tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60093792012-02-13T11:50:55.180-05:00ramblings of an idle mindshuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.comBlogger8591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-68210984850317052792012-02-13T10:38:00.005-05:002012-02-13T11:25:16.750-05:00

do i speak only from social prose and formulaic turns of speech?... strategic self-presentation robs us of our sense of personal authenticity. Social media can make us all too aware of how calculating we might seem to others and presents us with the unsolvable problem of how to convey our truly genuine interest in something without it coming across as a convenient or tactical pose. The space in

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-25093672072867186422012-02-10T10:57:00.005-05:002012-02-10T11:00:30.654-05:00

INCIDENTAL COMICS: The Art of Living: You can order a poster of this comic here .saw this on G's blog. i think it describes my own strange mind pretty well.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-10641928316379873262012-02-09T15:00:00.003-05:002012-02-09T20:29:19.651-05:00

An Exchange between the Fingers and the ToesBY JOHN FULLERFingers:Cramped, you are hardly anything but fidgets. We, active, differentiate the digits:Whilst you are merely little toe and big(Or, in the nursery, some futile pig)Through vital use as pincers there has come Distinction of the finger and the thumb;Lacking a knuckle you have sadly missed Our meaningful translation to a fist;And

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-15613596816434397012012-02-05T22:45:00.002-05:002012-02-05T22:50:02.428-05:00

i don't need to prove myself to anyone. i tend to fall into a certain kind of trap that i think is pretty much self-induced. maybe because i never heard it often and maybe because growing up, i compared myself to my circle of friends and found myself falling short of what i wanted. in any case, i am giving myself a reminder: i do not need to prove myself to anyone.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-62325678754585870212012-01-31T16:07:00.002-05:002012-01-31T16:08:58.035-05:00

oh that's it. this phd program is making me feel ugly and fat (ok fine fine, if i'm really honest with myself, its because i sit around all day munching while looking at my code). i am a giant whale with many folds of blubber.anyway, that's it. as soon as this paper gets handed in, i am going to have to exercise and eat healthily.well hopefully anyway. let's pray that there's no

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-59105025950625135272012-01-31T09:14:00.003-05:002012-01-31T09:58:27.543-05:00

i just generally feel a lot of goodwill today. is it the weather? is it you? is it that in general life has been good? i feel the world is beautiful today

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-69125354899725663852012-01-30T22:22:00.001-05:002012-01-30T22:22:34.188-05:00

“Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. 'Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. 'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat. 'I don't much care where—' said Alice. 'Then it doesn't

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-74465956682422139142012-01-29T10:23:00.004-05:002012-01-29T10:56:16.096-05:00

when did i forget?a long time ago, hannah and sarah taught me how it was all right to be the one in need. its not that i don't enjoy taking, gods no, i am no saint that only wishes to give. there are many occasions where i have taken advantage of another's goodwill and used them. what's perhaps problematic is my desire to be self-sufficient. the word "needy" has such a negative connotation in our

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-40673224137641463542012-01-25T21:26:00.002-05:002012-01-25T22:02:20.608-05:00

Bond and Free by Robert FrostLove has earth to which she clings With hills and circling arms about— Wall within wall to shut fear out. But Thought has need of no such things, For Thought has a pair of dauntless wings. On snow and sand and turf, I see Where Love has left a printed trace With straining in the world’s embrace. And such is Love and glad to be. But Thought has shaken his

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-79389160698340719632012-01-24T09:50:00.004-05:002012-01-24T09:52:28.964-05:00

"we reach the port by sailing, not drifting"have to buckle down and get back to work. i've floated around too long with the dreamer's disease. its time to stop, look reality in its face and steer my own ship.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-36668358099525714242012-01-22T14:45:00.004-05:002012-01-22T15:56:48.516-05:00

meandering thoughtone of the things about living the transient lifeis that the holidays and festivities you grew up with cease to hold much meaning to you the further away you get from home.its not just the lack of secular reminders that dulls the importance of certain holidays (in fact, i'm glad for the absence of whining strings and old school wailings of "guo xin nian, guo xin nian"),but its

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-56118216706229442862012-01-16T17:09:00.007-05:002012-01-18T23:06:58.787-05:00

Some notes:“Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.” ― John SteinbeckLooking back, I think when I was younger, i believed the ultimate gift you could give someone was love. I believed that if we could reach out and love, the world would be a better place and at some point in my

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-4496569955022538122012-01-16T17:09:00.001-05:002012-01-16T17:09:24.380-05:00

I see this in my mother.“She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt or fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-58899212223687364972012-01-15T23:13:00.000-05:002012-01-15T23:14:18.237-05:00

