The Rara Rant

Very Inspiring

2011-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my dear friend Nick Webber, who sent me this. It reminds me of my dad and so many great role models out there

Always push forward!

Xcode - It Begins!

2011-04-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

I feel like a kid again.

It was the most freeing moment when I was talking to Lina and realized that its possible to keep building software while still growing a career.. It doesn't need a small army to create something useful. I don't need to move away from code just to avoid being isolated as an "engineer" forever. I have witnessed that many successful (and humble) people will get involved at every level and they love creating.

With Lina's initiative and encouragement, we to the mall and made a small investment so that I could finally play around with an Operating system and tool set that is geared for the best human user experience possible. I just have to get through the small hurdle of learning the new language of Objective C.

It should be a fun ride.

Dad's Office

2011-04-01T17:13:00.001-07:00

Dad's Office, a set on Flickr.

The last visit to my dad's office before finally giving it back to UMCP. It took almost 2 years to finally go through with this handover.

The Truth About Your Weight Gain

2010-12-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

A very good article on the Yahoo! front page. Who knew that premade guacamole would be so bad for you.

Here's a great recipe we use for fresh guacamole...its quick, easy, and most likely tastes so much better.

Link: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/truth-about-your-weight-gain

Supporting Johns Hopkins Research for Cancer

2010-10-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

I hope this message finds you well and in excellent health.

I will be running the Army 10-miler this Sunday, October 24th in memory of my late father, Dr. Raj Khanna. I write to ask you to consider donating any amount to The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Like many research organizations, this foundation ensures that at least 80% of each donation goes directly to support pancreatic cancer science and the other 20% is put towards pancreatic cancer research lab infrastructure (things such as paper towels, lighting, heating for the building, lab space, etc).

Kindly review the website Johns Hopkins has set up - particularly the What Your Donation Buys section so that you know how much your donation helps patience and researchers directly.
Each donation helps Johns Hopkins explore new avenues of research. Each donation is a poignant reminder of the human cost of this disease. Each donation battles cancer.

http://pathology.jhu.edu/pc/support.php

I will be running this race as a testament to my father's life message that we can accomplish anything we put our minds to, regardless of the challenges ahead. Thank you for all of your love and support.

Kindest Regards,
Ravi.

UPDATE: Viasat, Inc. has agreed to match any donation made in memory of "Raj Khanna". Please spread the word and lets maximize our contributions to battling cancer.

Its possible to eat well while traveling

2010-09-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Great article on eating well while traveling:

I need to try the special meal option to see what I get!

I also have found that the Starbucks VIA coffees are so much better than what you get on the plane. I keep a few of those, some splenda packets, and non-dairy creamer packets in my messenger bag at all times for that emergency cup of coffee.

2010-08-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is very helpful...especially for those of us who need the daily escape...errrr...motivation to enjoy a good lift and cardio workout:

"when the tempo of the songs was upped 10 percent, the men covered more miles in the same period of time, produced more power with each pedal stroke and increased their pedal cadences. Their heart rates rose"

John Kelly/Getty Images

For a study published last year, British researchers asked 12 healthy male college students to ride stationary bicycles while listening to music that, as the researchers primly wrote, “reflected current popular taste among the undergraduate population.” Each of the six songs chosen differed somewhat in tempo from the others.

Article

Mars site may hold 'buried life'

2010-07-30T05:56:00.001-07:00

Wow, straight from BBC News. Here's the cool part. they reference carbonate, which holds an equilibrium with carbonic acid when dissolved in water. So...how did they discover carbonate? My guess would be through IR Spectrum analysis yielding the presence of carbonic acid.

Wiki on carbonate here.

Wiki on carbonic acid here (along with a direct link to my father's contributing discovery of carbonic acid here).

We need to stop drinking bottled water

2010-07-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

and its no healthier than tap water!?

For about $10, you can get one of these:

Incredible Underwater Encounters with the Arctic Polar Bear

2010-07-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Knut!

Such innocent and beautiful creatures

2010-07-21T08:41:00.001-07:00

I'm very impressed by Tony Horton. He's always encouraging and positive. The example he sets of a positive contribution to life and to inspire all to reach their full self-potential is admirable.

Academic study says violent games reduce stress

2010-07-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

It looks like we have an obligation to play some violent video games in order to be consistent with the holistic lifestyle of eating well, sleeping well, exercise, and emotional nurturing!

Fattiest Restaurant Words to Avoid

2010-07-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Recently, I find that Linus and I have created a "default" dinner menu - what we eat when we don't have a craving for anything in particular. Generally, roasted vegetables - darkest ones we can find...yellow/orange/red peppers, eggplant, squash, and a piece of chicken or fish. We toss it all up in a quick mix of olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. After the broil/grill for about 15 minutes, a quick topping of lemon juice and lemon zest. That's a quick, heathly meal.

However, sometimes...you gotta eat out. If so, here's a good tip guide on restaurant foods to avoid.

