Depoll.com -- David Eitan Poll

7 years -- heroes.

2008-09-11T19:36:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been 7 years since the events of September 11. That day truly changed the way I look at the world.

I'm sure for some people it feels like ancient history, but to me, it's still fresh in my memory. It still stuns me that 9/11 happened two weeks into my freshman year of High School. So much has changed in my life since then. But I don't really want to recount my experiences from that day -- instead, I'd like to share what today means to me.

To me, 9/11 is a day to remember the innocence of those who lost their lives in that devastating attack and the heroism of those who gave their lives in service to their community and country. They were our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends, neighbors, and loved ones, and their memory and the memory of that day should never be forgotten.

Moreover, 9/11 is a day to remember and honor other heroes in our lives. There were those who fought and survived the attacks. There were also our families and friends and neighbors who comforted each other through the trauma that we experienced. It was difficult, but heroic, for each of us to move on from that day, but I'm proud of the way we came together to love and support one another, and I've never been prouder to be an American.

I'd like to send a message to the men and women in military: thank you for your service. You brave men and women make our lives possible, and every day you show us the kind of courage and selflessness that the rest of us aspire to. You deserve all the support and respect we can muster. Today, as last year, my thoughts are with you. You are all true American heroes.

We must all remember the lessons of 9/11. From them, and the memories and presence of our personal heroes, we can find strength and goodness in the world.

Finally, to those whose lives were taken 7 years ago today: rest in peace.

I'm a Softie at heart...

2008-07-28T16:01:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone. Long time no blog, eh? Sorry it's been so long -- I've been very busy :).

In May, I had my graduation, which was an amazing experience. I actually wasn't expecting to be as affected as I was, but it ended up being really meaningful. My grandparents flew in from Israel, and it was really wonderful to see them, especially with my grandmother's recent recovery from cancer and the difficulty of such a distance to travel. I was so happy that they were able to be there to share in the excitement of my graduation. In addition, my parents and sister came up to Berkeley to celebrate, which was also very meaningful. We had a beautiful drive down the coast, back to Laguna, and shared lots of fun memories along the way. A highlight for me: I actually managed to (mostly) keep up with my Dad and Grandpa at chess!

Speaking of chess and graduations, I have to say a big thanks to Lucyann and Jerry, as well as to my parents, for the beautiful chess set they got me for my graduation. It's beautiful, and I know I'm going to enjoy using it for a very long time.

Not long after finishing my graduation, I made the long trek up to Washington state once again to start working full-time for Microsoft! So far, I've had a great time, and I feel only excitement for what's to come. Easily the strangest part of being a full-time employee of any company for the first time in my life -- I have a 401k. Talk about a slice of reality! I'm not really sure what that means to me, but it really hit me that "this is the real world" when cash first started being poured into that account. Nothing wrong or bad about it (quite the contrary), but it's definitely a different feeling.

I should also mention that a recent project of my sister's, Free Style, came to fruition this month with its presentation at the Ford Amphitheater in L.A. She spent innumerable hours working with high school students in depressed areas, teaching lyric writing and pouring her heart and soul into making a difference. I wasn't able to be there for the presentation, but I heard (and was not surprised) that it went magnificently, and that it was clear that her work really had an impact on these kids' lives. I just wanted to say how much I admire my sister for what she's been doing, and I'm so happy that she's been able to find so much meaning in her work.

Anyway, sorry again it's been so long since I posted. Hopefully I'll get to it again soon :)

Being Violated

2008-04-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

Well, this sucks: someone broke into my car overnight. I'm pretty sure they were after my laundry money... well, that and my gps and mp3 player, but still! My fantasy is that there's some guy/gal out there who desperately needed quarters because his clothes were just so darned dirty, leading him/her to a life of crime, breaking windows on giant trucks for access to their small change. It could happen, right?

