View from the Marriot Hotel View from the historic cable car at nightGolden gate bridgeGolden gate bridge from the topThis is where the sea lions hang out at Fisherman's WarfThe infamous Alcatraz prison. Fisherman's warfBuddhism is big businessshopping at fisherman's warfSutro bathsLand's End

Seriously, this is why men need to be more vocal about gender. Or at least those who speak about gender, speak with empathy towards men.Helaine Olen, writing to Reuters, claims that the lack of workplace flexibility is sexism towards women! At one point she goes as far as to saying that government should intervene and penalize companies that don't offer ...

(Contains mild spoilers, but not enough to ruin the film)Social-critique I've heard someone say that 'for teenagers the most scarcest resource is sex, for the rest of us - it's time'. While I'd like to agree with this romantic notion, it isn't always the case. Even with birth control and the numerous breakthroughs in healthcare ...

Technically I don't have a macro lens, I'm using one of those cheapo workaround lens attachments to get higher magnification, and so far it seems to be working. There's a bit of chromatic aberration here and there and softening at the edges, but meh, it's the thought that counts..

I'm sure everyone has heard of the term "nice guys finish last"And all the rants about how women are only attracted to doucebags.If you're keeping up with recent feminist discourse, you'd also know that they consider "nice guys" as manipulative son's-of-******s who are just being nice in the sub-text of getting sex.For once, I agree with the feminists. Mostly because ...

Last weekend I went on a hike to Mount hood. It's a dormant volcano and the highest point in the state of Oregon. The top of the mountain is covered with snow even in the summer and people do ski in that area. The skiing season really begins in late autumn, and apparently it gets really busy. So I wanted ...

We live simultaneously in a market-driven world and a social-driven world. And I feel like some people don't know how and when to differentiate between the two. I'll tell you a personal story that happened to me not so long ago; see if you can pick up where my friend got mixed up in the two worlds. Background story: My ...

Found these photos in my camera. The amount of things I forget or take for granted, seem to be astonishing. If it weren't for selective memory, humans would've been long gone from the game of evolution. Not to mention our brains would've exploded. But still, I wouldn't mind having a better memory.

After a rough week at work and nearly 24 hours of staring at a LCD screen I needed to get out. I recently got a neutral density filter for my lens as well as a travel tripod, so I wanted to go out and capture some flowing water. So naturally, silver falls state park was my go to destination.The hike ...

I listened to Daniel Kahneman's TEDtalk several years ago, and it didn't strike me as very important. I didn't realize he was a Nobel laureate and neither did I catch Chris Andersson casually thanking him for inventing behavioral economics at the end. I could tell you that I was ignorant, childish and didn't know any better at the time. But ...

The author of American Gods, Stardust, Coraline and Doctor's Wife, Neil Gaiman came to the Pittsburgh Carnegie Music Hall today. I've read the books, watched the movie and follow him on twitter, so I was pretty excited to begin with. And I wasn't disappointed. The master storyteller was a magician at public speaking. Obviously, knowing his audience helps, but I ...

I think it was Krishnamurthi who said that conforming to a profoundly sick society is not the mark of Intelligence. On that note Alan Watts has this great talk on the mask of humanity, and the trials that we put our children through. Though society is cruel to those who do not conform, the choice is in our hands. To ...

They say that dreams are the best path to our subconscious. Perhaps another is our taste in music. These are tops on my favourite list, and probably listen to at least once a day. Obviously the list is subject to change every month or so as everything does. But right now, this is it. Morning has broken - Cat Steevens500 ...

These plants might look small and tender, but they are actually trees in disguise, some older than myself by a couple of decades. The growth reduction is achieved by planting them in small pots, trimming the roots, and pruning the branches. The Japanese actually used to tie the branches to the ground at first but realized this essentially harms the ...

The last year has been quite an eventful year. I earned a PhD, got a kick-ass job, moved to the west-coast, settled down in a new city, a new home, met some amazing people and learnt a lot about myself and the world I inhabit. Here's five.1.) I like doing things more than I like debating about things. My PhD ...

I wanted to go to Crater Lake this weekend but US government had better ideas. I really hope the shutdown doesn't last any longer because there are so many national parks that I want to go to before it gets cold. Anyways, I decided to go see Angel's Rest, which seems to be one of the favourite spots among locals.Much ...

This is a sensitive issue. Aside from comments like "That's cute, but men can't be raped", "He probably enjoyed it. Men always enjoy sex." and "How do you get an erection if you're not aroused?", there is a general disregard for male victims - both from other men and women. I'll talk about why later, but let's first look at ...

After a rather successful Microscopy conference last week, I felt the urge to break free. Rented a 2012 Chevy Impala and cruised along the highways of Arizona. Broke a few speed limits on the way. I have no regrets.

...is upon us. It's another season of beautiful weather, birds and bees, pretty flowers, short skirts and skimpy outfits. The sun rises around 7 in the morning and sets at 8 in the evening. People are everywhere, big smiles and warm greetings are abundant. And life is getting easier.