Spices With Huge Health Benefits

2010-06-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Great little read on a bunch of spices that will do our body good!

Wedding Weekend!

2010-06-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

These past two weekends were spent celebrating the marriage of my cousin, Amit, to his awesome girlfriend, and now wife, Helen.

This was a special wedding. I grew up with Amit and though we are not related, we have always considered one another cousins. I was most grateful to have our family be a part of the festivities.

Here it is - the slideshow!

2010-04-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is a very well-done, moving film about a man learning the concept of unconditional love that we often see from animals. Its very sad, but the lesson is pure.

Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

The Push

2010-04-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

I don't like talking about the way he died, but I feel that some of his best life lessons involved him using this phase of his experience to teach me how to appreciate what is ahead of me. When my father was dying, we had some of the most sincere conversations. We spent every evening together for 3 weeks knowing that the end was near. He remained a protective father and best friend until the last moment. Every minute together was spoken as if it was the last time we may see each other. I still remember showing up at Hopkins in the morning and he would be so happy - not just because his family was there, but because he was there too. He appreciated every moment despite all that was wrong.

I have hit a pinnacle in my grief where I must acknowledge what has happened and finally follow his advice to stop looking back so much. One evening after a scare, we were around his bed and he told me to take my mom home. After I dropped her off, I came back and he was somehow not surprised. I told him that I was scared to imagine a future without him there. He comforted me and assured me that life is about living through uncertainty and allowing yourself to always know that its okay to put your best, most optimistic foot forward. That was how mankind got this far and we must do our share to live up to higher standards.

I asked him how he was able to enjoy life after he lost his father. He immediately swelled up and his voice cracked. He was remembering his father. He said it was so difficult, but life had to go on. He had to do what he could in his best abilities to keep channeling his energies to be an honest, positive person. He said something that Conan O'Brien said on his last show (coincidentally!?) - "be kind and wonderful things will happen to you".

One of his last thoughts to me was that it may to be difficult to adjust to life without a dad. He said that he had to really push through life and it was a struggle to enjoy things. He kept telling me to not look back and feel bad and to push through life until it didn't feel like it was a struggle anymore.

The lessons of my father are always there, but I feel the pain more than ever when I can't share something with him. I spent most of my life trying to make him proud of me and to identify with his humble nature.

Its time to push through and not let the life that he gave me go to waste. I have spent the majority of this blog reminiscing about my dad and his work. Though it has been a form of therapy to remember him this way, its time to start posting (who reads this!?!?!?) things that reflect the life that is in the present, not just the past.

I promise to keep this blog going. More than ever, I promise to turn this blog into a positive manifestation of this life given to me. I'll get back to health topics, exercise, and other things that resonate with me. I know now - this is the best way to truly honor my dad.

We must move on and keep those memories close.

The red finch will always be a beautiful bird to me, dad.

Titan is an amazing place

2009-12-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

My dad spent much of the last 10 years of his life working to understand what this mysterious moon's atmosphere is made up of. I am grateful to the Cassini Mission and the ongoing studies to carry on this exploration:

Article:

Titan's lakes could be explored by boat

Carl Sagan remembered

2009-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Carl Sagan was a very impressionable astronomer and visionary. My father first met him when he was working for the Army in White Sands, New Mexico back in the 80s. My dad's best memory of him was when his division needed funding and Mr. Sagan said "I'll take care of it". Instead of approaching congress and pulling out formulas and equations, he pulled out a photo of Saturn's moon "Titan" (a moon with a very heavy, cold, rare atmosphere) and told Congress that there is fuel on Titan and they need to continue funding research of this moon.

Because of Carl Sagan, My father continued his exploration and personal interest in understanding Titan and eventually worked on the satellite that went past Titan and provided enough data to keep my father busy with proposals and publications through the 90s and into 2000 before he retired.

Thank you Carl Sagan and thank you to my father for teaching me that life is little about the individual and everything about contribution to this world.

Carl Sagan Remembered

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

– Carl Sagan, 1934 – 1996

Homeless Man Leaves Behind Surprise: $4 Million

2009-07-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

"He just gave up all of the material things that we think we have to have. You know, I don't know how we gauge happiness. What's happy for you might not be happy for me. I never heard him complain."

- Rita Belle

One Year Death Anniversary of My Father

2009-06-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

I am touched by a very kind email that was sent by my uncle:

Dear Ravi, Seema, and Shukla,

Today is very difficult day for all of us and we share the the sorrow and grief you must be going through on the loss of dear Raj. You are not alone to feel this loss, we are with you all the time. Our thought and prayers are with you to give you comfort today and forever. A few lines in Raj's memory I have written today to share with you.

Heavens could not wait for you,
Probably you were needed more there
than to be in our company,
We miss you and your subtle humor,
your jokes,and your wisdom.
Wherever you are, wherever you may be,
we will cherish the good time
we had together, always and forever.

