No, that’s not how you do it!

Using compressed air to blow eraser shavings, or the simpler equivalent of blowing them off one’s desk… only move eraser shavings to the ground, where they will remain until you vacuum the floor. I don’t call that cleaning.

In the case that you don’t have a breadcrumb-type, portable handheld vacuum, try following my advice.

My solution: lint rollers

Yes, these things.

Roll one gently across the surface of a desk, and they’ll clean up eraser shavings as well as some of the dust. Peel off the sheet when you’re done and the eraser shavings will follow, into the trash, where they belong.

Another neat cleaning application

You can also use your favourite lint roller to remove dust and particles from your mousepad!

Update (January 28, 2012): I’ve decided to remove password protection from this post and open it up to the world.

I just completed my first semester at the University of Pennsylvania. The past three months have brought me many joys: new friends, new experiences, and new knowledge. It’s been a rollercoaster of sorts—the cycles of stress due to impending exams, strange sleeping patterns, and a litany of decisions from picking courses to prioritizing assignments. It has been, however, rewarding.

For those who have not yet left the warmth and comfort of a family home, the most important thing to know is that university life is quite unlike high school life. (You probably knew that already, but I wanted to confirm it nevertheless.) Yes, there will still be classes with people you know, but lectures are much bigger, and it is entirely possible that TAs and professors will grade your papers/tests without ever meeting you face to face. Of course, university life is also different in that you will be running your own life. I’ll elaborate on this later.

For those who are experiencing university for the first time as well, it will be interesting to compare your experiences to mine. Every university has its own unique atmosphere, level of academic rigour, diversity of students, breadth of opportunities, and social climate. Of course, there are some common traits, such as students’ immense freedom, increased responsibilities (not only in time management, but in eating well, shopping for basic living needs, doing laundry, etc).

To anyone who is reading this post, I want to make it clear that anything subjective I write is only my personal opinion. My perception of Penn, or of college life, may differ significantly from that of someone else in a different social circle, program of study, or undergraduate school; it may also differ from that of someone who is living a (virtually) identical life. Even if I am experiencing something joyful at Penn, I cannot guarantee that you would make the same conclusions after the same experiences. The same goes for anything I complain about. Still, this post will contain objective information about the educational experience at the University of Pennsylvania.

Locust Walk, University of Pennsylvania

Notice of Americanism: I will use the term ‘college’ to refer to four-year institutions, like the University of Pennsylvania, interchangeably with the term ‘university.’ Don’t let this confuse you, my non-American reader.

Let’s jump right into how I feel about life at university in general.

College Life in General, and Independence

Hanging out with friends. Finding a solitary spot in a silent location to read. Grabbing breakfast on the go. Running across campus between classes. Studying together for an impending midterm. Going downtown to shop. Attending a show by various campus performing arts groups. Doing laundry—and rushing to catch the washing machine before someone else claims it. Sleeping after 3 a.m. Learning to deal with loud neighbours.

Those are just some of the things that seem to define college life. There is so much flexibility and freedom that students must take advantage of, which, of course, come with a great burden of responsibility. There is no longer a parent looking over my shoulder, telling me to sleep, calling me downstairs to dinner, or worrying if my whereabouts are unknown during the wee hours of the night. Meeting with friends is a decision to be made on my own; there is no one to consult anymore.

I enjoy this kind of lifestyle. Many high school students seek the sort of independence that living on their own provides. Going to school very far from home certainly adds to that aspect of independence. It’s also different, I would surmise, even for those who are accustomed to life at a boarding school, since there are few boundaries or rules enforced by the institution with regards to a student’s personal life and activities.

A very real problem for college students—at least, those who care.

It’s important, as an independent young adult, to balance my priorities, just as it is for all others undergoing post-secondary education. College life invariably means some mixture of academic work with extracurricular involvement and socializing. Sleep is in the list of three things to pick from mostly because it is a biological necessity. At times, it truly takes effort to complete a lab report, write an essay for Intro to Bioengineering, prepare for a physics quiz, and get enough sleep (but not too much, since the lab starts at 9 in the morning)—all in one night.

Academics at Penn

 That brings us to the academics. Penn is, of course, an Ivy League peer, and has a reputation built on its standards, in addition to its opportunities. (That’s not to suggest that other universities, such as Stanford, MIT, Duke, Chicago, or Berkeley, do not match or exceed us in their own ways.)

The University of Pennsylvania offers a full range of programs, from the oft-ridiculed Communications major in the College of Arts and Sciences (henceforth “College” with a capital C) or the Finance concentration that might as well become Wharton’s core curriculum, to the typical pre-med Biological Basis of Behavior (BBB) major with an 88% med school acceptance rate, to such competitive cross-school dual degree programs such as the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology (M&T), the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, and the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management (Vagelos LSM). Penn’s most heavily burdened (you might say overworked) students are often found in M&T, the Vagelos Scholars Program in Molecular Life Sciences (Vagelos MLS), and the dual-degree program in Nursing and Health Care Management. Then there’s the new Integrated Studies program, in which students live together and learn to approach problems from an interdisciplinary perspective, just like the polymaths of the Renaissance.

Penn provides the opportunities for a motivated student to learn to his or her heart’s content. There’s also a great amount of flexibility to take classes in other undergraduate schools. For instance, although I am enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (henceforth “SEAS” or “Engineering”), I am taking a macroeconomics course in the College, a statistics course and an accounting course in Wharton next semester. Strong undergraduates are also able to take graduate-level (e.g. MBA or Master’s) classes with approval. Benjamin Franklin Seminars, too, provide enrichment at a level unusual for undergraduate education.

