I’ve had several discussions with my friends about the death penalty. I found a site on the death penalty and its statistics. It seems that lethal injection is the execution method of choice, with alternatives if the death row inmate so chooses (Methods of Execution). Nebraska only executes by electrocution. Ouch. Burnt flesh. I remember watching Green Mile, and it was pretty horrific. There have been botched execution attempts as the prisoners needed multiple jolts to be killed. From the website, I noticed that lethal injection didn’t have a 100% quick kill rate either. Here is a site with Botched Executions since 1982. Scroll down to the recent ones. You would have thought they would have a fool-proof execution method by now. That’s not even the point.

For a forgiving religion, Christianity certainly makes a lot of exceptions. I’ve been given Genesis 9:6 (Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man) as an example. The current reasoning goes as “Eye for an Eye”. What the hell?! Are we freaking barbarians? I don’t know how “civilized” executions are. The same people who raise a storm about public executions in countries like Saudi Arabia, still condone executions in the US. What a friggin’ double standard.

People who support the death penalty use economics to counter life with no parole. They don’t want their tax payer’s money to be funding the survival of a murderer. It’s free food, free room, and free room to exercise. The prisoners are akin to animals in the zoo minus spectators. I guess it’s a valid argument, and it would seem economically favorable to execute the prisoners versus keeping him alive till they die a natural death. However, I have also been informed that it takes a decent amount of money for the process of execution. I need to verify that. Here is the website about the costs of death penalty.

Would starvation be a method of execution? Slow, painful. So, solitary confinement, without food. That’s inhumane, right? Inhumane compared to a quick death? How much of money would be spent in that chain of events?

Now to realistic alternative that would be developed eventually for maximal efficiency: Brainwashing, cognitive reprogramming, psychological reconditioning. I don’t think we have technology to achieve that now, but couldn’t a brutal person be made docile and useful by reprogramming? So, instead of execution, just change the person and put them to constructive use. Who knows, the diabolical genius could be a genius in other fronts too.. What’s future?

Anyway, what do you guys think?

Technorati Tags: Death, Executions, USA, Policy, Religion, Opinion, Crime, Prisons, Justice, Morality, Life, Death Penalty, Life Imprisonment

I had heard a bit about the Tall Shiva Hookah Bar on College Ave at Penn State. So, some of my friends and I decided to try it out after eating at the Indian Pavilion. This bar was in the basement and was a little dingy. We waited out by the bar for 5 minutes before wandering into the attached hookah paraphernalia store to inquire about someone taking our order. We found one person inside helping a couple of Americans looking to buy pipes. One of my female Arab friends asked if there was any one else working at the bar apart from him. His response was very sarcastic, and we immediately felt that he was high on something. We shook that feeling off and went back to the bar to wait for him. We had just asked him a simple question, and he came about with bad attitude which was uncalled for. Then when he actually come to take our order, the first thing he says, “I don’t want to serve rude students”. We were taken aback because I have never been spoken to like that, as had none of the others with me. We were foreigners alright, but we did nothing to provoke this reaction. So, we ignored the jab, and ordered. All of us paid 5 bucks for the different flavors, and then found seats and waited. We were talking about him being rude, and his attitude, and I’m sure he couldn’t hear us. So, after 15 minutes, he walks to us with the first hookah set for three. Then, he goes on this tirade about how he thinks every foreigner he has served is rude to him and his staff, and about how we don’t know how to talk to people in the service industry. We were stunned to be talked to like that. We had almost left before when he was rude the first time, but we gave him the benefit of the doubt, basing his erratic behavior on his drug induced incapability to handle himself, and the last bit just confirmed it. After his racist monologue, we told him that we were treated no differently that anyone else, and that this was the first time that this issue had come up. While he was handing out the hookah, one of the girls just told him to leave her hookah, because she didn’t want it right away, but he wouldn’t listen. So, I took hers in hopes that he would just leave, but as he left, he said something that truly shocked me. This was as bad as my racist encounter (I was spit on) at A&M Consolidated High at College Station. He told her, “If I put burning coal up your ass, you’ll still dime me.” That was the last straw, we all got up and left. The two girls were fuming, but unfortunately, there was nothing we can do about the situation because the person who was being obnoxious while being obviously high was the owner of the bar as far as we could tell. It just looked like he had something against brown people

I am never going back there.