With love to you all.

Jagdish, Veena, Vaneesh
Shalin, Sonal, Rohan and Nisha

A Tribute to My Dad at the Hindu Temple

2009-04-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Friends, kindly join us for a tribute to my father on Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 at 6pm at

The Hindu Temple of Metropolitan Washington
10001 Riggs Road,
Adelphi, MD 20873

2009 National Half-Marathon Results

2009-03-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Linus and Rara completed the 2009 National Half-Marathon Successfully and then took a series of long naps afterwards. I don't know if I want to do more races like this. It was definitely challenging, but so is 10 minutes of jump rope. I think I'll do jump rope.

Place Div/Tot  Sex/Tot  10ksplt Pace  Guntime  Nettime Pace  Name                   Ag S Race#

===== ======== ======== ======= ===== =======  ======= ===== ====================== == = =====

2851 267/465  1361/2281   58:39  9:27 2:19:22  2:09:59  9:55 Lina Naik              30 F  5979
2045 245/366  1206/1870   58:19  9:24 2:09:12  1:59:49  9:09 Ravi Khanna            32 M  5153

Polar bears will not survive without action to tackle climate change

2009-03-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

There are other threats, such as oil and gas drilling, shipping and toxins, but they pale in comparison to climate change and the loss of the sea ice

Greatest Prank Call Ever!

2009-03-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is a classic.

Memories from Theatre

2009-03-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Here is an aweswome clip by our Fight Chreographer, Monalisa Arias, who created all of the fight scenes in Romeo & Juliet back in 2006. I played Paris, who was slain by Romeo...poor guy.

My father's work carries on

2009-03-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

My dad, Dr. Raj Khanna, worked on the Cassni Program. His handprint is on the hull of the satellite. Today, Cassini made a new discovery.

This sequence of three images, obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft over the course of about 10 minutes, shows the path of a newly found moonlet in a bright arc of Saturn's faint G ring, announced ny NASA on March 3, 2009. In each image, a small streak of light within the ring is visible. Unlike the streaks in the background, which are distant stars smeared by the camera's long exposure time of 46 seconds, this streak is aligned with the G ring and moves along the ring as expected for an object embedded in the ring. Cassini scientists interpret the moving streak to be reflected light from a tiny moon half a kilometer (a third of mile) wide that is likely a major source of material in the arc and the rest of the G ring. (UPI Photo/NASA)

Global Warming My A**, It's Freezing Out Here

2009-02-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

Truck Disappears Like a Ghost

2009-02-12T07:55:00.001-08:00

This is pretty funny - check out the expression on the guy's face when he sees his car missing.

Obama can be mean sometimes...

2009-02-05T15:32:00.001-08:00

Team Fitness League Commercial

2009-01-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

Rara was recently on a commercial for Team Fitness League. The commercial was shot in Arlington, VA. I'm in there at about 50 seconds into the spot...for only a few seconds.

Here's the youtube link.

Wintergreen Ski/Snowboarding

2009-01-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent pics from Wintergreen. Lina did exceptionally well considering it was her 2nd time skiing. However, as an expert snowboarder with my crazy style, I lost my goggles when I took a spill...and I am ashamed of it. It was a great trip!

Wintergreen 2009

The world's best passenger complaint letter (Virgin Airlines)

2009-01-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

This was really funny. Here's the original article.

'Richard...What is that white stuff?'

Dear Mr Branson

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it: [see image 1, above].

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in: [see image 2, above].

I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this: [see image 3, above].

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.

By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it’s baffling presentation: [see image 4, above].

It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.

I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point.

Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous onboard entertainment. I switched it on: [see image 5, above].

I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen. Perhaps it would be better on another channel: [see image 6, above].

Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.

My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time. But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations: [see image 7, above].

Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.

Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard.

So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.

As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.

Yours Sincererly

XXXX

Paul Charles, Virgin’s Director of Corporate Communications, confirmed that Sir Richard Branson had telephoned the author of the letter and had thanked him for his “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” email. Mr Charles said that Virgin was sorry the passenger had not liked the in-flight meals which he said was “award-winning food which is very popular on our Indian routes.”

Presidential Gatling Gun-Equipped Suburban Badder Than New Cadillac Limo

2009-01-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

Okay this is just sick...but I'm sure the Obamas will feel a great deal safer seeing the R&D that has gone into protecting them. Jesus....

Barack Obama's getting a Cadillac-styled new Presidential Limo tomorrow too!

Pictures from India

2008-12-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

P hotos from our trip to India from November 11th- 20th, 2009. We landed in New Delhi and met with my father's relatives. They were very comforting to us and I was so glad to meet them. We took a train to Haridwar and spread my father's ashes in the Ganges River. We then went to Amritsar for a few days to visit my mom's family. They are wonderful people. On our last day in Delhi, we were hosted by the Anand family for a day before heading back to the U.S. on the 19th.

