Meseret Gebre

Python is Kick Ace

// April 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // development

Python is a scripting language that can be used in many different way. Python is super easy to learn and can take you far in the professional world. Big names like Google use this language heavily for a lot of their day to day operations. A good example is their App Engine.

I picked up Python over night just by going to the Python Home page and following their tutorials. The documentation is excellent, so if you can read, I assume you can, then you should be good to go. The tutorial I follow is located at http://docs.python.org/tutorial/index.html.

Python can be used for many things a popular usage for this scripting language is developing with Game engines, or 3D modeling software packages like Blender.  Once you have gone through the tutorials, I recommend you get this pocket reference book below. It proves to be very useful, because there are so many libraries, and a quick look up can make life a lot easier.

I started learning Python when I was an undergrad to develop some code for a summer research position I had. My job was to develop an API to integrate a huge virtual environment with a 3D game engine called Panda3D. The API was called HIVE (Huge Immersive Virtual Environment). If you have any questions about Python or done anything cool with the language just leave a comment and let me know

Time To Get Back into Shape!

// April 2nd, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Announcement

Believe or not there used to be a time when I was in great shape. I’m not in horrible shape now, but, there was a point when I carefully monitored what to eat. Counted my calories, kept my sugar intake to a minimum and worked out on a regular basis (6 days a week ). There was a point when all my friends thought I was crazy and extreme. I did everything from lifting, yoga, to cardio, and hours of soccer with friends. Over the last 6 months I hit the breaks a bit to make more time for my research work, but I feel like I have used that as an excuse to slack off. I don’t count my calories anymore and I even started eating junk food like BW3 and drinking diet Big-K!

I wanted to make a point, that no matter how lazy I get I will never eat fast food like McWhatever and the likes

There is one thing that this break from my extreme lifestyle has thought me. Its that when I stop stretching and doing yoga I started to lose flexibility and got more like to  injuries (like my ankle). Also that there can be a good balance between the two lifestyles. You don’t have to be hardcore everyday, but instead be hardcore mostly everyday (if that makes sense). Also what you sacrifice has to be something you can recover from, for example. Cardio should never be sacrificed!  you should always try to keep your muscles flexible, if not yoga, try to stretch for about 15 minutes a day. Lifting you can slack with, but only after you have gotten to your goals!

When I say slack, I mean cutting your lifting workout by half. That way you can stay where you are, but you will not grow any stronger. When you feel you have rested, start your hardcore workouts again!

With that said, I need to my a** back into 6th gear again and start hitting the gym hard again. Also, keeping your body properly feed with complex carbs and protiens and good fats in also important, but thats another post for another time.