Wow, I can't believe Chelsie was voted off of SYTYCD today. Even though I'm a fan of Courtney, I thought she didn't do as well as Chelsie last night.
Unfortunately, I think that the Asian chick is going to win it all, especially since I've heard the judges pick the ultimate winner. It's not that I don't like her because she's Asian. It's that I don't like her because she's unattractive.
It sucks that the tour is coming to Baltimore on a Monday.
----
Since the greatest show ever (aka Veronica Mars) has gone off the air and I already have all the DVDs, I needed a new show to watch and preferably one on DVD. Well, I remembered the short-lived but excellent dramedy called Wonderfalls that aired on Fox a few years ago and decided to buy it on amazon.
I have to admit I'm a little disappointed because I remember the show being a lot funnier (and the main chick being a lot hotter). It's kind of eerie to see the similarities between Wonderfalls and Veronica Mars though - both have a teenage girl as their main characters and very quick witty dialogue. And it's even stranger that I'm drawn to shows like this.
The show's about an Ivy League graduate who works in a Niagara Falls gift shop, and through some strange event, inanimate objects start telling her to do (usually bad, dangerous, and sometimes illegal/unethical) things.
What makes the show so creative and inventive is how the simple commands can be interpreted to mean different things. Well, that and the fact that her family is insane and she's usually reluctant to help anyone, ever.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Management Styles
It's been interesting to see the different styles of management I've experienced since I started working.
I was sort of thrown into a project at my first job and didn't really have a manager for the first few few months. After I was assigned to a real team though, I found out that the guy sitting in the cubicle next to me (and who started a few weeks after I did) was going to be my new manager. I also found out that he had never really been a project lead before. Needless to say, I was skeptical of his leadership abilities and unfortunately that didn't change much over time. He knew his technologies pretty well but I think that clouded his judgment a lot and also closed his mind to suggestions by others.
My second manager was actually another programmer on the previous team. When the first company split into a commercial offshoot, he was promoted to be a project lead. We worked together pretty closely before (bonded more by our dislike of the management style of the former lead than perhaps anything else), and so the new structure worked out pretty well. I can see how in some situations there could be a lot of bitterness concerning the promotion since we both worked at the company for essentially the same amount of time, but that wasn't the case at all. I felt the team ran a lot smoother since he knew both our strengths and weaknesses and ideas were more free-flowing than before.
At my current company, the management structure is actually pretty similar to my co-op at IBM back in college. I have a manager and then a project lead. My main interactions with my manager have been personnel-related (timesheets, performance evaluations, etc.), and all of my tasks have been assigned by the project lead. Although I haven't worked with my manager much, everyone has said that he's an incredibly hard worker and very open to the opinions of others. I've seen the same thing in my project lead.
People become managers for different reasons and take different paths to get there. However, from my own experiences, the most effective teams have leaders who are willing to listen to everyone's opinion and want to consider all options before moving forward. The most effective leaders are those that set an example by working hard themselves and offering their own innovative opinions.
I was sort of thrown into a project at my first job and didn't really have a manager for the first few few months. After I was assigned to a real team though, I found out that the guy sitting in the cubicle next to me (and who started a few weeks after I did) was going to be my new manager. I also found out that he had never really been a project lead before. Needless to say, I was skeptical of his leadership abilities and unfortunately that didn't change much over time. He knew his technologies pretty well but I think that clouded his judgment a lot and also closed his mind to suggestions by others.
My second manager was actually another programmer on the previous team. When the first company split into a commercial offshoot, he was promoted to be a project lead. We worked together pretty closely before (bonded more by our dislike of the management style of the former lead than perhaps anything else), and so the new structure worked out pretty well. I can see how in some situations there could be a lot of bitterness concerning the promotion since we both worked at the company for essentially the same amount of time, but that wasn't the case at all. I felt the team ran a lot smoother since he knew both our strengths and weaknesses and ideas were more free-flowing than before.
At my current company, the management structure is actually pretty similar to my co-op at IBM back in college. I have a manager and then a project lead. My main interactions with my manager have been personnel-related (timesheets, performance evaluations, etc.), and all of my tasks have been assigned by the project lead. Although I haven't worked with my manager much, everyone has said that he's an incredibly hard worker and very open to the opinions of others. I've seen the same thing in my project lead.
People become managers for different reasons and take different paths to get there. However, from my own experiences, the most effective teams have leaders who are willing to listen to everyone's opinion and want to consider all options before moving forward. The most effective leaders are those that set an example by working hard themselves and offering their own innovative opinions.
My new social life
Back in Dallas, my friend circle consisted mostly of people who did the same thing I did: sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours a day. Sadly, our conversations at parties oftentimes turned to the latest technologies and problems with certain programming languages (after we got tired of gossiping about people who weren't at the party ;) ).
Well, here in DC, my new social life has consisted of going to random parties where I've met the host maybe once or twice and didn't know anyone else. Sure, it's sort of awkward at first, but a little bit of alcohol, food, and some fun party games and it's like you've known the people forever.
The random party on Friday was hosted by my sister's good friends and they had a Christmas in July theme. I was a little hesitant to go at first since it seemed like a close knit group and was far away, but I had a great time and everyone was really friendly. There was even a girl there who went to UT!
