Lines in the sky

There are too many main stream songs on Pandora, and I'm still disappointed that they haven't exactly gotten around to streaming foreign language songs as of yet. Angry French rap is what I really want to hear,but sadly, Pandora doesn't yet deliver.

Later tonight, I'll be attending a Christmas party with my mother. It's a reunion she'll be having at her friend's house. It'll be be a bit of a multicultural experience for me, since we'll be in a house with at least four Peruvians. It won't really be multicultural I guess.. If there's only one culture present, it'd be mono-cultural won't it?

A few days ago I spilled orange juice onto my key board. Since then the left home row keys became sticky and unbearable for the 70 wmp average I've grown accustomed to. Earlier, I unscrewed the back. 18 screws total, but one of them was hidden behind a label. For a while I was struggling taking the cover off, wanting to not force it anymore than necessary in fear of causing plastic deformation to any material in holding it together. Prudence paid off, luckily. Inside there were three layers of clear plastic with a traffic line map printed on to each. Pretty impressive actually. The thing could be made more compact and portable since the plastic is capable of being rolled up. Just looking at what I had underneath this keyboard made a lot of the more expensive "portable and roll-up-able" keyboards less impressive.

I took the cover to my bath room in hopes of getting some of the stickiness off from the orange juice incident. I spend 15 minutes in there utterly disgusted at all the disgusted-ness that fell out of the cover. Your keyboard is the most dirty thing you probably touch all day. Wash your hands accordingly. I can imagine how it must be like under there for the public computers that get touched in the CS lap or library. >.<!

So I got this idea for a project somewhere between midnight and Pandora. I also re-realized how not rich I am. The only money I'm currently getting for anything non-tuition related is coming out of my sweet mother's purse, and my father's as well. This usually occurs around holiday times such as is the case right now. So I'm thinking of buying an Axon micro-controller and some unaugmented ones from ATMEL; to play around with some ideas that came up.

But more about this idea. Currently I'm not intellectually capable of carrying out all the minor details about this. That's why I'm purchasing an already capable augmented micro-controller and thinking in the abstraction level in which technician would. There's nothing wrong with thinking like a technician. Sure it's a level down beneath how an engineer should look at something, but for the moment, I really don't know much about transistors or even assembly to do things from scratch. It's funny because I can grasp the higher level coding, and the mechanics of things, but when it comes to the middle (the electronics part) I simply see everything as enclosed inside of a black box and I pretend that faith works out 100% of the time. It's very easy to do this seeing as, most IC's and transistors are already enclosed within a black box. Sort of poetic anit it? But whatever, this level of abstraction comes with a handful of documented algorithms and schematics all ready for a layman to grasp. I'll learn more about the theories as I approach specific issues that might come across, but until then I'm going to need some help.

I'll be initiative and approach some of my more electrical savvy amigos on this matter. I'll document the project as it develops over time as well. Maybe this can go somewhere.

So it's 7:30 now. The sun has been up for a while, and my room light is still turned on.. Such a waste of electricity. I'll probably be going to sleep in a couple hours since I'm currently operating an a nocturnal sleep cycle. Oh, and about the lines in the sky. There was a set of 4 different planes that left behind intersecting routes printed onto the dark blue sky when I first started typing. They're gone now, except for one. Or maybe it came from a different source? Another one more just showed up. It was nothing unique then, but still unusual for me to see. There seems to be a problem with my "l" key. It's getting stuck in the down position. I suspect some of the mold underneath it is starting to harden up from its moist state. This could be a problem. I'll see what I can do about it.

Almost Christmas

Wow that Nov. 30th entry didn't fit too well into the spot where the Blogger thingy put it in. I'll get around to looking at it again at some point. Right now it's currently 2:34 A.M. on a Friday 'night' technically since it's night outside. Yet, it's more like a really early morning.

I've drunk about 5 cans of mtn.Dew int he last 24 hours, the type of feat I would only do when I was in high school. For the longest time, I used to believe that one should only drink Pepsi or Coke and do so liberally. As I've grown, I've come to believe that it really doesn't matter. I've usually always been against the drinking of carbonated beverages, but in retrospect, methinks it was simply because of my dislike for Pepsi or Coke. My preference includes orange soda, doctor pepper (I actually know of a Dr. Pepper), mtn.Dew (red flavored), and really anything cherry flavored. The different taste are a branch away from the tradition bitter-soar taste I've come to associate with Pepsi or Coke.

