Twelve.

Day 12, Downtown Hamilton.

"He put another parable before them, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of the seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.'"

- Matthew 13:31-32.

You are what you eat.

Day 11. Welcome, New Poster.

"Test your servants for ten days;
let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink."

"At the end of the ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food."

- Daniel 1:12,15.

Thanksgiving

Day 10, Canadian Thanksgiving. (The real and more awesome one).

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving; and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations."

- Psalms 100:4-5.

Beautiful Eight and Nine

It's been a crazy, beautiful weekend. There is much to be thankful for, from the amazing weather to the wonderful wedding of my cousin Judy and Michael! I haven't had much computer time in the past two days, so I'll combine my posts:

A traditional pre-wedding bowl of noodles:

"This is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that one may eat of it and not die."

- John 6:50.

A picture worth a lifetime of words:

A wedding classic:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast;
it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends."

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.

Day 7.

"Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favour is a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning."

- Psalm 30:4-5.

And they come again.

Day 6: McMaster Engineering and Science Olympics 2011.
Attending three years ago was without a doubt a significant influence on my university choices. 

"For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven."
- Ecclesiastes 3:1.

Vote, and Vote Liberal

Results of May 2, 2011.

For the third time in twelve months, it's election time. Last October, municipalities across Ontario voted for their city government. Hamilton turned down former mayor Larry DiAnni and elected Mayor Bob Bratina, while Toronto rejected the path of David Miller and ushered in Mayor Rob Ford, boosted by the city's suburbs countering George Smitherman's downtown support. Months later, Canadians returned to their local schools, community centres, and churches to cast their ballots for aspiring Members of Parliament. While Stephen Harper stayed constant, we saw a huge shift in federal politics - a majority government for the first time in seven years, an NDP-led opposition, a crushed and leaderless team of Liberals, and the demise of the Bloc Quebecois. Oh, and Elizabeth May won her seat!

Both Hamilton (my school home) and Toronto (my home home) are changed cities. Nothing revolutionary, but different nonetheless. Toronto's shift to the far right began with tax cuts rarely seen in recent years, but the city is now battling over service cuts, or "efficiencies". Meanwhile, Hamilton has been adjusting to the Mayor Bratina, dealing with issues including a proposed "rain tax" and the mayor's lack of commitment to plans for Light Rail Transit.

Obligatory Parliament Hill Picture.

Whether we like it or not, politicians have a dynamic effect on our lives - whether it's through education, healthcare, communications regulations, or fundamental human rights issues including citizen's arrest and privacy. Races can be decided by a surprisingly low amount of votes: Etobicoke-Centre was decided by 26 votes this past May. Every vote has some say.

Democratic governments, as inefficient as they can sometimes be (re: American Congress), is even worse when it grows stale. Thus, each election campaign seems to follow the same formula, with opposition parties advocating for change, like Obama's campaign of '08. This leaves the incumbent camp defending its own policies, while throwing in some new incentives to match the competitors' promises. Despite some of the appeal in the PC's Changebook, the NDP's Plan for Affordable Change, and the Green Party's "It's Time (Five Point Plan)", here's three main reasons why the Liberals have my vote on October 6:

1) They've done well in the last few years.
The last couple years have not been easy for any government in the world, but the Ontario Liberals have done reasonably well. Our education system has improved, and full day kindergarten has been introduced. The introduction of the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) was successful, unlike the costly chaos in British Columbia.  Of course, no one likes taxes - but this tax is a simplification of our previous tax system that makes it a single value-added tax, a much better environment for businesses. Note that this change was also a goal of the Federal Conservatives, and that none of the three other parties wish to remove the HST, though the NDP has suggested removing the provincial portion of the tax from gasoline. I think this move would be a step in the wrong direction - tax breaks should not be used for pollutants and would be counter-intuitive to their environmental initiatives. The whole idea of a carbon tax is to place a charge on pollution-heavy materials and encourage green alternatives.

The next couple years aren't going to be easy either, but I place more trust in a government led by a returning Premier that has already weathered a recession. Yes, the current government still faces inefficiencies, and not all promises from previous elections have been fulfilled, but the Liberals under Dalton McGuinty have been moving in the right direction. On the other side, there are two parties with new leaders who insert the word "change" in almost every sentence. Change for the sake of change is not good enough, and most of the "new" policies are simply a dismantling of Liberal initiatives, usually a costly exercise of its own. Along with the Progressive Conservatives' lack of appreciation for statistics (and yes, I'm still upset with the voluntary long form census), I'm also concerned in the continual insistence that Ontario is plagued with "the war on the car" when a study has already indicated that a new highway is not necessary at this time.

Simply put, change for the sake of change can put us in a messy position. Given the tough years ahead, let's elect someone who has the experience to keep Ontario strong in the coming years. Lastly, the Liberals have remained committed to uploading municipal costs to the province until 2018. Tim Hudak has not been able to promise the same. Given the financial situations of our cities, they need a committed provincial government, and I believe that the Liberals would be the best choice.


2) Realistic support for education and students.
As a student, education is definitely one of the top issues, especially since post-secondary schools are largely funded and regulated by the provincial government. Rising tuition is obviously the big problem, though I feel that none of the parties address this well. Of course, it's a lot easier to throw money at the issue. The NDP and the Green Party have promised to freeze tuition immediately (along with transit costs), and allow the tuition to rise no higher than the rate of inflation. Losses will be payed by the government. The Liberals will allow the universities to continue raising tuition at a maximum of 5% per year, while giving $1600/ per year to students from middle to low income households. Both have their pros and cons; the Liberals give current students more immediate relief but don't address the tuition problem at all. The NDP strategy puts more pressure on universities to reduce costs; this burden may hamper the quality of education.

Outside of tuition issues, both the PCs and the Liberals promise more or less the same. Full-day kindergarten and more post-secondary education spaces. The Liberal platform is more or less a continuation of its current policies. The changebook promises to increase the transferability of credits among universities, a real issue that is finally being addressed. The insistence on removing the already small-percentage of scholarships for international students concerns me though. Using the term "foreign" as a negative term appears to be a theme in their platform.

