AirNiqueel

My Journey to Kubuntu

2006-09-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

It's been over a month since I anxiously switched my primary desktop's OS from WindowsXP Professional to Kubuntu. This is just my thoughts on the whole process of switching from the "norm" to the other side, aka Linux.

In early August, I was fed up with the constant lag with my computer. I could not even listen to my music without the sound skipping. In fact, most avi's that I watched were out of sync because my processor couldn't keep up I guess. Here are the specs of my computer:

Pentium III, 933 MHz
512 MB ram
1 45GB hard disk drive
1 120GB hard disk drive

I realize that my computer sounds ancient, but it's been with me ever since March of 2001 and it has been through so much with me. Literally, I will cry the day I have to replace it. Anyways, back to my good old experience...

What really started to bother me about Windows was the fact that every software ran slow. I couldn't even type up a document without some lag, even when I didn't have anything else running except for the standard startup software (e.g. anti-virus). So I started talking to a buddy of mine who had alot of experience with linux. I couldn't migrate to MacOS simply because I didn't want to spend any money switching. I wanted to keep my computer but breathe new life into it. And he proposed that I go to Linux.

I have to admit that I had always been intrigued by Linux and I was pretty eager to give it a shot. However, everytime I thought about it, I figured my Windows box is working fine, no point switching to an OS that I hardly know anything about. My friend told me about Ubuntu and how it simply made everything work. My main use for my computer was simply listening to music, chatting, browsing the web, papers, basically student related stuff. So anyways, I tried out Kubuntu instead since I had heard more of KDE than Gnome.

Kubuntu installed rather easily on my computer. The surprising part was that everything just simply worked. The only "major" configuration I had to do was simply configure my Logitech MX500 mouse. For some reason, Kubuntu would not recognize the forward and back buttons on the side. My soundcard (Creative Audigy2 NX) also worked flawlessly, however, the remote for the soundcard is practically useless since I haven't found an application for Linux that uses the remote. It felt good to hear my music again uninterrupted and crystal clear. I noticed that the audio from my speakers was alot cleaner and crisper than Windows ever produced. At times, it felt as if the music was live.

So all in all, my transition was really smooth. There were no bumps in the road. But it did get me thinking about a few issues:

Is Linux ready for prime-time?
Will Linux replace Windows as the primary OS on most desktops?

I don't think Linux is quite ready for prime time. Linux is getting closer and closer to be really considered a viable alternative to Windows. The problem with Linux is the fact that it still requires users to use the command line at certain times. It is true that there may be instances where you never have to use the command line, however, all Linux users have to deal with the command line at one point or another, in my opinion. In addition, Linux has no real tech-support for the computer illiterate. Sure, you can use the forums and Google search terms relating to your issue, but most illiterate fools want to talk to someone over the phone. It's true that you can purchase Red Hat or Mandriva which offer paid support. Other distributions offer paid support as well. This brings me to the next point. Linux has too many distributions that makes it hard for the casual user to decide which distribution to go with. People starting out with Linux, should however, have an easy choice and simply stick with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, or Xubuntu. They're all the same, except each one has a unique desktop environment.

Therefore, I don't see Linux ever replacing Windows as the primary desktop OS. However, Linux will grab a significant chunk of the market share along with MacOS. What we will see in the future is that regardless of what OS you use, most applications will be cross-platform and there will always be free alternatives to commercial software.

So for my final words. Linux breathed new life into my computer. I strongly believe that I can keep this computer for the next year at least. That basically means that my computer, by the time I can't even use it because of its lagginess, will be close to 7 years old. That's a pretty ripe old age for a machine this good. Kudos to Intel for designing a sweet chip and Asus for designing a sweet and reliable motherboard. If you are considering Linux, please switch. For almost every commercial software, there exists a free and open source version. Try it out, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. I love Linux so much, that I am literally not even considering going back to Windows ever. Windows Vista is definitely not on my list of wants. Plus, I don't need anti-virus software :)

Praise with Peace,

Air

Nokia 6270

2006-07-14T04:49:00.000-05:00

My trip in India is now winding down. Currently I am in New Delhi and the local time here is 3:16pm. It's been alot of fun and I'll be sure to post alot more information about the trip when I get back home.

For now, I want to share one of my highlight purchases on this trip: my new Nokia 6270.

You can find more information about this pretty neat phone right here.

That's it for now. Peace.

Full Speed Ahead

2006-05-06T23:19:00.000-05:00

I know it has been almost two months since my last entry. I've been really busy with alot of things. Just to bring everyone up to speed:

Goin to India on May 13

That's pretty much it. Enjoy :)

Nokia HS-26W Review

2006-03-13T12:50:00.000-06:00

I am now ready to finally talk about the Nokia HS-26W at length. The past three days, I have put the headset through its paces and am finally relieved that I can sleep soundly knowing I don't have to wake up tomorrow and test it again.

Complete specifications for the Nokia HS-26W can be found here.

In order to test this headset, I had to define a few parameters that I was mainly looking at. In no way am I implying that my test is "scientific." In fact, if you are to purchase this headset, your experience might vary greatly. Some of the more specific parameters I was looking at were:

ear piece volume
comfort
my voice clarity to the caller

I wasn't too concerned with the range mainly because I plan to use a headset primarily while driving or if I am involved in long conversations. Therefore, my phone is usually within arm's reach. There are times when I may walk around my home while wearing the headset, but I ususally am always within line of sight. As some of you may know, most Bluetooth headsets have a maximum range of about 10 meters or approximately 30 feet.

Before I go further, it is important to note that the Nokia HS-26W is a Bluetooth 2.0 device. It is backwards compatible and supports Handsfree/Headset profiles 1.1. I am using a Sony Ericsson S710a, which is a Bluetooth 1.1 device. Although the two devices are compatible, certain features may not be enjoyed using the non-2.0 specified device.

The Nokia HS-26W is my second headset, my first being the Motorola HS810. Sadly, I "lost" my HS810 and am now in need of a replacement. Since I am not experienced with other Bluetooth headsets, it is essential to note that I am only going to compare the Nokia to the Motorola.

In terms of ear piece volume, the Nokia performs adequately, but not stellar. I find this surprising given that all prior Nokia wired headsets and devices I used had quite a loud volume. I tested the loudness in my car and in my home. To no surprise, the headset volume level in my car was barely acceptable. However, this is not to say that the headset is inadequate because I am slightly hard of hearing in my right ear. Since my left ear cartilage is pierced, it is uncomfortable to wear the headset on my left ear.

When compared to the Motorola HS810, the Nokia HS-26W is far more comfortable. It's almost as if I'm not even wearing the headset. However, both of these headsets suffer from the same problem, they both do not feel very secure. Both headsets would not stand up to vigorous shaking of the head. It is important to note that although the Nokia does not seem secure, it actually is. It may feel a bit loose, but it is definitely not going to fall off, unless you aim for that.

Finally, it comes down to voice clarity. Surprisingly, the Nokia performed admirably. The callers were always telling me that they thought I was on my handset device rather than a wireless headset. The only major complaint was the fact that my voice seemed to have more bass than it really did. However, this only happened occassionally and I deemed it an isolated event. When I used the Motorola HS810, many callers complained that my voice would fade in and out and that I sounded distant.

Before I come to my conclusion, I want to say that I am quite impressed with the Nokia HS-26W. One of the more unique things I find about it is that it when powered on, it continually broadcasts itself until connected to a certain device. In addition, there are no special key presses you have to initiate in order to pair, unlike the Motorola HS810. I also noticed that the Nokia HS-26W paired much faster than the Motorola headset.

So what is my conclusion? I would give the Nokia HS-26W a 7.5 out of 10. Given that it was only $49.99 USD at Best Buy, it is a bargain and well within my budget. Do I plan on keeping it? That is a difficult decision. I am inclined to keep it because of its low price, but its low ear piece volume, hinders it. But this review is long enough. I think I'll return the headset since I cannot adapt to the volume level.

Peace,

Air

Update: Nokia HS-26W

2006-03-11T21:30:00.000-06:00

I didn't get a chance to test out the new headset in my Honda Civic, but I did get to test it out in my mom's car. Although my mom's car has a much more quieter cabin, I was able to conclude that the volume level in the Nokia is so far acceptable.

I noticed that when my headset was paired with my cell phone, the volume level for the handsfree profile was not at the max. When I turned up the volume on my phone, the headset volume increased as well, not alot, but a noticeable difference. Since my left ear's cartilage is pierced, it is very uncomfortable to wear my headset on my left ear. Therefore I am forced to wear it on my right ear.

I'll wear my headset and drive my Honda on the highway, where road noise is the worst on Monday probably. I'll try to post another update and my final decision by then hopefully. Leave your thoughts :)

Air

New Headset: Nokia HS-26W

2006-03-11T00:11:00.000-06:00

I just purchased the Nokia HS-26W, which replaces my Motorola HS810. To be honest, I misplaced/lost my Motorola HS810 and am quickly missing it. After spending almost 3 hours searching for it, I have declared it lost and decided to purchase a new headset. The Nokia headset only cost $49.99 plus tax, which brought the total to around $55. When I look back, this is a relative bargain since I bought my Motorola headset for $99.99 plus tax, for a total of almost $110. Basically, I bought a new headset for about half the price.

The HS-26W has been designed to support Bluetooth specification 2.0 and it is backwards compatible. My current cell phone only supports bluetooth 1.1, so I am unable to utilze the "faster" connection time that Nokia boasts for 2.0 compatible phones. In addition, Nokia claims that Bluetooth 2.0 also has fewer dropped headset to phone connection and significant increase in call quality through the headset. I am assuming I won't be able to experience these features, but I am content with what I can enjoy.

I only need a bluetooth headset when I am driving or when I am on a long conversation (as it happens with my parents at times :>). I really didn't feel comfortable spending upwards of $60, although if I had spent close to $100 I may have gotten a much better headset. I did some hunting on Google for this headset and didn't really find any exhaustive reviews. In fact, I only found this good review.

Some of the things that I did NOT like about my Motorola HS810:

Poor voice quality output through microphone

Felt loose on the ear

Awkward connection sequence (when "mating" with your cell phone)

I haven't had much time to really test out the Nokia HS-26W, but here are my first impressions:

Feels loose on the ear

Not loud enough

Very easy to connect to cell phone

One of the surprises about this headset was its ability to connect quickly to my cell phone. Essentially, as soon as you turn on the headset, it automatically starts broadcasting its existence. If your cell phone is configured to accept the headset (meaning you've already paired the headset and your cell phone), it will automatically connect to the headset, effectively turning off the headset's ability to broadcast while paired. However, that can pose a small security risk since someone can pair with your headset in the time it takes from powering on to pairing with your phone for the first time.

Although I mentioned that this headset is also a bit loose, it does feel snug. The Motorola felt secure yet loose, and the Nokia feels the same way. I am concerned about the volume in the headset. I have it turned up all the way, and I feel that I may have a hard time hearing the voice. Let's face it, in this iPod age, my right ear is going deaf :). I'm going to evaluate how the headset volume is when I am driving. When I drive my Honda, the interior cabin can get quite loud.

As a closing remark, I just want to say that I have 30 days to evaluate this product. If I am unsatisfied, I will gladly exchange it or return it. Let me know what you guys think. Peace.

Air

Moblog

2006-03-08T20:28:00.000-06:00

just a picture of my gorgeous monitor :):):)

Letter to Senator Obama

2006-02-16T00:02:00.000-06:00

After reading this blog entry by Senator Barack Obama, I sent him the following letter:

Dear Senator Obama,

After reading your blog entry about addressing alternative fuel research and encouraging American manufacturers to invest more in hybrid vehicles, I felt that there has to be something more done for the end customer as well. And I strongly believe that many people are failing to acknowledge such a thing.

I feel that customers who adopt hybrid vehicles should be given a much larger "tax-break" than is currently being offered. It's quite evident that hybrid vehicles are substantially more expensive than their gasoline counter-parts. I understand that research into new technologies translates into the new technology being more expensive until the production process is optimized. However, is it not necessary to promote that optimization quicker by offering larger incentives to consumers who choose a hybrid vehicle over its gasoline counterpart?

From personal experience, my parents are interested in purchasing a hybrid vehicle, however, the extra cost associated with hybrids is a major turnoff. Even with the current tax-breaks in place, gasoline prices at the stations would have to be substantially higher than current rates to offset the difference in price between hybrids and their gasoline counter-parts.

I strongly agree with President Bush's declaration that Americans "are addicted to oil." However, I think we should all do more to increase the rate of adoption by consumers. We should promote the advantages of hybrids while also offering greater incentives to promote their sales. I feel that Illinois can set a great example by pushing for such an incentive program and it is imperative that on the Federal level, we all work hard to push for greater incentives for the end customer to adopt hybrid vehicles.

Thank you for your time Senator.

Sincerely,

Nikhil Agarwal

Semi-Popular

2006-02-03T15:57:00.000-06:00

Someone actually read my blog and reviewed it. Although it is a quite negative review, I have to admit, I was surprised someone even read it. I always enjoy a hearty conversation criticizing my thoughts or just me.

Nevertheless, you can read Paul's review here

My blog has changed quite a bit since the day he reviewed it. I was not even aware of this review till today. I applaud him for taking the time and reading my blog. Please be aware though, that my blog is a personal blog and I usually post my own thoughts/feelings on this blog. Feel free to leave your comments

Air

Relax people of Islam

2006-02-02T13:44:00.000-06:00

BBC Article | Yahoo! News

Ok, I'm sure you guys must have heard about the offensive drawings published by some Danish, German, and other European newspapers. Here are some of the questionable drawings. Please note that I am not advocating any disrespect to Islam or any of its followers. I am just posting these pictures to show you what is being questioned:

I know the quality is really really small, but here's the original link to where I found the pictures.

I am very strong supporter of freedom so speech. I realize that the cartoons may offend muslims, however, they must realize that these are just cartoons made by political journalists. It is no way reflective of how the general population thinks of muslims or islam.

Hell, Al-Jazeera airs offensive videos and "interviews" from suspected terrorists and not one muslim objects. The democratic world is open to political cartoons saitirizing alot of things. Even the Hindu gods have been subjected to political humor. Sure I may have been upset, but I didn't call for protests, riots, terrorist acts (e.g, bombing the local consulate/embassy), or any other heinous acts. All I did was write to the editor about my thoughts, got my thoughts published and went about my business.

I'm sorry to say this, but when muslims react in such a bold manner, the world just disrespects them even more. Take a joke guys. Sure, the journalists were kinda out of line, but shit, many muslims are like that too. Just look at all the muslims supporting Al-Qaeda. Need I say more.

I support those journalists, cartoonists, and papers who created and published the images. Kudos to them. Freedom of speech should not be tapered in any way. If muslims want to retaliate violently, no wonder the world looks at them as terrorists. They should lear to just chill. Oh and for those of you who are saying what about satirical images of Jesus Christ or Hindu gods? Well, it's already been done, but no one went out and bombed an embassy, church, temple, or mosque. We just voiced our opinions and went about our lives. Violence will not solve anything.

-Air

Stupid Conservatives

2006-02-02T12:32:00.000-06:00

I'm very annoyed these days hearing about all the hatred and anti-slogans against supporters of gay and lesbian movements. Why can't homosexuals exist? They too are humans and share the same feelings as heterosexuals. Every day I hear conservatives preaching that "fags" are ruining are way of life and that they should be stopped.

Just read this article. Some stupid fucker by the name of Jacob D. Robida decided to walk into a gay bar with a hatchet and a handgun and shoot it up. Why would you do something like that? How heartless is this world? How heartless is America? I'll tell you. Ever since president bush came to power, he has driven this great country into a hell-hole. His entire party preaches anti-abortion slogans and anti-homosexual propaganda.

Some time ago, a friend of mine by the name of wreckingcru wrote a beautiful entry about the cruelty against homosexuals. Click here to read it, the title of the post is "HOMOZZZZZZZZ".

