December 2007
87 posts
10 Most Laughably Misleading Ads →
really funny marketing of simple tech devices, via digg
Diet - Making My Numbers
I am writing this down because so many people ask me for diet advice. Here is what I have been doing for the last few weeks. Every single day, I do my damndest to eat all of the following: 1 cup steel cut oats 1 can chick peas 1 can Healthy Choice zesty gumbo soup (to mix with chick peas) 1.25 cups whey protein (5 scoops) 1 can tuna (4oz) 1 can salmon (5oz) 1/3 lb turkey burger I eat split...
Good Lord, show me the Way
Attention: To All Who Enter Here... [pic] →
Zach Klein is in The Mumbai
I am happy to announce that Mr. Klein has reached his first port of India. He is being hosted tonight by the increasingly popular Akshay Mahajan in the lovely suburb of Bandra. Tomorrow Zach’s real adventure begins - two weeks in the Western state of Gujarat with Kunal Shah’s family. I am so jealous and very excited to read their travel notes.
What I'm Reading
Psycho Cybernetics The 4-Hour Work Week Magic For Beginners (fiction) re-reading… The Corporate Athlete re-reading… The Power of Full Engagement just finished… Ender’s Game (sci-fi, so awesome) I really shouldn’t be reading more than one non-fiction book at a time (you tend to confuse facts and goals between books). Oh well. Holidays are ripe to pick and choose among...
“All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger...”
– Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, as quoted in The 4-Hour Work Week
Rant about $250 Cover Charges
I have gotten a few invites to NYE parties with $100 and up cover charges ($100, $150, and $250). The justification for paying such a fee is that there is an open bar with unlimited booze and plenty of professional bar tenders. But what if I don’t drink alcohol? The $250 cover charge becomes a lot harder to justify… Oh well. It’s all about the friendship :)
I Am Legend
How fit did Will Smith look during this movie? Jeeze! Killer arms. And that scene where he is doing those wide-grip rear pull-ups? Damn! That movie was definite motivation for me to start another HST cycle when I get back to the gym next week.
A Note On "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas"
Now that I have two more hours of this being even slightly relevant, I’ll weigh in. I’m a fan of saying “Merry Christmas” opposed to “Happy Holidays.” I feel like the former has more meaning behind it — more specificity, less vagueness. You’re actually communicating something to the person as opposed to passing along some social convention. ...
Merry Christmas
By the way, which of my super-friends bought everyone in his or her family brand new Macbooks so they could all video conference together?
Apes & Androids
The concert last night was fun. It definitely helped that I had a lot of friends there who were just as excited as I was to dance. Thanks to Danielle, Jake, Eric, Kevin, Ricky, and everyone else for coming out to rock it and staying afterwards for the multimedia DJ show.
I got a single-board computer to try loading Xubuntu and a MythTV frontend. It is from Advantech and has 512MB RAM and a Celeron 400 Mhz processor (VIA chipset). Xubuntu loads fine; I could probably even install it onto a 2GB or 4GB CompactFlash card. But the GUI responsiveness is obviously slow.
The Future
Sometimes I think I can see the future. Not the exact future, like what the RMB to USD trade is in 2010 or how the Braves play in 2009. But I feel like I can see a lot of the future that I am interested in, and I think I know how some things are going to work out. It feels great, really. And I think I have some friends who can also see some of that future. Those are the friends that I like to hang...
Fake Rolex Watches on Canal Street
I went shopping for a fake Rolex watch on Canal Street on two different days this week. Yesterday I purchased two. Here is what I paid and where I bought them. RRV told me exactly where and from whom to find the best: Canal and Broadway, look for the Nigerians. I approached a group of very dark black men standing near the SW corner and asked, “Who’s got watches?” This tactic is...
Phone Mining →
[I] usually carry a pack of non-local gum to ease the way through customs and a myriad of social interactions. Its about time to create a decent travel pack of bluetoothable music and photos.
Futuresex
Right this moment, I am very into Justin Timberlake’s Futuresex. Now juggling some serious four-ball cascade warm-ups.
Anomaly and Notes
I met someone who works for Anomaly at a party last night. Anomaly was largely responsible for Virgin America’s brand image, including their award winning in-flight entertainment system. Really sharp - they basically re-invented the wheel for commercial IFE. I think Panasonic did the hardware. Belated Happy Birthday to Matt L! And Happy Birthday tomorrow to Jessica S.! Stayed up way too...
Strong Black Tea
I went to Chinatown today and bought some black tea. I must have brewed it too strong, because right now I am pacing around and definitely feeling over-wired. Might go to meet Matt and Zach at a party on Bedford and N5th tonight.
the caffeine content of tea →
Teabags are generally made with low-grade leaves (the twigs, leaves, stems that are located lower on the tea bush) as opposed to the “top” leaves and bud that are used for high quality loose teas. The lower grade leaves contain less nutrient value, not solely because they are crushed, but also because they are poorer quality to start out with.