I came across a fascinating article about the usage of eye contact in every day life. The author starts off with a childhood tale about his father’s ability to sift through to detect lies using the voice of God. Soon, he realizes that his father uses his eyes to see if the child is lying or not. Actually, this isn’t very hard to do. If the person is unable to make eye contact when you ask something, they are usually not giving the complete truth. I’ve used this myself.

I think my fascination with eyes come from its amazing clarity and volumes it can speak. They come in so many shades of brown, green and blue. My eye fetish began with seeing the National Geographic’s image of the Afghan Girl. Those brilliant emerald eyes captivated an entire generation, and showed a peaceful innocence through the turmoil of the region during the Soviet occupation. Every public figure must have eyes that are clear and brilliant. People watch eyes to discern facts and what’s going on in their heads. There are people who can effectively neutralize their eyes and those are who succeed in professions requiring secrecy.

Over the years, I have learnt to make eye contact while speaking. There is a difference between eye contact and staring. Staring is indiscriminate constant eye contact with singular portion of the face. While the right kind of eye contact is one where they are fluid and moving within a small frame of the region of the eye. This is of course good in cultures where such eye contact is not deemed disrespectful. For example, in India, eye contact is never made for too long with older people as a sign of respect. Same goes for most patriarchal societies.

The way people can use their eyes to acheive their purposes is endless. Most people are intimidated by constant eye contact, and are more likely to respect you and do what you want. Women can use their eye contact to get out of practically any situation. I’m not being sexist but the female sex has a rather good hold over the male sex (most of them anyway). You can also use it to hide a lie because most people watch for shifty eyes to detect dishonesty. Good eye contact is a sign of confidence, and it shows people that you are still actively participating in the conversation. You would think that people in the teaching profession would understand this. I remember a professor at University at Maryland that never made eye contact even once during a 25 minute conversation about his research, and what I am interested in. It was surreal experience, and a very weird one. I figured he was an introverted person because I’ve seen that behavior in people who are socially awkward and shy.

To end this post, I want to say how miraculous the eye is. I still can’t believe the complexity nature has produced with evolution. It’s one of the most sophisticated body parts. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Which is your favorite cuisine: Indian or Thai?

In contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city, people end up waiting for all sorts of stuff. People wait for elevators, transportation, bank clerks, seating and the list goes on. The reason why people have to wait for services is because there aren’t enough resources to accommodate everyone’s needs at once. Another reason why people need patience when it comes to waiting is due to the inherent fact that people take time to make decisions. Everyone has different needs, so they take differing amounts of time to get things done which either increases or reduces the period of waiting. Waiting slows down the pace of life because everyone needs a reprieve from the craziness of everyday life.

I am going to concentrate on the issue of waiting in the cafeteria. The main reason why I wanted to observe and write about this was that I have had to wait in a line plenty of times and there were a lot of subjects to observe right here at Coe. This falls into an urban practice due to the fact that we are in an urban campus very close to the downtown of a major city. Coe’s cafeteria serves about 300-400 students every meal and that’s a big number for a single cafeteria on a college campus. So, waiting is an eventuality at our cafeteria. We wait to get into the cafeteria which could either be instantaneous or delayed depending on how long the line is which could extend all the way to the bookstore. And then we wait in the food lines which snakes its way around the front of the cafeteria. And then there are lines for salads, deli meats, and liquid refreshments. Some people say that we spend a small yet significant chunk of our time at school waiting for food.

Human nature dictates our restlessness while standing still, so it is interesting to note the different ways that we entertain ourselves while we linger to get food. I interviewed some friends and asked them to tell me what they did or observed people doing at the cafeteria lines. I summarized their answers and my observations and I shall proceed to describe them.

If students go to eat in a group, and are held up, they usually talk among themselves. It could be a conversation that they were having on the way to the cafeteria or something that came up while standing around. But generally speaking in this situation, they tend to ignore people around them as I have observed that many of the conservations get very boisterous and loud and tend to irritate others nearby. While on the other hand, if someone is by themselves, they could be doing or thinking about a multitude of things. Usually they would look around for familiar faces or someone they can stand next to so that they don’t feel lonely. That usually leads to further conversation and an imminent sense of belonging and purpose. However, that doesn’t happen all the time as people can end up being alone. So at times like this, I have observed them to be uncomfortable and shifty as they look around to see if anyone is looking at them. Sometimes in the solitude, you could reflect on classes or events in life. When I was alone, I would think about my pending work and formulate a plan to finish it. Another possible thought that could be running through our mind could be to eat the right amount because it’s a good thing to strive for. Since the cafeteria allows us eat as much as possible, over-eating is a regular occurrence. Humming seems to be a popular option because it’s a sign of letting your mind wander. It’s usually a tune that’s stuck in your head and you don’t know why. It’s funny to see the person next to them start humming the same tune unconsciously which means that we influence our surroundings to a large extent.