So it's after 2:30 in the morning, and I'm in front of a desktop holding up two unopened cans of mtn.Dew. I'm wondering if I'll go through both them before I go to sleep later in this day. I guess it'll all depend if I have anything to continue working on tonight. So far I've completed 2 out of 13 problems set in the MITOCW CS 6.00 course, gone through 4 of those video lectures, and began getting experience with LSL, Python, and PHP - all 3 at the same time. BTW,I'm at the end of my 1st week of winter break. AND, it's actually a Saturday today - just checked. So if there are 5 weeks of freedom total, that leaves 4 more to go. There's so much I could be doing right now, project wise.

I'm letting my hair grow out. It used to be short, now it's about 3"-3.5" long in the bottom layers. Since break started, I only showered trice, but used conditioner on my hair only once. Les cheveux sont naturally oily, and there's really no need to continue placing artificial oil on it every time I shampoo it/(them.Fr). The goal is to get it to +10" all around, not including the bangs, and perhaps get a killer pony tail going. We'll see how it develops along within the coming months. Hopefully, I won't need to cut it for any unforeseeable reasons - such a job.

About 10 months ago I received a tiny bottle of Old Spice cologne. The thing was used conservatively during the months after. Mainly because I found an excuse for it while I was dating. But now, essentially 10 months later, I still have that same bottle and haven't applied it on my body for a long time. I don't normally wear cologne. By normally I mean, pre-10-months ago. Most people apply the thing on every morning after a shower, assuming they shower in the morning. But I got to the point where I asked my self, "why?". It's not like I'm looking to impress anyone atm. There's really little motivation for me to smell good. Even if I do wear the thing, there aren't many opportunities for me to take advantage of a good smell.

You see, I'm an engineering student. The boy/girl ratio in my classes is about 20/3 and I'm not exactly looking to impresses the senses of any guys out there. On a daily basis the closes any semi-attractive female gets to me is about 10-15 meters. A 13 meter average isn't even a distance one would notice another's cologne. One would actually need to be at a close-hip.to.hip dancing distance with a women to take full advantage of that exotic French-type cologne they paid so much for. For now that bottle of Old Spice shall remain half empty inside my bathroom behind-the-mirror thingy. Gosh.. I need to party more.

3 years in college, and the only parties I've attended were faculty parties. Engineering faculty parties. I actually just went to one on the 16th, it was a part Christmas party for the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering and partially intended as a toy drive for a local charity. I brought in a transformer airplane to add to the pile. Then the other type of party I attended was actually a birthday party of one of my friends that occurred several months back. There weren't any ladies there, except for this one dude's sister. She wasn't a lady though, heh. We spent the night playing monopoly with his family. By my reckoning, the requirements for a party should include a gathering of several people doing something. Not including WoW parties, maybe I have attended more than several by this definition. On two occasions I've spent the night over at Greg's house, but mainly because I didn't want him giving me a ride half drunk at 3 o'Clock in the morning.

So Christmas occurs next Saturday. I've already opened up one of the 2 cans of mtn.Dew now. Staring at failed strain gauges attached to blocks of wood sitting next to the television.. That experiment didn't go as we expected. Memories. On a side note, I just got my hands on a sexy soldering set. The next week should be nice and fun.

My Life in Embedded Videos that Others have made.

Bonsoir monde!

Here are several music videos that have defined my life thus far. Some are literal, some are figurative, others pertain just to the video, well others pertain only symbolically. In time more will be added. A common theme in the ones prior to 2009 is the sense of hope and optimism that they imply. Consider the statement, "yeah, you're a larva now, but one day you'll be a flying dragonfly or ... maybe a fly, but at least you'll have wings". The sense of implied hope still lingers there. Regardless of the outcome, you grow up from being a larva into something different. You're no longer a child; you're an actual real life breathing, talking, living, 'loving-making', adults. That's the whole point. Today some might disagree that I still hold these attributes (of implied hope and optimism*), but I consider them wrong. On the inside I still hope for a better tomorrow. I just have to take care of myself first and loved ones prior. Isn't there a widely accepted quote that talks about this somewhere? I'll buy.

