Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Take a moment to reflect on something in your life that you are thankful for.

Chinese Mines

Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 4:51 PM
There was another major mine accident in China, where around 100 miners were trapped underground. A sad story; China is said to have the world's most dangerous mines, in terms of lives lost. I want to comment on something else in this article however. It was said in the article, that the mine in question, in XinXing, was actually considered a very safe mine. In fact, they did have people monitoring gas levels in the mine that exploded, meaning that there were safety measures in place. That being said, the director, deputy director, and chief engineer were already fired, barely a day after the accident. That means, there was no time for an investigation into the accident.

I find this to be what I see as a typical Chinese knee jerk reaction to a situation. These people were fired to save face, so that whoever was in charge of the firing could look like he was doing something to remedy the situation. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the Chinese people are logical enough to see the fallacy of the situation. Or perhaps they are. In either case, firings such as these are effective enough to save face that they continue to be used. I wonder if anyone will point of the fault of firing the chief engineer without a thorough investigation in determining the cause of the mine accident. There are such things as natural disasters.

Reference:

We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel

Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 6:40 AM
"We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it"

Ho Hum

Friday, November 20, 2009 at 3:21 PM
In the Doldrums...

Flight 93

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I want to say something about Flight 93. For those who don't know, Flight 93 carried 40 passengers and crew, in addition to 4 hijackers on September 11, 2001. Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania before it could reach its destination, presumably a high value target such as the White House or the US Capitol Building. The actions of the crew and passengers onboard prevented such an act against our nation from happening.

I applaud the actions of these 40 people, and hope that they serve as a model for all Americans to follow. Through the actions of a few individuals, a national landmark somewhere was saved. They took the initiative to do something, to defend their country. This is something that every citizen should possess. In the future, history will tell the tale of 40 brave Americans who sacrificed their lives to save an unknown, important American landmark. I hope that if I am ever presented with such a situation, I will be able to conduct myself in such an admirable way.

- In memory of Flight 93.





Reference:

Electromagnetics Quiz 2

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 9:38 AM
It's go time.

...

LET'S DO IT AGAIN.

Quantum Quiz 2 Results: Promising!

at 6:02 AM
I got a 68 on my quantum physics class quiz 2! The average was 77, so overall, I'm below average. However, this is a big improvement over my last unmentionable score. I see potential here.

Done with Quantum Quiz 2

Friday, November 13, 2009 at 10:20 PM
So I finally got past this week, where I spent almost all my time studying. I think I listened to music all day today, first to get myself in the right mood for my test, and then to celebrate finishing my test. Now I'm in NYC, to enjoy the weekend before studying hard for another quiz on Tuesday. gogogogeorge. Tomorrow will be a fun day in NYC, capped by delicious korean bbq, and karaoke (ugh).

I'll leave you with two interesting quotes that a professor said today in class:

1. "blah blah blah grain boundary grooving....huh Grain boundaries that are groovy! I like that haha." Apparently grain boundary + groovy was funny for him.

2. "now, this wire, or nano wire if you want to be sexy, exhibits......." The man called a nano wire sexy.

Just Do It

Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Just Do It, George.

....

LET'S DO IT.

Veterans' Day

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 5:44 PM
How remiss of me. I almost forgot to make a tribute to the men and women who volunteer their time and health to defend the country. Talking about the sacrifices that the military makes for us citizens is something that seems almost cliche and automatic now. You hear it all the time from politicians, from average people everywhere.

Well, let me say, everything that is praised about the military is true. The nation is defended by people who volunteer their lives. Think of it this way: would you serve to defend the country? Most likely you'll say yes, but maybe, inside you'll think no. I certainly won't divulge my thoughts on the matter. I only know that I'm sitting here in my room, stressing out about school when service members are stressing out about IED's or shit. Therefore, I will be grateful for the protection that others have graciously given.

One last thing: never fault the military. Always remember that it is us, the civilians, who order the military to do things that we can't do ourselves.

God bless to the men and women in uniforms who guard us as we sleep.

Hell

at 2:41 PM
When I first got here, I saw graffiti labeling MIT as a very unpleasant place. An example would be on Harvard bridge, with the words "This way to Hell" pointed towards MIT. It seemed pretty funny at that time, but it's no longer so.

