ill and away

{a little girl crying in the background: I want my mom an dad...}
Why should it, of all time, come right at the exams week. I'm doomed this period, no chance I'm going to get prepared for the exams with this illtimed illness! :(

as much as I dream can I be

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be. --Karen Ravn

What Is Intelligence, Anyway?

A very interesting piece from "What Is Intelligence, Anyway?" by Isaac Asimov:

...
Consider my auto-repair man, again. He had a habit of telling me jokes whenever he saw me. One time he raised his head from under the automobile hood to say: "Doc, a deaf-and-mute guy went into a hardware store to ask for some nails. He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering motions with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He shook his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk brought him nails. He picked out the sizes he wanted, and left. Well, doc, the next guy who came in was a blind man. He wanted scissors. How do you suppose he asked for them?"

Indulgently, I lifted by right hand and made scissoring motions with my first two fingers. Whereupon my auto-repair man laughed raucously and said, "Why, you dumb jerk, He used his voice and asked for them." Then he said smugly, "I've been trying that on all my customers today." "Did you catch many?" I asked. "Quite a few," he said, "but I knew for sure I'd catch you." "Why is that?" I asked. "Because you're so goddamned educated, doc, I knew you couldn't be very smart."

Recoiled

Recoil, in common everyday language, is considered the backward kick or force produced by a gun when it is fired. In more precise scientific terms, this force is equal to the derivative of the backward momentum resulting when a gun is fired. [Wikipedia]

... metaphorically, I feel recoiled!

For Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread

Alexander Pope has a famous poem called An Essay on Criticism which I have found quite interesting.

"Pope contends that bad criticism is worse than bad writing. But despite the danger of bad criticism, some worthy individuals need to become critics. Pope also delineates some common faults of critics, such as using easy and cliché rhymes..." [Wikipedia]

...
Such shameless Bards we have; and yet 'tis true,
There are as mad, abandon'd Criticks too.
The Bookful Blockhead, ignorantly read,
With Loads of Learned Lumber in his Head,
With his own Tongue still edifies his Ears,
And always List'ning to Himself appears.
All Books he reads, and all he reads assails,
From Dryden's Fables down to Durfey's Tales.
With him, most Authors steal their Works, or buy;
Garth did not write his own Dispensary.
Name a new Play, and he's the Poet's Friend,
Nay show'd his Faults--but when wou'd Poets mend?
No Place so Sacred from such Fops is barr'd,
Nor is Paul's Church more safe than Paul's Church-yard:
Nay, fly to Altars; there they'll talk you dead;
For Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.
Distrustful Sense with modest Caution speaks;
It still looks home, and short Excursions makes;
But ratling Nonsense in full Vollies breaks;
And never shock'd, and never turn'd aside,
Bursts out, resistless, with a thundering Tyde!

But where's the Man, who Counsel can bestow,
Still pleas'd to teach, and not proud to know?
Unbiass'd, or by Favour or by Spite;
Not dully prepossest, nor blindly right;
Tho' Learn'd well-bred; and tho' well-bred, sincere;
Modestly bold, and Humanly severe?
Who to a Friend his Faults can freely show,
And gladly praise the Merit of a Foe?
Blest with a Taste exact, yet unconfin'd;
A Knowledge both of Books and Humankind;
Gen'rous Converse; a Sound exempt from Pride;
And Love to Praise, with Reason on his Side?

Such once were Criticks, such the Happy Few,
Athens and Rome in better Ages knew.
The mighty Stagyrite first left the Shore,
Spread all his Sails, and durst the Deeps explore;
He steer'd securely, and discover'd far,
Led by the Light of the Maeonian Star.
Poets, a Race long unconfin'd and free,
Still fond and proud of Savage Liberty,
Receiv'd his Laws, and stood convinc'd 'twas fit
Who conquer'd Nature, shou'd preside o'er Wit.
...

I really like the Early Modern English and English Poetry. I miss the English Literature classes we used to have in Mashhad....

OMII-Europe Month 9 Meeting

The all-hands meeting for month 9 of OMII-Europe was held in Bologna this time. It was quite a nice and rather eventful trip. I had been to Italy once before, but it was to Venice and apparently each region in Italy is quite different and unique. But they share something, decoration and style, you can see it everywhere.

From the point of view of JRA4, it was quite a good meeting. We got the chance to talk to our Chinese partner from U of Beihang to get more input about CROWN Grid and also had some good comments from the Globus representative from U of Chicago. I also got the chance to get some contact points for performance evaluation teams in OMII-UK and for gLite from people in INFN. The internal timeline and planning meeting for Month 12 was not that good though. I wonder whether it was due to the fact that we were terribly tired or that we feel a bit pressured with all the work that is left to be done before the EU Commission reviews in April.





INFN of Bologna was hosting the meeting. The sessions where held in a fantastic 15th century building called Corte Isolani whose preserved mediaeval decoration was quite interesting. And the banquet was also fantastic, six courses of stylish and delicious Italian food. We had a very short time to go sightseeing but we did manage to see a lot of interesting places. We had a half day of extended meetings at INFN’s CNAF site away from the old center of the city and in more modern sections of Bologna. Over all it was quite a good trip.



I should write more about it if I find the time in the future. At the moment I’m under a lot of pressure with exams and project deadlines closing in.

life

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
-- John Lennon

Via Appia

We are using a layered communication toolkit called Appia for our Distributed Algorithm course. I was reading the FAQ section where I came to a part explaining the story behind the name.

The first of the great Roman roads, the Via Appia (Appian Way), begun by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 BC, originally ran southeast from Rome 162 miles (216 km) to Tarentum (modern Taranto) and was later extended to the Adriatic coast at Brundisium (modern Brindisi).

Roads were fundamental to the development of the Roman empire who governed a big part of Europe for several centuries. A huge network of roads was established by that time, connecting all the roman empire, leading to the proverb "All roads lead to Rome". By that time, roads were the only communication channel available. They were used to transport goods and news and helped in the expansion of the empire.

The roman roads were notable for their straightness, solid foundations, cambered surfaces facilitating drainage, and use of concrete made from pozzolana (volcanic ash) and lime. Though adapting their technique to materials locally available, the Roman engineers followed basically the same principles in building abroad as they had in Italy.

The Roman road system made possible Roman conquest and administration and later provided highways for the great migrations into the empire and a means for the diffusion of Christianity.

Note: The above text was partially taken from the entry Roman road system of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

It is quite interesting. It somehow reminded me of the postal system of the Achaemenid Empire which was established mainly under the reign of Darius.

Having a strong and reliable communication infrastructure is essential to the development of any country. I wished decision makers back in my country would have opened their eyes and realizes how they are causing setbacks with their frustrating and stupid approach to the ICT infrastructure in Iran.