Photo Updates

2008-12-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

My New Computer

Jin Pal Hapkido Black Belt...

UMD Chemistry Department Newsletter - Fall 2008 Edition

2008-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Obituary

Raj Khanna, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and member of the faculty from 1967 until his retirement in 2003, died in late June. He obtained his university degrees in India, came first to Oregon State University (1964) then to the University of Maryland as Research Associate (1964-67). He joined the faculty in 1967 and became professor in 1982. He became Emeritus faculty in 2003 and maintained research in infrared measurements with recent support from NASA. Having approximately 100 research publications, and having mentored 19 graduate students who obtained their advanced degrees, Raj Khanna contributed to the department's reputation in research and education.

O.J. Simpson sentenced to as much as 33 years!!!

2008-12-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Knut has grown too big for his enclosure

2008-12-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

This is very sad. Knut is still cute to me and I hope he will always have a warm, loving home with lots of people caring for him.

Make Take-Out as Healthy as Home Cooking

2008-12-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

"Industry researchers at the NPD Group, a food industry consulting company, say dinners from a take-out counter or a grocery freezer will likely overtake meals from scratch within the next five years. "

If this is the case, I just wasted all of that money on a refrigerator and oven range. I could have turned the kitchen into a spare bedroom and rented that bizzle out.

How my blogging started

2008-11-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

Update from India

2008-11-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

We've successfully arrived to the Taj Palace where my mom was wanded down because the Indian PM was hosting some conference.

All of our relatives came to see us today. It was so nice to see my father's sisters and brother as the resemblence and expressions of the are so close to those of my dad's. Tomorrow we will go to haridwar to scatter his ashes as this has been done for generations in his family. I hope it is a spiritual experience with minimal pain. More to come.

Time Heals

2008-10-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Time heals provided we make the most of it.

Life is a gift.

In Memory of Thomas Doerflein (1963 – 2008)

2008-10-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

I very much appreciate the sense of love and selflessness this man brought to the world. My father was very fond of these pictures and like Thomas, appreciated the beauty of an animal's innocent desire for love and affection.

Life is short. I am reminded everyday to make the most of the time we have with ourselves and each other.

Sad story ... Knut's beloved keeper and surrogate father, Thomas Doerflein has died

2008-10-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Knut lost his father. Life is tough. Knut, I will miss him too. I can tell by the pictures and videos that he brought you a lot of joy and gave you a lot of love. Always cherish and remember those experiences.

Now Knut, who howled when he caught Thomas’s scent after the keeper had been ordered to stay away from him, has been declared a “psychopath” by zoologist Peter Arras."

Thomas Doerflein worked at the zoo for more than 25 years. He obviously loved his work and it is apparent that he touched the lives of many (animals and humans alike).

Pomegranate Ranked Healthiest Fruit Juice

2008-10-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

UCLA Study Lists Top Ten; Health Magazine Contributor Samantha Heller Discusses Them; All High In Antioxidants

Top ten juices:

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate is the healthiest of them all because it contains the most of every type of antioxidant. It wins in all categories. And it's thought that it might do some very good things; it may protect against some cancers, such as prostate cancer. It might also modify heart disease risk factors, and it could be healthy for your heart. So pomegranate was the clear winner.

Concord Grape Juice

Concord grape juice is a source of very potent antioxidants. And there's some research indicating it may be good for our hearts and also help reduce blood pressure. Grapes are also high in fiber, but much of their goodness is in the seed, so you need to consider whether grape juice is the way to go.

Blueberry Juice

The color alone indicates a lot of antioxidants. But blueberry juice also contains tons of fiber, and is also very high in Vitamin C. One of the qualities of antioxidants is that they can lower inflammation, and so there's some indication that blueberries may have some effect on age-related cognitive abilities. And don't forget that blueberries are very low in calories.

Black Cherry Juice

This one actually has scientists a bit excited. Not only is it high in antioxidants, but there is evidence that black cherry juice can actually diminish exercise-induced muscle injuries.

Cranberry Juice

Like all of these juices, it's high in antioxidants. But cranberry juice is also high in Vitamin C. And there's always been a sort of wives' tale that cranberry juice helps prevent urinary tract infections. Well, it turns out researchers are finding evidence that it actually can decrease the number of urinary tract infections. The thinking is, it helps stop bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall, protecting against infections.

2008-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here are my results from the 2008 Army 10 Miler. It was a very good experience this year. The water was plentiful, the gatorade was cold, the soldiers were inspiring, and the free bananas after the race were yellow and in abundance.