Anyway, the damage wasn't too bad. They shattered my passenger-side window and took my coins, mp3 player, and gps device. The total damage doesn't even really exceed my insurance deductible. Oh well. It's annoying, but not that huge of a deal (just expensive). It's funny, I feel like I should feel terrified and violated, but honestly I'm just annoyed and laid-back over the whole thing. I don't think that would've been the case 3 years ago, but today, it's just another bump in the road for me. Nothing to stress TOO much over.

It does make me look forward to getting out of Berkeley, though. Not that Berkeley's some horrible place, but I've always been concerned for safety reasons here, and I really miss my quiet, suburban lifestyle ;)

P.S. I'll be coming home for the weekend for Passover! (Hopefully my truck will be repaired in time to drive it down) Woohoo!

The Notion

2008-04-14T03:04:00.001-07:00

You know, it's strange... The notion of graduation still feels very foreign and far-off to me. The bizarre part is that... technically, I graduated last semester. For some reason, I'm struggling to reconcile the fact that I've graduated with my perception that I'm just a "naive, young, new college student". And yet, here I am, picking up my cap and gown, and getting ready for a commencement ceremony in May.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm extremely proud of what I've accomplished here and excited about what's to come, I just think it hasn't hit me that I'm going to be putting school behind me (at least for a while) soon. Sure, I'm sticking around for one more semester, but this commencement really, truly marks the end of my undergraduate experience, and underscores the imminence of the "real world". Cool, but scary ;)

I don't really have anything prophetic to say; I just thought I'd share. Fun times are ahead, and I can look back on lots of good times. But the "looking back" part is what's so new and strange!

Life goes on

2008-04-09T01:50:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. I think, in part, I've been avoiding posting because of the meaning that Mr. Wittry's passing had to me. But, alas, life goes on, and I know Dave would have been excited to hear the latest from me in spite of any other news. He was always interested in hearing about what was going on in other peoples' lives, even when he had his own things to be concerned about.

For me, things are generally going well. I've been struggling with some back problems which has kept me out of the gym for... too long, but I've otherwise been doing great.

My spring break was wonderful. I spent a week at home, enjoying the sun and visiting with friends. I got a chance to spend a little time with Peter and Frank (who had just returned from a road trip that sounded like a lot of fun), watched a few movies (Horton Hears a Who with my sister, Bank Job with Peter, and Vantage Point with Frank), all of which were at least mildly entertaining and at best a lot of fun ;). I enjoyed seeing my parents and sister (it had been nearly 2 months... far too long), and played a bunch of chess with my dad. And, get this: I won! :) Sorry, dad! It's the first time I've ever come out ahead overall with my dad when it comes to chess. Granted, he let me be white most of the time, and I've still got plenty to learn, but it was a first for me ;) I'll take the victories I can get (and promptly rub them in my dad's face!). The other main thing I did over the break was attend Mr. Wittry's memorial at Troy High, which was a wonderful tribute and very moving. I'm so glad people were able to come together in Southern California to share memories of him, and I thought the "Wit-tree" that was planted in his honor was a very nice gesture. He won't be forgotten.

School's been going well, and I've been making good progress on my new degree. It's hard to believe I'm already nearing the half-way mark. And it's even weirder that I'll be attending my commencement for my B.A. in just over a month. I'm excited that my family will be able to be here (health permitting), and am looking forward to it, but there's a surreal quality to the notion that I'm essentially done with school. Soon I'll be headed back up to Microsoft to start working full-time. Crazy, huh?

Sadly, I was recently informed that Jon, my roommate, will be seeking housing elsewhere for next semester. He's been a great roommate, and it'll be strange not having him and his girlfriend, Kim around. I know we'll still see plenty of each other, though, as long as we've got TV shows to obsessively watch ;)

Which reminds me: LOST is awesome. Don't tell me what happens! Over the last month or two, we've been working our way through all three seasons of LOST, and we're just about to finish the third. When I had heard about it before, it didn't sound very interesting to me. But now I'm hooked. What am I to do? I'm totally, completely, and utterly addicted to it. This is what happens when the writers go on strike: I get addicted to shows on DVD.

In the meantime, I'm looking for housing for next semester. It's a little complicated, since I'll only be around from August through December, so I'm primarily looking for a studio apartment that I could rent just for that time span. Wish me luck!

Anyway, sorry for the information overload. That's what happens when I go 2 months without an update. Hopefully, I'll be more inclined to keep y'all updated more often now that I've started back up. There will be fun things happening in the coming months. I'm looking forward to it!

In Memoriam: Dave Wittry

2008-02-05T14:05:00.001-08:00

Today, I'm extremely saddened to report that my mentor, role-model, inspiration, teacher, and friend Dave Wittry passed away Yesterday in Taiwan while swim-training.

Dave (or, Mr. Wittry, as I was so used to calling him for so long) was a great man who meant a lot to me and made a significant impact on my life. I have no doubt that were it not for Mr. Wittry, I would not be where I am, doing what I'm doing today.

Up until my sophomore year of high school, I had no idea that Computer Science would be the field in which I would end up. That year, I took AP Computer Science with Mr. Wittry, which began a series of events that would change the course of my education, and ultimately my life. He saw some interest and talent in me, and encouraged me to push myself in the CS world. First, he had me help teach some workshops and seminars about AP Computer Science. When I was progressing quickly through my second year of classes with him, he and I embarked on a project that would become one of the most rewarding endeavors I've taken part in to date. Dave pushed me and encouraged me. We traveled, giving workshops. What high school student gets to do that? In my senior year, he led me and a group of students on another software project, and I know that his guidance had an impact on the lives of all of us.

Mr. Wittry was blunt and rational, but always had the best interests of his students in mind. He was happy to volunteer his time for the benefit of others, especially his students. And he never stopped caring. His door was always open for past students, and he was always happy to hear from and communicate with us. For many, Mr. Wittry, was a great teacher. By the time I had graduated, he was a mentor, teacher, and friend, and I owe so much to him.

My deepest condolences to Dave's family: his wife and two young children, whom he cared for deeply. My thoughts are with you.

To a good man who touched many peoples' lives: we will never forget you.

RIP, Mr. W.

P.S. I will try to update this post with more information if/when I get it.

Update: 2/6 12:51 PM, I've just launched a page where people who knew Dave can post their memories. You can find that here: http://wittry.depoll.com

Time hurries on...

2008-01-23T00:35:00.001-08:00

And the leaves that are green turn to brown. :) Sorry, Simon and Garfunkel on the brain.

It's been a little while since my last post, so I probably have more than usual to report. First, some catching up:

Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!
Happy Valenti -- oh, wait, we're not quite there yet.

Well, astonishingly, I made it through last semester. It certainly was a draining one, but I was very happy to make it through. The nutty part: that was my last semester as an undergrad. Wow. It still hasn't fully sunken in (on the eve of my first day of classes as a CS grad student). Crazy. So... I now have a B.A. In Computer Science. After 2.5 years. Cool. :) Ok, that's a little understated, but you get the idea. It's an exciting time for me (and I think many more will come), and now I get to embark on a new adventure. Before I do that, though, I think I'll reflect on my undergraduate experience a little:

It all started "Fall of aught five." I was a young lad, full of hopes, and dreams. Ok, so I was an 18 year old getting ready for another school year, but doesn't that sound so much better? Anyhow, I had a great time that year. I also had a reality check. At the beginning of the year, I had the crazy idea that I should go for a triple-major: Business, Political Science, and Computer Science. Uh, yeah, that wasn't happening. I don't think it took me more than a month to figure out that this was not a great idea, and I dropped my political science aspirations. Within a few more months (and after realizing the energy-hog that my Econ class ended up being), Business was off the table, and it hit me that by doing this, I could finish my CS degree within 3 years. So, that became the plan, and I started setting that in motion that first year.

