Random Ramblings

A Cappella

2008-03-23T22:11:00.007-04:00

Penn Masala - the world's first Hindi a cappella group formed by students, at the University of Pennsylvania (as described by Wikipedia)If you have not heard of them - check them out. Below is a Youtube link to one of their runaway hits. To give you an idea of their cross-boundary music, I was told about them by a friend in North Carolina - who is American as American gets - and does not speak a

US-Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill of 2007

2007-06-10T20:12:00.000-04:00

cloture - The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster. Under the cloture rule (Rule XXII), the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes. filibuster - Informal term for any attempt to

Houston/Dallas trip, Jan 20 - 27, 2007

2007-02-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

When visiting Dallas, definitely try out Piranha Sushi. Excellent place, casual atmosphere, great, artistically presented food. Reservation is recommended if you do not wish to stand in line, during lunch/dinner rush hours. And seeing our old friends again was a trip in itself. Young R came thru with her magical cooking and beautiful home. The first floor bathroom was really worth all the work

The Alchemist - Book Review

2007-01-28T20:21:00.000-05:00

Just finshed reading Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" on my flight back from Houston, TX.The last fiction I read was back in 1990, yep during the Gulf War. It was something written by Robert Ludlum... Which would tell you I dont spend time reading any fiction. But this one was presented to me by a good friend so it had to be read......It was a good, relaxing 3 hour read - a story that follows a

01/01/2007: Stop, Plan, Execute.

2006-12-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

Goals for the new year: - Focus on Health. Eat healthy and workout consistently. I have developed a plan for myself that I plan to follow throughout the year. I will do a first review of how this is working out in April 2007. At that time I will disclose the details and any associated measurable progress. - Try out a new (to me) way to make money doing something I enjoy. Or learn a new skill

2006 Reflections.

2006-12-27T14:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a recap of some of the most significant events as they occurred in my life, during the past 12 months: - Completed my Masters Degree (Engineering w/ focus on Alternative Energy) - Got accepted to Business School at Johns Hopkins University - Increased net worth by $30k (includes individual stock trading, money market returns, employers 401k match…etc) - Labor Certification

The Martini

2006-12-25T21:11:00.000-05:00

Its been a great Christmas weekend. Figured I would write a few lines on my newest drink of choice - the Martini.The Classic is always a hit: chilled Absolut vodka in a cocktail glass which was rinsed with dry Vermouth. An olive or two as garnish and it makes for a great drink.Here are some variations of the Martini I consumed this weekend and must say that I was impressed with.The Sour Apple

Accepted at JHU

2006-12-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

Yes! Got my offical admissions acceptance letter from Johns Hopkins Univesity in the mail today!That means a few things:-> I can finally clear all the admissions related pile from my desk.-> I get to start classes on January 22nd, 2007. It is kind of late to register and the classes I really want are closed, but I am on the wait list. There is still hope.-> I need to get my Educational Assistance

NIS90 Reunion, 2006

2006-12-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

So in my Thanksgiving Day post I had mentioned how streamlined the Digital Network and Communications that we have seen mushroom in our lifetime, has made my life. One of the benefits of this has been keeping in touch with old friends.The kids I went to highschool with (in Kuwait) have this site where we keep in touch with each other. We try to have a reunion in North America at least every 2

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Nov 2006

2006-12-03T17:50:00.000-05:00

Our 10 day trip to Hawaii was a blast. Was at the Fuel Cell Seminar from 8AM to 4PM, but was able to experience a lot of what the Island of O'Hau had to offer, during the times around that.We stayed at the Hilton Hawaii Village Beack Resort at Waikiki Beach.http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/Cost around $200 a night + tax, but it was well worth it.This is a view of Downtown Honolulu, taken from

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

This year has been the quickest one of my life. It could be because of the countless things we did. Overall it was great and leaves a lot to be thankful for. Here are the top 6 things that I reflected on this evening:Family: My immediate family is the source of my drive and motivation. They are incredibly supportive of everything I do and anything I wish to do. I have made my share of mistakes,

The "Sell" of 2006 is here!

