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Errata [Thu July 17, 2008|09:28pm] I haven’t written anything for a while, but here’s a quick list of things that I think are interesting: In case you didn’t know, I defended. I am now Dr. Kulkarni (well, technically, I’m ABD until the end of August, when I really graduate). I will now insist that everyone call me either Dr. Kulkarni. Or Dr. Doom. Your pick. If I lived in Kansas, I would totally be voting for this guy. The iPhone 3G is by far the coolest gadget I’ve ever owned. It was definitely worth the 4.5 hours I stood in line on Saturday to get it. A partial list of places I’ve traveled to this year, with more to come: Yorktown Heights, NY. Santa Clara, CA. Seattle, WA. Ithaca, NY. Munich, Germany. Paris, France. Birmingham & Lincoln, England. Snowbird, UT View this post on www.milind.org 3 comments|post comment

Jango? [Fri April 25, 2008|12:20am] A little while ago (ok, a year and a half ago), I wrote about Pandora, a music jukebox that used information from the Music Genome Project to find music similar to music that you like. I bring this up because today I found Jango, which seems to be really similar. I think it’s more like Last.fm, in that it sets up your radio station based on what other people with similar musical taste like (rather than using some heuristics based on musical attributes). It’s got a fairly cool interface, and, uh, some other stuff. Ok, the real reason I wanted to write this post is that Jango created this snazzy jukebox widget for me: View this post on www.milind.org 3 comments|post comment

More Wikipedia Blogging [Sun March 30, 2008|09:33pm] I present to you the greatest first sentence in Wikipedia history: "Joshua Milton Blahyi, also known as General Butt Naked, is a Liberian warlord-turned-preacher." Followed later by this gem: "Blahyi is now the President of the End Time Train Evangelistic Ministries Inc., with Headquarters in Liberia." In fact, just perusing the various articles on Liberia reveals several "stranger than fiction" moments. For example, from the article on Charles Taylor: After the official end of the civil war in 1996, Taylor became Liberia's president on August 2, 1997, following a landslide victory in July, in which he took 75 percent of the vote. Taylor's toughest competitor, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, only collected 10 percent of the vote. The election was judged free and fair by some observers, although Taylor's victory has been widely attributed to the belief that he would resume the war if he lost. He famously ran on the slogan "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him." And now back to doing actual work. View this post on my blog post comment

A Pox on Airline Pricing [Mon February 4, 2008|01:33am] I'm going to be at this conference in March. The astute reader, who bothers to click on links, will note that it's in Seattle (speaking of which, Ferris -- are you going to be around on the 5th?). The astute reader, who also understands that it takes a day just to drive out of Texas, will realize that to get to a conference in Seattle in any reasonable amount of time necessitates flying. So I take myself over to Kayak, my current choice for finding flights (as it searches individual airline sites, including those that don't usually show up on Orbitz), and note that there are flights from AUS to SEA for $208 dollars on American! Since I usually can't even fly to Houston for less than $300, this was a fantastic deal. If I was actually able to get it. I clicked on the first flight that was $208. "We're sorry, the flight you selected is no longer available." I clicked on the second flight that was $208. "We're sorry, the flight you selected is no longer available." Repeat ad nauseam. At this point, I was faced with two possibilities: (i) everyone in Austin is flying to Seattle in March, and was buying tickets at the exact same time, or (ii) I managed to attempt to buy a ticket right when American was changing its fares. Turns out it was the latter: I wound up getting a ticket for the exact same flights, but for $310. In the span of 5 minutes, the price I had to pay to get to Seattle went up by $100*! For a flight that's more than a month away! A little transparency in airline pricing would certainly be nice. Punks. * There was still a $208 flight available that left Austin at 6 in the morning. Since I refuse to acknowledge the existence of time before 7 in the morning, that was a non-starter. Plus, who knows, they might not have let me buy that ticket either. View this post on my blog 9 comments|post comment