Riding specific thoughts:
Scarborough-Agincourt: Soo Wong, as a public school trustee for the riding for the last 5 years, she has been actively involved in the community and is familiar with our education system, albeit at a elementary and secondary school level. This background should definitely help her with dealing with education on the level of the provincial government.

Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale: Ted McMeekin, MPP for the riding for the last eight years, has had plenty of experience working with McMaster and even the McMaster Student's Union. With clear endorsements from former executive members, including 2010-2011 President Mary Koziol and VP Academic Joe Finkle, Ted's re-election would ensure continued contact between McMaster and the Ontario Government. Progressive-Conservative candidate Donna Skelly, was not even able to attend the on-campus all-candidates debate.


3) Avoiding the Conservative Trifecta for Health Care - 2014.
My third and last point is my concern that having Conservative leadership at all three levels of government (if I consider Toronto my home) would close public discussion and result in more backroom deals. Prime Minister Harper, Mayor Ford and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty have already some lovely BBQ times, and are just waiting for the addition of another Conservative.

Our health care system is up for major reform in 2014 when the current ten-year contract ends. Dalton McGuinty was the one who last discussed these issues in 2004. Not only does he have the experience, he has shown himself to be willing to disagree with the Prime Minister and demand more from the Federal Government. With a Conservative trifecta, concessions would likely be made as each government aims to support the others without a fight.


Ultimately, be informed. As I've said, politics has a rather dynamic impact on our lives, even if we don't see it on a day to day basis. So get out tomorrow, learn more about your candidates, and Vote!

Day 5

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

- Ephesians 5:15-16.

A late fourth day

Day four:

"Do not labour for the food that parishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal."

- John 6:27.

Under a Rock

Day 3:

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."

- Matthew 7:24-25.

Heading Back to the Hammer

Day 2:

"Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.'"

- Genesis 11:4.

And later on... "And the LORD said, 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.' So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth". - Genesis 11:6-9. 

Project Genesis

I've only posted three times in the last two months, but I'm back! A busy third year is already well underway, and as I slowly accustom myself to getting up for daily 8:30 classes and adjust to the school routine. Already halfway through my undergrad degree (hopefully), there's a lot going on right now: the hunt for a thesis supervisor has begun, while plans for post artsci years have begun to materialize. We also celebrated the Arts & Science Programme's thirtieth year anniversary last weekend, and the third year biochemists have kept busy with our 3P03 projects. A side-project has also been setting up the website for the Taiwanese Human Rights Association of Canada. It frequently slips onto the backburner, so I figure writing it here will bring me back to work on it, but feel free to give me any suggestions if you have any!

This post feels a little strange since I am used to writing in past tense. Writing a daily post usually involves detailing the days events, and many of my postings follow that pattern. But today's a day for the present because I am shifting the purpose of this site once again. (I have not given up on the Essay-a-Week posts yet! I think I'm only two posts from the end...).

I was recently inspired by Matt Cutt's short TED talk: "Try something new for 30 days", embedded below. Simply put, thirty days is a good indicator for trying to add a daily habit - it's short enough to commit to it daily (i.e. a year might be too much), and long enough to see if it's practical. 

Updating this site daily is something I said I'd do a couple times, though I've never pulled it off. But I'll try again this October, and try to hit two birds with this project. So here's what to expect each day for the rest of the month, and if I successfully complete it, perhaps I'll find something new to try next month!

Project Genesis, named for being the first project, and because of the nature of the task.

Each day, I aim to:

1) Post a picture I've taken that day with my phone. 

2) Accompany that picture with a Bible Verse. The verse (or verses) must be found via a paper copy and typed out, not by Googling a description of my picture and finding an adequate verse.

The goal is to have a greater appreciation, and be more observant, of the world around me, as I pause and take the time to take a picture of something. Also, as I take part in Christian Fellowship at school, I want to refocus some of my daily time into reflecting in God's Word. 

So here's day 1:

A gift from my Housemate - a Bible with a customized biochem-themed cover.

ASX-ILE-ASX-LEU-GLU. Thanks, Jer.

"Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said,
'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.'"

- Genesis 28:16. 

Lawsuit Up

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 9

"July 1st: Ideas I've Outgrown"

No one goes through life without revising some of their opinions. Take some time to reflect on some of the beliefs you’ve had to revise in your lifetime, and the importance those beliefs held for you at the time.

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

Well, I bring my Canada Day post to you on this early October day, out of order and weeks late. I previously stated I had trouble with this topic - partially because I don't have a full record of my beliefs when I was much younger, and I consider most of my ideas today to have evolved gradually over the last couple years, i.e. no sudden changes that would be of much interest to you.

One revelation that I had earlier intended to be the focus of this essay was the gaps in our education system. Partially inspired by a fellow challenge blog's post on education reform, I watched "Waiting for Superman" (and could lend it to anyone who wants to see it), and have thought about the pitfalls and potholes in our system. Aside from the waves of students slipping through the cracks of our schools, the highway overall is in drastic need of repair, to the extent that demolishing even our basic foundations and rebuilding may be the best option. A shorter info-video on education reform by RSA animations can be found here. 

While I'm very interested in the ideas of education reform, my opinions are preliminary, and I will save them for a later time. But the education system falls in a category of "things that seemed wonderful when I was young, but no longer seem so good". I was blessed with decent schools and hardworking teachers, and it was easy to admire (homework aside) the public education system, but I have also come to understand the gripping reality of alarmingly high drop out rates, and the many students who were unable to grasp fundamental concepts in math, science, and English. 

I'll move on to another formal part of our society that used to "seem wonderful", well, as wonderful as patents can seem. Like public education, intellectual property is a government effort to develop a national standard and serve its citizens in their best interests. Inventors and entrepreneurs are rewarded for their aspiring ideas, and maintain a "right" over their creation. This system a) encourages people to innovate, and b) discourages direct mimicking and encourages differentiation for increased competition. More competition and more inventions lead not only to better technology for the public, but lower prices too.

