One of my favorite so far…
June 27, 2008 – 4:33 pm
June 23, 2008 – 12:13 pm
Now that gas is $4/gallon, people are starting to care. Fuel consumption has become small talk at work and radio stations are siphening out gasoline instead of free concert tickets. I thought all this caring would illuminate the need for serious innovation in the realm of alternative energy. A few weeks ago, though, I read an article about families in central California who spend upwards of 20% of their income on gas, who have to drive long distances to find work, and are truly being destroyed by the gas prices. The members of this demographic can’t afford to spend money on a new, fuel efficient hybrid. They need an immediate solution. I found myself wondering what that could be – perhaps an intense expansion of public transportation, but that would require precious tax dollars, and people hate forking out those. To my disappointment, people have turned to the immediate solution of domestic/offshore drilling. Somehow, we have managed to pick the worst possible approach that could very well be a deciding issue of this election. The only way people notice alternative energy is when it impacts them directly, as it does now. Unfortunately, it looks like we’re still going to reach for the temporary fix that’ll land us in the same place we are now…
NYTimes Today
June 10, 2008 – 11:32 amRecent Politics:
Mr. Obama sought to portray his rival as a flip-flopper on tax policy, noting that Mr. McCain now supports extending President Bush’s income-tax cuts after voting against them in 2001 and 2003.
Flip-flopping was so2004. Don’t try to dig up the propaganda from the past. No one plays this game better than the Republicans. What is needed is timely and sound rebuttle to claims such as these:
Under an Obama administration, Mr. McCain said Americans would see more money come out of their paychecks
The response needs to be firm. It’s quite simple, really. “More money” out of a paycheck equates to what? Maybe $200 a year? I understand that for impoverished families, this sum means a great deal. But the collective power of those hard earned $200 is immense. Is having that extra cash worth sacrificing a better education for your child? Sacrificing benefits, social security, infrastructure. Is it worth giving them less in the future for a little more today? Americans really operate in bubbles, thinking only of the present and only of themselves. The government has more power to do good with the extra money out of the paycheck than an individual ever could. People need to realize that the payback is actually better, but someone needs to really tell them first.
Healthy Snacks
June 9, 2008 – 11:43 pmWithout a freezer or kitchen, I have been creative with my meals, to say the least. I look for healthy, easy, and filling foods. Tonight’s dinner was an ezekiel tortilla (sprouted grain, no flour, high protein) with hummus, ready-made grilled chicken, and a spring mix of lettuce. It’s high in protein, relatively low in carbs, took 2 minutes to make, and was delicious. I also snacked on dried plums (that’s a flattering name for them) and celery w/ fat-free dressing.
I was inspired to post after seeing a list on another blog of filling, healthy, cheap snacks:
the sweet potato
the hard-boiled egg
the non-fat european-style yogurt
the banana
the oat biscuit (nairn’s in particular; the fruit and berries flavor especially)
the buckwheat tea (okay, this is a bit cheating since you’d still feel hungry afterwards, but it staves off pangs for a little bit)
the Annie Chun’s noodle bowl (korean kimchi rocks; hot and sour blows)
Yesterday’s breakfast of toast w/ fat free cottage cheese, honey, and banana should also be added to the list.
May 17, 2008 – 9:07 am
Logs concert last night. 26-100 was packed with students from MIT, girls from surrounding colleges, parents, and teachers. Towards the end of the concert, the seniors sang their solos. The video was great as usual. The humor is creative and funny, not derogatory or self-deprecating really. I realized towards the end that the reason why I love to hear them sing and go to their concerts is to see the effect a small group of guys can have on the hundreds of people sitting in the lecture hall. It’s one of the few times that a mass of MIT students put down their work and have a good time. I love how uniting their performances are. I’ll miss the seniors, but I look forward to hearing what they have to come!
Note from Xtana
May 5, 2008 – 9:47 amShe wrote this in my 17.20 paper while I wasn’t looking:
In conclusion, a young girl by the name of Smath was given away by her parents when she turned too conservative and registered as a Republican. She mainly did this because she loved her Smathington heritage, and they were all Republicans. Anyway, Smath didn’t really care too much and ultimately decided to stop writing her paper and instead watch a movie with her frans, Christina and Will, Jeero and Lamby. The movie is called The Graduate and it’s real real good and funny and everyone laughs at it when they watch it, basically.
April 26, 2008 – 10:30 am
A very cool piece at the Hirschorn in DC – aluminum laminated with acrylic with a dichroic film – you see different colors and reflections at every angle.
One day we will die and our ashes will fly from the aeoroplane over the sea,
But for now we are young, let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see.
Best Weekend!
April 22, 2008 – 7:53 pmThis 4-day weekend was stellar. I honestly felt like I just got back from a two-week vacation.
Friday: sailed for a couple hours, went running, soaked up some sun on the docks, had dinner in the north end w/ the ’07s in town
Saturday: (athletics weekend) watched a couple lax games, played polo, went sailing, Phi Sig in the evening
Sunday: grocery shopping, long run, moonlight sailing, marathon party w/ the 518 club
Monday: watched the marathon all day, ’07s cooked dinner for us
Today: (back to reality) 2.007 lab until noon, worked in Hayden, Star Market, another long run, meeting, and here I am 