" I always think that the best way to know God is to love many things"-Van Gogh

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-69594812472638291322012-01-06T20:12:00.003-05:002012-01-06T20:27:17.705-05:00

mostly because we're lazy in language but yesthis word is used loosely, freely, and in so many varied contexts. so what does it mean to love?i feel it now. even when i don't know the other so well. but i feel it also when i see how much my friends care for me and how pampered i am by them. the rush of goodwill, the genuine joy, warmth and affection i have for my friends and for youmakes me think

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-47842593736362258742011-12-28T18:09:00.000-05:002011-12-28T18:10:25.484-05:00

I have been one acquainted with the night.I have walked out in rain—and back in rain.I have outwalked the furthest city light.I have looked down the saddest city lane.I have passed by the watchman on his beatAnd dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.I have stood still and stopped the sound of feetWhen far away an interrupted cryCame over houses from another street,But not to call me back or say

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-63476876910094367462011-12-23T01:17:00.002-05:002011-12-23T01:19:57.377-05:00

its still the same old storyreading charlie kaufman's transcript got me into an introspective mood. i felt like he addressed my secret self and brought to surface the insecurities, the selfishness and myopic world view i possessed. so here's the same old story, the same fight i've been fighting. but i grow old and forget and hence i'm prone to repeating:~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-49911814168719569252011-12-22T11:30:00.002-05:002011-12-22T11:37:41.961-05:00

I think he just wrote up my entire heart and left my human condition there on his sleeve. So rather than being up here pretending I’m an expert in anything, or presenting myself in a way that will reinforce the odd, ritualised lecturer-lecturee model, I’m just telling you off the bat that I don’t know anything. And if there’s one thing that characterises my writing it’s that I always start from

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-31130595243074377302011-12-19T23:30:00.000-05:002011-12-19T23:32:18.404-05:00

In between love and trying to scheme loveWho can tell what we may findNever thought love, not get caught loveBetween the magic in your eyesAnd loves like women, it's cool and breezyNever thought that love could be so easyIn between love and trying to scheme loveAnd in between love againIn between love and trying to scheme loveWho can tell what we may findAll this time love, I sublime loveTo the

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-14962840089422698772011-12-12T09:43:00.001-05:002011-12-12T09:44:38.342-05:00

you don't need to say thank you because don't you know, when we're in thisit all comes naturally

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-67130416273371694772011-12-09T13:48:00.002-05:002011-12-09T14:11:08.382-05:00

we are the transients, or at least I amprompted by H's post:funnily enough, G, T and myself had this conversation in NY about what home is and where home is for each of us. T and myself find that we're still the transients. home is neither the one we grew up in nor is it the place that we're currently residing. Despite that, I don't think either of us has a strong need or desire to settle or

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-84358799897780423962011-12-02T10:01:00.003-05:002011-12-02T10:03:27.647-05:00

its been a whirlwind spinis this enough?elaine to jerrywhat if i want more?

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-85110122441086247522011-11-30T15:16:00.003-05:002011-11-30T15:17:15.387-05:00

after all this, i vow to1) finish things on time2) eat well3) exercise4) be more focused. sudden singleminded when deadlines loom and all else is forgotten

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-17665937456502510302011-11-26T15:54:00.002-05:002011-11-26T16:00:51.916-05:00

i'm the girl behind the camera, waiting to begini'm the woman watching from these lens, measuring, observing, zooming out and ini'm the recorder, listing down your stories and comparing it with my ownbut in the end, i will be the storyteller because the pictures i've taken are mine to develop, arrange, weave and replay.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-74063188895256587032011-11-17T09:11:00.000-05:002011-11-17T09:12:25.236-05:00

Pablo Neruda – Still Another Day – XVWe the mortals touch the metals,the wind, the ocean shores, the stones,knowing they will go on, inert or burning,and I was discovering, naming all the these things:it was my destiny to love and say goodbye.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-25991119777048105592011-11-15T18:13:00.002-05:002011-11-15T18:23:11.746-05:00

I have always loved words . they have the power to build and the power to break.I adore hearing tales and stories, because they open eyes, bring forth dormant sentiments and articulate what was previously kept in silent recesses . which is why sometimes i do hesitate to write, because in writing, one has so much responsibility, and one puts forth , reveals so much of the self in a few select

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-77105046760757407292011-11-07T11:32:00.002-05:002011-11-07T11:32:35.314-05:00

"One day i will find the right words and they will be simple"Jack Kerouacdamn, too many good books on my reading list.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-19825474044047191382011-11-06T13:37:00.000-05:002011-11-06T13:38:09.137-05:00