Bib

Name

Sex/Age

City, State, Country

7108

Khanna, Ravi

M32

Silver Spring, MD

Gun / Chip	Overall	Sex	Div	6.5Mi Split	Chip Time	Pace
1:47:49 / 1:29:43	6943 /18857	5227/10584	815/1520	1:00:20	1:29:43	8:58

Ravi and Friends at the end of the night, Gibson guitar VIP Party

2008-09-30T09:04:00.003-07:00

Ravi and Friends at the end of the night, Gibson guitar VIP Party
Originally uploaded by DC Shorts Film Festival

Brian and Ravi

2008-09-30T09:04:00.001-07:00

Brian and Ravi
Originally uploaded by DC Shorts Film Festival

Gibson Guitar VIP Party

2008-09-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

Gibson Guitar VIP Party
Originally uploaded by DC Shorts Film Festival

Gibson Guitar VIP Party

2008-09-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

Gibson Guitar VIP Party
Originally uploaded by DC Shorts Film Festival

Ravi Khana of Silver Spring, MD

2008-09-30T08:52:00.001-07:00

Ravi Khana of Silver Spring, MD
Originally uploaded by DC Shorts Film Festival

Pics from the 2008 D.C. Film Festival

My Speech at my Father's Funeral

2008-07-27T11:20:00.001-07:00

Thank you to my friends that have requested me to post this. I am honored to have friends interested in knowing what was said at my father's funeral and the interest in learning about my father's life. Everyone had such wonderful things to say about Dr. Khanna and we are so fortunate to be surrounded by such genuine people. Thank you to everyone.

Here is my speech:
While it is very painful to say goodbye to my father, I am comforted at what he has done for our family over the years and during his last few months. Like a dedicated teacher and scientist, he looked for every opportunity to learn and to teach me something. He helped my sister and I through homework. He helped my mom learn how to pay bills online. He helped me figure out a major, how to confront myself, and how our finest moments in life are only reached when we are challenged.

I promised him that we would celebrate his life and I would like to use his departure as an example of how he made the most of every situation. Like a true scientist, he studied what scared his family most about death. He took a mental catalog of what we were afraid of. He used the experience of an illness to teach his family how to be a family, how to focus, how to cope, how to grieve, and how to make the most of difficult situations.

I had the privilege and honor of being by his bedside for the last 5 weeks of his life. We talked about everything – academics, relationships, life, death, finances, materials, family, and love. He taught his family how to cope with death long before he passed. He orchestrated the past few months to have our family show how strong it could be and what it means to be a family. He was in complete control until the end and it gives me strength to know that he turned a very painful part of life into a very profound lesson. My fondest conversation with him was during these weeks. I told him how much I want to be his guardian and protect him and his legacy. I have built my identity being the professor’s son and we had become closer than ever while I attended college at the University of Maryland. I even chose a major close to his background so that I could better understand and appreciate his work (Chemical Engineering). He told me that our love was like a “black hole”, a dense object that keeps absorbing more and more, and can never be broken.

It looks like God just hired a new chemist. God, you apparently have some work for my father, and you obviously have a lab set up for him. I request that you provide him the following to maximize his happiness and productivity. Please give him his favorite simple pleasures in life: Please give him a bowl of Wheaties cereal with milk every morning. Please give him a spacious chemistry lab full of supplies and endless planetary IR spectroscopy problems to solve. Please give him a pet bird to fly freely in his lab – a red finch (his favorite bird). Please give him a dark grey sweater to keep warm. Please give him healthy vegetarian meals and a t.v. to watch WWF Wrestling and ZTV Kasam Se with my mom’s side commentary throughout each episode. Please give him a 5x10 Slate English billiards table to shoot pool. Please give him a pet dog (housetrained) to lick his face at night before going to sleep. Please give him the all of the love, laughter, and wonderful experiences he had in this life and more.

Thanks to mom for every prolonged, comfortable moment he had. We are all privileged and honored by every minute of his life. Seeing that my father was a professor for almost 40 years, I can only do justice to this speech by conveying some lecture points that he would want to teach others:
- Live honestly
- Work efficiently and make the most of every moment
- Cherish what you have
- Find a way to make others smile and find things that make you smile
- Contribute to this world and make time to enjoy your contributions

I will end this tribute to my father’s life and legacy by a very simple, profound comment he made when he was ill. He said one evening, “I know my cure” and he pointed up towards god.

Thank you all for touching Dr. Khanna’s life and for allowing him to touch yours.

Dad, I love you and I miss you so much. I will always do my best to honor you.

In Memory of My Father - Professor Emeritus Raj Khanna

2008-07-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

My Father recently passed away on June 30th, 2008 after a 4-month bout with a rare cancer. Although death and losing a parent is a natural part of life, there is nothing natural about the feelings I have. I feel as if someone has ripped part of me away from me. It is a sharp, seething pain.

A Biography of Dr. Raj Kumar Khanna (July 3rd, 1935 - June 3th, 2008):

Raj Khanna was born on July 3rd, 1935 to Mr. Harnam Das Khanna and Mrs. Lila Vati Kapoor. He attended City Element School followed by Dav Primary School in Lahore, United India. At the age of 12, he experienced the partition of India and Pakistan and moved to New Delhi India. He sold news papers for money. As a child, he enjoyed flying kites on his roof. My father enjoyed classical Indian music, instrumentals and bhajans.

