Alex Caps

alex_caps @ 2009-05-03T09:18:00

2009-05-03T16:18:51Z

www.alexcapecelatro.com

alex_caps @ 2009-04-12T12:29:00

2009-04-12T19:29:30Z

The good times are killing me...

alex_caps @ 2009-03-01T17:01:00

2009-03-02T01:02:15Z

Had a great weekend. Saw a movie, saw a play. Just in from riding my bike. Went to the beach. Went to the Grove. Having a great weekend.

alex_caps @ 2009-02-08T11:58:00

2009-02-08T19:58:55Z

Grammys tonight should be fun!

I feel like I shouldn't go out though...

I have two big mid-terms on Tuesday!

Oh well.. it's just school, right? I need to have some fun!

Anyway, things have been going well. Overall, I am happy and busy and trying to make some big things happen.

Stay tuned!

alex_caps @ 2009-02-04T23:17:00

2009-02-05T07:19:30Z

Whoo!

Destroyed a mid-term today!

NOFX Tomorrow!

Startonomics Friday!

Pick up t-shirts/business/studying this weekend!

Stephen Hawking @ Caltech in a month!

etc....

etc...

etc.

alex_caps @ 2009-01-30T13:54:00

2009-01-30T21:56:59Z

It's never too late for a new year's resolution... right?

Well how about we just call this a change in lifestyle for me.

Starting yesterday - I will get at least 1 hour of cardio every day (constant sweating, or it doesn't count). The vegetarian diet was a long first step, but I believe I am eating healthier and overall happier because of it.

In fact, people I keep meeting up with, that haven't seen me in a few months, keep telling me I look like I've lost weight. Who knows, maybe I have?

I want to ride my bike more.

I rode today for an hour. It was great.

I need to get chocolate and cookies and the like out of my diet. I need to stop eating burritos for lunch, and no more fried potatoes with breakfast.

It's not just about my weight. I feel healthier and happier when I eat well.

This is my plan. Hopefully it lasts!

p.s. I am in a very happy mood, things are going well, life is grand! What more can I say?

alex_caps @ 2009-01-22T06:31:00

2009-01-22T14:31:34Z

I guess it's true...

"You can’t have your cake and eat it too”.

---

regardless of the rhyme - I will do my best to eat the damn cake!

alex_caps @ 2008-12-30T12:27:00

2008-12-30T17:27:47Z

I think I might start posting new year's resolutions as they come to me.

1. Focus, focus, focus. I need to stop doing a million things, and focus on a few I really care about.

2. (will come in the next post)

alex_caps @ 2008-12-10T06:59:00

2008-12-10T15:00:36Z

Finals almost over!

Long Beach flatland jam - Saturday
Fly to Oakland - Sunday
Birthday party of sorts - Sunday Night
Haircut/day in SF - Monday
Fly to Vegas - Tuesday
Turn 21 - Wednesday
Fly to NY - Thursday
NYC - Friday/Saturday

Whoo

alex_caps @ 2008-11-21T08:16:00

2008-11-21T16:16:37Z

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/11/03/Teens_Fantastic_new_name_Super_long/UPI-90361225751268/

There's still hope....

alex_caps @ 2008-11-20T22:40:00

2008-11-21T06:41:26Z

Mmmmmm

3-egg omelette with a full tomato, avocado, and topped with a zesty italian seasoning.

Delicious!

alex_caps @ 2008-11-19T23:23:00

2008-11-20T07:23:32Z

Don't vote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhDRVKDcXQo&eurl=http://www.jasonnazar.com/page/2/

alex_caps @ 2008-11-15T12:29:00

2008-11-15T20:34:33Z

Looks like I will graduate in 4 years. 4 very tough years. I have 6 quarters left, including the summer. About 4 classes each quarter. Winter `09, Spring `09, Summer `09, Fall `09, Winter `10, Spring `10, DONE.

Wow. Seriously?