It's today: all of yesterday dropped awayamong the fingers of the light and the sleeping eyes.Tomorrow will come on its green footsteps;no one can stop the river of the dawn.It's today, it's today... - Pablo Neruda

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-62945405772342306412011-11-03T10:35:00.001-04:002011-11-03T10:36:30.531-04:00

coffee, jeff buckley and JPE article. best combo to start with in the office.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-5007572939239102932011-10-23T18:50:00.003-04:002011-10-23T18:53:07.091-04:00

sometimes, i feel like i'm a page out of the book "high fidelity". music is imprinted in my brain, i typically have a song going in my head and as i work, i am plugged into pandora, nodding my head to and chugging along at the same tempo of my tunes. i de-stress and de-compress by singing in the shower (which is why i tend to take very long showers and yes i know its wasteful in terms of water.)

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-52848084350953123342011-10-06T10:02:00.001-04:002011-10-06T10:04:12.087-04:00

equilibrium disturbedIf a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the position of equilibrium moves to counteract the changebut where's my new stationary state?

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-77762003088313400582011-09-07T13:25:00.003-04:002011-09-07T13:44:58.728-04:00

i have a nervous tic . i tend to play with my hands and wring them in front of me. Otherwise i rub my chin or neck repeatedly. it comes when i'm not feeling that confident of myself or my work or my standing in a certain place. its frightfully obvious and kind of embarrassing. its like being a jackrabbit and bounding all over the place in a hurry.isn't all this so very silly? *wrings hands*

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-52784231411944806092011-08-30T09:20:00.002-04:002011-08-30T09:30:24.760-04:00

i have hobbit-like leanings, they begin with second breakfasts..."In his writings, Tolkien depicted Hobbits as fond of an unadventurous bucolic life of farming, eating, and socializing, although capable of defending their homes courageously if the need arises. They would enjoy six meals a day, if they could get them. They were often described as enjoying simple food, though this seems to be of an

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-20997722125352748942011-08-07T21:10:00.001-04:002011-08-07T21:10:54.202-04:00

screwed. so very screwed.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-13559211758214864832011-07-29T03:17:00.001-04:002011-07-29T03:19:31.902-04:00

what grace is: 'Forgive me not according to my unworthiness, but according to Thy lovingkindness.'

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-37845600581760332382011-07-25T21:06:00.002-04:002011-07-25T21:19:39.959-04:00

this seems like an interesting correlation to test! ... , the proportion of people who believed that Congress would raise the debt ceiling seemed to vary based on the distance from Washington. The closer to Capitol Hill, the more doubt there was that rationality would prevail. -- Floyd Norris in NYT opinion post. I would like to see how the topics or rhetoric differs if one can run a word search

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-68013221003190638482011-07-24T23:04:00.002-04:002011-07-24T23:07:52.769-04:00

yep. In general, the best type of model depends upon the question at hand; this depends not only on the model characteristics, but also the constraints imposed when faced with noisy and limited real-world (real-time) data.(link here):::edit:::i realize you could use the above to describe the leggy supermodel world as well. "depends on model characteristics", limited by supply of beauties... (

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-51011094626454184462011-07-08T01:45:00.002-04:002011-07-08T01:48:57.285-04:00

ok its official. i love the smallness of this tiny dot of a country.i never thought i would see Z again after secondary school since she left for the UK, and then went on to Germany, where she met and married a German man and had a baby.but today, i run into her and her family, and i find out she's back in Singapore for holiday whilst giving some german school kids the tour around Singapore.how

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-65983267225015961662011-07-01T01:55:00.001-04:002011-07-01T01:56:20.861-04:00

and so it is...Of all those starting outHigh-horsed and spirited,Instepped in their stirrups,Who will stay young in the end?Who'll be the merrymen old,Weird sisters, the mockers of mockers?Be poet enough to surviveThose delusions the king of the worldPresented once to Buddha?"After the first of desireAnd the second, terror of death,That of social obligation."-Seamus Heaney, seen posted in The

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-58695521794137554222011-06-15T21:56:00.002-04:002011-06-15T22:07:06.319-04:00

I love how Hamilton puts it. Its a really good read.I know the pressure to define every problem in terms of a "drop-dead date". I talk to reporters all the time who always want me to summarize any situation, whether it's government debt, oil prices, or the Fed's balance sheet, in terms of when the "tipping point" is really going to be reached. I always try to explain that the world doesn't work