Sometimes, Wikipedia gets it right. [Mon October 29, 2007|11:23am] Apparently my blog has devolved into all-Wikipedia, all-the-time. But given my previous discussions about citations in Wikipedia, I thought this was noteworthy. The entry on waterboarding opens with a ruthlessly backed-up statement: Waterboarding is a form of torture [...] followed by ten, count 'em, ten, citations. These include cites from relevant experts, various UN documents and the US's own laws. Which makes Michael Mukasey's statements that much more ridiculous: The retired federal judge and former prosecutor from New York said torture violates the U.S. Constitution. But he declined to specifically say whether waterboarding is torture. "If it amounts to torture, it is not constitutional," Mukasey said, drawing complaints he was dodging the question. If it's torture? And to think I thought the Bush administration had turned a corner with regards to clearly unacceptable nominees. That'll learn me. View this post on my blog post comment

Thank god I'm not lactose intolerant [Sat October 20, 2007|10:39pm] After struggling to fit half of an extra-large pizza into my fridge, I was trying to figure out why it (the fridge) was so full. Turns out my fridge is full of dairy products: Milk (2%) Part-skim mozzarella cheese (mostly finished) Part-skim mozzarella cheese (can't run out of mozz) Sliced cheddar cheese (Boar's Head sharp cheddar -- Best. Cheddar. Ever.) Mexican cheese mix (for the occasional tostada) Sour cream (also useful with latkes) Cottage cheese (leftover from lasagna) Ricotta cheese (ditto) Shredded parmesan cheese (I probably go through parm faster than any other cheese) Grated parmesan cheese (from the Department of Redundancy Department) Gorgonzola cheese (spinach + walnuts + cranberries + gorgonzola + vinaigrette = only salad worth making) Some sort of spreadable garlic cheese (don't ask) Just thought I'd share. View this post on my blog post comment

Apropos of my previous post [Thu October 11, 2007|04:12pm] Long ago thought it was, as well as politics in general: From xkcd, entitled "Wikipedian Protester" View this post on my blog post comment

Wikipedia can be retarded [citation needed] [Mon February 19, 2007|07:29pm] Peruse, if you will, the Wikipedia entry on the color "lime". It starts out as a nice overview of various colors which may be appropriately (or inappropriately, but commonly) called "lime." So far, so good. Very encyclopedic, quite informative (and brings up the question: what genius decided to call #00FF00 "lime," instead of "green"? Why not call the other color "forest," or something?) Then things go off the rails, in the "Lime in Human Culture" section, where we are treated to this gem: The flavor Lime is very popular among Hispanics[citation needed]... which is possibly the most retarded thing written on Wikipedia (and I know that's a sweeping generalization, but, come on, look at it!) First, it is completely irrelevant to lime qua color. Second, it's not at all encyclopedic. If you want to make a statement like that, wouldn't it be better to write something like "The flavor of lime is very popular in Hispanic cooking"? So, what does Joe Random Wikieditor do when confronted with this statement? Decide that a citation is needed. Postscript: I'm just about to go fix this, because it offends my sensibilities. But rest assured that it was actually there. View this post on my blog 18 comments|post comment

The New Yorker, Edith Hamilton; Edith Hamilton, the New Yorker [Wed January 31, 2007|05:50pm] Skimming through the NY Times this afternoon, I came upon this gem: The people who are warning that New York is losing its dominance as a global financial center because of overregulation make up “a chorus of Cassandras,” James Surowiecki writes in the latest issue of The New Yorker. The article’s skeptical stance echoes Jenny Anderson’s Insider column in last week’s New York Times, in which she suggested there was some “undue panic” over the flight of companies to overseas markets. While I perhaps agree that there's no need to panic over the possibility of NY losing its preeminence in the global capital markets, that's not what I found interesting about this passage. Apparently, James Surowiecki feels that, in order to convey skepticism about calamitous predictions, comparing the nattering nabobs of negativity to Cassandra is the necessary metaphor. Which, of course, is precisely the wrong one, seeing as how Cassandra was always correct, but no one believed her. Maybe Surowiecki was making an ironic statement which the Times merely misapprehended. I doubt it. Time to brush up on your Mythology. View this post on my blog 4 comments|post comment