In it he brings up many good points against those conservatives who preach that being gay is complete blasphemy and a horrendous sin. Before I dive in further, do realize that I am straight. However, I am a firm liberal and feel that both abortion and homosexuality should be recognized and respected. Homosexuality is NOT genetic, it is a choice. I choose to be straight because I find the opposite sex attractive. You CHOOSE to pay your taxes. You CHOOSE to work for a living. Notice, we all choose to do something. The consequences of our actions is what we must live with. Being gay does not mean that should be subjected to torment, torture, or humiliation. If that is the case, then I say that all humans should be ridiculed, humiliated, and tortured for being human in the first place.

But enough of that. Let's go into some points that WreckingCru brought up. The first point I would like to present is the claim that conservatives claim that homosexuality is going to ruin society. Here is what I think along with wreckingcru:

"divorce
adultery
drug use
unabated violence
rampant deliquency
apathy
teenage sex
unprotected sex
unwanted pregnancies
financial greed
meaningless jobs and lives
corporate non-governance
the dissapearing 'family'

longer work hours and overstressed adults whose sole aim lies create more money with no concievable means, need or time to spend it"

Another key thing that I think will ruin society is divorce. Conservative Christians all preach "till death do you part" however, it always seems that it is "till divorce do us part." Shit, once you get married, why the fuck do you want a divorce? Why can't you make things work. And look at your priests. They're all out there molesting little boys. Hell, your OWN priests are gay and pedophiles. Yet, these conservatives fail to even hold marches against them. Why don't you march against your church?

I respect the fact that everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, when you turn to violence to express your opinion, then you lose respect in my eyes. When you take political action to circumvent the right of others to choose their path, then I lose respect for you. Who has given you the right to determine the morality of homosexuality? Who has given you the right to pursue capital punishment as a legal action? You preach against abortion, yet you are willing to execute condemned men because they have committed heinous acts. Don't you think capital punishment is something closely related to playing God? What if a woman is raped and is now pregnant? Since you pushed for anti-abortion laws, she cannot abort the unwanted child. She must bear her illegitmate pregnancy for a painful nine months and then bear witness to the horrible autrocity that occurred in her life months ago. How do you justify that? Sure, she can give it up for adoption, but why should she if she was raped? Why should she even have the child when the child was concieved against her wishes? I think abortion laws should be responsible enough so that irresponsible kids and adults who get pregnant because they did not use protection should not be allowed to seek an abortion.

To everyone outside the United States:

Please do not hate all Americans. We are lead by an incompetent, fundamentalist, and horrendously conservative leader. His supporters somehow won an election in 2000 and in 2004. I realize that you feel Americans are arrogant, but I assure you that not all of us are that way. The actions that the few took on 9/11/01 were no doubt questionable, but, innocent lives were lost that day. You need to realize that it is the conservative americans that are ruining world peace. They wish to have the US as the omnipotent force when they themselves should realize that world peace can only be accomplished when ALL nations are equal. Please don't punish those Americans like me who feel that our current leader is a fucking idiot.

In closing, I want to say that the United Nations is not a good thing. The UN itself also "segregates" nations. Look at the UN Security Council.

Fuck Bush and his fucking supporters. They're always censoring freedom itself.

Support the troops but DO NOT SUPPORT Bush.

--Air

Bono

2006-02-02T12:25:00.000-06:00

I respect and revere Bono, U2's frontman, greatly for his continous efforts to help the poor throughout the world. However, I sometimes think that he doesn't understand capitalism that well. I am a firm believer that in a capitalist society, it is necessary for "some" people to be poor. Why? I think that capitalism thrives on the fact that their is a huge spectrum of financially diverse people.

Read this article. What I think Bono should be encouraging is countries like the US to focus more on domestic issues and poor people domestically before worrying themselves about other people around the world. I applaud Bono's efforts, but I think he should understand that leaders only attend these informational "dinners" just to show they have compassion. Let's face it, Bush isn't going to do shit. And in this case, I probably wouldn't either. I don't have time to worry about international poverty when I am faced with major issues domestically.

Gillette Fusion

2006-02-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

You guys gotta try this shaver out. Sure it's got 5 blades with a single blade dedicated to trimming, but it really does live up to the hype. I tried it out today and i had the closest shave yet. Give it a shot :)

Microsoft releases IE 7 beta to public

2006-01-31T15:06:00.000-06:00

Finally Microsoft has decided to release a major overhaul beta update to IE 6.0. Although IE still continues to be the most popular web browser, its market share has gone down considerably. I am not going to comment on the performance of IE7 since I have not downloaded, tested it, or plan on trying it right now. I generally tend to shy away from software that is still being tested. However, I am an avid user of firefox and by having IE7 in addition to firefox, I can rest assured that my web browsing experience will become even more enjoyable.

At this time there are a few websites that do not support any other browsers other than IE. The only gripe I've had about IE is the fact that it never supported tabs natively. The biggest gripe I have about firefox is its inabillity to natively block all kinds of ads and popups. Certain pop-ups still slip through. I have popupcop for IE and that software literally removes 95% of all the ads on any site and prevents ANY popup/popunder. Sure I have adblock for Firefox, but it isn't what you would call "easy and simple to use." Once IE7 is released, I can have two browsers that create a very enjoyable web-surfing environment.

Air

Pixar flexes its new muscles in Disney

2006-01-29T13:07:00.000-06:00

Another great story of how Disney, like every major studio, tries to overrun theatres with pointless sequels. Good thing Pixar has alot of influence in Disney now

Great Games

2006-01-28T18:13:00.000-06:00

I think the following four games gave me the best replay value (ranked):

Halo
Counter-Strike (based on original Half-Life engine)
Splinter-Cell: Chaos Theory
The Sims

Allow me to explain my choices further.

Halo
======

Halo is a great first-person shooter. It's easy to learn and easy to have fun with. You don't need me to tell you how great of a game this has been for Microsoft. I'll even venture far enough to say that Halo is by-far the best first-person shooter game I have ever played. The graphics are stunning and you can kill enough aliens to quench any size thirst. I have beaten this game numerous times. To give you an idea, I literally know almost every map inside out. I know exactly where the enemies are and I have a very good idea at what areas I'll get killed. Yes, even I enjoy getting my ass raped by the aliens every now and then. Since I have beaten the game on every difficulty setting over 25 times, I can comfortably say that I am very pleased with the game. The hardest setting is by far the most fun. You die in just a coupla shots and it takes an entire clip to kill just one alien. Great odds = Great fun

Counter-Strike
================

This game is every college student's dream game. It has a very very very high-paced gameplay and it really is alot of fun. Once you die, you gotta watch your buddies duke it out. Best part is that you have two teams and you actually need team work in this game to win any maps. Enough said about this game. If you haven't heard or played this game, you seriously are a dumbfuck.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
============================

Splinter Cell (the 1st game) literally re-defined the stealth genre. The graphics pushed the xbox to its limits and were absolutely stunning. With each successive game (so far, there are 3: Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, & Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory), the graphics have improved and so has the game play. The third installment, Chaos Theory, literally has multiple paths to accomplish any given objective, a variety of tactics (assault vs. stealth) so you can go gung-ho, and great and stunning graphics. You may be wondering, once I beat the game, i'm never gonna play it again. Wrong kid. You'll want to play again and again to try out new methods of attack and strategy. Give it a shot, it feels great to sneak up on someone and just fucking kill them slowly. Great feeling :)

The Sims
============

The Sims is the most popular PC game to date and the most successful video game ever. Need I say more?

Read the article more for some other great games that definitely don't make my list.

Chicagoans say 'fuggedaboutit!' to New York City - Yahoo! News

2006-01-27T22:09:00.000-06:00

Let's face it. Chicago is so much more better than New York. Not as crowded and overrun by people at any given time. Plus we got more bounce than all y'all combined :)

Toyota Motorsports & NASCAR

2006-01-25T14:16:00.000-06:00

Toyota Corporation has come a long way in the past 15 years. Their Camry sedan has become and still is the best-selling sedan in the US. In addition, the Camry platform has given birth to many new models such as Lexus RX300, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry Solara, and Toyota Sienna. I may have forgotten to mention a few, but you get the idea.

Let's face the music, Toyota has shaped our lives greatly. Their products have continually defined the word reliability and most of us have had an enjoyable experience driving the Camry or any Toyota vehicle in general. It was inevitable that Toyota would enter a market in which Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Dodge easily dominated. I'm not saying that Toyota will easily defeat these teams. However, Toyota will definitely give everyone a run for their money.I think Toyota is taking the right step by entering NASCAR. Their company employees over 100,000 people in the US alone and as time goes on, I don't think Toyota will be referred to as a Japanese auto-manufacturer, but rather, an American icon. And in case you haven't learned, most of the Toyota vehicles sold in the US, are made in the US (with the exception of the Lexus brand, which is still made in Japan, with the exclusion of the RX330. The RX330 and RX400h are manufactured in Canada.).

How can you justify this?

2006-01-21T14:56:00.000-06:00

I don't understand how a President can become omnipotent in the war against terror. President Bush is literally on a power-hungry trip and feels that guns do all the talking. He first lied to the public about going to Iraq over WMD's. Now he's initiated spying on his own people under the premise "monitoring terrorists discreetly within US soil."

This sounds awfully close to something a dictator would do rather than a President of the United States. We impeached President Clinton because of some sexual affair with an intern, yet, we cannot impeach a President who lied to us about going to war, in which over 2000 soldiers have given their lives.Pure tyranny, if you ask meRead more at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10...

Bush and Reid spar over health care and taxes - Yahoo! News

2006-01-21T14:49:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that President Bush feels that by granting more tax cuts, we are actually going to reduce our deficit. Although it is a complex situation, it does not take an advanced finance major to realize that even if people have "more" money to spend, they'll buy more.

I think President Bush needs to do the following in his upcoming state of the union speech:1) give a detailed plan of withdrawl from Iraq2) admit Republican corruption and how to fix it3) revoke tax cuts4) limit fees associated to medical expenses (basically cap them)5) stop fucking around with other nations and get the US back in line

Crap!

2006-01-20T18:53:00.000-06:00

Well, looks like I lost another life today. I think i'm down to my last 2 or 3, assuming I had 9 to start with.

Oh ya, by the way. My dad is a dumbfuck for yelling at me for spinning out and crashing today while driving my mom's car. Little does he recall when I told him over summer that he should change the tires on my mom's car asap since they are almost worn out. The front two tires are practically bald. Yes you may be thinking that maybe I was driving too fast, or should have braked earlier. Let me assure you that I wasn't going more than 20 mph the whole time and the car spun out whenever I had to make a right/left turn.

Parents are just plain idiots sometimes. peace out to all of them fuckers

A New Chapter

2006-01-18T14:40:00.000-06:00

A new beginning
A new chapter
I await my destiny

From the boilers to the pulling of the sleds by huskies.
I seek not the failures but the opportunities of a lifetime
There is no past without disappointment
See no darkness
See the light
Follow your instincts

God will give me justice

Peace

New Year's Trip

2006-01-04T19:43:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone. I'm back from California and finally got time to post my thoughts on it. If you guys have been following my blog for some time, you may recall that I've always wanted to go to Cali. Now that I finally got the chance, I can safely say that it was not a disappointing trip at all. However, there was one factor that inhibited this trip from being the greatest trip ever, rain. Yes, it did rain for the most part and it literally killed the mood. But no worries :)

Day 1
We visited Disneyland and it was remarkable. I know a few people who told me that Disneyland is not worth it and it's a waste of time. I have to admit that Disneyland was an interesting experience however. The park is definitely huge and has alot of stuff that anyone can do regardless of age. Yes, that does mean that Disneyland hosts some bars ;). Sadly, however, I did not get to see the California Adventure theme park which is part of the Disneyland theme park.

Day 2
This day had to be the worst day since it rained all day. And it wasn't light rain, it was the continually pouring type. Only thing that made it all fun was that I got to drive in Cali. Cali drivers are slow as hell. These bastards drive at like 65 - 70 mph for the most part. And here I am from Chicago where we all drive like near 80 or, if you're like me, around 90 - 100mph. But Cali drivers are not defensive drivers at all. They'll cut lanes like there's no tomorrow. Basically, today, we dropped off some folks that came with us at Universal Studios (their insistence) and visited downtown LA and Beverly Hills. We also ate at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is very exclusive and situated right in between a very exclusive residential area.

Day 3
We went to Laguna Beach and then drove to Las Vegas. Laguna Beach is completely over-rated. Alot of the area looks rundown and really ghetto. The only thing that makes Laguna Beach very attractive are the cars, women, and the beaches. Yes, this is the perfect area to see Maserati's driven by kids like they're toyotas.

We arrived at Las Vegas around the evening time and checked into the Venetian. The Venetian was a remarkable resort. It had a river with gondolas inside. How bad-ass is that? We toured the Strip basically and paid a visit to Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, and some other smaller casinos. My mom won a whopping $200 while I won a measly $15, all from slot machines. The water show at the Bellagio is simply amazing, as well as the MGM Grand volcano.

Day 4
My mom wanted to gamble some more at MGM Grand and we saw the white tigers. The bastards here were charging $15 per person just to see some fucking dolphins. And since this was our last day, we drove back to LA to catch our flight back home to Chicago.

The flight left like 30 minutes late and we had a connection at Cincinnati (don't know why). When we got to Cincinnati, they said that they can't put us on our flight to Chicago and instead put us on a flight to Milwaukee. Therefore, our luggage was at Chicago (ORD) and we arrived in Milwaukee. Basically alot of running around. Delta gave us $200 vouchers for future flights, which I guess is ok.

Overall a very interesting trip :)

And I will not be posting a summary of 2005. Not worth my time or effort. A pretty shitty year.

Peace

Cali

2005-12-29T13:31:00.001-06:00

It's about 1:30 CST in my home-town. Only an hour and half till I fly out to California...finally :)

I'll post more once I get back. Happy New Year's to everyone :)

Peace

Chapters

2005-12-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

A chapter ends
a saga has finished
a new chapter begins
a new saga awaits

When Will They Learn

2005-12-25T23:38:00.000-06:00

Article (MSNBC.com)

I think the RIAA is beginning to hit an all time new low. How can they go around suing consumers by improperly obtaining evidence and accusing "John Doe's" like there's no tomorrow.

I wholly support this hapless mother's cause and I hope she wins. It's about time we all stood up to the RIAA. How can they expect consumers just to cough up US$7500.00. That is absurd.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T12:52:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone :)

Happy Holidays

The New Scrooge

2005-12-24T22:28:00.000-06:00

Article Link (CNet News)

I find it remarkable that Warner Music and the other big labels are involved in a price fixing scheme. But then again, I should not be surprised. I'm glad that the NY attorney general is serving subpoenas to the music labels. Here are a couple of points that the music labels are credited with:

flexible pricing
larger share of digital music revenue
seeking revenue from iPod sales

I do realize that as a corporate entity, every music label wants to maximize their revenue flows in order to keep their shareholders happy and to sustain their business. However, I feel that many of the music labels have failed to discover a way to ensure that digital music piracy is non-existent. Apple has literally revolutionized the entire industry with a music device that eclipses every other device in sales and usability (as according to many consumers). In addition, Apple has done an excellent job of introducing a music model that incorporates digital music transfers with ease of use and fair pricing.

Nevertheless, I still do not believe that Apple's current model is a worthy one. But let's backtrack here and look at the proposed "flexible pricing" model that many labels are pushing for. Flexible pricing basically states that newer hits should be charged more than older songs. For example, at the time of this writing, the top song on the billboard is Mariah Carey - Don't Forget About Us (as of 12/24/2005 at 10:48pm CST). Therefore, the music labels' proposal dictates that consumers should be charged more than let's say Eminem - My Name Is. In essence, a newer song could possibly charged US$1.49 or even US$2.00 whereas an older song can be charged as low as US$0.49 or US$0.99. What that translates into is a more bell-shaped curve for revenue and pricing rather than a straight line (assuming you apply a standard X-Y Cartesian coordinate plane).