Actually, looking back, a lot of cool stuff happened that year. Taking CS61C my first semester, I met Dan Garcia, who really helped me come into my own throughout my undergraduate career. In addition, not expecting anything to come of it, I applied for an internship at Microsoft (who gets an internship at a big software company their freshman year? I didn't think I had a chance), which, as you probably know, has been very fruitful for me, to say the least. I also had the dorm experience that year, and while that wasn't wonderful, I wouldn't change anything if I had to do it again. That year, in my suite, I met my good friend Jon, who has turned out to be the best I could've hoped for in a roommate. Hey, he's been willing to put up with my puns; what more could I ask for? I made some great friends in the dorms, and they've helped make the Berkeley experience a great one for me.

Microsoft was great for me. Both internships left me with much more confidence and excitement about my field, which I was able to carry over into my school life. I took on some leadership roles, explored new opportunities, and pushed on in my quest for a bachelor's degree. Not only did I finish quickly, I also managed to get into the "5th year" master's program, thanks in no small part to all of these experiences I've mentioned. Can I complain?

All in all, it's been quite a ride, and a very rewarding one at that. I need to thank some people for their support at various points throughout this process:

Mom, Dad, and Sari, where would I be without your support?

Jon, for being a great friend and roommate.

Dave Wittry, for piquing my interest in computer science and starting down this road.

Dr. Dan Garcia, for helping me get involved on the Berkeley campus and being such a helpful advisor throughout my undergraduate experience.

David Hill and Kathy Carper, for being amazing mentors at Microsoft and really giving me a chance to see what I can do.

Everyone else. Yeah, it's a cop out, but there were so many people that helped make this great for me, and I don't mean to miss anyone important.

Thanks so much for everything, everyone. It's been a great ride. Now, on to grad school!

So, those are my undergrad reflections, but lots of other stuff has been going on. I had a great winter break at home in SoCal. I spent a few days (over Christmas) in Vegas with my family, which was incredibly fun. We saw Love, Spamalot, and Penn and Teller, and had a great time playing poker and just enjoying being together as a family. While we were there, we got some great news about my grandmother's cancer: she's basically cured! That made for a great, upbeat time on the trip. The rest of the break was a lot of fun, too. My parents had some time off of work, so we got to spend a lot of time together. New Year's eve at Peter's place was a ton of fun and a nostalgic trip back to high school days with so many old friends there. I spent time with old friends, saw lots of movies, and just had a great time in general.

And now, I'm back in Berkeley for the first semester of my Grad program. I'm really excited, and I'll be doing some great work. My research advisor will be Koushik Sen, and I'll be working on some projects regarding verification of parallel software. Can you blame me for being jazzed?

To sum up, I would have to say all is well, and things are looking up going forward as well. Until next time!

Holy @$!#

2007-11-22T03:37:00.001-08:00

So, I don't do this too often (actually, I haven't so far on my blog), but today I was struck with some inspiration. Today, I just want to comment on some topics near and dear to my heart (as a geek). The title says it all. No, I didn't bleep out a curse word. The topic: Holy Wars (think I'm just making it up? Try searching for it! It's a well-known phenomenon). Those of you who are computer people are probably very familiar with this term, but I think it's one of those fascinating phenomena that you just have to stop and think about. That being said, here goes:

A Holy War (http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?HolyWar) is a fascinating social phenomenon that is born of Internet culture. At its core, a Holy War is a long, drawn out clash between two or more people over some strongly held beliefs. One of the most common examples in the "geek realm" that I've heard is that of the rivaling text editors: vi and emacs (or Windows vs. Mac... or Microsoft vs... Anything else). Proponents of each of the products will end up in a heated debate over e-mails, newsgroups. forums, IRC, or other media, and the argument rages on and on. Holy Wars have been known to span careers and generations. The vi vs. emacs debate has been going on since the products were first released in 1976! There are folks out there (trust me, I've met them, especially up at Berkeley) who engage in this particular war who weren't even BORN in 1976, let alone spent more than the last few years tinkering with the tools.