Uncle Remus! [Fri November 10, 2006|05:06pm] From the annoyingly right-wing, yet highly entertaining National Review Online: It's time for conservatives to seize the Republican Party back from the moderate/establishment Republicans. It already appears Tuesday's election results have been lost on the Bush White House. This is our 1976 moment. What was it Br'er Rabbit said? Oh yeah: "Oh, please don't throw me into that briar patch, Br'er Wolf!" View this post on my blog post comment

Score one for Austin [Tue August 22, 2006|10:40pm] So I've been in Austin for about three weeks now. I'm only really now feeling settled in. I think it finally stuck last weekend. Nick (friend from Cornell), Meghan (new friend!) and myself went out on the town for my birthday. It wasn't so much the birthday celebration that made me feel at home (although it was definitely fun). It was the feeling that I could definitely be happy hanging out with these people. That's what it takes to feel at home: friends... On a completely unrelated note, stores in Austin sell Mexican Coca Cola! This is truly awesome for two reasons: Glass bottles Sugar instead of corn syrup I bought a whole case of it, all excited, only to realize that I didn't have a bottle opener. I clearly don't drink enough. Anyway, easily remedied, and this post is brought to you by the sugary-caffeiney goodness that is Mexican soda! View this post on my blog 2 comments|post comment

First euonym, now this? [Fri June 2, 2006|03:07pm] You know, considering all the words that get tossed around in the National Spelling Bee, doesn't ursprache seem rather easy to spell? View this post on my blog 2 comments|post comment

State fans are nuttier than a Payday [Mon April 10, 2006|10:46pm] As proof, I present this thread Background information: Earlier today there were rumors floating around that John Calipari was coming to Raleigh to tour NC State's facilities, possibly as a prelude to his agreeing to coach the Wolfpack. Later in the day, a Memphis paper reported that Calipari was, in fact, still in Tennessee, but another outlet (don't know which), said that Calipari was merely coming to Raleigh later than planned. And so the stalking... err... race... was on! If you ever need a stalker (and God knows why you would), you could do a lot worse than some of the people in the thread. Highlights include: Finding a private flight that left Memphis and was scheduled to land at a little-used municipal airport in Chapel Hill. Tracking the flight as it was en route and noticing that it didn't actually land in Chapel Hill, but instead diverted to RDU. This was proved by overlaying the actual flight path on Google Earth and comparing it to the locations of the two airports. Monitoring the RBC center webcam and noticing that the lights were turned on several hours after they were turned off, for no apparent reason Calling the RBC center security office and finding out that the media was cleared out of the building Putting it all together conspiracy theory style to make all the timelines line up I rest my case. View this post on my blog 1 comment|post comment

