Rohit's Realm

Rohit's Realm http://www.rohitsrealm.com The thoughts, observations, and rants of the proverbial disgruntled graduate student. en-us Copyright (c) 2001-2007, Rohit Nafday. All Rights Reserved. Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:15:20 -0800 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:15:20 -0800 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss rohit@rohitsrealm.com webmaster@rohitsrealm.com Rohit's Realm Feed Generator v1.0 Nightmares from the Past http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/02/20/nightmares-from-the-past/ Earlier this week, I awoke with a start in the middle of the night. My heart was pounding and I was drenched in sweat. 3:28 am. The low rumbling of the heater pumping dry air masked the sound of the occasional car driving by on the streets below. The diffuse light from the buildings nearby, distorted by the half closed blinds, cast oddly familiar shadows on the walls of my apartment. Nightmare? If so, I could not remember it. But there was an uncomfortable feeling of dread pervading my thoughts. I lay still, trying to discern the sensation. What was it? What was bothering me? After several seconds, the cobwebs cleared and my mind focused on the subject of discomfort: why did ejθ = cos(θ) + j*sin(θ)?<a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/02/20/nightmares-from-the-past/#fn1" name="n1" title="Go to Footnote 1">1</a> I could not remember! And that is when I knew. After all these years, I had finally totally lost my mind. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/02/20/nightmares-from-the-past/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/02/20/nightmares-from-the-past/ Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:05:16 -0800 Reflections on Being Homeless http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/01/02/reflections-on-being-homeless/ A slightly disconcerting realization struck me today as I dressed to emerge into the sunny but frigid Chicago morning (5° F, which for those in countries who use a sensible temperature system, is -15° C)—I had lived in <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/category/chicago/" title="Chicago">Chicago</a> for over two years. Longer, indeed, than my time in <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/category/sf/" title="San Francisco">San Francisco</a>. It hardly felt true. Had it really been that long? And as I put on accessory after accessory intended to repel the bone-chilling cold and eventually wandered outside, an even more unsettling sensation set in—I felt no attachment whatsoever to this city, neither where I live now (Gold Coast) nor where I lived before (loathsome <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/04/11/escape-from-hyde-park/" title="Escape from Hyde Park">Hyde Park</a>—don't get me started). rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/01/02/reflections-on-being-homeless/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2010/01/02/reflections-on-being-homeless/ Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:06:05 -0800 Year in Review, 2009 http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/12/22/year-in-review-2009/ And just like that, dear readers, another decade comes to a close. What have you accomplished in the ten years that have passed since the prospect of computer-induced annihilation reined supreme? What have I? The answer to the latter question is as simple as it is dismal: <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/01/16/in-pursuit-of-nothingness/" title="In Pursuit of Nothingness">nothing</a>. I imagine the answer to the former question is similarly dour, but I shall dwell on that not. In the spirit of the Y2K catastrophe that never elapsed, however, I have again issued a holiday card—my fifth to date—to commemorate the singular misfortune of my continued existence that the world yet again had to bear in the year just passed. Those for whom I have a valid e-mail address should have received a link earlier tonight. For all the rest, the card is available <a href="http://rohitnafday.net/personal/updates/holidays-2009/" title="Happy Holidays from Rohit (2009)">here</a>. May you experience no more failure or futility in the year that follows than the year that has passed. Happy holidays. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/12/22/year-in-review-2009/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/12/22/year-in-review-2009/ Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:28:02 -0800 Forgotten Memories http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/12/19/forgotten-memories/ <div class="photobar"> <img src="http://photos.rohitsrealm.com/d/27652-6/001443.jpg" height="200" width="150" alt="Eiffel Tower at Night"> The Eiffel Tower at Night January 2007 </div> Having just finished another grueling quarter of law school (my third to last!), I once again found myself this week at my parents' home in OC with time on my hands to turn attention to the shattered remains of my personal life. High on my list of things to do was uploading photographs from my trip to Japan this summer—a necessary, but tedious job by <a href="http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/07/12/iphoto-no-more-part-1/" title="iPhoto No More, Part 1">any</a> <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/07/27/iphoto-no-more-part-2/" title="iPhoto No More, Part 2">account</a>. Though I love shooting <a href="http://photos.rohitsrealm.com/travel/" title="Travels with Rohit">photos</a> as I travel, I am notoriously bad at ever processing those photos once I have shot them. The set from the Japan trip was looming especially large on the horizon in terms of tedium as I had shot the entire trip in RAW mode (after I tried it a year or so back, I haven't been able to go back!), meaning an additional step in my <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/07/27/iphoto-no-more-part-2/" title="iPhoto No More, Part 2">work flow</a> of processing each individual photograph for white balance, contrast, and the like. Doing that for some two hundred photos shot over six days would be no joke. But what's the point of shooting photographs if they are destined to lie in some musty temporary directory on my fileserver forever, right? So, I steadied myself and logged on: traversing through that temp directory filled with random photos and other images, I made a horrifying discovery: rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/12/19/forgotten-memories/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/12/19/forgotten-memories/ Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:53:00 -0800 Structuring Personal Transactions: A Case Study in Marriage http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/11/26/structuring-personal-transactions/ <div class="photobar"> <img src="http://photos.rohitsrealm.com/d/27081-1/marriage-deal.png" alt="Marriage Deal" height="166" width="200"> </div> I like to think of <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/05/02/an-economic-analysis-of-interpersonal-relations/" title="An Economic Analysis of Interpersonal Relations">personal interactions</a> as corporate transactions. It's less <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/12/09/why-emotional-unavailability-does-not-matter/" title="Why Emotional Unavailability Doesn't Matter">emotional</a> that way. Bid, negotiate, sign, withstand regulatory scrutiny, and close (or in my case, <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/06/25/the-lady-in-pink-and-my-failure-to-capitalize/" title="The Lady in Pink (and My Failure to Capitalize)">fail</a> at one or more of the above). Who wouldn't rather talk in terms of intercreditor agreements than <q>feelings,</q> right? But, as much as that should be obvious to all except the most <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2004/10/17/perilous-idealism/" title="Perilous Idealism">steadfastly stubborn</a>, alas, it is not. For the sake of those for whom silly emotions still rank supreme, I now undertake a brief example of how this brilliant approach to life can reap rewards far greater than delusional obsession with sentiments. The easiest place to begin is with the most costly personal transactions in which people engage—marriage. Now, as long time readers are well aware, I have often focused on this topic, first in considering ways to (legitimately) avoid <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2004/12/16/marrying-for-money/" title="Marrying for Money">taxes</a>; then in discussing <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/09/20/tying-the-noose-criteria-for-marital-bliss/" title="Tying the Noose: Criteria for Marital Bliss">criteria</a> for tying the proverbial noose; and finally in <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/12/21/death-and-taxes/" title="Death and Taxes">categorizing</a> potential partners in terms of tax benefits. Today I take it to the next logical step: having established criteria and categorized partners, how does one structure said entanglement to maximize one's personal utility? rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/11/26/structuring-personal-transactions/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/11/26/structuring-personal-transactions/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:02:16 -0800 Contemplations on Corporate Crime http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/17/contemplations-on-corporate-crime/ For anyone who has been with me (and the wretched conglomeration of <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/10/27/hanging-it-up-why-i-ought-to-kill-myself/" title="Hanging It Up: Why I Ought to Kill Myself">loneliness</a> and <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/02/26/wallowing-in-existential-angst/" title="Wallowing in Existential Angst">despair</a> known as the <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/" title="Rohit's Realm">Realm</a>) long, the knowledge that I am <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/03/22/american-values-come-to-san-francisco/" title="American Values Come to San Francisco">irrationally</a> <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/05/31/my-personal-zodiac/" title="My Personal Zodiac">obsessed</a> with criminality and lawlessness should not come as a surprise. Indeed, I have on two previous occasions forayed into the emerging field of lawlessness and economics (L&E for short), first in 2004 by considering the possibility of a career in selling <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2004/06/27/the-fdla/" title="The FDLA">smack</a>, and then in 2008, by pondering the viability of an otherwise upstanding young gentleman<a name="n1" href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/17/contemplations-on-corporate-crime/#fn1" title="Go to Footnote 1">1</a> as myself pursuing a life of <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/02/03/economic-incentives-for-a-life-of-crime/" title="Economic Incentives for a Life of Crime">computer crime</a>. Today, I expand on these seminal works through a groundbreaking analysis of yet another excellent opportunity for those with lots of good ol' American ingenuity, few morals, and an uncompromising work ethic, namely financial crime. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/17/contemplations-on-corporate-crime/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/17/contemplations-on-corporate-crime/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:26:46 -0700 Dark Clouds Brewing http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/03/dark-clouds-brewing/ <div class="photobar"> <img src="http://photos.rohitsrealm.com/d/26344-1/eeyore_rain.jpg" height="150" width="200" alt="Eeyore"> </div> Exactly one year ago, I <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/10/03/quarter-century/" title="Quarter Century">lamented</a> the passing of my youth, lost forever down a <q>(plastic) bottle of substandard alcohol.