The Daily Grind

Funniest Malaysian Home Video

2006-11-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

Hah! This is possibly one of the greatest examples of globalization that I've ever seen. I don't know how many people have seen the original Numanuma video, but this is a Malaysian take on it:

Funniest Malaysian Home Video

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the implications of this, but it's certainly worth a laugh. One of my friends made a comment about how he guesses jokes aren't always lost in translation. I guess that's the beauty of music and of action. Both transcend the boundaries of culture and language.
Well, I have nothing very intelligent to say about the idea yet. It's bugging me, though, because I know there's something big here.

A Future Fueled by Grass Clippings

2006-11-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

New technologies are like candy. They're short-lived, in that they are quickly replaced by something better, and sweet in the sense that they often provide much needed services. A good example is ethanol production for use as a fuel source. The original method involved using corn starch, because it's easier to break down into ethanol than, say, cellulose. However, there are some companies out there who are looking into harnessing cellulose as a source of ethanol. Though the process is still more expensive than producing ethanol from corn, there are hopes that within 6 or more years it will be as cheap, if not cheaper. Ideally, I'd like to see a technology like this miniaturized so that people can make their own ethanol fuel from their own grass clippings. Mow the lawn and get a few more miles out of your car at the same time.

Cellulosic Ethanol

Newt Gingrich

2006-11-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

It's always a little frustrating and alarming when someone like Gingrich start spouting off opinions about how they think the laws of free speech should be reexamined because of the threat of terrorism. Now, I understand terrorism is a threat, but to me it seems that it has been abused by politicians and their employ in order to restrict civil liberties in favor of increased security. What does National Security even mean, anyway? It's an ambiguous statement that merely favors stemming the concerns of the already fearful. Not only is National Security a way of providing a false sense of security (and what I mean by this, is that if someone really wants to perform an act of terrorism, then they will succeed in their efforts, despite all our preparations), but it is a way of justifying the slow chipping away of liberty.
Liberty, as an economist put well the other day, is the right to be left alone. Free speech is the ability to say what we want as we deem necessary. Of course, I'm sure the tact that Gingrich and his lackeys will take is that of reducing the limits of free speech under the guise that we can say what we like so long as it doesn't cause any harm. Ambiguous in nature, this definition can easily be twisted in order to fit the desired legal parameters that will eventually lead to the abuse of our civil liberties. Frankly, I love these United States and I feel they were founded on liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Gingrich, and any politician that favors National Security over Civil Liberties, seems eager to change those facts of life that, at present, we can still take for granted.
I find it ironic that he then goes on to attack campaign finance laws that he feels reduce freedom of speech. I guess he had no problem with free speech so long as it helps line his pockets.
Here's the article that got me ranting: Gingrich Worries over Free Speech

Parkour

2006-11-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Parkour is a relatively new art form that has grown up recently in Europe. They're acrobats, some who have had gymnastics training in the past and some without, that like to use the streets as their playground. There are a number of groups that do it. Among them are the Dvinsk Clan, the Yamakasi, and David Belle. I'm not sure if I should be in awe or if I should question their sanity. Either way it's cool to watch.

Dvinsk Clan

David Belle and the Yamakasi

Strange but amazing art forms

2006-11-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I were taking it easy this afternoon and we were watching some music videos to pass the time. We got to watching some videos by Fatboy Slim and Dirty Vegas, but there was one by Fatboy Slim that I thought was just amazing. I was just wondering how long it must have taken for the people in the video to master the art of juggling so well that they're able to perform such feats of coordination. The number of hours must be boggling.

Juggling Video

The details of search engines

2006-10-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

I never knew there was so much work behind creating a search engine that worked. It makes sense, though, since there's such a wide variety of questions a searcher can put forward. Natural Language Processsing and advanced algorithms. Frankly, they explain it a lot better here:

Odd Details of Search Engines

2006-10-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Another cool technology. The company, Aqua Sciences, came up with a machine that's capable of producing some 600 gallons of water a day in only 14% humidity. That's an incredible time saver. I think the greatest opportunity the machine has to offer would be for humanitarian purposes. Instead of relying on trucking water into disaster areas, one of these machines could be shipped in. Also, what about places like sub-Saharan Africa or other parched places? Of course I doubt it will get out there any time soon. It's just not economically viable, so it will go completely unnoticed that such an incredible boon for the needy will only end up serving military needs.