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-90714262122448332582011-06-05T07:53:00.002-04:002011-06-05T08:28:24.582-04:00

proposal handed in. fingers crossed. Had a really good conversation with C today. Its been a long time since we've met up, but he's always been someone with whom its easy to catch up with. In some senses, I think its the way he is, a pretty fascinating individual who seems pretty much unafraid to see himself as he is. I know that this is someone who will not mince his words with me. And for that,

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-22273483763227405662011-05-16T08:23:00.003-04:002011-05-16T08:29:16.793-04:00

this is such a stupid game.But I beat O to the office!O is an upper year phd candidate and soon-to-be assistant professor. He's one of those ridiculously smart Russians who has a very dry sense of humour and he's pretty much a permanent fixture in the office, in the sense that he's constantly in the office, working on his 2 (sometimes 3 laptops at once). He's quite inspiring actually. I mean, I

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-20197354442514610412011-05-10T20:55:00.003-04:002011-05-10T21:01:46.869-04:00

after a weekend of being sick, feverish, absolutely sluggish and having no inclination for food, i bounced back this week with renewed appetite. I convinced the roommate to cook curry with me and man what a joy that was to my stomach. yes spice ( even in your mildest form) , how i have missed you. on a separate note, I've pleasantly heard 2 pieces of good news not related to myself this week but

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-2933860422861639922011-05-02T13:09:00.002-04:002011-05-02T13:16:55.627-04:00

going home is always such an exhilarating thrill, yet as I get older and as my responsibilities grow, I am also afraid of the time flying by so fast. In particular, I still feel unprepared and not competent enough in the field i'm trying to excel in. I'm worried that the field paper won't work out and just whether i have the economic chops for this profession!so i'm excited to be going home after

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-17326356991049711492011-04-28T12:03:00.002-04:002011-04-28T12:09:49.244-04:00

randomnesss : i dunno anymoreme: haha same I get the news i need from the weather report haha guess the lyric!s : ehh brain no engage me: the only living boy in new yorks : poor kidthere's something to be said about random conversations. they speak at a deeper comfort and intimacy with the other. the freedom to be foolish and just enjoy the company, the ride,

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-54616726790576975832011-04-25T10:27:00.002-04:002011-04-25T10:45:05.313-04:00

Should every kid learn to play chess?I think I am generally in favour of playing strategic board games with kids in general . I'm not so sure about putting it in an environment with testing and seeing how good you become at the game. Nonetheless, I think a play-by-play review for the kids after the game would be good in terms of teaching them tricks and strategic positions to adopt when solving

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-25370098039056179532011-04-20T10:02:00.003-04:002011-04-20T10:05:52.825-04:00

sorry, wrong number?on the one hand, its nice that a student emails in advance to say that she's not turning up to class this friday.on the other hand, its strange because said student is not even in my class. kind of a bad sign when you don't even know which class you're from right?B's wicked sense of humour kicked in and he's advising me to tell her to show up in class anyway, whichever class

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-62468287654476416172011-04-19T14:33:00.003-04:002011-04-19T14:55:13.983-04:00

sillytwo sides of coffee"hurry!" said he, clicking his tongue. he paced back and forth in a frantic manner. the hardwood floor beneath him creaked quietly in pain, bemoaning its smooth finish now worn out, now ugly and plain. "hurry!" said he, his agitation increased as his partner lazily looked on, entirely at peace. "what's the matter?" she said in her slow languid way, drawing out each word

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-4249832538548802732011-04-18T20:52:00.003-04:002011-04-18T20:54:31.825-04:00

gah. arguing is so tiring.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-90665260301852389222011-04-18T10:24:00.003-04:002011-04-18T10:27:51.456-04:00

I've developed odd sleeping habits. I come home pretty much tired and knackered most days. and when I reach home, I accomplish very little at night. This leads to guilt-ridden sleep and I end up waking at 430 am or 5am most days to do work that should have been done the night before. It actually works out pretty well since I'm most productive in those wee hours of the morning Except, when the day

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-4817203703072222872011-04-14T11:24:00.003-04:002011-04-14T11:30:00.990-04:00

well, this is interesting. I can't tell from this journalist's report if the study is proving that price is not a good indicator of quality or that most people can't differentiate between wines. The two statements are different but from the article alone, its not sure which hypothesis is being tested

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-69216799071778421372011-04-10T23:07:00.002-04:002011-04-10T23:14:16.035-04:00

its strange, but i feel like having a girly party. you know a day to dress up, look pretty , drink earl grey tea and discuss books, stories, your favourite fictitious characters. it'd be like a pseudo well-dressed book club with a smorgasbord of food that comes in the form of finger sandwiches, buttered rolls and fruit tarts. Or we could just go with girls' night out and drunken karaoke singing.i

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-35287111313914675122011-04-06T10:23:00.003-04:002011-04-06T10:26:46.950-04:00

well, its sort of the start of my year anyway, a year to being older. so even if it is a little out of season, i kind of feel that this is me: as i grow and mature, as i learn what battles can be won and what are just not worth pursuing, as i rejoice in the people around me, as i am loved and learn to return love. The YearWHAT can be said in New Year rhymes,That's not been said a thousand times?