2006-10-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

The Bulls have come thorough for me once again! I have sold the majority of my portfolio for this year and come out with a retun of 15% before taxes, for 2006.The big gainers for me this year were Microsoft (MSFT) up 22% and Bank of America (BAC) up 18%.I broke even with Symantec (SYMC) after expenses. This stock was a spur of the moment purchase and I learend my lesson without losing my shirt...

Counter trial

2006-10-29T18:56:00.000-05:00

Web Counters

Johns Hopkins or University of Baltimore

2006-10-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

I want to start business school in January 2007. After a lot of thinking the decision is to get my MBA with concentration in Finance. The dilemma at hand is: should I attend Johns Hopkins University or University of Baltimore/Towson University.Advantages of JHU:Name recognitionLow faculty to Student ratio - which means I will learn a lot outside the classroom!Advantages of U-Baltimore/Towson

Shenandoah Valley, VA (October 9th through 12th)

2006-10-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

View from Franklin Cliff Overlook."Someday this will ALL be mine......" Zarah and I during our LimberLost Trail Hike. This one was wheelchair or stroller accessible. Tania thought it was a rude name for the trail.Tania and baby, same trail. This was the last trail we hit and by far the easiest. Good decision, since we had not quite recovered from the strenuous hike up White Oak Falls Trail the

Row Homes

2006-10-15T20:24:00.000-04:00

Over my past 14 years in the US I had not paid any attention to row homes that I came across while traveling through major cities. This changed when I saw some "rehabbed" properties in Baltimore earlier this year.The places are tiny. They are typically 3 stories tall and very narrow (~12 feet wide). But I have seen them refurbished real nice. I would not mind living in one of these in a Baltimore

Philanthropy / Community Building

2006-10-15T20:04:00.000-04:00

(Inset: Cabin on Lewis Mountain that we plan to stay in, the next time we visit Shenandoah Valley) After much thought, I have decided to add a "Community Building" section to my resume. The primary reason being not to impress anyone who sees this document, but rather to track areas I have contributed to over the years. Thinking back, I have volunteered lots of time to various charitable

Reverse Brain Drain

2005-02-25T19:32:00.000-05:00

This is a commonly heard term in the US today. I first came across it in Richard Florida's book "Rise of the Creative Class" in February 2004.It refers to talented engineers, scientists and researchers leaving the US and moving overseas. Precipitated mostly by latest US economic and government policies.The effects are already visible - the US is no longer the bleeding-edge, technology powerhouse

2005-02-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

Juno Beach

Carly Fiorina

2005-02-12T09:55:00.000-05:00

Accountability – what make the world go. Predictability – what the world likes. Carlys lack of predictability was her demise at HP. Gone, accompanied by a $42M severance package. I still have a hard time comprehending executive compensation in Fortune 500 companies. What do you do with that kind of money. But then again her annual compensation at HP (as

Chilli Fritos

2005-02-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

People that I meet everyday in class/work/gym, are in general are very nice. They are all motivated and have goals for themselves. The magic to being a leader that people look up to, is being respectful and encouraging towards them. Humans in general have a lot of insecurities, and it is these that prevent the majority of us from taking on a leadership role. If one knows oneself good enough to

Yes! My own FeedBurner

2005-02-06T15:39:00.000-05:00

Backroads. Sneads, FLA

2005-02-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

The Hydrogen Economy – Are we there yet???

2005-02-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

Ahhh! The time when we are independent of foreign oil. Car and truck exhausts will produce nothing but clean, pure water. When your Honda Accord gets low on fuel, you fill up with hydrogen at the local “gas” station – hydrogen that is made from water and electricity. This is the pipe dream that a lot

2005-01-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

Midlife Crisis Approaching My life just crept into its 31st year and I can find myself being an early candidate for midlife crisis. Not that I have not accomplished anything in my life – I feel like I have achieved significantly; am satisfied with where I am today. But I feel like I missed the mark. While I have tremendously enjoyed and