He attended the University of Delhi to obtain a Bachelors of Science with Honors in Physics with a minor in Math & Chemistry. His hobbies included billiards and tennis. He went on to pursue a Masters of Science in Physics. My father went to the India Institute of Science in Bangalore, India where he earned his phd in Physical Chemistry/Chemical Physics. He worked with nobel prize winner Sivi Raman, who focused on optical properties of solids using infrared spectroscopy. After moving to the U.S. for doctoral work, he married my mom (Shukla Khanna). Because of his phd thesis in Vibration Spectroscopy, he was asked to become an associate professor at the University of Maryland in 1971. He later was established as a full professor in 1981.

He had his first child, a baby girl, Seema in 1970 and then a son, Ravi in 1976.

Professor Khanna came first to Oregon State University (1964) then to the University of Maryland as Research Associate (1964-67). He joined the faculty in 1967 and became professor in 1982. He became Emeritus faculty in 2003 and maintained research in infrared measurements with recent support from NASA. Having approximately 100 research publications, and having mentored 19 graduate students who obtained their advanced degrees, Raj Khanna contributed to this department's reputation in research and education.

While a fulltime professor, he headed the “Third World Foundation”, which was a collaborative effort between scientists and doctors to use IR Spectroscopy and other imaging techniques to locate and isolate geographical regions related to vector air-borne diseases. Throughout his career, he also was a primary consultant on government and commercial technologies related to NASA space exploration, weather satellite cloud scanning, and the use of Infrared Spectroscopy in Army Intelligence Satellite Imaging.

His favorite color was dark grey. His favorite class was trigonometry. His favorite animal was a baby cow. His favorite bird was a red finch.

At my father’s request, he was very clear that those around him should celebrate his life and not look at his departure in any way as a tragedy.

I thank everyone who has touched my father's life and I also thank all of those whose lives were touched by my father's.

I will miss him and love him forever. I will keep him alive in me by doing my best to live happily, honestly, and contributing as often and as much as possible to this world's well being.

Sony has lost over $3 billion on the PS3

2008-06-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Holy Snikeys, thats a ton of money to lose. Its a great console, and I just wish I played more games on it. The blu-ray movies are great!

The Fountain of Youth

2008-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have shown that four simple, combined behaviors could add 14 years to your life; enough to make almost any behavioral change seem worthwhile. The formula for living longer and reducing your risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses is easy:

Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes
Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day
Do not smoke
Drink alcohol in moderation

Dammit!!! Moderate drinking!!!

Women, Know Your Limits...

2008-06-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

Hilarious

2008-06-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I played the role of "Mike" in a funny little short film.

Microsoft Surface Parody

2008-06-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

The narration is hilarious.

Categorizing the Annoying Starbucks Personalities

2008-05-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

#8 is my favorite.

A $200 3G iPhone!!!

2008-05-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

AT&T shows thinking on new iPhone subsidy

10 Steps to Smarter Food Shopping

2008-05-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.rd.com/10-steps-to-smarter-food-shopping/article14569.html

1. Make a list.
Before you shop, write down what you need -- to reduce the chances of buying what you don't.

2. Limit your trips.
Make your shopping list long so you have to make only one or two trips to the store per week. Besides being more efficient, this provides less opportunity to make impulse purchases.

3. Avoid shopping on an empty stomach.
When you're hungry, you're more likely to grab high-fat snacks and desserts.

4. Follow the walls.
Limit browsing to the perimeter of the store, where you'll find the freshest, most healthful foods: raw produce, low-fat dairy products, fresh lean meats and fish. Venture into the interior aisles only when you're after specific foods such as pasta and dried beans, to avoid picking up extra items not included in your diet plan.

5. Pay attention to portions.
Those cookies look great -- and hey, eating them only costs you 75 calories. But check the serving size: 1 cookie. Eating "them," say three cookies -- brings your calorie count up to 225.

6. Ignore the pictures.
Golden sunshine glows on heaps of freshly harvested grains -- an image of good health that signifies nothing. Look at the side of the box instead for the facts, and choose foods that are high in fiber and low in fat and calories.

7. Grade your grains.
Want high-fiber bread? Look for the words "whole grain," "100 percent whole wheat," or "stone-ground" on the label. Breads labeled simply "wheat" -- even if they are brown in color -- may not contain whole grains. True whole-grain bread contains at least two grams of fiber per serving.

8. Watch the language.
Beware of foods labeled "no sugar added" -- the wording is carefully chosen, because the product may be loaded with natural sugar. You'll find the real story on the label, under "Sugars."

9. Add some spice to your life.
Instead of creamy condiments, load up on such spices as basil, chives, cinnamon, cumin, curry, garlic, ginger, horseradish, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, parsley, and Tabasco sauce. They're very low in carbohydrates, fat, protein, and calories.