I am a little upset that I have to stay in LA for the summer... but I think it's okay. I have a lot of opportunities here, and already have an apartment.

I am happy to come home for Thanksgiving. And for Christmas. No idea what I am doing for spring break yet.

I have a busy week coming up. Mid-term on Monday. Big paper due Wednesday. Big lab due Wednesday. Big paper due Thursday. Among other things.

Can't wait for a break.

I am distracted. Going to stop typing now. Maybe more later?

alex_caps @ 2008-11-05T21:50:00

2008-11-06T05:50:22Z

by Claudine Zap:

Obama's victory may have signaled the end for the 2008 Republican ticket. But for the 44-year-old VP candidate Sarah Palin, the rise of her journey into national politics has only just begun.

The addition of the first Republican woman candidate for vice president was historic. It delivered a jolt of energy to John McCain's sagging campaign and revived the dispirited Republican base. Palin, with her folksy "hockey mom" talk and conservative views drew huge crowds and may have even outshone Obama's popularity at the outset.
McCain's concession speech gave a nod to the national newcomer, calling her "one of the best campaigners I have ever seen and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength."

But Palin proved to be more of a drag than a driver on the ticket. Her popularity declined with her mangled interviews, wardrobe-gate, and by appealing more to men rather than women. Even frustrated McCain staffers called her "rogue, " a "diva," and a "whack job."

Ouch.

None of this has stopped Palin from reportedly setting her sights on the highest office. She's already told CNN that the Republican loss wasn't her fault. It was the economy, stupid! According to her inner circle, Palin will return to Alaska to serve out her term as governor. And then she'll focus on becoming America's first woman president, natch.

That is, if the economy doesn't get in the way.

alex_caps @ 2008-11-04T07:09:00

2008-11-04T15:11:01Z

Amidst the stress that is school, life is good. Sure there are sick days, busy days, rainy days, and exhaustive days - but they make life worth living, no?

I have been happy, overall. Been working myself too much, but riding my bike a bit and trying to have some fun.

Anyway, have to do other stuff than write in this journal. Enjoy.

alex_caps @ 2008-10-17T01:46:00

2008-10-17T09:08:18Z

Have you ever felt like there was too much to get done in not enough time? Too much pressure, too much stress, too much bullshit to sift through? Today, this week, and next week are filled with those moments.

After this weekend, I was left having to finish work last minute. This meant math all night Sunday, and a full set of classes on Monday. Of course, with exhaustion comes sickness, and I had it bad. There was nothing I could do except to allow myself to sleep 12 solid hours Monday night. As nice as this was, it left me with the realization that I had what would culminate to over 12 hours of work to do Tuesday night, keeping me up far too long. Wednesday, as usual, consists of class 9-10, 10-12, 12-2, 2-6, and a meeting at 6. Lucky for me, the 6:00 meeting was canceled, the 2-6 got out of 4, and I was able to get home by 5. I started and finished my paper due Thursday, made a pretty bad dinner, and got a few hours of sleep. I went into Thursday thinking I had gotten through the rough and was in for an easy ride.

Right?

Wrong.

In my first class of the day, I learn that my mid-term is taking place in a week. This coupled with my differential equations mid-term on Monday and my materials science mid-term on Wednesday, left me in a panic. How can I have 3 mid-terms in a week, complete a lab write-up, do a math assignment, and write up my engineering essay? Ugh...

The answer.. one day at a time.

The realization... came shortly after, while riding my bike.

That's right! After all this time, nothing gets me into a better mood than riding my bike. I realized there is nothing I can do except try my best, use my time wisely, and stay calm. This will pass. This quarter will end soon. This year will end soon. And as I realized tonight while compiling a list of all the classes I still need to take, and realizing I can graduate only one quarter beyond my 4th year, college will soon be over.

I can't believe it. What's more is that many of my friend, and brother, are graduating this year!

Yikes!

Are they ready? Have they grown? Are they still the same guys I remember spending countless hours with almost every day as kids? Are they going to get a real job, move into their own place, start a family?

