mjm wired :: Mauriat John Miranda - on the web!

My Alumni Profile

Sun, 11 May 2008 11:47:15 -0400

I graduated from the University of Some School about X years ago. For the past several months, I have been receiving non-stop emails and post-cards in the mail to "update my Alumni profile" so that my information could be valid so people can contact me and know what I am doing. All the information would be updated into a big "Alumni Directory" or something like that. The thing that I find questionable is that both the emails and post-cards say that I can only do it over the phone - not email not postal mail. Additionally this service is being provided not by the University but by a third party commercial service. Reality check: if I can only update my address, my employment status and other very private tidbits of my life into a directory by a company, then I would think (I maybe wrong) that their sole purpose is to sell me access to this directory. Well, thanks, but no thanks.

I would think that these types of services are things of the past. If you open an account with Facebook, Friendster, Orkut or any of the million other "social networking" sites you can find almost everyone you ever knew. Only the "John Smith's" might be a little tricky. So for all the people who buy into this, I hope its worth your time.

I still believe that if people wanted to be in touch with me, then they would be. I don't need someone else to facilitate that for me.

Battlestar Galactica is Bad Fiction

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:15:19 -0400

I've been watching BSG since it premiered as a mini-series. I admit that the show is entertaining and has just enough mystery/curiosity in it to keep me watching it. What I do find horribly annoying is that it's science-fiction is nonsensical (they have FTL, but nothing else). They try to merge in some quasi-allusion to religion (Neo in Matrix was bad enough). And the worst thing is that the characters have nothing concrete about them, they keep changing dynamically from a show-to-show basis. And somehow all the "critics" say that the show is sooo edgy and provocative. Hmmm, would they say that about a Soap-Opera???

I saw this post about "clues" being hinted in the recent episodes, and out of all the fanboys only one commenter wrote reply that made sense:

But seriously, what would I call this other than "hard sci-fi"? Bad fiction for one. The stories are so damn pat, and they've been following the "Issue of the Week" formula since half way through the second season. It's like some after school special in space, except with angsty speeches. Their idea of character development is to have people wake up one day and say "I'm going to cause unexpected, out of character mayhem today because dagnabit; everything's going to be back to normal tomorrow anyway." People need to stop mistaking conflict , emphatic voices, deus ex machinas and self-righteousness for good writing.

Yes, I'll bet he'll keep watching the show till the finale as will I. And while some fans have already admitted being immensely "sad" about the impending culmination, I, for one, will feel relieved that I have one less obligatory sci-fi show to watch.

U2 3D Rocked!

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:42:17 -0400

I finally got around to seeing the U2 3D and did it ever rock! It was released to IMAX theatres in February but I've been so busy to see it. Luckily I did before it stops playing at the end of this month. I know this old news to people who've seen it, but I really enjoyed it. I would even go so far to say that with some minor tweaking, I might prefer to see concerts like this, instead of waiting and standing for hours like I did for Vertigo in 2005. The last time I saw an IMAX show I was in Chicago and it was something about the Gulf War in 1993.

The "3-D" is really what makes it worthwhile. This was my first 3-D movie. At first it felt weird but you soon get used to it and some close up shots of Bono made it feel like you physically there. It was interesting how they made some parts stick out. Some scenes had fans jumping up out of the audience and instinctively I wanted to tell them to "sit back down" - almost as if someone was standing in the theater in front of me. Some shots of the sea of fans really were amazing. Other than that there were only a few times they pushed the limits of the 3-D effect. Once when Bono was drawing pictures in the air, they showed up for us. And once during the usual U2-is-gonna-save-the-world appeal there were words flying into the audience. Overall great for a first time, but really they could have done sooo much more!

The annoying part of the 3-D was the glasses were so bulky and uncomfortable for people who wear eye glasses like myself. The only other annoyance I had was that for some scenes my eyes would go "out of sync" and I could start to lose the 3-D effect and see the 2 composite images on the screen. Luckily it only happened at the end. I wonder if it was just me?

In any event it seems like IMAX theatres are popping up all over the place and I'm looking forward to more shows like that (non-nature based, like 99% of the normal 3-D material). I think some screens may be playing U2 for maybe another week if you haven't already seen it. For $12 definitely worth the price compared to normal theaters!

