MKNonline Blog

I’m sure you’re all dying to know my resolution…just go along with me here.

I figure being stronger in mind, body, and spirit is too lame and something I should be doing daily. I resolve really to blog more often and report on things that I find on the net. If I’m going to procrastinate, I might as well share it with the blogosphere. It keeps me writing, which is important.

In addition, I was fascinated by Project 365. Basically, I guy took a picture every day for a whole year and had this amazing body of photographs to look back on when he was done. It helped him essentially capture details of his life. I wish I could remember more things and I’ve always wanted to be a better photographer. This seems like something I’d really like to try to do. I’ve already practiced this week. I really hope, for my sake, I follow through and don’t stop when life gets hectic.

Wish me luck. I’ll be uploading photos as often as I can into my flickr account under a Project 365 folder. You’ll have to go on my word that I’m taking a photo every day, since I won’t upload daily.

Okay, lastly, Top 5 Reasons Why 2006 Was Awesome:

1) I turned 21.
2) I got a job.
3) I finished marching band.
4) My first A in Econ ever (let’s forget about that C in CS).
5) Amazing friends, old and new.

And, Top 5 Reasons Why 2007 Will Be Awesome:
1) I graduate.
2) I start my job.
3) Spring break, hopefully.
4) I get on Survivor. It will happen. Trust.
5) I finally take a little brother for my fraternity, hopefully.

There’s many more great reasons. Sorry if I left them out. This is why I need to take a photo a day.

I get excited when I learn things in class and then see a news story about it soon after. It gets me a little excited that my education is actually keeping me current. Like the other day, I was watching a really boring news interview on the recent financial troubles of Thailand. The analyst compared it to the Asian Financial Crisis that it suffered in 1997. We did a whole unit on it in East Asian Economics. I mean, yes, I did turn it off after like a minute into the video, but nonetheless, I feel worldly.

The other day, I happened upon this story on ray tracing. I saw it on gizmodo and on digg. Basically, a guy managed to add ray tracing into Quake to make it more realistic. I thought it was already implemented in games, but I guess not because it is such an expensive process for the realism. Ray tracing is hard. It was my final project for CS 480, my intro to graphics class. You’d think rendering a freaking sphere is easy, but it’s not. And it gets much worse when you add a light on it, make it shiny, and throw in shadows.

Here’s what 20+ hours of programming and crying got me (and by me I mean our team):

As comparison, this is what I was shooting for:

Read about ray tracing in video games here.

I’m done with my second to last semester. And it’s been a long, exhausting one. I say that every semester so no one believes me anymore. I also always say that next semester, I won’t work myself to death. I got one more

I’m turning 21 in an hour. I haven’t slept in what seems like days besides a few naps, I’m overwhelmed with work, I’ve eaten a bowl of soup and that’s it all day, I got a migraine attack and had to cancel all my fun plans. I threw up, without even an ounce of alcohol in my body, figures. So, I’m reflecting on life and writing an open letter to me:

Dear 21-Year-Old-Me,

“We have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.” Mildred Taylor

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Les Brown

I have no idea what’s in store for you, but remember to stay humble, remain a good friend, a good son, and hold fast to your goals and dreams, crazy as they are. Try not to be so much of a scaredy-cat either.

Don’t spend too much money either, you have lots of loans to pay off. But enjoy your senior year: work hard, play hard. You have one more semester before your life changes again. Can you believe it?

Sincerely,
20 Year Old Me

PS. Just because you’re 21 doesn’t mean you can hold more liquor all of a sudden. Don’t die tomorrow. Just sayin’.