Crazy news [Wed March 22, 2006|11:45pm] So some of you have heard this news already, but I figured I might as well disseminate it to all of you at once rather than wondering who I've told and who I haven't. The short form of it is this: I'm leaving Cornell. Of course, the long form isn't quite as drastic as that sounds. The general story is this: My advisor has decided to leave Cornell (and the long form of that really is as drastic as it sounds), accepting a position at the University of Texas (at Austin). He'll be starting there next semester, and moving down there some time this summer. This, of course, puts a major crimp in my previously-held view that I would be living in Ithaca until my degree was completed. Instead, I, too, will be moving down to Austin so I can continue working with him while pursuing my degree. The first question most people seem to ask upon hearing this news is "Are you still getting your degree from Cornell?" And the answer is, as always, "Yes." Basically, I'm going to be living and working down there, but will remain a Cornell student (and hence why it's not quite as drastic as leaving Cornell). I'll even have the joy of flying back to Ithaca in two years (or whenever) to give my thesis defense. So the upshot is: All the benefits of a Cornell education without having to actually deal with living in Ithaca. The second question people ask is "How do you feel about moving?" And this one doesn't have as pat an answer. I have conflicting feelings. In many ways, I'm very, very excited to be moving to Austin. In terms of things to do, Ithaca doesn't hold a candle to Austin. I've gone to Austin before for a job interview and remember coming back and thinking that I definitely wouldn't mind living there, and now I get the chance to. Until I decided to come to Cornell, I don't think I ever contemplated living in Ithaca. The downside to moving to Austin is more or less the same downside as all other moves. After living here for four years, Ithaca has become my home. I've put down roots here and would have to leave a lot of friends behind. That's always the hardest part. Not to mention finding some place besides Shortstop to go to for lunch on weekends. Also, I have to move out of this apartment, which I had planned to keep until I graduated, continuing my trend of moving every, single, freaking year. Bah. Final good point: Austin is more accessible, so all you folks can come (and better come!) visit me easily. It's warm, it's fun, and if you come during SXSW, I promise you that we'll never fall into the trap of trying to figure out something to do. View this post on my blog 3 comments|post comment

Womack! [Sat December 17, 2005|04:07pm] John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry on the West Wing, died yesterday. The first 3 or so seasons of the West Wing, in my opinion, were the best television I have ever seen, and John Spencer's character was a big part of that. I don't know what's weirder: the fact that when I saw that John Spencer died, that my first thoughts were about the character he played, or the fact that I grew so attached to the characters of the West Wing that I'm more upset about this than any other recent celebrity passing. Rather than cleaning my room today, I'm going to go back through seasons 1 and 2 and watch some of John Spencer's greatest hits. (also, he played Womack in "The Rock," hence the title of the post. Read in a Sean Connery accent for full effect) View this post on my blog 1 comment|post comment

Bond, James Bond [Sat October 15, 2005|12:59am] From here: Rumored to have also been in the running were British actors Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Gerard Butler and Ewan McGregor. One of these things is not like the other. Hugh Grant? Hugh "charmingly befuddled Englishman" Grant? How was that going to work? Bond: Hi... m-my name is... oh dear, I've gone and forgotten it... Bond, yes! That's it! Bond. Jack B -- wait, that's not it. John. Oh dear... James! Yes, James Bond! My name is Bond, J-James Bond! Hot Bond Girl: Piss off. View this post on my blog post comment

Who wants to listen to Guster Radio? [Fri October 14, 2005|05:48pm] So I stumbled across Pandora, which purports to answer the question "Can you help me discover more music I like?" It's quite straightforward. You enter a single artist, or even a single song by that artist, and it begins to stream music to you that's similar to your artist. So feel free to punch in your favorite artist! I typed in "Guster," at first. The first song it played me was "Amsterdam." Good job, geniuses, I thought. But then it came up with The Shoes, and now The Greenhornes, both bands I've never heard of, but which sound pretty good to me. This is an outgrowth of the Music Genome Project, which is a way of very specifically describing any song over a range of variables. Apparently I like bands with "mild rhythmic syncopation" and "a subtle use of vocal harmony." I guess they do some sort of matching to bring up songs that you'll probably like. The only drawback is that after 10 free hours of listening, it costs 3 dollars a month after that. But it's still pretty interesting to check out. I may even choose to subscribe. View this post on my blog 1 comment|post comment

A pox on all meth labs [Wed September 14, 2005|10:38pm] Pseudoephedrine, the main active ingredient in common cold medicines such as Sudafed, is chemically quite similar to ephedrine (hence the name). As such, it can be used to make methamphetamine. Since crank is quite illegal, and with the growth of small-scale meth labs which use pseudoephedrine in their production, many states have placed restrictions on the purchase of pseudoephedrine containing medicines. So why do I care? There I am at 7:30, standing in Target (Tar-zhay?), and I'm in the market for pseudoephedrine. Not because I'm planning on starting up a meth lab in my new apartment. Instead, I just have a terrible cold, and I'm out of everything but Nyquil. Unfortunately, New York no longer allows the unregulated sale of pseudoephedrine. At Target, the process is very similar to purchasing large items: rather than picking up the item itself, you take a ticket for it. You then take the ticket to the pharmacy, and if you're over 18, and you're not buying too much, they'll give you the medicine. Unfortunately, Target's pharmacy closes at 7. So I'm without cold relief! Damn you, illicit methamphetmine producers! View this post on my blog 2 comments|post comment

