Apollo-class / Daily crono - Monday / Daily crono - Sunday / Daily crono - Saturday /…

Apollo-class

We (Bill, Spencer, and me) presented our research results in the Apollo-class today. I think we did rather well: we did not (for the most part at least) present anything we have discussed in the class so far; we also had a nice set of slide, which had mostly pictures, no text at all - I think such sets are best, but they require knowing the topic very well, which we do. Other groups about "guidance and control" and "propulsion" had a bit more traditional approach by having text too, and also somewhat repeating things we all knew already. But it is not easy to find new things after having some many great guest lecturers, and also good lectures by professors Young and Mindell. After our presentation many of the audience said "Good jobm, guys". Maybe they were just polite, but I took the compliments by face value. And I am proud and happy.
I have to admit, that I was really nervous before the presentation. Having practiced it 3 times just before going live helped only a little. The audience had many people who were working with Apollo back in 1960s, and also two astronauts. I have developed huge respect for astronauts - they are really exceptional people. It was an audience, to which one just cannot tell any BS - they will catch one at once. I like it, but I was exceptionally nervous.

Daily crono - Monday

Well, this was mostly an Apollo-day. I had a walk, then wrote my part of the presentation, took taxi (!) to MIT, and practices. After the presentation, I had celebratory coffee and cake with Bill. Then, I decided to buy a few CDs.

• Frank Black by Frank Black - I assume this is one of his first records after Pixies. Really good, strange music.
• No Substance by Bad Religion - not one of their best records, but I think it will be necessary later, when writing some boring paper (are there such, or is it just wrong attitude?)
• Unmixed 3 by Verve -some old jazz-classics remixed by some contemporary DJs. I will wait for S to give her judgement - I am not that competent in this genre.

Later, I went with Robbie to the final ceremony of the 50k competition. It was interesting for many reasons. First of all, I had never been in the Kresge-auditorium. (another link) It was designed by Eero Saarinen, and I felt at home at once. Second, I got to see the new president of MIT. Third, I got the hear the pitches of the 7 finalist team, and see who won. The winner was a team working with artificial balancing systems for people with deficient balancing systems. Niece piece of engineering. I was, however, a bit surprised by the amount of PhDs in the team, and number of professor behind the teams. I thought this would be a student competition. Other strange thing was one team, which claimed to have 90% gross margin of their medical equipments. How greedy can one get? And they claimed that their product would make the health care cheaper...
Even later, dinner with Robbie and Kumar in the Island hopper. Good as always. And now, at home, drinking wine, writing. Soon reading the technology strategy case-study - it is just suitable reading after drinkin half a bottle of wine. Wine makes one better in strategy! I think people in general do not use enough drugs. Drugs help! I wish there would be more legal drugs - I am sure it would be possible to create creativity enhancing drugs, if they would be legal. I see no reason for them not to be - I do not see any reason for banning such drugs and allowing laptop computers. It is not consistent.

Daily crono - Sunday

Working on Apollo in the morning, having lunch in Pho Pasteur, then working with Bill until 7 pm, coming back home, hacking something, but then going to sleep early due to migraine. So, not that great a day, but good anyway.

Daily crono - Saturday

The day of final presentation of the PDD-class. I totally agree with Robbie on the low quality and ridiculousness of most presentations. One of them, the nail and hammer thing, had such a terrible video, that I had to leave the auditorium. I just could not force myself to waste my time on watching such a crap, which did not have anything to do with the product. I decided to do out of the room, read a book, and come back once the presentation was over. And they claimed that they were presenting this to the senior management. Terrible. There were also other presentation with videos, which did not have anything to do with the product. Many teams also had videos and the prototype available. But they did not explain the prototype live to the audience. They were just showing the videos. Would it be too much just to point out the parts of the prototype, while giving the speech? Our team was deadly serious: no videos, just a short speech, a live demonstration, no jokes. I think that is the way to present to VCs or senior management.
Later, after buying lots of drugs, I stayed at home. It was raining, and the time traveller convention website claimed that the convention was full already, so I was just enjoying myself at home.

Daily crono - Friday

Whatever, classes etc. I cannot remember that far back.

Strange things in USA, part 9

57. The use of death penalty and its support among American (70% of them support it). And these people claim to follow the Christian faith. They should read their Bibles. 58. The influence of TV on the culture, and on the way people talk and behave. I wrote back in February ( I assume) about the fact, that many young women seem to have adopted the B-movie facial expressions. I still wonder that. It is strange, really. 59. The seriously limited active vocabulary of common speech. 60. The rather limited passive vocabulary of many even academic people. It seems that I sometimes use words, which are too rare for some locals. Strange, I would say. 61. Being able to drive car at 16, vote at 18, but drink only at 21. 62. Use of electronic voting machines. They are totally unnecessary. It is simple and fast to count votes by hand. 63. Jack Daniels - a drink which has nothing to do with whiskey, but which is still good intellectual detergent. 64. Boycotting Cuba and denying US citizens of Cuban cigars.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs from May to June 2005".