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-30342159837099908582011-04-03T01:38:00.003-04:002011-04-03T02:33:35.528-04:00

sorry, but what??Article saying that Singaporeans have too much bargaining power in the employment game and this is decreasing the amount of lateral thinking and creativity at work.Right, this is about a country that 1) doesn't really have an unemployment insurance schemes, 2) has lack of unions , 3) no minimum wage law and that expects families to act as a form of partial insurance against such

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-46149058657171191392011-03-31T11:36:00.002-04:002011-03-31T12:15:31.300-04:00

I like this article for the simplicity of its message. It goes along the idea of constrained optimization, which is kind of like another way of saying ' you can't have your cake and eat it as well '. In short, the article asks how do we decide what are the rights to protect and maintain given that not everyone of them are achievable?Rights need to be prioritized if we are to achieve them. Some --

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-62469408866901401602011-03-29T11:38:00.002-04:002011-03-29T11:54:29.472-04:00

another way about thinking about sticky pricing?NYT ran an article about how grocery stores are packaging less quantity for the same price. its a stealthy way of dealing with rising food commodity prices. Certainly, seeing a headline number (i.e. price) increase is likely to cause the consumer to switch to cheaper substitutes or just reduce overall consumption demand. to avoid this, firms are

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-56957825604529647682011-03-28T11:03:00.002-04:002011-03-28T11:08:29.460-04:00

the irony of breaks is that when you do get one, there is a nagging thought of all the work that is still left undone. So even while you relax and enjoy the break, there's always a guilty thought lingering about "oh how lazy you're being" and "its all going to go downhill if you don't buck up and get your game up" and when it comes to the end, when you're left watching the last sunset die out ,

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-31750840475036044932011-03-21T12:19:00.002-04:002011-03-21T12:33:36.698-04:00

"the social capital of a well-organised government and solidarity among the people is priceless" -- Lex, FTI know I've been going on and on about Japan. But partly because the news reports I've been seeing has really amazed me. The lack of looting, the self-organization of people into micro-towns to deal with the lack of aid supplies coming through in the early days as well as establish some form

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-86024504219864827962011-03-20T12:27:00.003-04:002011-03-20T15:18:23.196-04:00

Amazing. FT ran an article on how the evacuees from Japan are forming micro towns to sustain a sense of order and have a system with which to organize people who have been thrown together in difficult circumstances. Its very amazing to see how people are able to pull together in what could possibly be the bleakest moment of their lives. On another note, I don't think I know of any other people

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-33870897169012063772011-03-12T15:02:00.003-05:002011-03-12T15:10:06.724-05:00

random conversationson sharing an NBER paper with B...B: I know this. These guys have done:sex ratio and saving rates in Chinasex ratio and crime in China sex ratio and entrepreneurs in Chinasex ratio and migration in Chinasex ratio and export in Chinasex ratio and blablabla...You know, the world is driven by men desperately looking for women, biological purpose drives economic activities.me:

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-64522089043481342322011-03-11T15:05:00.002-05:002011-03-11T15:15:18.164-05:00

I can't even begin to imagine the scale of the displacement cost, the lost lives and industries wiped out by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Then, there also remains the potential threats from fires in refineries and mechanical failures triggered in the cooling systems of nuclear facilities. The mass of destruction is horrific and I think it is to the Japanese government's, the Japanese

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-19944989746425646222011-03-07T08:29:00.002-05:002011-03-07T21:55:40.205-05:00

presentation day: paper proposal 1.can i say i'm super super super super excited? So far this has been a topic that I really like working on . :::POST - EDIT:::I really really really want to be an economist, please please let me be one!On a separate note, YW once commented about how I definitely fit into the category of generation Y ; in the sense that I respond and crave affirmation. I was a

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-71277992186000635742011-03-04T15:43:00.002-05:002011-03-04T15:45:28.278-05:00

it is ridiculous. but one game of tennis makes me grin like an idiot and makes me feel like I've fallen in love with the world all over again. in some ways, i think i am ridiculously easy to please. just come play a game of tennis with me .