Patents are supposed to be this achievement that inventors strive for - you come up with a great idea, fool around with prototypes, get your patent, and make millions/change the industry. Today's patent system is far from this ideal, filled with patent trolls, abuse, and lawsuits/counter-suits that defeat the purpose of the entire system. Throw in a modern market that emerged after the development of IP laws, say the software industry, and you see how broken and outdated patent law has become.

What is... patent abuse? Or TORONTO??????

Patent trolls are companies that develop or buy patents (often from companies going bankrupt) and never use them, generating revenue by waiting for other businesses to infringe on their patents and then suing. For example, Toronto's very own i4i received a patent in 1993 for incorporating xml into word processors. The relatively generic concept sat rather undisturbed until a few years ago, when i4i sued Microsoft for the use of xml in Microsoft Word and ultimately won a $300 million reward. These companies, and the countless other patent trolls, don't help the industry because they don't provide the services/goods to the consumers - instead, they charge those who are actually trying to innovate, or force them to find potentially more expensive workarounds.

Then you have companies that horde up patents over the years and use this power to crush any opposition. There's perhaps some anti-trust issues, and quickly these businesses become abusive. I'll let this quote from an IBM lawyer speak for itself:

"OK, maybe you don't infringe these seven patents. But we have 10,000 U.S. patents. Do you really want us to go back to Armonk [IBM headquarters in New York] and find seven patents you do infringe? Or do you want to make this easy and just pay us $20 million?" - IBM lawyers to Sun Microsystems, in the latter company's early years. Sun paid it off. 

Microsoft has currently used this technique to force Android hardware makers to pay a licensing fee, even though Microsoft hasn't contributed to this open source, free software. The company's currently making $5-$15 dollars from Samsung and HTC for every Android phone sold (totalling tens of millions per month) and is currently in a lawsuit with Motorola. In fact, Microsoft is making significantly more money by suing companies using Android freeware than by selling its own Windows Phone 7 software.

Lastly, with today's mobile industry, we've departed from a world where competitors aim to build the best products and entered an industry marked with lawsuits.

Image from Design Language News,
featured in this article on The Guardian.

Just a list of some of the ridiculous/frivolous tech lawsuits in the last few years:

• Apple sued Samsung for "a black rectangular device with all four corners equally rounded" and for the "use of a tray that cradles products to make them immediately visible upon opening the box." Lawsuit in progress.
• Samsung sued Apple for the ability to use internet while making a call. 
• Apple sued Amazon for the use of the term "appstore". Apple lost. 
• Samsung is rumoured to be suing Apple to ban the sale of the iPhone 5 in South Korea, before the phone is even released. Probably as revenge with the Galaxy Phones/Tab being blocked in Europe because of Apple lawsuits.
• And perhaps a future frivolous lawsuit: Google has patented its doodle, as a "method of enticing users to a web site."

Yes, I did just turn a "ideas I've outgrown" essay into a full-scale rant on our patent system. But I think this is just one example of how my worldview has changed since I was ten. There are a lot of problems in the world that aren't apparent when you're younger - a teacher who smiles a lot seems like a good-enough indication of a successful school board. But now, cracks in the system have begun to appear, and I expect to see and learn more as I fly through my twenties. It's a bit saddening at times, but a world in need of repair is arguably each generation's greatest motivation to continue striving to make the world a better place. Let's get to work.

Ribosomes

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 14

"August 5th: Theory vs Practice"

There’s the hypothesis and the experiment; the proof and the calculation; the blueprint and the end result. Do you work better with theories or their applications? What do you think modern education stresses more? Do you think these methods could be improved?

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

The terms 'theory' and 'practice' bring me back to a time of piano lessons and examinations. Each Royal Conservatory level above six required both a practical performance test and a written music theory exam. I had a strong tendency (there was one exception) of achieving higher scores on the theory portion, though this observation is misleading since it's much harder to get a very high mark on a performance test. Even if I was able to factor in my percentile in each respective test, I don't think I would be able to compare my ability to comprehend theories and apply them in practice, and here's why.

I see theory and practice as two separate entities, connected much like genes and their respective proteins. DNA is the cell's way of storing information, and these codes are cut, transcribed, edited, translated, and edited some more before the cell apples its genetic code as enzymes - the machines that run the cell. A theory implies its applications, but practices don't necessarily imply their theories - i.e. you can build a protein if you know its genetic code, but you can't decode a DNA sequence given a protein, even if you're given its amino acid sequence.

A cell cannot function with DNA alone, but most functions can proceed with the presence of proteins. It doesn't matter how the cell obtained the protein - whether it was synthesized, absorbed, or provided artificially - a given protein will perform its function even if the cell doesn't have the gene. Same goes for theory and practice: I can play piano if I learn musical techniques without learning any music theory, but I can't play if I only know music theory. Theory must be applied before it can produce results, as DNA is only useful if it can be transcribed and translated as protein.

Physics tells us how sounds are produced, and how our ears respond to these vibrations. Analysis of waves and their frequencies suggest which combinations of tones are pleasant to hear. Musical theory interprets physics as notes and scales, forming guidelines for writing music of a certain style and creating masterpieces of art (and arguably mathematics) with beautiful harmonies and counterpoint. If you've studied all this theory, great - you can apply it in your songwriting, but great music has been created for millennia without this knowledge. Regardless of your understanding of theory, your work will be measured by your ability to apply your skills.

Speaking of mathematical art masterpieces, here's Bach's Crab Canon.

Or, simply put, you can't quantify your ability to work with theory - that is an application, or practise, in itself. A theory test is really just a method of quantifying one's ability to put recall thoughts and apply them as you answer questions. One can have a great understanding of music and still bomb a written test. But while I can't really state whether I (or anyone) works better with theory or applications, I can write about their significance in our education system.

When it comes down to marks, school is a test of a student's ability to apply. English students must be able to put their thoughts into essay-form, math students solve problems, biochemists conduct experiments and write reports, and musicians practice and perform. Without a doubt, there is a strong stress on applying one's skills to the task at hand.

