Possible error

Today I have discovered a possible error in the codes I use in my PhD studies. The error is in a subroutine that calculates the velocity gradients of the system. This program is being in use for almost 15 years, and no one has ever spotted this error. If I am mistaken, and I just have missed something, and in the end there is no mistake, excelent! Then life goes on... But, if I am not mistaken, and the error really exists, then the results already published using this program will have to be reviewed.

It is the second error I found in the codes. The first one, fortunately was in a function that was used only once over the program. After the change, the new results did not have any difference from the previous results. This second error was in a function that was called thousands, maybe millions of times, during the course of the program. The results after the changes were totally different from the previous ones.

I have showed it to my advisor, and she also thought that there was an error there. I have also sent an e-mail to my co-advisor in the US, reporting what I have found. She still did not reply... She was one of the people who wrote the program years ago, and use it ever since... I am just waiting her reply to be sure of the mistake, or to know that the mistake was mine... I just hope the mistake was not mine!

Waiting.

(...)

.SIGH.

Time is running low...
.sigh.
(...)

Fire! Fire! Fire!
Spontaneous combustion!

Rock'n'Roll!
Conflicting thoughts... Peace of mind...
Nothing but rumble...
Wow...

Heart beating hard...
Hard beating the heart...
Embrace
Pain? Love? All!

Stars... The hunter... A sword!
Where? I know!
Eyes gazing!
I am
The chain with her...
Protection, I know... My blood!

No one knows! My chains away (...)
Locked with another...
Broken? No!
Need be? Not yet!
One day will...
Alone or not!

Locked eyes gazing my soul...
Green!! Yes...
Yellow ones! Mine...
Green and yellow...
Hope!
Burning...

Strength, intention...
Will! Boldness...

The wind brings peace!
.sigh.

Understand? No? Yes...
Scramblepoetry!
Got it?

oHw am I gnielfe yotad!
Who cares?

And then there was silence

By Blind Guardian

Turn your head and see the fields of flames

He carries along
From a distant place
He's on his way
He'll bring decay
(don't move along cause things they will go wrong
the end is getting closer day by day)
in shades of grey
We're doomed to face the night
Light's out of sight

Since we've reached the point of no return
We pray for starlight
We wait for the moon
The sky is empty
Alone in the unknown
We're getting nowhere

We have been betrayed
By the wind and the rain
The sacred halls empty and cold
The sacrifice made should not be done in vain
Revenge will be taken by Rome

We live a lie
Under the dying moon
Pale faced laughs doom
Indulges in delight

It's getting out of hand
The final curtain will fall
Hear my voice
There is no choice
There's no way out
You'll find out

We don't regret it
So many man have failed
But now he's gone
Go out and get it
The madman's head it shall be thine
We don't regret it
That someone else dies hidden in disguise
Go out and get it
Orion's hound shines bright

Don't you think it's time to stop the chase
Around the ring
Just stop running, running
Round the ring
Don't you know that fate has been decided
By the gods
Feel the distance, distance
Out of reach

Welcome to the end...
Watch your step, Cassandra
You may fall
As I've stumbled on the field
Sister mine
Death's a certain thing
Find myself in darkest places
Find myself drifting away
And the otherworld
The otherworld appears

Find myself, she dies in vain
I cannot be freed
I'm falling down
As time runs faster
Moves towards disaster
The ferryman will wait for you
My dear

And then there was silence
Just a voice from the otherworld
Like a leaf in an icy world
Memories will fade

CHORUS:
Misty tales and poems lost
All the bliss and beauty will be gone
May my weary soul find release for a while
At the moment of death I will smile
It's the triumph of shame and disease
In the end
Iliad

Raise my hands and praise the day
Brake the spell, show me the way
In decay
The flame of Troy will shine bright

The newborn child would carry ruin to the hall
The newborn's death will be a blessing to us all

