Procrastination

Productivity can be significantly reduced by procrastinating the "hardest" or "boring" tasks.

Tomorrow’s professor blog has a very good posting on overcoming procrastination. The article uses metaphors cleverly so that the reader can relate to everyday tasks. Although this article is supposed to be for academics, I believe it can be extended to any person who wants to be productive. While stressing the regular mantra of “Get Started Now!” the post explains 3 different methods to overcome procrastination:

The Tolerable Ten

If you've been putting something off, it helps to start small. Begin working for just ten minutes on the daunting tasks of your life.

The Weightlifter's Guide

Think of weightlifters in training: If a weightlifter tries on Monday to bench press 200 pounds and can't lift the bar, does she try to lift 250 pounds the next day?

The Internet Deferment Decree

Use the Internet as a reward rather than a precursor to your toughest tasks. Even if you are waiting to see if you've gotten your grant, are expecting an important message from your advisor, or need to do a new literature search on the computer, first work on your most important academic project for just ten minutes before "examining" anything else.

Quotes from Luis Alvarez

I read The Cuckoo’s Egg by Cliff Stoll. I found some very inspiring quotes from Luis Alvarez. I present here some quotes, which can be found in pages 105 and 106 of the book. The book is a good read.

...When you are doing real research, you never know what it’ll cost, how much time it’ll take, or what you’ll find. You just know there’s unexplored territory and a chance to discover what’s out there.

Don’t try to be a cop, be a scientist. Research the connections, the techniques, the holes. Apply physical principles. Find new methods to solve problems. Compile statistics, publish your results, and only trust what you can prove. But don’t exclude improbable solutions–keep your mind open.

Dead ends are illusory. When did you ever let a ‘Do Not Enter’ sign keep you away from anything? Go around the brick walls. When you can’t go around, climb over or dig under. Just don’t give up.

Permission, bah. Funding, forget it. Nobody will pay for research; they’re only interested in results.

Area code 575

I received a message from T-Mobile about the new area code for my telephone number. Here is more information.

Beginning on Oct. 7, 2007, Socorro’s area code moves from 505 to 575. (Actually, the 575 code works already, but Oct. 7 is the official starting date.)

From Oct. 7 until Oct. 5, 2008 (almost a year later) BOTH area codes will work. After Oct. 5, 2008, ONLY 575 will work.

That gives you a year to

• re-program all your phones
• let all your friends, relatives, business contacts, and other important people know;
• use up all your business cards, letterhead, brochures, and other printed things,
• print new business cards, letterhead, brochures, etc, with the 575 area code.

At first, it really looked simple and there was no reason to panic. I already am getting complaints that I am not reachable from some parts of the world. I hope the hitches are rectified soon.

Excellent Job

Excellent work! Amazing job! Do you always fish for such phrases from others?
Here is a quote from the former US President Harry S Truman:

"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit."

Accomplishment is achieving a goal. While a positive reinforcement in the form of praise or a pat in the back is a motivating factor, but that should never be the reason for doing something.

       

Albuquerque Aquarium

       

What’s in a name?

How would you explain a mystery that you interpreted in simple terms?

A moniker is so important for a scientist to communicate with the general audience. He could use either “metaphorical tools” or “rhetorical tools.” But, many audiences convert the figurative speech into a literal sense.

Scientists have been using different types of figures (God, Cosmic religion, Cosmic mystery, Old One, God’s Particle ) to explain the mystery they have encountered. But, it seems that they use the God metaphor frequently.

This article shares my viewpoint.

“…physicists groan when they hear it referred to as the “God particle” in newspapers and elsewhere (and the temptation to repeat it, given science reporters’ desperate need for colorful phrases in an abstract and daunting field, is irresistible). Even when these physicists approve of what you have written about their craft, they grumble that the media are engaging in sensationalism, or worse.”
My guide in all of this, of course, the biggest name-dropper in science, is Albert Einstein, who mentioned God often enough that one could imagine he and the “Old One” had a standing date for coffee or tennis. To wit: “The Lord is subtle, but malicious he is not.”

Smooth Resignation

Are you planning to quit your current job?

Here are some FAQs that will help you in a smooth transition.

Personally, I have followed the following tip, when I resigned my job for pursuing higher studies:

Make an appointment to talk to your manager. Morning is usually best, because it gives your boss a chance to absorb the news and to start on a plan for your transition, including the paperwork that will need to be completed, how and when your job will be posted and who best to train to handle your duties until someone else is hired,… Have a resignation letter prepared to hand to your boss, either at your meeting or shortly afterward.

And I wish I had followed this suggestion about writing a resignation letter:

The letter should include a formal statement that you are leaving, the timetable for your departure and a restatement of your plan for returning company property and transferring confidential information.
... remind your manager how long you’ve been at the company and all that you’ve accomplished.

