On A Bike

On a bike you see a different city.

I biked along Broadway, across the Williamsburg Bridge, straight to 8th Avenue, then up north on 8th, into Central Park, made a few circles, then came down 7th Avenue, then down Broadway from Times Square, then down 5th Avenue from Madison Square Park, then a few lefts, and back across Williamsburg Bridge.

A few blocks from Williamsburg Bridge one black dude remarked: "First time I seen a biker stop for a black male!"

I had not even seen them until then. I had just stopped, waiting for my turn to cross the road.

I waved as I sped away.

Biking through the city was a serene feeling. The best part was going up on 8th Avenue for as long as the bike lane had been painted green, and then it got wild close to 40th Street.

Biking is like walking - the exercise, the sight seeing - only faster.

I almost ran into a cab door. Some dude abruptly opened the cab door when I was almost next to the cab. I managed to avoid.

I had no plans to cross into Manhattan when I got the bike out: borrowed bike.

It was tremendous fun.

Going biking for the next few hours across Brooklyn/Queens. Borrowed bike. Thanks Bhawani. #nycless than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyParamendra Bhagat
paramendra

Need to find a new place to live by tomorrow. Don't have a place yet. Funny how it always works out just fine. #nycless than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyParamendra Bhagat
paramendra

Tigers That Talked: 23 Fears

(Via Song Of The Day)

At The Buspark

I had been House Captain of one of the four senior houses. There were two junior houses, four senior houses, and then there was Gaurishankar, where people who stayed on to do O Levels and A Levels - Senior Cambridge stuff - stayed. Back then in Nepal school was 10 years. Then you sat for the nationwide School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exams. And if you passed, maybe you went to college. But high school was 12 years in places like America and Britain. And this British founded and run top school in Nepal had introduced O Levels, A Levels. Half of the students in Class 10 were selected to do O Levels. Half of those were selected to do A Levels. And this was already a school where you got into in Class 4 after sitting through nationwide entrance exams.

O Levels was two years in Britain, one year at this school. So you finished school in 13 years.

We had three vacations: summer, Dashain/Tihar, and winter. Dashain would be the Nepali Christmas. I was not from Kathmandu. Kathmandu is a valley, the capital. Half the students at school were from outside the valley. I was one of them. The valley students got to go home about once a month for a weekend. We went home for the three vacations.
Image via Wikipedia
I had given an excellent year as House Captain. We won pretty much every competition there was, academic, sports and otherwise. Morale was super high. The grades of the students went up across the board. I personally took charge of one student a year junior to me who was considered struggling. His marks were up by 20% across the board by the time I was through.

And a fight broke out on the soccer field. We won the match, there was a fight. I learned about it later. It apparently escalated. It erupted in the dining hall later, and one or two places on campus. I heard.

Our official color was blue. The red house were the sore losers.

But then things quietened down, or so I thought.

I had been the top student in my class every year to that point.

Circles: My Idea

October 28, 2010: Social Graph, Social Concentric Circles
May 19, 2011: Social Concentric Circles

Has Google Finally Cracked Social?

The Sean Parker Analogy

This is weird. I am watching this video. And I am at the 27 minute mark, and I am like this is weird.

I am not into smartphones either. I mean, I don't even have one. I don't have a regular phone. I have a barebones prepaid. And the guy pulled out a primitive phone.

I am not into gaming. Reality is more fascinating than fiction. My World Of Warcraft is the crowd action across the Arab world. That's my "gaming."

I don't do product/coding stuff. For me it is about the user experience. Third parallel.

I don't care about money. But it is a good measuring tool. It is necessary fluidity. I have to convince myself it is about curing poverty for me to be able to think in terms of big money. If it is just, just, just about me, I am just fine where I am, and I need to find a new place to live by July 1.

That white male, how did he know these things?

White Male Conspiracy To Drive Me Homeless
Sean Parker, Billionaire, Was Really Poor Once
The Day I Got Called Sean Parker

Sean Parker: Video: Facebook, MySpace

Google And Apple Playing Tetris?

When Apple revealed its new operating system, the town was abuzz. Oh no, Apple is out to kill all sorts of sexy startups! And now Google is doing the same. Some very sexy apps out there might see fierce competition from Google. It is like Walmart came to town, and the mom and pop stores are going belly up.

Apple Is All Over The News

Has Google Finally Cracked Social?

Driving Coast To Coast

I once drove coast to coast, it was about sleeping and driving, and sleeping and driving, and sleeping and driving. I wanted to get there fast. I did it. I went from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast. It was an experience.

When Wikipedia Beats Social Media

Great early computer scientists and engineers? Alan Turing...who else?less than a minute ago via Twitterrific Favorite Retweet ReplyJennifer 8. Lee
jenny8lee

@jenny8lee This is where Wikipedia beats social media. :-) Or, long live Google.less than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyParamendra Bhagat
paramendra

Stanley Clarke: Spanish Phrases For Strings And Bass

(Via Whitney McNamara)