New Dilbert Website

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:29:28 -0400

As part of my normal morning activities, I have to do a quick visit to Dilbert.com to figure out if I should laugh, cry or be depressed about my job. Today morning I visited the site to find some horribly broken Flash based website. I could not view the comic strip at all in Mozilla Firefox for whatever reason. Internet Explorer showed the strip, but the site was still a little quirky. I saw a "Save" button which I thought was pretty cool, until it told me I had to login to use that feature. Normally I could save the image with a right-click. The only slight positive was it showed in color, but I don't need Flash to do that, nor does it matter: the brilliance of Dilbert showed colorfully in black and white.

On the blog (which I can't see in Firefox) of Dilbert's creator, Scott Adams, he gushes about the new site:

We spent most of the past year, and a small fortune, to unwrap all the pent up Dilbert goodness and provide it to you for free, embracing the new realities of intellectual property on the web.

It seems as if I might be able search old strips which might be cool? Maybe "interact" with the script? See the old strips for free? Perhaps take the good with the bad.

To be fair the site says "BETA", but still, it disturbed my morning routine which is quite unforgivable considering Scott Adam's supposedly understands the cubicle culture.

The More Things Change ...

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:15:02 -0400

One of my good friends finally got married this weekend. While I was quite happy for the bride and groom, personally I enjoyed the event in my own way. The wedding ceremony was an interesting experience for me. It was all in Chinese except for the readings and a few words in the reverend's message. The bigger thing for me was seeing people again that I hadn't seen in many years (some almost 11 years). Sitting at a large table laughing and catching up reminded me of my high school days (without the food fights). Looking around, everyone seemed pretty certain of their path in life. Some people had a lot to show for the past decade, while others maybe not as much. Sure enough, when I really think about it, I'm not at all surprised how each person's life has changed - myself included. I don't mean that in any negative way, just that I don't feel like anyone really explored uncharted territory. Who knows maybe the next decade will show us something else?

I intentionally missed my 10 year high school reunion last November. In some ways this made up for it. I really did have a great time.

So who's next in line?

Saving Resources Wastes Time

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:02:24 -0400

So anyone who has worked closely with me know that I like to write small. Small because, I think personally I can see "more" at the same time, and also, keeping small saves resources - mostly paper (trees, environment, ...). Sometimes I take it too far. Usually if I have an email or message I need to print that just would not fit on one page because of 2 extra lines, I would use the "book" feature that most printers have where each page would be rotated and fit on 1/2 the page - 2 pages on 1 sheet. This has always worked well for me.

So today I received an updated software spec. Previously it was about 20 pages, but now it had exploded into 30. I knew entirely what was in it, but for implementation I still found it easier to have a hard copy print-out next to me. The new finely detailed diagrams included took up whole pages, so my "2-for-1" trick would not help. Skimming over the document, I often saw 1 title on one page and because a diagram was so big it would jump onto the next page leaving sometime 95% of the previous page blank! This irritates me to no end! So I thought, "I am the one implementing this and it is only a temporary copy, so why don't I just tweak the spec layout?" And, so, I did. I reduced the bulky header and footer. I removed the ownership details. I removed the revision log. I tweaked the margins and brought it back down to almost 20 pages again. And it was good ... and I was just about to print it ...

Then my mind starts thinking. I don't like to have multiple hard copies, so I will have highlights and notes all over this. I'll probably use it in discussions and point out things to other people - all of whom will wonder why my spec looks so "unofficial". Then the page numbers will be all mismatched and I'll confuse other people. And when I need to point out errors or changes, I'll need to double check my locations. And what if I have to print this again? Should I save a "temp" print copy? So many questions. Why do I torture myself?

I printed it out, all 30 pages, untouched, exactly as I received them. My amalgamation of OCD, faux pas environmental awareness and over-thinking has gotten the best of me once again. Sometimes my petty attempts of saving resources just wastes time and, had I followed through with my original thought and later re-printed, would have wasted even more resources. Do I value my time? Maybe not enough.