Tips on going green

Here is a good article on green computing from msn.

Marijuana as a seasoning

Marijuana is considered an illegal drug in many countries. But, it has its advantages. Go to http://www.marijuana.com/ for more information and facts about marijuana. I know that marijuana has medicinal purposes. But, I never thought that it could be used as a seasoning in curry.

Indonesian VP said: "It is all right to use it as a food seasoning, but it should not be fully legalized."

The countdown starts now

Apple has made its products ubiquitous. Be it listening to music, watching videos, or even study for an exam. You name it, Apple has it. It will be interesting to watch Apple's foray into cellular phone market. As the countdown nears for the release of iPhone, people are getting crazy. The commercials are simply superb. David Pogue provides a very good review.

Changing style of watching videos

It was watching movies on computers, then laptops. Then, we projected the movies on a standard vga projector. Later we extended the laptop screen to a TV screen with the help of S-Video cable. Recently, DVI / HDMI cables took to the forefront.

Then came the Apple TV to cater an increasing number HDTV audience. Apple TV ignored the old standard Television set users.

The best thing about an Apple TV is that it can work very well with other apple products

Excerpts from NYTimes:

Apple TV also syncs movies and TV shows with video-capable iPods, which means you can start watching a movie on the train ride home, pause for dinner, then resume on the living room HDTV, right where you left off.

Now, its time for another revolution: vudu. Vudu is a device that plans to avoid the intermediate computer or cable device. We will have to watch how successful this device would be.

Excerpts from NYTimes:

The company promises ... to offer 5,000 movies to watch directly on the TV without a PC, cable or satellite box. It says it has closed deals with seven major motion picture studios. The catch? Yet another appliance in your home. The Vudu device is expected to go on sale this summer, but no price has been announced.

Bollywood on NBC

Yesterday, I accidentally watched the last 5 minutes of America's Got Talent on NBC. There was this Pakistani guy who danced for Ek Pal Ka Jeena from Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai. Guess what? The audience love him. The judges, after some initial face making, were intrigued at the steps.

Oh! Did I tell you? He got selected.

Drivers' Ten Commandments

I really admire the Vatican for coming up with this list of ten commandments for drivers. This list is really appealing to the drivers and makes a lot of sense.

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

You Cheer You Loose

This is one moment where you wouldn’t want to cheer your ward.

In Indianapolis, public school officials this year began removing cheering parents and relatives. At one school, the superintendent interrupted the graduation program in the gymnasium last month and had the police remove a woman.

DET vs CLE

Can Cavaliers terminate Pistons and advance to finals?

After an impressive performance by Lebron James in Game 5, that is the question in the minds of all the Cleveland fans who are watching the NBA East Finals Game 6.

At the end of first quarter, Cavaliers lead Pistons 27/21. Check the live scorecard to the right. The first quarter has been good for Cavaliers with Varejao performing pretty good.

There has been a delay in the game during the break in the 2nd quarter as the game clock and scoreboard is malfunctioning. Is this technology going awry? The officials are going to use air horn and stop clock.

Looks like the Pistons are gaining in on the second quarter. Varejao got greedy in the second quarter. All he has to do was pass the ball to King James. But, he preferred to basket it all by himself and fumbled badly.

Fiction becomes Reality

Somewhere in the space scientists find an earth-like planet.

The next time you talk to a person, are you sure you are talking to that person. With the technology improving and science We are getting closer to a point where we will find aliens and human-like robots. Fictions like Starwars, Terminator or IRobot may become true.

India's Broadband Portal

While youtube and metacafe making an impact all over the world India has its own portal by Rajshri.

The website has a good collection of Indian television serials and old movies, which provides reminiscences of my childhood.

Car shopping

Online shopping has taken a new turn. There is a paradigm shift in shopping for a car. driverTV is an awesome website which has all videos of the models of the cars just as in the show room. With the fuel prices rising, I can’t wait till 2010 for Chevy volt, the hybrid concept car from Chevy.

Source: AutoblogGreen

Excerpts from G.M.’s Mr. Horsepower Has an Electric Conversion:

With the same enthusiasm that he has long used to describe high torque ratings and engine displacements, Mr. Lutz touted the Volt’s mileage, which he estimated will reach 151 miles per gallon, fueled by a combination of electricity and gasoline.

But G.M. is also moving ahead with the Volt, even though it hasn’t yet developed the lithium-ion battery that is needed to power it. Even so, Mr. Lutz has said G.M. hopes to sell it by 2010.

Printers War

Kodak Printers is a Mac-PC commercial spoof on NY Times. Kodak and HP debate over each other's marketing and pricing policies. I recommend watching this video till the end.

