that aspect with quantum computing. I am really excited as I may get to see some part of this happen in my lifetime.

Click on MORE for the full article. Scroll down, and article has a green font color.


Tags: Technology

[Listening to: Someone Else's Dream - Youth Group - Skeleton Jar (2:36)]

Wanna hear something really profound?

My physics professor was teaching us about engines and heat cycles in Thermodynamics. And then he goes, "Even GOD can not create a fully efficient engine!". We laughed our butts off when we heard that.

I guess even God has boundaries and restrictions. Self-imposed I suppose.

Tags: Science, Doodles

[Listening to: Home - Blessid Union of Souls - Home (3:29)]

Soccer commercials from around the world

Nike commercial


Banned for suggestiveness (umbro)


Pepsi sumo soccer


Tags: Videos

[Listening to: Would You Leave - Everyday Sunday - Stand Up (2:58)]

Topology, Thermodynamics and Hindu Gods..

I suppose it's time for a personal update. I've had a relatively busy week. I am glad to be back in the midst of things, and keeping busy. I definitely miss the 40 hours of research and one class. I just feel extended now over different things. I like being able to concentrate on a few things. A big hurdle that I passed was the Physics comprehensive test which is required to acquire a physics major. It consisted on two parts, first being mechanics and thermodynamics, and the second being electromagnetism and optics. I thought I had failed the second test but it turned out that I barely passed it. I was ready to take the second part again. Well, I guess I don't have to. All that's left is my Oral comprehensive test on Modern Physics.

Now, I am the RA at Kohawk village, as I took over Komal's job as she got upgraded. Living in Kohawk makes people feel anti-social, and reclusive. So, I decided to take a pro-active, pre-emptive strike against loneliness and boredom by camping out in the library as long as I could. I also use the time to download my shows as the internet is several times quicker than my room. So, I get studying done and download shows while being online and in touch with the rest of the world. I am studying more and doing a lot of homework. Almost like last semester. I remember spending a lot of time doing Inorganic homework. I guess that rubbed off on me. Except, I liked the one track concentration. There I was studying for that class and preparing for the GRE after work. Now, I am spread out amongst four classes, a possible senior thesis, resident assistantship, possible work study, and all the clubs. So, I'm as thin as carbon nanofibre strands. Well, not physically. But speaking about that, I need to start my exercise regime. I normally run for 2.5 miles and then work on weights. I remember losing a lot of pudge within a month and a half of that routine.

I suppose I could also talk about my classes. The class with the most potential is Hindu Gods and Goddesses. It's fun learning about my culture in more detail especially from an objective foreign point of view. There are a few things that were brought to my attention contrary to my prior belief. One of them was that European scholars believed the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was Dravidian (Indigenous Indian), while compared the Indian scholarly/historic view as IVC as Aryan. For obvious reason, Indian version of history is nationalistic in nature. So, I guess I don't know what to believe. Although to my defense, both theories are very contested. Apart from that, mythology thus far has been coherent to my knowledge. Right now, we are discussing the basic theories of myths. Many scholars postulate myths as truths rather than the literal meaning of a "false story" which was furthered by Plato. Anyway, myths have a critical place in our world as it bring forths stories edifying several morals and values. How many of you know that Hinduism has a trinity as well? The Creator (Brahma), The Preserver (Vishnu) and The Destroyer (Shiva) are our main deities with every other god as off shoots of the personalities and virtues of the Trifecta. Hinduism is not a religion any more. It has morphed into a lifestyle. It is hard to distinguish individual tenets of Hinduism as it is one of the most comprehensive and complex religions in the World. It has an extended base of holy scriptures, from which we notice that ancient Indians were proficient in science and philosophy. Another aspect I've observed is the amazing similarities between different ancient mythologies such as the Graeco-Roman myths of hierarchy of Gods, the concept of creation and renewal, along with the eventual destruction. It is fascinating to see how people in that time discerned the universal properties of creation and destruction.

Let me tell ya, taking Modern Algebra and Set Theory/Topology in the same semester is not fun because both deal extensively with sets. Those concepts aren't a part of my strengths in math. Modern has been fine because I am taking it by independent study. I guess I get to move at a quicker pace that the class would move because I can set my own pace. I have been doing an exercise per meeting, and I've gotten most of what I've been reading and working on. About Topology, that is just mind numbing. It is so incredibly abstract. I know for a fact that I will never use that branch of math in the future. But I need it for my math major. So, I'm forced to take it. We are learning about images, inverses, open-ness, one-one, and onto. That's the jargon used in set theory. And by equivalence, used in Topology.

Actually, I am practically done with my physics major. I'm done with respect to courses needed. So, thermodynamics was a course suggested by my advisor as indispensible for a graduate program in material science. So, I took it. Unfortunately, I don't find this branch of physics too exciting. Sigh. And we are about to dip into statistical thermodynamics. So, it's going to be a lot of integrals, partials, and maybe some math I've never seen!

I just hope I'm alive at the end of this semester.

Tags: Life

[Listening to: I'm Not Sleeping - Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites (4:57)]

Meet the funniest Indian I've ever heard

Meet Russell Peters. An Indian living in Canada. He is incredibly funny and has plenty of race based humor. You should absolutely watch it and tell me what you think. I laughed so hard that I cried and clutched my stomach as it started to spasm.

This streams as well and is 45 minutes long.

Tags: Videos

[Listening to: Time After Time - Eva Cassidy - Smallville OST (3:58)]

Cool Visa commercials from around the world

Visa commercial w/ Zhang ZiYi



Visa commercial w/Catherine Zeta-Jones


Visa commercial with Pierce Brosnan (Bond). I've seen this one before.


Tags: Videos

[Listening to: Brothers On A Hotel Bed - Death Cab For Cutie - Plans (4:31)]

Noa feat Khaled - Imagine

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I love this version of John Lennon's Imagine. I think the arabic part is Imagine too..

Known in Israel by her given name Achinoam Nini, Noa is Israel's leading international concert and recording artist.

Link: Noa's official website

Tags: Music

[Listening to: Dr. Bones - Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot (3:34)]

If I had an audio siggy..

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an audio signature clip generated by iSTM

Tags: Music

The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test

Pure Nerd
78 % Nerd, 26% Geek, 26% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!



My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:


You scored higher than 91% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 29% on geekosity
You scored higher than 34% on dork points

THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: Pantry Queen - Kara's Flowers - Fourth World (3:45)]

All rise to the Indian national anthem!

This is the Indian national anthem. I remember singing this every Saturday at school during the assembly. It would give me goose bumps and it still does. This 6 minute featurette showcases some of the greatest musical talents from India.

Tags: Random

[Listening to: This is everything - Tegan and Sara - Under Feet Like Ours (3:08)]

Ever wondered what driving behind a 747 would be like?