Good choice?
Bad choice?
Out of three
You've choosen misery
Power and wisdom
You deny
Bad choice

War is the only answer
When love will conquer fear
So the judgment's been made
To the fairest
The graceful says
Badly he fails

Warning
Fear the heat of passion, father king
Don't let him in
Don't let her in
Desire, lust, obssession
Death they'll bring
We can't get out
Once they are in

She's like the sunrise
Outshines the moon at night
Precious like starlight
She'll bring in a murderous price

In darkness grows the seed of man's defeat
Jealousy
I can clearly see the end now
I can clearly see the end now
I can clearly see the end now

The thread of life in spun
The coin's been placed below my tongue
Never give up
Never give in
Be on our side
So we can win
Never give up
Never give in
Be on our side

Old moon's time is soon to come

Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
Nothing to lose
Like one we'll stand
We'll face the storm
Created by man

Troy, Troy, Troy, Troy

And as the lion
Slaughters man
I am the wolf
And you're the lamb

Hallowed Troy shall fall
Round the walls
Faith is shattered, bodies fall

Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
Nothing to lose
Like one we'll stand
It's all for one and one for all
All we live for will be wiped out

I feel that something's wrong
Surprise, surprise they're gone
Full moon your time goes by
And new moon's still kept out of sight

We live
We die
Repeat chorus

Roam in darkness
Spread the vision
We will be lost if you truly believe
Troy in darkness
There's a cold emptiness in our hearts
That they've gone away
And won't come back

They'll tear down the wall to bring it in
They'll truly believe in the lie
With blossoms they'll welcome the old foe

The vision's so clear
When day and dream unite
The end is near
You'd better be prepared

The nightmare shall be over now
There's nothing more to fear
Come join in our singing
And dance with us now
The nightmare shall be over now
There's nothing more to fear
The war it is over, forevermore

No hope
The blind leads the blind
Carry on
Though future's denied
Mare or stallion
There's far more inside
We are in at the kill
We'll cheerfully die

-Repeat chorus -

Its holy light shines on
So the judgement's been made
We're condemned though the trial's far ahead
The crack of doom
Father
Your handsome son is heading home

Heading home

Still the wind blows
Calm and silent
Carries news from a distant shore

Out of mind
Can't get it
Can't get it out of my head

Sorrow and defeat
Sorrow and defeat

This music is a Heavy Metal Masterpiece. Fourteen minutes of pure heavy metal. It tells about the Iliad. One of my favourite songs ever!!

Tuvalu

Ontem "pesquisando" no Google Earth, me deparei com umas ilhas minúsculas no meio do Pacífico. Aliás, no meio do pacífico existem incontáveis dessas ilhas minúsculas. Um conjunto dessas ilhas, me chamou mais atenção. Eram um conjunto de umas 5 ou 6 ilhazinhas, que formam o país de Tuvalu.

Tuvalu é o país com a segunda menor população do mundo, e a área também é minúscula. A população chega a pouco mais de 10 mil habitantes. A altitude máxima do país é de 5m! Como disse o Batata, um amigo meu, os Tuvalunenses (ou como quer que eles sejam chamados) devem até sentir falta de ar subindo a esta enorme altitude. E se você quiser se iniciar no esporte do alpinismo, Tuvalu é O lugar! :P

O que me chamou a atenção mesmo foi o tamanho das ilhas. Cada uma delas tinha no máximo entre 2 e 3km no comprimento maior. Havia alguns atóis, onde só existia praticamente uma pequena faixa de areia. E em cada uma das ilhasinhas, várias casinhas espalhadas. Aeroporto só tinha um, no que eu acho que era na ilha principal. E cada ilha fica em torno de 100km a 200km uma das outras. Só tem um aeroporto, e não consegui perceber em nenhuma delas nenhum tipo de porto, ou algo que parecesse uma marina. Na maioria delas não dá pra fazer uma pista de pouso, devido ao minúsculo tamanho delas. O transporte naval deve ser só de barcos pequenos. Visto do Google Earth, o lugar parece realmente ser muito bonito. Deu até vontade de um dia morar por lá, mas aí me veio a cabeça o tal do aquecimento global, e a elevação do nível das águas oceânicas. Esse lugar vai desaparecer logo, logo. Além disso, segundo informações, a nação vive de doações internacionais. Mal consegue produzir os recursos necessário para se auto-sustentar. Acabei mudando de idéia! :P