[Source: http://www.nytimes.com]

Chocolate Spill

A semi carrying chocolate boxes crashed in New Mexico:

Around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, a truck hauling nearly four tons of chocolate bars overturned near Grants, spilling boxes of the sweet stuff all over the road.

Hmm! I wish I was in mile marker 76 eating all the chocolates. This reminds me of the land of chocolates in Simpson's episode.

Carbon Emissions

That is my contribution of carbon emissions to our environment. Use Zerofootprint Carbon Calculator to calculate your contribution.
Source: Steve Lohr's article on Zerofootprint

CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet

Wondering what this term means?

Today Fox aired Das Bus , an episode of The Simpsons. In this episode the protagonist, Homer Simpson, opens a startup business with the use of Internet. This clip is a parody of acquisition. Later Bill Gates tries to acquire Homer's business out of frustration. Here is a quote from Bill Gates:

Your Internet ad was brought to my attention, but I can't figure out what, if anything, CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet does, so rather than risk competing with you, I've decided simply to buy you out.

Watch this funny clip: [Source: As always Youtube]

Forever Stamps

From today, if you are heavier, you are cheaper to transport by USPS.
The new postal pricing is in effect from today. The following is an excerpt from The AP:

For a first-class card or letter the rate taking effect Monday is 41 cents for the first ounce, a 2-cent increase. But the cost for each additional ounce drops to 17 cents, so heavier letters will be cheaper than before.

As of this posting, 4 new stamps are available on 41 cents.

Forever (Liberty Bell) ND
Settlement of Jamestown
Horses Stamped Envelopes
Bighorn Sheep

The novel thing about this price change is the introduction of forever stamp. Click on the Forever stamp image above. You will notice that instead of the price, a word "FOREVER" is inscribed. This stamp "will always be valid as First-Class postage on standard envelopes weighing one ounce or less, regardless of any subsequent increases in the First-Class rate." So, this means that it provides protection from further increase in postage rates. So, you can play smart by buying the forever stamps. When the price goes up, which will happen eventually, you would have made a good deal.

Mother's day

How many times in a year do you think of the person who nourished you? Yes, this is the same person who gave you unconditional love: your mother.

Today is the day to honor your mother. This is an opportunity to thank her and show her how much she means to you. Don’t let this opportunity to go by.

Send her a gift. Buy something nice, creative, and memorable. Better yet, create something for her. As you know by now, she is not after materialistic gifts. Gift her something nice and memorable that reminds her of her child, you. Complement it with fresh flowers.

If your mother is not living with you just call her and wish her a happy mother’s day. Thank her and narrate at least one incident where you think she made a difference in your life. She may not understand the meaning but she will be very happy to hear you wish.

If you live with your mother give her a hug and wish her. Take care of her chores or at least lend her a helping hand. Surprise her with a gift that she likes. Spend some extra time with her.

I recall my mother in many instances. She was supportive, encouraging, sacrificial, and adorable. She is living far away from me. So, I called her and wished her to hear the happy voice.

Go ahead, pick up the phone, and call your mother.

Make your mother happy today!

Limerick Day

On the occasion of limerick day, I have a couple of mathematical limericks to share.
Limerick based on mathematical convention written by David Collett:

if ( i = t² + e)
& (e = 14 + 3)
.·. i > p
& e > i
& (e | p) i 4 t

Limerick based on Integration

Integral z-squared dz
from 1 to the cube root of 3
times the cosine
of three pi over 9
equals log of the cube root of 'e'.

Einstein’s perspective

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson is a best seller. I got a peek at one of the chapters through Reader's Digest. I liked the closing comments in the article where Einstein talks about his approach to life.

"I discovered that nature was constructed in a wonderful way, and our task is to find out [its] mathematical structure," Einstein explained about his own education. "It is a kind of faith that helped me through my whole life."

Simply superb! That ought to do to convince me to buy this wonderful book.

SunRocket with InnoMedia gizmo

User manual is a very important tool, especially, for a novice network user. Illustrations are a good way of showing the instructions. In the absence of illustrations accurate step-by-step instructions will also help. Recently, I helped a friend install VOIP service from SunRocket remotely.

SunRocket is a pretty good VOIP service. But, their support website does not have sufficient instructions for InnoMedia gizmo. In fact installation instructions of the gizmo for static ip address on SunRocket's website are incorrect.

Here I am listing instructions for configuring the static ip address in InnoMedia gizmo. (This is a crossposting from my other blog.)

1. Connect your computer to LAN port of the gizmo. Use an Ethernet cable (straight) to do this connection. (Note: Sunrocket does not provide this cable.) Do not use the yellow cable given with sunrocket package. The yellow cable is only for the WAN port.
   