India 2007 Pictures Online

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:12:24 -0400

I know I am about 2 months late, but I finally put all (well almost all) of my pictures from my recent India trip pictures online. It took almost 2 full weeks to upload them, sort them, arrange them and get everything up and running. It ... was ... soo ... slow. The total amount taken were about 2GB of 5 Megapixel photos (sorry I don't own an SLR). Of those I have over 650 online! Unfortunately I didn't have time to put commentary like I did for 2004, but this time they came out really nice!

Anyways, since I don't trust sites like Yahoo or Flickr, I have them on some secret webpage/location. I will be sending out login information over the next few days. So if you think I missed you, send me an email.

Happy Leap Day

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:57:48 -0500

All is well. Today it snowed. Then it melted. I think it is snowing again.

India 2007 - Part 1 - Delhi

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:45:01 -0500

Well belated Happy New Year. I returned from my India trip about 2 weeks ago and now I finally feel like the jet-lag has totally passed. I still have a lingering cough that I got some time before my arrival in Bombay. The only one thing I can not seem to kick is this overwhelming feeling of lethargy. It took me forever to write this!

Anyways, I had a really interesting trip with my family. We did a great deal of site seeing this trip, saw most of our extended family, had time to shop and relax.

Delhi

Originally in 2004 we wanted to visit the north, but the May heat was too much so we never quite made it there. This time we decided to start there. We landed in Delhi early Dec 14th morning and the next day ventured all through the city. We started with the Lotus Temple (yes, it does look like a real Lotus). This is the first time I had to walk so much without any shoes. Then we visited the Akshardham Temple - supposedly one of the largest modern temples in the world. Unfortunately the security there was tighter than an airport - no camera, no cell phones, no bags, nothing. The security guards (for men) were quite thorough frisking every little corner. This was probably due to the news that a handful of Islamic terrorists had recently managed to sneak it into the country. While the Hindu temple is without a doubt a marvelous structure, walking past the unfinished areas you can see the filthy 3 and 4 yr old children collecting gravel for the construction. While this is not uncommon throughout India (and the world), it does make you wonder about the massive donations temples like this receive every year.

After the temples, we made a quick stop at the rather simple Gandhi Memorial. From there we drove by the Indian Parliament and Government Buildings (just like the US, you really cannot stop and look). Down across the road from there was the India Gateway. I don't know why, but the drive up to the monument was pretty cool. There's another gateway in Mumbai (Bombay). I felt in some way that this marked the "beginning" of the journey and when I visited Bombay, that would be the culmination.

For lunch we had some really nice Delhi thali. After lunch we made it to Qutub Minar. This is where I first realized how valuable tourism is to India, for entry Indians pay 10 rupees, non-Indians/foreigners: 250 rupees (25X as much). This place is the home of some tombs, a mysteriously non-rusting iron pillar and a really old tower. About 30 years ago when my parents visited, they were permitted to climb to one of the terraces. However since then, many have found it a convenient place to commit suicide, so entry was not permitted. Ohh well, the pictures would have been amazing!

We had about an hour before mass that evening, so we decided to visit the Indira Gandhi Memorial. Ironically I did not have a great desire to visit at first. However it was quite sobering walking through the home and seeing where a national leader was murdered in her own garden by her guard. Adjacent was a memorial to her son, Rajiv, who was assassinated in a suicide bombing 7 years later in 1991. It was quite depressing, but very moving at the same time. (Sadly Benazir Bhutto would be assassinated in Pakistan 2 weeks later).

We attended mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral where Pope John Paul II visited in 1986. The English mass was just like any other. The surprising thing for me, however, was seeing Hindu's visit, praying and leaving before mass. After mass, we had some cheap food at the Bengali restaurant near our accommodations. We slept early, for the next morning would be our trip to Agra!