None of this, however, means that classes are insurmountable. 4.0 GPAs are, at least through the first year or two, achievable—and in tough classes, too. Due to the holistic admissions process, the student body is diverse enough to comprise individuals who are, variously, strong in academics (96% of students were in the top decile of their class in high school), leadership, or athletics (and not necessarily all of the above). The grading policies, which usually grant grades on a curve, also account for variations in difficulty across sections and courses. Consequently, the “true” academic stars—especially those who find little trouble adjusting to university—will continue to receive top grades, even if they elect to take Honours classes or place out using AP credit. (Students whose marks in high school were inflated, or who are valuable to the university community for reasons other than academic excellence, may be disappointed to learn of their actual achievement at Penn.)

While Penn lacks the kind of core curriculum that other institutions such as Columbia, Duke, and Chicago have embraced, each of the undergraduate schools at Penn (College, Engineering, Wharton, Nursing) has designed common requirements that encourage a balanced education. All freshmen must take a writing seminar. Most undergrads, except those in Engineering, have a foreign language requirement as well. Wharton freshmen take a portfolio of classes across departments so that they can sample the various concentrations before focusing their path. College students have General Education requirements such as Formal Reasoning & Analysis to build a reasonable liberal arts foundation. Engineering majors also need to fulfill Social Science and Humanities requirements, including a depth requirement in one specific field.

Fisher Fine Arts Library, University of Pennsylvania

Academic Support & Resources

I’ll just summarize some of the amazing resources that we have access to:

• A tremendous library system, with interlibrary loans within the entire Ivy League + MITas well as another exchange with colleges in the neighbouring Pennsylvania region
  • Thorough access to online scholarly databases, electronic guidebooks and collections
  • Study spaces that can be reserved for group collaboration in all of the libraries, many College Houses, and some buildings where classes are held (notably Jon M. Huntsman Hall)
  • Powerful computing hardware and software, with multimedia suites and even rooms for film/audio editing
• Countless free tutoring services for students who need help and a centre for learning disabilities, another for writing, etc etc etc…
• Professors, many of them enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their fields of teaching and research, who are directly accessible during office hours
• A center for undergraduate research to connect students with such enrichment opportunities
• Academic enrichment in College Houses through residential programs and coordinated activities (for example, certain professors who live in Ware College House help students with paper-writing)
• Faculty advisors and peer mentors who guide students through course/curriculum planning—some are unhelpful, but my faculty advisor is knowledgeable and amazing
• Study-abroad and exchange programs to broaden students’ perspectives
• An office for career services to assist with career planning, graduate admissions, and employment search—from the time of matriculation to the end of an alumnus’s life

Sound like an ad? This isn’t meant to be; I’ve personally seen and/or used many of these resources. When a university is this great, students like me become their best salespeople.

4-year graduation rate: 92%
6-year graduation rate: 96%

Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1

To put it succinctly, if you are a high school student with your sights set on elite American universities, do not dismiss the University of Pennsylvania.

Living & Social Life

“Okay, I get it,” you say. “Penn is a great school. But I don’t want my four years just to be about my education—I want to meet people and have fun too!”

You’re reading the right post.

The student population at Penn is diverse. Some people excel at certain academic areas, while others have non-academic skills in networking or community service. Some are boundlessly passionate about politics, while others might focus their passion on computing and technology, and yet others choose music and the arts. Some come from Philadelphia, while others hail from halfway across the globe. Some are the first in their families to go to college, while others are the sons and daughters of doctors, lawyers, or professors. Some receive federal Pell Grants and Penn’s generous no-loan financial aid, while others’ families pay tuition and fees in full. Some are staunch atheists, while others are devout Christians; yet others make up a large Jewish population. While we each seek out friends with whom we share commonalities, we also learn to appreciate them for their differences.

In my first semester, I realized how much I loved my College House. For those of you who are unaware, Penn’s residence system isn’t just a bunch of dorms and buildings; immense communities exist within them, and they are often freshmen’s first place to make friends. Residential programs, such as the Study of Infectious Diseases floor in Ware (in which I currently reside), create clusters of like-minded individuals who have common interests and who take part in enrichment activities. Study breaks, hall brunches, house dinners, orchestra/ballet outings… all serve to foster student communities that are inextricably linked with the faculty of the House.

Stepping outside the safe haven of the Quad, one finds 468 student organizations, with clubs for people of every background and interest. Ethnic groups, faith-based groups, performing arts groups, student government groups, civic groups, publications, LGBT support groups… the list goes on and on. Those who are so inclined may party with the fraternities and sororities and pledge starting in the spring of freshman year. Those who don’t crave these groups will still build their own friend groups out of shared interests and existing friendships; I know my friends and I are totally capable of enjoying ourselves on our own.

Alcohol and drugs are, like at any other university, a part of some students’ lives. (Alcohol more so than drugs.) One might even say that it’s part of the act of networking. Even aside from frat parties, clubs usually have casual BYOs at restaurants, creating chances for students to socialize in a different kind of atmosphere. It speaks volumes, however, that students take part in mandatory alcohol/substance education prior to freshman year, and those who choose not to partake in these activities are in no means obligated to; there is no widespread campus culture of substance abuse. Although underage drinking is illegal, the university seeks to rehabilitate rather than punish students who do so. Disciplinary action for underage drinking in the College Houses usually consists of a mandatory session with a trained counsellor, and rarely progresses much further. A liberal medical amnesty policy ensures students’ safety and health above all concerns of disciplinary responses.

If you want something to do aside from student clubs, house activities, parties, and BYOs, there’s always downtown Philadelphia (Center City) a few subway or trolley stops away. Restaurants, malls, the orchestra and ballet, and classy as well as quirky shops can all be located on the other side of the river. If you like to play sports, Penn Park was recently built and boasts tennis courts, soccer and baseball fields… not to mention the picnic area.

Penn Park

What does all this mean?

Allow me to be blunt and straightforward:

I have greatly enjoyed my first semester at Penn, and cannot wait to see what the next three and a half years will bring.

If you are a student in high school, I want you to come to Penn. I don’t know what effect this post will have had on you, but I hope you get the idea: I love it here. I think you would, too.

Back in the days before I applied to Penn, I posted about the 5 best university admissions videos. If nothing else, I implore you at least to take a look at Penn’s.

This last video isn’t targeted to admissions, but it also captures the university in film.

Happy New Year’s, everyone.

- Frederick J. Ding

My alternative is Student Health Service, on another edge of campus, where there is a comfortable environment, shorter waiting times, and probably better trained personnel.

Instead of taking advantage of the benefits afforded to me by my student health insurance plan, a consequence of my attendance at the University of Pennsylvania, I chose this clinic because I could get the test done on an earlier date. I imagined it wouldn’t be as great of a place as SHS, or the expansive, top-tier hospitals of Penn Medicine, but what I am experiencing has convinced me, even more so than I thought before, of the epic failures of the American health care system.

* This post has since been revised and reformatted, although it was initiated during my time in the clinic.

A comparison

Those who are fortunate enough to have employer- or school-sponsored health insurance may have access to HMO hospitals, clinics, and doctors.

Those who attend a comprehensive university like mine may have access to the combined resources of a student health clinic and a set of university hospitals merely a block away.

Those who are in the lower strata of income and status, or whose recent unemployment leaves them uninsured, are relegated to public institutions such as these health centers, left to understaffed clinics, long wait times, and expensive, unaffordable medications. Some of these people are also caught outside the eligibility criteria of governmental programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

I’m from Canada

If timing weren’t an issue, I would just do this skin test back at home in Ontario, Canada. Sure, the skin test itself might not be covered by the provincial OHIP program, but at least every resident (after a certain number of months of residence) has access to physicians and walk in clinics at no basic charge beyond their taxes; those who are below the low-income cutoff might even pay $0 in federal and/or provincial taxes.

There is no such thing as a general practitioner who will turn you away because you “belong” to another unaffiliated insurance company. Low income citizens do not have to go to a crowded government “health center” for basic medical care; any privately-operated walk-in clinic, or a family doctor who is accepting new patients, will do. The UK also demonstrates how access to prescription medicine can be broadened.

Even those who are insured in the US are shocked when they find the cost of health care to be much higher than budgeted.

• Students on our private university-organized insurance plan still must pay a $100 co-pay to go to the emergency room, although the co-pay is waived under restrictive conditions
• There’s a co-pay of $35 for an X-ray diagnostic test. I had a chest X-ray done as a matter of an annual physical examination over the summer in Canada, and it was covered by OHIP.
• Flu vaccinations are $24 (at least) in the vicinity of this university. While private health insurance may cover the cost, it’s surprising that this basic tool of public health isn’t free; municipal governments in Ontario almost universally administer them at no charge, and they are available through doctors’ offices, public health clinics, walk-in clinics, and even some pharmacies.

Even if we forget entirely about how much this sucks compared to medical care in Canada—which admittedly has its own issues—the disparities in access to, and quality of, health care between classes here in the United States should be appalling.

Dr. David Himmelstein of The Cambridge Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues, authored a paper in the International Journal of Health Services in 2004 on the inefficiencies in the American health care system. One of the most potent conclusions is summarized in the abstract:

The United States wastes more on health care bureaucracy than it would cost to provide health care to all its uninsured … Only a single-payer national health insurance system could garner these massive administrative savings, allowing universal coverage without any increase in total health spending.

He also concludes that, in the US in 1999, “administrative spending consumed at least 31.0 percent of health spending… [i]n contrast, administrative costs in Canada… are about 16.7 percent of health spending.” I imagine some people are profiting from this spending.

Closing

I am a student, who, as a matter of circumstance (i.e. parents’ hard work) and fortune, have access to one of the top hospital systems in America. Not everyone is as fortunate. And it takes a bit of altruism to be able to stand up in a position like this and advocate on behalf of those who can’t.

Experience has shown that a weak populace is easier to rule over. One wonders if the goal of weakening the populace, especially the poor, is the reason that America continues to fail at reforming health care.

We’re now in the year 2011 — which I propose is “twenty-eleven” as opposed to “two thousand eleven”. It’s time to answer some serious questions.

I’ve been bothered recently (very recently, perhaps a few minutes ago) by a daunting challenge. Why do I abbreviate my name to “Frederick D.” instead of “F. Ding”?

I don’t know. What do you do, and why?

McDonald’s Canada (@McD_Canada) has been offering free coffee all day from March 1 up to March 14, and they claim it has nothing to do with Tim Horton’s Roll Up the Rim promotion.

I went to try it, but I don’t really have an opinion about the taste or quality of McDonald’s coffee. (I haven’t bought coffee at a coffee shop for more than 3 months.) Apparently “experts” say it beats Starbucks and Tim Hortons.

Free coffee? Sure, try it.

Stay awake!

I don’t like coffee. However, I can understand why people might like it, or need it. I can’t think of anyone who could be happy and energetic all day, unless they’re on drugs—and that’s my point. Coffee serves as a drug; caffeine, of course, is a narcotic. It’s a psychoactive stimulant that makes you more alert and aware. You already know that.

If not for this wonderful effect of caffeine products like coffee, the demand for coffee would probably be rather low.