The battles of a Holy War are fought in the threads of a newsgroup, mailing list, IRC, forum, or other online medium. But how do they get started, and how are they played out? To address this question, let me first list the players I've witnessed that allow a Holy War to dominate a conversation:

Instigator: In a Holy War, beliefs are already strongly held, so it doesn't take much to set off a battle. The Instigator usually kicks things off with a leading question or a snide comment. They need not be the ones who started the thread. For example, after reading a post where a user mentions he's using Windows, an Instigator might throw a seemingly innocent statement or question into their response, such as "I hope your presentation goes well, and that your [Windows machine] doesn't crash every 2 seconds, but maybe that's too much to ask." or "I hope your presentation goes well. Out of curiosity, what made you decide on a PC for your work over a Mac?" At this point, the Instigator may not intend anything more than to get a little rise out of readers, but his actions have inevitably led the conversation down a road from which there is no return.
First Responder: The First Responder is the first guy on the scene with an opposing viewpoint. You know that little dig that the Instigator made in his post? Well, the First Responder is there to make sure he won't get away with it. The First Responder is often genuinely offended by the Instigator's remarks, however playful or innocent they may have been. So, the First Responder must do his duty and correct the Instigator, either by pointing out why he is wrong ("...Macs crash too..."), picking apart the Instigator's statement word-by-word and refuting each one ("...Technically, a Mac is a Personal Computer or 'PC', so your comment doesn't really make sense..."), or by providing a single-sentence rebuttal ("I've been using a PC for 5 years and it has never crashed on me.").
Unwilling participants: No Holy War battle can ever really take place in private. There must always be some audience who will be subjected to the endless postings on the thread. Some of these folks will even find themselves drawn into the battle. Others will follow in silence, agreeing with one side while learning more about the other. And the rest? They'll just be annoyed that their inboxes/thread notifications/chat window has been filled to the brim with commentary that will never budge from the same 10 or 15 talking points. Should these unwilling participants reply to the thread asking that the conversation be taken offline or to another venue, they will immediately be attacked for increasing the traffic on the thread (after all, if you post to the thread asking people to stop posting, that makes you a hypocrite) or for trying to control the conversation, which, of course, is a restriction of free speech.
Blacks and Whites: So named for their beliefs. Everything to them is black and white, even when it's gray. These charming individuals are members of the newsgroup/mailing list/etc. who take it upon themselves to perpetuate the argument. By the time things really heat up, there's probably an 85% chance that the Instigator and the First Responder are no longer the main contributors to the discussion.

So, these are the main characters in a Holy War. What began as a playful jab or an innocent question rapidly spirals out of control. Threads will last for days, weeks, or even longer! The participants will write volumes in text. And this isn't just respectful debate, it's an all-out slugfest. Blacks will insult Whites' opinions. Whites will insult Blacks' opinions. Whites will cheer on their main proponents, and Blacks will do the same. Chaos will ensue, and with no end in sight.

At this point, one of three things can happen:

The Holy War rapidly degenerates into a Flame War, wherein Blacks and Whites take turns insulting each others' professional and personal opinions. This too will last for a long time, but unless the thread gets back to the original Holy War topic, Flame Wars are destined to fizzle and die (much like their names would imply) as the participants run out of insults to fuel the flames or back away in shame.
Godwin's Law is realized and the conversation ends shortly thereafter (keep reading for a more detailed explanation)
The Saints come marching in.

To me, (3) represents such an important shift in the nature of the battle in a Holy War that it needs its own description. Up to this point, the battle has been vicious and inches ever closer to becoming a Flame War. Observing this quality or impending fate, the Saints must take it upon themselves to inform the Blacks and Whites that they need to "grow up" and learn to "respect each others' differences". Alternatively, they may simply suggest that Holy Wars should never be fought, as they are unwinnable, and so the offending thread should be terminated so as not to perpetuate the cycle. Saints will take the high road, and demonstrate how civil people would act in a situation like this.