Sometimes the music labels also push for greater percentage of music revenue per track. It's hard to determine what amount exactly is earned by the music labels for every track "sold" by iTunes, but some analysts put that amount close to US$0.70. Hence, Apple is only making about US$0.30 per song downloaded by any given user. In addition, one music label has even gone as far as saying they prefer receiving some revenue for every ipod sold. Now that I believe is complete bullshit. Why should the music labels recieve any share of ipod sales when they themselves have not spent a single penny in helping Apple develop or market the product.

If you paid attention to my last paragraph, you'll notice that I put the word sold in quotation marks. That is because Apple is not really selling you any song. In fact, they are only authorizing you to listen to that track and, if applicable, upload it into a pre-authorized device; in this case the iPod. Technically, you cannot transfer that music file into another music player (non iPod) or copy the song onto multiple computers. However, Apple does allow you to authorize up to three (I think) computers so that others may be able to enjoy your music. What if I have more than three computers? What do you do if you reformat your computer and forget to back up the licenses or even the files? The answer to the latter is simply is "you're fucked." Apple will not let you redownload those songs for free. You'll have to pay to get them back. Now that is what I call pretty shitty. What they should do is keep in their records what songs you downloaded (with strict privacy rules in place). That way you can redownload any songs you lost at any given time. What about curbing abuse? Limit the amount of times you can re-download to just 3 times a month per track. Again, there are many ways that can be discussed in a much more appropriate forum.

So how do we combat music piracy? That in itself is an ambiguous topic and open to much interpretation and proposals. First off, you CANNOT eliminate piracy in the digital world. That is simply a fact you have to accept. Look at all the steps taken. Microsoft introduced Product Activation with WindowsXP and a few hours after its release, a hack to disable product activation was found on the web. The only real solution is to take steps to reduce piracy or even delay it for a few moments. In the end, however, piracy will always flourish and in some cases prevail. To reduce music piracy, it is essential to show all users that their opportunity cost is significantly lower by choosing a more legal approach.

What I mean by that is that any company should be able to show that it is cheaper to download legally in every aspect. Why would I pay 99 cents when I can download the song for free? Granted that if I download legally, I'll get a high quality file in a short amount of time. I won't have to waste my time searching for an illegal mp3 and wonder if it is a good copy or a fucked up one. But I would rather do that than pay a dollar per music track. In fact, I know of a few websites that will let me download entire albums in just a few hours for free. But to wrap this never-ending argument up, I proposet that if they (the music labels) charged only a few cents per track, I might actually consider them rather than pay a dollar per track. Finally, it won't be a bad idea if Apple introduced a subscription based model for their store. I find it intriguing to paying a small monthly fee or annual fee and download as much as I want. In fact, I could download my music again and again for no extra cost. As soon as I stop paying, sure it won't work, but if I keep paying, it'll keep playing.

Read the CNet article posted. I am just glad that a public servant is finally taking action against the big guys.

Powerful Words

2005-12-24T22:12:00.000-06:00

Inspiring words:

God will give me justice

--the count of monte cristo

Google & AOL

2005-12-20T21:27:00.000-06:00

AOL Press Release
Mooba's View

The top link will obviously refer you to AOL's corporate page which gives more in-depth view of what exactly the deal holds. As some of you may realize, Google's motto has always been "Do no evil" which is in direct reference to the questionable business tactics employed by Microsoft.

The second link at the top refers you directly to a more personal oriented site created by an individual who goes by the name Mooba. His/her site describes in some detail about the deal. Perhaps the only good thing that I see in this deal is the interoperability between Google Talk and AIM.

For the past five years, I've been a very strong supporter of interoperability between IM protocols. Let's face it, each IM protocol has something that the other does not. Combining the best of each is sure to create a remarkable IM software. However, that will not happen for some time.

Many of us have resorted to using DeadAim or other plug-ins/enhancements to improve our AIM chatting experience. In addition, many of these enhancements introduced new features not found in the original software such as IM logging and tabbed interfaces. I'm not sure how many of you have tried out the new AIM triton, but it does try to do somethings that DeadAIM did. However, with many of these new clients, ads are present everywhere.

What I liked about Google Talk is its clean interface. It doesn't have obtrusive images and doesn't detract from an enjoyable conversation. By allowing Google Talk and AIM to work together, it gives users the chance to try other clients that are not as bloated as AIM Triton.

Post your comments below :)

Not again

2005-12-20T18:18:00.000-06:00

Well. I think shit's gone down again. Crap :(

Finals Days 2

2005-12-13T23:17:00.000-06:00

Ok, I'll admit it. I don't have any finals today. In fact, my next final is on Thursday 12/15/05. It's not the 2nd hardest one, but it will be quite challenging. I do have an exam later tomorrow tonight (IE343), but it is an optional final since I am already getting a B in the class and in order to get an A, I'll have to get a 112 on my final exam. I think with the extra credit, the final exam is worth 120% total. And don't forget, even if I take the final and fail it, it will have no impact on my grade. The professor will only count the final if it improves my overall grade. Therefore, the worst case scenario is that I end up with a B and maybe, with some luck and help from God, I could potentially get an A.

So what am I doing right now? Simply put, I'm just reviewing my stuff for IE335. That's the exam I have on Thursday. The new material makes up about 8 lectures, so it shouldn't be too bad. My theory is that if I review exam 2 material, I'll be in good shape since exam 1 material isn't that bad and exam 2 material builds on exam 1. In addition, I did fairly well on exam 2, so the material is definitely something I enjoy.

Well, my little distraction break is over. Time for me to get back to my studying. Wish me luck everyone. And if you finals, good luck to you too. Happy Holidays

Peace

Air

Finals Fall 2005

2005-12-12T23:05:00.000-06:00

Another semester is nearing its end. And once again, finals are here. But let's be honest, this time I'm doing alot better than last time. I hope. Anyways, had my first final yesterday (Monday) in ME270 statics. I hope it went well. Back to studying. Peace.

P.S. Hope you all like the new blog layout and the new look. Leave some comments and let me know what you think.

AIM Triton

2005-11-24T13:39:00.000-06:00

Has anyone tried the new AIM client from AOL. In case you haven't heard, its called AIM triton and is available here: www.aim.com.

It's not too shabby, but it does have its share of bugs. Definitely worth a look if you have some time. Peace.

Shift_Forward

2005-11-10T16:10:00.000-06:00

This past week has really showed me a different world.  A world that does not depend on any factors and continually redefines the way it works.  On the norm (or what could be considered the norm back in the days) my friend and I would go to Rawls Hall to study together.  Although we are in different majors, by going together, we continually motivated each other to study and get our work done and actually be productive.  I used this norm to channel my energy to further my studies and actually keep up in all my classes.  However, all that changed this week.

Earlier this week, I went to go pick up my friend at his apartment.  As usual, I spent about 30 minutes at his place with his roommates just relaxing, watching the television, and gossiping about the “usual” stuff going around on campus.  When I approached my friend to ask him if he was ready, his unusual reply was that he wasn’t in the mood and that he was feeling quite lethargic.  Normally, I’d understand, but it was his idea to go study and he was the one who was always complaining that he had to do better on his next round of mid-terms.

So gloomily, I left his apartment and questioned my reasoning to go to Rawls Hall alone and study.  But as I got into my car, I had an epiphany.  I realized that I had to succeed this semester no matter what.  And for some reason, I felt that I had to actually take any extra steps that I felt appropriate to ensure my success.  What did that really mean?  It basically meant that I have to study by myself and reduce the time I spend online on AOL Instant Messenger.

I did notice that when I studied alone or with others in my classes I actually got more done than with my friend.  So I decided that I’ll simply leave him out of the equation and just study by myself.  Reducing the amount of time I spend on AIM has also helped.  I’m no longer craving to chat with people and I’m not wasting a lot of time on the computer.

Thank you Viren for motivating me to reduce the time I spend online.  Although, I highly doubt that he had any intention of doing that.

I guess the moral of the story is that the world changes and you have to change with it.  Be prepared to cut your losses, no matter what.  If you stay stuck on the past, you’ll never move forward.  If you stay attached to something that has no hope, then you’ll never see the chances in front of you.  You might as well take some risks, because in life, you only get one chance.  So take every chance you get, because you’ll never know what door it will open.  Success is not measured by how many times you win or pass.  It’s measured by the number of times you fell and got back up.  I’ve fallen and now I’m standing even higher.  I’m just here to finish up and leave.  The next step has begun and my theme “Roots” is now ended.  The new theme is simply to move forward.  Like Nissan put it in one of their elegant commercials, “shift_forward.”

Happy journeys (

Rawls Hall 3rd Floor

2005-11-08T20:12:00.000-06:00

Rawls hall third floor study lounge sucks for wireless internet. The damn signal is so weak.

The Wrath of Nature

2005-10-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

The past year has been filled with some of the worst natural disasters in modern times. First was the terrible tsunami, followed by the devastating hurricane Katrina and now just recently, the powerful earthquake to hit the south-east asia corridor.

My deepest condolences to the victims and their families/friends. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and suffering they must have endured and are enduring to this day.

The Return

2005-10-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted on my blog. Given the many circumstances, I even considered shutting down my blog permanently. Lately however, a friend of mine encouraged me to continue writing to facilitate my understanding of my issues. From that I inferred that it would be a fabulous idea to continue using my blog as a great resource to channel my thoughts and ideas. I really don't need a huge reader base, but it would be nice to know that people out there read my blogs.

With that, I'd like to say hello to my blog again as I look forward to posting regularly again.

Hiatus

2005-08-11T23:08:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a break from my blog until further notice. ECHO is NOT dead. It is simply being put aside for the moment. As such, I will resume blogging at a later date that has yet to be defined. Thanks

Nik

London

2005-07-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

First and foremost, I want to offer my condolences to the people of the United Kingdom, the victims and their families on this tragic day. July 7, 2005 will always be remembered as a day when terrorists crushed the cheerful citizens of a gorgeous country.

Many experts indicate that Al Qaeda might be behind the attacks. I just want all the good-willed people of the world to come together and root out these people who terrorize us. In a modern day, it is essential that we all talk and take less extreme measures. Muslims are not blame. Terrorists are.

Update

2005-07-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

So what's been going on with me?

Relaxing, drinking, and reading.
Listening to coldplay & other sound

Peace

Jumpin

2005-06-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

While I was walking to UIC main campus today, I got "jumped" by some homeless black man. The reason why I put it in quotes is because it was actually kinda funny watching him try to start shit with me. Here's how it went down:

I was walking on Halsted Ave. approaching the Harrison Street intersection. To be even more accurate, I was right over the I-90 Tollway next to the Blue Line CTA station. This black guy with a backpack ran across the street and got behind me. Luckily, I was aware of this, but didn't bother; I figured he was just crossing over.

Then he started talking some nonsense sayin, "Don't fuck with my cousin!" He kept repeating that to me. I turned around and asked, "excuse me sir?" He repeats his nonsense and then tries to take a swing at me. I dodge it and continue to walk (more briskly now) and look over my shoulder. He swings his bag at me a couple times and I just let it slide. Every time he swung his backpack at me, he fell on the ground. First time around, he fell over a fire hydrant. I kinda felt bad for the nigga, but he deserved all the shit he gets.

The girl in front of me just asked what the hell was all that about. I was like, "I wish I knew."

Ya, Chicago can be interesting. Hopefully I don't see that same dude again on Wednesday. Strengthens my argument to pack some heat.

Peace

Air

iPod Mini Birthday

2005-06-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

Although my ipod's first anniversary is still a few weeks away, I can't help but wonder what accessory to purchase to commemorate this auspicious moment. My ipod (lovingly called iBitch) is the center of my life. I never leave home without it and I can't imagine my life without my ipod.

So far, my ipod has two accessories already: itrip mini & sony headphones. Don't worry, the headphones I have are very high end sony's. Hell, they cost me almost $70. So for this 1 year anniversary, I am thinking about purchasing an armband. This will allow me workout in style with my pod.

I wonder...

Peace

2005-06-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

give me liberty or give me death. Powerful words they are

2005-06-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

school UIC was alot of fun. Much nicer campus than purdue

2005-05-31T18:52:00.000-05:00

A random pic

The Next Generation

2005-05-31T10:54:00.000-05:00

Later this year, Microsoft will launch a whole new console war with Sony and Nintendo. To Microsoft's luck, they will strike first with the XBOX 360. Soon, Sony will strike back with the PS3 and Nintendo will follow suit with the Revolution. However, as more and more of these systems produce breath-taking graphics, they forget some basic needs/wants of all their customers.

Read this article, as it outlines the Gamer's Manifesto. :)

What's Goin Down

2005-05-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

Shit. Long time no talk on my blog. No way is it near dead.

To bring you dudes/dudettes up to speed:

1) researching for a new cell fone (read on for more info)
2) working on a new version of my website (read on for more info)
3) working at Banana Republic
4) got my grades (3.75 GPA bitches)
5) gettin ready for UIC summer school

CELL PHONE
===========

I think I'm in the mood for a new cell phone yet again. The following are things I require in the new phone:

1) Slick and very unique looking (i.e. nokia 7610, nokia 7210)
2) i'm leaning towards a nokia, but i'm open to Sony Ericsson.
3) Motorola (unless SLVR comes out) is not an option
4) Symbian OS (not necessary, but I would like it)
5) budget? what budget?
6) flip fone? maybe

Frontrunners for now are Nokia 8800, Nokia N70, Nokia N91, Nokia N90. In that order.

Yea, I'm a nokia fan. Do i need a new fone? not yet. so tell me what you guys think, and do make ur suggestions. if u wanna rip on nokia, don't bother doin it here, do it over at howardforums.com

WEBSITE
=======

Yea, i'm working on a new version for my website. it's probably going to be my most ambitious journey yet since it will incorporate two different sites within 1. As usual, it will be entirely flash powered and not at all friendly to any dial-up users. see my current site. Just make sure to be patient because I have not added a pre-loader for the site. Therefore, just wait a couple of minutes and it'll work. Enjoy.

peace

Dodgeball

2005-05-13T00:25:00.000-05:00

I just signed up for dodgeball.

www.dodgeball.com

It's like a social networking site like thefacebook.com or friendster. Howver, there's a huge twist. This whole thing is set up via your cellfone. It's only available in bout two dozen major cities across the US.

This is how it works loosely:

-you tell dodgeball where you are in the city (e.g. at a bar, restauarnt, etc.)
-it tells u which one of ur friends or friends-of-friends are in your vicinity (usually within a 10 block radius)

-or you ask about a venue thru dodgeball and it'll tell you the address and fone (maybe) of the venue

-it sends mms's (multimedia messages) to ur fone of pics of friends and friends-of-friends.

here's the fineprint

It's a free service, however, you may incur charges for any sms/mms you send/receive through your mobile carrier, unless you have prepackaged plans. For example, I have 800 incoming/outgoing SMS and 25 incoming/outgoing MMS per month. That's thru t-mobile.

The service is fairly easy to setup. Only took me like 5 minutes overall.

Everyone should join and if you go to purdue, request that they add west lafayette so that all purdue students can join in.

Be careful how many mms/sms you send/recieve. too many can cost you a bundle.

T-mobile charges -> $.05 to send/recieve sms (50 incoming sms included in all plans); $.25/mms (must have t-zones capable fone and fone must be configured for t-mobile; all plans $39.99 and up have basic t-zones enabled)

The Echo of a Soul

2005-05-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

A little tribute:

Many men, wish pain upon me
I did nothing but stand up
for what I believe in
They came around banterin
They came around and said shit

What I ever do to them?
I came for a reason
I wanted to be an individual
o Lord...save me from this pain

I never asked for anything
I never begged
I never yelled
I just wanted to smile

They left me emotionally scarred
God saw me on my knees
but He didn't come and save me
He came around and gave me more shit

But then I learned
I had to prepare my soul
My soul was weak
And when the time is rite
God is gonna come back

He gonna teach me
He gonna help me
And one day,
I'll wake up
and then I'll get my revenge

Ya, what goes around comes around
I got something they ain't got
You illiterate nigga??

