Miscellaneous:
Stanford
This explains the scenario for M.S. only students to apply to PhD program.
Unsorted links, many to funny YouTube clips.
The last tip, 'No matter how small, crib notes can be conspicuous. Commit them to memory for an innovative, unencumbered cheating method.' earned me good grades in college. :)
My picture on the last page of Time Magazine ....
I missed the first parade because I was in Wisconsin back then. This photo was taken when I joined the second parade.
Yes, although I'm not a fan of national identity at all, I hate the new bloody flag of Hongkong. Don't ever show me that bloody thing! I prefer the classical (bluish) flag. I really wished that Hongkong can go independent like Australia did.
Picture taken at the entrance to Fry's Electronics, Palo Alto
I'd say that I was inspired by this piece of graffiti art that I actually drove to Fry's and took the picture myself. That's too much truth for most people to take.
Stuffed Dilbert and Dogbert in the Drew Carey Show
I have a Catbert at the rear window of my car. I think it works much better than any bumper stickers. My Dogbert is sitting on my computer monitor.
This comic strip explains my frustration towards all the written materials on EE379A. The lectures were impressive, the instructor was great, but at the end of the day, you have to read his written material (textbook, homework, exams) to get a grade for the course.
My advice: if you find the course text frustrating to understand (especially if you spent hours deciphering the text just to find out that it was something you know well since long), drop the course! It's a sign that you don't resonate with his written technical language. I saw a few people in class that are totally happy with his writing style, so try it out for the first week see if you are compatible.
My experience: e.g. spending 5 hours checking through calculations and simulation code just to find out that it's an notational ambiguity in continuous and discrete norms in the textbook is not fun at all. It's just like working in the industry, except that you don't get paid for doing these kind of intellectually tedious work.
Made in China
My favorite Sinfest Comics:
Eastern & Western Culture - I never buy the eastern ideals, so here I am.
Vegetable Cruelty: Consider this before you start the whole animal ethics theory.
My favorite Dilbert Blogs (anything in quotes were written by Scott Adams):
Media Censorship: Censorship never appeals to me, so as most comedians.
The Most Obscene Letter: "If you ask me, the most obscene letter in the alphabet is the asterisk"
The Dilbert Blog Olympic Swearing: "I think cursing should be an Olympic sport"
Counteracting Brainwashing / Stupidity Propagation
The Dilbert Blog Strange Laws: "I’m also not clear as to why gambling is legal in a few specific places within a country and not others", "I’m also confused as to why potentially dangerous drugs are illegal", "I also think that prostitution should be legal, but only provided via vending machines. "
Constitutional or Not (part 2): "You’re either trusting ancient hole-poopers who wrote something down and told you it was inspired by God, or you’re trusting your instinct. And let’s face it: you know what a clueless goober you can be."
Uh-Oh: "I never knew that there are about a zillion different versions of the Bible because (and I am summarizing Ehrman’s entire book here) it was copied and recopied by hand, by semi-literate, opinionated morons for hundreds of years. Sometimes the copiers left stuff out, sometimes they added their own explanations where things didn’t seem to make sense, and other times they simply made errors. Each time a new semi-literate opinionated moron made a copy of the copy, most of the errors were preserved while new ones were added."
Could Science Eliminate Religion: "Persuasion has many names and forms: Advertising, Indoctrination, Peer pressure, Hypnosis, Brainwashing"
Burning Flags: "The thing to remember about freedom is that it’s not given, it’s taken." (I think overreacting to anything symbolic demonstrates the lack of intelligence)
What’s My Lion: "Did you see the Reuters story about the man that jumped into a lion’s habitat at the Kiev zoo and yelled “God will save me, if he exists”? One of the lions – apparently an atheist – mauled him to death."Why Do I Enjoy Riling People Up: “Reading some of the comments to your blog always restores my lack of faith in humanity.”
Controversies
Victim or Lucky Bastard: "I even understand the thinking behind criminalizing so-called victimless crimes, although I generally disagree with those laws."
Unconstructive academics
Profession-Specific Jokes:
Law & Society
Trial Redundancy: "It’s not a crime to attempt sending obviously innocent people to jail, but it should be. My plan would right that wrong too."
Myself
Blame Room Service: She retorted, “YOU ARE AN ARROGANT, POMPOUS, JERK!” I chuckled and hung up. Suddenly I was in a good mood again. But best of all, this angry woman and I had found something we could both agree on. I WAS an arrogant, pompous, jerk. Although in my defense I do a good fairly good job of hiding it unless someone calls me a crap-stealer.
I Miss My Tiny Goat: "Last night I dreamed that someone gave me a tiny goat. It purred when I picked it up and held it. And it never needed to eat, poop, or pee. It didn’t bark, bleet, howl or damage the furniture." (It has something to say about if I want to get a girlfriend)Optimistic Cynic: "People are often surprised to learn that I consider myself an optimist, albeit an optimist with cynical tendencies and a dark side that Lucifer himself would find a little creepy" (I'm like him in every sense, except that I'm not an optimist to start with)
Q. What do you see as the greatest problem facing the world today?
A. Religious nuts (assuming global warming gets fixed).
Q. What's your opinion on abortion?
A. It’s bad for the fetus. It’s convenient for the adult who wants one. Arguing about when “life begins” is an attempt to offload a tough question on the dictionary or the courts or a superstition. I support the majority opinion in favor of keeping abortion legal. I value the quality of life for adults higher than the unrealized life of a fetus. And I trust the majority (the mob) to figure out the most realistic place to draw that line.
Q. Do you feel human beings are inherently selfish?
A. Yup
Q. Your thoughts on genetically modified food/animals/people??
A. I’d allow it all, with close oversight. Who wouldn’t want a pet that was half beagle and half cucumber?Q. What is the title/who is the author of the last three books you've read, and what is your opinion about those books?
A: Freakonomics: ExcellentQ. Assisted suicide
A. I’m all for it.Am I a Libertarian: "If my philosophy had a name, it would probably be Ignorantselfishertarianism
Top the Cynic: "Nothing bugs me more than when someone is more cynical than I am"
Philosophy
We Influential Management Thinkers: "I do get a lot of e-mail from people who say that Wally has become their role model. That’s not helping the ol’ GNP. And I like to think that my Alice character has given women permission to punch people."
The Stuff in my Head: "I’m glad that kids are being brainwashed to die for me."