Compared to "the real world", however, education is by far the main source of theory. Kinematic equations, the structure of a Shakespearean play, and game theory are rarely used at work, but are commonplace at a high school. Students are told to read tomes of textbooks and learn about the histories of thought that led to today's current model of the atom and the development of the English Language. School is a place for theory, though only the application of this knowledge is measured.

A Translation Party, or Translation Fiesta?

While both theory and practice are important to today's students, the most important element to take away from education isn't the DNA or their related protein products - it's the ribosomes. I feel that teachers today place an added emphasis on the ability to apply theories into applications, instead of just working with each individually. It's easy just to hand out tests, and even easier to recite the textbooks, but the best teachers are those that coach you between the two steps.

I've gone on long enough and won't detail how education can be improved, but I know that the process of application is an important component, if not the most vital part, of learning. With the internet, finding a good explanation of theory is clicks away, from a length Wikipedia article to a 10 minute lecture from the Khan Academy. When it comes to real world application skills, say the proper incision technique or figuring out that piece of office software, people will pick it up at the workplace/training in days - you don't need 12+ years to teach that to students.

Education solely based on rote memorization is bound to leave students that fail to leave a mark in the world, while those who only learn techniques will fail when the world changes around them. With all this time spent at school (by the time most people finish a Bachelor's Degree, they are more than 25% through their life), educators should stress the process of turning theory into practice. With the ribosome's components in place, you'll be able to translate any protein from any strand of DNA, no matter how foreign.

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for years,
until there are no more fish.
Show a man how to develop hunting tools,
and he'll feed a civilization.

August Update

With an end to an 18-day post drought, I apologize to any following readers for the not-so-awkward silence. I have been rather busy for the last couple weeks, mainly focussing on wrapping up my research at the summer lab and presenting my research, saying goodbye to my friends and family that I've had the pleasure of meeting in the last two months, watching Falling Skies, doing practice MCAT tests, and planning (and enjoying) a brief road trip as my family heads Northbound back to Toronto with stops in Atlantic City, New York, and Rochester. Oh, and I've been keeping up with news on Taiwan born pitcher, a former Yankees ace, Chien Ming Wang, who picked up his first major league win Tuesday, on his third start after two long years of rehab!

That said, I'm currently staying in Little Taipei, New York City (aka Flushing, Brooklyn) until tomorrow night before arriving back in Toronto for a final stretch MCAT study period. I'll see what posts I can get done, but I offer few guarantees until the last week of August. I still intend to finish every essay though - you have my word. Hope everyone's enjoying their summer!

p.s. had legit Bubble Tea yesterday. I've never felt so close to Taiwan outside of Taiwan until now.

Around the World in 80 Species

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 13

"July 29th: Kids stuff that's still awesome"

There are plenty of things made for kids that adults still love. Whether it’s a favourite cartoon, game or book, take a trip down memory lane and tell us why this stuff is still awesome.

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

Those who have friended me on Facebook or have added me to their Circles on Google+ have probably met Casper at some point or another. To the right, he rests on his cyclohexane chair, made from the molecular modelling set that arguably serves as Lego for chemistry students.

Casper was named after the subspecies Panthera tigris virgata, more commonly known as the Caspian tiger. Though these tigers reportedly went extinct in the 1950s, recent evidence suggests that the Caspians were nearly genetically identical to today's [critically endangered] Siberian tigers, and the subspecies status has since been removed. This slap in the face was rather harsh for Casper, much akin to how you felt on August 24, 2006 when the IAU decided to demote Pluto's planet status, assuming you were named Pluto.

I actually haven't had Casper for too long, and arguably he's not much of a trip down memory lane since I don't usually let him get too far from me. Besides, this week's topic is "kids stuff that's still awesome"; Casper belongs in the circle of "kids stuff that's beyond awesome". Instead, I'll talk about tigers in general, and other animals as well, which can all be seen at your local zoo.

I'm well aware that the zoo is not always a great place for animals. Poor living conditions, small artificial habitats, and unsuitable outdoor climates are challenges that all zoos face, assuming the animals can put through with the shock of people culture and escape the death of sheer boredom. Even in the best zoos, animals still need to face the monster that is the zoo visitor, specifically the one that won't stop tapping on the glass. Nevertheless, there are pluses for the animals as well - artificial breeding is usually a last resort to the dwindling few members of an endangered species - and zoos can even be a refuge for animals who have lived in even worse conditions or have been orphaned and would not be able to survive on their own.

I'm not sure if the pros outweigh the cons, but let's pass over the issue for the time being, because either way, I still find zoos a wonderful place to be, especially if you're a kid. There is little doubt that today's zoos are made for children. Working in the Toronto Zoo for a summer kids (and consequently their parents) are the zoo's major clients - exhibits, displays, and shows are all geared towards younger audiences. A brief glimpse around the zoo and you'll see mobs of children from camps of all sorts, and rows of tiny kids sitting on those pricey Zoomobiles.

[*in, not at, since I was technically with food services and dealing with the two most annoying creatures at the zoo: seagulls and little children who insist on feeding and attracting seagulls.]

For a kid, the zoo is an amazing place. Speaking for the Toronto Zoo, it's the closest you can get to travelling the world without leaving your hometown. Animals are often geographically gathered so that you can jump from continent to continent, and who doesn't enjoy watching animals? Especially since animals make up a significant part of elementary school education, forming the basics of vocabulary in earlier years and the pillars of biology in upper years, a trip to the zoo offers great exposure to the outside world. And it's lots of fun.

But zoos are still awesome for those past their monkey-see monkey-do prime. Despite the steep entry fees for the Toronto Zoo, it's still a great escape from the city at a relatively cheap cost. Plus, despite the many displays targeted towards children, there is always something new to discover at the zoo for people of all ages - a cool species you've never heard of, a new type of beautiful fish, or a new fact about an animal you've always been curious about.

I also find the zoo to be an inspirational place - not so much due to the sounds of the birds and the monkeys or the not-so-subtle smells of manure - but as a place to see the beauty of the animals around us. Diversity is a wonderful thing, and it can even be humbling as you notice that each species, if not subspecies, has its own story to tell. I always find myself asking lots of questions - why is that animal coloured that way, how are these two animals communicating with each other, what is this animal thinking right now with all these people observing?

