The Introspective Initiative

A series of introspective posts by Gabriel Iglesia - an Antioch College student by day; a blogger, Wikipedia editor, and wandering philosopher-king by night. I try to keep re-blogging to a minimum.

Midterm Update!

And by midterm, I refer to its literal definition: middle of the academic term. I don’t refer to a midterm exam (Since I really don’t have any this quarter, and since this is technically my co-op/work term, not an actual academic term).

But this shall be my Midterm Co-op Post! Just because I can, and because I’m bored, and because I’ve been a little overdue on a blog update.

May 10, 2013

A long week is over. Much reading of grant report after grant report after grant report has been done.

I need to get over my trepidation of answering the phone at work. Seriously.

And then on today’s commute home, it was really cool. There was traffic, but my bus driver took an awesome and real smart shortcut, circling around, getting ahead of traffic, and getting me 10 minutes early. Very nice.

Big weekend! New Cybermen on Doctor Who, and I’m attending my cousin’s wedding! Hundreds of guests from both families! Much excitement.

And I don’t know for sure if there will be dancing. I kind of want to go free-dancing again. But….I’m not really sure, since I’m going to be around either family, old people, or med students who are in their mid to late 20’s. Yet again I find myself being the younger one in my social environment.

We’ll see.

My wisdom teeth….they’re becoming a nuisance.

There are epic moments in life when I wish there was epic music to accompany it.

"A pretty face catches your eye, but a beautiful personality catches your heart."

Memory Lane: Video Games

Ah yes. Video games. They were very much an integral part of my childhood. And probably a factor into my social life and introversion.

“I chose the road less taken - doing big, important things in a small world instead of small, insignificant things in a big world.”

Memory Lane: Political Science 101

In my senior year of high school, I was taking a community college course in political science, and the instructor was one of THE craziest, senile people I’ve ever met.

Such Fond Memories

Feeling nostalgic again. No particular reason. Just really missing Antioch right now, and the memorable events of the recent past. And the people who made those events memorable. I mentioned last Christmas that no matter how relaxing a break can be, it means absolutely nothing to me without friends to share that time with. I’ve come to that humanistic theme again. Everyone I’ve known, everyone I’ve met. Those who inspired me, those I was so fortunate to work with. And most of all, those who were just around to be there.

What have I been up to in the last seven days?

Well, that’s a very good question. Just as good a question is “What are you doing here?” or something to that effect.

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities."

—

Dr. Seuss (via ikenbot).

See more Seuss at UCSD’s Geisel Library → (via ucresearch)

April 19, 2013

So this week: I learned how to use a stamp machine, made some follow-up report summaries, learned more about Microsoft Excel than I ever knew before, and visited Union Square Park. Twice.

Tomorrow, I’m actually flying back to Antioch to help out with the admitted student days! As a student ambassador, tour guide, and a presenter! Exciting!

Then I fly back on Monday.

Can’t wait to meet new people!

And thank goodness it’s Friday. I love Fridays. Who doesn’t love Fridays?

In light of recent news, I do hope whoever’s out there in Boston is safe. People I know, or people I don’t know. And in fact, no matter where you are, no matter what you’re struggling with in the real world, I hope you are all safe and sound.

$intothecontinuum: Mathematica code: ID = ImageData[Binarize[Rasterize[Import["Erwin.jpg"], RasterSize -> 100], .7], DataReversed -> True]Tile[k_, rx_, ry_, x_, y_, r_] :=Table[ Translate[ Rotate[ {AbsoluteThickness[k], Circle[{i, i}, {rx, ry}, {i*Pi, Pi/2 + i*Pi}]}, r, {.5, .5}], {x, y}], {i, 0, 1, 1}]Parquet[IS_, X_, Y_, u_, v_, k_, rx1_, rx2_, ry1_, ry2_, f_, t_] :=Graphics[ Table[ Tile[ k, rx1 + rx2*x/X, ry1 + ry2/2*(1 + Sin[2 Pi (f*y/Y - t)]), x, y, ID[[1 + v*y, 1 + u*x]] Pi/2], {x, 3, X, 1}, {y, 5, Y, 1}], ImageSize -> IS, PlotRange -> {{3, X + 1}, {5, Y + 1}}]Manipulate[Parquet[500, 56, 60, 2, 2, 2, .5, 0, 0, .5, .5, t],{t, 0, 17/18, 1/18}]$

intothecontinuum:

Mathematica code:

ID = ImageData[
Binarize[Rasterize[
Import["Erwin.jpg"], 
RasterSize -> 100], .7], 
DataReversed -> True]

Tile[k_, rx_, ry_, x_, y_, r_] :=
Table[
 Translate[
  Rotate[
   {AbsoluteThickness[k],
    Circle[{i, i}, {rx, ry}, {i*Pi, Pi/2 + i*Pi}]},
   r, {.5, .5}],
  {x, y}],
 {i, 0, 1, 1}]

Parquet[IS_, X_, Y_, u_, v_, k_, rx1_, rx2_, ry1_, ry2_, f_, t_] :=
Graphics[
 Table[
  Tile[
 k,
 rx1 + rx2*x/X,
 ry1 + ry2/2*(1 + Sin[2 Pi (f*y/Y - t)]),
 x, y, 
 ID[[1 + v*y, 1 + u*x]] Pi/2],
  {x, 3, X, 1}, {y, 5, Y, 1}],
 ImageSize -> IS, PlotRange -> {{3, X + 1}, {5, Y + 1}}]

Manipulate[
Parquet[500, 56, 60, 2, 2, 2, .5, 0, 0, .5, .5, t],
{t, 0, 17/18, 1/18}]

First Week of the Internship

So one week down for my first co-op job in Manhattan!

This is a view from my office’s conference room! I work on the 22nd floor of a nice building not many blocks far from the Empire State Building and Times Square.

The Days before the First Co-op Job!

Yesterday, I made a short visit to Manhattan, taking a bus route from the place I’m staying at in New Jersey all the way to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

This was the best picture I was able to take yesterday: