http://www.aidanfindlater.com Parents strongly cautioned Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:08:45 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I recently purchased an iPod nano with the Nike + iPod kit. My Nike+ screenname is "Aidan F", for anyone who wants to challenge me. http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/06/21/running/ I am now the proud operator of a three-node Hadoop cluster. Hadoop is a Java-based MapReduce implementation, an open-source version of the technology that allows Google to perform massive parallel computing on cheap, commodity hardware. I set it up with my OS X laptop running the NameNode (the distributed filesystem ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/06/01/my-own-personal-cluster/ Hot on the heels of a nerd victory involving Clone High, subliminal messages, and mplayer, I faced another challenge: ozone, smoke, and danger. Wake up, check email. Smell burning electronics; it passes. Shower, check email. Smell burning electronics; see smoke coming from the power plug. Quickly disconnect power. Order new power supply: ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/05/02/nerd-credentials-tested-and-passed/ Summary: Every time I upgrade Wordpress, the site is broken until the WPG2 options are edited. Problem:The Wordpress-Gallery 2 (WPG2) plugin for Wordpress doesn't like being deactivated and reactivated, although it seems to vary in severity. It appears that most or all WPG2 settings are wiped upon reactivation, causing visitors to ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/05/01/wpg2-breaks-with-every-wordpress-upgrade/ I turned down one job for the possibility of another. If it comes through, I'll be in Toronto for the summer. I hope it works out. Five years done, and so many people I may never see again. I don't think that it's sunk in, yet. http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/04/27/life-post-university/ Is fresh, home-made bread. I bought a used breadmaker recently, and the "shiny new toy" effect hasn't worn off yet. I love waking up to the smell of baking bread. http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/04/19/the-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/ Jake Young summarizes research on learning from the journal Science. The conclusion: if you're cramming for a test, time is better spent on practice tests than on study. The results suggest that learning happens more when you remember a thing, and less when you read it. That's your study tip for ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/02/21/spend-more-time-remembering-not-studying/ With graduation looming ever closer, I face a choice: med school, grad school, or a gap year. Med school: Out of the seven that I applied to, I have an interview at one. I'm pretty sure that the problem with the others was my poor MCAT Writing Sample score. The one ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/02/17/my-uncertain-future/ As China has grown, so has its need for cheap oil. The oil fields of Sudan fill this need, but at a price. In return for oil, the Chinese government has helped to finance and arm the Government of Sudan-backed genocide in Darfur. As well, the Chinese government, as a ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/02/10/the-genocide-olympics/ I was in the public washroom when the guy in the next stall flushes, leaves without washing, and turns the light off on his way out. Environmentally friendly, maybe, but not Aidan friendly. A few minutes later (yes, minutes), he came back to wash his hands. This time, he left the ... http://www.aidanfindlater.com/2008/02/07/oh-crap/