Agra - Taj Mahal

We woke at 5AM to start our trek to Agra. From the looks on the map, it appears to be about 100 miles(160km). And in my impression the roads from Delhi seemed very well developed and our driver was making good time. We arrived in just about 4 hours. We drove straight to the Taj Mahal. However we were informed that vehicles were not permitted the last kilometer up to the mausoleum because the exhaust fumes were supposedly damaging the marble. This meant horse, camel, pedal or ... walking. The thing about India is that anyone and everyone has to make a buck ... err rupee. Our transportation up to the entrance was trying to sell us something from one of his "business associates". We jumped out and walked the rest of the way. Arriving at the line - Indians: 20 rupees, foreigners: 750 Rs!!!! So we bought our 20 Rs tickets and got in line of about 100 or so people. Someone pestered us saying that for 300 Rs we could skip the line. Too much. Someone else: 200 Rs. Too much. Finally someone said 100 Rs. So we accepted. He just pushed us to the front, he took care of the guards and we made it inside in less that 5 minutes.

However it was only a half victory. The female security check prevented my mother from taking her purse inside (which had passports, money, travelers checks and gold jewelry inside). Often handlers and even guards steal things, so she grabbed all the valuables in her hands and pockets and gave the purse to security check-in. The security check for us men was troubling in a different way. My brother and I made it through fine, however the guard really checked my father for any hidden packages (thoroughly). My father did scold them, and he made it through. After we all re-united, my father realized my mother forgot her gold jewelry inside her purse...

The Taj Mahal was quite breath-taking. Amazing, very beautiful - something definitely worth seeing before you die! I took more pictures there, than anywhere else during the trip. The view to the river and Agra Fort was very nice. We did get to walk inside, shoe-less (or covered), and see the two tombs. After taking it all in, my parents made a mad rush back to the security check-in to hopefully find the jewelry. ... Even though they exited at the wrong spot and ran all across the place, luckily nothing was lost or stolen. Well, as I will say: They will never forget the Taj Mahal.

The next stop across the way was Agra Fort. You could see the walls from the Taj, however the view of the Taj Mahal was even more amazing from the distance across the river. The fort in itself was gigantic. Even though we saw many walkways, courtyards and gardens - less than one third of the site is accessible to visitors. In some ways it reminded me of Heidelberg Castle I saw in Germany in 2006, but this was much better maintained and the artwork was much more intricate here. I wish I could have seen more, but time was limited. After an expensive lunch at some Chinese cuisine, we made the 4-plus hour trek back to Delhi.

Leaving

On the last day in the north, we wanted to do some shopping only to find out that Monday the stores were all "bunth". Fortunately for us, our incredibly competent driver took us to some underground bazaar (Palika) where we had a hell of a time haggling with all the vendors. From 750 Rs down to 300 Rs for a hand-bag - not bad at all :-) After some quick lunch (more thali!!!) and a stop at the bank we visited some very old acquaintances of my parents from their last trip to Delhi in the 1970's. We had a very pleasant dinner atop a book store that towered over the Delhi streets at night. What a view! Especially after a little Black Label :-) It was a relaxing night.

After some packing we were all ready for the next leg of our journey. The Delhi trip turned out much better than expected. The first night it was quite cold, but I learned my lesson and slept with 3 wool blankets. I wish we had a little more time, maybe have visited the Golden Temple, perhaps that will be another trip in the future. The next morning we hopped on a King Fisher flight to Goa. But that is a story for another day.

Spending Christmas in India

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:26:43 -0500

I probably should be packing or sleeping ... or most likely both.

Time for travel. A little bit poorly planned, I admit, but sometimes you get caught up in things. Tomorrow I'll be leaving to visit my home country once again. Last time I went to India was almost 4 years ago. In that time people have gotten married, babies grew out of their diapers and revered loved ones have left this earth. Even though there is not the same anticipation of my last trip, I am still very much looking forward to it. This time around we made plenty of time for some site seeing, relaxing, and ultimately truly enjoying ourselves. My greatest disappointment is that not all my siblings could come along, but I guess that was inevitable.

This trip culminates a rather crazy year. First there was my brother leaving for California, then there was this interesting family function that I didn't blog about, then there were some other life things that I didn't blog about (I know I'm lazy to write). Well I got to meet quite a few fascinating new people this year which I am so grateful and unfortunately I've had to wish farewell to some very admirable colleagues as well.

So while I maybe stuffing my face with idli sambar or admiring the Taj Mahal, somewhere in my thoughts I am hoping that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you everyone for all your support! See you in 2008!