Well. That's something you don't hear every day. [Tue September 6, 2005|01:07am] It's amazing how many interesting, or even disturbing, things you just hear as opposed to see, and how these fleeting bits of sound get put together into a coherent story. Earlier today, I heard a domestic disturbance going on in the apartment downstairs. A man was yelling at a woman rather loudly, something along the lines of "you can't just take her and leave!" The yelling lasted for maybe 10 minutes before it stopped. I wonder if she left, I thought to myself. Then, earlier this evening, I heard a lot of loud knocking downstairs. Maybe the guy left and now he's trying to get in?. Once, twice, and then one last time. Then the knocking stopped. Well, either she was stupid and let him in, or he gave up and left (at this point, my various survival/scaredy-cat instincts kick in, and I deadbolt the door). Finally, five minutes ago, I heard even louder banging. Well, I guess he left last time and now he's maybe drunk and trying to get in. Once, then again. Then: "Open the door!" *beat* "Open the door! This is the police!" Huh, I guess she was dumb enough to let him back in. I wonder who called the cops. "Get down on the ground! Now!" I guess the police got inside. I hope this ends well I haven't heard anything since then. I wonder how things turned out. View this post on my blog 4 comments|post comment

Biking fun [Thu September 1, 2005|01:17am] Today, I had my first flat tire. As I was pulling out of the bike rack area at work, I heard a fairly steady thump, thump sound. I looked down and thought to myself, "You know, I'm pretty sure that my rear tire isn't supposed to stick that far out to the sides at the bottom." So I stopped, and took a better look. Yup, definitely flat. I hadn't gotten too far away from work, so I walked the bike back to the shade (a necessity, since it topped out at 98 degrees here, today) to try my hand at fixing it. Fortuitously, last Sunday I decided that I had tempted fate long enough, and went down to the local bike store (Livermore Cyclery). While there, I bought a seat bag, a spare tube, a patch kit, and a pretty swanky multi-tool (what can I say, I'm a gadget freak with too much disposable income). I also got an on-frame pump to complement the pump I already had at home. I'd like to say that my buying this stuff so recently was prescient, but I think it's more likely that I was just stupid for not having gotten it sooner (especially considering how much use I get out of the bike). Having bought that stuff, I decided that I should probably learn how to use it. Enter the Park Tool website, where I read through how to pull off a tire, how to patch/replace a tube, and how to get everything running again. I will chalk up having read the site before setting out on the bike again to some fairly good common sense on my part. Armed with a vague recollection of how to deal with my flat, I pulled the rear wheel off the bike and saw that there was pretty much no air at all left in the tire. Using my now so-handy multitool, I got the tire off and saw that the tube was likely ruined beyond repair (it was torn right at the valve stem. Anyone have any ideas why that may have happened?) so I decided to just replace the tube. That's when I hit my first snafu. It appeared to me that the spare tube I had was far too big for the bike wheel. Even partially inflated, it didn't fit snugly around the wheel. Getting a little skittish, I actually took the tube off the wheel and compared it to the broken tube. Turns out they were both the same size (so why is it that the tubes seem significantly bigger than the wheels?). After getting the tire back on (that was surprisingly hard to do!), I reattached the wheel on the second try (the first time through I had cleverly gotten the chain to be completely on one side of the hub) and headed off. Total time: about 30 minutes. Not bad for my first attempt, I think. It was even sort of fun! Anyway, that's my biking story for the day. View this post on my blog 5 comments|post comment

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