We also went to drop my sister off in NYC this weekend. Her project in Belgium didn't get an extension so she'll be working on a project in NY again. I visited my high school friend in NYC and it was pretty interesting to hear all his med school horror stories. If I had known that there were so many attractive girls in med school, I may have switched majors ;) although it sounds like their shifts are ridiculous (his roommate had just finished a 27-hour shift with only one 40-minute break!).
Well, here in DC, my new social life has consisted of going to random parties where I've met the host maybe once or twice and didn't know anyone else. Sure, it's sort of awkward at first, but a little bit of alcohol, food, and some fun party games and it's like you've known the people forever.
The random party on Friday was hosted by my sister's good friends and they had a Christmas in July theme. I was a little hesitant to go at first since it seemed like a close knit group and was far away, but I had a great time and everyone was really friendly. There was even a girl there who went to UT!
We also went to drop my sister off in NYC this weekend. Her project in Belgium didn't get an extension so she'll be working on a project in NY again. I visited my high school friend in NYC and it was pretty interesting to hear all his med school horror stories. If I had known that there were so many attractive girls in med school, I may have switched majors ;) although it sounds like their shifts are ridiculous (his roommate had just finished a 27-hour shift with only one 40-minute break!).
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The Holocaust isn't funny?
Bert: Hey, Ernie, uh, you know that you have a banana in your ear?
Ernie: (Loudly) What was that, Bert?
Bert: I said, you have a banana in your ear, Ernie.
Ernie: (Very loud) Whaddya say, Bert?
Bert: (Yelling) WILL YOU JUST TAKE THAT BANANA OUTTA YOUR EAR!
Ernie: (Yelling back) I’M SORRY, BERT, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER!
I CAN’T HEAR YOU! I HAVE A BANANA IN MY EAR!
As I mentioned in my last post, my friend from Delaware came to visit this weekend and it was a lot of fun.
We saw two shows from the Capital Fringe Festival: one was a stand-up comic who related his life stories as episodes from a soap opera, and the second was labeled a comedy on the website, but turned out to be incredibly serious and depressing.
I suppose the synopsis for the second show didn't really sound humorous (the German chancellor invites 6 million Jews back to Germany and examining the repercussions of his decision), but we still thought there was a chance. That idea quickly dissolved about 15 minutes into the show when 2 characters had already died and there were no jokes.
The comic was pretty funny though, so 1 for 2 isn't bad.
In between shows, we met up with my (only) friend in DC and some of her friends at the Jim Henson exhibit at the Smithsonian. I had no idea he had created so many other shows and characters besides Sesame Street and The Muppets. They had Kermit and Bert & Ernie on display as well as some other characters - but no sign of Elmo, Grover or Miss Piggy.
Fun fact: Kermit only ended up being green because the first one was made of Jim's mother's coat.
Fun fact #2: Oscar the Grouch was originally drawn purple, and he was orange in his first season, before taking on his familiar green color.
Ernie: (Loudly) What was that, Bert?
Bert: I said, you have a banana in your ear, Ernie.
Ernie: (Very loud) Whaddya say, Bert?
Bert: (Yelling) WILL YOU JUST TAKE THAT BANANA OUTTA YOUR EAR!
Ernie: (Yelling back) I’M SORRY, BERT, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER!
I CAN’T HEAR YOU! I HAVE A BANANA IN MY EAR!
As I mentioned in my last post, my friend from Delaware came to visit this weekend and it was a lot of fun.
We saw two shows from the Capital Fringe Festival: one was a stand-up comic who related his life stories as episodes from a soap opera, and the second was labeled a comedy on the website, but turned out to be incredibly serious and depressing.
I suppose the synopsis for the second show didn't really sound humorous (the German chancellor invites 6 million Jews back to Germany and examining the repercussions of his decision), but we still thought there was a chance. That idea quickly dissolved about 15 minutes into the show when 2 characters had already died and there were no jokes.
The comic was pretty funny though, so 1 for 2 isn't bad.
In between shows, we met up with my (only) friend in DC and some of her friends at the Jim Henson exhibit at the Smithsonian. I had no idea he had created so many other shows and characters besides Sesame Street and The Muppets. They had Kermit and Bert & Ernie on display as well as some other characters - but no sign of Elmo, Grover or Miss Piggy.
Fun fact: Kermit only ended up being green because the first one was made of Jim's mother's coat.
Fun fact #2: Oscar the Grouch was originally drawn purple, and he was orange in his first season, before taking on his familiar green color.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Eye Doctor
Is it just me or are female doctors getting a lot hotter?
I went to get my eyes checked today for 2 main reasons. 1) I haven't gotten new eyeglasses in a really, really long time - close to 8 years. 2) It was free - my vision insurance covers eye exams, lenses, and a good amount of the cost of frames, so why not?
First the nurse (or the optometry equivalent of a nurse) ran a bunch of visual tests. The worst was when she put these eye drops and then ran this light DIRECTLY into my eye, mumbling something about how I wouldn't feel a thing. Well, I might not feel it, but I'm not about to let some strange light into my eye. Yeah, I think that test took longer than it should. Oh, and then she put some more eye drops before she left, saying that they would leave my pupils dilated. I wasn't really sure what that meant, but she managed to say that I wouldn't be able to see anything at a close distance for 3-4 hours. Um, but can I go back to work on a computer right after this? Of course, she said yes, but the answer was really no.. I had to push my laptop way back on my desk to even vaguely make out what was on the screen.
Then the (hot, blonde) doctor came in and ran pretty much the same tests as the nurse. It always amuses me that nurses spend more time and run more tests than doctors, and yet they get paid way less and get less respect.