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-17619922794036191302011-03-03T11:33:00.003-05:002011-03-03T16:43:05.628-05:00

Baby baby baby ohDon't worry. I'm not going to be paying homage to Justin Bieber. Actually this post is more about what I recently read in the Strait Times. Some MPs in Singapore have suggested that the amount of baby bonuses offered are too low and that the current Parenthood package offered by the Singapore government is too small to convince Singaporeans to have more kids. I have a few

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-7170717493627997192011-03-02T11:47:00.002-05:002011-03-02T11:55:05.229-05:00

Hmmm.....USTR has put Baidu, the Chinese search engine on its list of notorious markets for pirated goods. The thing that's probably bugging me about this is that if people tried to, you can also hunt for pirated goods on search engines like Google and Bing. Also, just another thought, but what counts as censorship or truncating information if we selectively refuse search engines to show links to

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-6858297464051142942011-03-01T15:44:00.002-05:002011-03-01T15:47:22.351-05:00

my roommate shared this with me. its basically an education animation clip from North Korea.Basic gist of the story: boy gets bored about learning about angles and how to use the protractor, and so he falls asleep. He then has a dream where he realizes how important it is to know how to read/measure angles....

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-78638082234084287312011-02-28T13:27:00.004-05:002011-02-28T15:40:59.337-05:00

sometimes when it rains...you get to score freebies!the weather turned horrid in a matter of minutes. As i stared out of the office window thinking about how i might have to forgo my usual cup of coffee, my office mate M, caught me yawning and offered me some of the coffee from his flask. so love! I happily took up his offer of course. and later in the day as I made my way to the washroom, I

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-49098392159461602472011-02-26T10:43:00.002-05:002011-02-26T11:28:09.473-05:00

Recently I watched "Waiting for Superman", a documentary on the US education system and the problems surrounding inner city schools. Perhaps the most glaring thing that stood out from the film was the fact that teachers received tenure after 3 years of teaching and there was no form of merit-based pay, i.e. you can't fire the teacher even if he is shirking all the time because he's on tenure...

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-67922162276465326312011-02-25T15:32:00.003-05:002011-02-25T15:40:45.987-05:00

you can be too much of a coffee addict. P asked me to join him for coffee at Stamp, and i, being the coffee lover that I am, jumped at the chance, grabbed my coat and ran out to meet him... I soon found that this was not necessarily a wise idea since I was immediately greeted by a blast of wind. P and I literally had to fight our way to the coffee shop, with me having to clamour back onto the

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-35917855508893464762011-02-22T11:29:00.003-05:002011-02-22T18:39:23.647-05:00

If you asked me 5 years ago whether i would be able to write a command line or send things into a cluster and do remote programming. i think i would have given you a blank stare and ask you to explain furtheri'm surprised and pleased at the turn of developments. hello geek self, who knew you existed?:::POST-EDIT:::oh my gosh. running things through the cluster is such a turn-on. i'm so thrilled

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-16051585184031618762011-02-21T11:07:00.003-05:002011-02-21T11:09:21.725-05:00

actually spidey, the truth is....things your Uncle Ben neglected to tell you... how different your world could have been...

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-86723524048706257682011-02-18T18:34:00.002-05:002011-02-18T18:37:55.412-05:00

sports is a most excellent thing. i love being out in the sun and hitting a ball across the court. it makes me feel so alive and active. i played tennis with A's kids today. they are sooooo incredibly well brought-up and sweet. I tell them that they served a good shot and they immediately respond with "thank you". if they hit a shot that's highly awkward and very far out, they yell out "sorry"no

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-17374013135065040482011-02-18T10:52:00.003-05:002011-02-18T10:54:12.777-05:00

say it with me, "i love Google!"Google now has a public data explorer, and invites people to contribute data sets/ data visualizers etc. indeed, Google, you make my heart swoon. kudos to B for alerting me to this.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-60023775033335092432011-02-17T15:43:00.003-05:002011-02-17T15:48:44.544-05:00

i know wherever i go, i've been blessed and blessed with good people. as i sit and code in my office, people come in and out, just to say hi and check up on me. a friendly message pops up on my gmail window and somewhere across the world, i connect with old friends whilst new and recent ones bustle around.so if you see this and know me, thank you, because you're probably one of the many that i've

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-19203714850845789742011-02-15T07:39:00.002-05:002011-02-15T07:41:32.839-05:00

sometimes, i'm really really stupid. I let my pride get the better of me and I don't back down even when I know I'm wrong. And in the end, no one is happy and my conduct is terriblewhy why why do i let myself be so stupid.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-85407639814726039252011-02-14T22:23:00.001-05:002011-02-14T22:24:22.592-05:00

so true, so true!