Whoahhh. Let's slow down. Just because college is ending, doesn't mean anything has changed. They are the same guys. No one is settling down. Life is really just beginning! This is where the exciting stuff happens. This is where we begin to make meaningful decisions that start us down a track of good living, good people, and good times. Is there are more exciting time than this?

I think I need to keep my priorities straight. Remember the realization that grades are just grades, school is just school, and pretty soon it will be nothing more than a good memory of the past. Life is about more.

This is the time to grasp life, take advantage of all it has to offer. There is nothing we can't do. Sure money will be tight, obligations will be plenty, stress will be high, but if we keep our senses and recognize the opportunity, we are in for a fun ride.

My school issues are petty. My exams will be fine. I will get on with this chapter of my life, and anticipate the future.

I think this is as good a time as ever to jot into my livejournal 1. I am (now) a vegetarian, 2. I am gay, 3. I do not have my life figured out, 4. I have no idea how I will pay for school, 5. I am looking forward to coming back to Brewster for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years (after a stop in Las Vegas for my 21st), 6. While I may never change the world, I will never stop trying, 7. I care more than I should about my personal image, 8. While unwarranted, I feel like diabetes will be the cause of a(n) (relatively) early death, 9. I will never be a pro flatlander, but I won't stop riding until my body forces me to, 10. a goal in life is to become the CEO of a fortune 500 company, 11. I miss those lazy summer days when we were kids, playing without a care in the world, 12. I appreciate and respect my parents more than they will ever know, 13. . .

alex_caps @ 2008-10-05T13:51:00

2008-10-05T20:51:25Z

I like kayaking.

alex_caps @ 2008-09-17T22:03:00

2008-09-18T04:07:25Z

"I stand on the platform of the tram, completely uncertain in retrospect of my status in this world, in this city, in my family. Not even casually could I explain what claims I could be entitled to make in any direction. I cannot justify standing on this platform, holding on to this strap, letting myself be transported by this vehicle. Why should people make way for the tram or walk along quietly or look in shop-windows? - It's true but irrelevant that nobody asks for explanations."

"It's true but irrelevant that nobody asks for explanations."

"It's true but irrelevant that nobody asks for explanations."

"It's true but irrelevant that nobody asks for explanations."

alex_caps @ 2008-09-11T18:38:00

2008-09-12T00:42:07Z

It's good to be home.

Wait!

What?

When did this little hotel room in Albuquerque become home? I guess I feel like I have been without a home for awhile now. A few weeks ago I remember referring to David's house as home when I was in the bay area. During the summer, I would talk about my Harvard dorm room as "home". I haven't lived in my parents house for a few years now... and it's not like it was really MY home. I can remember living in the Washington D.C. area and feeling happy to be home at the end of the day... in my $300/month room in the middle of the ghetto. I wonder if I will ever feel at home. I wonder if I will ever own any real estate, have a place to come back to that is really mine. It's a strange thought. In the meantime, I am trying to setup my "home" in Los Angeles, a 2 bedroom apartment with Lauren. Is that home? Well, for the next 9 months I think it has to be.

alex_caps @ 2008-09-11T00:14:00

2008-09-11T06:14:54Z

i always said college athletics, especially ucla football, wastes far too much money and drains far too much money from the academics.

point proven: http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=848417

alex_caps @ 2008-09-08T21:31:00

2008-09-09T03:59:13Z

I am not in the prolific mood, so don't get your hopes up. I am just looking to document this day so I can read it years from now and remember what was going on in my life.

--

This has already been an interesting trip.

I am in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am staying at a hotel a few miles from the airport, and 2 miles from the university.

I woke up this morning and went down to the lobby for the "continental breakfast." Unfortunately, it consisted of some cranberry juice (because the OJ was out), and a burnt bagel (because the toasted was too hot). I could have had some cereal... but something turned me off of that idea.

I then took a shower, got ready, and went down for ice, only to see Patrick pulling up and bringing me a refrigerator. Funny concept bringing a refrigerator to a hotel, but at $15 per day, it was easier to borrow one. We then went down to the coffee shop and then to work. It was nice to see Carol, look around the office, and then enter the empty lab and start work. After a few hours I went up and had a conversation with Jeff for awhile, which was nice. Possibly business connections here. On my way out of the office, I ran into Patrick who was on his way to campus, so I jumped on the bus with him and headed down there. He went to class and I called up a friend who was also at Harvard this summer, and we had a nice lunch. It was fun catching up with Yosune. At about 2:00pm, I realized I had to head back for my 2:30pm meeting, and walked through campus on a bright sunny day with Sandia mountain in the back and a nice breeze sifting through. The air at this altitude is so fresh!

I caught the bus back and before I knew it, a meeting between Jeff, Patrick, Jason, and DeAnna was underway.

I understood during the meeting that I am in fact very knowledgeable about .. something. It made sense, for the first time, that they would pay to fly me out, put me up in a hotel, and pay my expenses, just to gleam some wisdom my experiences. Funny, isn't it? But I think I can solve their problem and I am excited about the prospects.

After the meeting I went down to the lab and did some work while socializing with old friends. I saw two asian post docs with whom I can't remember their names. One I met up with at UCLA sometime, the other at a conference in San Francisco. I met up with Adam again, who did his undergrad in upstate NY at a university I once worked out (god, it seems ages ago). It was nice to see Eric again and I am looking forward to grabbing dinner with him when he gets over his cold.

After planning out part of this week, which included Shelly booking time on the confocal, DeAnna's involvement and help in the project, Jason's clearing his schedule to work with me this week, etc, etc, etc - I was left with high hopes. Patrick drove me back to the hotel, where I came back and checked emails. I got a few important emails from friends and business contacts and feel excited about some of the possibilities. I then went for a 2 mile walk to the university, looked around, and decided to eat some local New Mexican food. I got a burrito topped with green chile! How exciting! I also got a small house salad. After eating the salad and taking a bite into the burrito, I realized I was full, got a to-go box, and started my 2 mile trek home. I stopped off at the grocery store for some tooth paste, apples, bottled water, and for some reason I still can't describe, hair gel (I don't know why I did it, hmmm).

Anyway, it is almost 10:00pm and I am exhausted. I start work at 7:30am and have a full day. I will get down early enough to enjoy some OJ, and maybe read the paper (Albuquerque Times or something like that). I plan on freeing up my time by 1:00pm so I can join Monica and Yosune, two friends from Harvard, for lunch.

That's all I've got for now.

À bientôt

alex_caps @ 2008-08-24T15:53:00

2008-08-24T19:54:03Z

http://www.global-flat.com/smf/index.php?topic=16354.0

alex_caps @ 2008-08-20T01:23:00

2008-08-20T05:27:59Z

What an excellent day in Boston with mom and Sandy.

They got here, and Sandy helped me carry my heavy bag down 5 flights of stairs (I know.. letting me sister help, but she wanted to).

Went walking through Cambridge, settled on a nice little place for lunch. I had a great mozzarella and tomato salad.

Took the T to govn't center and went to the aquarium. Saw an Imax of whales and dolphins.

Walked through Quincy Market a little bit, then headed over to Mike's Pastries for a cannoli and marzipan.

Then left sandy to meet a friend.

Walked awhile to a nice restaurant with mom and we had a delicious meal of pear salad and steak tip.

Walked back, got Sandy, rode the T back, walked back, and they left.

The day was filled with fun.

alex_caps @ 2008-08-13T13:18:00

2008-08-13T17:18:12Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDAFozFn4kU&eurl=http://rattube.com/blog1/2008/07/25/vincent-bugliosi-at-impeachment-hearings-72508/

alex_caps @ 2008-08-13T12:57:00

2008-08-13T16:57:28Z

This sickens me...

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/10/bush-i-dont-see-america-having-problems/