Ada Lovelace Day 2011

I just realized I nearly missed Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) which is today. (I'm bad with dates, so thanks to Beki for reminding me.)

The person I'd like to honor for ALD is my best friend, who I'll call Sarah. Sarah is actually the person who got me into computers when we were kids. She was always tinkering with electronics in her basement, taking her computer apart, and writing programs. She took all the advanced level science and math classes our school offered, and got top grades. And she was also "cool" - into underground bands, fashion, etc. I tried my best to copy her, though I must admit I got a C in Physics and still don't know how the hell eyelash curlers work.

Sarah was my first female technical role model, and I'm happy to say we're still close friends, and both still working in technology. If this blog wasn't pseudo-anonymous I would brag about what she's currently doing. Suffice to say it is *fabulous*!

The Case for the Food Reward Hypothesis of Obesity, Part II

In this post, I'll explore whether or not the scientific evidence is consistent with the predictions of the food reward hypothesis, as outlined in the last post.

Before diving in, I'd like to address the critique that the food reward concept is a tautology or relies on circular reasoning (or is not testable/falsifiable).  This critique has no logical basis.  The reward and palatability value of a food is not defined by its effect on energy intake or body fatness.  In the research setting, food reward is measured by the ability of food or food-related stimuli to reinforce or motivate behavior (e.g., 1).  In humans, palatability is measured by having a person taste a food and rate its pleasantness in a standardized, quantifiable manner, or sometimes by looking at brain activity by fMRI or related techniques (2).  In rodents, it is measured by observing stereotyped facial responses to palatable and unpalatable foods, which are similar to those seen in human infants.  It is not a tautology or circular reasoning to say that the reinforcing value or pleasantness of food influences food intake and body fatness. These are quantifiable concepts and as I will explain, their relationship with food intake and body fatness can be, and already has been, tested in a controlled manner. 

1.   Increasing the reward/palatability value of the diet should cause fat gain in animals and humans

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Tugas PKn - Amandemen UUD 1945

Kali ini Tugas yang Rendra publikasikan ke blog merupakan salah satu tugas sekolah Rendra yang cukup baru. Rendra katakan baru karena tugas PKn ini saya kerjakan dengan salah satu karib saya masih beberapa bulan yang lalu ketika kami masih di akhir kelas sepuluh. Tugas Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan ini berisi Amandemen UUD(Undang Undang Dasar) 1945 mulai dari Amandemen pertama sampai keempat. Silakan di download dan dijadikan referensi untuk tugas sobat di rumah.

[Fakta selengkapnya]

Scary Professors

When I first started graduate school, I was sometimes scared to talk to my advisor. It wasn't anything in particular about him, it was the role he was in. In pretty much every job I've ever had I've always felt a little weird around my "boss". It's just not someone I tend to feel chummy around. Maybe it's just how I was raised, I don't know.

But toward the middle / end of my PhD, our relationship shifted to being more peer -like instead of student/teacher -like, and I felt much more comfortable with him.

It's been very interesting shifting to the other side of the desk. I met with a graduate student recently, and during our meeting I noticed their hands were shaking. I tried everything I could to put them at ease, but no matter what I tried they still seemed terrified.

Now, it's true I'm mean and uber-scary looking (like Miss Viola Swamp), but I wonder if there's anything I can do to make students feel less scared when they come visit. Maybe I need a gigantic stuffed animal in my office. ("Hug me if you're scared!").

Heck, some days I need one of those...

Back to Internet Marketing

Setelah lebih dari setahun ga posting di blog ini Alhamdulilah sekarang diberi kesempatan tuk posting. Karena hampir setahun ini saya ga punya komputer pribadi...｡･ﾟﾟ･(>_<;)･ﾟﾟ･｡ berbekal online cuma lewat hape aja. Untunglah masih punya beberapa blog yang masih menghasilkan dolar tiap harinya walaupun ga banyak.
Melihat temen-temen yang udah berjaya di bisnis internetnya kadang bikin iri... cuma ah rejeki itu sudah ada qodarnya kita cukup menjalani dan berdoa. Cuma setelah bisa beli komputer baru ini timbul hasrat tuk kembali ke dunia Internet Marketing, mencari-cari niche market yang masih blum banyak persaingan hehehe....
Karena walau bisa dibilang gaji saat ini cukup lumayan, cuma yang namanya aktive income itu bakalan lenyap ketika kita sudah ga bekerja lagi... makanya sambil tetep aktif mencari aktive income juga sambil mengusahakan tuk dapet passive income... Yah kalo impian aq sih kalo dah pas tua masih punya penghasilan jadi ga nyusahin anak-anak hihihi... oke deh gitu aja... kapan-kapan disambung lagi.....