Visit weekends are tiring. There is also a lot of pressure to go to the school... I mean, pressure may be the wrong word. It's just that when you start meeting people, and you get to know them, and they are set on going, it's sad to think that if you decide not to go there you might never see these people ever again :(
Something a professor said (paraphrased):
"After working together long hours for many months with the same grad students in your group, you feel like you should all be close. But the real close-ness comes when you go to conferences together. You're surrounded by people from other schools, and all of a sudden the similarities you have with the grad students in your group (i.e. the fact that you go to the same school) override the differences you have with them."
This weekend, I was with two other students from Princeton (one an undergrad that I had never really talked to before, and the other a grad student that I happened to have one class with). I barely knew them, but the other prospective grad students couldn't tell :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
evangelism
Penn Jillette, a professed atheist:
"I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, 'Well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward' ... How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?"
"I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, 'Well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward' ... How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?"
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
haircut
So today I got a haircut.
Ephraim, on seeing my hair for the first time: "wait... so did you do that on purpose?"
John Lin: "hmm... you look like a horse"
Jon Hwang: "now that you mention it, you do look like a horse. umm... an okay looking horse?"
ouch.
Now Christine, after hearing about my haircut, wants John to send her a picture of it.
lol, great :)
Ephraim, on seeing my hair for the first time: "wait... so did you do that on purpose?"
John Lin: "hmm... you look like a horse"
Jon Hwang: "now that you mention it, you do look like a horse. umm... an okay looking horse?"
ouch.
Now Christine, after hearing about my haircut, wants John to send her a picture of it.
lol, great :)
Friday, February 13, 2009
valentine's day
Valentine's day is tomorrow! If I were a girl, this might be what I would want... :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
conflict in gaza
Okay, so usually I don't like to comment about things like this. But I feel the need to make a quick comment about what's currently going on in Gaza.
Do the Palestinians really think that Hamas is looking out for them?
1) Hamas refused to renew a 6 month cease-fire, even after Israel specifically asked for it.
2) Hamas currently refuses to consider another cease-fire.
3) Hamas is still launching rockets into Israel.
4) Hamas is using civilians as shields, booby trapping the doorways of civilian homes (which sometimes inadvertently kill the residents living inside), and firing from schools and mosques (drawing fire from Israeli soldiers). They also put civilians on the rooftops of the buildings in which they operate in, in order to deter airstrikes.
The way I see it, the Palestinians should be protesting against Hamas, trying to stop them from launching additional rockets. Instead, they're protesting against Israel, which has every right to defend themselves.
Contrast Hamas' refusal to stop launching rockets with a statement made by the leader of Hezbollah (Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah), after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 2006:
"If we had known that capturing the soldiers would have led to all of this, we wouldn't have done it."
I'm not sure how true that is, since the statement was probably made to win the sympathy of the Lebanese. But the fact is, if Hamas wants the Israeli invasion to end, all they have to do is stop launching rockets. On the other hand, Israel does want Hamas to stop launching rockets, but there's little they can do about it (Hamas was launching rockets even before the invasion).
Hamas has openly stated that it doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. It's main concern is the destruction of Israel, not the welfare of the Palestinians. Sure, you can argue that Israel is using disproportionate amounts of force (although I don't see how they could use any less force and still be effective at stopping Hamas rockets).
Israel is looking after its citizens. Hamas should be doing the same.
And isn't this disgusting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/09fighter.html
Do the Palestinians really think that Hamas is looking out for them?
1) Hamas refused to renew a 6 month cease-fire, even after Israel specifically asked for it.
2) Hamas currently refuses to consider another cease-fire.
3) Hamas is still launching rockets into Israel.
4) Hamas is using civilians as shields, booby trapping the doorways of civilian homes (which sometimes inadvertently kill the residents living inside), and firing from schools and mosques (drawing fire from Israeli soldiers). They also put civilians on the rooftops of the buildings in which they operate in, in order to deter airstrikes.
The way I see it, the Palestinians should be protesting against Hamas, trying to stop them from launching additional rockets. Instead, they're protesting against Israel, which has every right to defend themselves.
Contrast Hamas' refusal to stop launching rockets with a statement made by the leader of Hezbollah (Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah), after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 2006:
"If we had known that capturing the soldiers would have led to all of this, we wouldn't have done it."
I'm not sure how true that is, since the statement was probably made to win the sympathy of the Lebanese. But the fact is, if Hamas wants the Israeli invasion to end, all they have to do is stop launching rockets. On the other hand, Israel does want Hamas to stop launching rockets, but there's little they can do about it (Hamas was launching rockets even before the invasion).
Hamas has openly stated that it doesn't recognize Israel's right to exist. It's main concern is the destruction of Israel, not the welfare of the Palestinians. Sure, you can argue that Israel is using disproportionate amounts of force (although I don't see how they could use any less force and still be effective at stopping Hamas rockets).
Israel is looking after its citizens. Hamas should be doing the same.
And isn't this disgusting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/09fighter.html
Saturday, January 10, 2009
t-shirts
You know how before the conclusion of major sports events, they print two sets of t-shirts, each claiming victory for one side? And after one side wins, they send the wrong set of t-shirts to third world countries (so people in Africa think that the Patriots won the Superbowl last year)?
Well, I just saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was a pretty good movie. But wouldn't it be hilarious if he answered a question wrong because he saw some t-shirt with the wrong information on it? Okay, it might have been sad. Sorry, random thought.
Well, I just saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was a pretty good movie. But wouldn't it be hilarious if he answered a question wrong because he saw some t-shirt with the wrong information on it? Okay, it might have been sad. Sorry, random thought.