2. Open the browser. Type 192.168.251.1. When prompted type in the username: user and password: welcome.
   
3. Click on IP Network.
   
4. Click on Interface Settings.
   
5. Choose External Port from the drop-down box
   
6. Uncheck the enable DHCP
   
7. Key in the IP address details provided by your Internet administrator.
   
8. Hit Save&Reboot
   

If the Internet service provider has mapped your IP address with your physical hardware address of your computer don't panic. The gizmo allows a technique called as MAC cloning, where the gizmo acts as though it is really your computer. I will spare all the intricate details (Hint: spoofing). The instructions for MAC cloning are as follows:

1. Go to command prompt (Start -> Run -> cmd)
   
2. Type "ipconfig/all "
   
3. Note down the physical address of your Ethernet Local Area Network Connection
   
4. Open the browser. Type 192.168.251.1. When prompted type in the username: user and password: welcome.
   
5. Click on IP Network.
   
6. Click on Interface Settings.
   
7. Click on MAC Cloning
   
8. Check Enable MAC cloning
   
9. Type in the physical address of your computer
   
10. Click update & reboot
    

Imagination

"Imagination is a very precise thing, you know — it is not fantasy; the man who invented the wheel while he was observing another man walking — that is imagination!" — Jacques Lipchitz

U2

This two letter combination can act as a noun when referring to the famous rock band. It can act as a noun phrase, when read out loud, as a response to a clerk's greeting at a superstore. It is also a commonly used phrase in other forms of communications in instant messages,text messages, email, letter, student report, etc.

I have seen many forms of communication follow the chat lingo. Some examples include using "u" instead of "you," "2" instead of "too" or "to", "r" instead of "are," "rite" instead of "right," and "k" instead of "okay." I receive many such communications and I have always wondered if the text is still English.

Watch Cingular's text messaging commercial that is attached below this post also. There is a significant difference in the language that sub-titles in English had to be included for all the characters that the daughter utters.

This article illustrates my pet peeve: using chat lingo in emails.

Instead of well-crafted writing that adheres to accepted standards, the critics see e-mail, chat, blogs, and instant messages that lack standard punctuation and capitalized words. Complete sentences are as rare as misspellings are common. To make matters worse, words are seemingly misspelled on purpose: certainly a student who misspells "separate" as "seperate" and "sulfur" as "sulfer" has a very different intent than one who misspells "see you" as "cu" and "hate" as "h8". Acronyms are used with-out definition, and they are used so frequently as to render entire passages as cryptic as a secret code.

Watching you - Lyrics

This is a sweet song by Rodney Atkins as a father.

Driving’ through town just my boy and me
With a “Happy Meal” in his booster seat
Knowing’ that he couldn’t have the toy until his nuggets were gone.
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flying’, and his orange drink covered his lap
Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word
It started with “S” and I was concerned
So I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to talk like that?”

Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and cameo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you.

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turning’ on my son’s Scooby-doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talking’ to a friend.
And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”

Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixing’ things and holding momma's hand
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you.

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug.
Said, “My little bear is growing’ up.”
And he said, “But when I’m big I’ll still know what to do.”

Chorus:
‘cause I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I’ll be strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey, won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do.
‘cause I’ve been watching’ you.
hey yeah
uh huh

If you are going through hell

Well you know those times
When you feel like there's a sign there on your back
Say's I don't mind if ya kick me
Seems like everybody has
Things go from bad to worse
You'd think they can't get worse than that
And then they do

You still walk the straight and narrow
And you don't know where you are
Use the needle of your compass
To sew up your broken heart
Ask directions from a genie
In a bottle of Jim Beam
And she lies to You
That's when you learn the truth

If you're going through hell
Keep on going, Don't slow down
If you're scared, don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

Well I been deep down in that darkness
I been down to my last match
Felt a hundered different demons
Breathing fire down my back
And I knew that if I stumbled
I'd fall right into the trap that they were laying, Yeah

But the good news
Is there's angels everywhere out on the street
Holding out a hand to pull you back upon your feet
The one's that you been dragging for so long
You're on your knees
You might as well be praying
Guess what I'm saying
If you're going through hell
Keep on going, Don't slow down
If you're scared, don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah, If you're going through hell
Keep on moving, Face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

If you're going through hell
Keep on going, Don't slow down
If you're scared, don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah, If you're going through hell
Keep on moving, Face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there
Yeah you might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there
Yeah.

Live Like You Were Dying - Lyrics

He said I was in my early forties
with a lot of life before me
when a moment came that stopped me on a dime
and I spent most of the next days
looking at the x-rays
Talking bout the options
and talking bout sweet time
I asked him when it sank in
that this might really be the real end
how's it hit you when you get that kinda news
man what'd you do

and he said
I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu
and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying.