I have to say, MIT is a very, very challenging place. Prepare to give it your all if you are here. I'm definitely starting to do that. Furthermore, it's very emotionally taxing, as MIT forces you to look at your inadequacies, and tests you on how well you can work through them. Let this be a warning to all future prospective students.

It does seem like Hell at times, yet I know I'm being pushed, something that doesn't happen very often. This is unequivocally, a good thing. We'll see in a few weeks whether I'm staying here or not. Until then, wish me luck everyone!

Guy Shaving in Bathroom

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 3:58 PM
I just came back from using the bathroom by my office. I happened to see a guy standing at the sink as I walk in, nothing really noticeable. However, as I finish my business and go wash my hands, I see fucking short hairs at the sink. Like all over, in the bowl, on the faucet and handles. Wtf! People shave at work?? Not to mention, it's 7pm, so it's not like someone was shaving after working all night at the office. The guy didn't even have the decency to clean up his mess.

Some people...

Giving Space in Relationships

at 12:21 PM
I guess I'm going on a relationship meme, after spending so long on MIT related issues. Today's topic will be about giving space in a relationship. This is a tricky matter, one that I'm sure almost every couple must deal with at some point. Feeling caged up by your significant other is inevitable; it's very rare for a couple to desire one another in exactly the same way, at exactly the same times. Then, how does one deal with such problems?

Let's examine some more fundamental issues here. When two people pair up who have different levels and types of needs, it is inevitable that one or both of them will end up going out of their comfort zones to satisfy the other. Perhaps they meet halfway, or perhaps one is more willing than the other to compromise.

To navigate this, it's important for both members of a couple to understand both sides. It's important to understand that while spending time with your significant other is a joyful activity, there are other things in life that are worth pursuing too. It is a common trap for many people, especially young adults, to fall into the trap of thinking that your significant other is the sole purpose in your life. (Largest purpose vs. only purpose)

In contrast, it's equally important for the other party to sympathize with the needy person. You must understand that some things are done unselfishly, in a relationship. For a relationship to be successful, there must be much sacrifice from both sides. Thus, you must remember to satisfy your needy significant other. The essential matter to remember is, this needy person is important to you. While you may not wish to spend so much time with them, you do want to see them happy.

Each couple needs to decide what extent each of the views are carried out from the previous two paragraphs are taken.

Bah, this was not one of my better posts. I wish I could've presented things more clearly. Perhaps I'll work on that later.

Feeling Down

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 4:59 PM
I'm in a very emotionally depressed period of my life right now. My interests at school have become near-absent, and my out of school life here has been non-existant. My personal life elsewhere is also..eh..a struggle. I would like at least one portion of my life to be care-free.

I wonder, if any other first-year grad students go through moments like these? They must. I talked with a best friend recently, and he said his first few years in undergrad were similar. No real friends, no interest in school. He felt like there was nothing worth living for in Ann Arbor, at least in the moment. Things changed for him, when he met a friend. This was a special friend, someone who connected with him on a deep down level. At last, there was something outside of school to enjoy, someone to experience life with. He called meeting his first friend at school, a "godsend".

Everyone is afraid of being lonely, even the so-called "loners". How do I know this? Have you ever seen a "loner" who was cheerful? Maybe content at best. But cheerful, happy, joyful? Yeah, didn't think so. No one wants to go through life alone.

The most precious thing in life is a friend that life can be shared with. I suppose that's why so many people had imaginary friends when they were young. Someone to always be with you, to feel good for you, to comfort you, to protect you. As adults, our minds are more perceptive of reality, and so we turn to finding some person who can fill this role.

Most of succeed, though some of us fail. If you're one of the lucky ones, take a moment to reflect on how fortunate you've been. It's easy to forget what you have when it's with you all the time. I know I've been guilty of this in the past. Consider the less fortunate ones. I'll always remember the story of a 40 year old divorced motivational speaker who cheated on his wife. He now remembers everyday what it was like to come home to his wife and kids, and how he lives by himself in an apartment now, giving motivational speeches against cheating.

This post is dedicated to my special partner. You know who you are.

-Howitzer

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