10. Keep your eye on the cashier.
You're waiting in line, nothing to do -- a captive audience. It's no accident that supermarkets pile their impulse items next to the registers. Keep a couple of items from your basket in your hands. It'll stop you from reaching for the candy bars.

3G iPhone-June 9, 2008

2008-05-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Report: 3G iPhone Coming June 9

two-thirds of the world's polar bears may disappear within the next 50 years

2008-05-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

As many as two-thirds of the world's polar bears may disappear within the next 50 years, as Arctic sea ice melts due to global warming.

Hang in there, Knut, Flocke, and Wilbaer...

Indians Find U.S. at Fault in Food Cost

2008-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

..."if Americans slimmed down to the weight of middle-class Indians, “many hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa would find food on their plates.”"

The Nissan Pavillion Radiohead Concert

2008-05-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I went...worst concert experience ever. I love Radiohead, bu I hate Nissan Pavillion and the weather was the ultimate killer. Rajeev, Sandeep and had actual "seats", but we were close enough to the edge that the rain came down on us as if we were completely uncovered.

I have never been that soaked in my life...not even when swimming in the ocean.

3G iPhone confirmed in Italy

2008-04-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

3G iPhone confirmed in Italy without revenue sharing?

by Thomas Ricker, posted Apr 21st 2008 at 5:51AM

We've been avoiding the 3G iPhone rumor mongering as much as possible recently. After all, we know it's coming as both AT&T and Apple have confirmed. Now this: one of Italy's most respected newspapers, La Repubblica (like the WSJ with red sauce), is claiming in no uncertain terms that the 3G iPhone is coming shortly to Telecom Italia without a revenue sharing deal and without long-term exclusivity. If true, this change in strategy opens the doors for a true, global, 3G iPhone launch on UMTS networks around the world come summer time.

We contacted Telecom Italia who refuse to comment on the matter.

Coffee Makes You Dehydrated: Say What?

2008-04-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Moderate caffeine consumption won’t dehydrate you and can actually help you reach your overall daily fluid intake.

In other news: Flocke Learns To Swim

2008-04-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

Shock as Knut the Polar Bear Kills For Food

2008-04-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

Awwww, he's still a cute Polar Bear. The Poor guy is probably lonely.

Daniel Craig in "Quantum of Solace"

2008-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

I one day shall achieve that look with the t-shirt and jeans

Daily caffeine 'protects brain'

2008-04-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

"Coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body, research suggests."

2008 Suntrust National Half Maraton

2008-03-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

My National Marathon (Half-Marathon) race...it was my best time ever, but my chip didn't register! Thank god for Nikeplus...

Study: Big belly could carry bigger dementia risk

2008-03-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Having a big belly in your 40s can boost your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease or other dementia decades later, a new study suggests.

my 10.71 mile run

2008-03-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Who should you really be voting for!?

2008-03-12T07:52:00.001-07:00

http://electoralcompass.com/

Oldest Marathoner Ever

2008-03-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

"Martin, who had 17 children and returned to work at the age of 99 saying he was bored after two years of retirement, would beat the previous record for world’s oldest marathon runner by eight years."

20 Stress Fixes for Better Sleep

2008-03-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Tips for the Hurried

Target the enemy
Put your work in perspective
Take charge of your gadgets
Do with less
Give a nod to a nap
Recognize yourself
Check out comedy central
Cut yourself some slack
Plant an herb garden
Take fido to bed
Connect
Forgive the past
Catch up
Get physical
Find spiritual friends
Ditch the multitasking
Choose not to get angry
Cover the basics

2008-03-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

My Sunday 6 mile run

Top Healthy Fast-Food Breakfasts

2008-03-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

McDonalds!? Nice....

9.01 mile run today (Feb 24, 1008)

2008-02-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

I still keep slowing down...

8.01 mile run last week (Feb 16, 2008)

2008-02-24T13:33:00.001-08:00

what the hell...I keep slowing down.

Whole grains may curb belly fat, inflammation

2008-02-24T08:32:00.001-08:00

article

Baby Flocke

2008-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like some pictures of a baby polar bear sleeping and playing to help one unwind. This gal is lovin' life.

The ol' Baby On the Corner Trick

2008-02-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

Feeling down? Nothing like a Dave Schappelle moment to give you a good laugh:

Researchers devise coffee machine that can tell good coffee from bad

2008-02-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Finally...someone can figure out if Peet's Coffee trumps Starbucks. People knock Starbucks, but I definitely enjoy buying their coffee by the pound and brewing it at home. The Linus would agree. They became a coffee giant because they're good at finding great coffees...so, why hate them?

Then again, I only get drip coffee and not the $5 drinks...so I don't feel ripped off unlike most of their consumers.

Snowboarding in Tahoe

2008-02-14T07:21:00.001-08:00

IMG_1548
Originally uploaded by ravi_khanna

This is a pic from my most recent snowboarding trip to Lake Tahoe. We boarded in Northstar...but I hope to go back and hit Heavenly next time! Beautiful scenery. The terrain is comparable to Winter Park, CO...but the view of the lake really sets apart the experience in Tahoe.

