Older Blog Entries from December 2007

Tragedy of the Interns

The new year is just hours away, and everyone in high school/college should be scrambling for summer employment. But employers beware! Not everyone is right for the job. Some of these expendable students are suffering from a condition that is contagious and could affect your other employees. It doesn't have a real name, so I'd like to coin this the Tragedy of the Interns.

For those of you who took basic business or political science courses (or read Garrett Hardin), you should already know about the tragedy of the commons. The scenario involves herders in a pasture with their respective animals. Adding more animals to one herder's flock would add to his/her yield, even though the pasture's supply of grass would be strained. The benefit of one additional animal outweighs the negative result, which is the cost distributed among the herders involved. Since each herder reaches the same rational conclusion, they will lead to the overgrazing and ruin of the pasture.

Nowadays, American high school students need to volunteer and perform community service for college credit to distinguish themselves from their peers. These teenagers sometimes take their volunteer mentality with them to a professional workplace. Students do not know how or when to act professional. They will be late for work, leave early, give a sub-par job performance, answer their cellphones at will, check facebook and other websites, and socialize instead of working.

Money and job satisfaction are important incentives for any employee. When students are involved in low stipend or non-paying internships, the worst in them will come out. They can even convince colleagues to slack off. I have seen this collective laziness while volunteering and working in high school and in college. Their incompetence only benefits themselves.

I know the perfect solution for these imbeciles: fire them. Keep firing bad interns and employees until you find the perfect job candidates. Students will otherwise take employment for granted. They need displays of "shock and awe," i.e. group firings for minor nuisances. And tell your newly hired interns, "Do you know what I did to the last interns who stepped out of line? I fired them!"

written at 8:15 PM on December 31, 2007

New Year's resolutions (revisited)

I queried Way Back Machine to find my new year's resolutions from a full year ago. Here are the results:

  1. I will be faithful to Stephanie.
  2. I will not lie.
  3. I will be honest and truthful to everyone.
  4. I will strive for better grades this year. No skipping class.
  5. I will not curse (out loud at least).
  6. I will not procrastinate this year. I will do things on time or as early as I can.
  7. I will try not to drink.
  8. I will be a role model to Stephanie.
  9. I will keep all promises I make.

Number three is relative. I broke number five just two days after posting these resolutions! Number seven? I abstained from drinking until mid-November. Drinking less than half of a can of beer (that tasted horrible anyway) shouldn't count. The willpower to abstain was there though, so the resolution was successful in my opinion. New year's resolutions are what I made of it. They were long term goals, and I know when I've accomplished (or failed) them.

written at 1:58 AM on December 31, 2007

What tops the Google Toolbar suggestions

These are the instant suggestions that show up at the top of the list for Google toolbar when you start typing in it (from 11:30 PM on Dec 30, 2007):

Not sure what these are referring to? Google them!

written at 11:30 PM on December 30, 2007

A day at Union Square

I met up with Brian at the 14th Street Barnes&Noble this afternoon. Since Stephanie was going to be late (a full hour), Brian and I killed some time by browsing through books, games and the DVD sections. When she finally showed up, we walked to the Starbucks on the corner. The three of us had frappucinos and played Scrabble. I had my first bingo: the word I made was "asinine." Brian had to meet someone, so Stephanie and I made our way back to Barnes&Noble and browsed some more.

We came across a peculiar hardcover named "Post Secret" on one of the shelves. This book is riveting. It is a collection of people's secrets written on postcards. You can visit the Post Secret website here.

Brian returned after nearly 2 hours. We stopped by Petland Discounts before heading to that basement poolhall on 21st Street and Broadway. After playing a few games and catching up on lost time, we left and ate dinner at the Korean place behind B&N.

written at 1:13 AM on December 30, 2007

Steph's Blackberry sheds light on viewing websites with handheld devices

Stephanie received her Blackberry Curve 8320 on Tuesday morning (just in time for Christmas). Last night, she showed me how my website looked on it. Mind you, this phone is a recent model. My pages were displayed without its stylesheets implemented so the main content appeared first, proceeded by my menu; This was the effect that I was going for. Unfortunately, the menu is at the bottom of the page and difficult to reach.

I gave website accessibility a lot of thought as I designed the current stylesheet. I took into account that viewers are using different screen resolutions, different browsers, and different connection speeds. I placed the page's main content before the menu for users with slower connection speeds. That way, the main content shows up first, and can be read while the page loads. Until recently, I thought that it would look alright on PDA(s)/handheld devices like a Palm Pilot or a Blackberry. I had no way of checking as no one in my circles of friends owned one.

Now that I know how a website looks on a handheld device, I'm not going to do anything about it. You read this correctly: I won't change my website for PDAs, because there's nothing to fix! If I had to meet the needs of either 56K modem/slow internet users or the handheld users, I would side with slow internet. Content matters more than a minor inconvenience. A menu can be long enough to force handheld users to scroll down anyway. Other websites may be PDA-friendly, but mine is designed for the common dial-up user.

written at 1:51 AM on December 29, 2007

Thoughts for now (winter) and later (summer)

The seasons winter and summer are synonymous to me. It means no classes, and the neverending job search while I sleep in and enjoy the time off from college. I always feel that the winter break is too short of a period to be employed, even if it's a full month off. Nevertheless I've begun looking for employment (if not for now, then for the summmer).

written at 4:29 PM on December 28, 2007

Merry Christmas

My plans for today fell through. I didn't get Stephanie the present that I wanted to. Her father is under the weather or something, so I will be seeing a movie with Stephanie in the city. I hope you get well soon Mr. Wong. Feel better!

I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy holidays.

written at 4:29 AM on December 25, 2007

Facebook Anonymous

When I was accepted into Stony Brook University in 2005, I immediately signed up for a Facebook account. At the time, Facebook was exclusively for those with college E-mail addresses i.e. college students. It was seen as a rite of passage, getting onto Facebook when you got into college.

The problem started as soon as I moved onto campus. I spent anywhere between four to ten hours a day on that website alone. Facebook was the first and last site that I visited everyday. Facebook was its own addiction, apart from computer or internet addiction. It explains my freshman year's miserable grades. It wasn't like I spent the time "facebooking" productively either; More than half of it was waiting for something to happen, like a possible message or a change to a profile.

Privacy became an issue after a while. Over the course of my freshman year, I had heard of, witnessed and experienced violations of privacy. Girls would talk to me about creepy guys IMing them (after finding their screenname on Facebook). People would be tagged to obscene photos. At first, I removed my cellphone number, because it became obvious that none of my friends would resort to Facebook to find it if they needed to call me. Then I removed my list of classes because random people would message me about selling textbooks. I couldn't trust displaying what dorm building I lived in after that. The News Feed fiasco in September 2006 made Facebook seem like the ultimate stalkers' site.

It was rumored that potential/current employers and school administrators would check Facebook for impropriety e.g. photos of beer pong, etc. That was confirmed by the New York Times and major news websites. Since I have my own personal website, I already know how much I'm allowed to post that's acceptable or safe. Even then, I took to skimming off more personal information from my Facebook account and the website.

Ironically, it was mostly the social network itself that turned me off. Facebook became high school all over again with implied popularity contests in the amount of friends you had, the size of the groups you created, and the number of photos that you're tagged in. Friends would only say "happy birthday" because Facebook reminded them. A true friend would already know your birthday and have it marked down on an actual calendar or something, not through some social networking website.

I was upset when I learned that high school students were able to sign up for Facebook accounts. What about the rite of passage? Having Facebook opened to the public (anyone with an E-mail address) was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Hello pedophiles and Myspace bimbos. After Stephanie deactivated her Facebook account, I followed suit. However, all of the profile information is still on there, so I may want to reactivate it in the future to remove it.)

Take it from someone who knows the deal: You would be better off without Facebook. There are other ways to keep in touch with your friends without resorting to a social networking website. Facebook will only add to your list of problems in life. If there was a Facebook Anonymous, I would be a sponsor. Contact me if you or someone you know needs an intervention.

written at 4:53 AM on December 23, 2007

Open letter to Santa Claus

Dear Santa,

You know who I am and I know this is just one of millions of letters you will skim over, so I'll keep this brief: You can take me off your mailing list. If you're interested and want to know why, I'll list a number of reasons for you below.