I gots a fuckin life
I know my family
and you ain't my family
my family is God

This is just an echo of my soul
I'm here to smile trolls
I'm gonna get my revenge

I'm gonna smile
and then i'm gonna watch u die

Your pain will only be the beginning
Fuck the force
i'm the dark side

You pushed me there
You put me there
And now I'm gonna get my revenge

Listen to my soul
it echoes my vendetta
it echoes your death
I'm comin at cha

There ain't no peace now
You and your bitch
Im not restin till you stop breathin

frontin niggas ain't worth shit
watch yo back

2 years bitches

Almost Done

2005-05-04T09:05:00.000-05:00

I know I don't post on a consistent basis, but I just can't help it. I am very busy with the last few days of my classes at CLC and working part-time at Banana Republic. By the time I get home from work or have any free time, I just want to relax and watch some good ol' TV.

At this time, I have finished 2 major papers/projects and I am almost done with another big project. This project has me creating a marketing plan for Macromedia Inc. It's definitely not an easy task and nowhere near as descriptive and in-depth as a professional marketing plan. But it is a good experience.

Once I'm done, I will post a link to this document and others.

Peace

The First Year

2005-04-26T08:57:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentleman, I am proud to proclaim that it has been 1 year since I started this blog. I never really thought that I would keep up with my blog for a full year. But I have to admit that this blog has become my primary diary/journal for life.

I am looking forward to another year and I just want to reflect on some things that happened in my life during the past year:

--changed blog name from Dreamer to ECHO
--changed template 3 times
--was declared academically ineligible for the Spring 2005 semester at Purdue
--bought a domain name and a hosting server (www.thesomnio.com)
--bought a new 19" flat panel monitor

I can't even think of all the things that have happened in the past year, but I am sure they have had some profound impact on me.

I wanna thank WreckingCru once again for introducing me to blogs and encouraging me to pursue a passion in blogging. I owe alot to that kid, more than he knows. I just hope he continues to look to me as a good friend as I consider him one of my very few and truest bestest friend. Thanks for everything WreckingCru.

And I want to thank all the peeps who actually have time to read my bullshit on this blog. Congratulations, you just wasted a few minutes of your life on me. Thank you. I feel honored.

Peace

Pimpin

2005-04-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

Wattup kids. I got my new 19" flat panel LCD monitor in today :)

Damn is it big. I have so much desktop space, literally feels like a whole new computer. Maybe I should get another one so that I have a dual-monitor system. That would probably be overkill but no doubt phat.

Great stuff.

Peace

Kick Ass

2005-04-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

CNET article

The canon powershot s70 got recommended over the sony dsc-p150. Great news :)

peace

Present

2005-04-10T23:11:00.000-05:00

I ordered a new monitor today to replace my aging but still very reliable 17" CRT monitor. Sadly, my CRT has outlived its usefullness. I want a bigger screen with less space being taken up. My computer desk isn't very big and my CRT simply takes up too much space.

I ordered a brand new Dell 19" LCD flat panel model 1905FP
.

As you can see from the review on CNET, it has gracefully earned an 8.2. I'm glad with my purchase since it was time for me to be able to accomdate higher screen size with my Flash work. Besides, it's my birthday present.

I'll fill you guys in on it more once it arrives. Should be here in the next few days.

Peace.

What a dick

2005-04-10T12:04:00.000-05:00

Ya. Vijay Singh is a dick. He couldn't even wait until after the round.

Read this

First Date?

2005-04-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

I'm not quite sure where to begin. So i'll just go with the flow...

There's this girl in one of my classes that I've had a little crush on since the first day. Lately, she's been talking to me more and actually taking the effort to come and talk to me before/after class. Obviously I was pretty happy since I was too much of a fucking pussy to actually initiate a conversation with her.

On Friday, we had a group activity in our class. She sat next to me and my other buddy, Jason. She was like, "Can I work with you guys since the people I sit next to are fucking boring?" I was like hell ya. At that point, Jason nudged me and quietly told me that he saw her at Cafe Hookah in Evanston. I simply said, "dude that's great, I have a great pickup line to use".

"What do you mean? What are you gonna ask her?" asked Jason.
"I'm just gonna ask her if I saw her at Cafe Hookah" I replied.

Near the end of class, I asked her what she was going to do over the weekend. She said she had to work and go to a toga party on Saturday night. I said that's cool and she asked me, "what about you?"

I said, "Well, I'm gonna go to Hookah."
She asks, "you mean the one in Evanston?"
I replied, "Hell no, I'm going downtown to Samah. It's so much more better than Cafe Hookah. You wanna come?"
She said, "sure, that'd be great, but i have to go tonight."
I said, "great, i'll call you, what's your number?"

Then we had a small talk/discussion about the pros & cons of Cafe Hookah and Samah.

Well, I finally made it to the ballpark and made it to first base (asking the girl out). But you have to remember, I didn't want to round all the bases in one night mainly because I wanted to get to know her better. Stupid? No, I don't think so because I have a little more respect for people than just having sex with girls the first night.

During my 15 minute break while working, I called her and left her a voicemail to find out what time she can go since I had to make reservations at Samah. She called me back while I was working and simply said she can go whenever. In addition, she added that she wants to go together in one car and wants me to pick her up. I was like, damn, that's awesome. She's cutting my work in half. HAHAHAHA!!!

I called up Samah after work and made reservations for 1230AM. They didn't have anything sooner so I figured it was probably better to go a bit late anyways. I called her back and told her that I got reservations for 1230 and that I would come to her house around 11 PM. She almost went bizerk and said why can't we go sooner? This almost caught me off-guard, but I quickly replied, "Ok, how about around 10 10:15?" She was ecstatic and agreed.

I left for her crib around 9:45PM and got there around 10:05PM. I picked her up and we headed downtown to Samah. For the entire ride we were just talking about classes and shit. Basically, small talk.

Since we got to Samah almost an hour and a half early, I asked her if she wanted to go to the bars. She eagerly agreed and we ended up going to the Irish Oak for about a half hour. We both got rum and coke and enjoyed ourselves merrily. However, we then walked around for some other bars, but there weren't that many happenin bars. So we walked back to my car and chilled in there until 1215AM. Again, we were having small talk and she had now initiated talk about her ex-boyfriend and stuff.

Once we were in Samah, we did hookah and chilled out. She talked about her family, life, and her ex-boyfriend. I was like wow, this is a really great and boring waste of my time. But that's just me.

Eventually, around 2:15 we left and headed home. I dropped her off and got a big hug from her. Great!

I think overall, if she considered this a "date", it may have gone well. I had fun and hope she did too. I tried different approaches to see if she had fun or not, and she seemed to have enjoyed the trip downtown.

So was it a first date? I think so. If not, it don't matter to me. I had fun.

Peace.

You Don't Know Me

2005-04-04T22:35:00.000-05:00

I love T.I.'s song. So here's a version just for me

I'm a tell ya'll sucka niggas somethin
Who wants to fuck with me
Look here dawg

[Chorus]
You might see me in the street
But nigga you don't know me
When ya holla on the street
Rememba you don't know me
Save all the hatin and the poppin
nigga you don't know me
Quit tellin niggas you my partna
Nigga you don't know me
Don't be recruitin keep it movin
Nigga you don't know me
Hey I ain't trippin but the truth is
Really you don't know me
Ya you know they call me Kilo
But you don't know me
You be hatin and I see why
Cuz you don't know me

I think its time i made a song fo niggas who don't know me
I graduated with the tribute, Ima real motherfucker
I been hatin mothafuckas with big ass mouths since I stood on both feet
So while you niggas actin bad, you gon have to show me
You gone make me bring a jappy to a real slow creek
My niggas hangin out the window, hands fulla bombs
When the shit starts poppin, wonder when its gonna cease
Cap'll hitchu on the side and create a slow leak
We been in the speculation cuz today we gone see
What's the future of a pussy nigga hatin on me
I giva fuck about the dean's investigation on me
I don't care he at my shows and he waitin on me
Ima keep a flossy poppin long as to is on the beat
Tell pigs that I ain't stoppin Ima keep it in the streets
Contrary to yo believes, im as real as you can be
Fuck yo thoughts and yo feelings nigga you don't know me.

[Chorus]

Hey once again let me remind you nigga you don't know me
So don't be walkin up and askin whats the deal on Me.
I don't konw if you wearin wires you could be the faggots
If I was slangin hoes you couldnt get an O
See me at the PMU follow thru and tha show deep
Hommies holdin up the dough, cuz they know we tote heat
I just wanna wrap a C, blow a dro ina flee
Only playin bout a dozen different picutures ina week
I just wanna chill with GVR and his daddy Greddy
Ballin out everytime, every stone is but a G
Wanna ball in the Bahamas curtousy of D O DoubleG
Fact I only gotta Mill. as well as a dolla
Mah house on the hill right next to MJ
Everyweek be there for lunch, busta blunt and eat free
Get in day paid Mothafuckas dead meat
That's the only shot we got at gettin cap back on the streets

[Chorus]

You see a nigga hatin on a G
Ask em what's it gonna be
Whatcha lookin at, pussy nigga you don't know me
At the club, in the streets
Or where ever we should meet
It's choppa choppin pistols poppin nigga you don't know me [2x]

[Chorus]

Grand Hustlin' Pimp
Grim Reaper Comin Soon
The wait is over hommie
PMU Pimpin

You don't know me dawg...

Ya, I know I didn't change it up much. Prolly doesn't make sense either. But its tite niggas.

Peace

Illinois?

2005-04-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

Being a Purdue student, I'm a very staunch supporter of Purdue athletics. However, I do not forget my roots and my homestate. I strongly have and always will support the Fightin' Illini in men's basketball.

It kinda sucks that they lost to UNC today in the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship at St. Louis. Final score: 75-70, UNC.

Illini played poorly in the first half but made a huge comeback in the second half. Unfortunately luck wasn't with the Illini. Oh well. At least the Big10 dominated throughout the playoffs.

Peace

Skype

2005-04-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

Skype is apparently a new company that promotes free PC-to-PC telephony with IM capabilities. As of this writing, CNet reported that Skype had about 29 million registered users. In addition, Skype has a service called SkypeOut that allows its users to make PC-to-Landline/mobile calls for bargain rates.

I'm sure many of us remember net2phone. I wonder what happened to them.

If you use Skype, let me know. I might consider getting it and then we can also voice chat in addition to IM.

Peace

Thunderbird

2005-04-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

I'm honestly sick of all the flaws that people continue to discover in IE and Outlook. It seems that these two products are hackers' favorite target. Excuse my choice of words, but I do realize that hackers are not the only ones out there who have malicious intent.

I'm seriously contemplating migrating to Mozilla Thunderbird. However, before I do just that, I'm still waiting for the Mozilla team to release Sunbird/Calendar 1.0. I konw they have version 0.2 out for Sunbird, but I want an integrated calendar solution with Thunderbird.

If you have experience with Thunderbird and Outlook, do share with me your thoughts.

Peace

Spring Break

2005-04-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

Today marks the last day of spring break. This past week has been quite fun. My birthday was on March 30 and it was great to finally celebrate my b-day with my family. Another advantage was the fact that I did absolutely nothing on my birthday. I just sat at home and felt quite peaceful. I did miss my friends a bit, but I'll be seeing them soon again.

Last night I went to Samah on Clark Street in Chicago. Samah is a hookah lounge that is true to its origins in many ways. For example, they have on-the-floor seating with cushions along with no BYOB. That basically means, there is no alcholic beverages allowed or served within the premises. There are three main things I like about the entire experience at Samah.

1) ambient lighting (not too bright nor too dark)
2) ambient arabic/hindi music
3) great ventilation

Anyone who smokes hookah would know that inorder to have a great time, you have to be in a location that has excellent ventilation. Many hookah lounges I've been to lack good ventilation, hence making them a prime spot for smoke-filled environments. Upon entering Samah, you really don't see any smoke. That gives you the freedom to breathe fresh oxygen if you choose not to engage in smoking hookah.

Overall, Samah isn't too expensive. It's priced reasonably with great servers. I definitely recommend it and I usually go there every weekend. Expect to spend anywhere from $10 - $25.

Now the gay thing about spring break is the return to academia. Homework, projects, quizzes, and exams await many students in the week following immediately after spring break. As such, I am no exception. However, the good thing is that I only have an entire chapter's worth of homework to do. And that's about it. Thankfully, I have no exams or quizzes or projects due until the week of April 11.

Peace

Pope John Paul II

2005-04-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

Let's all have a moment of silence for Pope John Paul II. He passed away around 1:37pm CST.

Pope John Paul II - 1920-2005

I realize not all of us are Catholics, but it is important for everyone to show their respect towards the followers of God.

May God bless his soul.

Peace

Damn Republicans

2005-04-02T13:39:00.000-06:00

I've read hundreds of articles and heard hundreds of people criticizing the United States for its poor decisions/laws and its incompetent leaders. Let me just say this. I'm also joining the Bush-bashing bandwagon. To be honest, I've never really liked Bush, but I've always given him the benefit of the doubt countless times. The last straw was when Bush cut his vacation short just to sign a bill that would take Terri Schiavo's case to federal courts.

That was quite absurd in my opinion mainly because there are hundreds of people dying in the US everyday, yet Bush, nor the Republicans, do anything for them. Many conservatives in the US feel that the war on terror is a good thing. I partially agree with them. However, what these idiots fail to see is the fact that terrorists cannot be defeated by organized troops. Killing hundreds of civilians in Iraq or Afghanistan does not mean that terrorists will stop. In fact, they'll get more angry and much more resilient in their efforts.

I think it's time for many of us to face the music now. Terrorists must be stopped by black ops. I'm talking by any means necessary. However, that's another story.

Let's get back to the topic at hand. Republicans have caused much of the controversy today. They have reduced America's respect in other states' eyes and have single-handedly made the US a target for everyone. Perhaps the war in Afghanistan can be justified. However, the war in Iraq is Bush's hypocrit war. North Korea has nukes. China is threatening to invade Taiwan. Yet, Bush does nothing about those issues. In fact, he preaches peace and diplomatic solutions with these states. Funny how China and North Korea have committed more human atrocities than Iraq.

Bush is an incompetent leader. I have no remorse for him or his staff. I think God should spare the Pope and take Bush instead. At least that way, there's a chance for a more competent leader. I'm never voting for Republicans. Never have, never will. They're all hypocrits and supporters of big corporations. Not one of them cares about us, the hard-working American.

Fuck Bush. Fuck the Republicans. They have hearings about the use of steriods in baseball and feeding tubes, yet they can't address real problems such as social security. Fucking hypocrits. All of them.

Peace.

The Road Ahead

2005-04-02T13:20:00.000-06:00

There are hundreds of people around the world that mourn their disappointments. It is virtually depressing when we read about the loss of life that a nation endures. At the same time, millions smile and offer a helping hand to those who are affected by Mother Nature's wrath. Then there are those who feel that a small monetary donation can help the countless victims and make the donors feel at ease. Newsweek recently ran an article outlining the various and popular charities that arguably ensure that your funds help the victims. But I'm not writing today about the tsunami victims or charities that benefit homeless/orphaned children. I personally don't care about them right now. Believe me when I say this, I feel very bad and want to help the victims, but I am against donating money to charities that do NOT explicitly ensure that all 100% of my funds goes to help the victims.

