Here’s the abstract:

Information technology holds tremendous potential to help consumers and firms make more sustainable choices by providing information at key decision points. As one example, there are a number of software programs that help calculate and summarize environmental metrics for various products and processes. Surprisingly, while many printers are moving into the IT arena, the technology has not been fully utilized. For the most part, there is a lack of knowledge on the part of the consumer on the sustainability impacts of their communication decisions. Thus, this paper outlines a decision tool, presented to the consumer as they make a print decision, which estimates the energy consumption of printing a given document by analyzing the user’s requirements for the print job, the printer selected and the corresponding life-cycle criteria for these elements.

If you’d like to read more, here’s the link to the paper in PDF format. I’ll be uploading the other major component of this work (i.e. Java code) in the near future.

(click for a larger view)

Sans the blood and the tears, it was quite an amazing ride. Traveling to Rochester, NY, spending 2 years at RIT and meeting all the awesome people I met along the way, is one of the most salient experiences of my short life. And to think I was morose and utterly worried because I didn’t know whether I was going to get a scholarship almost three years ago. It’s incredible what persistence and an optimistic mindset can do.

With the arrival of the certificate, this chapter of my life is officially over. It’s now time to move on and look for bigger, more difficult challenges. Up, up and away!

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they are aware of your presence but not of your might.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they do not question your motives and welcome you alright.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because their warmth is comforting and their colors are bright.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because their scintillating effect will result in delight.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they will surely drown any vestigial spite.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because there isn’t a podium so don’t think of stage fright.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because feeling better is your undivided right.

Look at the holiday lights!

Because they likely will alleviate your blights.

Look at the holiday lights!

You better do it fast because they won’t last all night!

–

If you celebrate Christmas in your corner of the universe, then I wish you have a festive and fantastic holiday! If you don’t commemorate it, then have a super awesome weekend instead!

My thoughts can be perfectly depicted by the yellow block. Yeah, no way out!

Source: Stephanie Choplin

Dear block inside my head…

What’s up with not being able to write? Are you freaking kidding me? Thoughts should be free of this tyranny. Yes, YOU are a filthy tyrant, block! You’re an oppressor whose only goal is to castrate my thoughts and smile merrily while you’re at it. I. Don’t. Need. You! Block, I’m talking to you. Leave me alone! I was having dandy ideas and putting them in writing beautifully before you walked into my life. Who called you? I certainly didn’t. And yet, here you are. What’s your gain? Why are you here? I’m talking to you! Are you ignoring me? Can you believe this, dear reader? He’s not talking back! (Side note: Yes, I know it’s a HE. Mental blocks must definitely be male. It takes some BIG balls to interfere like this and get away with it. I’d have a more enjoyable time dealing with the bastards if they were female). Block, can you hear me? OK, fine! I’m not talking to you any longer.

OK, maybe one last word. Listen, before I finally get this over with, I’d like to express my discontent with these words: back the f*** off! I mean it! My words are free to travel from my brain to whatever medium, device, or format I damn well choose. You have no rights (none whatsoever!) to be meddling into my affairs and stopping me from unravelling my thoughts free. What’s wrong with you?! Do you enjoy my suffering? You, sir, are a pathological sadist. This is the last you’ll ever hear from me. You’re officially a pariah. My brain will no longer be clogged by your insidious presence. You have 24 hours to promptly leave the scene.

Still not talking to me? Please, be advise that if you don’t leave immediately, I’ll buy a freaking scalpel, cut my head open and get you out by force. You’re coming out either by your own volition or whichever other way I deem necessary. By the way, I find your pretending act rather childish. Why aren’t you at least defending yourself now? Oh, that’s right. You can’t! There’s no logical defense for the existence of your kind. You deserve nothing but swift extermination.

You’ve been warned.

Yours truly,

Me

PS
Feel free to stay away forever. Can’t you just wither away and die already?

The Obligatory Disclaimer

I can’t believe I just spewed my thoughts like this all over my laptop. This is definitely not my fault, dear reader. I sincerely apologize. I must be coming across as a gigantic, self-centered, melodramatic douche bag. I concede that’s me sometimes. But not now. Well, at least not right about now. Right now, I’m dealing with this freaking writer’s block! So please bear with me while I try to expel this baleful demon.

[scalpel shines radiantly on my hand...]

Ah, that was cathartic! Now that I’ve finally let my pernicious block know who’s the boss in Elvisland, I can probably try to write something, anything, again. Maybe I’ll be luckier this time. I’ll see you guys around in a bit. No, don’t hold your breath please.

I’ve been struggling to get back in the writing mood since I moved to DR. I can’t seem to find a quite, nice place to do this, mainly because I haven’t actually gotten a respite. Life’s been a constant barrage of chores and work, and I’ve only been back for a little bit over 3 weeks now. I expect this situation to change soon. There are a lot of cool ideas that I’d like to explore and share with you. The pusillanimous writer in me is not making more excuses though. I’ll be right back with some cool stuff.

Oh, I’ve picked up Twitter recently. So if you want to follow my updates, feel free to do so here.

View of the Dominican Republic from an airplane during landing. I’ve seen this view many times throughout the years. It never gets old.

Source: iconise’s photostream