After many years, I've come to the conclusion that I don't deserve any more Christmas presents. Instead, I should be getting a roughly 5 year supply of coal, which I would promptly send to Brent Lagerman (to fuel his barbeque grill). I haven't been the best of children for the past decade, and I know there are others more deserving of the presents that I'd want. If I really wanted something, I would get a job and work for it. I wouldn't bother to write up a Christmas wish-list.

It's been over 10 years since I've believed in a fat guy in a red suit who'd come from the North Pole to bring me presents. I'm too old for that now. I'm also twenty years old, and without a "teen" suffix attached to my age. I don't always act like an adult but I do feel that I've taken on the responsibilities of one. But when I start a family of my own, I will be sure to pass on the magic of Christmas. At least until the children are old enough to know who's been buying them presents.

Sincerely,
Simon Tsui

P.S. You can allot some of my coal to people who ask "What do you want for Christmas?" (but would then get them something rather disappointing)

written at 1:25 AM on December 23, 2007

Wii Condoms

a Wii remote with protective jacket

After I came home from Stony Brook last night and unpacked my belongings, I was in the mood to play some Super Mario Galaxy. I opened up the cabinet beneath the TV and was surprised to see that the Wii remotes looked different. They were larger than usual... inside some sort of plastic or rubbery material. It took me a moment to realize that they were one of those protective coverings that my sister mentioned a while back. She calls them "Wii condoms." And yes, I know that I'm two months late in talking about these Wii remote "jackets."

I get that the purpose of these jackets is supposed to provide a better grip, and reduce the impact of accidentally dropping (or throwing) the remote. The most noticeable aspect about this jacket is the bulge at the top. Does it serve any special purpose? I thought it might've made the Remote top-heavy, causing it to swivel and land on the more cushioned side. It wasn't the most brilliant guess of mine: I tested that out by holding the remote horizontally when I dropped it. It fell straight down without turning, and landed with a clatter that would make any cellphone or iPod owner wince. To make sure it wasn't a fluke, I dropped the remote several more times. It paid off later when I told my sister about what I had done to her remotes.

The bulge must be to protect the vitals at the top of the remote. After all, the moment the Wii remote slips out of your hand in a swing of passion, it flies like a dart. Here's a video demonstration with me dropping the remote on a hardwood floor.

It's free, so there's no need to worry about Nintendo forcing you to buy accessories from third parties. The Wii remote jacket is more helpful than the iPod equivalents. You shouldn't be dropping your iPod in the first place. Besides, there's no point in a reflective surface on the iPod's back if it's covered up by the casing.

written at 12:21 AM on December 22, 2007

A full semester later

During finals week, time managed to move with "all deliberate speed" as Professor Bartels would describe it. I developed a harmful routine for those few days of finals:

  1. Feel apathetic about studying.
  2. Realize it's 2:00 AM. Rush to textbook and read chapters. Watch the hours pass like minutes. Give in to exhaustion.
  3. It's 11:00 AM, wake up dead tired, get up to study notes.
  4. Go to the final haggard looking, wearing clothes from the night before.
  5. Finish, return to suite for a shower and change of clothing.
  6. Buy dinner, visit girlfriend, procrastinate by watching T.V. and avoiding studying. And the cycle repeats.

The ironic part of finals week was that I could have studied more during the daytime hours... but directly after each final, I would feel so sapped of energy and motivation. I had varying amounts of sleep each morning but I would still feel dead tired with 8 hours. I hope it was worth the suffering.

written at 3:04 AM on December 21, 2007

Happy one-year anniversary Stephanie

Battery Park on December 26, 2006

Last year, this Asian girl sat down next to me in Web Design class, and passed out on the keyboard. I smiled and thought of all the times that I would sleep in class. I bumped into her a month later while trying to find our exam room. We walked to the room together, but took seats at opposite ends. I was disappointed that we didn't talk more, but I caught her name in passing.

Instead of searching for her through Facebook like a normal person would, I checked her Stony Brook provided website. There was a link to her private website, and I was able to get her AIM screenname from there. I IMed her at 1:00 AM in the morning and we talked.