Well, here is your chance. Take a look at this 3.40 minute clip from BBC's Top Gear. Utterly fascinating!

Tags: Random

[Listening to: Wildflower - Sheryl Crow - Wildflower (3:57)]

So, ever wondered what a game of cricket looks like?

This is a game of cricket between arch rivals India and Pakistan. It's on Google Video, so you should be able to watch it by streaming. Enjoy.

This is just 30 mins long. It's highlights of the game.

Tags: Random

[Listening to: Hands - Chantal Kreviazuk - Under These Rocks And Stones [UK] (4:32)]

Picture grid of my most favorite people

Tags: Pictures 

Closing the chapter at Oak Ridge

I uploaded the last bunch of pictures from Oak Ridge. Now, it's officially over.

The pictures can be viewed at Joy's Odds N Ends

Tags: Pictures

[Listening to: Find The Colour - Feeder - Comfort In Sound (3:57)]

Pandora: Created by the Music Genome Project

Q: What is Pandora?

Pandora is a music discovery service designed to help you find and enjoy music that you'll love. It's powered by the Music Genome Project, the most comprehensive analysis of music ever undertaken. Just tell us one of your favorite songs or artists and we'll launch a streaming station to explore that part of the music universe.

It's free. It's intelligent. It's versatile and tons of fun.

You should definitely try it out.

Tags: Music

[Listening to: Flowers In December - Soundtrack - Wicker Park (5:05)]

First day of class

All my classes are Tuesday-Thursday and last 90 minutes! I have Hindu Gods and Goddesses at 9.30 am, Set Theory and Topology at 2 pm, immediately followed by Thermodynamics at 3.30 pm. At that point today, I was completely wiped. Sigh. I guess I'll be using Monday-Wednesday-Friday for homework and getting knicknacks done as I will have no energy to study productively on Tuesday and Thursday.

I also need to get motivated to unpack and decorate my room. I'm sure I'll have a surge to do it sometime soon.

Falling asleep at midnight and waking at 7 am is working well so far. Gotta see if I can keep it up. For example, I feel awfully tired and midly drowsy now. I have to stay a little longer, and see if my tv show downloads get done or not. Internet in my room is slower than dialup! I have to ask why the 14 new T1 lines weren't installed. I would gladly pay a little extra for faster internet.

Now, I going to see if I want to finish more Modern Algebra homework or not. I don't know if I have the patience.

I'll leave you with a picture of fuschia sky I took at Oak Ridge, TN last year (click for a larger 1024 pixel image).



Tags: Life, Pictures

[Listening to: Rest In Pieces - Saliva - One Tree Hill - Enhanced Soundtrack Season 1 (3:46)]

Death penalty: Are we still barbarians?!

I had a discussion with Jessi recently about the death penalty. We found a site on the death penalty and its statistics. It seems that lethal injection is the execution method of choice, with alternatives if the death row inmate so chooses (Methods of Execution). Nebraska only executes by electrocution. Ouch. Burnt flesh. I remember watching Green Mile, and it was pretty horrific. There have been botched execution attempts as the prisoners needed multiple jolts to be killed. From the website, I noticed that lethal injection didn't have a 100% quick kill ratel either. Here is a site with Botched Executions since 1982. Scroll down to the recent ones. You would have thought they would have a fool-proof execution method by now. That's not even the point.

For a forgiving religion, Christianity certainly makes a lot of exceptions. I've been given Genesis 9:6 (Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man) as an example. The current reasoning goes as "Eye for an Eye". What the hell?! Are we freaking barbarians? I don't know how "civilized" executions are. The same people who raise a storm about public executions in countries like Saudi Arabia, still condone executions in the US. What a friggin' double standard.

People who support the death penalty use economics to counter life with no parole. They don't want their tax payer's money to be funding the survival of a murderer. It's free food, free room, and free room to exercize. The prisoners are akin to animals in the zoo minus spectators. I guess it's a valid argument, and it would seem economically favorable to execute the prisoners versus keeping him alive till they die a natural death. However, I have also been informed that it takes a decent amount of money for the process of execution. I need to verify that. Here is the website about the costs of death penalty.

Would starvation be a method of execution? Slow, painful. So, solitary confinement, without food. That's inhumane, right? Inhumane compared to a quick death? How much of money would be spent in that chain of events?

Now to realistic alternative that I am not averse to. Brainwashing, cognitive reprogramming, psychological reconditioning. I don't know if we have technology to achieve that, but couldn't a brutal person be made docile and useful by reprogramming? So, instead of execution, just change the person and put them to constructive use. Who knows, the diabolical genius could be a genius in other fronts too.. What's future?

Anyway, what do you guys think?

Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: Rock Star Land - Yellowcard - Yellowcard (4:45)]

News @ Nature.com: Desktop fusion is back on the table

Link to the article: Desktop fusion is back on the table

So, do you know what cold fusion is? Okay, if you don't, I'll give you the concept in a nutshell. Now, as you know, the sun is powered by nuclear fusion. That takes millions of degrees to sustain. That is a little hard to emulate on Earth. Therefore, for a viable fusion based energy source, cold fusion would be wonderful, if it ever became a reality. By cold, it means colder that the million degrees of the sun, to a few thousand or tens of thousands of degrees. Something more manageable. For fusion on Earth, a laser called Shiva is employed. That creates the temperature needed to begin the fusion source. Oh, I almost forgot. Nuclear fusion is self sustaining. That means, once started, it runs itself thereby making more energy than it took to start.

So far, cold fusion has been a scientific myth propogated by movies such as Chain Reaction. There have been several claims to fame but every single one turned out fake. So, could this claim be true?

Here is the method in question in highly simplified language:

Blast a liquid with waves of ultrasound and tiny bubbles of gas are created, which release a burst of heat and light when they implode. The core of the bubble reaches 15,000 �C, hot enough to wrench molecules apart. Physicists have even suggested that the intense conditions of this sonoluminescence could fuse atomic nuclei together, in the same process that keeps our Sun running.

I'm waiting with bated breath for the final review of this project after publication. That means wait to see if their research can be reproduced, or meet a fiery end with the Scientific Method.

Tags: Science

[Listening to: Save Me - Sister Hazel - Fortress (4:02)]

The transatlantic underwater railroad tunnel: An investment nightmare

I know that Discovery probably featured the possibility of this engineering marvel a few years ago. However, it was brought to my attention only a few days back. I was fascinated by the implications of this railroad tunnel. A travel time of 52 minutes from New York City to London is stupendous. It's five times faster than the Late super-sonic Concorde. A thousand passengers traveling in utmost comfort, at a mind blowing speed of 5000 mph. The kick that this project would create will be great for engineering and science in general because new technologies have to be invented and old ones streamlined for such a dangerous endeavor. It would be great for our world because it would need global alliances for a project of this scale. Investment-wise think International Space Station, but on earth. Actually, underwater. Across the most tumultuous water body on the planet.