What I am writing about is much more significant in my life today. Perhaps my story and vision might be applicable to hundreds around the world. Even if it isn't, this blog is my literal voice on the web. Personally, I don't care for anyone to read this blog, but anyone (other than me) who does read this blog, I smile inside and out. As you may have noticed from the title of this post, I am probably going to talk about my future plans and actions. That probably is a correct assumption, but I want to build a case. I want to build a scenario that parallels my own way of thinking and show you the road ahead that will carry me to my destination in the never-ending journey through life.

At this time, I would also like to formally announce that I am not a student at Purdue University for the Spring 2005 semester. Effective December 24, 2004, I was placed on scholastic drop status. Unfortunately, my grades in my three ECE (electrical and computer engineering) classes were not acceptable. I recieved a grade of F in ECE302, ECE382, ECE311. I am very disappointed in my performance, but at the same time, I am pleased at the fact that I no longer am obligated to study electrical engineering at Purdue University. Tentatively, I am going to study industrial engineering. However, if anyone has a good and worthwhile argument for why I should/should not study IE, please, be my guest and email me. One of the things I do not wish to recieve is an email based purely on one's own opinion. If you can back up your opinion with qualitative and/or quantitative facts, then do email me.

But I want to share with you my thoughts on what lies ahead. There are many individuals out there who write about past events and actions. But I have not seen many authors that discuss their future options and actions in detail. I am not attempting to be an author that will talk about future options and actions. Rather, I want to outline my plans as a way for myself to see my thought process. It is my intent to be as descriptive as possible and be able to elaborate whenever possible. To the naked eye, this may not seem to be difficult, but with more insight, one discovers that being elaborate and descriptive is quite a challenge.

In order to alleviate the tasks ahead, I strongly believe that it might be a good idea to outline the various topics I want to discuss. Since this entire entry is dedicated to The Road Ahead, it is important for me to define an end point. To ensure simplicity, the following is my order of execution for this entry:

1) Discuss my career goal
2) How can I get there?
3) What has held me back?
4) What are some of the important lessons along the way that I have learned?
5) What do I still have to learn?
6) The road ahead

As you may have noticed, there are 6 parts to this entire entry. It is my intent to discuss each part to the best of my ability. As you may have noticed, some parts will answer a specific question. I feel that these questions adequately tackle some of the internal thoughts that I have had. Shall we begin?

Chapter 1: CAREER GOAL

Throughout my life, many people have asked my what I have always wanted to do as a grownup. Initially, my responses were:

"I want to be an astronaut."
"I want to be a pilot"
"I want to be a movie star"
"I want to be a race car driver"
"I want to be a scientist"

One thing I realized, after going through high school and the first two years at college, becoming a pilot, movie star, race car driver, and astronaut would not happen. Some might argue that any of those things are still possible. I do not disagree, however, I can say with strong certainty that those professions are well beyond my reach mainlly because I do not have a strong desire for them. But that does not go to say that I will not consider them if they become serious alternatives along the way.

In the past 4 years, I have come to understand my personality and my own way thought better. I have learned that I want to pursue a career as a sales engineer with Nokia out in Finland. Some might wonder what exactly is a sales engineer. The answer is simply put, contrast to what some might say. Sales engineers simply work with clients and their own research and development teams to find a solution for a client. Unlike some sales people, sales engineers do not pitch their companies' products to their clients. Instead, sales engineers design a solution, that the client seeks to a problem, using the products available. Alot of times, these clients are solid customers and are not shopping around. Rather, they are interested in a solution by a particular company. For example, let's say that a warehouse needs a real-time inventory tracking system. The owners of this warehouse can approach HP and have them provide a solution. What HP sales engineers will do is go out and understand how the client currently runs their business. Once they have analyzed it, these engineers can then go and develop a solution. Such a solution might include HP servers along with HP PDA's that are able to read barcodes and automatically synchronize with the server in real-time. Once a solution is found, they can work with the client and figure out whether the proposed solution is possible. They can make changes and add capabilities and do almost anything the client might ask/need. Hence, many might argue that I want to become a consultant, and I do not deny that argument. It is definitely a possiblity.
es.

Chapter 2: How can I get there?

Such a task (as mentioned in the last chapter) requires industrial engineers because these are the engineers that have a general idea of many engineering fields. In addition, IE majors specialize in optimization and production technologi

Some might argue that any type of engineering major could do the work of an IE major. That is a possiblity, however, I cannot support the argument that IE majors are generally useless and that their degree is non-technical. For example, an ECE or an ME major do not necessarily have the knowledge of understanding high volume production and optimizatioin. Therefore, they cannot simply be taught in a matter of days how such things work. This type of knowledge does require a business mind, a type of mindset that some students do not share.

Some initial research that I did using the United States Department of Labor, I found that IE majors have a pretty good prospect of finding a job. By following this link, you can clearly see that the government feels that IE majors have a pretty good outlook. But in order to understand where exactly my viewpoint is, you must realize that before my scholastic drop, I was, and still am, an electrcial engineer. For comparison sake, you can find information regarding the occupational outlook for electrical engineers by clicking here.

Perhaps a main point that needs to be discussed further in this chapter, should include why I want to do IE rather than EE. Since this entire entry is primarily filled with my own thoughts, it would be best to advise against using my words as facts, unless I have deliberatly included factual evidence (e.g., hyper-links to sources).

To further clarify my own points, I feel that IE simply offers me to expand my skills and further my dreams and aspirations. Some would argue, and rightfully so, that EE would have also done just that. In fact, EE is perhaps an even more prestigous degree than IE, albeit both are from Purdue in which Purdue is ranked in the top 10 for both programs. Nevertheless, I have seen my personality rely more on presentation and direct communication within teams and peers. As such, I feel that IE will simply offer me a better chance of that happening rather than EE. I may be wrong, but isn't that what life is about? Isn't life about making choices and making mistakes? Maybe I am making the right decision. Then isn't it possible that I can be highly successful with an IE degree?

The question still remains, how do I get there? The answer may be more simple than one might expect. To sum up a couple years' worth of education, all I need to do is earn a Bachelor's of Science in Industrial Engineering and look for a job. Will I find one? I hope so. But that is how I will get there.

Chapter 3: What has held me back?

I think it would be bias to state that it was only my parents that held me back. In addition, it would also be a lie to even suggest that they were fully responsible. In order to discover an appropriate answer to this chapter's question, we must look at the following two factors:

1) what have I done to hold myself back?
2) Have I overcome those elements holding me back?

Let's begin by targeting question 1 and finding its answer.

I think that my own inability to conquer my fears has held me back. I was always afraid of standing up for what I believed in. Slowly and slowly, as I progressed through college, I developed the strength needed to begin making a stand. At the same time, I was always afraid of voiceing my opinion to my father. I can't really blame him for that because it's not like he was always hell-bent on dominating me. Rather, I think it was because of my culture. Typically, in the Hindu culture, it is not a respectable thing to argue with your parents. As such, I think I was always wary of arguing with my parents.

Another factor that perhaps hindered me was confidence. For some reason, I was never confident in my abilities. I always lacked faith and never expected to do anything good. This was probably due to the fact that I kept enjoying unfavorable setbacks during the school year that accelerated my frustrations. But perhaps this fear is shared by many, that's why I never felt unique in experiencing these frustrations.

Have I overcome these problems? I think I have now. I finally have the strength to stand up for my beliefs and I am not afraid to challenge my father regarding my beliefs. That is not to say that I don't respect him, but I do intend to make my point whether he decides to keep an open mind or not.

Chapter 4: What are the important lessons I have learned along the way?

I have to admit, it has not been an easy journey thus far. Sadly, my journey does not end any time soon. I'm sure I have learned many lessons that I may not even be able to recall at this particular moment. Nevertheless, the main lesson I have learned is to simply stand up and never lose faith. Faith can be found in many things ranging from friends to family to God. However, it is important, in my opinion, that no one should lose faith ever. Honestly, if it wasn't for my faith in God, I would probably never have survived to this point. Let's face it, not everyone's life is easy and it is essential to discover our success in this life.

One of the problems I've always had is standing up for what I believe in. For many years, I have had my friends and family dictate to me what I should do and what I should believe in. But now, I feel passionate about my life and my goals. I know that I want to take my own steps and discover for myself what my future holds. Therefore, I am much more interested in understanding my life through my own actions and words. I think I have learned enough to survive with my own decisions and I am more than willing to assimilate and adapt to future events. This does not go to say that I know everything, but it does say that I am strong enough to stand up for myself and my beliefs.

Perhaps an unspoken lesson is my ability to have identity and direction. I have done quite a bit of reflecting for the past five years, and I can safely say that I think I know who I am. It is not easy to discover one's true self and it is even harder accepting the reality of who you are. My direction in life is simple. Take everything one bit at a time. It does not do me any good to simply dwell on multiple things all at once. I find myself more efficient if I worry about one thing at a time. What better way to handle life than to sit back and deal with it slowly? Many people rush through their life without slowing down to appreciate every single moment. I hope to appreciate such minute things so that my life can develop more meaning and increase my faith.

Chapter 5: What do I still have to learn?

Let's face the music. There will always be something in life to be learned. We may not be conscious of it at this time, but there are definitely many lessons waiting for us. At this time, what do I still have to learn? One answer is that I really don't know yet. But I am certain of one fact.

I have yet to learn how to harness my positive energy and all that I have learned so far and channel it into fueling my desire for success. I have an abundance of desire, but I have yet to acutally use it to succeed. Success takes alot of work, no doubt, but it also requires patience. I believe that I have been patient, but perhaps I need to be continue being patient and learn more about life's goals and lessons before I am ready to succeed.

Therefore, the most important thing for me to learn is determination. How will I learn it? Simply by observing, practicing, and executing. Many successful people are determined. I need to find out what drives them. What causes them to succeed? I need these answers and many more to discover my own answers. Then I can practice and execute on my own; which then brings me to the road ahead.

Chapter 6: The Road Ahead

The road ahead is filled with great obstacles. Yet, with the time off, I believe I am preparing myself for these obstacles and how to deal with them. Slowly and slowly, I'll have enough strength and determination to overcome them all.

But then again, the road ahead is life. And life is waiting for me. Peace.

Changes

2005-04-02T12:52:00.000-06:00

As it is quite apparent, there have been some cosmetic changes to my blog. Here's a rundown of everything that has changed:

1) Name of blog (from Dreamer to ECHO)
2) Sub-title of blog
3) Template change
4) 3 new headers in sidebar (The Dreamer, tunes, and saints)
5) Blogger's own commenting engine (removed Haloscan)

I figured it was time I changed everything. I was getting tired of looking at the old template consistently. It was a great one, but I've admired this template for quite some time.

I also got rid of Haloscan as my primary commenting source. I felt that Haloscan was now irrelevant given that Blogger has made some changes to their own commenting engine. I like Blogger's new approach and is quite similar to Haloscan. Besides, I now have one less account to sign into periodically.

The new headings in the sidebar also bring a new flavor to my blog. I felt it was time to share more of myself with my blog. Since I've been busy for the past two weeks working on my website, I felt it was time to also change my blog and its elements.

Hope you guys like it.

Peace.

GMail

2005-04-01T12:15:00.000-06:00

CNET NEWS ARTICLE

Everyone should really read that article. GMail is quickly becoming an industry trend-setter and I don't expect the industry to keep up. I don't know exactly how Google is able to do it, but by doubling the email capacity of every account and then going further by adding more and more as time goes on, I can clearly see GMail being in a category by itself.

Although GMail is still in "beta" testing, it really is not hard for anyone to join it. Almost every current GMail user has about 50 invitations. Hence, it's only a matter of time before a huge percentage of the web population has a GMail account and "beta" is just a term, rather than a phase.

I have to admit that Google is still surprising me. I never expected Google to double the capacity of their GMail service. In addition, I'm also surprised to see how Google is integrating all their other services (Picasa, Blogger, etc.). I think Google will continue to surprise many people in the very near future. But for now, I'm very pleased with GMail.

Peace

Happy Birthday

2005-03-30T14:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday To Me
Happy Birthday To Me
Happy Birthday Dear Nikhil
Happy Birthday To Me

Ya. It's lame, but I miss my friends and shit. I'm 22. Pretty insignificant age since I'm already legal to drink. Next milestone is 25. Not a number I'm looking forward to.

Happy Birthday To Me again :)

Peace

Stupid Manager

2005-03-22T19:39:00.000-06:00

This is another one of my infamous rant posting. I just got back from work and my manager yelled at me for two different events. Both events are independent of each other and happened at different times.

I first got yelled at around 4:15pm because I did not do the go-backs myself. Since I was stationed at the fitting room, it is my responsibility to return any merchandise the customer doesn't want back onto the floor. This process is known as go-back. I started work around 1pm and until 4:00 (my first and only 15 minute break) I had no breathing time, literally. We had so many customers requesting a fitting room, I had no time to do go-back. In fact, my other manager, Brian felt that I was doing the best I could given the situation. Therefore, when Nikki told him to "scold" me, he simply told me what she mentioned to him and said that it wasn't my fault mainly because I was swamped with customers.

The second time, I got yelled at because I rang the stock room entrance bell too many times for Nikki. Around 4:30pm, I was transferred to the stock room to help the others with the shipment. Around 6:00pm, me and Justin took out the trash and on our way back, we found the door to be closed (standard operating procedure). So I rang the bell and waited. No one answered the door. I rang it again, no one answered the door nor was anyone present in the stock room. I rang it a couple more times and still no one came. In the meantime, both me and Justin were knocking and no one was answering. Finally, Megan came and let us in. When I was heading out of the store, Nikki "scolded" me because I had apparently annoyed her by my ringing the bell too many times.

What a fucking bitch. Peace

Garden State

2005-03-17T19:27:00.000-06:00

I just finished watching the movie Garden State. I have to admit, it is a very peaceful movie. I think Zach Braff has done an excellent job making this film. Both him and Natalie Portman come off as very charismatic actors.

Oil

2005-03-16T14:25:00.000-06:00

Oil. The word itself seems to command wealth and power. Without it, life will almost come to complete halt. With it, life will eventually whither away from the aftermath of its destructive abilities. It almost seems that oil is as evil as money. Perhaps it might be fair to say that oil is also the root of evil in addition to money.

OPEC article & Alaska article

Both of these articles bring up interesting points regarding the current oil prices. The OPEC article seems to imply that OPEC is near its maximum output capacity but worldwide demand is rapidly exceeding world supply. Whereas the second article, the Alaska one, seems to tackle that problem by allowing US oil companies to invade Alaska's precious environment and begin drilling for oil.

I personally feel that many conservatives within this great country do not realize that opening Alaskan landscape for American oil consumption will alleviate the underlying problem. We as the world need to improve our habits and lower our dependence on oil.

In the last 7 years, both China and India have experienced booming economies that are demanding more oil. As a result, US oil prices have risen and oil prices around the world are rising. In addition, the weakening dollar is also creating concern among OPEC countries. But let's face the music, we have to encourage stronger use of alternative and hybrid technologies that are more "greener" for our Earth. We also need to quickly eradicate our mis-conception that the USA is the only country full of development.

Oil is a scarce commodity. It has to be shared and it has to last for a while until alternative technologies can replace oil as the basis of our economic existence. What do you guys think?

I feel that both conservatives (republicans) and OPEC have created a price-fix that simply is unacceptable. But I can't blame either one. I have to blame humans. We are the root of our problems today.

-------

On another matter, I feel that I would like to change my template for this blog. I like this template quite a bit, but I feel that it is time to change the style. Any ideas or suggestions?