But the tragic downfall of Saints, who are correctly advertising the Agree to Disagree philosophy, is that they are really Instigators in disguise. After all, it is inevitable that after a Saint has entered the conversation, someone will take issue with the fact that they're trying to dampen a legitimate discussion or to restrict free speech. And, of course, there is no belief that we hold more dear than that of open discourse and freedom of speech (or basic civility and reason, on the opposing side)! Those who would prefer to perpetuate the debate will claim that they're merely having a rousing intellectual discussion. And so the original Holy War is hijacked by a larger, more deeply ingrained war, drawing more participants, bringing Blacks and Whites of the previous war together, somehow involving politics, and perpetuating the spamming of the communication channel.

So how on earth can such a conversation come to a close? What is to become of the never-ending thread?

Enter Godwin's Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_Law), which states, "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one." I think we can all agree that it doesn't get much worse than Nazis or Hitler, unless you consider the topics in a Holy War (Oops, I just Godwin-ed myself!). Such a comparison is so extreme that participants finally see that there is no arguing with people who would haphazardly invoke the tragedy of the Holocaust or Nazi Germany, instantaneously making the conversation about 100 times more boring, and eventually killing all interest in the thread.

But how does Godwin's Law come to fruition? Well it leads back to my previous point about the consequence of a Saint entering the dialogue. As the new, freedom-of-speech vs. human civility Holy War reaches a boiling point, it is inevitable that someone will compare the restriction of such speech to the tyrannical rule of the Nazis. It may take a few messages back and forth, but it will happen. At this point, the conversation is dead and gone. And in the meantime, the War has taken as collateral the entire forum/mailing list/chat, driving away new subscribers and veterans alike. After all, they know that once a Holy War has been fought on fresh, virgin ground, another is destined to arise there (if it hasn't already during the few months that the first one was going on).

So how can I sum up this grim fate for online discussion? It seems to me that it's all about communication in the digital age. Whether it's members of the open-source community, teenage geeks in angst, or die-hard fans who just want to be heard, every Holy War will inevitably reduce to a fight over what's appropriate to say and who's allowed to say it. I would not be shocked to learn that any group that puts large amounts of emphasis on open communication and needing to be heard would run into problems such as those described above (Holy Wars: not just for geeks anymore). In the end, the only thing that will bring a Holy War battle to a close is an invocation of Godwin's Law. After all, when it comes to Holy Wars, it's only appropriate that God Wins!

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you enjoyed my tongue-in-cheek ranting. If the response is good, maybe I'll keep it up.

Accepted

2007-11-03T09:38:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been too long since I've posted. But there's been news! First, my trip home went very well. It was really wonderful spending time with my parents, seeing Wicked with them and my sister in LA, and doing some other, more expensive activities :). By that, I mean they helped me buy a new truck! I'm now driving a Green w/ Tan trim Ford F-150 (Pictures will be coming soon, I'm sure) with the works. It's amazing; I now have my dream car. I'm still getting used to it, but I can already tell I love the thing. I had no troubles parting with my Ram. Most who know me already knew I had always wanted to return to an F-150. I finally got my wish! Thanks, mom and dad, for helping negotiate and helping me to afford it.

Another huge news item for me is that I've now accepted my offer with Microsoft, and will be headed up there next summer! I'll be back in Berkeley to finish my Masters next Fall, but then I'll be headed right back up to Redmond to continue working. It's all very exciting, and I'm really looking forward to it.

There is surely more news from me on the horizon, but for now that's all. Other things in life are going well. I'm still enjoying working out on a regular basis. I've been losing weight and gaining muscle. No complaints there! Good times. Happy post-Halloween, and happy Turn-the-clocks-back-night! :)

Full Swing

2007-10-11T23:00:00.001-07:00

Well, the semester's in full swing, as are all of my projects and plans. Working out is going well (really tempted to say that it's been "working out"). I'm finally beginning to feel fit again. It's been far too long. My software engineering and algorithms courses are going well, and my music class is definitely helping me with my sight-reading. It's also turning out to be a great opportunity to put a little singing group together. If I can get that happening, I'll be able to squeeze even more enjoyment out of this semester. On the whole, life is good.

I'll be headed home for the weekend next Friday, so if you're around and want to hang out, give me a call!