Mas o mais intrigante, é porquê diabos um lugar desses está no Google Earth com quase a melhor resolução possível!? O nível de detalhes do Google Earth é muito grande, para um lugar tão insignificante, no meio do nada e que logo vai desaparecer! Intrigante! Pode ser que eles estejam interessados em saber a taxa de desaparecimento do pequeno país. Ou então é porque realmente não custa nada tirar uma fotinho de cada ilha na maior resolução possível. E ainda, no meio das ilhas, bem no meio do oceano, tem um ponto denominado "kinder in Tuvalu", e não tem nada lá! Muito sinistro! Será que havia alguma ilhazinha lá que já afundou? :P

Se alguém se interessar, e não conseguir achar no Google Earth, eu mando as coordenadas depois. Tuvalu faz parte da Common Wealth, ou seja, a soberana é a Rainha da Inglaterra. Para mais informações é só procurar na wikipedia.

"What can change the nature of a man?"

A long time ago, I faced this question and since then I still wonder about the answer. At first the answer seems simple. You can change your own nature if you have the resolve and willpower necessary to face the ordeal. Simple, isn't it? No so simple as it seems! Why would you change your own nature? What kind of driving force is needed to make you trail the path of change? Why would you like to change your own self?

As nature I mean what defines what a man is: beliefs, actions, objectives, driving force, tastes, and whatever more is necessary to define someone.

Would you change yourself for love? Or for money? Or due to regrets about some misdeeds? Would just living be enough to change you? Pain? The world? Death? Or nothing can change the inner nature of someone? What would make you throw all your life away and then make you choose a totaly different path to follow?

There are many answers for that. And still the answers is elusive. All and none. You are what you are. Human nature is dynamic and chaotic. Things can make you wonder, and then make you decide to change, or not to in that moment. In the end people change for some reason or another, and that happens all the time. Life is chaos!

There is a subtle point here. What can change the nature of a man? It means... What can make you transcend your "human nature"? Is there something beyond "human nature"? Well...

The answer still eludes me... ;)


Obs: I have seen this question around 6 years ago, playing a computer game called "Planescape: Torment". At the time I have answered one of the options that were given after the question, and any of the answers were a valid one. But since then I still wonder about that question... And it becomes more complex each time I think about it.

The Girl with glowing green eyes...

There were a girl with glowing green eyes looking at me today in the Dreaming. Looking as deep inside me as she could, and I was doing the same. It was simply impossible not to look. And all I wanted was to keep looking and drown myself in her gaze.

I know this girl, not as good as I wanted but I know her a little bit already. She doesn't have glowing green eyes, her eyes were not even green, but I'm sure it was she!

I don't know why I am writing this down in this blog. It is something that does not concern anyone but me. Even so it was the only thing that crossed my mind when I thought about something to write here. Maybe this girl will read it someday, and will know that I was talking about her... Who knows!?

Guitar Hero

During Carnaval, I started to play Guitar Hero, a PS2 game. The objective is to properly play some Classical Rock, and Heavy Metal songs. You play the band's guitar player. And with all those good songs, you really feel the spirit of the game. At the same time you are playing, you also hear good music, and it makes you want to play better and get even better not to spoil the songs. An excelent game to be played during carnaval, with all that Rock'n'Roll and Heavy Metal, the only problem is that it is really an addictive game! :P

Return to work

Carnaval ended and now it is time to return to work. Return to my more-than-a-hundred-page program code. Reading and understanding all the physics behind that code is not so easy as I early thought. I guess I have passed already more than half of the code, but now I'm on the worst part, where we have all the physics, all the radiative transfer and line profile calculations.