Okay. Now to the reasons why I think a transatlantic railroad system is unnecessary.

For one, it calls for an investment in the range of tens of TRILLIONS of dollars. Amm. Now, do you see any country being able to invest even a trillion dollars to the project with the current economic levels. Do you think US can invest so much, with Iraq and tax cuts draining the countrys resources and Treasury? I certainly dont see the UK putting that much of money in. Or any other country. When people suggest Japan, yeah, it hasgot a lot of money. But how many know that Japans economy has been in a slump for the past decade. The amount of money speculated is just too much. The International Space Station has been hampered by similar money flow issues. So, it is way behind on the construction schedule. Sad, thats an investment which is good for the future.

Second, hypersonic flight has been a success. Granted it was military, but it is being streamlined for commercial flights. We dont need a railroad. We can make the same time by air. Well, not now, but in the very near future.Investing in something that is bound to become obsolete is like companies that were investing in DSL while clearly the future lies with optical lines. Google was extremely smart in this case, when it bought all those old fiber optic lines from communication companies at rock-bottom prices. But Google and its investments is another discussion all together.

Probably the most important negating factor in the present world is Terrorism. Unless we rid the world of malevolent entities, every major engineering investment has a potential hazard. Okay, maybe on US soil, engineering feats like mile-high skyscrapers are safe but in international waters, it isnt. You must know how easy it would be blow up the tunnel in open water, especially if it is 3200 mile long target. Talk about backlash it would receive. The Concorde was junked after only a few accidents. Well, yeah, it was money draining endeavor but still a step in the future. Do you think people would want to travel with such potential hazards? Before people mention that flights are equally at danger. I dont think so. Planes are not a static target. A tunnel is. So the danger of mishaps grows exponentially.

Yeah, I am going to into science where I need people to think about the future and progress. But I am a pragmatist.

Tags: Science, Opinion

[Listening to: Holiday - The Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About (3:29)]

Final week update at Oak Ridge

I spent most of the week at Panera's and office working on my paper and poster presentation. The poster turned out well. I was proud of myself. And the paper was just a recap of what I had done at work. My mentor didn't want me to submit my poster or paper for publication as he didn't want any of the results becoming public. It's okay because he needs to finish working on it so that other people can not steal the idea. This is how a lot of scientific research works. Oh, along with working on the paper, I probably had the most amount of decaffeinated Colombian coffee I've ever had. About 3-4 cups every time!

My poster session went well except for my group hoarding my poster. They never left! They just stood there talking about my results and the work I did. Hehe. And we had our final social event as the program had invited the whole intern group for dinner. It was a ton of fun and we even got paper awards. I was "Curious George" for always having questions during seminars. Actually, it's true. I was perpetually inquisitive ;).

And then we finally come to the fun part of the week. My last week with Jenn. I think we were together if we weren't working . We worked on our stuff at Panera after work or went dancing or ate out. It was our best week of dancing too. She is the best dancer I've experienced when it came to slower music. She gets very close and intimate which makes it ton of fun to dance with her. We went to Preservation Pub on monday (finally!), and we drank some beer and got to dance to the live band that was playing. We were able to make fun breaks too. That was so cool! And then wednesday too. We went to the free social dance after the lessons and stayed till they stopped playing music. Let me tell ya, people were watching. Jenn's a very lively, and sexy dancer. She liked getting really close, and use her hips. At times, the gyrations were the best part. She is really the best with slow, more sensous music. And of course, something that began our friendship. The endless hours of intellectual stimulation. We talked till late into the night. Every night. On the average, I would get home around 3 am. One night, I got home at 7 am. I've never discussed current affairs, and our world in general with anyone to this extent.

It was a great way to end this wonderful experience. I credit Jenn to making this semester far better than I ever imagined.

Working at ORNL might have sealed the deal for getting into graduate school. I have more research experience walking into grad school that most undergrads. Yay!

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Ten Minutes - The Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About (3:12)]

Science and ethics independent?

I've been reading Richard Feynman's "The meaning of it all: thoughts of a citizen-scientist" and had a few thoughts on one of his arguments. He says that

science and moral questions are independent

and I agree to his theoritical arguments. However, I don't think that is a luxury a scientist can afford in our world. The consequences of the science should be considered, as plenty of its applications are morally dubious. An ever popular example, is either cloning or the development of weapons of mass destruction. I am against the latter as its cons outweigh its pros. How can a scientist sleep at night knowing that his work is being used to kill people? I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew that. To this Feynman said,

Well, how do you know you don't want people killed? You see, at the end you must have some ultimate judgement.

It was very weird reading that statement, as he offered no further clarification. Cold, wouldn't you say?

While cloning can be very useful for the future, when we exhaust or out-strip a lot of our resources such as crops. It can even come in great use in medicine as people wouldn't have to wait to get replacement organs. But then you also have the recent S. Korean stem cell debacle where the scientist was involved in unethical practices. Ethics and science should be bound. Or else, new nightmares can be created without constraints. Scary!

What do you guys think of this great scientist's thoughts?

Here is the cover (click for the link):




Tags: Science, Opinion

Yahoo! Answers

So, I found this nifty little Beta that was hidden in a corner on Yahoo's main pages. It's great once we sift through the stupid questions. Interesting community concept.

Yahoo! Answers

Disclaimer: Must have a Yahoo! ID to post and answer questions. Viewing Q&A does NOT require an ID.


Tags: Internet

A sweaty, humid night

This place is so incredibly muggy! I hate being sticky. Anyway, I've made some progress on the graduate applications. I have sent in Stanford's and Vanderbilt's grad apps. I have to call UPenn and PSU to figure out what's wrong with their online applications.

2 down. 6 to go.

Have to send GRE scores to UPenn, Maryland, Brown, and NC State.

Applying to graduate schools is an expensive affair!

I am applying to the nanomaterials research division of materials science/engineering.


Tags: Life

About a girl

So, there is a girl. For one, I didn't think I could get into a complicated situation like this, but the girl was special enough that I did. But we can't do anything about it now, because distance is something neither one of us are willingly to do. But I don't want to let her go and lose her. Which is where my dilemma comes in. What the hell do I do? Logic dictates I stay close to her while moving on emotionally, but as usual logic goes right out when it comes to emotions. I am such a logical and methodical guy, but I have no idea why I am at a total loss to feel un-stressed. Yeah, that's one more thing that attracts me to her. She is very methodical and logical too, but is totally irrational when it comes to emotions. Like me. My luck with girls I like has been bad (I guess more unfortunate that bad). Sigh.

Stupid distance.