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-51490864679943695872011-02-11T13:07:00.002-05:002011-02-11T13:15:16.637-05:00

Fancy pens???source: wikipedia photoexcept you don't write but smoke with them. These are e-cigarettes, supposedly designed to help people kick smoking (like nicotine patches) with the additional feature that lets you feel like you're still smoking; you get to hold it between your fingers as with a regular cigarette and you can still puff on it.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-88543922827748188852011-02-11T11:39:00.002-05:002011-02-11T11:42:19.471-05:00

i like kids' poems. they have the best messages sometimesHug o' WarI will not play at tug o' war.I'd rather play at hug o' war,Where everyone hugsInstead of tugs.Where everyone gigglesAnd rolls on the rug,Where everyone kissesAnd everyone grins,And everyone cuddlesAnd everyone wins. - Shel Silverstein

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-43210772149146611632011-02-09T11:29:00.004-05:002011-02-09T11:37:57.179-05:00

I have a disorder. its called DAD- Divided Attention Disorder. Even now, I have one window open for my text editor, one tab open for my personal email, one tab open for my work email, one news tab open, a tab for pandora, matlab running in the background...its bad. i've been highly inefficient these days when time is so precious. in the attempt to multi-task, i get no tasks done. its gotten to

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-39584492423076218612011-02-09T11:11:00.001-05:002011-02-09T11:12:28.882-05:00

as with real life,finding a bug in your codeand then killing it, obliterating it into utter extinctionis very very satisfying.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-77636593182559981852011-01-31T11:17:00.002-05:002011-01-31T11:35:10.093-05:00

LOLOne strain of research is to develop heterogenous agent models where the household unit is the family unit. The notion is that to understand the impact of individual income risk on the savings decision and consequent wealth distribution of households, the family unit must be modeled since insurance within the family can act as a substitute for self-insurance through financial markets. Think of

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-46105615771586302032011-01-30T09:51:00.004-05:002011-01-30T09:57:52.753-05:00

I know i know, even when i'm far from home, I'm super pro my-country I do appreciate how the government runs the country like a business. There are comforts, amenities and conveniences that I sorely miss. Especially since I have a direct contrast with the facilities available over here. (where is that $50 bn dollar infrastructure spending program?)anyway. here's the link: Serious in Singapore

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-72395002258409010852011-01-29T13:07:00.002-05:002011-01-29T13:19:26.801-05:00

Enough. I've been horribly mopey the past few days. but I've always believed that if one is to chase the path to rome, then sweat and toil must constitute the necessary toll. "What is the source of sadness but feebleness of mind? What giveth it power but the want of reason? Rouse thyself to combat, and she quitteth the field before thou strikes" -- Akhenationwe'll see on Wednesday whether I am

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-11319446018014144132011-01-28T13:03:00.002-05:002011-01-28T13:33:03.140-05:00

Georgie and AlfredI watched the King's Speech yesterday and have to say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I've always felt that the mark of a good movie is one that continuously sets you thinking long after the last murmurs of the closing scene. In short, I felt that there were many themes in the movie, themes about the many faces we wear, eg. the personal versus the public face' the levels of

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-39902733478722146442011-01-26T07:37:00.003-05:002011-01-26T08:09:00.135-05:00

even though i don't know for sure, possibly the worst part about this is that i don't believe i'm staying.::post-edit::no. After winter, must come spring.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-28351488055278739292011-01-25T07:36:00.003-05:002011-01-25T07:47:02.920-05:00

Pascal Lamy puts the trade balance between US and China in perspective. Trade data is measured in terms of gross commercial value instead of in value-added terms. That's not to say that the rest of Asia does not have a huge export dependency on the US, certainly those other parts of a high tech product that were to be assembled in China likely had components that came from South Korea, Japan,

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-2753250720333639602011-01-24T00:35:00.002-05:002011-01-24T01:12:36.578-05:00

"The problem with specialization is that it makes you into a specialist. It cuts you off, not only from everything else in the world, but also from everything else in yourself. "- What Are You Going to Do With That? (a timely read indeed)While waiting, writing, whining and watching for the final evaluation that determines a significant step in my journey through life, i've had the time to read

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-68956020287892791292011-01-21T19:02:00.005-05:002011-01-21T21:03:33.739-05:00

Dear, Hi, Hey, To whom it may concern,According to a BBC article, it seems that the supposed introductory beginning to many letters i.e. "Dear ___ " is losing popularity and being regarded as stiff and stale and sometimes too intimate. Is this a mark of growing rigidity in our perception of language? In a world that is marked by instant oh-everything, the term "Dear" has been deemed as too

