Grumps and rants

I didn’t know until I saw this on twitter or some platform (matrimony?) that podcast is a thing. This took further interest when Elon Musk showed up on a podcast lit a joint that was talked over the social media. I started watching (listening) podcast since the COVID-19 lockdown went into place. I watched a lot in the beginning from the Joe Rogan (YouTube). His podcasts cover wide array of people such as finance, comic artists, sportspersons, movie actors, economics, professional poker players, any field, any genre. He can talk to anyone for long durations; I think the longest I heard was close to three hours. I absolutely love the way he gets into the conversations, he without any long pauses or any other fillers moves back to the point he initially had wanted to. The podcast shapes like a water in a vase, any form as long as the water keeps flowing in it will transform. Even if he doesn’t have deep interest in anyone’s field he would still be able to get details, a superficial idea o...

Hello there all, It has been ages I've had made any post. I've been extremely held up with lives on professional as well as personal front. Of all the things I'm still doing is slowly and slowly reading books. I had decided to chuck book-list but I am going to go against it for no reasons whatsoever. I read following books in my available time in the year 2019: Drug war politics: the price of denial Troublemaker by Linda Regan Adam bede by George Elliot The ragged edge of night by Olivia Hawker Pelican by John Grisham Going home by  Nora Roberts Shalimar the clown by Salman Rushdie A polish doctor in the nazi camps by Barbara Rylko-Bauer   In shock by Rana Awdish If I look at it, it is less than one book a month that is an abysmally low count by any measure. Year 2020 is no where going to be close to this list as I picked some long and old books that are considered classics and all time best. It took a great deal of me to complete them.  Let us hope this year end on a goo...

I woke up late for work, in July oppressive,  muggy New York area heat. I caught jitney bus to port authority bus terminal as usual to catch subway. I landed in the back seat, always the back bencher since ages. I sit and involuntarily a person greets, exchange pleasantries in Spanish. I respond in Spanish, I only know two, three words and they do put smile on other when put and replied for exchanging greetings. He suddenly changes language and hello again, we both laugh. He was sipping coffee, I ask how it is, fine he replied. As conversation ignited he asked where am I from I responded India. The conversation furthered, traffic was notorious as was the day. He asks if I drink coffee, I told no, tea is my to-go; coffee is A-OK. He continued saying his country got tea from India (he turned out from Turkey), as I told him it was British rule that brought in India. Meanwhile he tells what and how tea in Turkish is pronounced, written with a tick beneath C in Chai , so and so forth. ...

I was running around on Friday, June 21, beginning of summer solstice. I was perspiring by the time I got hold of things from cafeteria. I had a check-list for Friday, after an hour or so quickly walked down athletics department to empty my locker rom. The deadline was June 30 as the session starts in July end or something, until then all the lockers need to be emptied.  I was in rush, to get back to my seat to complete the week. In this hurry I saw 2004 Nobel Prize winner. I had had seen him few times earlier on-campus, in a seminar or crossing streets. This time I wanted to speak with him, just for a conversation, have his autograph. I stopped, thought multiple times and the process got stuck. He was holding a folder with multiple pages, wearing suit-tie in black and white color. Inevitably I went ahead and said "excuse me". I mumbled few words to confirm if he were Dr. who got Nobel prize. He graciously nodded. I rummaged myself for pen and paper for an autograph, of cou...

Apart from Indian cuisine, I enjoy Thai food among others. For the first time I'd Thai food was in Washington, DC after I moved there in 2015. It was served in a seminar, all the more reasons to attend talks. My boss used to pick on me for it. He knew where to find me when there was an invited talk for I attended these for food only. Initially I had my reservations for it as I were to move out of mental blocks to try noodles, hold sticks, lumped rice and meat laden dishes served. For the sake of not eating my self-cooked food I tried dishes which to my surprise ended up really good for my palate and bowel. It ended up served in repeated occasions which made me choose Thai food if possible whenever checking out restaurants.  Last week or two back with a colleague I visited Rain II restaurant near West 168th street (close to Columbia University Medical Center). He owed me food for all genetics data sharing and cranking  I did . I've visited this place around 3-5 ...

The Temperature's been hovering near freezing point all day long, I welcome this chilly weather that was much dreaded. I'd attended an invited talk yesterday. The talk focused on extremely rare diseases, genetics and data behind. My interest shrunk as the voice was unreachable and being a back bencher I registered very less amount of her words but I was interested in the study, design she'd conducted.  She had worked with/on diseases in Hungarian gypsies, fascinating, I know right? She did her education (Phd) back in Belgium. Also, the research was narrowed onto pediatrics; she worked closely with clinicians, helping parents to curate diet for affected children, develop personalized medicine by zooming into the cause of disease. She worked with such rare diseases ( for example  - a form of progeria) that case (affected individual) count of two was great. To give an idea my research is conducted on data that include 10,000+ people. Her research worked with families aff...