Popularity over relevance.

I am realizing that, as students are starting to move back in to the dorms, I am getting a great deal of hits for the “site:columbia.edu cable” search. The CUIT “how to order cable” page is number two on google. That is unfortunate, and I’m sorry about it. Maybe CUIT should think about getting a link on reddit, to remedy the situation.

You win again Web 2.0

Now that nobody seems to be covertly increasing my quota on the cunix servers, I've had to delete some stuff. So, any photo content that once lived in the dumping ground of my account that is the /tmp folder has now been moved to flickr.

Judging by the views and comments, it seems that people only click on pictures that have other people in them. And by people, I mean Goldberg. And by Goldberg, I mean, that shaggy looking dork who won't get a hair cut.

It also appears that nobody cares about my discrete math homework from last semester.

Random bit: love and hate

I love Jamba Juice. But I hate how much it costs. I mean, I have a blender. And fruit and ice are not in short supply around here. I have fruit and ice. I can make this at a fraction of the price. Although, somehow I doubt that too many people in the office would be thrilled about my running a personal smoothie stand at my desk. They are opening a Jamba Juice in Lerner next semester, so this will become a big problem.

I love Omar Minaya's noble collect-'em-all quest to sign every quality Hispanic player in the sport. But I hate whatever mental defect caused Duquette to trade the best young pitching prospect for Victor Zambrano. Why Duquette, why?

I love eating at Wien. But I hate the inevitable food poisoning and nausea that always result after an otherwise enjoyable lunch. This has been an ongoing struggle between logical reasoning and dumbass cravings for really cheap Korean food.

I love these shoes. But I hate that the heels get stuck in the cobblestones on College Walk. Seeing how the cobblestones on College Walk are probably protected as a historical landmark, I am going to have to accept defeat on this one.

I love the shish-ke-bob from the Russian guy in the truck outside the Law School. But I hate the 15 minutes of small talk about my personal life, the unrest in the Middle East, Stalin's possible Jewish ancestry, and the difficulty of navigating traffic on the BQE with a truck full of meat attached to your bumper, while I wait for him to prepare the food. In this case, the shish-ke-bob wins. This is actually an easy one, because I really don't mind the small talk too much.

A day with Edward Tufte

Today I attended an all day Edward Tufte seminar at the Manhattan Center. This was a fantastic experience, and I enjoyed every minute of it. My mind is buzzing with information now, and I can't wait to finish up on the computer so that I can go through the four books.

First, I'd like to mention that I really enjoyed spending time in Midtown. It definitely makes me feel like a real New Yorker - running through traffic across 8th avenue, dodging slow tourists, and just the mass of people... busy, busy, people. You don't get this on the Upper West Side, and it's a swell rush that I often miss. This used to be my turf, actually, when I had a part-time job on 7th avenue and 38th street, during freshman year of college. And thanks to my familiarity with the area, I was able to manage to get a smoothie at Café 34, try on a few dresses (that I a)could not afford and b)did not need) at Vera Wang, buy some fresh mango from a street vendor, and still salvage enough of my lunch hour to have a profound conversation with Professor Tufte about video games, dumb media, and the NCLB act.

Tufte is the prototypical Ivy League academic, one PBS film short of Brian Greene's rock star status. His lecture was well produced, sophisticated, and extremely entertaining. There were no technical glitches, no awkward silences, no "um.. ok... like... you know." None of that, as he would say, phluff. Most importantly, his diction and pronunciation were superb. Maybe when you have spent as much time in University classrooms as I have, you too will be able to appreciate the immense value of those qualities.

Tufte was able to cover his main theory quite well. Basically, he used some of the more interesting examples from his four books (the last of which I have not yet read) to tie together his nine design principles, which are: 1) show comparisons, 2) show causality, 3) show multivariable/multidimensional data, 4) completely integrate word, number, and image (or, don't segregate the information by the mode of production), 5) show the entire data set because sourcing improves credibility, 6) serious presentations stand or fall depending on the quality and integrity of the content, 7) show information adjacent in space, 8) use small multiples, 9) put everything on a universal grid, or at least, present the information in context.

