The Final Countdown

Communication

I just finished the final paper for my Embedded Systems Architecture class. I'm pretty proud of it, so I figured I'd post it up here. It is titled Communication and goes over a basic Information Theory primer then in that context it discusses error detection/correction algorithms and line coding schemes. I tried to simplify the topics a fair amount to make it more widely accessible, so please give it a read and let me know what you think.
Thanks!

City Center Fountain

I just wanted to share this video (even if it is a bit late ;). This is the "finished product" of the Lumia project that I worked on at WET.



This video is from Andres who was the team leader of the project. I designed most of the stationary nozzles that you see as well as the spherical shrouds covering them.

This filming was a test show (as you can tell by the guys in hardhats walking through frame, haha), I still haven't seen the finished product. Hopefully, sometime this Summer I'll get over there.

The Ramen Girl

I just watched The Ramen Girl on Netflix and it was incredible. I've always been a sucker for the Eastern/Kung Fu philosophy, but this brings it into the present day with a romantic, comedic twist. It was a wonderfully uplifting story about a girl out of place in Japan with nothing but her blind faith in an overly harsh sensei and the will to learn the spirit of ramen. Her trials in finding a new meaning in life filled me with a new sense of purpose and ardor.
On the surface it could be construed as the same old new-lease-on-life story, but underneath it contained a new energy and richness that buoyed it above the usual fare of Hollywood feel-goodery. I particularly enjoyed the transitions from emotionally zen scenes, which brought a not-unhappy teary-ness to my eyes, to uplifting, almost hilarious and comedic scenes of growth and achievement.
Overall, I thought it was very worthwhile; an enjoyable movie even though it housed a few cheesy moments and more than a few side-line characters.

Tattoo

So I've finalized my next tattoo and decided that it will actually be the first part of a four part series. The theme is the four tenets by which I want to live my life:
Stay balanced,
Give love,
Pursue knowledge,
And above all,
Have passion.

The current tattoo (above) represents knowledge. It uses the RS-232 (i.e. serial) protocol to write 'knowledge' using ASCII encoding (the 8N1 means each byte has 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit in case you're curious). It's going on my left shoulder (just above my bicep). Eventually I will get tattoos representing balance and love and the final one will be a representation of passion which will tie all three together.

Our Cave

Tonight, I finally, truly understood the Allegory of the Cave, presented by Plato almost 2400 years ago. I was out for a walk, looking up at a full-moon when I realized that I wasn't really seeing the Moon. I was looking at it sure, but I wasn't really seeing it. It was as if the sky had been painted on. It was like a two dimensional, vivid painting that I was staring at. That's when I realized we all just watch the shadows on the wall. We barricade ourselves behind words and symbols and stereotypes. We don't see the world as it is, we see it through our filter of thought and motivation. Our past and our motives color everything we see and hear and sense. If I asked you to look at a car, instantly you would start drawing assumptions about the owner. Are they a fast, irresponsible driver or a self-centered, holier-than-thou driver? We are always making these predictions and assumptions, every second of every day. I'm finally starting to understand that living in the "now" means seeing the world before the filter, or at least understanding how the filter has changed our view of the world.

The Secret of Kells

I just watched an excellent movie called The Secret of Kells. It is an animated story about the making of the Book of Kells. It has incredible animation and vivid artwork; the music is moving and emotional; and the story line is completely engrossing. It really draws you in and feels almost too short. I would really recommend watching it. It's available to stream on Netflix and I'm sure it's available elsewhere.

Sad but True

This is a quote from the Persian poet Rumi [Jelal al-Din Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks, The Essential Rumi, Harper Collins Publishers]. On the surface it might seem horrible to pray for muggers and thieves, but the underlying message is quite wise in my opinion.

A certain preacher always prays long and with enthusiasm
for thieves and muggers that attack people
on the street. “Let your mercy, O Lord,
cover their insolence.”
He doesn’t pray for good,
but only for the blatantly cruel.
Why is this? his congregation asks.

“Because they have done me such generous favours.
Every time I turn back towards the things they want.
I run into them. They beat me and leave me nearly dead
in the road, and I understand, again, that what they want
is not what I want. They keep me on the spiritual path.
That’s why I honour them and pray for them.”

Those that make you return, for whatever reason,
to God’s solitude, be grateful to them.
Worry about the others, who give you
delicious comforts that keep you from prayer.
Friends are enemies sometimes,
and enemies Friends.

I found this quote while reading A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield. In it Jack uses the quote to show how our difficulties and suffering in life are actually good for us. That we shouldn't push them away and hide from them, but that we should honor our mistakes and grow from them. If we push away all of the difficult feelings and emotions we have in life, then we are really just pushing away life itself. We need to use our mistakes and pain and suffering to learn the way to true happiness, but only through acknowledging them can we begin to learn that path.