I still thoroughly enjoy the zoo, very much. Even in my university years, I visit frequently enough, seeing the Taipei Zoo last summer, passing by the Central Park Zoo in June, and exploring the Washington National Zoo just days ago. I don't think I'll tire of them anytime soon, and I believe that seeing all these other animals from all over the world is a rather uniquely human experience - for people of all ages.

Beethoven Returns

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 12

"July 22nd: Words to live up to"

There are words to live by – quotations which we try to embody in day to day life. Then there are words to live up to – the principles which we try to uphold, but which we often fall short of. Pick one of those quotations which you aspire towards. Why do you feel you fall short of its aim? Why is it worth living up to?

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

You could read my post below, or you could just read the quote, take it in, and move on with your life. That's really just the highlight of this all.

Beethoven on my blog is like the four note motif in his Fifth Symphony - he just keeps coming back. A quick search of my blog (Google to the left! i.e. sidebar, top) shows ten posts mentioning him (though now it'll be eleven), including four (now five) of the essay-a-week essays. I will post a word cloud when I get to the end of the summer...

There is much in the composer to aspire towards, but I really don't see the need for a second extensive post detailing how awesome Beethoven is. Great compositions aside, below is a quote by Beethoven that defines the principles I try to uphold:

"Then let us all do what is right,
strive with all our might toward the unattainable,
develop as fully as we can the gifts God has given us,
and never stop learning."

Why are these words worth living up to? Well, seeing that the quote is essentially combining a lot of commonly agreed on ideals, it's hard to say that these words are not worth living up to. Declaring that we should all "do what is wrong, ignore what is unattainable, repress as fully as we can the gifts God has given us, and stop learning" wouldn't be a very positive notion. Simply put, these words tell us to always do our best, and to become the best that we can be. It's a big task, so Beethoven gives us four key tips for getting there.

First, we must do what is right. In my opinion, things that are right are things that improve our lives and the lives of others. If we stay on track with good intentions, people will build closer and stronger communities, and we will be happier overall. Of course, the phrase is easier said than done - doing the "right" thing is often cloudy and our imperfect judgement makes it difficult to choose the better deed, while bad deeds are often tempting. Nevertheless, I try to live up to this phrase by doing things with good intentions, a judgement that improves as I learn from my mistakes. After all, we're reminded at the end of the quote to never stop learning, and as time goes on, it will be easier to know what is right. To do the right thing, however, takes another leap.

With good intentions, the next step is to "strive with all our might towards the unattainable". Throughout Beethoven's repertoire, he explores new instruments and arrangements; each successive piece seems to command greater emotion and energy. His final frontier was music, and he pushed through with his ninth and final symphony. The same applies to us: we each have interests that we are pursuing, and in order to collectively move our respective fields forward, we owe it to our studies to do as much as we can. I don't think I've done very well with this in the last few years - it's so easy to take comfort in the status quo. It takes a lot of effort to set your goals just beyond your reach so that you're always reaching, but in order to truly make a difference in a world (which seems unattainable as well), one must actually set the goal of doing so. [In other words, acceptable is nowhere near good enough - one needs to be exceeding expectations, if not outstanding.]

The next piece of the puzzle tells us to use our natural talents. Everyone has something unique to contribute to a group - there are few things more saddening than seeing great talent go to waste. Plus, if you're doing something that you're naturally skilled at, you feel less stressed and can find a job that makes more out of what you enjoy - everyone benefits. It's just good economics.

Lastly, never stop learning. The world is a fascinating place - I think it's actually much more difficult to stop learning, so why work against it? Just go with the flow and be receptive to new ideas and pick up new skills on a daily basis. I actually find this one the easiest of them all, and it will help you to recognize what is right, find more ways to achieve your dreams, and further develop your God-given gifts.

Arguably, this quote may be too ideal and unattainable on its own front (meta!), but that's what makes these words so worthy of great aspiration (and inspiration). Trying to reach these words by Beethoven is the story of my life. And his ninth symphony is the soundtrack.

Impatiently late

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 11

"July 15th: Vices I admire"

Sometimes you’ve got to be bad to be good. Give a defence for one character trait which you think gets a bad rap.

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

To those on the same boat, you're probably aware of what the following is all about. 30 minutes each, spell check disabled, etc. Hopefully the added pressure of each of these going online will somewhat simulate test day anxiety? And now for hitting two birds with one stone - getting some writing practice and catching up on some essays.

For each prompt, write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks: Explain what you think the statement means. Describe a specific situation that illustrates a point of view directly opposite of the one expressed in the statement. Explain how the conflict in between the viewpoint in the statement and the viewpoint in the second task might be resolved.

Prompt: Sometimes you've got to be bad to be good. 

Deciding that good actions are justifiable and bad actions are not, is often a quickly made judgement. Many politicians campaign on a "do good" strategy, and no one wants to be painted as someone who makes bad decisions. But when dealing with many problems, small or big, one often realizes that making the right choice is often a difficult decision, as getting things done often require being involved dealing with bad people, or making potentially harmful choices. As a result, when bad choices are required in order to achieve good results, these bad choices can also be justifiable.

The common example of needing to be bad involves dealing with an enemy. On the scale of nations, this problem usually involves military or intelligence operations, if not war. War is arguably a bad action - even when fought under the name of justice, war involves murder, the destruction of homes and cities, and invoking fear on other people, including those who are innocent. A country facing a violent enemy, especially when peaceful settlements fail, often has a choice of not fighting, or waging a war. Not fighting could lead to devasting results, making war a viable solution. In order to eliminate or reduce the threat of the enemy, an act of good, countries may have to engage in war, a bad action. Making this choice is often referred to "the lesser of two evils".

[I realized at this point that most prompts tend to use "always"..., as it's weird to argue for the opposite of "sometimes" (would it be "mosttimes"?). I tried nevertheless, and tried to describe an example for "never".]