The cafeteria is where a lot of the social interaction between students occurs during school days. While standing in line, students check each other out and notice what they are wearing or doing. This is perhaps one of the most popular actions while waiting. If someone in a group notices something different about someone, it sparks instant talk. Something else that comes up in a group is gossip. Waiting in lines allows time for people to catch up on gossip as well. We also scope out the area for seating which either could be finding an empty table to accommodate the group or find an existing table with people you would like to eat with. We also greet each other when we see one another and we also tend to greet the people working there and strike up a conversation with perhaps a chef.

I know a lot of people who either read a newspaper, mail or start homework while the line inches forward. That is a judicious use of time, for time stops for no one and time is money. We also try to look at the food set out and pray the food is good. If the food is good, some people visibly start salivating or tapping their foot in impatience. We must like observing other people because one of the people I interviewed said that she likes to look at the food that people choose to eat.

In conclusion, I think that there are three main things people do while waiting for food. They are socializing, observing, or something self-absorbing. We also need things to entertain us while we are held up. This is however not a complete list of things people do while waiting but rather the observations of an international college student who has never had the opportunity to experience a cafeteria in school.

This is from the Best of Craigslist in the San Francisco Bay area. I found this pretty humorous, and it asks girls to ponder a little bit more before our advances are spurned, or overlooked.. My thoughts are in italics .

In the wide world of dating, there are many options. Do you go for the flashy guy with the smooth smile, or the dude in the corner typing away on his laptop? The following are reasons why I think my fellow females should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.

1.) While geeks and nerds may be awkward, they’re well-meaning 9 out of 10 times. That smooth dude with the sly grin and the spider hands? Wonder what HIS intentions are… plus, I’ve never had a geek guy not call me when he said he would. Score major points THERE.

Some are awkward, but some are very capable of handling themselves around the other sex. I have to agree with her when she says that geeks/nerds do what they tell you they will do. They keep their word.

2.) They’re useful. In this tech-savvy world, it’s great to have a b/f who can make your laptop, desktop, and just about anything else that plugs into a wall behave itself.

This is absolutely true. I am employed by most of my female friends to fix their technological issues. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been called to fix their computers, or help them with software. It is an incredible advantage to have a boyfriend who is on your beck and call to help you with technology. Sometimes, we can even recommend or automate things to make your life easier.

3.) They’re more romantic than they’re given credit for. Ok true, their idea of romance might be to make up a spiffy web-page with all the reasons why they love you, with links to pics of you and sonnets and such… but hey. It lasts longer than flowers, plus you can show your friends.

This is not always true. We do give flowers, chocolates and all those cliched romantic offerings. However, added onto that, we can also etch our love into something that is more permanent like the internet. I have come to realize that sometimes such details are not meant for the web, if the other person doesn’t appreciate it. I learnt that from experience. So, guys, watch out for that.

4.) Due to their neglected status, there are plenty to choose from. You like ‘em tall and slender? There are plenty of geeks/nerds who are. You like ‘em smaller with more meat on their bones? Got that too.

I must say that this is absolutely true. We are indeed overlooked for the sleeker, slicker models of the male sex. There is a lot of choice, but that being said, some geeks/nerds keep in shape. Point in case, was my room mate during the ORNL internship. He had a chiseled body because he was very active.

5.) They’ve got brains. Come on now, how can intelligence be a bad thing?

This is perhaps the most important thing that we have to offer to you. Our brains are what gives us this status in society. We offer more to the relationship beyond the carnal. Geeks/Nerds need mental stimulation, and often look for girls who can offer that. A relationships with differing levels of intelligence almost never works out, because one person or both, feel that the relationship is not fulfilling. I got to say that some of us are modest about our brains, and some are not. The cocky ones are often jerks. So, watch out.

6.) Most are quite good at remembering dates. Like birthdates and such, especially if they know it’ll make you happy. Due again to their neglected status, they’re more attentive than guys who “have more options”. Plus, with all that down time without a steady girlfriend, they’ll likely have mental lists of all the things they’d love to do once they GOT a girlfriend.