Health risks benefits

I guess caffeine could have benefits; apparently it has a role in preventing Parkinson’s disease. The fact that caffeine doesn’t directly cause any health concerns for most users explains why it is one of the only unregulated drugs in the world. (Of course, that’s partly because the lawmakers are staying awake on it too.)

Taste

In any case, I’m not a coffee person. This brown … substance … is too bitter, too caffeinated.

I don’t understand how people get used to the bitter taste (even with a few creams and sugars). Sure, it might smell great, but smell ≠ taste. The most popular foods in life not only smell good, they have to taste good. (Unless you go by this definition of delicacy.) Coffee just doesn’t taste good.

Tea

Personally, I prefer things like tea. To me, the bitter taste of coffee can never match the aromas of Earl Grey, orange pekoe, rooibos & honeybush tea (more easily acquired in South Africa), or the easily tolerable green tea. I take it with a little sugar and sometimes a little milk. The result, of course, is something that smells wonderful, tastes great, and is much more natural and healthy than coffee. (I should note that while true teas from the Camellia sinensis plant do contain caffeine, rooibos & honeybush tea is herbal, ‘red’ tea that lacks caffeine.)

In this, I’m not alone. Coffee might be ‘enjoyed’ by 90% of North Americans (or so Wikipedia tells me), but tea is the second most popular drink in the world after water. I’m also glad to know that I’m consuming something that originated from processes as natural as immersing plant leaves in boiling water, as opposed to the complex process that involves roasting and grinding.

Different kinds of tea

What do you like?

Everything I’ve just talked about is only my preference. You’re free to feel differently, to enjoy your bitter beverage and to convince me that coffee is absolutely delicious.

At the end of the day, though, if I’m in need of a boost, I won’t be turning to coffee. I’ll boil some water in the kettle, find my container of tea bags, and make myself some soothing, delicious, and natural tea.

As someone who has life thanks to science, and who values the science of life, I ask you support the Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010 for scientific research to help the lives of others.

A friend of mine, who has run 5 km and 10 km marathons before, is participating in this year’s Ride to Conquer Cancer — riding 320 km on a bike! Please do what you can, and donate if you can, and most of all cheer on Astrorider! He will need your support to fundraise $10 for each kilometre of hard work.

To give you some background before I go into the content here, I had just concluded a successful interview (the first of two) and was stopping by the library on my way home. The trip from there was bizarre – random acts of generosity sprung up, seriously making me wonder whether the world was conspiring to be generous, or whether it was some kind of karma day.

Act I: A mother with a stroller

I held the door open. Seems ordinary enough, right? It all started here.

A mother with three kids, one of which was in a stroller, was trying to get out the front door. Maybe that entrance wasn’t accessible, because the door wasn’t opening for them.

So before I entered, I held the door open for them, allowing her to get her stroller out.

I entered the library no wiser that this was the first act of many.

Act II: Library

I only had to check in two books, and the library has self-serve check-in machines, to which I wandered when I entered.

It’s really an easy process, but the lady overseeing check-in still had to help the patron in front of me, for whom it was probably a first-time experience.

“Yeah, that’s it. You just push here on the screen and put your books on the table.”

My usual experiences with librarians are far worse.

Act III: Viva

Viva bus at a bus terminal; credit IRT.BMT.IND (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

I ran across the street to catch the bus that was about to leave.

For those of you unfamiliar with this transit system, an individual with a ticket ‘validates’ the ticket on a machine before boarding the bus. That’s what I attempted to do.

The machine that takes in a ticket and validates it

I became frustrated because the machine wouldn’t take in the ticket – even after 4 or 5 tries, and even more frustrated because I was making the bus wait. I gave up, and boarded anyways through the door beside the driver. I genuinely intended to validate the ticket.

A minute or two into the ride, I asked the driver whether it was okay if I validated the ticket at my destination. His response surprised me.

“Sure… if you want.”

What the heck? Now, Viva is nicknamed “Free-va” because of the honour system on which fares work. Offenders keep their tickets without validating them – avoiding the fare – and are occasionally caught by enforcement officers.

Was this generosity, entrapment, or plain dereliction?

I fully intended to validate my ticket at the destination.

When the bus had taken me as far as it could, I got off and validated my ticket at that terminal. As the bus driver passed by – probably his coffee break – I showed the ticket casually, and he said:

“No problem, my friend.”

Whoa. What the heck.

Act IV: YRT

Staying on the theme of bus drivers, the story follows me as I transfer on to another bus. I recognized the driver when he pulled into the terminal, and he didn’t even bother to check my validated ticket, gesturing as though he knew I would always pay my fare properly.

The bus slipped out of the station and began its journey, only to be interrupted at the next red light, when the driver stopped and opened the door.

He recognized someone who was walking by, and invited her in. Probably friends or something.

They hugged, talked a bit – and though the light had turned green, I wasn’t complaining; it’s not like I had to rush. Then he gave her a transfer and she left.

Wait, what?! Did he just give her a transfer when she didn’t pay a fare?

Shock and realization occurred at the same time, when I discovered another act of generosity… or dereliction.

Epilogue

How does this kind of stuff happen? Do bus drivers decide to be really nice during the summer, and grouchy the rest of the time?

Was it karma? Or, perhaps, was it what happens when one walks out of a successful interview and notices only the good things occurring around oneself?

Deep questions to ponder. What do you think?

I experience stress on a daily basis, and perhaps much more so this month. As for my methods of dealing with stress, I enjoy music, knowledge, and technology.

Music

Classical and soundtrack music are especially enjoyable for me. I find that they contribute to a calmer emotional state, especially with beautiful orchestral pieces. (See what kind of music I like at Music to Hear.) Listening to the Brandenburg Concertos by Bach, for instance, Ennio Morricone film score, Planet Earth incidental music, or Hans Zimmer’s remarkable compositions, or Karajan’s amazing interpretations, probably bring my mood from stressed out at 8/10 to 3/10. This is one of the reasons that I listen to music while I’m doing work.

Take a look at a video of one of my favourite pieces, conducted by the composer Ennio Morricone at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2MycU_N634

Learning

TED videos are really inspiring to watch. Whether it’s Al Gore or someone talking about the importance of bread, I find TED to be an absolutely amazing source of inspiration.

Developing knowledge helps to take my mind off pressing matters, at least temporarily. And that’s one of the reasons that I like reading news, reading design blogs and so on.

Humour

FAIL Blog, NotAlwaysRight and FMyLife are all amazing sources of humour. Laughing is probably the easiest way to enjoy oneself for a while.

Today, I got a cross-country job promotion. I decided to plan my Going-Away-Forever party, and bought a pack of 100 invitations. After mailing them out to all my friends, I have 92 left. FML (source)

This keeps me amused, but is by no means as effective as music — after all, I can listen to music while working, and this humour stuff takes away from time I could be putting towards resolving causes of stress.

Et vous?

What do you do to keep your stress at an acceptable level? (You can select multiple answers. Choose any item if it has a soothing / stress-relieving effect for you.)

• inconsistent usage of Canadian/American/British spelling; for instance, writing ‘favour’ throughout but slipping in something like ‘neighborhood’
• bad marking schemes
  • taking questions off after the evaluation is written; for instance, an exam out of 119 becoming out of 100 — in that case, every loss of a mark is much greater in terms of percentage
  • an evaluation with required questions that become optional; for instance, questions 101–119 becoming ‘bonus’ questions when nothing specifically makes them harder or more suitable as bonuses
• mentions of topics that pique one’s curiosity, followed by a denial of that curiosity in the form of a “never mind”; for instance, mentioning a piece of highly interesting gossip and then refusing to speak about it
• mainstream media
  • constant bombardment of viewers with biased reports; for instance, Lou Dobbs
  • mentions of online or Web 2.0 communities specifically with the intention to appear ‘cool’ or ‘hip’ or ‘up-to-date’; for instance, CNN’s unnatural use of Twitter
• Windows Live Messenger’s ads at the bottom of the contact list
  EDIT: I’ve removed them by using A-Patch, but A-Patch doesn’t change the fact that I’m annoyed with those ads.
• Safari 4′s unreadable tabs on Windows Vista+
• music without verifiable ‘artistry’ to which fanboys and fangirls listen repeatedly or habitually
• books and movies with fans who are attracted by mere plot or appearance or celebrities
• “buggy software”
• EDIT: also, it is hugely distressing for me to hear intelligent people degrade themselves… I understand that not everyone has good self-confidence, but come on… you guys are smart and have amazing potential. Don’t discourage yourself from achievement.

Technological Expectations for 2009

Things we hope to be released in 2009:

Kindle 2.0 (from Amazon)

The Amazon Kindle is a wireless reading device from Amazon that many people in the United States are already enjoying as an alternative to physical newspapers, novels, and documents. Amazon is expected to deliver a new version of the device, possibly in a smaller/more compact form factor. Additionally, there have been many complaints about the keyboard and the page navigation keys, all of which may be addressed if a Kindle 2.0 is designed. There’s also been discussion about a textbook edition that could be exactly what students need to avoid lugging around huge, cumbersome, heavy textbooks. I would certainly appreciate e-textbooks; wouldn’t you?

An improved consumer Mac desktop (Apple)

Though the iPod (and iPod Nano), iPhone, and Macbook series have all seen massive improvements, Apple has not changed the iMac significantly except for faster processor speeds and more memory. What about changes that the consumer can see, feel, or save? As of now, their top-of-the-line 24-inch iMac at 3.06 GHz costs a whopping $2,299 CAD. Cheaper prices would help as much as product improvements.

Windows 7 (Microsoft)

Admittedly, its release date could be any time between mid-2009 to 2010, but we’re hoping for it as early as possible, because the earlier it gets out, the better the PC experience will be, and the more competition there is for the consumer desktop. New features like touch, improved user-friendly interface for all the applications (even WordPad and Calculator), and sensors are sure to distinguish this Windows version from any previous one. Perhaps it will even match Mac OS X in terms of aesthetics and usability in day-to-day tasks (the fun ones, like making movies and managing photos, not the productivity/business things). The SuperSite for Windows has more to read about Windows 7.

Windows Live Wave 3 (Microsoft)

This entails a new version of the Windows Live apps — Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Writer, and newer additions such as Movie Maker. Windows Live Wave 3 also involves improvements to Microsoft’s online services (such as Spaces, Windows Live Mail, and FolderShare) that are already beginning to take place. Also, don’t forget that Microsoft announced plans to have Office in the cloud — Word-like, Excel-like, and PowerPoint-like applications that run inside a browser. Add that to their existing Office Live Workspace and certain business solutions, and we see Microsoft adopting the Cloud. Add Azure as a platform initiative, and we see Microsoft trying to lead the way again in terms of platforms. Once again, Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows has more to read.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard (Apple)

Snow Leopard is just a bit of an improvement on Leopard, and will add enhanced 64-bit support and other backend changes. Though it’s not particularly exciting, I’m sure it has many Apple fans hyped up.

Taking a little bit of a break from the content, you can subscribe to this blog by e-mail for free to get updates whenever a new post of interest is published:

Technological Hopes for 2009

How about the things we imagine, or hope to have (but probably won’t have)?

A consumer-affordable OLED television (Sony)

Just because OLED technology is in active development doesn’t mean that this will necessarily happen in 2009. As of the current year, an OLED TV from Sony costs over $2000, which makes it an unlikely choice for the average consumer, particularly given the recent economic crises.

A netbook from Apple

The Asus Eee PC that I have is ‘nice’, but I’m sure Apple could do a better job. As it stands, netbooks lack usability, given their tiny keyboards, tiny trackpads, small screens (and relatively miniature screen resolutions), limited processing power, and limited memory. If Apple decides to enter this field, they would face the same challenges, but could certainly design a better keyboard, a more usable trackpad (based on the one used on the new Macbooks), and invariably a better operating system than the customized Linux distribution or Windows XP.

For all we know, this concept is in the works.

Virtual Reality: Gaming and more

This was actually brought up by an acquaintance recently, who noted that video games are already becoming increasingly realistic, and that a large proportion of teens don’t distinguish between the unreal and the real anyhow. Virtual reality would make things seem even more realistic, but then we face the combined dilemma of: (a) limited computing power — only the newest computers have even a chance at a virtual simulation with a good resolution and frame rate, and virtual reality would be extremely difficult to implement in an affordable gaming console; (b) more time spent gaming; (c) some gamers would not distinguish between life and virtual reality — what if they practice killing in virtual reality and take that to real life?; (d) how would injury be simulated? — in a sniper game, for instance, how would a game provide physical feedback that you’ve just been shot?

Faster Internet connections in Canada!

This is just wishful thinking. While Japan and Northern Europe enjoy some of the fastest connections in the world (measured in gigabits per second), we in North America (more so in Canada than the United States) have to live with 5–20 Mbps connections over cable or DSL. At least large population centres in the U.S. can get FiOS; we don’t even have that.

What we need is competition. If Rogers Communications loses its (almost) monopoly over cable Internet, and if Bell Canada didn’t dominate telephone and DSL so much, maybe we’d see impressive improvements each year. What I want is affordable, 50+ Mbps connections — and I hope to avoid DSL.

3D holography

We’re still a long way from the interactive, life-like holodecks of Star Trek… but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. Projection-style holography is still very much possible today, and if technology moves forward the way we’d like it to, we’ll hopefully have three-dimensional images soon.

Practical applications of consumer-oriented holography, and that means outside the business or Pentagon or military, include the luxury of changing decorations in a split second, to have a ridiculously advanced visualizer for iTunes (or whatever media player you happen to be using), or maybe some futuristic gaming machine.

Is it too early to ask for a transporter or a replicator? (As far as I know, neither of those are likely within the next 50 years.)

Widespread hybrid/hydrogen automobiles

While hybrids are already becoming popular, the truly efficient and pollution-less automobiles, the hydrogen car, is still out of reach in most of the world. The hydrogen infrastructure just isn’t there; there are nearly no hydrogen fueling stations in most of the United States and probably none in Canada. I would like to see this technology mature.

Societal Changes in 2009

What’s going to shift in our society?

Increasingly-radical Christianity

In the past few years, we’ve always been talking about “radical Islam”, but a developing trend is “radical Christianity”. I’m making the most of my freedom of expression to note the increasing extremism of many denominations on social issues such as gay rights, abortion, immigration, war, trade, marijuana, and — believe it or not — health care. During the recent American presidential elections, we have seen church groups involving themselves in campaigning for or against certain candidates; we’ve seen endorsements from some, such as Reverend Wright, and condemnations from others. We’ve seen Catholic churches adamantly oppose birth control of any sort, evangelical Christians fighting for “the sanctity of life” and “the traditional family”, and all-in-all, an increasingly alarming involvement of the church in daily life and politics.

Let’s talk about one issue, perhaps one of the biggest issues, of recent months.

California’s Proposition 8 sought to ban all gay marriages in the state, and was affirmed by 52% of the voters. Religious organizations on both sides added to the conflict. My problem with Proposition 8 and the faulty logic used by religious proponents (“we’re protecting our religious rights and values”) is that a ban, by definition, restricts rights, as Lawrence Lessig will tell you. If a church doesn’t want to marry gay couples, they don’t have to; it’s not like the lack of a ban forces them to carry out such an action, whereas the ban would force other religious organizations to turn away gay couples.

Religious groups are abusing the role of religion in people’s lives. I will openly admit to being atheist, but to attack my reasoning based on atheism would be an illogical, ad hominem attack. This argument comes not from my atheism, but rather my atheism comes from it.

Inevitable gay rights movement

We cannot deny that this is a huge issue that will be campaigned for and against. Given the attention dedicated to such matters in 2008, I believe it will continue to be a large problem in 2009, and may perhaps be addressed (either favourably and unfavourably) by certain judicial bodies.

Liberalization of the U.S. Supreme Court

Barack Obama’s successful bid for president places him in the powerful position of appointing Supreme Court justices. If he can appoint a sufficient number to swing the court to the left, we may see the court overturning previous rulings on abortion, and perhaps further precedents.

Continuing rise of Asia

Asian nations, specifically China and India, are poised in positions of massive economic influence. Whether they can continue that influence and dominate trade is a matter for their governments and businesses to decide. China, on one hand, may begin to loosen rules on privatization and employment, while India’s government may take action to improve conditions and the quality of life throughout their territories. The United States’ weak economy makes it doubly vulnerable to the lure of cheaper business with China and India.

An eye on space

Already India has sent an object to the moon. The development of the International Space Station is progressing nicely. Space shuttles are to be sold off. Satellites are being launched and destroyed.

Would it be too far-fetched to say that space is at least a concern for every developed nation’s government and people?

Personal Expectations for 2009

Now we move from the general into the specific; from the societal to the individual. In 2009, I hope to improve my relationships with others, to exemplify the best characteristics of humanity, and in doing so, to live by the dictates of philosophy. I make it my New Year’s Resolution(s) to be a better person: to care more about the lives and feelings of friends and acquaintances… to treat strangers as friends… to open myself to influences… to help others lead more meaningful lives… and to combat societal issues that threaten to destroy the peaceful ways of life we enjoy.

In 2009, I also hope to gain a wider and more active readership on this blog. You can help, by commenting on this post, by subscribing to the blog via e-mail or RSS, and by sharing my posts with your friends.

Contribute to Frederick or Frederick’s Timelog

It’s nearly the end of 2008, which means 10 months of content that has evolved to support a community of readers. You can contribute to me or the operation of this blog in many ways:

• giving me feedback and discussion by commenting
• sponsoring a post on this blog (see below)

You could purchase a sponsored post on the blog, either directly (by contacting me) or through PayPerPost. These sponsored posts could be made about your business, product or service, and would deliver you link juice, publicity, as well as traffic. Sponsored posts recover more than half of this site’s operating costs.

Thank you for your continued readership!

This social experiment involves two parts:

• A part in which I am the experimenter; in this, I will attempt to modify the behaviour of others
• A part in which I am the subject; in this, I will allow others to influence my behaviour and actions

See more after the jump.

Now you must be wondering what this experiment is all about.

Part I — Intolerance

This is the less dangerous part of the experiment in which I attempt to engineer the influences impacting those around me in order to direct people away from intolerance, to being more accepting characters.

Under normal circumstances, I would immediately reject such action as being immoral — certainly, trying to preach one’s morals to another is unfair to their beliefs. I would also ordinarily say that I am able and willing to deal with friends who have radically different views from me, but these are not normal circumstances.

Indeed, I have discovered that intolerance is one of those things that severely limits my willingness to deal with a person. This is rather unfortunate, as some of the best people are, themselves, ignorant and intolerant; intolerant of those with differences, not accepting of those who are in the minorities for which many unjustly blame social problems, and, at other times, entirely ignorant of the precious differentiations that keep us so wonderfully diverse.

It is ironic that, in attempting to address this intolerant attitude, I am, myself, acting intolerantly toward them; I am not accepting their views as one ought to. And here I fall into the dangerous pit of self-justification. “Is this not truly better for the world? Does it not benefit those oppressed minorities to attack the behaviour that is harming them?” Unfortunately, this route of using moral excuses has been abused far too often. I am placing myself in danger of losing sight of some of the values for which I have always stood: acceptance, tolerance, and diversity.

You may be wondering what actions there are that I could possibly undertake to reverse the actions of bigots.

Yes, I use that provocative term of bigotry. My friends are not bigots; they are not entirely unaware of the radicalism of their views, nor would any of them believe that their views are any more right than those of others. Am I a bigot, or ignorant? for believing that my views of acceptance, tolerance and diversity are superior to the harmful actions of intolerance? for taking action to change the views of others? the views of those with whom I associate most closely?

Anyhow, to return to the subject and to answer, “what actions there are that I could possibly undertake?”, remember my previous writings. I have previously written how a shift in the interpersonal and environmental influences can collaboratively result in a certain result. Could I apply this theory to life? Could I apply it to subjects who are entirely aware of the actions I am taking against them? More importantly, could I live with myself if my theory proves realistic?

All these questions must be addressed by you, the people who will be impacted. You alone have the capability to determine whether or not I give up on this experiment, and if I decide to go forth with the plans, you will likely be changed. Do you wish that to happen? Would you give me the chance to tweak with your mind?

The comments section is the only place where you can share your answers to those questions.

Part II — Music

Anyone who knows me also knows my love for classical music and film soundtracks that are orchestral. For years, I dedicated myself to the study of an instrument, and the musical theory that is needed to best appreciate and operate the instrument. (I have since concluded those studies.) Yet these studies have shown me that there is a quality to classical music that is unmatched by anything of the modern or contemporary eras. Until this year, I have never seriously given legitimacy to the possibility of listening to contemporary music.

This shows several things about me, the subject:

• I do not often like to ‘fit in’
• My musical tastes are long pre-established
• “until this year” — there is a chance in reforming my views on music, as the influences of friends and acquaintances have already shown
• I am now more open-minded toward current music
• Any music that relates, even if insignificantly, to my established tastes will appeal to me

In this section of the ongoing experiment, I invite every friend and acquaintance with whom I deal on a near-daily basis to attempt and shape my musical tastes. This is no joke, and I will offer passive resistance to a change in my musical tastes only if the music is clearly distasteful (for instance, profanity, sex, drugs, violence… are themes that I cannot accept in music to which I listen frequently).

Please try.

The success of this part of the experiment will be defined by two things:

1. I accept and listen to styles/genres of music which are (a) not classical; (b) performed and recorded within the last five decades; and (c) also accepted and listened to by others who have played a role in shaping such musical tastes.
2. You have found a friend in me, whether as a result of my willingness to change, to adapt, and to adopt your preferences, or as a result of the changes themselves.

If I may satisfy these two goals of this part of the experiment, I will be content.

On a side note… subscribe by e-mail to get updates in the future!

ADDENDUM: Part III — Harry Potter

In the days following the initial publication of this post, I have realized that I have neglected another important part of my life that is already being heavily influenced: literary taste.

I have, of course, previously argued against Harry Potter, in Why Friends Suck, but now I will consider it — and if my friends are successful in influencing me in this part of the experiment, I will like Harry Potter by the end of the year.

This part of the social experiment calls on my friends, or at least the ones who are obsessed with Harry Potter, to make me a Harry Potter fan. If they are successful in doing so, it will demonstrate the power that friends have over each other. (Despite the fact that this sounds incredibly ‘corny’, it is true and has already been discussed in my previous writings.) At the same time, those who do not like Harry Potter are encouraged to present me with opinions to the contrary… so in the end, whether I like Harry Potter or not will reflect the success of one group over the other.

The Call to Action

You must comment, in support of, or in opposition to, my social experiment.

If I can gather the support for such an ambitious endeavour, I will launch into the project for the remainder of the year, and will publish notes detailing how this experiment could be improved upon to form a sound, scientific trial, as well as how any results from the experiment can be analyzed.

Please, I ask for your support in this matter. Tell me that my idea isn’t stupid. Tell me that you support my desire for sociological advancement. Most importantly, tell me that you will take part in the subtle social experiment.

Thank you.

Goals by Matthew Wu

In Grades 6 and 7, I was lucky enough to have an amazing homeroom teacher, Mrs. Huismans. In those years, I learnt many things, many life lessons, starting on the first day. She had a paper star on a string, hanging above the classroom. Our first lesson on the first day, was to aim for that star. Aim for that star, because even if you miss, you are still up in the sky. At the time, I was unsure of what it meant; I thought it was just some teacher trying to sound wise and inspiring. At the time, I thought, it doesn’t matter where I aim if I put the same effort in, since the product has to be the same… right? But Mrs. Huismans had many years of wisdom under her belt, and her advice had a deeper meaning, which I soon discovered.

Grade 8: Track and Field day. I usually did well on Track day, as I was a pretty physically active guy. Anyhow, this particular year, one of my friends was sweeping all the events. He picked up every first prize, except one, and I got every second prize except two coming into the last event: running long jump. Personally? I didn’t like running long jump, I wasn’t especially good at it, and I foot-faulted often… it just wasn’t really my thing. I was hoping to place in the top 5 at best, probably not even that. My friend, however, was pretty dang good at running long and was expected to win this event like he won most of the others.

The person organizing the event, Mrs. Cassle, did us a favor and placed a pencil at 5 metres as something for which we could aim. Most people got around 3.6, 3.7. When it was my turn, I put my head down and jumped. I got 3.82, which put me in third place, and I was pretty happy. Then, we got a second attempt — our second jump. My friend got 4.02, shattering his last one, which put him in first place… nobody was even surprised. Anyhow, my turn came again, and due to my last name being pretty far down on the alphabet, I was the last jumper. Mrs. Cassle came and put down another pencil, at the 4.02 mark as a target for me to aim for… a target for me to beat. At that point, I decided, I’m going to beat this guy, I’m not going to just beat this guy, I’m going to make 5 meters.

So, this time, as I ran in, I didn’t look down, I didn’t look at the board to make sure I didn’t foot fault; instead I looked at the second pencil: the pencil at 5 meters. I jumped. My form was unchanged. I had tried my hardest the previous time, and I tried my hardest this time, but somehow, something was different. I landed at 4.06 meters. I had won, and I had gotten over 20 cm more than my last jump. This was RIDICULOUS.

Looking back now, I realized something had changed, an urge, not an urge to beat my friend, and an urge to get to 5 metres, and urge to do something amazing. I failed, however… I failed to make the 5 meters, but… so what? Clearly it had worked; I had won a first place ribbon. I am sure to this day that if I had looked at my friend’s pencil, the one at 4 metres, I wouldn’t have made that jump. Why? Because then I would be aiming at something possible, something that had been done, and then I would be once again simply ‘trying’. When I looked at 5 metres, I was paving the road for excellence. I was aiming to not just settle for doing the best; instead I was aiming at something beyond that. I was aiming for that star.

It awoke something within me, because my muscles did not, all of a sudden, become more capable… it changed something. I aimed… at what I saw was perfection. The pursuit of perfection is climbing to an everlasting summit; as you go higher, it constantly recedes. The goal of perfection is not a place, but an ongoing and everlasting climb. This means that those who aim to be totally flawless will never be. It’s simply impossible. This, however, does not mean that it is pointless to aim for perfection. Simply because aiming for perfection invokes a longing, it makes you want and need to do better, so that you will be superhuman. You will have accomplished something that had never been done before; you will be… perfect, and that is so much more than being best.

So… goals, what do they do? They keep you real… they constantly show you that, hey, you aren’t the best… you have yet to do these things. They keep you on track and not constantly wavering around trying to better yourself. They give you satisfaction and motivation if reached. They give you a task at which to aim. Of course, goals are useful, so why set ridiculous, unattainable goals that must end in failure? Because when you are looking at that star, you don’t expect to fail; this is what makes failure so hard, yet so inevitable. What does happen, though, is that after you wake up and realize that you didn’t hit the star, you will realize, I’m just that much closer, and tomorrow, tomorrow is a new day. So yes, accomplishable goals are great and they get your self-esteem up, but expecting to succeed means you did not aim high enough, that you could have done better. Aiming for perfection is the only way not to underestimate yourself. The only way to achieve your whole human potential. The only way to unlock that hidden power inside, that driving force. They give you a further motivation, a true motivation. And that means you put more effort in, and that means success will come much more easily.

So aim for that star. Aim for that star.

• technology
• food
• warmth

Perhaps I am feeling happier. The National Seminar hasn’t even started yet… meeting other delegates is an interesting experience.