Radiative transfer is one of the most beautiful physics's subjects, but it is also the most difficult subject that I have seen. For people who doesn't have any idea about what is radiative transfer, it is the study about how light or radiation propagates through a medium, including absorbtions, scattering, emission and re-emission of light due to atoms, molecules and dust throughout the medium.

There are a lot of simplifications in the code, concerning radiative transfer, but even so it is still not a simple thing. The magneto-hydrodynamics calculations, also done by the program, seems really simple compared with the afore mentioned one. And I tell you, magneto-hydrodynamics have nothing simple about it.

Magneto-hydrodynamics is the study of charged fluids in the presence of magnetic fields. It is also a fascinating subject, but also a very difficult one.

I just expect that someday I could understand properly both subjects. They are really fascinating!

Carnaval - Part II

Monday. Barbecue at home. Lots of meat. More vodka. More tequila. More cachaça. Friends. Swimming pool. No sun, but no rain either. More Rock'n'Roll. My broken new eye glasses. Too much alcohol.

Today. Hangover.

A good carnaval. And no alcohol for a long time! :P

Carnaval - Parte I

Sítio do Custela. Vodka. Barriguinha de porco. Tequila. Churrasco. Doce de leite. Whisky, Cachaça, mais Tequila. Heavy Metal. Rock'n'Roll. Jazz. Blues. Sem maiores comentários. :P

Operação Cavalo de Tróia

Terminei de ler "Operação Cavalo de Tróia Volume I". O livro conta sobre uma suposta operação militar e secreta do governo americano que ocorreu nos anos 70 do século XX. Os militares conseguiram construir uma máquina do tempo, e enviaram dois agentes para a região perto de Jerusálem na época de Cristo. O livro conta a história dos últimos dias de Cristo, através da visão de um desses agentes. Terminando com a ressurreição de Cristo.

É uma visão bem diferente da passada pela igreja. Bem interessante a maneira como Jesus é descrito, como também seus apóstolos e seguidores. A descrição de como seria a vida na época também é bem detalhada. Alguns fatos isolados que ocorrem durante a história podem chocar os religiosos mais fervorosos.

As descrições são tão verossímeis que até se pensa que tal operação pode ter ocorrido mesmo, e que os últimos dias da vida de Jesus Cristo ocorreram exatamente daquela maneira, mas aí fica a critério da cabeça de cada um. :P

É um livro recomendável para pessoas com a mente mais aberta! O autor é J.J. Benitez, e quem conhece sabe realmente que deve se ter uma mente aberta para poder apreciar seus livros.

Rocky Balboa

Today I went to the cinema and watched Rocky Balboa. A very good movie in my humble opinion. It is worth to see it. By the way, it is much more than just a boxe movie.

Unfortunately, there were some people there who did not know how to behave while inside a cinema. In the front row, there was a guy and I guess his teenage son, and they were continuously talking during the movie. I almost kick his son's head out. This "boy" was exactly in front of me. And in the row behing, there were a couple who also did not stop to talk one minute. The GIRL laughed at every word that were spoken in the movie. And the GUY did not stop to comment, and he even started to talk about something that has nothing to do with the movie. I guess the GUY just want to grab the GIRL and kiss her, but was incompetent enough to do that before the movie, and wanted to impress her during the session. DAMN IT!!

The cinema was almost empty, but these four people were worth for a bunch of teens! I have written GUY and GIRL in caps, because both were a "little bit" extra-large people... I have nothing against extra-large people, but they have made me really annoyed. Bah!

A very good movie.

Time

"Most people think time is like a river, that flows swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the face of time, and I can tell you...they are wrong. Time is an ocean in a storm. You may wonder who I really am and why I say this. Come, and I will tell you a tale like none you have ever heard." - Prince of Persia

A very good definition of time.