He also spent a great deal of time discussing sparklines, which I thought was fascinating, since I've been watching carefully as several adventurous baseball bloggers started incorporating them into their analysis. However, Tufte made an interesting and important point, that the reason why "your" sparklines don't look as good as those he produces in his books is because he spends about one-hundred thousands dollars on software, and has a fleet of graduate students working diligently on perfecting his data and presentation. But his comments were meant to be encouraging (if somewhat arrogant) - he is happy that his invention is being adopted, but he wants everyone to strive to achieve the ideal which his work embodies.

The crowd-pleaser of the presentation was the long bit about Power Point. Tufte's adamant loathing of the software has almost become his trademark in the main stream. During the break, I told him, much to his delight, that Teacher's College categorically bans doctoral students from using Power Point during any stage of their dissertation defense.

You can obtain all the information of the class by simply reading the books. You shouldn't attend this class if you've never read Tufte's books, because the best approach to these important concepts is through his literature. The face-time only reinforces the extensive content in the books. For me, however, the best reason for attending was the opportunity to meet and chat with one of my heroes.

Quick survey

Futurama quote, or Thomas Friedman analogy:

"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominos will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate."

Boston Sucks

I am not being facetious here, or trying to taunt. This is simply the truth of the matter - Boston sucks. I am talking, in particular, about the Boston Red Sox (although the Boston subway leaves something to be desired).

Last Friday, the New York Yankees came to Boston. They saw. They conquered.

A brief recap for posterity, if you will. Friday morning: 12-4, New York. Not even close. Friday afternoon: 14-11, New York. Damon hits (another) home run. Saturday: 13-5, New York. Posada hits a triple, and Bernie hits a home run. For a moment, I thought they were replaying highlights from the 1998 season. Sunday: rain, rain, go away, let the Yankees win today. And after a minor delay, 8-5, New York. This was close, and I was skeptical after Mussina left the game. But Giambi(no) came through with two home runs. Monday: 2-1, New York, in the closest game of the series.

Of course, I can write something about how the Red Sox may not even make the wildcard this season. But there is still all of September to go, and I am not one to make such optimistic speculations about the AL East. Plus, that wouldn't be as fun as noting that my New York-centric fantasy of a Subway World Series does not seem so improbable anymore.

Fall Semester

Next semester I only need to take two classes, because I will have to spend more time working on my thesis (in the form of an independent study class). And also, because I'll be teaching. I'm scheduled to teach the math lab class for "Microeconomics and Policy Analysis" at the School of Social Work at Columbia. The professor who is teaching that is also teaching an international affairs version of that class, and wants me to teach the math lab class for that one too. I really (really really) want to, but I don't know that I'll have enough time for another class (and more office hours) in my schedule. I am trying desperately now to make it work.

So, as for my own classes: I'll be taking Programming (let's call this one - Yet More Programming in Java II). This class meets on Thursdays, from 6:50-9:10pm, which is a really miserable time for a class. I've been trying to find something to take in the 5-6:50 slot, but there's absolutely nothing that makes sense for me. So, either I'll have to find somebody to have an early dinner with every Thursday, or try to schedule my office hours for that time.

As for the second class, I am thinking of taking either "Technology and Human Development," which seems easy and interesting, or "Topics in Analysis," which seems difficult and interesting. The analysis class is taught by Professor Pollak, who is the best math professor I've ever had (Discrete Math, last semester). The problem is that I know very little about this area of mathematics, so I will need to spend a very substantial amount of time studying.

Any advice? I have two weeks to decide.

By the way, at the end of this semester, I'll officially have a master's degree. This means, 60 more credits to go, and a full-blown dissertation. So, while the M.A. is definitely a nice little reward, the glass is still 2/3 empty.

Change is good. Or bad. We don't know yet.

So, Goldberg is going to work at CCIT. They decided to hire him, even after all the terrible things that I told everyone about him. And he decided to accept the offer, even after all the terrible things that I told him about CCIT. This will be interesting. I just hope he wasn't kidding when he said that he is a PHP expert.

If only I found that "one-way-sign" picture of him (from the CRF days) in time. Sonu, help me out here.