An Amazing Advance

The Unusual Fruits of Boredom

2006-10-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

Just another day

2006-10-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a long one. I trudged my way through the inevitable pain that is the day-after-Steel-Reserve. While I was doing that I spent a lot of time studying for a take-home test. I've taken half of it already and now I'm going to get some sleep. Hopefully I won't forget everything I've studied by tomorrow morning.
I wasn't able to get any work done on ChaCha today, because java apps make my computer go schizo and results in the black screen of death. However, I was able to send out some invites, so that made me happy.
Jamie arrived on campus today. Of course he drove up as close to the building as possible and was blaring techno reminiscent of the rave party last year. He's doing well and just got back from Indonesia, actually. He's a regular globe trotter now. I can't say I envy him, though, becaues cross-Pacific flights are ungodly long and tedious. I don't care how many movies they show, those flights never get any more pleasant. I kind of wish I'd spoken to him before hand and told him to jump over to Ambon so I could figure out what state my birthplace is in. I wonder if the holy eels are still there?
Anna (my sister) arrives tomorrow. This will mark the first time she's ever visited my school. I'm excited. I'm still not sure what we'll do while she's here, but I plan on just hanging out and having fun like I normally do. The last thing I'd want to do is give her a false impression. That's not my style.
Alright, enough blathering. Time to get a few hours of sleep.
-Funsize

The Next Step

2006-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's going to happen. It already is happening. Metal will fuse with flesh and bionics will become something we can all afford, should we be so inclined. Blind? Ocular implants will fix that. Lost a limb in an accident? Prosthetic limbs will give you the freedom of movement you once enjoyed. Just about everything from the five senses will likely be reparable. It's exciting, to be honest. I just hope I'm around long enough to see the fruition of practical science.

Bionics

The Animal Olympics

2006-10-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm just curious. Why is this so bad? The animals are just doing some tricks and probably getting treated well because of it. So it's okay for a bunch of pre-pubescent children to partake in olympic events, with more pressure on their shoulders than most of us can ever imagine, but it's somehow cruel and unusual that the Chinese trained some animals to do some tricks. That's just asinine. Anywhere, here's the article that made me take note:

Chines Animal Olympics

The quirks of the job

2006-10-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Since I've started working as a search engine guide, I've been privy to some unusual requests. Just yesterday I took part in some searches that taught me a few things. Apparently in Texas a professional corporation isn't considered community property (something about a divorce) and if your dog somehow gets pregnant unexpectadly, the closest to a morning-after-pill is a that-day-shot. Oh, and Walt Disney wasn't put in some kind of cryogenic chamber for life but was cremated. That and he was suspected to be a little anti-semetic.
Beyond that I destroyed my lab practical. 101. Hah! And that has nothing to do with skinning dalmations.

Another Practical Bites the Dust

2006-10-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

I spent part of the weekend preparing for a practical this afternoon. I like to think it went well, but it's always hard to tell until it actually comes back graded. Most of it was making sense, though, so that's good.
The rest of the day has been spent preparing for my takehome vertebrate test, which I plan on taking Thursday morning. I've got a bad feeling about it, but that's mainly because it seems like a hard one to study for. There's a lot of broad information blended with really specific information. Ah well, such is life.
Alright, back to playing the game of being a search engine guide. I'm still getting used to this wierd job.

Starting up something new

2006-10-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

I've started playing around on a new web-site recently. I'm a search engine guide. It's kind of an unusual job, but it provides me with something to do in my spare time to earn some cash. That and I can do it from my room. It's kind of like a game, really.
Anyway, aside from that I spent the rest of the day hanging out with friends (Sarah in particular), studying slides in the lab, and watching the extras from the Life of Python.
Now back to hanging out and being a bum.

The Beginning of Funsize's Great Adventure

2006-09-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm making this blog for a couple of reasons. I like the idea of having my own web-site, and it's a great way for me to keep in touch with everyone. It's going to be a kind of impersonal journal. A travelogue through time, if you will.
At the moment I have just a couple of months left before school is over. Just about everyone else in my class graduated last year. I'm one of those stragglers who got left behind because of earlier indecision. But that's another story. Fact is, I'm almost done and I can't wait. After this I'm off to Oregon to make teeth. That's a story for another time, too.
Alright, I'm not getting into anything else today. Time to look at appartments I probably can't afford.
-Funsize