We take relationships seriously. We remember dates because we know it makes you feel special. Also, you know that we always have you on our mind, and never forget. We pay attention to show how much we care about you. I don’t know about that mental lists thing though. There are a few things that we think about, but it’s not like we have a master plan layed out.

7.) Sex. Yep. Sex. I’m not really familiar with this myself, but I’ve friends who’ve been intimate with geek guys and it’s raves all around. They say a virgin wrote the Kama Sutra… all that time thinking about sex, imagining sex, dreaming about sex, (they are male after all) coupled with a desire to make you happy? Use your imagination.

This is murky waters. I don’t really know what to say about it. The person who wrote the Kamasutra, was not a virgin, not by a long shot. He was one of the most sexually active sages in Hindu mythology.

8.) They’re relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you’re not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

We are low maintainance. A lot of us love cooking. We are happy to just spend time walking around, watching movies, and having a healthy conversation. Buying us memorable yet inexpensive gifts are enough to satisfy us. We don’t need designer brands, and expensive gifts. As long as the intention is pure, and invokes the right emotions, we are good.

9.) Most frequent bars as often as slugs frequent salt mines. You won’t have to worry much about your geek guy getting his “groove” on with club hotties because, frankly, he’ll be too busy rooting around under his computer wondering where that spare cable went. You won’t have to worry about him flirting with other women because, 9 out of 10 times, he’ll zip right by them in a perfect b-line towards the nearest electronics store. I’ve seen this happen.
Me: “Eww. Victoria Secret’s Models… They’re so skinny. How is that feminine? You can see her ribs!”
Geek Guy: “ooooooo…”
Me: “Hey!” *notices he is staring lustfully towards the computer store*
Geek Guy: “What?”
Me: “Never mind…”

Once geeks/nerds have girlfriends, they becomes their entire world. We don’t pay attention to any other girls because we are satisfied. Although, there are situations where the geeks get their groove on, especially if they know social dance forms like swing, salsa and latin. I know, I do, even if I have a girlfriend. While I dated, I loved dancing with other girls who knew to dance well too..

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you’ll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he’ll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn’t want to go someplace with you, you won’t have to worry much about what he’s up to. You’ll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It’s ok. He’s used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

I used this with movies. However, in the process of going to musicals, and other shows during swaps, I started appreciately that form of entertainment. And, if we are left alone, we are completely trustworthy, and when you get back, probably find us doing the geeky thing we were doing before you left. Hehe. Sad, but true, because we don’t get bored very easily if it keeps us engaged.

11.) His friends aren’t jerks. I can’t stress this enough. You’ll more likely get “Omg! A GIRL!! Can I see?!” than “Hey hot stuff back that ass up here and let me get some grub on…” They’re awkward geeks too and will, 9 times out of 10, treat you with the utmost respect and, more than likely, a note of awe. A cute girl picked one of their clan to date? It could happen to them! Hope! Drag some of your single girlfriends over, open up a pack of Mt. Dew, crack open the DnD set and get working. Nothing impresses geek guys more than a girl who can hack-n-slash (well ok maybe if she can code… a geek can dream).

I can understand this, but can’t relate to it, because most of my friends are female. We do have utmost respect for women, and often are outspoken advocates for female causes such are abortions, and equal opportunities.

12.) They’re rarely if ever possessive. They trust you, so you can be yourself around them. You like to walk around the house in a ratty t-shirt for comfort? He won’t care. He does too! They won’t get pissy if you don’t wear make-up or don’t want to bother primping your hair. If you gain a few pounds, they won’t try their best to make you feel like crap.

We do trust implicitly often, but we do get jealous if provoked to. I am possessive, and don’t mind the girl being possessive, as long as it doesn’t cramp my style. Who ever I dates needs to understand that I make female friends easily and tend to have more female friends than male. However, they are often my best friends, and always platonic. I am, and most of geeks are infinitely faithful.

13.) They’re usually very well educated. Physics majors and the like. See #5. You won’t have to listen to him blathering on about his car (ok maybe a little), he’ll have loads of other interesting things to talk about. Politics, world events, how much the chicken burgers down at the local place rock, so long as you douse them in hot sauce…

I can’t stress this enough. This is a cornerstone, and an absolute requirement for me. I need intellectual stimulation in a relationship, and if I can’t find it, I have to look for it elsewhere. We are interested and keep abreast with major happenings influencing our world. I am interested in basically everything. I love talking about anything from religion, politics, economics, science, and philosophy. I am not very well versed in music or arts but love learning more about them, as I go. We are well educated, and often, in the top percentile of the elite population. Oh, also, I’m a physics and math double major, and a first year phd student at PSU for materials engg.