</q> Not much has changed since then. And though today I am certainly a year older, and most likely, one dumber as well, the subject of my (much regretted) appearance on this planet is not one that is on my mind today. Instead, even as the continuing farce that is my existence barrels on towards ultimate obscurity and irrelevance, I did see a <q>last</q> this week that carries some significance—at least as much significance as is possible in a life so completely devoid of <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/05/15/musings-on-the-meaning-of-life/" title="Musings on the Meaning of Life">intrinsic meaning</a>. This past week was very likely my last <q>first day of school</q> ever. Absent a catastrophic failure (of the academic variety—the rest, I assure you dear readers, are certain to occur), I will finish up law school in approximately nine months, and once again be thrown into the dark abyss of reality from which I have been gleefully hiding the past two odd years. I know I should be feeling something—after all, much of my life for approaching three decades has been dedicated to <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2005/07/18/the-end-of-the-beginning/" title="The End of the Beginning">education</a>. But the emotions such an event should conjure in my mind—excitement, nostalgia, a hint of sadness—none of these is what I feel today. Instead, it is a unsettling combination of weariness, disbelief, boredom, and liminal anxiety that consumes me on this breezy autumn morning. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/03/dark-clouds-brewing/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/10/03/dark-clouds-brewing/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:35:04 -0700 Twelve Hours of Hate http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/26/twelve-hours-of-hate/ For those who have had the extreme misfortune of having made my acquaintance, the subject of my consummate hatred for everything and everyone, myself most of all, should not be news. Nevertheless, even while we may understand that generally, I am a curmudgeon, the extent and obscurity of my hatred had never been studied in detail—that is, until this summer. On a road trip back from New York to Chicago in August, my friend decided as we were leaving Manhattan to note whenever I said <q>I hate</q> something. Over the next twelve hours and a number of topics of conversation, he managed to create a list of thirty-one items—a window into my hatred, if you will. The result was surprising, even to me. Damn, I'm a hater! For those who are interested, I have reproduced the list below in its entirety (the original will be framed). rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/26/twelve-hours-of-hate/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/26/twelve-hours-of-hate/ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:38:58 -0700 The Fall from (Geek) Grace http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/18/the-fall-from-geek-grace/ While stories of <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/06/25/the-lady-in-pink-and-my-failure-to-capitalize/" title="The Lady in Pink (and My Failure to Capitalize)">devastating</a>, <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/05/05/stable-marriage-and-information-failure-in-the-social-marketplace/" title="Stable Marriage and Information Failure in the Social Marketplace">relentless</a> failure with women—and in <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/10/03/age-and-accomplishment/" title="Age and Accomplishment">life</a> <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/05/14/the-day-the-irony-died/" title="The Day the Irony Died">more</a> <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/06/on-being-an-addict/" title="On Being an Addict">broadly</a>—are so commonplace to my miserable existence (and this blog) as to be passé, one should never doubt my unfaltering capacity to achieve new lows with each passing year. This week brought just such a low, and in an unlikely arena—technology—demonstrating clearly that my material worthlessness is not limited to social interactions, but instead permeates the very fabric of my being. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/18/the-fall-from-geek-grace/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/18/the-fall-from-geek-grace/ Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:30:56 -0700 On Football and Friendships http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/13/on-football-and-friendships/ I realized last night as I left the Cal alumni bar in Chicago, having just watched my <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/10/14/boys-dont-cry/" title="Boys Don't Cry">beloved</a> <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/08/30/bears-dont-break-my-heart/" title="Bears, Don't Break My Heart">Golden Bears</a> rack up fifty-something points for the second week in a row, that I probably care more about Cal football than almost anything else in my (necessarily futile) life—including people. The sheer silliness of the previous statement ought not be dismissed lightly. But neither should the grain of truth that rests beneath it. And as I made my way back home on that warm autumn night, if there was anything I was certain about, it was that surely there was some truth to that sentiment. The realization, moreover, made me profoundly uncomfortable, though I am still at a loss as to explain precisely why. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/13/on-football-and-friendships/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2009/09/13/on-football-and-friendships/ Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:30:37 -0700