He said I was finally the husband
that most the time I wasn't
and I became a friend a friend would like to have
and all the sudden going fishin
wasn't such an imposition
and I went three times that year I lost my dad
well I finally read the good book
and I took a good long hard look
at what I'd do if I could do it all again

and then
I went sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu
and I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying.

Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about
what'd you do with it what did you do with it
what did I do with it
what would I do with it?

Sky diving
I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fumanchu
and then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
and I watched an eagle as it was flying
and he said someday I hope you get the chance
to live like you were dying.
To live like you were dying
To live like you were dying
To live like you were dying
To live like you were dying

Anyway - Lyrics

This is a motivational song sung by Martina McBride.

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothing
One storm could come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You could chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great but sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like i think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This worlds gone crazy
And it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all you heart
For all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk anyway
love em anyway

God is great but sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like i think it should
But I do it anyway
Yeah I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing'
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yeah sing it anyway

I sing
I dream
I love anyway

Here is the video from youtube:

Books-Reading or Listening

Do you want to listen instead of read?

On occasion of the TV-turnoff week, it is a good idea to focus on books. Pursue your hobbies: gardening, writing, walking, fiddling within the house hold gadgets, etc. If you have an iPod and tired of listening to music or bored to read a book, try listening to audio version of books. If reading does not interest you, I suggest listening to some good audio books while walking, running, you are not interested in reading With the proliferation of iPods, I think one would benefit much from free audio books. Here is a collection of some useful links listed in the order of my preference.

1. SimplyAudioBooks (Thanks to Lifehacker)
2. AudioBooksForFree (Has well defined categories)
3. TellTaleWeekly
4. Lawrence Lessig (and friends): Free Culture
5. FreeAudio
6. FreeClassicAudioBooks
7. FreeChristianAudioBooks

If you are into reading you can borrow books from your local library. Booksfree.com is an online website for renting books (just like Netflix for movie dvds.) The best thing about booksfree is that it can rent both paperback and audio books.

Understanding Complex Research Papers

Are you afraid of reading large volumes of research papers?

Well, don’t be. Ann McNeal presents a four-step guide for reading a scientific paper: skimming, vocabulary, comprehension-section by section, and reflection and criticism. The above four steps not only improves the understanding of a paper but also increases the reader’s vocabulary and creativity. Before you start reading papers try to choose articles written by well-known authors, who have published frequently in leading journals. A regular reading habit and peek into well-known authors increases one’s critical thinking ability.

According to the guide any research paper basically is divided into four main sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The following is an excerpt from the article:

Here are some questions that may be useful in analyzing various kinds of research papers:

Introduction

• What is the overall purpose of the research?
• How does the research fit into the context of its field? Is it, for example, attempting to settle a controversy? show the validity of a new technique? open up a new field of inquiry?
• Do you agree with the author's rationale for studying the question in this way?

Methods

• Were the measurements appropriate for the questions the researcher was approaching?
• Often, researchers need to use "indicators" because they cannot measure something directly--for example, using babies' birthweight to indicate nutritional status. Were the measures in this research clearly related to the variables in which the researchers (or you) were interested?
• If human subjects were studied, do they fairly represent the populations under study?

Results

• What is the one major finding?
• Were enough of the data presented so that you feel you can judge for yourself how the experiment turned out?
• Did you see patterns or trends in the data that the author did not mention? Were there problems that were not addressed?

Discussion

• Do you agree with the conclusions drawn from the data?
• Are these conclusions over-generalized or appropriately careful?
• Are there other factors that could have influenced, or accounted for, the results?
• What further experiments would you think of, to continue the research or to answer remaining questions?

Creating Memorable Lectures

Lecturing a course is important both for an instructor and a student. Here is an article about creating memorable lectures.

Quick and Easy Ideas for Better Lectures

Provide students with a framework for each lecture
o Aim for three to five main points in each lecture.
o Begin the lecture with a high-level question that the upcoming information can answer.
o Prepare a handout of the lecture's main points.
o During lecture, be explicit about what students should focus on.

Don't overload students
o Give students short breaks throughout lecture to review their notes and ask questions.
o Include a formal activity or assignment after every 15-20 minutes of presentation.
o Don't use too many different types of presentation materials at once.
o Don't give students two conflicting things to attend to at the same time.

Students are also more likely to remember information that relates to ideas or experiences they are already familiar with.
o Use examples from student life, current events, or popular culture.
o Ask students to generate their own examples from personal experience.
o Tell students how new information relates to previous lectures in your course.
o Show students how specific skills can be applied to real-world problems.
o Create activities and assignments that ask students to fit new information into the overall themes of the course.

Perspective

Try to look at everything through the eyes of a child.
— Ruth Draper

Source: Paperquote

Equip thyself before thy meets someone

I am not talking about war. I am talking about a fruitful meeting that happens when you know some facts about a person beforehand.

How many times have we googled a person? Be it to know about a renowned scientist, potential date, recruiter, or plain simple self. But, the problem is that we encounter a lot of websites with the same last name.

Pipl [via Digital Inspiration] is a collaboration of plain vanilla search and geographical location. The results are structured based on quick facts, contact details, profiles, publications, websites etc. Below an excerpt from their website:

Unlike a typical search-engine, Pipl is designed to retrieve information in real-time from the deep web, our robots are set to interact with searchable databases and extract facts, contact details and other relevant information from personal profiles, member directories, scientific publications, court records and numerous other deep-web sources.

Go ahead and try it. I know you are eager to pipl your name. ;)

Medicine

The bitter cup we strive to remove from us holds the medicine we are most in need of.
— Gaelic proverb

Batman Begins

Quotes from Batman Begins

If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely. You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent.

why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.

To manipulate fears of others, you must first master your own.

The training is nothing! The will is everything!

Men fear most what they cannot see.

Theatricality and deception are powerful agents.

Counterfeit or Genuine

Last week, the entertainment industry, especially the movie (Hollywood and Bollywood) and music, was affected by two different aspects. It was wriggled by two sides.

On one side is the American administration that has a dual but paradoxical goal of curbing piracy yet increasing the awareness of American products in China.

… for the Bush administration to file two separate complaints. One addresses what American companies say is China's reluctance to use criminal laws for people caught selling DVDs with pirated material on them.

A second complaint would be about expanding "market access" for American products in China.

On the other side is the aggregation of radical clerics who want to enact Islamic law and shut the video stores in Pakistan.

On Friday evening, dozens of students gathered in front of the mosque around a smoldering heap of Pakistani, Indian and English CDs and DVDs. "These are all dirty movies," one said, claiming that they had been handed over to the students voluntarily by a local video store owner.

These two different sentiments achieve one common goal: reduction in the sales of movie DVDs and music CDs, whether counterfeit or genuine.

NMT License Plate

Finally NMT License plates are available. The NMT logo on the backdrop of the M-mountain makes it the most colorful and alluring license plate than any other collegiate name plate in New Mexico.

Bill Richardson for President

Will an able Governor get a chance to become an able President?

Many Americans tend to brush aside this simple, articulate, humble, passionate and witty Governor from New Mexico. I am talking about Bill Richardson, a person who exudes confidence with a lot of achievements by his stride. He is a popular political persona and commands respect from everyone. Residents of New Mexico love him, his opponents regard him, and the international community adores him.

Bill Richardson is not only a household name in New Mexico, but also has his presence felt in cyberspace. He is in myspace, facebook, youtube, flickr, zanby, and partybuilder. These aforementioned links convey volumes of his achievements.

Mr. Richardson is a natural leader. Recently, he was listed in the Top 25 doers, dreamers, & drivers for the year 2006. Chad Vander Veen names the governor among top space voyagers.

Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. Voyager, Apollo and the Space Shuttle....Bill Richardson may soon find his name listed alongside the pioneers of human space travel.

He recognizes his position as an underdog. Elections are an expensive affair in terms of the money. He is looking for funds. With candidates like Hillary Rodham Clinton raising record funds ($26 million) during the first 3 months Bill Richardson seems really underfunded.

... he had raised $6 million in primary campaign money and had more than $5 million cash in hand at the end of the three-month period...

I have been living in New Mexico for the past 5 years and everyone regards "Bill Richardson" as their own family member. He has an immaculate record and is passionate in his job. He was voted into the governor’s office again with ease.

I firmly believe that Bill Richardson has everything, except the affluent wealth (read funds), that takes to become the president of USA. Give him a chance to enter the white house and you will never regret it!

Refer to America for Richardson, a comprehensive portal/blog, for more information.

April Fool's Day 2007

It is traditional to play a prank on someone and fool them today. But, media and large corporations take it a little too far too often. Last year, Ajay introduced me to hoaxes that are created by Google. Today, I noticed two hoaxes from Google.

Google's hoaxes on today is funny. I wonder if people are really gullible to fall for Google's TiSP.

Google TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.

More about this can be found at How TiSP works?

I encountered a second hoax from Google when checking mail on Gmail, Google's email service. The Gmail paper that can send you printouts to your home and made it more realistic with a bunch of testimonials about their beta product.