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-67204111335819959722011-01-13T23:19:00.002-05:002011-01-13T23:19:43.314-05:00

its strange, but i feel like i've gone through a break-upexcept the other is an inanimate science. we'll see in February.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-33684568871254770272011-01-12T17:03:00.003-05:002011-01-12T17:06:49.355-05:00

standstill.this is where i struggle. in the waiting. i am ready for flight but am pinned down and forced to watch the day disappear before me.yet there is still so much to be done after. that i can not yet begin on until truly this is over.but still, also, the uncertainty. the insecurity of unknown fate. yes it is what i make of it, my own efforts will play in shaping it.but if i am ready, and in

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-34983180544602269642011-01-08T11:24:00.000-05:002011-01-08T11:26:53.552-05:00

with my super sub-par programming skillsI TOTALLY RELATE TO THIS

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-85527782568729812862011-01-06T00:13:00.001-05:002011-01-06T00:14:35.818-05:00

i saw this post by a Singaporean on facebook and was so tickled by it that i had to link it here. its a tiny treatise on why and how we dislike, or nicely packaged in a yet untested regression equation.

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-20556279953086750322011-01-05T18:32:00.001-05:002011-01-05T18:51:31.038-05:00

incongruity 1James Hamilton makes a very concise point about the potentially problematic way congressional voting is conducted on deficits and debt; simply put, the voting on debt and deficit are tabulated at separate occasions. This hints (in-a-probably-not-at-all-hushed-whisper) at time inconsistency and myopic practice; the set-up leaves politicians alot of room for contradiction in campaign

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-5995675116578274822010-12-30T21:56:00.000-05:002010-12-30T22:06:56.361-05:00

sillya shadow has been cast over the land what terror is this, you ask, pray tell good manmy friend, my friend flee while you can,for surely the comps are at hand.but what plague is this, you say, called comps?a deadly disease that ceases all rompssickly malaise that breaks your heart with its stompsoh ask no more and just beware of the comps!why would one subject oneself to such a foul deedwas

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-16855885955508837642010-12-30T08:49:00.000-05:002010-12-30T08:54:13.760-05:00

Really?UAE says that Canadian travellers to the UAE will have to pay CAD$1000, $500, $250 for a 6-month, 3-month and 30 day travel visas respectively. However, if you fly on Emirates or Etihad into the UAE, these airlines are permitted to offer Canadians 30-day travel visas worth $72.50.Very unusual form of pricing war and/or government policy that supports a domestic industry!!

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-39506330978166208342010-12-29T09:01:00.000-05:002010-12-29T09:37:54.900-05:00

but your weather is just so bloody cold. Chicago is trying to knock off its rust belt image and put on a new high tech suit. Given the universities in the area, Chicago's got pretty high human capital and hence has great potential in re-vamping itself into another mega-economic region and becoming a serious contender for an innovation centre against the likes of the Bosh-Wash Corridor and Silicon

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-52947024343699813942010-12-28T09:27:00.001-05:002010-12-28T09:48:56.486-05:00

it is during that is the hardestthe movements back and forththe building up of an infinite sentenceclauses and phrases clambering over each otherwords straining to break free, but jumbling, tanglingeventually only garbled speech. it is in the during that thoughts meander and climbbut as with each sentence unfinished, trail offnondescript form, shapeless beingdot dot dotit is the during that is

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-5004380340913582272010-12-28T00:13:00.000-05:002010-12-28T00:20:17.426-05:00

Big brother is watching. Except he looks exactly like Mickey Mouse. side note:while i appreciate using technology to improve service, there's something about creating a mobile app to find the life-size character mascot that doesn't sit well with me. when i was a kid, part of the thrill about going to disneyland or any character-related theme park was the random spotting of your favourite cartoon

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-26206649465848466052010-12-27T08:51:00.000-05:002010-12-27T09:04:41.564-05:00

Back in the dayAs part of the project we were assigned, CP, A and myself were tasked to thinking about new growth areas and "soft" export niches we could position the economy in as a form of diversification. Given the high labour cost in Singapore, one of the ideas was to diversify the services we export and make it uniquely singaporean. anyway, i stumbled upon this article and its a perfect

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6009379.post-53003788924776064272010-12-26T09:04:00.000-05:002010-12-26T09:08:31.832-05:00

a bit late, but found this picture that tickled my funny bonephoto taken by APyou better watch out, santa claus is coming to town

shuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17215046806231936654noreply@blogger.com1