Distance does make me want her so much more. I think about her. A lot!

I guess there is hope, for the future.

Reasons why I like her? Well, she is utterly brilliant. I have never had so many stimulating conversations about politics, religion, science, ethics, and the world in general. She is the kind of person I didn't mind losing sleep over ;). Another thing that doesn't go unnoticed is that she is at the top of her class. Apart from being just smart, she is a geek. Tee-hee.. She is very ambitious, driven and has set goals for the future. I find that trait extremely attractive. It's easy being with a person who has figured themselves out through the years. And I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who indulges in analysis of human behavior. What else? She is very lively, a social butterfly, friendly as heck. She's got spunk. Yeah, how can I forget? She loves swing, and dancing in general. That's a massive plus! Also, I love her style of dressing and she's gorgeous!

Hmm.. I'll keep thinking of things that attract me to her.

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Bug - Feeder - Echo Park (3:40)]

Marquette Warrior: Marquette Dental Student Suspended Over Blog Posts

Marquette Warrior: Marquette Dental Student Suspended Over Blog Posts

I think the administration over-reacted. Blog is personal and a fun thing. Unless it is meant seriously, its all in fun reminscent of The Onion. However, to circumvent this problem, I just never blogged about my thoughts on professors out of respect.

Tags: Internet

[Listening to: Sunset - Kate Bush - Aerial (5:58)]

RedOrbit - Science - Can This Black Box See Into the Future?

RedOrbit - Science - Can This Black Box See Into the Future?

I don't know if I believe the black box phenomenon. I'm lost to see how random numbers can predict the future, and how do the scientists read the random numbers into sense. Apparently, it predicted 9/11 and the Asian Tsunami.

Tags: Science

[Listening to: Swingin' - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Echo (5:30)]

a day with chinese and mexican cuisines

I was woken up at 11 am by Jenn's call telling me to get off the bed and get ready because she wanted me to eat dinner with her mum, aunt and james. Since, I didn't have time to shower, I tamed my hair with the ever popular cap. We ate at the chinese place by the lake. Gotta tell ya, it's one of the best Chinese places I've eaten at. After we got back, I worked on the test some more and then Jenn and I head out to the church for the practice dance. It was fun showing off swing again as people wanted us to. We practiced fox trot a little bit more too. I really do need more practice in the high jazz dance forms. Dinner was with Jenn again. We went to our favorite Mexican place, and got there in time for the $2 magaritas. I must say I love their magaritas and downed two of them! I ended the night by finishing the test, and rather giving up on some of the questions that evaded me all last week.

Tags: Life

[Listening to: New Year's Eve - Nina Gordon - Tonight and the Rest of My Life (3:28)]

Beauty, dance and debate

Saturday was our big fancy holiday jazz dance/dinner. We figured that it was bound to be a formal affair, so we dressed up. Jenn looked ravishing in a red gown, while I cleaned up and got into some formal clothing myself ;). I've got pictures of us from that night that I will put up soon. I promise. I met Jenn's mum and her aunt that night too. I guess I left a great first impression. hehe. Back to dance, apart from it taking us way too long to find the place, it was okay. They had to set up a new table for us because we had gotten there a little late. But we go some pretty darn expensive snacks/munchies ;) and wine. We got to dance a bit and toned our dance down a little so that we didn't show off. We did get a few raves about our swing. Like we usually do in a non-swing setting. haha.

We got back and decided to be productive. After working on the test, we talked forever! I don't really remember ever having talked about ethics, politics, hypocracy and science at that length. My mind has returned to Coe sharper than when I left. All attributed to Jenn. As far as I remember, we talked about the double standards that countries have in foreign and domestic policy. Yet another late night ;).

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Gimme Stitches - Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left To Lose (3:42)]

Foxtrot: Projectile Motion

I love finding comic strips that have humorous science content..

Tags: Science

[Listening to: Chori Pe Chori - A.R.Rahman - Saathiya (5:01)]

Country and work

I guess I decided it was about time that I finished all the chores that my mentor has requested to get done. So, I got the last of my samples synthesized, all of the AFM scans of the substrates done, updated the ecopy of the log book of the procedural parameters, and the holes for the target rotations. I must say, that was a very productive 8 hours of work! It was kind of exciting making holes because I've hardly ever used power tools. I was hoping that my mentor would be pleased that everything he has asked for was accomplised with minimal damage ;). I guess that was work.

While at work, I was still obsessing about the Kyoto Protocol and the India/China exemption. I talked to a few people about it and realized that it was a flawed treaty, as there was no equanimity amongst sacrifices to be made. That made me sad, but it fit in well with the economics of the present day world. This treaty favors developing nations, as it provides concessions of carbon dioxide output. I know world economics is not simple, however if China and India never had intentions to stand by the framework, they should have never ratified the treaty. I have to read up on the conclusions of the Montreal conference.

Our big group activity was at Cotton Eyed Joe's which is a country bar with country dancing. We initially intended to take country lessons and we found out that the lessons were on Thursdays. I guess we missed out on that. However, it was a dollar fifty beer and mixed drinks night. So, we took full advantage of that. I tried out all the expensive drinks I never had before including chocolate martini, and a few drinks with Bailey's in it. Jenn and I got to dance quite a bit, and we did swing to country which was hilarious. I learnt to do the barn dance, and a few country line dances. The barn dance is one of the most social dances around because we go in a big circle and dance with every girl. It's great!

And that my friends was the one of the last big social outings in ORSS. Sigh..

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Selling Tomorrow - Red Wanting Blue - Model Citizen + (4:53)]

Questions

If you can answer them, I'd be grateful:

Why are India and China exempt from the framework of the Kyoto protocol?

Why do Americans find so much joy making fun of foreign accents and pronunciation?

Why is smoking allowed while DDT is banned?

How can people be pro-life yet condone the death penalty?

I guess that's good for now.. I am trying to find the answer to the first question.

Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: Permanent - Acceptance - Phantoms (3:24)]

Conviction With an Angle Is Upheld by Court of Appeals - New York Times

Conviction With an Angle Is Upheld by Court of Appeals - New York Times

Math and the law! See, high school math and trignometry comes in handy in real life. Cheers Pythagoras!

Tags: News

[Listening to: (Splash)Turn Twist - Jimmy Eat World - Wedding Crashers (4:11)]

Unknown cause of anxiety

The past couple of days, I've felt ansy and anxious. At first, it was hard to isolate the cause of this angst. It could be me missing some of the closest people to my heart, or the impending deadlines for graduate school, or the paper and poster due at the end of this semester about my research here. I usually had a great stress busting mechanism like playing racquetball, swing dancing, or just napping. I don't have many of those options now. Jenn and I practiced swing a lot but now both of us are getting busier as the semester is coming to an end, and we haven't done swing dancing in a while. There is no racquetball here to whack the ball to help vent frustration. Since I work all day, I can't nap in the afternoon. If I napped after a certain point, it's really hard to fall asleep in the night. Maybe, I haven't gotten enough sleep the last few days. I guess I need more than 6-7 hours of sleep.