On the other hand, it is difficult to gauge whether or not the bad deed will ultimately lead to good. For example, the War in Afghanistan, often depicted by western governments as a necessary evil in order to democratize the Middle East and remove terrorist threats. Choosing to wage a war in the area has not been able to remove the influence of the Taliban and has led to the formation of a corruption-filled government, while all sides have been left with several casualities and wasted efforts. Because people cannot predict the future, it can be argued that the safest position to adopt would be to avoid any bad deeds. Instead of trying to solve corruption by being involved with corruptive powers, the best plan may simply be to only do good - eventually, the bad forces will lose their fuel as governments refuse to deal with them. This step is arguably "the greater of two evils", where the country chooses not to engage in war and suffer the consequences, but as  doing evil to escape evil may not necessary work, choosing doing the good thing may lead to the best results without risking any evil in the first place.

Because it is difficult to predict the consequences or rewards of a good or bad action, doing the good action all the time may be safest, avoiding the worst case scenario of doing a bad action that leads to worse results. However, a bad deed is often disguised as a good deed, under the "lesser of two evils" approach. As it is difficult to distinguish a good and a bad action, it's often best to follow the "best" approach, where if the bad deed disguised as a good deed is a better option than even all good deeds, that bad action is justifiable. Thus, sometimes, you've got to be bad to be good, but it must be clear at all times that your ultimate goal is to be good.

Prompt: Impatience is a vice that gets a bad rap, but is a vice that is admirable.

Patience is one of the seven virtues, and is a trait that most people try to display in order to live a morally good life. Consequently, impatience is a vice and is often frowned on by others. Young children are taught to be patient, told to be quiet and wait their turn, and scolded when they ask "are we there yet?" on long road trips. Adults must wait a lot too - for medical scans, returned calls, and at long lines at the supermarket. Being impatient gets a bad rap, no one likes to see a frustrated person tapping their foot and checking their watch constantly, but being impatience can also admirable.

Impatience can result from a bad system, such as an overloaded or underfunded medical system or a bureaucratic government. In these cases, impatience is often the fuel needed to push for reform and making changes to alleviate the long wait times, leading to long term success. One example is the bureaucratic system controlling public education in Washington D.C. Michelle Rhee, appointed in 2007 to lead the city's education department, is a teacher and parent, who was frustrated with the cities public education. Her impatience with the system led to the choice to send her own kids to private school, feeling that the public education system was so poor that the only way to assure her children a good education would be to send them outside the system. Secondly, in her power, she controversially fired hundreds of teachers and principals to remove underqualified individuals. While her predecessors patiently discussed several measures with Unions, government department, and schools, Michelle Rhee took tough measures to get reform accomplished as soon as possible. This impatience that led to reform to improve both public education and her own children's education is admirable. 

However, as a vice, impatience can lead to poor results. Under Rhee's term, reports of teachers adjusting the test scores have significantly increased, indicating that there have been other consequences to the impatience of getting measures passed quickly and demanding immediate improvements. In other examples, impatience in construction often lead to flaws and cutbacks. Impatience may get things done faster, but being impatience places the need for speed as the top priority. When one is impatient, they often put safety and other concerns second. A driver late for work is much more likely to run a yellow light and make tight turns that may lead to more accidents. Thus, impatience on its own is not admirable, only its results, when things turn right, seem to be worthy of praise. 

Impatience can be a fuel to get things done faster, a source of motivation. There are benefits to being impatient, but if impatience is the main reason to get things done, there are risks of cutting corners and losing motivation if one is forced to wait. Impatience, though it gets a bad rap, can be a force for good and admirable things, but its role in making those things happen must be evaluated. Impatience must never be a priority, but keeping it mind might lead to virtious results. 

Colloportus!

The search phrase "end of an era" has peaked in recent days, largely attributed to the recent closing of two worldwide phenomena that have inspired two generations - NASA's Space Shuttle Program and the Harry Potter movies. Sure, criticize me for comparing two arguably incomparable* events of great magnitude in their respective realms of science and pop culture, but I'm just describing what I see:

Data up until July 13th. I will update this when more data is released.
(A) is the last shuttle launch, while Harry Potter's premiere is still flying upwards.
(for reference, (B) is the second last shuttle launch, (C) is the closing of Microsoft's Antitrust era)
Interestingly, these peaks pale in comparison to June 2006, when Nightwish,
a Finnish Symphonic Metal Band, premiered its "End of an Era" DVD.

Both series (of shuttle launches and books) captured the imaginations of its fans and supporters, with NASA's space shuttles maintaining the spirit of the Apollo missions and commanding high TV ratings throughout its program. Space travel in the last three decades has created a widespread pop culture movement that would rival the success of Harry Potter, conquering movies, books, and TV shows.

Discovery.

Of course, neither series will be ending their ventures (or adventures) this week. After Universal Studio's recent opening of a Harry Potter theme park, J.K. Rowling is building hype for Pottermore that will bring the Wizarding World to the digital age, showcasing the e-book versions of each book in the midst of a virtual environment filled with elements from the series. NASA's not done either. Astronauts will continue going into space, and new focus is being placed on other projects, including Mars and discoveries outside our solar system.

Granted, I am [at the very least] a bit sad with this weeks' closure of both phenomena. Even as a somewhat late Harry Potter fan (I started getting really into it after the Goblet of Fire was released), Hogwarts has been in my mind for about half of my Muggle life. My passion for the series was arguably highest in my middle school years: I wrote a rather extensive book report on the Order of the Phoenix, dressed up as Harry for Halloween for two consecutive years, and had my thirteenth birthday party a few weeks in advance to coincide with the movie release of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Subsequent Potter books were purchased on the release date, if not preordered.

Looking back: hand prints, footprints, wand prints. 

Nevertheless, closure is often happier than sad. It's nice to look back at our Harry Potter years or Shuttle Launch decades (speaking for older generations, I guess) and remember the defining, or most exciting, moments of our younger lives. Like Harry and his friends in final epilogue as well as the movies' actors and actresses, there is much to look forward to in our upcoming years. And for our astronauts and NASA's researchers, there are more places to explore, and higher (or further?) heights to reach.