Peace

Soon

2005-03-06T16:20:00.000-06:00

I have a few questions to ask:

Have you ever noticed how parents tend to be dictators?
Have you ever noticed how parents think they are just and fair, or that they are trying to be just and fair?
Have you ever noticed how parents tend to favor one child over another, intentionally or unintentionally?
Have you ever noticed how parents think they're doing everything for you, but you still feel that they're not doing something?
Have you ever noticed how parents say they love you, but then do they really mean it?
Have you ever noticed how parents just don't know how to communicate with you?
Are you a victim of "reverse psychology?"
Do you feel that your parents inhibit your potential?
Do you feel that your parents are too restrictive?
If they are restrictive, do you feel as if you can't breathe sometimes?
Do you think that your parents are not as "cool" or liberal as other parents?
If you think they are not as liberal or "cool" as other parents, why not?
Have you wondered why parents don't listen to their own offspring more seriously?
Have you wondered how you can get your parents to listen to you more often?
Why is it that you seem to be the favorite target of your parents' anger or frustration?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're in luck. I think almost every child will answer yes to at least one of the above questions. Hence, you are not alone. I think it's important for all of us to answer each question honestly so that we "children" can learn from each other and combat the evolutionary situation of parent vs. child conflicts. It is essential to understand how each one of us handles the various situations so that the entire population can benefit from each other.

So here I go, in answering those questions:

1) Yea, I have noticed how parents tend to be dictators

2) My parents think that they are just and fair. However, they admit that sometimes they are clouded by their own beliefs and try their best to offer unbiased decisions and advices

3) My parents favor my younger brother more simply because they perceive him as more weaker than me in terms of mainly phsyical strength. While I agree with them, I don't think that they should be more lenient with him than me. He is able to easily get away with many of the things that I would get yelled at for. For example, I got yelled at for hanging out with my friends till 3AM while my brother goes to his friend's house at odd hours or his friends come to our house at odd times.

4) My parents think they do more than enough for me. They have said that we buy you whatever you want whenvever you want. Am I spoiled? Yea, I'm spoiled. But there is one thing that I crave the most from my parents and that is emotional support. My parents consistently do not support me emotionally, leaving me often to discover my own strength and wisdom.

5) My parents say they love me. Yea, I'm pretty sure they mean it. However, I am also certain that there are times when they wish I was not in their lives. Certainly, that thought is a thought they would regret, but there is no denying that they have thought and even told me that face-to-face.

6) My parents feel that if they yell at me and exercise their "parental rights" that I will obey them. They talk as if they know what I am thinking. They don't know shit.

7) I am a victim of "reverse psychology." My parents have liberally treated me harshly emotionally. Before my ACT/SAT-I exams, my parents would say "you haven't studied at all and we are not going to expect anything from you in this exam. But just for formalities, good luck." They also used variants of that statement for any big exam/quiz/project. I am disappointed in what they have done with me. I think I am at the point where I don't even give a flying fuck what they think or do. I'm just here, under their "guidance & protection" for a couple more years. After that, these fucks can suck a goat's dick because I'm not going to put up with their shit ever again. I just have to say this to them, "what goes around comes around."

8) My parents' continuous use, even to this day, of "reverse psychology" habitually inhibits my confidence and drastically lowers my self-esteem. Therefore, I feel that my parents do inhibit my potential by their use of "reverse psychology."

9) My parents are anally restrictive. I am 21 years old and I am definitely not in the mood to listen to their fucking rules all the time. I want to do whatever I want whenever I want. I have learned the good stuff and the bad stuff. And I am mature enough to know the negative consequences that follow the path of bad stuff.

10) Read my "Frustration" post. I feel like that whenever I am near my parents.

11) Shit, my parents are nowhere near as liberal or cool as other parents I know. Take my friend Sahil for example. His parents are so cool that they don't even bother to care what he does all the time. They know that they can always get a hold of him via cellphone and that he is mature enough not to do something stupid. In addition, they spend every night talking about everything and just understanding themselves and each other. Why can't my parents be this cool? I'll tell you why, my parents are obsolete and feel threatened by today's society.

12) My parents aren't cool because they feel that it is important to be conservative. They feel that the world is filled with evil. They think that they are right and everyone else is wrong. In other words, it's their way or the highway. Let me ask you, which way to the highway cause fuck their way.

13) My parents don't listen to me because they feel I don't know shit. They've been around longer so they know more than me in everything. Motherfuckers don't even know how life is so much different nowadays than their days in college and shit. Enough said.

14) I wonder and I wonder, and talk isn't working. So here's my solution. Put up with their shit for 2 more years, and then I'm out. Fuck them and their fucking thoughts. I didn't go through 23 years of shit to fukin put up with another day's worth. Bitches. All of them

15) I'm their favorite target. Why? Simple, it's easy to blame me. On that note, it's easy to blame someone else but not yourself. So my parents are essentially useless little pricks who pride themselves on "reverse psychology." All I have to say is, I'm gonna wait and then I'll make my move. Once I'm gone, I'm gone. I don't want to have to do anything with these fuckers soon. Only 2 more years of struggle. Yeah. I can live with that.

Maybe you should ask these questions and post your answers. If you do, please let me know. I'd love to read your responses.

Peace

Frustration

2005-02-27T17:50:00.000-06:00

Perhaps my biggest fear in life is quicksand. I'm not referring to the natural phenomenon of quicksands, but the psychological effects known as quicksand. Allow me to further clarify.

I feel that no matter what I do in life, I continue to see setbacks. The little success that does present itself is quickly washed away with other setbacks. It starts out little, but then it gnaws away at my strength. The more I struggle, the more it continues to grow stronger. Soon, it envelopes me in its grip and then I start choking. I can't breathe, I can't seem to think clearly. The next thing I know, reality is crumbling and I am seeking an alternate vision to escape. Like quicksand, I am spiralling down into a vacuum of reality that holds no meaning and no definition.

From that analogy, I draw upon the definition of my quicksand, my parents. I know that changing my major this late in the game may not sit with them well. But they must realize that everything before was just about them. It wasn't what I wanted. Little by little, I was losing faith in myself. No matter how hard I seemed to try in electrical engineering, I couldn't seem to succeed. Finally, I was fed up with all the shit that I was taking.

Some people feel that it is necessary to just finish what your parents told you to do and not step up to them. I can't do that. I cannot focus on something that I do not feel passionately about. Why should I? My parents have every right to suggest what I should do, but they have no right to enforce their beliefs and vision upon me. Their increasingly strong emphasis on me completing electrical engineering started to draw me away from the field. In addition, I realized that I needed to step up and face them up front. And I'm glad I did. I'm glad that I changed my major. And I'm glad that they are not happy.

My mom isn't happy at the fact that she can't brag to everyone about me graduating. She can't brag about me to her friends. That is not my motivation. I could careless about who she wants to brag to. I'm here to get an education that will foster the happiness and sadness in my life. I'm not here to fulfill her fucking wishes. Everyday I wake up, I have to put up with her bullshit. Eventually, she'll cross my threshold and I'll just lose it.

What will happen then? I'm not sure, but my guess is that I'll just argue with her and waste my energy. I hope that the gods in the heavens show me peace and give me strength to deflect my mother's futile rantings. I know that this blog is a great way to express my thoughts. I am just thankful to have the opportunity to use this option.

peace

The Tribute: Peace

2005-02-23T14:46:00.000-06:00

Introduction: This is perhaps one of the most requested and awaited postings. It follows in the footsteps of the original Tribute. I wrote this piece to illustrate my peaceful side and the side that desires to flourish in my thoughts.

It all started when I came out a few years ago
All I ever did was preach my singularity
and will to be free

But then you motherfuckers had to start some shit with me
I didn't say shit, I backed off
and did the the motherfuckin shit myself

What the fuck were you thinking?
You think this is some eminem bullshit
Fuck you. This shit ain't bout me or him
It's bout you

Tupac was right, all you motherfuckers need to burn
Every single one of cocksuckers is hypocrit
All you do is talk smack but when it comes
to backin that shit up, y'all look at me
as if I'm crazy

You stupid fuck.
You think the world would give a shit if you died
Hell, that be one less asshole amongst us
If I had it my way, I'd kill you and your kind

You're entire family is on my mind
Imma smoke yo mom and yo fucking siblings
Ain't got any, shit don't worry, you're aunty and uncle are up

Wait. Hold up. Just one minute
You thought this tribute was about peace?
What the fuck was you thinking?

Wait. My bad
Ya, you're right. This shit is about peace
But I can't have piece if you breathin
the same fuckin oxygen as me

See, I gotta find a way for you to die
This ain't no death threat
I'm just telling you that I want you dead

You're not worth shit to anyone alive
If you die, no one's gonna sigh
Everyone's gonna party and spit on yo body

Don't be sad, be smilin, cause that's all you gonna get
See, this tribute is about peace
It's about my peace of mind
And if you're on my mind
then you gotta grind and dine with death

I never cared about you
But when you started shit with me
That's when the game was on
Now it's over

You're time is up
remember my tribute?
Ya, this one is said right before death visits
Remember one thing, the tributes are coming
And when they come, smile and laugh
cause you are done

Now i smile
Now i remember
that peace is within me

Peace my dead friend
Peace

Fin

It's Been A Long Time

2005-02-12T13:40:00.000-06:00

I know it's been a while since I've last posted in my blog. Fear not my fellow readers. I have not lost interest in blogging in any way. In fact, I had been busy working on my website and juggling classes.

I'm also working on a project that will enable users to dynamically create flash powered photo albums. I haven't started on this project yet, but I have begun outlining its goals and I am hoping to achieve favorable results. My ultimate goal is to discover a way to easily add photos and photo-captions.

That's it for now, but I'll be sure to update this blog real soon. Peace

A New Life

2005-01-16T12:53:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I have been busy working on my new website. Currently, I am pretty close to being done, but I still have to find a way to create an effective menu system. I plan on having my website completely done by the end of this month. After that, I will promptly begin on another version of the website.

Currently, I am at Purdue wrapping up some loose ends. My roommate should be back later today. I need to transfer the utilities from my name to his name since I will no longer be living here at Purdue. I have found an individual to take my lease until May. As some of you might know, my rent is $325/month. This guy is willing to pay $275/month + utilities. He has given me a verbal agreement, so I hope to meet with him tomorrow and finalize everything. I hope that the landlady is here tomorrow.

And beginning Tuesday, I have classes at CLC (College of Lake County). I am looking forward to these classes. I'll post the exact courses in a later post. As for now, I'm going to get ready and then go over to a friend's place to watch the Colts play the Patriots.

Who am I rooting for? Technically, I'm still rooting for the Bears ;)

Best of luck to both the Colts and the Patriots. May the best team emerge to challenge the Steelers.

Peace

2004 to 2005

2005-01-01T22:55:00.000-06:00

Another day, another year has gone by. Looking back, I have to admit that 2004 has had its share of ups and downs. Personally, I think 2004 was slightly better than 2003, but not by much.

Key events of 2004
-------------------
1) created my first ever blog
2) started working at the GAP
3) got an iPod
4) bought a digital camera
5) changed my major

Of all the five that I have listed, I am sure that the last one has struck many of you as something strange. Unfortunately, after this past semester, I no longer have the stamina, patience, and energy to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. It is unfortunately not something that I am passionate about. I still want to pursue a career with Nokia but I think that by majoring in industrial engineering, I'll be able to better market myself. Thereby, I'll be able to perform more efficiently and produce profound results that can be delivered and measured quantitively and qualitatively.

In all honesty, 2004 has not been a great year for me. Like 2003, I too would like to forget 2004. I am glad for all of my friends who graduated. It is disappointing that I still have to be in school longer now, but I hope that my decision is not going to be something that will hurt me later down in the road. I think I am suffering enough, but if I have to suffer more, then so be it. I would rather learn all of life's lesson now so that I can lead a life of bliss down the road.

A special note to the wrecking cru:

I knew you had the potential to succeed at college man. You have taught many valuable lessons, but one lesson I shall never forget is the day you told me to hang in there when I wasn't gonna pass one of those damned EE courses. I will miss you alot man. I wish you all the best in your journey ahead. I hope that one day you will turn and smile at the world. Never forget one thing, there is always someone in this world that will offer you a helping hand. Good luck and farewell my friend. I hope to see you soon. Peace

And let's not forget, this blog would never have been possible without wreckingcru. I think that this blog has helped me in more ways than one. It has been a great outlet for me to share my thoughts and feelings. I think this blog will lead to better things for me as it has inspired me to pursue a personal webspace and further my flash techniques.

I'm gonna call it a night for now. Everyone have a great new year's day. Bless your wishes and best of luck in this new year. Peace from the dreamer.

AirNiqueel
--the dreamer--

Let's all take a minute of silence to remember the tsunami victims in asia.

Divorce

2004-12-28T00:30:00.000-06:00

Perhaps one of the more influential musicians of the modern age, Tupac Shakur, has greatly magnified my view on life and people in general. I want to share a couple of beautiful and inspiring quotes from this remarkable and visionary man:

"Reality is wrong, dreams are for real"
"but if u fall stand tall and come back for more"

With that, I begin my revelation. The truth and the story that many of you might have been wondering about. I am referring to the rough events in the past few days.

Upon recieving my report card, I quickly checked my grades and was heartbroken. I am now officially dropped for one semester at Purdue University. Life goes on.

Peace

Copycat

2004-12-27T01:15:00.000-06:00

Well, I decided I should update my blog today. I know I haven't updated it in a while, but it has been a rough few days. Many new interesting facts will be revealed about what has happened soon enough. (NO I'm NOT GAY!! So don't even think that I'm coming out of the closet or something. I'm 100% straight).

On a side note, I decided to copy WreckingCru's latest post (12/23/04).

10 random things about ME
10. I enjoy making people laugh
9. I like to think on a more abstract level. I prefer to see the big picture first.
8. I can't stand theories without any real-world examples
7. I hate nerds (constant bookworms)
6. I love music. Can't live without ambient beats, hip-hop, and jazz
5. I don't like pessimists and hypocrits
4. I'm a romantic at heart
3. I love my parents. But sometimes I think they're a little too conservative
2. I'm always myself. I don't like being someone I'm not. Like me or hate me
1. I strive for perfection. I want to be as perfect as I can be

Just as a precaution, wreckingcru IS not a pessimist in my eyes, nor is he a hypocrit. Not even close. He's a traveler from the east seeking truth and purpose in the west. I join him in such a journey to seek my perfection and his truth.

9 places I've lived in or visited
9. West Lafayette, Indiana (the worst fucking shithole)
8. Toronto, Ontario (perhaps the next best thing to Chicago)
7. London, England (a rich-in-history country)
6. New Delhi, India (the roots)
5. Jackson, Michigan (my first home in the US)
4. Frankfurt, Germany (my favorite European city)
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands (the best of modern Europe)
2. Chicago, Illinois (the best city in the world)
1. Gurnee, Illinois (my home-town)

8 things I want to do before i die
8. mercedes-benz s600
7. visit the amazon rainforest
6. meet william jefferson clinton
5. publish my blog as a book as well as an autobiography
4. raise a daughter (spoil her)
3. see the african savannahs and wildlife
2. smile at my wife and tell her i love her with every blink of my eye
1. get the last laugh on those who laughed at me

7 ways to win MY heart
7. be honest with thy self and me
6. don't be a hypocrit
5. take responsibility for your actions
4. love me with all your heart
3. argue with me but stand your ground
2. be strong. be yourself. be independent thinking. be by my side forever
1. have some goals in your life. stay focused and work towards them

6 things I believe in
6. optimism is superior to pessimism
5. hypocrisy is one root of all evil
4. there is no failure. every failure is only success
3. effort and results are what i want to see
2. do what you want. don't let others tell you what to do.
1. make a decision. stick with it. stand by it. not everyone has such a luxury.

5 things I'M afraid of
5. loneliness
4. not accomplishing more than my dad
3. being a failure in front of my parents
2. not keeping my family happy
1. the day my parents stop loving me

4 of MY favorite items
4. logitech z680s (these let me feel my music flow through me)
3. cell phone (my little baby)
2. ipod mini (relaxes my mind, gives me peace)
1. my computer(it has my music, files, movies, etc. it is my sanity)

3 things I do everyday
3. strive for perfection
2. shower (unlike some fuckers)
1. smile at life

2 things I am not trying to do
2. kill myself
1. kill someone else

1 person I want to see right now
1. the creator of all life, Krishna

Obviously this list is not all inclusive. I'm a very different type of person. I'm not mentally unstable. I think I'm very sane and I know what I want. I seek my own happiness. I want to be able to wake up and just know that I there is nothing to worry about. I don't want to do something I'm not happy about. I want to be me. I want to see life as it is. I seek truth, honesty, and responsibility. No one can be perfect, but my continuing struggle to be perfect helps shape me.

I am who I am. You can accept me for what I am and what I believe in. I am sure I have enemies. They probably despise me. You can join them too. But in the end, you have to remember one thing, I don't give a shit.

But one thing is for sure. I never walk out of my place without putting on cologne. Let's face it. You might as well smell good in the smelly world. And don't forget, it never hurts to appeal to someone's senses.

Wanna learn more about me? contact me. You know how. Follow the G. Peace

The Final Stretch

2004-12-16T12:20:00.000-06:00

As finals week comes to a conclusion, it is not improper for anyone to look back and reflect about the semester. I'll probably be doing my reflection sometime this weekend, but for now, I'm just going to write a bit.

In my last post, I had three pictures of my new digital camera. I apologize for the pretty low quality photos, but I took them with my cell phone. Adamantly speaking, those pictures aren't horrible considering they are pretty clear. Nevertheless, I feel that my purcahse of the digital camera was a smart choice. It having 7.1 megapixels and a plethora of features only builds its strong case.

I am disappointed in the review that CNET gave it. According to its researchers, they gave the camera a 7.7 out of 10. I feel that the Canon Powershot S70 is a camera that acts as a stepping stone for any photographer planning to hone his/her skills and learn the fundamentals of photography. Let's face it, photography is an art, and it is important to have a device that can allow us to foray into the realm of still photography and let our creativity flow. In addition, the features that the camera comes, no other point-and-shoot camera has.

In closing of the digital camera discussion, it is essential to note that the user reviews are quite good about this camera. This camera is by far loaded with features that many people won't even know what they do, but having them in there does not hurt at all. Finally, it's relatively easy to find many bargains on this camera. It retails for $599 and you can find it at Best Buy for only $499. On top of that, if you go through some ordinary online retailer, you can find the price to be as low as $400 (at the time of this blog). Shipping prices at most online retailers is reasonable and convenient, assuming you are not in a rush to make the purchase.

Moving on, I want to talk about the title of this blog, "The Final Stretch".

I find it sad knowing that next semester, some of my closest friends will no longer be here at Purdue. At the same time, I am thrilled for them the opportunities that lie ahead of them. I know that each person will find success in one form or another. Some of them will end up being millionaires, while some of them will be just well off. In either case, they all will have worked hard for their success. Hence, the final stretch is my tribute to their hard work and the conclusion of their undergraduate career at Purdue University.

Sometimes I get tears in my eyes seeing their success and not my own. But I have faith that one day, life will present me with enormous opportunities that will lead me to great fortunes. I am very disappointed in my own performance and setbacks, but I take them as lessons to harden my shell for future disappointments. Maybe my life is meant to be one long enduring hardship, but I hope that one day, when I awaken, I won't have a single worry in my life. Till that day, I honor everyone and their success. I do not deserve any honor. I do not deserve a voice. All I deserve is the pain that comes my way.

Perhaps I am speaking out of control, but I no longer can function properly. Nevertheless, let's be optimistic and study hard for my last final. My last final is tomorrow at 1pm. My roommate is leaving this after noon at 1PM. I hope he has a safe flight to India and a fun time with his g/f and his sister's wedding.

Till next time my peeps. Peace

Canon Powershot S70

2004-12-15T17:15:00.000-06:00

Canon Powershot S70 Box

Canon Powershot S70 (front)

Canon Powershot S70 (back)

These are some pictures of my first and brand new digital camera :) I love it so much. It looks amazing (can't tell from the photos) and its so damn fun to play around with.

It Begins

2004-12-13T03:13:00.000-06:00

I have a few hours before my first final of the Fall 2004 semester begins. With its beginning, the dawn of finals arrives and engulfs all students with its loathsome fury. I know I said earlier that I may not have time to write any more blogs till after finals, but I've working on ECE382 cotinuously for a while and just need my brain to relax. It's about 4:15 AM and the final begins at 8AM.

This semester is more of a real test of my patience as I will not be taking the ECE311 final. I've not done well in the class and have little hope in passing the class. Therefore, after talking with my dad, I have decided to skip the final and study for EE382 & EE302. It is unfortunate that I am in this position, however, life does continue.

Am I tired? I guess it is safe to say now that I am already exhausted, but I still have another night of no sleep coming. After my EE382 exam, I plan on sleeping for about 4-6 hours and then studying for my EE302 exam.

But enough about exams. Let's talk about my camera :)

I have to admit, the Powershot s70 easily exceeds my expectations and requirements. In addition, I am a little surprised by its weight, but it certainly packs a strong punch compared to its direct competitors. Some friends suggested to me that I should have purchased a smaller, slimmer, perhaps sleeker camera than the s70. However, I continually to avoid any bombardment of such arguments on the basis that I wanted a camera that has advanced features that I can play with since I do have an interest in photography.

Let it be known that my interest is nowhere near the remarkable apex of Raj, but it is a desire of mine to be decent at it. I feel that my s70 will afford me the opportunity to realize such a potential.

I am going to miss many of my friends who are graduating this semester. I will cherish these memories forever and I wish every single one of them a remarkable and peaceful journey in the ever lasting ride of life. I hope that all their dreams and wishes are not only met, but exceed even their deepest desires. It is unfortunate that I have not been chosen to walk this path with them at this time. Perhaps my path lies not in this time, but in a future aspect.

Live long, live strong, live forever

Peace

Finals

2004-12-10T00:53:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again when finals are right around the corner. The next few days will be filled with countless hours of studying and all-nighters. This is definitely a time when I wish I wasn't around. I literally dread the concept of finals just like many other students.

For the next few days, I probably won't be able to post to my blog. So I'm just gonna end this short entry by wishing everyone GOOD LUCK on their respective finals. Peace

Canon Powershot S70

2004-12-08T07:58:00.000-06:00

After much pondering and research, I finally brought my strength together and purchased a Canon Powershot S70 from Beach Camera. The total price came out to be $449.94 because I chose to have the camera shipped priority overnight via FedEx.

I still wonder why I wanted a digital camera, and I keep coming to the same conclusion. As many might know, many of my friends are graduating at the end of this semester and they will be leaving for their hometowns. Chances are I might not be able to see some of them ever again. It will be a sad moment, but a moment that I will want to capture for the rest of my life. Hence, a photo perfectly captures their image, forever holding its own and giving me the opportunity to reminisce about our times.

In addition, my parents also wanted a digital camera because they were tired of developing film that had shots that were poor or not worthy. Besides, any photo I do like on the digicam can easily be printed out on photo paper at most professional photography developing stores. I also bought a 256MB card from Amazon for like $30. Hopefully I'll get that in soon.

Thanksgiving Break

2004-11-27T18:48:00.000-06:00

DAY 5, November 27, 2004

As Thanksgiving break winds down, I am very sad to learn that I have to go back to Purdue and face two more midterms. It has been some time since I've had 2 midterms after break. I am facing an uphill battle with ECE 302 and ECE 382. Both are on two consecutive days (11/30/04 & 12/1/04 respectively).

To be honest, I really have not studied this break for two simple, yet idiotic reasons:

1) Laziness; not in mood
2) Too distracting

Let's face it, when you go home after a while, you're never in the mood to study. You want to spend time with family and go out to the malls and stuff. I basically want to go out and absorb the different environment mainly because life is pretty pathetic down at Purdue. At the same time, I don't have a TV at my apartment and so I basically want to indulge my interests in the TV and not move.

Luckily, today I got in a good three of unproductive hours of studying done. I started out with some 302 material but quickly could not focus too much. So I moved on to 382 material and that was perhaps a huge mistake. I literally spent over an hour trying to figure out what the hell Nyquist plots are and how to make them by hand. I even reduced myself to do a google search in the hopes of finding a quality tutorial. Not one existed.

After that major setback, I decided to just review bode plots and claim that I had some accomplishments today. Luckily I knew what I was doing and felt proud of myself of being able to be somewhat productive. Now I'm taking a break or calling it a day for now. I'm probably going to get back to some 302 material tonight, but I'm not sure. I really don't want to put too much pressure yet mainly so that I can enjoy my last hours at home before I have to return to Fucked Up Land.

In the past few days, I've learned to really enjoy the company of blogging and have reenergized my passion for it. I have to admit that blogging is just plain fun and a great outlet for reasoning. Sometimes I feel that I can literally type forever about some garbage, knowing fully well that not one soul is out there reading this. Nevertheless, my drive comes from the fact that by blogging, there is POTENTIAL that someone could read this blog. And that is something I treasure.

For now...Peace

Hollywood vs. Consumers

2004-11-27T12:11:00.000-06:00

Over the past 10 years, I've seen the demand for movies and personalized services such as on-demand tv rise quickly. In fact, in just the past five years, consumers have demanded premium services such as TiVo and the like.

This article on MSNBC for some reason aroused my interests and made me think. I strongly feel that Hollywood is overstepping its bounds when it forces companies to adhere to its rules.

Personally, I cannot stand commercials when I watch TV. Sometimes they're fun to watch, but when I'm watching my feature presentation, I don't want to be interrupted by commercials. ReplayTV's initial feature of automatically skipping a 30 second commercial spot has now been removed.

Hollywood is a tyrant and a monopolistic character. It must be eradicated for the good of all consumers. Peace

Thanksgiving Break

2004-11-26T20:18:00.000-06:00

DAY 4, November 26, 2004

As usual, I never woke up for the early morning shopping spree, but my dad was wide awake and jumped right into the boat full of shoppers. He ended up buying a 200GB hard drive, 2 leather manager chairs, a workstation desk and some other small things. His claim to spending some money today was that he got some good deals. I have to agree with him that he did get great deals, but they only apply IF he sends in the proper rebates on time and actually gets the money back.

I have to admit that many stores these days have discovered the profound impact of "mail-in-rebates." Obviously these "smart" companies are banking on the fact that you, the consumer, will fail to send in these rebates or fail to satisfy their stringent requirements. Conclusively speaking, the best deal my dad got was probably the 200GB drive for $50 after rebates. I have absolutely no idea how much the drive costs before rebates. And it would be nice to get such a drive for myself as it would expand my current 120GB aresenal to 384GB.

UPDATE: Canon Powershot S70

We all decided to go to ABT electronics today to check out the Canon Powershot S60. No, that's not a typo. I know of no major electronic store that has the Powershot S70 on display. However, I did recall from the summer months that ABT did have the Canon Powershot S60.

From initial inspection, my dad found the camera to be slightly bigger than he had expected. Same would go for my mom who was hoping it would be a tiny digital camera. My dad said he has no doubt in his head that this camera is probably the best in the point-and-shoot category, but for some reason he was hesitant to approve of the S70. I suspect that he is somewhat skeptical on the price of the device. I do know that ~$400 (cheapest) is not a small amount, yet this camera is pretty advanced enough to make it a worthy choice for at least a few years, if not more.

I have personally noticed that many consumers do not replace a camcorder or camera unless the device breaks down or becomes a cumbersome luxury that necessitates a replacement. At this point, my family has absolutely zero experience with digital cameras because we have never owned one. The APS cameras we have had have lasted through their usefullness and every penny we save not processing film is a boon to the family. Perhaps the best thing I find is the fact that digital cameras do not force you to keep shots that are not perfect. In addition, when you do take a picture, you have the ability to check its worthiness right on the spot, rather than bitch and moan about the shitty quality.

From what I gather, it appears that we'll purchase the Canon Powershot S70 mainly because we do need a digital camera (APS prints are not that great and paying for the processing is not really worth it anymore). In addition, many of our family members want to see certain pictures that we have taken and it is almost impossible to show them because we have to waste time scanning, compressing, and emailing. With a digital camera, we can easily send it to them via email without having to worry about a scanner. And we can have a picture slideshow at the end of the day with anyone present.

The advantages of digital cameras knows no bounds. They have revolutionized the industry and society. But we cannot also fail to notice its shortcomings, which I will neglect to mention because I feel that NO device is without its downfalls.

That's it for tonight. Peace out apes.

Thanksgiving Break

2004-11-25T10:25:00.000-06:00

DAY 3, November 25, 2004

As usual, today was an uneventful day. My parents cleaned up the basement and I pretty much watched TV all day. I also played some more FIFA and enjoy every minute of that game.

Tomorrow should be quite interesting since it is generally considered the biggest shopping day of the year. I think my dad wants to wake up pretty early like at 5 in the morning just so we can make it to best buy and get some real cheap priced shit.

I also think I'm pretty close to getting a digital camera. I have my eyes set on the Canon Powershot S70. You can find a review on this site. For those of you who may not be familiar with dpreview.com, they are generally considered a great starting point for any research and in-depth review of digital cameras. Like howard forums, many individuals who read these reviews actually work for the manufacturer.

It'd be great if I could get some feedback from some of you readers out there on what you think would make a great digital camera. Personally, I'm not a big fan of SLR's and dSLR's. I prefer a point and shoot camera with advanced features that allow me to have a good degree of manual control. For example, selecting a proper ISO speed is something I really desire because I have an interest in learning more about photography, but I do not want to invest in a cumbersome camera. In addition, I would like a camera that my parents would also enjoy. They're not too tech savvy, so an SLR camera would only overwhelm them. On the other hand, the S70 is easy to use yet offers some complex controls for advanced users.

I am open to alternative choices, but I really have not found any other model that sparks a strong desire within me. Sony is a great company, but some of their cybershot models are just abysmal in performance and, if i may say so, quite overpriced. Olympus does have a snazzy marketing ploy of marketing weather-resistant design, but their photo quality is not as good.

Perhaps the primary thing to consider is whether I plan on photo-editing. I do have Adobe Photoshop, but I hardly use it right now because of the lack of photos. I've also heard that Canon does RAW imaging and that by far, I believe, is a great boon because it will allow me to see the "actual" image the CCD sensor saw. Maybe that's something I may not need to concern myself with, but it definitely is something that has caught my attention.

Till next time, Live Forever Apes

Peace

Thanksgiving Break

2004-11-24T22:33:00.000-06:00

DAY 2, November 24, 2004

Today was also another boring day. I sat around and watched TV and did pretty much nothing. I played some more FIFA with my brother and played this game online called Flip Words. You can find it here

The only shitty thing about today was the fact that it snowed. I think we got hit by about 1 - 2 inches worth and the entire landscape is just white. I have to admit it looks real pretty, but I still hate the cold weather.

That's it for now. Peace

Thanksgiving Break

2004-11-23T21:46:00.000-06:00

The next few entries will be a part of my THANKSGIVING BREAK entries.

DAY 1 (November 23, 2004)

Today was my first full day at home. My mom went to work along with my dad and my brother was at school. I initially had plans to go to Schaumburg but decided to change all that because of some stuff I had to do for my parents.

The day went by pretty slowly. I didn't do much since I woke up at around 1130 AM. I quickly went downstairs and watched about two hours worth of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was some quality time.

Me and my brother (when he got back from school) just played some FIFA 2004 for the XBOX. My left index finger doesn't have any stitches anymore, but I can't play HALO 2 mainly because it would be difficult to use the left trigger button in the game.

I plan on playing HALO 2 later this week, hopefully by Friday 11/26/04.

That's it for now. Peace out

The Facebook

2004-11-17T13:19:00.000-06:00

Lately it seems that Friendster is slowly decaying and The Facebook is becoming the norm.

I am finally now on facebook due to popular demand.

Facebook me!