All part of the deal. Photo attachments are printed on high-quality, glossy photo paper, and secured to your Gmail Paper with a paper clip. MP3 and WAV files will not be printed. We recommend maintaining copies of your non-paper Gmail in these cases.

Honor and Reward

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.
— Calvin Coolidge

Source: PaperQuote

Service

I slept and dreamt that life was joy; I awoke and saw that life was service; I acted, and behold, service was joy.
— Rabindranath Tagore

Source: Paperquote

Sye - Challenge

Sye is an excellent movie about a bunch of college students who defend their playground by winning a game of rugby. This is a very intense movie and I rate it pretty high.

Any man's finest hour, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted in the field of battle... victorious

How was your day?

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
— Robert Louis Stevenson

Live in Peace

He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or all he sees. — Benjamin Franklin

Family Guy

How many times have you irritated your mom?

Watch this clip from Family Guy. It is so funny watching Stewie, the infant, irritate his mom. Enjoy!

Pokiri

(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

Watching Pokiri (telugu) was akin to a ride into a fantasy island. This is a movie with make-believe story and good feeling in the end. The viewer is treated to fantastic action sequences, lame comedy, excellent characters, and wonderful music. The movie starts with Mahesh Babu as a contract killer (or a local rowdy). Finally, the hero sloughs off his real identity, but too late to save his dad.

There is a distinct taste in assigning the outfits for the characters. The comedians adorned capris and piquant dresses. The men, stuntmen and dancers, were given a snazzy outfit: T-shirts worn over full-sleeve shirts. Gone are those days where men used to wear T-shirts underneath full-sleeve shirts. Of course, the women were skimpily dressed and were just treated like trinkets.



Apparently, this movie topped the ratings in Tollywood and is now made again in a different language, Tamil, with different set of actors altogether.

Tamil

While reading this post on My Jottings, I remembered the enormous amount of time that I spent at barber shop. When I was little, I frequented barber shops, especially on Sundays, when it is crowded. I loved the waiting time as it gave me enough time to browse and read interesting artcles from the Tamil magazines. I liked the short and witty cartoons found in magazines like Ananda Vikatan.

I also loved many stage-plays. Common household names during this period include S. Ve. Shekher, Kathadi Ramamoorthy, Mouli, and Crazy Mohan (of Madhu-Cheenu fame) during those days. These dramas were famous not only in television but also on radios.

I reminisce those days with the audio stored in my iPod.

Life

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
— George Bernard Shaw
Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others.
— H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Commercials that may be tagged as spam

Nowadays, I have been hearing to these radio commercials that maybe thought as spam if I receive emails about them. I am mentioning a couple of them below:

Dentistry
Looking for cheap dentist? I know, who doesn't? Everyone is looking for good deals! You have to cross the border and free transportation is provided.
I was appalled to hear a commercial about Montana Dental Clinic located in Juarez, Mexico on a radio channel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Apparently, they accept major insurances and major credit cards. Here is a quote from their website.

FREE TRANSPORTATION, from Albuquerque to the clinic & back... Same Day Service... Save up to 70%... Service to Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Belen, Socorro, Las Cruces & El Paso...

Free Laptop Giveaway
An email with that as the subject would be tagged as spam by me and my spam filter. But, today I heard a commercial on a local station (92.9 FM). I verified the website and they seem genuine. Yes, you get a free laptop if you participate in their survey and read the following fine print too!

To receive the incentive gift you must: 1) register with valid information; 2) complete the user survey; 3) complete at least 2 Silver, 2 Gold and 4 Platinum offers; and 4) refer 1 unique household(s) that also complete these requirements. Purchase may be required.

Key to Failure

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. — Bill Cosby

Quote

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
— Mark Twain.

Are You Watching Closely?

The Prestige is a movie about rival magicians, which is based on the novel by the same title. A truly wonderful movie, but can confuse the viewer if not attentive. I did not appreciate the movie until I saw the ending, which was scintillating.
The movie presented a clever demonstration of the three acts of magic: The Pledge, The Turn, and The Prestige.
I present the following quote from the Anatomy of an illusion

Every great magic trick consists of three parts, or acts.
The first part is called "The Pledge";
The magician shows you something ordinary - a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object-perhaps he asks you to inspect it, to see that it is indeed real-normal. But of course it probably isn't.

The second act is called "The Turn";
The magician makes his ordinary something and makes it to do something extraordinary. Now, you 're looking for the secret, but you won't find it because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet because making something disappear isn't enough. You have to bring it back.

That's why every magic act has a third act. The hardest part. The part we call "The Prestige".
This is the part with the twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance, and you see something shocking you've never seen before.

Some more memorable quotes from the movie:

Things don't always go as planned. That's the beauty of science.

Simple maybe, but not easy.