AT&T plans major 3G expansion ahead of second-gen iPhone

2008-02-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

Its on the way!

AOL Acquires Widget Startup Goowy

2008-02-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Possibly the most important blog I have ever posted. Congrats to our boy Sashi Parasher Bommakanty on the AOL Aquisition of Goowy. I am so proud of you, brother. You persevered through the hardships, you were open to change, and you put everything you had into it. You deserve it and may this be the beginning of many successful ventures.

Miss. law would ban serving obese diners

2008-02-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

Apple Adds New iPhone & iPod touch Models

2008-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Damn! Its not the 3G model...but I know its on the way! I just hope this crap phone lasts in the interim.

Breaking News: Baby Polar Bear 'Flocke' Crawls!

2008-01-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Flocke!

Yahoo! - Healthy Take-Out Options

2008-01-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Article here.

Mexican

Bad Guys

Sour cream - Let's be honest, it's pretty tasteless. And it has over three times the fat content of vanilla ice cream! If you must have something creamy, try a little guac for a healthier alternative. (It's still full of fat, but at least it's monounsaturated.)
Chorizo - Eleven grams of fat per ounce, four of them saturated. Yikes!
Chips - Can you really eat just one? Didn't think so.

Good Guys

Grilled fish - Say hola to this low-fat, heart-healthy choice.
Salsa - Not only is it fat-free, but one-half cup of it also counts as a full serving of veggies.
Grilled chicken fajitas - Skip the tortillas and you're really being virtuous.

Italian

Bad Guys

Fried calamari - Would you eat a heaping plate of donuts right before dinner? Deep-six the deep-fried.
Alfredo sauce - Instant food coma alert: One serving can contain over 30 grams of fat! Are you really going to want a whole plate of something that heavy?
Garlic bread - Take the empty calories of white bread and add a little garlic and a lot of butter and what do you get? A little fatter than you were before you ordered it.

Good Guys

Marinara sauce - Packed with flavor and the antioxidant lycopene -- and virtually fat-free.
Parmesan cheese - Add a lot of flavor at just over a gram of fat per tablespoon.
Prosciutto or carpaccio - These super-thin sliced meats (ham and raw beef, respectively) are leaner than you think.

Sushi

Bad Guys

Tempura - A pretty way to say deep-fried.
Yellowfin and bluefin tuna - Steer clear of these sky-high mercury-level fishes.
Spicy tuna roll - Packed with mayo, which is packed with fat. And it's high in mercury.

Good Guys

Sashimi - Riceless fish. You can't get much better than that. Just stay away from tuna (high mercury) and eel (high fat and calories).
Cucumber roll - At zero grams of fat and 136 calories, now you're talking.
Miso soup - Like yogurt, miso promotes good bacteria in the body as well as being low in fat and calories.

Chinese

Bad Guys

Sweet and sour pork - Keep your fork away from this pork -- a typical serving contains twice as much fat as in a quarter-pounder.
Fried rice - The word fried is right in the name, so don't be surprised when it shows up drenched in oil -- and calories.
General Tso's chicken - Almost 900 calories and 40 grams of fat per serving? Just say no to General Tso!

Good Guys

Steamed or lightly stir-fried veggies - Keep it simple, keep it healthy.
Steamed brown rice - Fat-free and sodium-free fiber boost.
Chopsticks - They'll make you eat more slowly so you get the chance to feel full.
Fortune cookies - A sweet fat-free treat for only 30 calories.

Pizza

Bad Guys

Pepperoni - Want to save three grams of fat per serving? Then skip the pepperoni.
Extra cheese - High in saturated fat and sodium. If you want to have something extra on your pizza, how about extra veggies or extra red pepper flakes?
Deep dish - Are you having dinner or going into hibernation?

Good Guys

Cheese-free pizza - Delicious on its own, or add your own Parmesan at home for a lower-fat alternative to traditional pies.
Thin crust - Fewer calories, fewer empty carbs.
Extra napkins - Use them to pat the pizza dry, absorbing excess oil (read: fat) from the cheese.

Indian

Bad Guys

Mango chutney - This unassuming Indian mainstay packs 60 calories per tablespoon.
Chicken korma - You knew the creamy goodness couldn’t be light on your hips, but did you know it could be almost 900 calories a serving?
Samosas and naan - They may seem like little nibbles, but a serving of each adds up to the nutritional cost of an average meal. Try ordering roti, a smaller round bread, instead.

Good Guys

Tandoori chicken - The quintessential Indian dish is only 300 calories a serving. Filling and fantastic.
Daal - Lentil dishes are high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants and low in calories.
Aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower curry) - A great choice at 300 calories. Veggie curries taste just as good as the lamb and beef versions but pack half as many calories.