I don't know how we ended up together. I'm someone who wakes up early for class, drinks coffee/tea, loves chocolate and eats his veggies. All I know is that we go together like peanut butter and jelly. She makes me happy and I make her food. :-P

written at 4:24 PM on December 14, 2007

I am against the MTA Fare Hike

I am a New Yorker. When I'm not in Stony Brook for my college education, I'm back in New York City travelling exclusively by subway and bus. The MTA fare increase in 2003 from $1.50 to $2.00 became a heavy burden on my wallet, because I paid for my own transportation. There's a huge difference between getting 14 rides for $15 (with 4 extra rides included), and 12 rides for $20 (2 extra rides included). Over the next few summers, I resorted to buying unlimited weekly and monthly Metrocards because I would otherwise go through pay-per-rides like I do with 2-liter soda bottles in a week.

This was on a side column on the Metro Section's front page of the New York Times, but on the front page nevertheless: Monthly Fare for Transit to Rise 6.6% in Proposal. You can view the fare information at this link to the MTA website: MTA Releases Updated Fare and Toll Proposal. Weekly unlimiteds will be increased to $25 from $24, and monthly unlimiteds to $81 from $76. According to the New York Times article, they are proposing it now even though they will have a cash surplus of $500 million at the year's end. I am against the MTA fare hike.

written at 7:04 PM on December 10, 2007

What to do with these Scrabble scores...

Over the summer, I purchased a Travel Scrabble Folio from the 14th Street Barnes&Noble. The Travel Scrabble Folio is a Scrabble set in a binder with snap-in letter racks, snap-in letter tiles, and a cloth storage pouch. I occasionally played it with Brian (over coffee in Starbucks), and with Stephanie (until we realized Scrabble wasn't her strong suit :-P). But I got the most out of this Scrabble set during this fall 2007 semester in my Urban Politics class. Harry, Michael and I would play it during class while I tried to solve the New York Times crossword. If it wasn't for Scrabble, I would never show up to class because Urban Politics is incredibly boring.

I was hoping to keep an online record of the Scrabble games that I'll play on it, complete with scores and statistics. If I learned enough PHP over the summer, it might have been possible. That obviously didn't happen. Now I have pages worth of Scrabble scores that date back to the day I bought it, and no reason to keep them around. I may have lost a few score sheets from other Scrabble games. There's also no use in keeping a record if some games ended early. I may come back to the idea though.

written at 5:50 PM on December 10, 2007

What generation am I?

A lot of people in Stony Brook are confused about the terms "first generation" and "second generation," in reference to immigration. I was taught throughout my life that I was part of the first generation, because I was the first generation to be born in this country. Stephanie would be part of the second generation because her parents were born here.

Recently, I have heard people referring to themselves as part of the second-generation, so they think of generation in terms of "to move to and live in this country." This would make their parents the "first generation." Well, when we refer to first and second generations, do we mean being born here, or those who moved here?

written at 4:33 PM on December 7, 2007

It's cold in Stony Brook!

I hesitate every year to "break out the winter coat." I don't want to stand out on campus, being the only person wearing a large parka while everyone else has on a light jacket. Today was so cold however, that I was glad that I wore my coat. Today has been hovering around 30 to 38°F and it "feels like 18°F tonight" according to weather.com.

The Roth pond is partially frozen. Soon, people will try to walk on and across the surface of the pond. It's not a good idea in my opinion to step onto the ice yet, because the ice is still thin and forming. I've heard that some people have tried walking across it in the past, and fell through. Being waist-deep in a pond covered in ice doesn't sound very pleasant. The pond does freeze over enough to cross when it gets really cold, and I've walked across it twice earlier this year. There have been times though when I heard the sounds of ice cracking and scurried off the surface. You can never be sure when it's weak enough to break.

written at 12:18 AM on December 5, 2007

"Real Life" takes up most of my time

group photo from 2007 Thanksgiving Day

It's been over two weeks since my last post and I have a lot to talk about, so I'll keep it brief. Since it encompasses Thanksgiving, I will include a lot of thank you(s) and mentions of consumer products and services.

It's 4:12 AM and I should be sleeping. If my roommate Jarred reads this, sorry for typing and possibly keeping you up all night. But it's better if I write this all down now and post it than put off writing it until the next day. I may have to skip a "bottles for icecream" recycling event in Irving on Tuesday night that I won free admission for, to attend my Hall Council meeting that I missed twice already. More to come as finals week approaches.

written at 4:20 AM on December 3, 2007