I think that deep down inside, I wouldn't be the person I am today without this sense (of implied hope.. and optimism*). Honestly, I believe that. As 2009 comes by, the videos show the tendencies that college life has put upon me. In essence, I used to be the poetic-idealist type. Even though I never wanted to be, and I was at odds with old friends from the past about this. College has placed wrinkles underneath my eyes, and a realistic expectation of the world in front of me as it is today. You won't get rich by winning the lottery, and you won't solve social-political issues by banging on drums, living a simple middle class life, or simply wishing for a peaceful tomorrow. You actually have to work for something you desire for. I've spend countless hours at night, coding, or solving integral problems simply because that's how long it would take me. Never was I the fastest at any one thing, so it always took a bit more time until proficiency kicked in. These are the skills I plan to use to make my impact on the world someday. How great it'll be I don't know, but I wish for there to be something. If the intentions become good or bad will be strictly subjective as to who gets asked.

Towards the year 2010, the videos revolve around my personal life. I went skiing for the first time in the spring. It was a great experience: so great that my colleagues and I went back for a 2nd trip several weeks later. For this year, I won't get into too many specifics, but it has been a very personal year. It's not over yet though. November is yet to finish, and December will leave me with several free weeks to contemplating how I'll get my future plans rolling. For the time being, finals will be coming up soon, and I'm in charge of money gathering for a collegiate chapter of the Society of Women Engineers at my school. I guess my time will be divided between two different feats. Winter break will come soon enough though. I'll reward myself with something special when I reach then.




"Will [a] person be satisfied merely to exist, or seek a meaningful purpose?"


-Hoby O'Brian

Winter 10': ???	Fall 10': Early Valentine	Summer 10': Love	Spring 10': Aspiration
To be determined
Winter '09: Reconsiderations	Fall '09: AFROTC	Summer '09 Crazy Life	Spring '09: College
Fall '08: Iron Eyes Cody	Summer '08: Thanks mom!	Spring '08: Inspiration	2007 Runner

-Hope you enjoyed going through the songs

Math Dictates My Procrastination

Hello World,

Haven't you found it surprising how if, you get an A+, your grade goes up only by 1.5%, but if you for some mystic reason you end up with an F, your grade drops to a 36% F?
Well I have, and I developed a proof that states such a case isn't possible.

Assume that the least number of grade items is two, since any more will simply make you divide by a greater number and provide for a less realistic range to ponder on.

Eq 1: (A+#)/2=#+1.5, A >= 90, # = number of first grade item

Eq 2: (F+#)/2=F', F & F' < 60

Eq 1': (90+#)/2=#+1.5
90+#=2#+3
87=#

Eq 2: (60+#)/2<60
60+#<120
#<60


From these two equations you can see # has to be a number equal to 87 but also less than 60. Since such a number does not exist, I would be very surprise to be in a situation where an A bumps me up 1.5% but a F brings me down to a 36% or event a 59.99% F.Therefore, my point is this. Should your story by of a person in a dilemma with the above scenario coming into question, don't worry. Continue to slack off because there's no way you can possible get an F in that class.

Best wishes,

-JBF

"Afterwinter"

Pollen breeze come here.
Now to hold your breath in fear,
an allergy pill—

-JBF

With No Handle Bars

When I was a high school senior, sitting in my chair and not paying much attention to the fat man speaking in front of the class, a particular set of lyrics were on repeat inside my head. Believe it or not, these words were a major theme in me deciding to become an engineering undergrad. It was motivation that was given to me. In this case, it came in the form of a particular phrase, from a particular song, said in a particular way.

I still remember going up to Winter during lunch period and stating the words, "I don’t fear the math anymore." Thank you Flobots.

---

It's free form. Definitely freeform..

You were all,
we were all,
we never existed,
A familiar far-flunged fascination..

A fading memory,
a vague experience,
a stone dropped on water with an impact yet,
the winkles slowly disappear.

Now, the most ideal state for you, me, us,
now a moment of tasteful pleasantries,
now an ideal ingenious idiocracy you've created!

Now,
despair.

You disappeared into a game I chose not to play,
I kid not.


"I wrote this during the winter of 2009. I've found myself in similar scenarios since. Harmonic disappointment.."
-JBF