Time Managing

/ consumption, objects, perceptions, reality, thought /

Time slips through your fingers, wasted on the endless cycle of acquiring, maintaining, and securing objects. Each of them, whether a piece of technology or a simple household object, requires time managing it. You buy, you use, you clean, you fix—always with the nagging fear of losing or breaking what you’ve worked to gain. This cycle consumes hours, making you forget that time, like everything else, is fleeting. The more you own, the more time you spend managing. And yet, none of it lasts. You are not in control, but rather caught in the web of your own desires, gradually realizing that the objects you cling to only rob you of the very thing you value most: time itself.

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Kandersteg, Switzerland: Emerald Heaven

/ hiking, journal, travel /

A week in the Swiss Alps was a whirlwind of breathtaking beauty and unexpected anxieties. In this article you’ll find the most stunning photos I’ve taken to date, and would well satisfy you without reading a single word. Hiking through stunning landscapes like Oeschinensee and the challenging Jegertosse-Fisialp pushed me to my limits, both physical and mental. The tranquility of the mountains was often interrupted by the absurdity of human behavior, from the man who shamed his friend for not swimming to the unsettling realization of my own anxieties and weight of my current circumstances. Despite these moments of darkness, the sheer beauty of Switzerland and the kindness of strangers offered fleeting moments of grace, leaving me with a bittersweet longing for a simpler, more fulfilling life true to my innate nature.

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Memories, Revelations, and Dreams

/ dreams, journal, memories, year in review /

2024 was a year of significant personal and professional growth. Key achievements included successfully defending a PhD comprehensive exam, publishing research papers, and organizing a large-scale cybersecurity event. Musical pursuits flourished with the completion of original songs and the production of the @Hack 2025 theme song. Alongside these accomplishments, a deeper understanding of self was cultivated through practices such as meditation and studying Advaita Vedanta. Looking ahead to 2025, the focus will be on completing the PhD, further developing musical skills, and cultivating a life of greater mindfulness and intentional decision-making.

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Marketing: The Other Side of Technique

/ consumption, higher thought, layers of reality, perceptions, programming, reality and programming, thought /

I recently bought an iPad Air, but the experience wasn’t as straightforward as I expected. Apple’s sales tactics, from subtle psychological tricks to aggressive upselling, revealed the powerful albeit silly nature of modern marketing. It’s a stark reminder of how easily we can be influenced, even by the most seemingly innocuous interactions.

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Infinite Loops

/ higher thought, reality and programming /

Ever wondered about those pesky infinite loops in programming? 🤯 They might seem endless, but are they truly infinite? ♾️ Let’s dive into the philosophy behind it. 🤔 We’ll explore the limitations of our understanding of infinity, and how the term “infinite loop” is a bit of a misnomer. From the perspective of a computer program to the broader universe, we’ll challenge your assumptions about what it means to be infinite. Join me on a thought-provoking journey! 🚀🧠 Let’s explore the universe of infinity together! 🌌

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DIMVA 2024: Lausanne, Switzerland

/ higher thought, journal, learning, perceptions, PhD Life, travel /

In this article I take you through my experience presenting a collaborated work on our newly discovered 0-day vulnerabilities in IoT firmware at DIMVA 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Par for my usual narrative style, it contains connections to and small commentary on the infinite consciousness, encounters with objects of desire, and the difficulty in finding our path in life.

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DFRWS USA 2024: A Butterfly Dream

/ dreams, higher thought, travel /

In this article I recount my experience in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during DFRWS USA 2024 – a conference on digital forensics that I have now attended for the third time. I pepper the story of this experience with the idea of the unreality of the waking and dream states, and how both are actually dreams, much like the Butteryfly Dream parable from Zhuangzi.

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Fork in the Road of Desire-Fulfillment

/ consumption, death, higher thought, layers of reality, perceptions, thought /

In this article I elaborate a recent experience where I witnessed a dispute between an Uber Eats driver and waitress at a diner on St. Catherine street. I use it to explain the causal link between desire and anger, but further raise and respond to the question of “why does unfulfilled desire lead to anger?”

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Anger; Objects in Disguise

/ higher thought, layers of reality, memories, perceptions, thought /

As you read this article, I want you to reflect on all those moments where you or someone you know has acted out of control. You will be able to trace back each of these to some underlying expectation and desire. To deliver the message that the seed of discontent is desire, the Gita describes the “ladder of fall” that explains how through desire one “achieves” for themselves a state of anger and further, complete mental dissolution.

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