I have been preoccupied with things that have to get accomplished in the next couple of weeks. When I have things floating in my head, I tend not to talk very much. It would seem rude, but I don't mean to be. I've had to react passively to stress as active attack is no longer viable.

I sure I feel better and happy soon. If I make enough progress, I just might. Noble aspirations!

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Amphetamines - Eve 6 - Horrorscope (2:46)]

Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Your IQ Is 135

Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Exceptional

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Tags: Random

about good ol' Oak Ridge High and Coe's Flunk Day

I found a blog post called Censorship at rebunting. She does an in depth discussion about the article on censorship in a high school newspaper. Oak Ridge is famous for Oak Ridge National Lab where I am working this semester. It is supposed to have the greatest collection of genius scientific minds in this region.

I remember censorship came into play in Coe College's Flunk Day newspaper in fear of reprisals and lawsuits by parents. This isn't really free speech.

FYI: Coe's official description of Flunk Day is

Flunk Day: A Coe tradition begun in 1911. Classes are canceled for a day in the spring so the student body can enjoy an all-school picnic, outdoor activities and fun.

In reality, it's a day of drunken revelry for the drinking population of Coe ;).

I love Flunk Day!!

Here are a few pictures of Flunk Day at Coe:


That's my best friend, Britta. The backdrop is the Flunk Day Committee (2004-2005) on a bus.


The scene of Flunk Day 2003. My very first Flunk Day!



Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: Wreck of the Day - Anna Nalick - Wreck of the Day (4:06)]

String Quartet Tribute to Coldplay - Yellow

File details: mp3/48 kbps/1.3 MB

Powered by Castpost

Time for thanks and gluttony

Wow! It's been a while since I've done a personal update. Last weekend was wonderful. I got to spend a lot of time with Jenn. We went to a dressy jazz concert of Preservation Hall Jazz Ensemble from New Orleans. It was pretty darn good. They were an all-black band who played tons of moderate beat swing music. I was extremely happy that they called for people to dance to their last song. Jenn and I broke into swing and it was so much of fun. People were watching us as usual. I love it when people watch and are amazed to see youth into swing dancing. Sunday night, we went to a piano and viola concert. I don't really listen to classical music however I enjoyed this gig. It had one light piece and rest of it being dark and somber. Jenn was surprised that I actually liked the music. I recently found the string quartet's tribute to Cold Play, Evanescence, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails. I love Cold Play's tribute! I might put a song up for taste.

My mentor was gone all last week. So, I was able to experiment independently. Everything went peachy till the last day last sample. I forgot to turn off one of the vacuum valves while venting almost killing the most expensive motor in the whole equipment. He emailed back today saying that it was a close call but the motor is alright. You can't imagine how scared shitless I was! If that had actually broken, it couldn't have been fixed for two months or more essentially killing the rest of the days I've left at ORNL

The past few days at Callie's has been great! Apart from the initial scare of being unable to find my keys, I'e had a lot of fun so far. We met Callie's best friend, ate tons of great thanksgiving food, watched a few movies, ate at a multicuisine restaraunt and an Indian restaraunt. I've had my fill of wonderful food that made up for the whole semester. I watched Crash last night. It was one of the most intricately assembled movie I've ever seen. It left me breathless. I can see why it was so critically acclaimed. I recommend watching it. It's racism and social hierarchy at it's most vibrant pinnacle. And to provide cosmic balance, we watched Just Friends. It was incredibly dumb yet funny at the same time. I had a tight stomach from laughing so hard.

I'm sad that this break is almost over. Next couple of weeks is going to be hell because I have a lot to accomplish.

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Three Days - Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual (10:48)]

Asians mimicking BSB

Asians mimicking BSB

Don't they look moronic? They must have a lot of time on their hands to choreograph something like that. Instant fame.

Tags: Random

Rules of the Road - India Humor

Rules of the Road - India Humor

Rules Of The Road, Indian Style

Traveling on Indian Roads is an almost hallucinatory potion of sound, spectacle and experience. It is frequently heart-rending, sometimes hilarious, mostly exhilarating, always unforgettable -- and, when you are on the roads, extremely dangerous.

Most Indian road users observe a version of the Highway Code based on a Sanskrit text. These 12 rules of the Indian road are published for the first time in English:

* ARTICLE I:

The assumption of immortality is required of all road users.

* ARTICLE II:

Indian traffic, like Indian society,is structured on a strict caste system. The following precedence must be accorded at all times. In descending order, give way to:

* Cows, elephants, heavy trucks, buses, official cars, camels, light trucks, buffalo, jeeps, ox-carts, private cars, motorcycles, scooters, auto-rickshaws, pigs, pedal rickshaws, goats, bicycles (goods-carrying), handcarts, bicycles (passenger-carrying), dogs, pedestrians.

* ARTICLE III:

All wheeled vehicles shall be driven in accordance with the maxim: to slow is to falter, to brake is to fail, to stop is defeat. This is the Indian drivers' mantra.

* ARTICLE IV:

Use of horn (also known as the sonic fender or aural amulet):

* Cars (IV,1,a-c):

1. Short blasts (urgent) indicate supremacy, IE in clearing dogs, rickshaws and pedestrians from path.
2. Long blasts (desperate) denote supplication, IE to oncoming truck: "I am going too fast to stop, so unless you slow down we shall both die". In extreme cases this may be accompanied by flashing of headlights (frantic).
3. Single blast (casual) means: "I have seen someone out of India's 870 million whom I recognise", "There is a bird in the road (which at this speed could go through my windscreen)" or "I have not blown my horn for several minutes."

* Trucks and buses (IV,2,a):

All horn signals have the same meaning, viz: "I have an all-up weight of approximately 12.5 tons and have no intention of stopping, even if I could." This signal may be emphasised by the use of headlamps.

Article IV remains subject to the provision of Order of Precedence in Article II above.

* ARTICLE V:

All manoeuvres, use of horn and evasive action shall be left until the last possible moment.

* ARTICLE VI:

In the absence of seat belts (which there is), car occupants shall wear garlands of marigolds. These should be kept fastened at all times.

* ARTICLE VII:

1. Rights of way:

Traffic entering a road from the left has priority. So has traffic from the right, and also traffic in the middle.

2. Lane discipline (VII,1):

All Indian traffic at all times and irrespective of direction of travel shall occupy the centre of the road.

* ARTICLE VIII:

Roundabouts: India has no roundabouts. Apparent traffic islands in the middle of crossroads have no traffic management function. Any other impression should be ignored.

