Confessions of a researchaholic

2023-07-09

Metaphors we live by

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 7:50 pm
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This book introduces metaphors as ways for us to think about one concept (often abstract or more difficult to understand) in terms of another (often concrete or more familiar, grounded in our experiences), e.g., “argument is war” and “time is money”, highlights their importance in how we think, communicate, and act, and then discusses the relationships of metaphors with respect to objectivism and subjectivism (basically as a middle way that covers issues that both are trying to address).
The most interesting part to me is the end of the book where the authors discuss how metaphors can influence how we understand each other and ourselves, art, culture (ritual), and politics.



2023-07-05

Night train

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 3:05 pm
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When trying to book my transportation for SIGGRAPH 2023 via our corporate travel site, it recommended me to take a train instead of a flight to reduce the cost and carbon footprint.
I have long been a fan of rail travel, and believe I might be able to sleep on a train recliner (which is like a business class seat on a plane) during the long journey (at least 9 to 10 hours).
However, since I have a talk at the last session on Thursday afternoon, the only Amtrak “train” available is an overnight journey with two segments for which only the first one has cabin class option.
Eventually I realized that the second segment is a bus, with rather ordinary (and uncomfortable, according to reddit) seat.

So I booked a flight instead, despite 3 times the cost and 50 times the carbon footprint.

2023-06-23

“hate sucks” t-shirt

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 9:29 pm
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Saw someone wearing a t-shirt with text “hate sucks”, whose meaning depends on which word is the verb/noun.
My immediate interpretation was “pain is temporary, suck is forever” (with “hate” the verb, “sucks” the noun) but then realized it probably meant the other way around.

2023-06-21

Harmonious colors from 4 rubber bands

Filed under: Imaginary,Real — liyiwei @ 9:37 am
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I found these 4 rubber bands on the kitchen counter and was intrigued by their coincidental harmonious colors, which I experimented with in these drawings.

2023-06-20

Friendly encounter with a Rouen duck

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 10:26 am
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I almost stepped on this duck while walking on a trail, and saw it close by after hearing its quack sound.

https://youtu.be/7zoo43MwN88

2023-06-16

Closed hookah lounge

Filed under: Imaginary,Real — liyiwei @ 10:20 pm
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Passing through this hookah lounge on a Thursday late afternoon and found it permanently closed, so I reanimated its prior activities via motion graphics over the doorframe paintings.

Oblivion

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 2:48 pm
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I was trying to rename a bitbucket repo that I created a long time ago via an alternative account, but just could not recall the email address associated it (which would be required to login to that alternative account).
After some digging I finally found the old .edu email address for that account, and recalled that the reason at the time was that I needed that to be able to add unlimited number of collaborators to all these repos.

2023-06-15

Journal AE versus paper committee

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 3:45 pm
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After serving as an associate editor (AE) for a few journals (e.g., ToG, CGF, TVCG) and paper committee members for a few conferences/journals (e.g., SIGGRAPH, SIGGRAPH Asia, Eurographics), here is my personal take on the similarities and differences between the two roles.

Similarities: a main (and probably the most important) task for both is to recruit and manage reviewers.

Differences: an AE does not have to read the papers (even though I read every single one so far just to make sure my final recommendation is sound) and can decide the final recommendation without consulting other AEs, while a paper committee member has to read all the papers and present the recommendations in a committee meeting before the final decisions can be made.

2023-06-12

Tire marks

Filed under: Real — liyiwei @ 10:10 pm
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I saw some tire marks over a newly sealed road surface, and tried to draw them via custom brush (multi-color eye-drop) in Adobe Fresco.

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