Click that link and you'll be able to add me to your friend list. Have a good one folks. Peace

Headphones. Sorry, I Mean Earphones

2004-11-17T07:54:00.000-06:00

Sony MDR-EX81 Earphones

Since the debut of the Apple Ipod, the entire headphone market has been given new life. In fact, many popular electronic giants (e.g. sony & panasonic) have gone back to the drawing table and have come out with some of the most amazing yet affordable headphones.

The one I would like to emphasize in this blog are the Sony MDR-EX81SL. Here is the link to read its review on ipodlounge. This model is the update to the popular MDR-EX70/71 SL line. For those of you who don't know, Sony has quietly released model MDR-EX71SL/W. This specific model is white and complements the ipod perfectly and is a good alternative over the included ipod headphones.

I did a google search for the MDR-EX81SL and surprisingly, most of the sites are in Japanese. Is it perhaps that this headphone is an Asia exclusive model? Is it perhaps that the headphones are too new? The answer to both questions seems to be yes. I cannot see Sony offering this model to North American customers anytime soon.

According to the review on ipodlounge, these pair of headphones improve some of the shortcomings found in the EX71SL. In addition, the price (currently about $57 on audiocubes) is pretty cheap compared to the industry, but by no means cheap enough for a typical college student to afford. However, I do believe that it is virutally important for anyone to invest in a decent pair of headphones if they wish to enjoy their mp3 player even more.

I ordered these headphones a couple days ago and hope to recieve them soon. Once I do get them, I'll post my thoughts on them and go from there.

Peace

Close Call

2004-11-17T07:05:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday, while working the stock at GAP, I cut my left index finger with a box cutter. Obviously, I was bleeding pretty badly and I had figured that I cut an artery since blood was literally gushing out. A co-worker, David, quickly made me run cold water over my finger and he wrapped it up in gauze. Since I was bleeding through the gauze, he felt it was essential to get me to the hospital.

Once I got to the hospital, I quickly checked in and about an hour later, the doc finally took a look at me. I have to admit that this doc was a complete dumbass. He initially gave me two shots of the numbing poison. When he came back after 15 minutes to let the poison take effect, he began the painful stitching process. When I winced in pain, he asked whether it hurt. I kind of yelled at him and said that it hurt like hell. His reply, "That's not supposed to happen." What a dumbass. So he gave me like five more shots around my wound until my left index knuckle looked like a fucking balloon.

All in all, I got about seven stitches. I even had a splint to make sure I didn't bend my finger and risk reopening the wound. It's been almost a week and I finally have the splint off. It feels good to be able to type again. I still can't type on a desktop keyboard since the keys are bigger and more spaced out than my tablet's.

Luckily GAP is going to pay for all my medical expenses incurred due to this injury. But believe me when I say that this experience has been pretty painful. I can't bend my finger because if I do, it hurts really badly.

If you guys haven't realized it yet, I am writing this blog while sitting in my 302 class. I stayed up pretty late last night working on the homework for this course. Catherine, the TA, emailed me and said that since I didn't pass outcome 3 so far, that this homework would successfully satisfy the said outcome. Naturally, I had to copy this homework since I have not been to 302 since the last exam (which was almost three weeks ago).

I quickly gathered my things and went over to MSEE and thankfully ran into Nimesh. I simply asked him to hook me up with the homework and in about an hour I had about three problems copied. Later that night, around 1AM, he called me back and said he had in his possession a PDF file that had all the answers to the homework. He sent it and I sat down the arduous task of copying a good number of pages. Around 3AM I finally finished copying the homework and went to take a short "nap."

So here I was sitting in class and the professor goes that the homework was pretty difficult. I just started laughing since I know that most of my homework is completely correct. ;)

Since about 15 remain in class (it's almost 8:05; and it took me over 25 minutes to type this up; i started around 7:40AM), I better get going and pretend to pay attention. Peace

The Fall of Winamp

2004-11-11T13:30:00.000-06:00

The article is located here

As many of you might already know, Winamp has been one of more robust media applications for the PC. Since its inception, Winamp has dedicated itself to offering its loyal "customers" a chance to experience music in a whole new way. It is virtually no argument that Winamp is/was much more superior to Windows Media Player by Microsoft.

I am greatly disappointed by AOL's motive to successfully purge Nullsoft (Winamp's Developer) of its original programmers/developers. It is not a lost fact that when Nullsoft's founder, Justin Frankel, left that Nullsoft was on a decline. I am surprised as to how fast Winamp has degraded (not in quality, but in competitiveness) over the past two years.

I feel that AOL is not making a smart decision by allowing Nullsoft's original employees to stay. Nevertheless, this decline was to be expected when AOL purchased Nullsoft.

It is a sad to know that Winamp maybe no more in a matter of months. However, it is comforting to know that the Winamp community will thrive even after the last ashes of Winamp are poured over the ground.

Peace

Shit List 2004

2004-11-10T00:58:00.000-06:00

Every year I have a list called the "Shit List." This list holds together the items/people/places/etc. that I hate and wish to see eradicated. For many years, I've kept this list quite secret givin the security proclivities entailing today's society.

However, no longer will I be quiet. I'm going to list the things on my shit list minus specific names of any individuals. I believe in the dignity and respect of all those who are on my list, therefore, I do them a favor by not saying their name in this list.

The list is compiled in no particular order. If you are offended by any of my posts, fuck off. Thanks.

SHIT LIST 2004

* F.O.B.S - You think you guys are the shit. You all think that you can come to the US and act like a bunch of cocky motherfuckers? You drive your nice expensive cars that mommy & daddy bought and think you're all badass. All you fuckers do is TRY to talk like us Americans. You fake your accents and blunder like none other trying to imitate us. You niggas can't be like us so why do you keep trying? At least we're not gonna get deported and sent back to some third world country. Hell, you motherfuckers are the fucking nerds of this campus. You all look like shit, smell like shit, eat shit, and take shits in each other's mouths. Do all of us a favor and get the fuck out our country.

* MAC OS/Linux/Unix users - What the fuck is wrong with you assholes? You think you're special because you use a non-Microsoft OS? Man, fuck you and your OS. You're no more special than that whore down the street at ITAP using Windows XP. Your OS is gay and shitty. It's not easy to use. It's not fun to use. Hell, 90% of the world doesn't even need half the shit your OS boasts. We should send all of you fuckers to Iraq and use you as human mine detectors and decoys. Go fuck yourselves please.

* CUBS Haters - All you niggas that hate the Cubs, go fuck yourselves. If you ain't from Chicago, don't even bother talkin bout our teams. Just cause we haven't won the World Series in almost 100 years don't mean jack shit. Who the fuck asked for your opinion anyways? Keep your mouth shut before someone fuckin comes around and decides to disembowel you. You worthless cunts, the Chicago Cubs are fuckin good and they try. They never give up like you fucking losers. Get the fuck outta here.

* Roommates - Ever since I came to college, i've been stuck with asshole roommates. They think they always better than me and fuckin act like douchebags. My first year roommate was a fucking loser. He acted all tough and shit until I tackled his ass in flag football and told him to eat dirt. Got fucking scared and didn't talk shit to me ever since. Second year, by the fortune of God's grace, I didn't have a roommate. Third year, God struck back and stuck me with a homosexual roommate. I don't have anything against fags, but dont' tell me and I don't want to know. If I ever find out, you dead you mother fucker. Fourth year, I actually thought my roommate would be cool. No, he was an asshole. I hope he fucking burns in hell. I want him to crash in the street of Delhi and have his brains spill onto the roads in which the cows would shit on it and the dogs would eat it. Burn motherfucker you deserve to die. Fifth year, my roommmate is so far pretty cool. No beef with him.

* Rock/Alternative Music - You guys call this music? It's just a bunch of white crackers with fukin drums sayin shit that don't even make sense. These songs dont' have any fucking beats and they all dress like Goodwill preferred customers. What the fuck is wrong with white people? They can't make a decent fucking song without some fuckups in there.

* Republicans - Let's face it, these guys are just plain fucking stupid. A bunch of conservative bastards who have no positive outlook on life. Can you believe they actually want to make gay marriages illegal but are ok with divorces and adultery? I think all republicans are a bunch of hypocrits who can't stand the fact that any book other than the Bible is wrong. Burn in hell and purgatory you fucking cunts. I hope that you all go extinct one day you fuckers.

* Abercrombie bitches - Are you kidding me? You're clothes look like shit. Hell I can make the same shit with clothing found in a dumpster. Hell, you guys look like homeless fuckers. Why the fuck do they charge $100 for a fukin torn pair of jeans? These guys are all asswipes. You guys think its cool to dress up in abercrappie and bitch clothing. Fuck that. You guys look like fags and deserve to be crucified. Go fuck your mothers you stupid ass cocksuckers.

That's it for now. There's definitely more to come. I'll keep updating as I see fit.

NEWSFLASH: Be on the lookout for another Tribute.

One final word: you guys may noticed a slight change in the template. I have now added an email post button and a link to my blog's site feed. In addtion, I have put the comments, trackback, site feed, and email buttons on a whole new line. I believe this is a great way to clean up a cluttered look. I also have decided to stick with this template until further notice.

Peace

495w

2004-11-08T15:39:00.000-06:00

ee495w is boring as hell. I'm trying my hardedst to stay awake while the damn teacher just keeps on chatting about some bullshit regarding the history of wireless communication. The question I keep asking myself is why the hell I waste my time going to classes that'll put me to sleep. At least Sunil is here with his laptop too so that way we can keep each other awake by going to goofy websites.

Peace

Drivers

2004-11-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that one of my biggest complaints every year is the way many idiots drive. For those of you who know me, you realize that I'm not really a crazy driver, but I am a very restless one. I cannot stand people who are following the speed limit when the road in front of them is wide open.

To make matters worse, most drivers in Indiana drive like old people and can't go more than the posted speed limit. Those who do drive "fast" make it look real ugly and seem as if they are going to lose control of their vehicle.

Here's my philosophy on driving and its quite simple. Driving fast ensures that your reaction time is extremely quick and forces you to continually pay attention to minute details on the road. Therefore, no matter how fast you are going, you'll always be able to recognize hazards before they become actual driving hazards. It works for me and it'll definitely work for these pathetic Indiana drivers.

I want to propose some rules about driving:

1) If you are going faster than me, kudos to you. But always be sure you maintain your speed and keep a healthy distance from my front bumper

2) If you are going at the same speed as me, slow down and follow me from a far distance. You deserve to die if you create wolf-packs or intentionally prevent me from passing you.

3) If you are going slower than me, get the fuck out of the left lane and stay in the right lane. If you're gonna pass someone, and I'm coming up behind you fast, you better slow down and not pass the car in front of you till I pass both your asses up.

To keep it concise, if I have to slow down for you, it'd better be because I know you. Otherwise get the fuck off the road and my highway or else you going to crash and die. HAHA!

Peace

4 More Years

2004-11-03T00:25:00.000-06:00

I know that at the time of this blog, I am speaking prematurely. But as of right now, according to yahoo.com, President Bush has 249 votes and Senator Kerry has 221 votes. As many of you may know, only 270 votes are needed to win the presidency.

At the time of this writing, I concede defeat to the Republicans. It is unfortunate that my Democratic colleague has been unable to secure the presidency once again. I was honestly optimistic that Senator Kerry would win the presidency with a comfortable margin. With the high voter turnout, I was anticipating that many more Kerry supporters would be at the polls.

It has been a remarkable seven months of campaigning, voiceing support, and raising funds for the Democratic Party. I have renewed faith at a successful Democratic presidency in 2008 and will do my best to support such a cause. I am very excited about Barack Obama's election to the US Senate from Illinois. I feel that he's an aspiring individual that will actually do his best to ensure that the voices of Illinois's citizens are heard and be proactive with our concerns.

I feel that this defeat should not lower our esteem but rather be looked upon as an excellent opportunity to feverishly scrutinize our strategies and mistakes. I feel that a strong path towards campaigning for the 2008 elections will help us yield far better results and secure the presidency with relative ease. Let us not forget that in 2008, both candidates (most likely) will not have any Presidential experience. At this time it is too early to speculate on the possible Democratic nominees, but we can expect Senator Kerry, Al Gore, and possibly Senator Hillary Clinton.

One of my personal goals is to volunteer my time and services to the Democratic Party. I feel that if I participated in a key election, I would feel more gratified and resolved that my efforts were all in good faith and spirits. Let us see what happens in 2008, but I definitely will try my best to support whatever candidate the Democratic Party nominates for the presidency.

One concern I do have is the possibility of a draft by President Bush. Although President Bush and many of his colleagues have confirmed that there is no chance of a draft, I believe his statments were all a ploy for re-election efforts. I would not be surprised with such an order from Congress, but I will be dismayed by the fact that the government is calling upon its citizens to fight a war that is morally wrong from the beginning.

No WMD's have been found in Iraq and yet we still consider them a threat to our national security. Why? We have lost focus on the real terrorists; where's Osama Bin Laden? I feel that President Bush has blinded the American public from the facts and is doing his best to ensure that we stay in the dark. I am very disappointed in this Presidency, but I nevertheless, support America in all of its endeavors.

I want people to know that I will stand united with this country no matter what. If I am drafted, I will NOT run, but rather fight for this country. Although the cause is wrong, I am fighting not for Bush, but for the values that this magnificent country has been built upon.

I call on all Americans to unite and support the eventual winner of the 2004 Presidential Elections. Let's support this country even if we don't support the man running it.

Live forever Apes.

Peace

Tears

2004-10-30T19:54:00.000-05:00

I don't know why but I can't help the tears flowing down my face. I wonder why I cry. I wonder what causes this pain inside me. I've learned that I'm not strong from the inside. Sometimes I wish my life would just end and my soul can continue on its journey. I'm just sad from inside knowing that my life is not filled with the joy I have always wanted. Granted, not everyone shares the same benefits I enjoy, but I'm selfish. So don't give me that crap that there are others who would kill to live my life.

Everyday I have to live with the fact that my parents consider me the root of all their problems (e.g. financial mostly). I don't know what I can do to alleviate that pain. There are days when I would pray that my life end and that I don't have to suffer and that my parents can enjoy their life once more. How can I live my life knowing that my parents have never really shown me that one ounce of emotional support I have always craved? How can I be strong in face of all this pain?

I wish I could help myself seek peace with my mind. I can't help but cry and wonder what I have done wrong. Why is that I suffer these consequences? What did I do wrong? No matter what I do, I can never find that happiness that I want.

Maybe if I just left. I want to leave. I don't want this life anymore. I want these tears to stop. I want this pain to leave. I just want to smile, that one day when I can smile and never have to worry again. If it's not possible, then my mind is too early for its time.

I blame my parents for my pain. If they would only listen to their son and try to understand him, maybe then they will realize the pain I have.

R.I.P. Nikhil Agarwal 1983-2004
-The dreamer who finally found a dream he loved and chose to go with it

Peace

A Word

2004-10-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

It seems that my last post, aptly titled "Tribute" has created a small fury of protests and arguments. Some of the questions I recieved included:

1) Who is this writing pointing at?
2) Why the hatred?
3) What's with the extreme language?

I'm not going to answer any questions directly. But the next paragraph is my official statement.

The post "Tribute" is NOT directed towards any specific individual. Rather, it is just a mere collection of thoughts and reflections biased towards those that fit within the normal parameters of bitches. It is intended to offend and depress some people. I hope that my post can accomplish such a tremendous task. I have no regrets about what I wrote. It is not a death-threat in anyway. I will emphasize my happiness if any of the "bitches" do decide to depart from this life. I only have this to say to those of you bitches: "Fuck you and the fucking bitch that harbored the womb that gave you life."

Peace

P.S. I'm not angry. I'm actually very happy now that I finally got these evil thoughts into words and out of my system. If you want to berate my posts/blog, please do so on your own fucking website. Post anything on here I don't like, you'll be banned and your fucking post deleted. Peace out apes.