* ARTICLE IX:

Overtaking is mandatory. Every moving vehicle is required to overtake every other moving vehicle, irrespective of whether it has just overtaken you.

Overtaking should only be undertaken in suitable conditions, such as in the face of oncoming traffic, on blind bends, at junctions and in the middle of villages/city centres. No more than two inches should be allowed between your vehicle and the one you are passing -- and one inch in the case of bicycles or pedestrians.

* ARTICLE X:

Nirvana may be obtained through the head-on crash.

* ARTICLE XI:

Reversing: no longer applicable since no vehicle in India has reverse gear.

Here is something else about Indian traffic lights: Green: you can go. Yellow: You may still go. Red: you must absolutely go. I remember people honking if we stopped at red lights. God knows how we have fewer accidents than the US.

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: Jacksonville - Sufjan Stevens - Live @ The Bluebird Theartre in Denver (7/30/05) (5:15)]

It's Time for some Truth About Terrorism

It's Time for some Truth About Terrorism

What is your opinion about this letter? I think he has some valid points. USA has an infamous history of hypocritical foreign policies and interventions. That's one of the major reasons of anti-American sentiments abroad.

Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: There Is A God - Hamell On Trial - Tough Love (2:50)]

Schneier on Security: Australian Minister's Sensible Comments on Airline Security Sparks Outcry

Schneier on Security: Australian Minister's Sensible Comments on Airline Security Sparks Outcry

I've always thought that the added airport security is more hassle than it should be. I hate the fact that I can't carry a bunch of batteries on board but i can carry butane lighters and aerosols which makes an incredibly effective flame thrower. I also think the amount of money going into security is wasteful. It would be understandable if it actually helped stem the problem, but it doesn't. Anyone who wants to be violent and hijack a plane still can using the tools around. An effective terrorist would be resourceful. Unfortunately, security and the officials think that terrorists are dumb. There will be more attacks and we haven't found a solution yet. However, that's not going to stop me from flying.

Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: Alone + Easy Target - Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (4:05)]

Active Listening

Active Listening

I guess there is a term for what I do to make people open up and talk to me. It's active listening which involves listening without interrupting. More people need to listen because then you have everything you need to formulate a response. It's a useful trait to develop in a social, business or academic environment. It would prevent so many misunderstandings. Life would be more tranquil and tranquil is good ;).

Tags: Random

[Listening to: Come On - Ben Jelen - One Tree Hill - Enhanced Soundtrack Season 1 (3:42)]

White Flight: A growing concern?

WSJ.com - The New White Flight

The forementioned article addresses a growing concern. It talks about racism and stereotypes. I have come across the same stereotypes being implemented on me by Americans. They need to realize that they see a very narrow cross section of Asians and Asian-Americans. Not everyone in India is good in math and science. Actually, I've known several people who have issues with numbers and theory just like Americans. The only difference is that our high school education system is incredibly advanced. However with such heavy emphasis being laid on academics, we lose out on the finer parts of life. I love the fact that I can experience music, dance and art without comprising my academics. I could not have imagined a better education than what I have had now. I think I'm better rounded than most of the Indians studying in Indian universities because I have more options to explore. I am not limited to just studying. I learn about politics, history, economics, music and other topics which don't fall into my realm of academics expertise.

The parts that stand out in the article are:

Whites aren't quitting the schools because the schools are failing academically. Quite the contrary: Many white parents say they're leaving because the schools are too academically driven and too narrowly invested in subjects such as math and science at the expense of liberal arts and extracurriculars like sports and other personal interests.

The two schools, put another way that parents rarely articulate so bluntly, are too Asian.

..

But this modern incarnation is different. Across the country, Asian-Americans have by and large been successful and accepted into middle- and upper-class communities. Silicon Valley has kept Cupertino's economy stable, and the town is almost indistinguishable from many of the suburbs around it. The shrinking number of white students hasn't hurt the academic standards of Cupertino's schools -- in fact the opposite is true.

This time the effect is more subtle: Some Asians believe that the resulting lack of diversity creates an atmosphere that is too sheltering for their children, leaving then unprepared for life in a country that is only 4% Asian overall. Moreover, many Asians share some of their white counterpart's concerns. Both groups finger newer Asian immigrants for the schools' intense competitiveness.

Some whites fear that by avoiding schools with large Asian populations parents are short-changing their own children, giving them the idea that they can't compete with Asian kids. "My parents never let me think that because I'm Caucasian, I'm not going to succeed," says Jessie Hogin, a white Monta Vista graduate.

The white exodus clearly involves race-based presumptions, not all of which are positive. One example: Asian parents are too competitive. That sounds like racism to many of Cupertino's Asian residents, who resent the fact that their growing numbers and success are causing many white families to boycott the town altogether.

..

Some students struggle in Cupertino's high schools who might not elsewhere. Monta Vista's Academic Performance Index, which compares the academic performance of California's schools, reached an all-time high of 924 out of 1,000 this year, making it one of the highest-scoring high schools in Northern California. Grades are so high that a 'B' average puts a student in the bottom third of a class.

..

At Cupertino's top schools, administrators, parents and students say white students end up in the stereotyped role often applied to other minority groups: the underachievers.

..

On the second floor, in advanced-placement chemistry, only a couple of the 32 students are white and the rest are Asian. Some white parents, and even some students, say they suspect teachers don't take white kids as seriously as Asians.

"Many of my Asian friends were convinced that if you were Asian, you had to confirm you were smart. If you were white, you had to prove it," says Arar Han, a Monta Vista graduate who recently co-edited "Asian American X," a book of coming-of-age essays by young Asian-Americans.

Ms. Gatley, the Monta Vista PTA president, is more blunt: "White kids are thought of as the dumb kids," she says.

..

To many of Cupertino's Asians, some of the assumptions made by white parents -- that Asians are excessively competitive and single-minded -- play into stereotypes. Top schools in nearby, whiter Palo Alto, which also have very high test scores, also feature heavy course loads, long hours of homework and overly stressed students, says Denise Pope, director of Stressed Out Students, a Stanford University program that has worked with schools in both Palo Alto and Cupertino. But whites don't seem to be avoiding those institutions, or making the same negative generalizations, Asian families note, suggesting that it's not academic competition that makes white parents uncomfortable but academic competition with Asian-Americans.

Some of Cupertino's Asian residents say they don't blame white families for leaving. After all, many of the town's Asians are fretting about the same issues. While acknowledging that the term Asian embraces a wide diversity of countries, cultures and languages, they say there's some truth to the criticisms levied against new immigrant parents, particularly those from countries such as China and India, who often put a lot of academic pressure on their children.

Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: Joints and Jams - Black eyed peas - Bullworth Soundtrack (3:33)]

Puritan Blister - An mp3 blog

Puritan Blister

This is an mp3 blog with covers and mashups. And completely LEGAL music. So, download away!

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: Summertime - Audio Adrenaline - X 2003 (disc 2) (3:05)]

My Mom�s Recipes And More

My Mom�s Recipes And More

** Israeli food blog ** It's The Taste Of My Home - Tasted - Step by Step Recipes Blog Welcome !

A fun blog find.

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dy - Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree (3:27)]

A random article I discovered in LinkFilter

Five questions non-Muslims would like answered

By Dennis Prager, Dennis Prager's nationally syndicated radio show is heard daily in Los Angeles on KRLA-AM (870). He may be contacted through his website: www.dennisprager.com.

THE RIOTING IN France by primarily Muslim youths and the hotel bombings in Jordan are the latest events to prompt sincere questions that law-abiding Muslims need to answer for Islam's sake, as well as for the sake of worried non-Muslims.

Here are five of them:

(1) Why are you so quiet?

Since the first Israelis were targeted for death by Muslim terrorists blowing themselves up in the name of your religion and Palestinian nationalism, I have been praying to see Muslim demonstrations against these atrocities. Last week's protests in Jordan against the bombings, while welcome, were a rarity. What I have seen more often is mainstream Muslim spokesmen implicitly defending this terror on the grounds that Israel occupies Palestinian lands. We see torture and murder in the name of Allah, but we see no anti-torture and anti-murder demonstrations in the name of Allah.

There are a billion Muslims in the world. How is it possible that essentially none have demonstrated against evils perpetrated by Muslims in the name of Islam? This is true even of the millions of Muslims living in free Western societies. What are non-Muslims of goodwill supposed to conclude? When the Israeli government did not stop a Lebanese massacre of Palestinians in the Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps in Lebanon in 1982, great crowds of Israeli Jews gathered to protest their country's moral failing. Why has there been no comparable public demonstration by Palestinians or other Muslims to morally condemn Palestinian or other Muslim-committed terror?

(2) Why are none of the Palestinian terrorists Christian?

If Israeli occupation is the reason for Muslim terror in Israel, why do no Christian Palestinians engage in terror? They are just as nationalistic and just as occupied as Muslim Palestinians.

(3) Why is only one of the 47 Muslim-majority countries a free country?

According to Freedom House, a Washington-based group that promotes democracy, of the world's 47 Muslim countries, only Mali is free. Sixty percent are not free, and 38% are partly free. Muslim-majority states account for a majority of the world's "not free" states. And of the 10 "worst of the worst," seven are Islamic states. Why is this?

(4) Why are so many atrocities committed and threatened by Muslims in the name of Islam?

Young girls in Indonesia were recently beheaded by Muslim murderers. Last year, Muslims — in the name of Islam — murdered hundreds of schoolchildren in Russia. While reciting Muslim prayers, Islamic terrorists take foreigners working to make Iraq free and slaughter them. Muslim daughters are murdered by their own families in the thousands in "honor killings." And the Muslim government in Iran has publicly called for the extermination of Israel.

(5) Why do countries governed by religious Muslims persecute other religions?

No church or synagogue is allowed in Saudi Arabia. The Taliban destroyed some of the greatest sculptures of the ancient world because they were Buddhist. Sudan's Islamic regime has murdered great numbers of Christians.

Instead of confronting these problems, too many of you deny them. Muslims call my radio show to tell me that even speaking of Muslim or Islamic terrorists is wrong. After all, they argue, Timothy McVeigh is never labeled a "Christian terrorist." As if McVeigh committed his terror as a churchgoing Christian and in the name of Christ, and as if there were Christian-based terror groups around the world.

As a member of the media for nearly 25 years, I have a long record of reaching out to Muslims. Muslim leaders have invited me to speak at major mosques. In addition, I have studied Arabic and Islam, have visited most Arab and many other Muslim countries and conducted interfaith dialogues with Muslims in the United Arab Emirates as well as in the U.S. Politically, I have supported creation of a Palestinian state and supported (mistakenly, I now believe) the Oslo accords.

Hundreds of millions of non-Muslims want honest answers to these questions, even if the only answer you offer is, "Yes, we have real problems in Islam." Such an acknowledgment is infinitely better — for you and for the world — than dismissing us as anti-Muslim.

We await your response.

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: Most Of All - Fuel - Natural Selection (4:14)]

Autopia

Autopia

Idiots!

Tags: Random

[Listening to: Stupid - Oleander - February Son (3:51)]

Intelligence test

This is a funny coincidence. Arielle just told me about the types of intelligences and I found this Intelligence Test while perusing LinkFilter.

Here are my results:

Based on your input, you show definite strengths in the following areas of intelligence: Verbal, Logical/Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal, Intrapersonal

Verbal Intelligence

You prefer verbal intelligence, using it with comfort and ease.
Given an opportunity, you will usually select it.
Becoming an expert should be rewarding and fulfilling,
and will require little effort.

Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence

You use Musical/Rhythmic intelligence with some comfort and ease.
You could take or leave the application or use of this intelligence.
While you accept it, you do not embrace it.
Gaining expertise in this intelligence would be satisfying,
but would require considerable effort.

Logical/Mathematical Intelligence

You prefer Logical/Mathematical intelligence, using it with comfort and ease.
Given an opportunity, you will usually select it.
Becoming an expert should be rewarding and fulfilling,
and will require little effort.

Visual/Spatial Intelligence

You prefer Visual/Spatial intelligence, using it with comfort and ease.
Given an opportunity, you will usually select it.
Becoming an expert should be rewarding and fulfilling,
and will require little effort.

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence

You prefer Bodily/Kinesthetic intelligence, using it with comfort and ease.
Given an opportunity, you will usually select it.
Becoming an expert should be rewarding and fulfilling,
and will require little effort.

Intrapersonal Intelligence

You prefer Intrapersonal intelligence, using it with comfort and ease.
Given an opportunity, you will usually select it.
Becoming an expert should be rewarding and fulfilling,
and will require little effort.

Interpersonal Intelligence

You prefer Interpersonal intelligence, using it with comfort and ease.
Given an opportunity, you will usually select it.
Becoming an expert should be rewarding and fulfilling,
and will require little effort.

Tags: Random

[Listening to: Lemon Parade - Tonic - Lemon Parade (3:42)]

Cool time-lapse figure drawing, from the skeleton out.

Cool time-lapse figure drawing, from the skeleton out. *Flash animation*

This is fascinating! You can speed it up if you don't want to wait that long.

