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Archive for March, 2006

NYTimes hits close to home: College Admission Angst Finds a Forum on Web - New York Times

  
  Music : Tegan & Sara - I Can't Take It

College Admission Angst Finds a Forum on Web - New York Times

As I read the forementioned article on students getting frustrated and sad about undergraduate and graduate admission, I could relate to the pain. I am also in the same position as I am waiting for financial offers from three schools. It’s really frustrating that the process is snail-paced as most of the deadlines were mid January! Once past this, I’ll look back and learn that I should never take anything for granted. Even if I am that confident about the outcome. If you want to read the entire article and are unable to read it on NYT’s site, Read the complete article »

By indoloony, March 31, 2006, 2:50 pm o'clock
Academic
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Secrets and friends

  

Darfur (Via Life of a Loony). This is not supposed to be funny, but it is. Sad, but true. We really need to do something about it.

I’m excited! I’ve found a safe place to rant and ramble! Yay! This way I can keep secrets and vent without being judged. Also what’s weird is that I felt closer to three friends than I have in a long time. When I turn cynical, good things happen. Except when it comes to grad schools because that’s still frustrating at hell.

Today was a beautiful day. It was warm, and mildly sunny. I walked around in a t-shirt. It was glorious! However, to turn things sour, it’s raining now.

Now for more inane talk. I had a wonderful time watching One Tree Hill with Komal, while thinking it was the season finale while it really wasn’t. And then today at Xaviers during the Senior Gift Committee dinner, Kristin finally asked me to do something with her. So, we are going to lunch on Monday. I was happy because I was about to give up asking her. And then today, after a long time, Britta and I finally got one on one hang out time away from the library and cafeteria. We hung out and watched TV and talked. She was rather hyper after 5 glasses of mountain dew at dinner. She is funny when hyper.

Also, Kristin wanted a picture from Presidential Ball last year and I sent her the mosy dynamic picture I had that turned out to be with Andi (go figure!). So, we were on the front page of the Coe College Cosmos (newspaper), and I took a picture of that and sent it to her.
Joy and Andi on the front page of the Coe College Cosmos

I pray. This time for myself. And a future that is about to begin. Let the journey be not without obstacles, but let me pass them learning in the process. The tribulations of life is part of the process that defines us. It makes it stronger. It makes up appreciate what we truly value in life.

[Listening to: Me and my shadow - Robbie Williams - Swing When You’re Winning (3:16)]
By indoloony, March 31, 2006, 12:02 am o'clock
Life, Personal, Flickr - Mine, Humor
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Brain speed

  

My brain speed is 67 milliseconds. Here is a chart of the break up of brain speeds by age:

Posit Science: Brain speed test

[Listening to: Everything’s Not Lost - The String Quartet - The String Quartet Tribute to Coldplay (32:11)]
By indoloony, March 29, 2006, 1:57 pm o'clock
Science, Misc
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The Hejab, and Israeli-Palestinian conflict

  
  Music : French Kicks - The Falls


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Today was again a rather unremarkable day. However the two religio-political talks were the highlights. The first one was about Hejab in Iran, more specifically titled, ” Good hejab, bad hejab: Veiling as a form of imperfect obedience in Iran”. Elizabeth Bucar had spent 3 months in Iran doing field work on her dissertation, and came back with different viewpoints of feminism and Islamic women’s position in society. She talked about what was considered “good” hejab and “bad” hejab, along with different kinds of hejab. By the way, hejab means veil if you didn’t know that already. From what I got out of her talk, women utilize whatever opportunities they have within the confines of Islam to further their cause including participating in politics and public offices. So, they are more progressive that they are given credit for. She and I too was surprised to hear that hejab was not the biggest issue in their lives. I guess as a feminist, she expected the position of women in Islamic society to be a big concern. It seems like the youth is heading the “bad” or more fashionable hejab practice while women in power positions respect the codes of clothing that has been imposed on them by religion and more so by society.

Here is an example of “bad” hejab:

Here is an example of “good” hejab:

And the other talk was about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was supposed to be at grass roots level to provide an introduction to the controversy. It was pretty informative, and I learnt a lot more about the volatile politics of the region. I also got confirmation of the imminent collapse of the Palestinian government if returned to autonomy. They have no money, and simply can not survive economically. How can Hamas be so naive to think that if Israel gives them what they want, Palestine will be around to reap the benefits? I see so many parallels with the Indo-Pak conflict regarding Kashmir. Really, I can’t believe that land is so integral to people’s pride and ego. I guess it’s hard for me to see that if I am a pragmatist. Anyway, there is no simple solution to the issue. So, I can’t wait to see what the brilliant stragetists come up with.