It turns out I've developed a slight astigmatism, just like my sister and mom. It was weird finding out that my left eye is weaker than my right eye. I always have both eyes open. It's not like I drive or work with my left eye closed or something.. I wonder how that happened.
My friend from Delaware is visiting this weekend and my sister is coming back to the US (for good this time!) on Monday. We need to help her move to NYC sometime in the next couple of weekends, my Delawarean friend is coming back to DC in a few weeks, and my family bought tickets for this cheesy Bollywood program in Atlantic City at the beginning of August. For knowing so few people in the area, we somehow have a pretty busy schedule!
I went to get my eyes checked today for 2 main reasons. 1) I haven't gotten new eyeglasses in a really, really long time - close to 8 years. 2) It was free - my vision insurance covers eye exams, lenses, and a good amount of the cost of frames, so why not?
First the nurse (or the optometry equivalent of a nurse) ran a bunch of visual tests. The worst was when she put these eye drops and then ran this light DIRECTLY into my eye, mumbling something about how I wouldn't feel a thing. Well, I might not feel it, but I'm not about to let some strange light into my eye. Yeah, I think that test took longer than it should. Oh, and then she put some more eye drops before she left, saying that they would leave my pupils dilated. I wasn't really sure what that meant, but she managed to say that I wouldn't be able to see anything at a close distance for 3-4 hours. Um, but can I go back to work on a computer right after this? Of course, she said yes, but the answer was really no.. I had to push my laptop way back on my desk to even vaguely make out what was on the screen.
Then the (hot, blonde) doctor came in and ran pretty much the same tests as the nurse. It always amuses me that nurses spend more time and run more tests than doctors, and yet they get paid way less and get less respect.
It turns out I've developed a slight astigmatism, just like my sister and mom. It was weird finding out that my left eye is weaker than my right eye. I always have both eyes open. It's not like I drive or work with my left eye closed or something.. I wonder how that happened.
My friend from Delaware is visiting this weekend and my sister is coming back to the US (for good this time!) on Monday. We need to help her move to NYC sometime in the next couple of weekends, my Delawarean friend is coming back to DC in a few weeks, and my family bought tickets for this cheesy Bollywood program in Atlantic City at the beginning of August. For knowing so few people in the area, we somehow have a pretty busy schedule!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Racism
The cover of the recent New Yorker illuminates and exposes the racial undertones of this election. What's probably most interesting about the whole thing is that it's not even Obama's political opponents who were responsible. For some reason, the self-righteous people at the New Yorker thought that the cover was a brilliant satire of the common misconceptions leveled against the Obamas.
Unfortunately, since the cover has no words and only contains these striking images, many uninformed and uneducated people will walk by the magazine in their local grocery store and will form misguided opinions about them.
The most common misconception about Obama is that he's Muslim. While most people would disagree with this especially after the whole issue with the reverend showed that he was a devout member of his church, there's some people (my mom and her elders included) that believe you inherit the religion of your father.
At first, I thought it was only my mother who held these beliefs. But later I found out that other people, like her aunt and uncle and some of their friends, expressed the same feelings. I suppose it has a lot to do with how they were brought up, but I still think it's unfortunate that in their view, one can never truly escape their roots.
Unfortunately, since the cover has no words and only contains these striking images, many uninformed and uneducated people will walk by the magazine in their local grocery store and will form misguided opinions about them.
The most common misconception about Obama is that he's Muslim. While most people would disagree with this especially after the whole issue with the reverend showed that he was a devout member of his church, there's some people (my mom and her elders included) that believe you inherit the religion of your father.
At first, I thought it was only my mother who held these beliefs. But later I found out that other people, like her aunt and uncle and some of their friends, expressed the same feelings. I suppose it has a lot to do with how they were brought up, but I still think it's unfortunate that in their view, one can never truly escape their roots.
Friday, July 04, 2008
$, family
My mom watches this show on the Indian channel, and she's become a big fan of the doctor who practices/prescribes ayurvedic treatments. Apparently, he tours the US every year and came to our town this week. We had to wait for 2 hours in a stuffy hotel room (even though we had an appointment!) and he basically felt my pulse for 2 seconds and then prescribed a bunch of herbal remedies without really asking any questions. I felt ripped off. It was the biggest waste of $100 since I saw Mystere in Las Vegas a few years ago.
My sister's been visiting this week from Belgium. She has a (very well-deserved) break between projects and it happened to fall on the 4th of July too so she decided to come here. It's been really nice having her here and everyone seems to be in a much better mood when she's around.
My family is terrible at making decisions. Person A will place the responsibility on Person B, and if Person B has a good idea, Person A will invariably be upset about the idea. We didn't have a plan for the evening until about 5pm. There's supposedly a great fireworks display at the lake near our home, so we waited with the other throngs of people at the corner. For some reason, the 50 or so other people had never seen the display before either, because the fireworks were way too low and there were huge trees blocking our view.
Happy 4th!
My sister's been visiting this week from Belgium. She has a (very well-deserved) break between projects and it happened to fall on the 4th of July too so she decided to come here. It's been really nice having her here and everyone seems to be in a much better mood when she's around.
My family is terrible at making decisions. Person A will place the responsibility on Person B, and if Person B has a good idea, Person A will invariably be upset about the idea. We didn't have a plan for the evening until about 5pm. There's supposedly a great fireworks display at the lake near our home, so we waited with the other throngs of people at the corner. For some reason, the 50 or so other people had never seen the display before either, because the fireworks were way too low and there were huge trees blocking our view.