14.) You’ll almost never have to hear, “Yaw dawg whazzap!!” plop out of their mouths. Unless it’s in jest. They spell properly, use correct punctuation, and are able to tell the difference between the toilet and the floor. They almost never get “wasted”, so you won’t have to worry about coming home to find him and his friends passed out on the floor amidst a pile of beer bottles. Mt. Dew cans, perhaps…

I have never slipped to slang in language. I pride myself in speaking and writing proper English, with correct grammer and spelling. We do get drunk, and pass out. Everyone does. I haven’t passed out or puked ever, but I know a geek fraternity at Coe that drinks like a school of fish.

15.) And the final reason why geeks and nerds make great boyfriends: They actually give a damn about you. Not how you look (though that’s a plus), not how skinny you are, not how much make-up you primp yourself up with, but they like you for you. That kind of thing lasts longer than “DaMN baby you got a fine ass!!!” Believe me.

If you can accept us for all of our imperfections, we can accept you for all your shortcomings and quirks. We like you for what you are. We like the person inside. Superficial romances are fleeting. We compliment you, and make you feel special. We often care more about you that you could possibly fathom.

So, yeah, we make excellent partners in life and love. We also make wonderful friends.

Open Trackbacks: Open Trackback Weekend, OTB Weekend #2, Woman Honor Thyself

Technorati Tags: Relationships, Geeks, Nerds, Love, Dating

• best of craigslist : Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It…
  (tags: geek humor dating culture love)
• The Urban Etiquette Handbook — New York Magazine
  (tags: etiquette guide)

Technorati Tags: Culture, Opinion, Religion, Islam, Muhammad, Controversy, Cartoons, Media, Denmark, Satire, Terrorism

This is an opinion piece of Flemming Rose, the culture editor of Jyllands-Posten, explaining his intentions with the publishing of the cartoons. It was meant as satire, just as the rest of the people usually depicted in such cartoons.

If the article vanishes, the full article is after the jump.
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The fascination for Dan Brown’s style of thrillers kept me captivated through his earlier works like Angels and Demons (Amazon, Wikipedia), Digital Fortress (Amazon, Wikipedia), and Deception Point (Amazon, Wikipedia). The first two books were thrilling but do not compare to the Robert Langdon books. I hear that Dan Brown is writing the third installment of the Langdon adventures.

I’ll leave it to you to look at the plot from the links listed above, and I really enjoyed the books. It took me less than 10 hours to re-gobble this (night, morning, afternoon). Like I said, captivating.

I’m going to mention a few interesting tidbits I came across that I wanted to share.

1. Thumbs-up sign is an ancient phallic symbol for masculine virility.
2. Fun fact about the connection between Shaitan (Islamic) and Satan (Christian). See the similarity? According the book, “Shaitan is the root of an English word … Satan”.
3. The threads between Christianity and Paganism. Sun worship depicted in Christianity with Christmas given as an example as Christ was born in March, yet his birth is celebrated on Dec 25. Dan Brown says that December 25th is the ancient pagan holiday of sol invictus - Unconquered Sun - which coincides with the winter solstice. This also shows us that Christianity is yet another transmutated religion that assimilated different cultures and traditions to form this massive set of ideologies and faith. Even the image of God is akin that of Zeus, the Greek King of Gods.

Apart from that, I suggest visiting the wikipedia article of Angels and Demons for factual inaccuracies. There are a few prominent ones like mistranslation of Novus Ordo Seclorum on the US one-dollar bill. CERN has come up with it’s own facts/fiction about it’s role in Angels and Demons including a large section on Antimatter.

I’ve developed a taste for religion-history based mystery-thrillers. I’ve also read The Rule of Four (Amazon), which is another historical code based thriller.

I await the Robert Langdon’s third book Soloman’s Key with bated breath. It is speculated for release in 2007.

Technorati Tags: Science, Books, Culture, History, Religion, Christianity, Dan Brown, Angels and Demons, Paganism, Wikipedia, Amazon

Reactions to the latest measures that benefit the lower castes have been stormy as the population battles for coveted spots in universities.

I think we should do away with quota and let it be merit based.

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