Subtlety!

Today is being a day full of meanings, but I'm lacking words to describe it. Well... Not exactly lacking words, but I still have to think deeper about it. Some subtle things happened today, and they all meant something. Interesting how sometimes the world gives you the clues you need to figure out things. The only thing you need is to pay attention to the small things, and then put them into perspective. When you gather enough of these small clues, it seems like you were slapped in the face, and that makes you realize things. Fascinating!

Fascinating world!

Vinnil Cultura Bar

Ontem a noite fui a um lugar chamado Vinnil Cultura Bar. Lugar bem legal por sinal. Um desses bares onde se toca música. Ontem havia uma banda tocando, na primeira sessão a banda tocou Jazz, e depois de um intervalo eles tocaram Blues. Com o bom e velho Rock'n'Roll intercalando as duas sessões.

Apesar de todo o calor, e do ambiente fechado, o lugar é agradável. Várias mesas espalhadas por um salão, e alguns balcões contornando a parede. Não havia mais mesas quando chegamos, e já havia várias pessoas sentadas perto dos balcões. Acabamos ficando em pé, mas isso não foi problema algum. A música estava boa e a companhia também.

Minha intenção era beber todas ontem, mas acabou que eu não bebi muito. Tomei uma bebida que não tomava há muito tempo. Um morrito, uma mistura de rum, água tônica e hortelã. Não lembro se tem mais algum ingrediente, mas é bão viu! :P

Após a sessão de Jazz acabar conseguimos uma mesa. Mas não tinha cadeiras para todo mundo. Ainda bem, acabei ficando em pé, dando preferência para as garotas de salto-alto que já não estavam aguentando mais ficar de pé. Se tivesse ficado sentado, teria dormido rapidamente, não porque o show estava ruim, mas porque eu estava realmente MORTO de cansaço. Logo após a sessão de Blues acabar, fomos embora.

Todo o ponto é: O Vinnil é um lugar legal, nunca tinha ido lá antes, mas voltarei regularmente. É um bom lugar pra se ir sozinho também, mas quando se tem companhia é bem melhor! Além de Jazz e Blues, há as noites onde se toca samba e mpb, que já não estão dentro da minha preferência musical, mas dependendo da companhia vale a pena também.

eGmstaPo artAelaói

Estou escrevendo muito em inglês. Eu sei...

Não consigo entender onde está o Caos aqui!
Preste mais atenção, o Caos é bem sutil às vezes.

O que eu estou fazendo acordado sábado 9h da manhã?
Eu não sei...

Vou passar a escrever mais coisas em português?
Não sei, depende das pessoas que estão lendo isso...

Qual a resposta final?
42.

Qual a pergunta final?
Infelizmente, o computador que estava tentando descobrir isso foi destruído.

O que é o 23?
Um número primo!

O que significa GHofXaos?
Abstraia!

Eu ainda não entendi o que você está fazendo acordado no sábado de manhã!
Nem eu!

Você já tomou café?
Er... Ainda não!

Você está de ressaca?
Talvez.

Não vai tomar café, não?
Daqui a pouco.

Por que você não escreve algumas postagens em polonês ou islandês?
Boa idéia.

Quem é o melhor? Homem-aranha ou Homem-pássaro?
Você tá zuando da minha cara!? É claro que é o Homem-Aranha!!

O que você está ouvindo agora?
O som de uma janela sendo aberta e o som do "cooler" do processador...

Você não está ficando cansado de escrever não?
Er... Você é muito chato ou o quê? Eu escrevo o quanto eu quiser, me deixe em paz.

Vá tomar café!
Mas que cara chato! Eu vou daqui a pouco.

Você está mal-humorado?
Não. Eu não fico de mal-humor.

Qual o ponto principal desta postagem?
Pense por você mesmo, interprete, crie hipóteses!