Happy 4th!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Gender Gap
From Brain Rules:
When girl best friends communicate with each other, they lean in, maintain eye contact, and do a lot of talking. They use their sophisticated verbal talents to cement their relationships. Boys never do this. They rarely face each other directly, preferring either parallel or oblique angels. They make little eye contact, their gaze always casting about the room. They do not use verbal information to to cement their relationships. Instead, commotion seems to be the central currency of a little boy's social economy. Doing things physically together is the glue that holds their relationships intact.
I found that to be pretty interesting, and mostly true, based on my own interactions and those I've observed between females in general.
When girl best friends communicate with each other, they lean in, maintain eye contact, and do a lot of talking. They use their sophisticated verbal talents to cement their relationships. Boys never do this. They rarely face each other directly, preferring either parallel or oblique angels. They make little eye contact, their gaze always casting about the room. They do not use verbal information to to cement their relationships. Instead, commotion seems to be the central currency of a little boy's social economy. Doing things physically together is the glue that holds their relationships intact.
I found that to be pretty interesting, and mostly true, based on my own interactions and those I've observed between females in general.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Miss me?
We're having company this weekend. My mom's friend's family from India is visiting them, and they're staying with us on Friday and Saturday nights. So, it'll be 10 people sleeping in the house for 2 nights. Luckily, I don't think I'll have to share the basement.
They should create some sort of email protocol to exclude addresses on listservs. For example, if you have a list where everyone communicates regularly, but have specific messages that only certain people are interested in, it would be really useful to exclude other people off that email. I don't know if that made any sense, but it's a really good idea ;)
A while back, they asked us if we wanted to get Macs at work. They said it was highly unlikely we would get them even if we requested it since they had to show a substantial business justification due to the higher expense. Well, I requested one and it looks like it's a done deal! We should be getting them sometime next week. I use a Mac at home now, but to be honest, I still don't know how to do a lot of things on it. I've always been a Mac wannabe, and really didn't think we'd actually get Macs... I guess I'll have to learn how to be productive on it quickly!
There's a ridiculous amount of useful information that could be analyzed on someone's Facebook page. In addition to the info users choose to enter, there's also a lot of data from photos, wall postings, and friend circles. Assuming you use profiles that are updated on a fairly regular basis, it's possible to draw a fairly accurate portrait of a person just through this info.
Have you seen the new Daylife widget on the side? I know I mentioned the site before when it first launched, but my cousin had his picture and an article in BusinessWeek recently and the site has improved a LOT since it first went live. Here's a link to his (mostly work-related) blog.
They should create some sort of email protocol to exclude addresses on listservs. For example, if you have a list where everyone communicates regularly, but have specific messages that only certain people are interested in, it would be really useful to exclude other people off that email. I don't know if that made any sense, but it's a really good idea ;)
A while back, they asked us if we wanted to get Macs at work. They said it was highly unlikely we would get them even if we requested it since they had to show a substantial business justification due to the higher expense. Well, I requested one and it looks like it's a done deal! We should be getting them sometime next week. I use a Mac at home now, but to be honest, I still don't know how to do a lot of things on it. I've always been a Mac wannabe, and really didn't think we'd actually get Macs... I guess I'll have to learn how to be productive on it quickly!
There's a ridiculous amount of useful information that could be analyzed on someone's Facebook page. In addition to the info users choose to enter, there's also a lot of data from photos, wall postings, and friend circles. Assuming you use profiles that are updated on a fairly regular basis, it's possible to draw a fairly accurate portrait of a person just through this info.
Have you seen the new Daylife widget on the side? I know I mentioned the site before when it first launched, but my cousin had his picture and an article in BusinessWeek recently and the site has improved a LOT since it first went live. Here's a link to his (mostly work-related) blog.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Dallas
Get closer to your home base, whatever that means to you. It could be family, your place of birth or the home office, but you should find that you feel more confident and relaxed there.
That was my horoscope for Friday, and it couldn't have been more accurate. I returned to Dallas this weekend for my friend's wedding. It was great to see everyone and I think it's fair to say that I consider the city my "home base." Since I knew very few people when I first moved there, I had to create my own friend circle. Even though I met most of them through work, everyone has moved on to other companies yet still keeps in touch. Coincidentally, the couple that was getting married met through this very friend circle.
I was supposed to fly in on Friday night, and had even organized a little homecoming party (I'm a little vain and self-centered, so what?) for my arrival. But since the airline industry sucks, and especially American Airlines, my flight got canceled and I wasn't able to get there until 9am the next morning!
Needless to say, the entire weekend was pretty busy. I had lunch with some friends on Saturday who weren't invited to the wedding and then had about an hour to kill before all the groomsmen had to be at the venue to get dressed. It was a pretty short ceremony (which was good since being a groomsman and having to stand still in uncomfortable shoes for a long period of time is not fun), and we actually spent more time taking pictures afterwards.
I have to admit I got a little reflective during the ceremony since I (like most of the people in the room) saw their relationship from the beginning. It did make me question to some extent whether I should have done more during that same time period. I certainly don't want to follow their path (divorce, dating, child, and marriage in 1.5 years is a bit fast), but I also don't think I've grown/achieved as much as I could have.