Personally, I felt the "end of an era" sentiment most strongly in 2007, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released (probably not a surprise since I've previously described myself as "not a movie person"). To be honest, I didn't love it, mainly because my favourite part of every novel was Hogwarts and living the life of a wizardry student - learning spells, exploring the halls, interacting with the paintings, getting points for your house, and those defense against the dark arts classes (minus Umbridge, naturally). Yes, the final battle was exciting, but it seemed to detract from what I loved most about the books (though this should turn out to be a plus for the movie series' finale).

I thought a picture of Fawkes being
reborn would be highly appropriate,
but apparently those are copyrighted,
so here's Phoenix, Arizona.

Not being much of a movie goer or a great fan of Deathly Hallows, I have yet to see (or plan to see) Part II of the seventh movie** (or Part I for that matter, though I have seen up to the Half Blood Prince), but when I inevitably do see it, yes, it'll feel like the end of an era. Yet, with an ending more happy than sad, it'll be nice to finally lock that door on my life and place it in my pensieve for safekeeping and occasional revisiting.

As for the space program, I eagerly await the next technological achievement that will define my generation. As cliché as it might be, the end of an era only paves the way for a start of another one, and hopefully we make each one better than the last.

* huh, so this Spell-checking Quill tells me uncomparable isn't a word!
** to my friends (and sister) who are diehard Potter fans, I am truely sorry for any pain that line may have caused.

beta culture 2.0

Part 1 here: An Introduction to Beta Culture.
Below are seven services and products that Google is currently field testing. Feel free to ask me any questions or share something else in the comments below - with all these new features popping up, it's hard to keep track of them all!

1) The New Gmail Layout

Click to enlarge.

This feature's probably going to rolled out soon, following the remodelling of Google's home page. The layout appears more spacious, features the-red and-black text side bar, and the new look to their buttons. Two interesting things to note: the function bar (Archive / Spam / Delete) floats, so it is always on the page even when you skim downwards. Also, the ads are now floating on the bottom. How do you enable the new layout? Well, you might see a link at the top right corner ("Preview Gmail's New Look"), but if you don't, simply go to Gmail Settings, click on the themes tab, and pick Preview or Preview (dense). Personally, I prefer the latter.

2) Google+
Google's "social layer", which has been described as a rather competent alternative to Facebook. It's centered around circles, a method of grouping your friends and mimicking the communities of real life interactions. Notable features include Hangouts, featuring video chat for up to 10 people, Sparks, to keep track of topics of interest, and a Following feature very similar to Twitter. The layout is very clean, and it's notifications are integrated with other Google services. Google seems to be making it easier and easier to get signed up - sometimes you can simply sign in with your account at plus.google.com, but you can still ask for an invite from your friends or from me, at ay.savethetigers@gmail.com.

Screenshot, with most personal data removed =). 

Google stays up to date with memes.

3) Youtube's Cosmic Panda
Cosmic Panda is the revamp for Youtube's site, although it doesn't seem as streamlined with the other Google sites. Like Google+, the page layout is very clean, and they've opted for a darker background to help the video stand out more. It's not hard to try this one out, just go to www.youtube.com/cosmicpanda.

4) Google Music Beta

This service is the Chocolate Factory's response to cloud music - hosting your music files on the web. There are some conveniences to this: you can access your playlists anywhere with an internet connection, i.e. at work or at a school computer, and also on your phone, so you don't have to physically transfer any files or even occupy your disk space. Unfortunately, this could drain your internet usage if you've got a cap (like, for almost all Canadians), but services like this are bound to become more popular in the future. Google's Music Player is completely web based, allows you to upload 20 000 files, and also has the feature of auto-generating playlists to match a specific song. You can request an invitation at music.google.com and (from my experience) you'll get in invite in days, but there's a big limit on this one: you must be in the United States. 

5) Blogger (Draft mode)

In keeping a blogging theme, Google has placed their upcoming version of Blogger at draft.blogger.com. Again, the layout is a lot cleaner, featuring the light gray header bar and a white background with spaced out links. The now familiar side bar with links in red and black text streamlines all of the Blogger tabs, and the post editor is much nicer as well. A downside: it's not perfect yet, and after running into a few display issues, I'm back on the old version of blogger (Update: problem found - there were some glitches with draft blogger and chrome canary). You can easily switch between the two depending on whether you log in through draft.blogger.com or blogger.com.

6) Google Chrome Canary
Hopefully, you're familiar with Google Chrome, Google's internet browser. The browser maintains speedy automatic updates, with larger updates every six weeks. Currently, the public release is Version 12, but you can fast track by trying other versions which are freely available for download. Chrome Beta allows you to use a pre-release version (currently Version 13), while Chrome Canary, intended for developers, is at Version 14. You'll get more test features on the about:flags page, and you'll try out key features earlier than other Chrome users. As you can see from the screenshots, you can even hide the url bar (not always ideal, of course). If you're really intense, you can try Chromium, but I'll leave that for the real developers.

7) Chrome OS

This last section is more of an update on my previous post on the Cr-48 prototype from Google, a notebook (or "chromebook") with an operating system based on Google Chrome. It's very easy to use and has become my primary computer for regular 'net surfing. The fast start up, speedy shut down, and frequent updates are comforting, and I've also noticed that it stays relatively cool. Minor problems include a rather weak processor (though it's better in the final models than the prototype), not-so-great speakers, and no delete key (alt+backspace does the trick), but hey - there's no complaining when you're given a free computer. Unfortunately, there aren't really any more opportunities to find a Cr-48, but Samsung and Acer have already started selling Chromebooks in the United States and in select countries in Europe, though a bit pricy. You can expect to have more models in more countries in the coming months, and hopefully with a lower pricetag.

Final word: if you're in for a fun read, see the Chromebook's Safety Guidelines, via Gizmodo since I'm too lazy to scan it myself.

beta culture 1.0

Beta culture. When I hear the word "culture", I no longer think of tradition and heritage - I think of the flasks and vats of E. coli and the smell of LB. "Beta"'s just a part of nomenclature, like DNA pol β or beta-galactosidase. Put the words together, and you get a phrase that defines one of the most influential companies in the world - Google.