Early Mornings

2007-09-28T00:34:00.001-07:00

It's been a few days since I last blogged. Not a whole lot is new since then. Today, however, I did something that's practically unthinkable for me: I woke up at 7:00 AM. Even scarier: it was so that I could go do cardio at the gym. What's happening to me?! Seriously, though, it felt great, and it was nice to be up early for a change. For some reason, though, I've come to the realization that when I'm at school I am physically unable to wake up consistently every morning like when I was working. I don't get it. The moment I returned to Berkeley, my capacity for waking up early disappeared. Oh well! Anyhow, off to dreamland. Goodnight!

A Tribute

2007-09-11T09:07:00.001-07:00

To all those whose lives were lost or changed 6 years ago today:

9/11/2001 is a day that will live on forever. I will never forget where I was when I found out: walking by my parents' room on my way out the door to my first few weeks of high school. I caught a glimpse of the television and found out what was happening just in time to see the second plane hit the towers. A thousand thoughts went through my head at that moment. Foremost among them was whether my sister was alright. I didn't find out until much later that day that she was fine, but she had an unbelievable story to tell.

That day, we lost family, friends, heroes, and neighbors, but above all, innocents, and we owe it to them never to forget, and to honor their memories. 9/11 simultaneously showed us the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. Everyday people reached out to one another for support, and the nation and the world came together to help one another. In the name of doing right by one another, we should strive to keep that brotherhood and neighborliness in our minds, and work together to make the world a better place.

To our soldiers abroad: thank you for your service. Without brave men and women like you, we wouldn't have a land to defend, or freedoms worth defending. You demonstrate every day the kind of courage and selflessness that we saw from the world on that day, and you deserve every ounce of support and respect that we can muster. My thoughts are with you and all the other American heroes out there today.

I will not say anything tongue-in-cheek in my post today. This is too important to make light of: remember the lessons of 9/11, and to all those whose lives were taken on that day, rest in peace.

Haircuts

2007-09-05T09:54:00.001-07:00

Why am I having so much difficulty getting a haircut?! I don't understand it! Oh, well, it's not the end-all-be-all of hygiene, but I feel like I look like a shaggy dog right now. Thank goodness I shaved last night :). Oh well, hopefully the barbershop will be open when I try again in a few minutes. I woke up early and everything!

Anyhow, classes are going great. I'm enjoying working out again, and I think it'll be a really great boon for me this semester. I've needed to get back on that horse for so long. Looks like I'm going to start taking golf lessons, too (and a friend may join me), which should be great! Nothing but good things to look forward to. In the meantime, I need to start looking for a research advisor for my Master's. Exciting, but one more thing I have to worry about. I'm sure it'll work out well, though.

The world is my oyster. What a shame I don't like shellfish ;). (Where did that expression come from, anyway?)

UPDATE: They were open! Say goodbye to shaggy dog and hello to... a guy whose hair is short! ;)

Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic

2007-08-29T13:35:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's a little strange to be back in school. I'm looking forward to the semester, though. With only 3 days of classes per week, I finally have time to start working out again, and I'll soon be trying to pick up golf! In the meantime, I'm going to be running Gamescrafters this semester, which should be a lot of fun as well. Can you blame me for being excited?

The weirdest experience thus far has been in my CS classes, where I'm finding I know 60% of the people in the class, either from being peers, or from my TA-ing. It seems like in the last few semesters I have only known a few people, and suddenly all I see are familiar faces. It's nice :)

Anyhow, just thought I'd check in. Time to get ready for a workout!

Back in the US and 20

2007-08-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I'm back in the good ol' U.S. of A., and it sure feels good. Had a wonderful time with my family in Israel and Turkey, and came back with a sexy Turkish tan (otherwise known as a beet red sunburn). The company was good, and it gave me some times to sort out some of the recent (happy) developments in my life. I have a much clearer picture now of where I want to go and how I'm going to get there. I owe my parents and uncle a special thanks for their valuable advice in this regard.

Also of note: I'm now 20 (as of the 20th)! Gone are my days of teenagerdom! It's nice to be able to say that, although it certainly doesn't feel very different. The biggest thing for me in my 20s is going to be moving past school, and on to a career and (hopefully eventually) a family. I'm very happy with where I am right now, and can only look forward to what's to come.

In the meantime, I'll be headed back to Berkeley on Thursday, with school starting next week. I'm really looking forward to this semester, and I've got some exciting things planned. In the meantime, if anyone knows of a personal trainer and/or a golf instructor in the Berkeley area, I'd be very happy for some recommendations. Time to get fit and learn something I've been putting off for a long time. Hi ho silver, away!

Internship end, Acropolis, and Vacation

2007-08-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Howdy everyone! Well, I'm now back in Southern California, after a looooooong drive down. Sadly, I received a ticket just as I was leaving Washington (goody... car issues on the first and last day there!). It's my first speeding ticket, so hopefully I'll be able to do traffic school online or something like that. Anyhow, it's great to be home, but now I'm off again! Tomorrow morning I leave for Israel, and soon after that I'm off to Turkey. It's great to be on vacation (really haven't been on any substantial vacation since April, so it's good to take a little break from school/work). I'm looking forward to spending some time with my family (parents, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.). It should be one heck of a vacation. Many thanks to my aunt and uncle for helping to make it possible!

My last week at Microsoft was great, much more relaxed than I was used to. It was really great getting to know everyone on the team, and I had an awesome time working on Acropolis. I have to make a shout out to the team for shipping their August CTP this week (which has a feature I worked on during the latter half of my intenship). Congratulations, you guys!

During my last week, I received a full-time offer, which I now have to consider. I'm definitely going to be doing my M.S. at Berkeley over the next year and a half, but I now know I have an offer waiting for me. I've got a little time to decide, and it's very tempting, so I'll be making an effort to explore my options and discuss all of what's going on with my parents and uncle over the next few months. Not too shabby of a choice to have to make, if you ask me. :)

Anyhow, what comes next is an opportunity to relax, have fun, and brood over my choices. I'll hopefully have internet access and will be able to share while I'm in Israel and Turkey, but if for some reason I'm SWC (stuck without connection? don't ask, I just made it up.), I'll speak to you when I return. Have a great few weeks, everybody!

One more week

2007-07-30T02:30:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm only up here in Redmond for one more week. What a trip it's been. This week, I'll be singing in an A Cappella group and a Barbershop group at the intern talent show. If I can get pictures, I'll try to post them :). As for what comes next? Well, I'm looking forward to next semester at Berkeley, and I've got some great vacation plans for the rest of the summer. Unfortuntely, between my internship and vacation, I'm barely getting any time to spend with friends back home. I miss y'all, and hopefully I'll get a chance to see you during the year if not during my short breaks between internship and vacation and vacation and school.
I'm also looking forward to seeing my Berkeley friends again. It's hard to believe 3 months went by so quickly.

Anyhow, best wishes to all. I know good times are ahead.

Internship #2 @ Microsoft

2007-07-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm up here at Microsoft, and having a great time. I figure now's as good a time as any to actually try to use my website for blogging :). For those of you who are curious, here's the project I've been working on, called Acropolis:
http://windowsclient.net/acropolis

You'll notice on that page a few videos that I produced as tutorials on our product! Yep, my involvement as an intern at MS is public now!

I'm sure there will be more to come... In the meantime, I'm having an incredible time up here, and looking forward to what's to come! I'll be up here at Microsoft until August 3, and then it's less than a month until I'm back at Berkeley. During that time, I'll be visiting family in Israel, and vacationing in Turkey. Microsoft, travel, preparation for school... Makes for quite a summer!

Welcome!

2007-04-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my newly updated Website! It's about time I fixed the way this looks. It was... terrible before. Hopefully now things are looking a little better. I'm happy with the new look, that's for sure! Anyway, not all the content is there yet, but I'll fill in the rest slowly but surely. Check back for updates.