It was supposed to be a dry reception, but my friends are creative and crafty (and huge lushes) and managed to sneak liquor in. Since it started at 6pm, the entire thing including ceremony and reception was finished by 10pm. We continued the partying at my friend's place afterwards and I didn't get to bed until 3am.
We played Truth or Dare (actually our modified version, Truth or Truth), and this time it got a little rough and very personal -- we had played it at a previous party but it was more light-hearted and fun (e.g. if you were gay, which co-worker would you sleep with). I don't think we should play that game ever again. Let's just leave it at that. There's probably some truths that are better left unknown.
It was a little sad leaving this time, since I honestly don't know when I"ll be back or if I'll see some of them again.
That was my horoscope for Friday, and it couldn't have been more accurate. I returned to Dallas this weekend for my friend's wedding. It was great to see everyone and I think it's fair to say that I consider the city my "home base." Since I knew very few people when I first moved there, I had to create my own friend circle. Even though I met most of them through work, everyone has moved on to other companies yet still keeps in touch. Coincidentally, the couple that was getting married met through this very friend circle.
I was supposed to fly in on Friday night, and had even organized a little homecoming party (I'm a little vain and self-centered, so what?) for my arrival. But since the airline industry sucks, and especially American Airlines, my flight got canceled and I wasn't able to get there until 9am the next morning!
Needless to say, the entire weekend was pretty busy. I had lunch with some friends on Saturday who weren't invited to the wedding and then had about an hour to kill before all the groomsmen had to be at the venue to get dressed. It was a pretty short ceremony (which was good since being a groomsman and having to stand still in uncomfortable shoes for a long period of time is not fun), and we actually spent more time taking pictures afterwards.
I have to admit I got a little reflective during the ceremony since I (like most of the people in the room) saw their relationship from the beginning. It did make me question to some extent whether I should have done more during that same time period. I certainly don't want to follow their path (divorce, dating, child, and marriage in 1.5 years is a bit fast), but I also don't think I've grown/achieved as much as I could have.
It was supposed to be a dry reception, but my friends are creative and crafty (and huge lushes) and managed to sneak liquor in. Since it started at 6pm, the entire thing including ceremony and reception was finished by 10pm. We continued the partying at my friend's place afterwards and I didn't get to bed until 3am.
We played Truth or Dare (actually our modified version, Truth or Truth), and this time it got a little rough and very personal -- we had played it at a previous party but it was more light-hearted and fun (e.g. if you were gay, which co-worker would you sleep with). I don't think we should play that game ever again. Let's just leave it at that. There's probably some truths that are better left unknown.
It was a little sad leaving this time, since I honestly don't know when I"ll be back or if I'll see some of them again.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Race
I neglected to mention in my last post that I was the only Indian at the party. Not a huge surprise really, most of the time I went anywhere in Dallas, I was the only Indian. This was a little different though, since there was only one white person and everyone else was black. I had never really hung out with black people before (my best friend in Dallas notwithstanding), but everyone was pretty friendly and cool to hang out with.
Obama finally clinched the Democratic nomination. It's still hard to believe, from lots of different angles.
- He had little political experience.
- He didn't even have a brand-name (Bush didn't really have political experience either, but at least he had a name). In fact, his name could very easily have worked against him - and might still in the general election.
- He was running against the entire Democratic establishment - everyone had written him off before he even started.
- By not taking money from lobbyists, he had to work even harder to raise money.
It's also interesting that a black person got the nomination before a woman, when the former was given the right to vote in 1965 while the latter was granted it in the 1920's.
It should be a very interesting election. The party's just getting started.
Obama finally clinched the Democratic nomination. It's still hard to believe, from lots of different angles.
- He had little political experience.
- He didn't even have a brand-name (Bush didn't really have political experience either, but at least he had a name). In fact, his name could very easily have worked against him - and might still in the general election.
- He was running against the entire Democratic establishment - everyone had written him off before he even started.
- By not taking money from lobbyists, he had to work even harder to raise money.
It's also interesting that a black person got the nomination before a woman, when the former was given the right to vote in 1965 while the latter was granted it in the 1920's.
It should be a very interesting election. The party's just getting started.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Weekend Fun
The last two weekends were pretty fun, and I'm really looking forward to this one.
I already wrote about Atlantic City, so I'll just recap last weekend.
I went to my first real party on Saturday! My friend in Dallas has a college friend who lives in the DC area and she was nice enough to invite me to her housewarming party. I was a little worried at first, since I wouldn't know anyone else there, but I later found out that most people didn't know each other either.
After everyone was feeling loose after some food and drinks, we played Taboo and Mafia. I had never played Taboo before, and my guess is that our Mafia game was more unruly that normal.
All in all, it was a pretty fun party and it was interesting to meet some people who work in different fields (most of them were lawyers or teachers).
I already wrote about Atlantic City, so I'll just recap last weekend.
I went to my first real party on Saturday! My friend in Dallas has a college friend who lives in the DC area and she was nice enough to invite me to her housewarming party. I was a little worried at first, since I wouldn't know anyone else there, but I later found out that most people didn't know each other either.
After everyone was feeling loose after some food and drinks, we played Taboo and Mafia. I had never played Taboo before, and my guess is that our Mafia game was more unruly that normal.
All in all, it was a pretty fun party and it was interesting to meet some people who work in different fields (most of them were lawyers or teachers).
Monday, May 26, 2008
Atlantic City
Well, that was pretty fun.
