A Worthwhile Read

The Full Monty

What I Think I've Done

Required: A mild knowledge of classical mechanics and perhaps some differential geometry.

So, assume you're working with a Hamiltonian H such that all solutions are regular curves in phase space. Let us limit our discussion to a 2 dimensional phase space, as that's easier to discuss. Now, it's fairly easy to show that each Frenet frame component is given by:

dt/ds * [a certain vector (for each component)]

The interesting thing that seems to pop up, however, is that these certain vectors are independent of the particular solution under discussion; i.e. they depend only on the point that one finds oneself at in phase space...for every solution curves passing through that point. Now, I don't think this seems immediately wrong, as dt/ds seems to carry within it solution-specific information, so that the uniqueness of each solution is no jeopardized. One consequence, however, is that two solution curves cannot 'cross' each other, i.e. if two solution curves meet, they would have to be tangent to each other.

Meh. Gotta run down to CVS.

EDIT: obviously, two solution curves wouldn't meet. Stupid me. And, clearly, the space would still be connected. Ah well, stupid me. Thanks, Keith.

PS

Massive Attack in Boston on the first of October, for 35 dollars. Worth it?

./kabir

Snippets

Finished WBRS training. First show in all of an hour.

Got a new palmtop for cheap - the Jornada 720, for 35 bucks. My new type-wherever tool.

Got my laptop back. Goodiegoodiegumdrops.

Slapped the Rockbox firmware onto my mp3 player. A prettier producer of music I have yet to see.

Lost an ego fight. Pah.

Until next time!

Fall Concerts

• Massive Attack:
• New York
• October
  
• Going? Nein. Not in Boston and 50 bucks a pop.
• Zero 7
• Boston - the Avalon
• September
• Going? For 17 dollars? Bloodyhellyeah.
  

K "I Rip Through Data' H

...it's a fact.

The past weekend was spent, primarily, a little ways off Main Street, Nowhereville. A friend of mine graciously offered some of his land for what might be best described as a 'camping' trip, a brief hiatus from the three pillars of civilization: roofs, streets and the Internet. Suffice it to say - as I am often wont to - fun was had, and the pile of spent beer cans the morning after was quite impressive. Was really crappy beer, too.

The following days were filled with fun, frolic and amusement, including such notables as: new headphones, finally went through basic WBRS (radio station) training, and a marked inability/lack of will to post on this here blog.

Toodles.

Found: 104 Solutions

Events in my life have included, of late,

• The purchasing of a new pair of headphones: AKG K-81s.
• The addition of utterly inappropriate spices to my uber recipe.
• My laptop slipping, frustratingly, from my grasp.

I think I need to do the latter some justice. Conceive in your cranium, if you can, a devilish apparition. It should be of only moderate evil, but of some serious annoyance. I'm sure all you imaginative folks who read my blog shouldn't have an issue with that. Anyway, this fellow (the one in your head - no, not the one that talks to you, and not Eric Cartman either), moving far too fast for yours truly to follow, flashed my darling laptop under my nose, and - in the same motion - threw it back to the other side of the country. And then, I was sad (the more mundane version: the warranty repair guys messed up on the return address and hence it got rejected by the Brandeis mail service. Dammit).

In other news, my pair of Grado/Alessandro headphones were cured of a major annoyance not two minutes ago. For the past few monthes, there had been an occasional rattle/buzz within the right driver enclosure. Drove me up the wall at times. Anyway, I managed to blow away this problem, so to speak, by a method so outlandish, so crazy, so damned brilliant, that revealing it on this blog might be injurous to your health. So, be glad. And stuff (My 'phones are cured!).

Work continues. I was afraid, in the initial stages, that I would find every day a bore, that I would spend my hours wishing to be somewhere else...doing something else or something. But, in actuality, the work actually gets interesting - there is a serious kind of joy in seeing your work being poured over and examined. It was teh funky.

Eating, Drinking and Hob-nobbing

...with the best, mate.

Saturday night was the weekly Warromp, home to all kinds of lounging and party experiences. Being one of the regulars to this schmooze fest, I landed up early and made myself moderately useful. Warren took this time to explain to me that this party would be as small as possible - more of a mini-lounge experience than anything else. A sort of an advance warning, if you will. And so I expected small, in both attendance and experience. Fortunately, the man was fairly mistaken. While we're not taking big-pills-big in terms of teh peoples, it was defintely rather alive. A pleasant experience - especially since, once again, Dave was bartending and hence I always had someone to talk to. Yes, that is correct, folks. I'm still not social. Shocking, eh?

The moderately unpleasant part came the next morning. You see, I was pulling an "I'll eat when I drop" stunt at the time, and so a variety of liqour sploshed its way into a rather empty stomach. I abhor drunkenness, and so my walk back to 247 South Street was frustrating - the knowledge that your own legs will not obey you is devastating to one's state of mind. Anyway, the real pain arrived as morning approached and a hangover blossomed within my troubled cranium. It was not one of my prouder moments.

The day itself, however, was a brighter prospect, as I met an old friend in Cambridge. The ol' chap goes to MIT and...well, other details can be delivered later, but you have to hear this. Apparently, in certain US state and engineering schools, it is possible to go down an engineering track and only have to take calculus (of any kind) in one's fourth year.
That is fucking criminal.
I mean, what kind of engineering is done without calculus? Jesus.

Mini-Ramble/Rant:

Oh, and in other news, ______ continues to punish several thousand __________ for the sake of a single soldier and wounded national pride. Apparently, recent targets included a school and a university. Now, I'm not going to suggest that hitting these targets was intentional - I rather doubt that. But frankly, it's even scarier that such buildings can be hit by mistake. Scary, and downright stupid.

The word from 'The Man' of my current place of residence is that the crisis can only be solved by the release of said soldier (genius, eh?). That's nice, and he's on firm humanitarian grounds with that statement...but with little else. Sure, he should be released, but a) the IDF should withdraw unconditionally. We're talking apology territory here. b) the current hostage exchange issue should be looked into quite seriously, for purely humanitarian reasons. Of course, we all know it's not as simple as that - point (a) does not take into account the fact that the likelihood of the IDF and it's leash-master doing something rational is slim to nothing, whereas (b) forgets that such a move might encourage more kidnappings - which isn't good for stability, eh?
Gah.