Você usa óculos?
Você me vê todo dia, e sabe que eu uso óculos.

Por quê?
Tudo bem, você venceu, eu vou tomar café! Bah...

Pain and Hope

Sometimes I wonder about how much pain I will still feel in my life! How much can I still endure? I am not afraid of pain, but I don't love it either. The great problem is that for each moment of joy you have in your life, there will also be a moment of sadness. So, the ideal way is to make the joy last for as long as you could do it. And for that to work, we must not fear the pain that it could cause in the future. This is something that I learned not so long ago.

Sometimes the pain could be just faint, and other it seems to be unbearable. It start with pain, and then comes despair, and then you just wish for it to end, but it just get worse. That is when you must be the stronger that you can. Feel it. Face it. It is hard, but it is worth. You shall not let pain nor despair overcome you. In time it will just pass away, and you will find the hope to keep moving...

And then you are prepared to face the world and your life again with more strength and determination than you once have...

Sometimes I wonder about how much I still have to learn in my life...

Litany Against Fear

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

Bene-Gesserit Litany Against Fear - Frank Herbert - Dune

The Heavy Metal Girl

There was a beautiful young lady on the bus today. She must be around 18 years old, and was somekind of heavy metal girl, maybe a gothic, but I think she was more on Heavy Metal. There was something more besides her subtle beauty. She was standing near the bus ratchet, and after a while I glimpsed something on her arms. There were a lot of cuts and scars all over it. And I knew the moment I saw it, that she was the one that has done them. She seemed proud of her scars and her cuts. She was keeping her arms stretched, and everyone could see them now.

Not everyone could understand that, and I am sure of it. Maybe other people just stared at that, and though the girl was crazy or something, or that something hurted her. But I could understand it. It is a way to reflect in your body the pain that you feel inside. To make everyone see your pain, and then show that you can endure it. Maybe it would make her feel stronger. After a while the cuts turn in a cool scar, and it is like a battle scar. Something to be proud of. Isn't life the greatest of battles? Shouldn't we collect countless scars during this great battle?

That is how I understand it, and I even have done something like that some years ago. I don't do it anymore. Why? There is no why, I guess. The point is that I don't need to make my body suffer when my soul is in pain, not anymore. My battle scars are on my soul, and they were reflected in the things that I have learned with each of these painful lessons that I was taught. My scars are what I am. My body is just a vessel for my mind and my soul. It is important to have it working properly, without glitches, but I am more than just a body.

She is a young lady, one day she will realize what I just said. Maybe she will realize something deeper that I have not yet realized. Or something totally different. Who knows? Unfortunately she was far away from me on the bus, and I couldn't talk to her, but she seemed cool enough.

That happened in the morning. By the way, some scars are just cool! \m/,

897(??)

Revoltante! Tem um "897" escrito no meu modelo de blog, mas 897 não é nem um número primo!! Ah, não!! Vou ter que dar um jeito nisso. Bom, pelo menos tem um 23 no meio, e 23 é sempre um número bom! Por enquanto ele fica.
897=3*13*23
Pensando bem, ele é até interessante, o produto dos três primeiros números naturais terminados em 3! Estou começando a gostar dele. Número simpático, e é formado pelos 3 últimos algarismos. É! O sujeito que o colocou aí, é bem esperto. Vou deixar, até eu encontrar outro número melhor!

Testing!

Greetings from the limbo. This is the first post of many. Most of them will be written in english, I guess, or in portuguese depending on the readers. But sometimes I'm going to write in scramblespeak... Well, I'm not well versed in scramblespeak, but that doesn't matter. Scramblespeak has no rules whatsoever...

The test is over. But where is the so called xaos? Well... Some orderly written post just to start, then some chaos will appear later. If I really want it when I write. My mind is not so chaotic these days, but in time, it will be again... I hope so!

Now the test is over, and with no xaos, but utmostly me.