I spent the majority of Memorial Day weekend in AC with my friend from Delaware and his girlfriend. I went there a few years ago in the dead of winter, but was with my family so the Boardwalk wasn't open and no one wanted to gamble. Needless to say, the city isn't much fun without those two things.
It's interesting to see how the entire dynamic of a trip can change when a female is present. And not just any female, but a girlfriend. I'm glad she came though, because my friend could easily have lost more money if she wasn't there to stop him from gambling. I've been accused (unfairly, I think) of egging people on and convincing them to go further than they want.
So yeah, he didn't do so well. He won in one game called Sic Bo, which is basically betting on the rolls of dice - no, it's not craps, because it's only based on one roll. I found it amusing how many times he got carded. He's 25, but looks a lot younger, and everyone carded him - at blackjack, poker, even Sic Bo! Who the fuck even plays Sic Bo? I think even if he was younger than 21 they should have let him play that game.
I, on the other hand, did the best I've ever done in a casino! I made $300 dollars playing poker. I was afraid at first to play NL since I thought people would bet ridiculous amounts and I wouldn't be able to call, but I got some pretty good cards and was able to do fairly well.
My favorite hand was when I flopped a full house, and then turned quads! The poor Southern girl next to me also had a full house, so she lost a good amount of money to me :(
The scariest moment was when a guy went all-in for $90 and I only had trips. I guess calling ended up being a good play because he had trips too, just a lower kicker.
Yeah, so if you ever go to a casino, and have a little patience, I suggest you play poker. It's definitely your best bet. Oh, and sorry if you didn't understand those two previous paragraphs - I'm just excited about my hands and actually remember what I had for the first time.
I spent the majority of Memorial Day weekend in AC with my friend from Delaware and his girlfriend. I went there a few years ago in the dead of winter, but was with my family so the Boardwalk wasn't open and no one wanted to gamble. Needless to say, the city isn't much fun without those two things.
It's interesting to see how the entire dynamic of a trip can change when a female is present. And not just any female, but a girlfriend. I'm glad she came though, because my friend could easily have lost more money if she wasn't there to stop him from gambling. I've been accused (unfairly, I think) of egging people on and convincing them to go further than they want.
So yeah, he didn't do so well. He won in one game called Sic Bo, which is basically betting on the rolls of dice - no, it's not craps, because it's only based on one roll. I found it amusing how many times he got carded. He's 25, but looks a lot younger, and everyone carded him - at blackjack, poker, even Sic Bo! Who the fuck even plays Sic Bo? I think even if he was younger than 21 they should have let him play that game.
I, on the other hand, did the best I've ever done in a casino! I made $300 dollars playing poker. I was afraid at first to play NL since I thought people would bet ridiculous amounts and I wouldn't be able to call, but I got some pretty good cards and was able to do fairly well.
My favorite hand was when I flopped a full house, and then turned quads! The poor Southern girl next to me also had a full house, so she lost a good amount of money to me :(
The scariest moment was when a guy went all-in for $90 and I only had trips. I guess calling ended up being a good play because he had trips too, just a lower kicker.
Yeah, so if you ever go to a casino, and have a little patience, I suggest you play poker. It's definitely your best bet. Oh, and sorry if you didn't understand those two previous paragraphs - I'm just excited about my hands and actually remember what I had for the first time.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Work Musings
I attended a training session at work today and my suspicions about the company were confirmed: most of the people are in "Gen-X" - born between 1963-1980.
10% (only 4 people) were in "Gen-Y" - me, another Indian guy, a knocked-up Hispanic woman, and a hot brunette who looks like she just graduated college.
The sad part was when the instructor told everyone if they didn't know a word, they could always go to urbandictionary.com. More than half the people in the room actually wrote it down! Really? People hadn't heard of the site? Yikes.
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I'm a big fan of all the free food at the company - free breakfasts on pay days, and free lunches for special occasions, like the monthly CEO talks or during training sessions. It comes out to free food at least 4 or 5 times a month. And that doesn't even count pizza during lunch meetings.
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Two managers in my group admitted to receiving more than 100 daily emails that they needed to personally respond to - ranging from 6am to 11pm at night.
My project lead was the only person in the training session who claimed to work more than 60 hours a week.
10% (only 4 people) were in "Gen-Y" - me, another Indian guy, a knocked-up Hispanic woman, and a hot brunette who looks like she just graduated college.
The sad part was when the instructor told everyone if they didn't know a word, they could always go to urbandictionary.com. More than half the people in the room actually wrote it down! Really? People hadn't heard of the site? Yikes.
------
I'm a big fan of all the free food at the company - free breakfasts on pay days, and free lunches for special occasions, like the monthly CEO talks or during training sessions. It comes out to free food at least 4 or 5 times a month. And that doesn't even count pizza during lunch meetings.
-------
Two managers in my group admitted to receiving more than 100 daily emails that they needed to personally respond to - ranging from 6am to 11pm at night.
My project lead was the only person in the training session who claimed to work more than 60 hours a week.
Friday, May 16, 2008
A Rose
- My friend's cell phone address book was filled with only people's first names, except for cases where there were two people with the same name. And for some reason, she had my full name too. I have no idea why and she just smiled when I asked her.
- My new project manager at work has something similar for his IM contact list. Mostly just first names, but then for me, it's full name.
- I work with a bunch of Indians, and they spell/say my name "Sumit." Really? Even when you're writing an email and it's spelled right in front of you? It's very annoying but I don't want to be an asshole and tell them. Not yet, anyway.
- My new project manager at work has something similar for his IM contact list. Mostly just first names, but then for me, it's full name.
- I work with a bunch of Indians, and they spell/say my name "Sumit." Really? Even when you're writing an email and it's spelled right in front of you? It's very annoying but I don't want to be an asshole and tell them. Not yet, anyway.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Birthday Woes
My birthday sucked this year.
Last year, 20+ people celebrated with me. This year, more than half of them probably didn't even remember that it was my birthday (or just forgot about me entirely).
Facebook wall posts on your birthday seem to be the new measuring stick of popularity. Even if you never talk to most of your Facebook friends, everyone seems to come out of the woodwork to wish you a happy birthday. Well, I noticed that although I got some wall posts (thanks everyone who posted!), no white people. Curious.
I also only got one real gift this year (but it was an awesome one!). Sure, I didn't get too many the last couple of years, but at least I had the company of a lot of my close friends so I didn't really notice.
Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate that my sister and my friend in Delaware both went out of their way to make the day special. I just wish that certain other people would have remembered too.
Last year, 20+ people celebrated with me. This year, more than half of them probably didn't even remember that it was my birthday (or just forgot about me entirely).
Facebook wall posts on your birthday seem to be the new measuring stick of popularity. Even if you never talk to most of your Facebook friends, everyone seems to come out of the woodwork to wish you a happy birthday. Well, I noticed that although I got some wall posts (thanks everyone who posted!), no white people. Curious.
I also only got one real gift this year (but it was an awesome one!). Sure, I didn't get too many the last couple of years, but at least I had the company of a lot of my close friends so I didn't really notice.
Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate that my sister and my friend in Delaware both went out of their way to make the day special. I just wish that certain other people would have remembered too.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Try and keep up
The movers finally came on Friday. The only thing I really missed was my clothes.. I had 3 suitcases and 2.5 boxes full of them (is that too many for a guy?).
Oh, and of course, the evil eye. I put it above my bed tonight so things will be good now.
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My birthday will be a lot more chill (aka not as fun) this year compared to the last few years. Those were probably my favorite nights in Dallas since it was all about me and my friends tried their hardest to come out even if they didn't come out normally. My friend in Delaware is driving down on Friday night though so it'll still be memorable.
My other friend in Dallas came up last weekend to celebrate his birthday so now I know at least a couple fun areas in DC. It didn't come easily though. There's one corner where there's like 4 or 5 clubs literally next door to each other (and where I randomly saw the one family friend I know in the area) and then another club on the other side of town. So we tried to find the corner again from the crosstown bar and somehow ended up on the gayest block in the gay neighborhood. After getting a drink at the one bar where the male waitstaff didn't grope us, we asked around and made it to an area that has a 6th Street vibe to it. Unfortunately, it was already 3am and everything was closing, but I'm definitely going back there.
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The slutty blonde on American Idol was voted off today (I missed the episode partly because of the Democratic debate and partly because I can't stand Mariah Carey). I think her attitude did her in. She was ready to be knocked off on every show. I liked Simon's comment in an earlier episode that she was like musical wallpaper - it's there, you just don't really notice it.
The Australian tattooed hottie is really lucky she survived. Her performance last night was terrible. And why was she so happy after her song? She couldn't stop smiling. It was kinda eerie.
Oh, and of course, the evil eye. I put it above my bed tonight so things will be good now.
-----------
My birthday will be a lot more chill (aka not as fun) this year compared to the last few years. Those were probably my favorite nights in Dallas since it was all about me and my friends tried their hardest to come out even if they didn't come out normally. My friend in Delaware is driving down on Friday night though so it'll still be memorable.
My other friend in Dallas came up last weekend to celebrate his birthday so now I know at least a couple fun areas in DC. It didn't come easily though. There's one corner where there's like 4 or 5 clubs literally next door to each other (and where I randomly saw the one family friend I know in the area) and then another club on the other side of town. So we tried to find the corner again from the crosstown bar and somehow ended up on the gayest block in the gay neighborhood. After getting a drink at the one bar where the male waitstaff didn't grope us, we asked around and made it to an area that has a 6th Street vibe to it. Unfortunately, it was already 3am and everything was closing, but I'm definitely going back there.
----------
The slutty blonde on American Idol was voted off today (I missed the episode partly because of the Democratic debate and partly because I can't stand Mariah Carey). I think her attitude did her in. She was ready to be knocked off on every show. I liked Simon's comment in an earlier episode that she was like musical wallpaper - it's there, you just don't really notice it.
The Australian tattooed hottie is really lucky she survived. Her performance last night was terrible. And why was she so happy after her song? She couldn't stop smiling. It was kinda eerie.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Awkward
I attended a hip-hop dance class this past week. It was incredibly awkward, as I expected. But not really in the way I expected. There were about 10 other students - all female and all probably college sorority girls. Yeah, I was the only guy until another black dude showed up about 10 minutes later.
Damn, hip-hop dancing is hard! They made it look so easy on America's Best Dance Crew. I only paid for that one class, so I'm under no obligation to continue. But I think I'll go back, because it's still fun and great exercise even though I suck. Oh, and the eye candy's not bad either ;).
As for the FBI interview, that was incredibly awkward as well. I was expecting it to be about 50 people in a small room taking a test. Well, there were about 400 people and most of them dressed much better than me - and I was wearing a dress shirt and slacks! It was an excruciatingly long 5 hours of testing with only one break in between. And they discouraged getting food because we might not be back in time!
I'd like to talk more about the tests themselves, but since the FBI could be reading this and I signed an NDA stating I wouldn't talk about it, all I'll say is that the questions were pretty interesting and could be interpreted in two ways and it's hard to say which way the FBI wants you to interpret them. The agent also said that half the people fail the first round. I'd say my odds are pretty good.
Damn, hip-hop dancing is hard! They made it look so easy on America's Best Dance Crew. I only paid for that one class, so I'm under no obligation to continue. But I think I'll go back, because it's still fun and great exercise even though I suck. Oh, and the eye candy's not bad either ;).
As for the FBI interview, that was incredibly awkward as well. I was expecting it to be about 50 people in a small room taking a test. Well, there were about 400 people and most of them dressed much better than me - and I was wearing a dress shirt and slacks! It was an excruciatingly long 5 hours of testing with only one break in between. And they discouraged getting food because we might not be back in time!
I'd like to talk more about the tests themselves, but since the FBI could be reading this and I signed an NDA stating I wouldn't talk about it, all I'll say is that the questions were pretty interesting and could be interpreted in two ways and it's hard to say which way the FBI wants you to interpret them. The agent also said that half the people fail the first round. I'd say my odds are pretty good.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Mindless reflections
It's been 3 weeks now and I still don't feel like I've moved.
A large part of the reason is because the fucking movers still haven't come here with my stuff. I'm pretty sure they've stolen it. Fuckers. I also don't know anyone around here - a fact that keeps getting brought up by my parents, my co-workers, everyone. Thanks for the reminder!
I have a job interview with the FBI tomorrow. I applied for a Special Agent position back when I sent my resume to anyone who seemed remotely interested and they contacted me last week. Although I've rejected most interview requests (and have little to no interest in this one), I decided it'd be fun to go just to see what kinds of questions they ask.
I don't believe in God. I believe in fate, luck and karma (and not necessarily in that order). It just makes more sense.
I had a pretty good experience in Dallas and I learned a lot about myself while living there. In my Austin days, no one considered me a leader and I wasn't always willing to try new things. Now, I have a lot more confidence and I'm ready to take more chances.
A large part of the reason is because the fucking movers still haven't come here with my stuff. I'm pretty sure they've stolen it. Fuckers. I also don't know anyone around here - a fact that keeps getting brought up by my parents, my co-workers, everyone. Thanks for the reminder!
I have a job interview with the FBI tomorrow. I applied for a Special Agent position back when I sent my resume to anyone who seemed remotely interested and they contacted me last week. Although I've rejected most interview requests (and have little to no interest in this one), I decided it'd be fun to go just to see what kinds of questions they ask.
I don't believe in God. I believe in fate, luck and karma (and not necessarily in that order). It just makes more sense.
I had a pretty good experience in Dallas and I learned a lot about myself while living there. In my Austin days, no one considered me a leader and I wasn't always willing to try new things. Now, I have a lot more confidence and I'm ready to take more chances.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
New Job
I started my new job on Monday.
It's been a stressful last month or so, not knowing if I'd be able to find a job here in the DC area. But the timing worked out perfectly and my dad and I started driving from Dallas on Friday night and arrived at home on Sunday afternoon.
As often happens in my life, a million things could have gone wrong on the trip but none of them did.
Now I know what the difference is between working at a small company and a big company (or at least the difference between a shitty small company and a good, stable big company). People are much more focused on their jobs, and managers are much more focused on understanding the big picture rather than micromanaging.
It's also kind of ridiculous that all most engineers need to do their jobs is a cell phone and laptop and they're good to go.
What I'm not used to:
- No one checking to see if I'm in my seat at a certain time
- Not really having a seat - I was assigned a cubicle, but since most of the people I'll be working with for the next couple weeks are in a different building, I was told that I could move to a temporary cubicle - 2 cubes, what?
- Free coffee, which I need to take advantage of ASAP
- Off-work conversation focused on kids - um, yeah I have nothing to add to this conversation, but did you see that waitress, she was hot! no, nothing? ok, I'll be quiet now, tell me more about how your 3-year-old spit up on you yesterday...
- Co-workers busting out the Hindi randomly in meetings
It's been a stressful last month or so, not knowing if I'd be able to find a job here in the DC area. But the timing worked out perfectly and my dad and I started driving from Dallas on Friday night and arrived at home on Sunday afternoon.
As often happens in my life, a million things could have gone wrong on the trip but none of them did.
Now I know what the difference is between working at a small company and a big company (or at least the difference between a shitty small company and a good, stable big company). People are much more focused on their jobs, and managers are much more focused on understanding the big picture rather than micromanaging.
It's also kind of ridiculous that all most engineers need to do their jobs is a cell phone and laptop and they're good to go.
What I'm not used to:
- No one checking to see if I'm in my seat at a certain time
- Not really having a seat - I was assigned a cubicle, but since most of the people I'll be working with for the next couple weeks are in a different building, I was told that I could move to a temporary cubicle - 2 cubes, what?
- Free coffee, which I need to take advantage of ASAP
- Off-work conversation focused on kids - um, yeah I have nothing to add to this conversation, but did you see that waitress, she was hot! no, nothing? ok, I'll be quiet now, tell me more about how your 3-year-old spit up on you yesterday...
- Co-workers busting out the Hindi randomly in meetings
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