Distraction

I am writing (that term is used loosely here) a case study about social networks... which leads to "research" in the form of browsing flickr... which leads to this nice photoset of Henry Rollins... which later leads to this interesting interview... and why shouldn't I give myself half an hour once in a while to read some Raymond Chandler? I deserve it!

Frankly, I don't know how these things happen. I really procrastinated on this one. I have about 48 hours to finish two long papers.

Good fight: 0, Despair: 1

Me: Professor, I think that if I am really going to make a difference, I should take a class in public policy, so that I can understand how policy making in this country works.
Teacher's College Professor: Ha ha ha. You are so naïve, it's adorable! But being in a room with a bunch of future lawyers and politicians will be a sufficiently depressing learning experience for you, so go for it.

Later...

Me: Sorry that I won't be able to take your class next semester. I am going to try to take a public policy class, so that I could understand how acts such as the NCLB get passed.
Engineering Professor: What's the NCLB? Is that like the NCSA?

Even later...

Me: Hello, I would like to see a syllabus for your class. I am interested in learning how the legal system works, so that I can be effective in public school reform.
Law School Professor: Uh. I'm rich. Why do you think that I care about, what did you call them, public schools? And what tree-hugging department are you from, by the way?

And still, later...

Me: Hello, I think that I'd like to take your class. I would like to learn how federal legislature, such as the current administration's NCLB Act, could be passed, since its didactic approach completely disregards one hundred years of research, going all the way back to John Dewey.
SIPA Professor: What are you talking about? The NCLB is a huge triumph! Bi-partisan support! Unanimous consent! I use it as an example of a public policy success story!

And finally...

Me: I am bummed.
Engineering Professor: I am teaching "Advanced Methods in Monte Carlo Simulation" next semester. You know, nothing does the trick like some Monte Carlo simulation when you are feeling depressed.

Sigh.

Last week: play ball.

Last week I went to a Phillies game, and also to a Yankees game. Here are a few notes.

- Citizen's Bank Park is a lot cleaner than Yankee Stadium. Parking is cheap and abundant. The food is reasonable (read, 2x street prices, as compared to 5x street prices in the Bronx). All the chairs have really nice cup holders. 40 bucks will get you awesome seats, between the dugout and first base putting you within Chase Utley's direct line of sight and hearing range. But, it also seems fake and sterile compared to the grunge of Yankee Stadium. History is dirty.

- It was a lot more relaxing watching the Phillies play, because I didn't care about the team. Loss or victory, it didn't matter, nothing was at stake, so I could enjoy the game without worry or stress. It was a lot more fun watching the Yankees play, because I cared.

- Phillies fans are mean. I heard a little girl in the front row behind first base yell "I hope you get traded" to Ryan Howard. Their cynicism reminds me of Shea circa 2002.

- I am used to the fascist Yankee Stadium security where they make you strip to your underwear and drink your soda to prove that it's not a bomb before they let you in. So the relaxed "go right ahead honey" attitude of the gate keepers in Philly was a little bit unnerving, especially since I was carrying a huge bag full of Nalgene bottles.

- Jon Lieber was starting for the Phillies. He sucked, and I rejoiced as the crowd booed him. This gave me the long sought-after opportunity to yell "You Suck Jon Lieber" at the top of my lungs, and having all the people around me join in made it all the sweeter.

- In Philly, we saw a guy in the stands wearing a Yankees cap. I said, "hey look at that guy wearing a Yankees cap," to which Dan replied "that's actually Carl Pavano, I hear he has a lot of free time these days."

Last week: lodging.

In Philly, we stayed at The Gables Bed and Breakfast. I've never stayed at a b&b before, so this was interesting for me. Generally, I'm completely happy to rough it when it comes to travel accommodations, but this was such a nice change. You can read more about the b&b at their website, but overall my impressions are extremely positive. The house was very beautiful and well maintained. We stayed in a room called "The Library Room" which, to my great surprise and joy, was full of books (really good books, too). The included breakfast was not your standard stale bagels and instant coffee. The food was delicious and plentiful - freshly baked cranberry muffins, fruit salad, quiche, pumpkin bread, cereal, yogurt, and some very strong coffee.