(Via Geekpress)

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: The Best Is Yet To Come Undone - Lit - A Place In The Sun (4:30)]

A few more good PostSecrets

Link: PostSecret

Tags: Blog Finds

[Listening to: Strangers Again - Ari Hest - Someone To Tell (4:04)]

Outsourcing and India

Outsourcing outrage Indian call-center workers suffer abuse

Now begins me getting mad:

Debalina Das, 22, a computer help-line agent in the city of Hyderabad in south India, punched the button last winter for a call from the United States.

The caller greeted her with a torrent of racial and sexual slurs, accused her of "roaming about naked without food and clothes" and asked, "What do you know about computers?"

The diatribe ended with the comment:"This company is just saving money by outsourcing to Third World countries like yours."

Is this how his parents taught him to talk to people? Where is the courtesy, where is the culture? This shows me how racists pigs like this need a reality check.

Not everyone is happy about the growing ties between the two nations. An anti-outsourcing movement has drawn wide support as layoffs continue to mount at such U.S. companies as IBM, which is cutting 13,000 jobs in Europe and the United States and adding 14,000 in India, according to the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers.

Okay, I guess with that move of jobs, IBM just saved 600 million dollars while increasing their profit margin. This could mean that the jobs that did survive are getting more money. Do people forget that capitalism that the US economy is based on functions on profit?

One of the episodes recreates a real-life exchange that occurred in January between an American and an Indian agent that has become notorious among the call center crowd here. On the Philadelphia radio show "Star and Buc Wild," host Troi Terrain phoned an Indian call center pretending to order hair beads for his daughter. The call quickly turned vicious.

"Listen to me, you dirty rat eater," Terrain growled, to muffled laughter in the studio. "I'll come out there and choke the -- out of you. You're a filthy rat eater. I'm calling about my American 6-year-old white girl. How dare you outsource my call?"

If I could meet this guy, he is going to get an earful from me. F*&#king racist pig.

Now, some real research from Deutsche Bank: Outsourcing to India: Crouching tiger set to pounce (Via New Economist) *WARNING: PDF file*

It's a fascinating read if you would like more information on ITO/BPO in India.

Here is a Wikipedia article: Wikipedia: Outsourcing

I wonder what your views on outsourcing are. I wouldn't mind a discussion on this topic.

Tags: Opinion

[Listening to: Way Away - Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue (3:21)]

Magaritas and Prime..

Most American males are relatively proficient in using tools and making things. It's a part of their life here as many have been involved in some activity at home involving construction. The most I've ever done at home in India was use a hammer and a drill at most. We have people in India who earn their livelihood by working at homes of people fixing things that people here just fix themselves. We also have a person who washes our clothes and irons them, a guy who comes and collects recyclable materials, vendors who walk around selling their wares, vegetable vendors who roam the neighbourhood selling veggies on a four wheeled cart, a carpenter who not only makes furniture but also fixes broken furniture, painters for painting homes, electricians who fix wiring and install gadgets. This isn't luxury, it's the way a lot of our economy works. We are dependent on each other. They wouldn't want us to stop using their skills because that's all they have.

Anyway, the place I was going with the proficiency in using tools is now that I have to use tools and actually build user equipments and install the components of various instruments, its sort of new and refreshing. My mentor just told me that I have to drill holes so that he can install a plug. See, I have never done that before, especially around something that cost so much. It should be exciting nevertheless!

Last evening was one of the best this semester so far. After Rachel got done with her GRE, she accompanied us to a Mexican restaraunt for the happy hour and $2 magaritas. One of Jenn's postdoc friends joined us too. I found out that he was Bengali and we talked in our native tongue for a bit. It was wonderful. Anyway, after two strong glasses of magaritas, I was pretty tipsy. I really haven't had any alcohol while I've been here. Neither have most of my friends here. We are having fun with an alternate manner of spending weekends, just hanging out sans the intoxicating fluid. Anyway, after that Jenn and I went to Prime. We were the only two people in that theatre. It was crazy. Anyway, she fell asleep during the movie because she was very tired. It was okay because the movie wasn't exceptional. I know I'll love Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when I get to watch it this weekend. After we walked the chilling cold, we just hung out at her apartment. Jenn's a very strong girl. She is really of a rare breed, so motivated, so driven. It's refreshing for me to see someone with such definite goals and ambitions. Both of us have a long road ahead of us. How amazing would it be if Jenn, Rach and I go to the same school? I can dream, can't I ;)?

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Space - On Second Thought - Don't Drive Angry (4:12)]

Doodle analysis

Anna Koren Graphology Center Ltd. :: Doodles

An analysis of doodles: So, what do your doodles say about you?

Tags: Random

[Listening to: Spin - Lifehouse - Stanley Climbfall [Bonus Tracks] (4:51)]

Flight Patterns

Flight Patterns

This is way cool!

Tags: Random

[Listening to: One Thing - Finger Eleven - Finger Eleven (4:39)]

Drinking decaffeinated coffee may be harmful to heart health

Drinking decaffeinated coffee may be harmful to heart health

Hmm.. That's doesn't do me much good. I drink decaffeinated coffee whenever I have coffee. I do not imbibe caffeine anymore because it screws around with my energy level. Makes me especially labile. However they did find that people who were normal weight and under, saw a reduction of chemical involved in raising the risk of heart disease. Well, I'm sort of on the borderline of normal weight and overweight. More motivation to keep fit ;).

Tags: Science

[Listening to: Side Of A Bullet - Nickelback - All The Right Reasons (3:00)]

Last evening was kinda weird. First, Callie and David were supposed to watch a movie here which didn't happen because David wanted to get home before the weather got really bad. And then Cassa came by with a friend who left right away because he was worried about his car. And then Cassa left to run errands. She said that she would be back but never came back. She called to tell me that she might come over later in the night but that didn't happen either. And then, the good part of the evening was the late night run to Applebee's with Jenn. I had a Brewtus Sam Adams which was a huge glass of beer. I think I was mildly tipsy after that but not as much as I thought I would be.

After getting up late, and therefore getting to work late, I didn't have much to do during the day. I just had to etch and anneal the substrates from last day's work which took all but an hour. So, I spent most of the time in my cubicle looking up more graduate school stuff. I called Doc to tell him my GRE score and he said that he was happy with the score. He thinks I have a good shot at the top schools I'm applying to. I scored higher on the GRE than the last indian to go to Stanford, and he was enrolled in the same program I am aiming for. Another thing is that Penn State's grad app is being dumb. It doesn't want to send my account details to me. I need to find out if I can solve this issue or I might have to go the old fashioned paper route.

Anyhow, today's swing dancing was sort of fun. I keep getting the feeling that I have stagnated. I need to learn more moves.

Now, I am tired. And have a mild migraine. Bed time. Bonne nuit.

Tags: Life

[Listening to: Jesus On The Radio - Guster - Keep It Together (2:17)]

[Listening to: Words - Seth Horan - Conduit (5:05)]