Forget "don't be evil", that's more of a guideline or rule telling the company what not to do. When it comes to actually doing things, Google approaches problems with its "beta culture", unveiling a service or function to the public well before it is polished. This method is a huge contrast from Apple, which tends to fine tune their product to exact qualifications, before launching the next glorified iThing to endless lines wrapping around the Apple Store. Each philosophy has its pros and cons of course, and varied success.

A good example of Google's "beta culture" is Android, the company's mobile operating system. When Android debuted two and a half years ago, it was slow and buggy with few adopters. Few people want a phone that sometimes struggles with even basic tasks with an unpolished finish, but the early adopters were rewarded with a rapidly improving Android environment that would respond to user demand - engineers would look at both stats and feedback to determine the problems that needed to be fixed, and the features most desired. It's like raw denim - the software, though rough at first, eventually adapts to fit the user and more and more. Android is now the top mobile operating systems worldwide, and is expected to have a smartphone market share of nearly 50% by sometime next year.

When Google tries to optimize its search result page, they test it out first with small subsets of their users. This system includes using dozens of slight variants of blue on their results, or offering more than 10 results for certain users. They keep track of time spent on each page and advertisements clicked, and try to reduce the amount of time it takes to find a result while attempting to maximize ad revenue. The "beta culture" reminds me of natural selection: create multiple variations of a product (or a rapidly variable product) and see which ones are most successful over time.

Several of Google's major product debuts start out by invitation only, like Gmail, Google Wave, and the newly released Google+. These allow a smaller circle of users to give feedback and an opportunity for engineers to iron out the bugs before opening up their services to the general public.

Google also allows its users to test up and coming features through "Labs", available for services like Gmail and Google Maps. The most popular and successful labs are often incorporated as standard features, such as its forgotten attachment notifier. Use Google Chrome? Type in "about:flags" and see what interesting features you can enable.

"Beta culture" takes some getting used to - it's not always easy using beta-products all the time. I once had the formatting on an assignment (with lots of graphics) completely ruined when testing out Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office with a lousy internet connection. The media often calls Google products "half-baked", and well, it's true. But when cooking, I like to taste test along the way (assuming it's safe to eat) so I can customize the food to my tastes.

Perhaps it's the cool and not-yet-public features that keep me embraced with the beta track. I'm currently typing away on my Chromebook on the draft version of Blogger, listening to the Beatles via Music Beta, and occasionally checking Google+. I'll give each of these products (and a few more) a quick run down in part two of this post, and instructions on how you can test them out yourself!

In confidence alone

Essay-a-Week Challenge - Week 10

"July 8th: Virtues I abhor"

Face it. The “upright citizen” can be a real prick sometimes. Pick that one character trait which you think is totally overrated, and tear a strip off of it.

Topics from, A Bookful Blockhead.

I believe that any virtue, or any vice, is good with moderation. Even the "best" virtues can steer one in the wrong direction if over-practised, and there are situations for vices to be appropriate (i.e. A Time for Everything). While it's easy to deride an overdone virtue, which is often what defines said "prick", picking a character trait that is overrated, even in moderation, is a rather challenging task.

I first looked at the seven heavenly virtues and realized I could not honestly write this essay because I don't find any of them to be overrated. Patience and diligence probably being my favourite two, it's also hard to appreciate those who are humble, kind, generous, and tempered. I suppose chastity can be argued as being overrated or irrelevant to much of today's youth, but I see the term as an embodiment of honesty - to oneself and to others - as well as following a healthy lifestyle.

Broadening my search terms for virtues, I found a long list of them and came across confidence. I'm not sure why it stood out - perhaps because Julie Andrews voice has not left my mind since the Mary Poppins post - but I had found my victim. I'm not sure if I've always considered confidence to be a virtue (Wikipedia seems to), but a virtue is defined as a quality or trait perceived as morally good and I would agree that having confidence (thus belief in one's own abilities) is a part of building a strong moral character. I will note that I'm using "confidence" synonymously with "self-confidence"; confidence in others is often referred to as "trust".

Don't get me wrong, confidence is a good thing (and I definitely don't abhor it). It is a trait that's practically a must in the workplace and in leadership. It is a quality we seek in others, and a quality we constantly try to build in ourselves. Confidence is also a dangerous virtue: too much of it can lead to over-confidence, or even arrogance. Confidence is a virtue that must be closely monitored.

In moderation, confidence has become a virtue that everyone expects of you. An impatient person can be seen as a politician who gets things done, a lack of generosity can be seen as a plus in the business world, and humility can often lead to being overlooked in a room of outspoken people. But no confidence? You probably aren't going anywhere.

Confidence is overrated because it is not necessarily reflective of one's actual skills, and society forces people to appear confident even when they are not. Often the confident person will be hired over a less confident person, even if the second person is more qualified. Because of the weight that society places on confidence, the employer may have to use more resources to train the more confident individual, while the second individual's skills go to waste. A rather inefficient system if you ask me.

The latter can be dangerous - pretending to be confident often distorts one's real personality which will emerge in due time anyways. The false confidence not only brings a level of uncertainty and worry to the individual, others may also make assumptions or assign tasks that the individual may be incapable of doing. Yet, putting on an air of confidence is relatively common, if not expected, for job interviews, first dates, and at school. False confidence is not an example of a virtue, nor is it over-confidence, but it is a quality that exists because confidence is so positively viewed, or overrated.

Ultimately, confidence is a good thing, if not great - it can greatly enhance one's ability to perform and it helps to build trust in a community. But as an overrated quality, confidence easily shadows other virtues and can direct focus away from other important traits. Perhaps most of all, everyone has a different level of confidence.  In order to build confidence in everyone while avoiding arrogance or false confidence, people must be patient and diligent and give everyone a chance to shine and build their other skills.

As I see it, confidence is a virtue that comes with the others, but viewing it above the others as it is currently overrated, will only lead to more problems.