But most of all, I enjoyed interacting with the other travelers over breakfast (which typically lasted for over an hour). Everyone had a lot of interesting stories to tell. At first, I pondered making up a new identity. Nobody would know. And how fun it would be to tell stories about my life as a water merchant (better yet, smuggler) on Arrakis, or about my travels as the lead singer for a punk rock band. Of course, I ended up telling the truth, which was still a great deal of fun.

Last week: grub.

I typically measure the quality of an experience strictly by the quality of the food that accompanied that experience. That being said, I had a delightful time last week, enjoying some very tasty food. Here are a few highlights:

Jim's Steaks, South Street, Philadelphia
I absolutely insisted on getting an authentic cheese steak, Philly style, and all guides seemed to point to Jim's Steaks. So after a stroll down South Street (which, with its oh-too-coy sex stores and an occasional comic book shop, tries much too hard to be like Greenwich Village) we headed over to Jim's Steak's. The wait was very long - roughly 45 minutes - after which my hair and all my clothes carried a distinctive (albeit pleasant) cheese-whiz and onion smell. The food was well worth the wait, as the cheese steak was most certainly the best one that I've ever had. I would only suggest doubling up on the cheese and onions, but that's just my preference. The seating in the actual establishment is limited and drab, but the waterfront area has plenty of nice benches for ultimate cheese steak consumption.

Greek Lady, University City, Philadelphia
This place was packed, and that's impressive, considering that this is the off-season for UPenn. The food is standard university diner fare (gyros, burgers, wraps), but the stuffed grape leaves were far better than the ones I typically get at the local Turkish restaurants (less minty). Also, they stuff their gyros with fries, thus saving me the trouble of having to do that myself.

La Bella Pizza, Ellenville, New York
I would like to prelude this review with a brief disclaimer to the effect that I have been consuming New York City pizza for a very long time. It is common knowledge that New York City pizza is the best pizza in the world. Even the most pretentious Euro-centric (or LA-centric) snob will concede that New York City pizza has no rivals. With that in mind, La Bella Pizza in Ellenville serves up an amazing slice, for only $2.50! I was shocked by how good their pizza was considering how far they are from Brooklyn, but also, considering the price (because as far as I can tell, flour and pork are not significantly cheaper upstate). The meat slice is overflowing with pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage, and fried chicken breast. Seriously, folks, does it get better than that?

Aroma Thyme, Ellenville, New York
This place is too trendy to be in the Catskills. The food was just slightly above average, but I was impressed by its mere existence. I was also impressed by the variety of cuisines that it offered - vegetarian, Indian, Thai, sushi, organic Japanese beef, goat cheese pizzas. When they say "fusion" they really really really mean it. This was pretty much an entire Upper West Side block worth of menus compressed into one single restaurant.

Vatan, 3rd Avenue, New York City
I had no idea that it's possible to get so stuffed on chickpeas and rice, but at Vatan it absolutely is. I wish I could eat more, but I just couldn't. The food was so good, especially the appetizers, which included the best samosas I've ever had, amazing sev puri, and batakavada (deep-fried potato balls in chickpea flour batter). I was so full, I couldn't finish the mango ice cream (and if you know me, you know that I can always finish the mango ice cream). The atmosphere is also very lovely, peaceful, and romantic. Vatan is truly a prime example of abundant quantity and great quality.

Congratulations!

Super-duper congratulations go out to Polina and Drew on their engagement. This is especially significant to me. I have never been quite so instrumental in a successful hook-up as I have been in theirs. This is the one good deed that will rectify all the terrible matchmaking that I have been subjecting my friends to for many years. Redemption, of sorts.

I hope that the engagement is short, as I am looking forward to a fantastic wedding bash.

By the way...

I would like to note that as of now “The New York Mets” are to be referred to as “The First Place New York Mets.” “First To Clinch New York Mets” and “Best Record in the National League New York Mets” are not as catchy, but are equally acceptable. It seems like the ESPN folks are catching on, and so should the rest of you skeptics. It's August, damn it!

I'm back!

Just writing now to let everyone know that I've safely returned to civilization. I actually had a great week off, realizing my most persistent desires to eat a great deal of delicious food and spend entire days wearing only a bathing suit. I will post some interesting impressions (and recommendations) soon.