By indoloony, March 28, 2006, 11:54 pm o'clock
Pictures, Politics, Podcast, Culture, Featured
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Cartoon: Have to ask Bill Napoli..

  

What do you guys think? I found this during one of my usual blog adventures..

Rest of her cartoon archives. I like her work and find it amusing..

[Listening to: Wanted It To Be - Sister Hazel - …Somewhere More Familiar (4:52)]
By indoloony, March 28, 2006, 1:26 pm o'clock
Pictures, Politics, Culture
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What a sinusoidal weekend!

  

Started with the low of panicking about graduate school. I can’t believe how stressful this entire experience has been. I wouldn’t have ever expected to be rejected by so many schools. I only have 3 more to go. I am calling them Monday morning to get an update because otherwise I have to start applying to other schools. So, sitting by myself in my room, I hit bottom in several weeks. And then quickly recovered, and went out to eat with Jessi to Kaji Japanese Grill for dinner. We had some good sushi and teriyaki chicken, and also realized too late that their dinner portions were too big for us to finish.. After that, we got back and watched the last three episodes of Related. To end the night, I went to the Coe College Annual Drag Show 2006. One of their main aims is to fund a “Gay? Fine by Me” campaign that started in Duke University. I am surprised no one has posted pictures from the drag show on Facebook. Maybe, I don’t have friends in that group.. Wait, there were a ton of people taking pictures..

Anyway, then came Saturday. Jenn called at 8.30 am!?! That was a half an hour conversation that I don’t remember completely. I talked to my parents as they were trying to reassure me about grad school, and applying to more schools. Nothing out of the ordinary happened till 6.30 pm when the weekend dancing began. I met Amber, one of Tara’s friends, who happened to know how to swing dance exceptionally well. I got to dance with almost everyone and some of them were mighty fun. Cornell College hosted a jazz band called Phat Noise, and there were so many people there. It was crazy! The music beat was incredibly fast and the songs were long. I was wiped out after every dance.. And then, we head to the Top of the Five where we met more of Tara’s friends including Heather. Once there, the pace of dancing mellowed with slower dances. I really enjoyed dancing with all of them, and loved teaching a few things to Heather.. After a late night stop at Perkins, I crashed..

And Sunday has been very unmemorable so far. My room is very warm, and I have been training Riya to recognize faces in my pictures. It’s doing a decent job so far.

[Listening to: Please Please - Jack Johnson - Untitled - 02-13-01 (4:40)]
By indoloony, March 27, 2006, 12:11 am o'clock
Pictures, Flickr - Others, Life, Personal, Internet, Dancing
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If you wanted to see what my childhood was like..

  

Flickr: Pictures from my childhood

I was thinking of my yester years and then I decided to put up pictures. I’ve had a very happy childhood. My parents made sure that I was comfortable and getting the best I could. My education, my experiences, ME. It’s all been molded by the direction and motivation given to me by my parents. I love them.

And yeah, you get to see the progression of what I looked like through the years..

[Listening to: Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm - ANThology (3:29)]
By indoloony, March 26, 2006, 4:29 pm o'clock
Pictures, Life, Personal, Flickr - Mine
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Coe College and the Palestinian Finance Minister

  

So, we found out that one of Coe’s most illustrious undergrad alums Omar Abdel Razek is going to be the Finance minister in the Hamas government in Palestine. Coe’s PR department is apparently having a field day with incomings calls relating to this. I can’t imagine what they could be possibly calling about unless they want to know more about how he was at Coe. He was a superstar international student, and triple majored in Economics, Mathematics and Computer Science. He was also the International Club President, along with a whole bunch of other leadership positions. Wow!

Coe should be happy that one of their students made it that far in life..

here is the news article about this.

[Listening to: Tender - Feeder - Pushing The Senses (4:16)]
By indoloony, March 23, 2006, 12:10 pm o'clock
Politics
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How math fails sometimes..

  

IF knowledge is power, AND money is power, THEN why is knowledge NOT money?

[Listening to: The Hollow - A Perfect Circle - (2:55)]
By indoloony, March 21, 2006, 1:21 pm o'clock
Misc, Doodles
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Snow outside my dorm

  

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Snow outside my dorm, originally uploaded by indoloony.

It’s snowing in the third week of friggin’ March! Weather here is so weird. I know there is a major snowstorm elsewhere in the midwest too. Totally wacky!

[Listening to: Ozone - Fuel - Sunburn (3:49)]

By indoloony, March 21, 2006, 1:24 am o'clock
Pictures, Flickr - Mine
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