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1/21/13

Some Quotes

"Of all the thousand thousand maladies the Gods visit on us, madness is the worst."
-Grand Maester Pycelle (character), from "Game of Thrones"

1/18/13

Korn - Embrace Lyrics

Blood is pouring 
Sleep is boring 
Don't stop running 
I'm here counting 

The life, the hurt, the pain, the hate
The life, the hurt, the pain, the hate 
The life, the hurt, the pain, the hate 
Really keep fucking with me 
There's nowhere else to go 

So I walk but seem to crawl 
For I've given in today 
Now I run into a wall 
'Cause I cannot find my way 

You've gotta come with me 
(I cannot stand this place)
We've fallen off the wall 
(And I'm here in disgrace)
We had a chance to rise
(And now I can't replace)
We're going all the way 
(And I'm in deaths' embrace)

Endless worrying
Life is storming 
Give up beating 
I'll start bleeding 

The life, the hurt, the pain, the hate 
The life, the hurt, the pain, the hate 
The life, the hurt, the pain, the hate 
Really keep fucking with me 
There's no where else to go 

So I walk but seem to crawl 
For I've given in today 
Now I've run into a wall 
'Cause I cannot find my way 

You've gotta come with me 
(I cannot stand this place)
We've fallen off the wall 
(And I'm here in disgrace)
We had a chance to rise
(And now I can't replace)
We're going all the way 
(And I'm in deaths' embrace)

What really do I have to follow? 
Nothing makes sense at all 
Taking something from nothing 
Watch me as I fall 

I'm bringing me down 
I'm bringing me down 
I'm bringing me down 
I'm bringing me down 

You've gotta come with me 
(I cannot stand this place)
We've fallen off the wall 
(And I'm here in disgrace)
We had a chance to rise
(And now I can't replace)
We're going all the way 
(And I'm in deaths' embrace)

You've gotta come with me 
(I cannot stand this place)
We've fallen off the wall 
(And I'm here in disgrace)
We had a chance to rise
(And now I can't replace)
We're going all the way 
(And I'm in deaths' embrace)

1/15/13

What I learned from my journey with depression

Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.
—Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and writer
Let me be clear. Given a choice, I would have never chosen to go through what I did, no matter how well-off I may be today. There is none redeeming aspect of being severely clinically depressed.

Saying that, after my recovery I did take away some great insights:

I have learned to put my problems into perspective and choose which ones really matter. I gained confidence in my resilience, knowing that I can endure almost any amount of pain. I have learned to appreciate my health, peace of mind, and the ability to enjoy life. I have learned my limits, my desires, and my passions, as a result of becoming really self aware; I am now more in touch with my feeling--I've learned to identify them more clearly, and I've learned more effective---and healthier--ways to regulate my feelings. I've learned to recognize where my comfort zones lie and how to push through them. And much more....

I am also aware of the responsibility that such awareness brings--that it is rare and needs to be put to good use. This awareness has inspired me--and instilled the duty--to dedicate my life to helping those suffering from mental illness, to spread awareness about mental illness, and to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness that adds to the suffering and prevents people from seeking help.

How to review apps in the App store

Review guidelines

  1. Share your history with the app (How long ago did you download this app. How much time did you spend playing it? What is the reason you downloaded this app? Where did you hear about this app?)
  2. Mention something about you (age, gender, what kind of games you like)
  3. Mention what you like and don't like, suggest improvement in features.
  4. Is the app updated often? How is customer service?
  5. With what aspects of other reviews do you agree and disagree?
  6. Compare the app to other similar (better or worse) apps. Recommend other similar apps.

Example

App Review for Crossme

I love the simple interface. It is one of the best monogram app I've used, including NonogramZ, Picross mobile, and iGridd. Just search for "picross" in the app store for a load more. Love the undue button. Love that it's iPhone 5 optimized. 
Suggestions:
1. Want to be able to independently select "x" and fill in a square, so I wouldn't need to hit a square twice.
2. I also want to be able to drag in more than one direction at a time.
3. It is a little hard to use on an iPhone, even with the great zoom function. It's probably better on an iPad. So I'd like to be able to have a magnifier option to see where I'm clicking, like the one for editing text.

My Favorite Apps

Game apps:

  • Board Games: Chess.com (Allows you to play instantly, timed or untimed); Conquist Tournament (a Risk-like multiplayer)
  • Tower Defense: Kingdom Rush (and it's sequel, Frontiers); Toy Defense; TapDefense
  • Castle Defense: Medieval, Knights Onrush
  • Physics-based games: Hambo, PHYSICS GAMEBOX, Osmos
  • Puzzle: Kenken, Drop 7, CrossMe, Fill-A-Pix
  • Room escape: Antrim Escape 1, 2, and 3; The Room
  • Other categories: Army of Darkness Defense, Tiny Wings, Galcon, Jungle Crash Land (the "Star Pilot" mode), ORC: Vengeance (dungeon Crawler)
  • Space shooter: Galaxy on Fire II (my all time favorite game)
  • First person shooter: Shadowgun: DeadZone
  • Hill Climb
  • I Dig It
  • GTA III and GTA: Chinatown Wars

Other Apps:

  • Songkick Concerts
    • Scans your iTunes library and finds concerts near you
  • SoundHound (music catcher)
    • cPro+
      • Craigslist app
    • AppZapp
      • Find good apps, price histories
    • Dictionary.com; Merriam-Webster
    • Flashlight.
    • Gas Buddy (shows the nearest gas statons with prices)
    • TuneIn Radio
    • iCatcher! (Podcast app)

      1/2/13

      The True Cost of Gas

      No, the cost of gas per gallon is not simply the price displayed on a gas station's price board. There are many other costs. And no, I don't mean the cost related to time and driving to and from the gas station.


      The costs lie in the devaluation of the car due to increased odometer reading and upkeep. 

      Let's take a 2006 Honda Civic sedan for example. Such a car drops in price by an average of 5 cents per mile, according to the Kelley Blue Book website. So with a combined gas mileage of 30 mpg, every mile adds on an additional $1.50 to the price of gas per galon. With a price per galon of, for example, $3.50, the total price including the devaluation-due-to-milage comes out to be an even $5.00.

      Ironically, a gas guzzler will give you a much better price per gallon. Let's take for example a 2006 Nissan Titan, with a combined mileage of 14 mpg. Such a car would only add $.70 per gallon for the devaluation-due-to-milage to your bill (assuming the same $.05 per mile devaluation). So with the same gas price per galon of $3.50 the total price becomes $4.20. That's $.80 less than the price per gallon of the Civic. How can this be? To solve the contradiction, we need to compare the net prices per mile. That's $.20 per gallon for the Civic and about $.37 per gallon for the Titan - less than the expected doubling of the price. So the additional price you can expect to spend on a gas guzzler will actually be smaller than what the mileage alone will tell you... Interesting.

      But that's not all. Factor in maintenance, such as oil changes and repairs, and the amount you pay per gallon of gas - or rather per mile - increases dramatically. However, the additional cost due to gas you may expect to pay for a gas guzzler as opposed to an economy-car shrinks even further. 

      This makes you question whether a car is an investment or a liability.