How to Spot a Fake Rolex →
Current Work Out Routine
Slammed out another good session at the gym with ZAK this morning. Here’s what we did: Chest, bench press* Back, lat pull-down* Biceps, hammer curls Triceps, skull crushers or push-downs Shoulders, lateral extensions and Arnold press Core, assorted All with 3 sets @ 12-15 reps each. * indicates additional warm-up set. Next time we’ll add some legs and do more core. Not going to brag...
Google Talk Bots →
via Andrew Pile
Clarification on Stoned for God
from: Akshay subject: must The word is Mast (pronounced Must). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mast_%28Sufism%29 A mast (pronounced “mŭst”) is a person who is God-intoxicated or overcome with love for God with concomitant external disorientation, according to Sufi philosophy. The word originates from the Sufi phrase “Mast-Allah” meaning “intoxicated with God.”...
Stoned for God
I just thought how similar the words lust and must are. The ashram worshippers I visited in India used the word “must” uniquely. Akshay could help me clarify this, but someone who was musti had been declared crazy in God’s name. Symptoms of must included speaking in tongues, dancing in sleep, and a wild fire ripping through their eyes. The last time that happened to me was a few...
Christmas Shopping Tips
me: I want to get someone a fake Rolex for Christmas, but maybe they are just in China now.
me: Anywhere special on Canal St, maybe?
friend: Canal and Broadway.
friend: You'll be asked a ton of times.
friend: Look for Nigerians (black skin).
my favorite track on the “King of Western...
Hardly Working: Nut Tappers! →
— rickyv This is so epic because Josh 4brams0n k33ps a v3ry low pr0f1|3 on the internet. Besides his lunch room prank, he and Ricky’s Zilo show, and Josh’s Moving to San Diego CH post… this is the man behind the mask.
NTG and JSL Dinner Discussion Topics
Had dinner with Jake tonight, so I figured I would write down some bites from our conversation. True Prophets/True Profits (no more Steve Jobs comparisons, please… Paul was the original Evangelist) Begging in Subway cars VS Begging in Elevators Occam’s Razor The Pareto principle Coffee holes, aka pieces of life puzzle Importance of washing our hands before eating the bread Most amazing...
NTG and ZAK Quick Breakfast Discussion Topics
Recording for posterity: Effortless, no preparation media consumption (no more anticipating tastes) A tactile knob that you can turn which adjusts your incoming email priority settings. For example, on a very busy day, you might turn the nob to High Priority and only receive those messages which demand your urgent attention. But on a lazy Sunday, you could turn it all the way down and start...
NY Mag - Arium Menu - FINE TEAS IN NYC →
probably going here really soon
me: did you watch my birthday video -- http://www.vimeo.com/435266
Emily: Now I know why Grandpa is blind.... Zach stole his glasses
Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam →
Went to this Hindu temple tonight in Flushing. Amit blogged about it a year ago. I dragged Jessica along. We snuck into a dance performance upstairs (awesome) and then ate a bunch of idlis and dosas down in the canteen. Damn nice.
“Yay! Now you know what it feels like to have something stolen.”
– My little sister Emily, who is still pissed that her backpack got stolen at the train station in Amsterdam (1998) when I was supposed to be watching our luggage.
My Cell Phone Was Stolen
My cell phone was taken by a nice* thief today at the Metropolitan Pool & Fitness Center (on Bedford in Williamsburg). Until further notice, my preferred (and only) method of contact is via email… nick gray at googlemail. The Holiday perp took a half-dozen Andrew Jacksons out of my wallet, too. So I figure that I paid a Careless Tax of not changing the default lock combination on my...
Shocking Sparks
I just saw a big static discharge when the metal coat hanger touched the metal rod. There seems to be a lot of static electricity in my office area. Hmmm… Note to self: When installing ESD-sensitive hardware into my software project, GROUND YO’ SELF!
Bollywood Trailer - Om Shanti Om →
An amazing item number from this SRK box office monster.
Juggling Practice
As soon as I learn how to juggle five balls, I am going to start crying. I will be so happy that my emotions are going to explode. This is something that I want so badly. I cannot explain why it consumes me. I am not even a good juggler. I am a bad juggler, actually - that’s why I have to practice so much.
Breakfast Advice
For more energy today (and to lose weight/tone up!), you should eat one of these items for breakfast: Turkey sandwich on wheat bread Oatmeal, twice your normal serving Two eggs and a small helping of potatoes (platter) Advanced users only- Hamburger, tuna salad, or chicken breast. For extra credit, also consume: 1 tall glass of low-fat milk, or 1L of water, to be drank entirely before 11:30am.