Another aid site.

I just became aware of another education/donation site. It's called Aid to Children, and they work in similar principles as the Free Rice donation site I've wrote about before. Both of them doesn't cost you a dime, so you should drop by sometime and play around a bit.

Tired. Notes for now.

I've been keeping tabs on the 'food crisis', and came up with a few interesting conjectures... Regarding the unstable network infrastructure that supports the food and energy resources of the planet, both physical and economical. Some of the steps being taken by the United Nations might prove to be interesting. I'm currently gathering more data on that one. Did I ever mention that I'm a huge supporter of the United Nations and similar global systems? I should really do a post on this one.

I just found out that Leslie Feist is having a concert in NYC tomorrow. I'm trying to get a ticket but I think all the normal tickets are sold out, and the cheapest VIP or box seat costs sixty dollars... Her music isn't my favorite or anything, but they have certain charming quality to them I think.

note

Today's PA comic presents a disturbing insight into the nature of freedom in market based society. My favorite part? The ice cream salesman dreaming of killing Gabe.

Those guys certainly do make interesting comic, and considering the kind of social activities they arrange, they are quickly becoming a big part of this strata of subculture... This is quite a demonstration of the power of the human network, I think.

Nocturnal despoliation?

I can't sleep tonight. Despite the amount of physical and mental exhaustion I am going through at the moment, I find it harder and harder to fall asleep. I must have my earplug on all night just to make it through... I am extremely sensitive to sound, which is quite weird considering that I often have trouble making out what people are saying. It might be psychosomatic.

There are a few things I do at times like this to ease my mind. I read while drinking my favorite cup of tea, black or earl grey with a tint of bourbon or wine, or a cup of green tea ice cream. I might turn off all the light in the house and turn on all kinds of screens and displays, each playing different feature-length film. The sound is muted of course. I almost always play videodrome on one or more of screens/displays when I am doing this.

However, there is one activity that I prefer over any other. I open all the windows and doors of the house, and practice violin. I am particularly fond of Maito Itsui's melody in D# major... An obscure piece from a mediocre composer no one even remembers anymore... The particular piece itself doesn't even have a proper title, and calling it a piece in D# major would be a little inappropriate since it merely begins out in D# major and returns to D# major, while transversing all sorts of different acoustic terrain in between. Is this tune a forgotten gem from an unknown genius? No. It certainly isn't. The structure and execution of its musical structure is horrible. I'm an amateur in all things musical and even I can see that. However, there is certain elegance and silent, dignified longing that occasionally slips through the rough surface of the music, a peculiar trait that helps to wash away all the other sounds in my mind... It's like garnish. As a standalone plate it is lacking, but when combined with certain setting that goes beyond music, a strange moment in time, it helps the listener/player to see something beautiful. Hazy and momentary phantasm, but beautiful nonetheless.


This might come off as an immature sentiment, but there's always been this strange feeling of obsession coupled with strange hatred toward what I collectively refer to as the world in my mind. If only it was possible to shed the filth of the world and reach some sort of state or place or being...
It's very hard to describe despite bringing such intense sensation to my heart when I think of it... Something that's only fleetingly glimpsed in highest pursuits of arts, sciences, and philosophy, something so ephemeral yet seemingly ever present in different forms and substances that are all united in the strange sensation it evokes in the human mind. Even the wildest interpretation of the term 'divinity' doesn't begin to describe the profound depth 'it' seem to possess. I've long suspected 'it' of being in some way related to the origin of all human endeavor, the very activity of human life that goes beyond the pursuit of sustenance and reproduction... The sublime and evolving act of creativity that goes beyond simple ingenuity in face of adversity, so to speak.

Listening to the strands of melody let go into the air from the vibrating strings in my hand, I can't help but to be reminded of the reason why I chose my life to be what it is now.

Curry joint in NYC

I just became aware of authentic Japanese style curry joint in NYC.

I just loved having curry when I was in Japan. It's good to see that I might be able to dine in dedicated curry place in America. I'm definitely paying a visit to the place sometime this week. The prices are pretty darn good too.

I can't believe it's been four days!

I can't believe it's been four days since I post anything on livejournal... But then it is no big surprise. I've been coming home at around eleven and twelve in the night for much of the past week. This synthetic biology and related techs are quite intriguing. To be honest, I've been spending more time on catching up to my SB studies compared to the time I spent doing something with my major, plasma physics.

I know in my heart I would shoot for studying the physical theory of life, but the quick and dirty path laid by the easy-to-understand discipline of synthetic biology is very, very seductive... I've been going through their massive iGEM related database, simulating bunch of stuff and linking iGEM compartments together on paper. I just can't believe how easy it all is. The artificial blood, the synthetic genome expression, the multi-bacterial processor running in massive parallel capacity... It might even be possible to fabricate carbon nanotubes using modified synthetic bacteria! I'm more interested in synthetic morphogenesis at the moment, however. I'm thinking of paying a visit to the bio department, maybe coax them into participating in the iGEM competition next year... The possibilities are killing me.


At least I haven't been starving (much) lately. I ate in Todai last night, with a few 'colleagues.' Buffet style Japanese food, ranging from tempura to lots and lots of sushi... I have particular fondness for sushi and sashimi of all kinds. They have certain... Succulent taste and textural quality that can't be had in any other food. Of course, I've eaten in finest sushi kitchens in Tokyo and Osaka (with devastating consequence on my wallet), so it was easy to see how the sushi were low-quality throwtogether fit for a buffet... Still, it wasn't a bad deal at twenty dollars a head for maximum face stuffing.

I have been starving all day today, though. I think I should go get something to eat and rest.

A little hope

My primary field of study is plasma physics. Interdisciplinary plasma physics to be precise, but then there really is no other kind.

Interdisciplinary in this case means that I am applying methodologies of different fields of study to the study and manipulation of the standard plasma physics nomenclature, and vice versa. I am particularly interested in the application of biology to the study of large scale complex plasma systems... With the dream of applying whatever skill and knowledge gleamed from the study to inorganic artificial life, or rather, physical theory of life applicable to all things of the physical universe regardless of the specific nature of the component involved. Of course, this is all highly speculative and I'd have to be braindamaged to think I'm anywhere close to even starting the real study.

As such, synthetic biology always held a special place in my heart. Admittedly with the job market in US being what it is, changing my primary pursuit of choice to synthetic biology, even at this point would make a lot of sense. And with all the hype generated by synthetic biology, I'd be able to work in places like this, the kind of high profile opportunity rare for someone in the field of applied(ish) physics...

I am seriously considering changing my field... I am confident of my academic abilities and frankly see no problem in learning one or two of other disciplines (the kind of snobbish mindset shared by all physics students I should add). But then I really want to study the physical basis of life-like systems, something I am not confident that I'd be able to pursue within the disciplines of synthetic biology... Choices choices...