Rose Pruning Demonstrations

The Albuquerque Roses Society is conducting demonstrations for pruning roses. They will also provide tips and techniques for growing roses at your home during weekends in March. The demonstrations are from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on March 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th. (weekends)

Did you smell a rat?

I never did. But, I smelt the Oscar right around the corner for The Departed.
It maybe a remake. With star studded actors performing up under the guidance of an able director, Martin Scorsese, it sure deserves an Oscar. It is a perfect example of team effort.

Sunny and Serene

After a sand storm and heavy spring winds, today is studded with pulchritude.

Question

What do you call a person who spends most of his time in front of computer, whiling away their time? In other words, is there a term that is similar to a "couch potato"?

Do you need a break?

Think again before you take that break.

It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.
— Thomas Jefferson

Pursue your dreams

Two distinct movies: The Pursuit of Happyness and Guru. One theme: Pursue your dreams, no matter how many obstacles you face.

Abhishek Bachan (as Gurubhai) and Will Smith (as Chris Gardner) gave commendable performances.

Some quotes from The Pursuit of Happyness:

Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something.

You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.

Some quotes from Guru:

There is a saying in our village, if people say bad things about you, you must be doing something good

If you don't dream you will be stuck to your village all your life

If a law can be made in one day it can be changed in a single day

I don't want to walk... I want to run

Daytona 500

It was GM all the way.1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd position in the Daytona 500, the Nascar kickoff event. It was an important event for many American cars who wanted to desperately win against the first time competitor, Toyota.

Outside the car race, Toyota and GM are vying for the number 1 position in profits, there was a different kind of competition in the 500 mile superspeedway .

GM, in spite of its "flirtations" with Chrysler, won in the race with its Chevy line of cars. The "Toyota Way" or "Way Forward" Ford were not match to GM.

Swami Vivekananda

I received this quote through an email.

When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve

When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People

When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed
- Swami Vivekananda

Valentine's Day

Aptly, I found this good quote today.

A heart that loves is always young. — Greek proverb
(Courtesy: Paperquote)

Tax Time

Time is soon approaching and get ready to file your taxes. 15-point check list and 10 big deductions too many people miss are useful reads.

Miracle

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.
— Phillips Brooks

Mourning Mahatma

The school bell rang at 10:00 am. All the students in school stopped their chatter, quarrel, day-dreaming, games, and lectures. They stood up in unison, bowed their heads down, and maintained silence. At 10:02 am, the bell rang again. This signaled the end of their silence period. The students went back to their regular schedule of chatter. They never talked about it later. But, it was rooted in their minds and hearts that on this day in 1948 their nation’s great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, was murdered. This was how young minds were made to remember the man who sacrificed his life for a free India.

I wonder if the school administration still carries on the custom.

Winners

The Tennis champions win in straight sets.
Roger Federer of Switzerland winning Australian Open 2007

Serena Williams of USA winning Australian Open 2007

Jamal Crawford starring in Knicks' win over Heat with 52 points

That's funny

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny... '"
— Isaac Asimov

The Last Messages

Writing systems have evolved from pencil, pen, typewriter, computer, and now in the form of SMS messages.
“The Last Messages” is a novel written with SMS text messages about a person “who communicates only through text messages”.

Ford and its endless woes

Ford has been hobbling for sometime now. Last week Ford Motor Company posted the biggest loss in its 103-year history.

Here are some unanswered questions.
Will 2009 be really a heyday for Ford as Alan Mulally foresees? Will Ford be the next turnaround story? How long are the customers willing to wait for an exciting American design?

The stakes are high and the company has mortgaged all its assets. We have to remain and see if the turnaround plan, The Way Forward, is working. Chief executive Alan Mulally is the pioneer in auto industry by using the “smaller is better” thinking.
Let us wish that Ford comes out of this hornets' nest pretty soon.

Perils of Sectarian Violence

Looks like Sectarianism has seeped into educational institutions.

No! I am not talking about Iraq. This happened in Beirut, capital city of Lebanon.

A minor tussle in Beirut University cafeteria escalated into a sectarian violence and people took over to the streets. It is high time that people should realize that they should not discuss politics in educational institutions. It is such a shame that the violence extended to such heights and they ended up firing M-16s.

Laughter

"Laughter is an interior convulsion, producing a distortion of the features and accompanied by inarticulate noises. It is infectious and, though intermittent, incurable." — Ambrose Bierce

Outsider - Law & Order: SVU

I am eager to watch today’s episode of Law & Order: SVU because Kal Penn, of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle fame, is making a special guest appearance.

Martin Luther King Day

I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Google has a beautiful, yet simple, picture of playing children.

Think Good

A man is what he thinks about all day long.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson