w00t?

blink blink

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:57:20 GMT

Still here, eh?

I suppose I'm only here because I'm bored and have been enjoying the fact that there's an ice machine downstairs a bit too much tonight, but...

So how's LJ land been since I've last visited? Well, I trust?
I still haven't decided what to do with myself, but have been entertaining thoughts of yet more grad school, but for serious this time. I know some of you out on the interwebs have have less-than-exciting experiences with it all, but hey, who knows? If I don't have to produce any empirical evidence, maybe I can just BS my way through it, eh?

I've decided that, maybe, I'm not an otaku anymore. This may be a result of the fact that I have no TV, no games but my DS, and, really, no one to watch giant robots blow shit up with, but I've nevertheless been growing farther apart from fandom bit by bit over the years. Have I just grown older? I tried to join the anime club here, I really did, but it just seemed so... childish? Was I embarrassed to associate with such people? Maybe a little.

I mean, it's not like I don't still love giant robots - I still sing the heck out of the Mazinger Z theme when I don't think anyone's listening, but... maybe people who live and breath this stuff kind of irritate me now? I mean, honestly, it's fun, but is it really the only thing that defines you? If so, maybe you should try some other stuff; it's kinda sad.

I'm writing a project on manga in the library right now, so I guess I haven't abandoned my old ways completely, but I find myself distancing myself from my weeaboo ways to the extent that I often don't even want to carry a conversation on the subject of anime. I watched that new CGI Resident Evil movie today and, even half-drunk (fully by the end of it), I found that I couldn't really get into it. Is this the end for our hero? Has he grown so callous that not even one of his most-loved narratives can elicit even the faintest of sympathies?

Who knows?

Then again, I did enjoy the hell out of Mazinkaiser a couple weeks ago.
But, then again, I also tried to analyze and deconstruct it.

Who knows?

...

*drink*

I guess I've been neglecting my blog recently...

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:26:05 GMT

...probably because I've basically been blogging on Facebook.
But anyway, colours~

you are lavender
#E6E6FA

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy.

Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Yimin Chen's Dewey Decimal Section:
390 Customs, etiquette & folklore
Yimin Chen = 593943854 = 593+943+854 = 2390

Class:
300 Social Sciences

Contains:
Books on politics, economics, education and the law.

What it says about you:
You are good at understanding people and finding the systems that work for them. You like having established reasoning behind your decisions. You consider it very important for your friends to always have your back.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Riches, Wealth, Social Security

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:43:11 GMT

Dear Diary,

I found 一円 today.
It dropped out of my backpack this morning.
Where the heck was it hiding these last two years???

Regards,

~ Yimin

So, I've been watching a lot of TED recently...

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:36:47 GMT

...and now I'm all inspired.

The feeling, I'm sure, will pass.

Cannot refuse?! Bah!

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:02:35 GMT

1. What are your nicknames?
*cough* "sailor"

2. What do you do before bedtime?
read or play DS

3. What fandom(s) are you most into at the moment?
...nothing? Maybe Magic? Do cards games count as "fandom"?

4. What is your favorite scent?
something not too sweet

5. What videogames are you playing at the moment?
Etrian Odyssey II. Gotta grind to 99!

6. What do you eat the most?
in the last couple days: muffins

7. Do you trust easily?
sure, why not?

8. What was your first big fandom?
TMNT? Yeah, probably

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
there was that fire alarm last night...

10. Do you have a good body-image?
well, it's not not-good

11. What's one childhood item that you still have with you today?
right now? Nothing. Left 'em all at home

12. What websites do you visit daily?
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/
http://www.cracked.com/
http://www.wizards.com/magic/Magazine/Default.aspx (<-shame!)

13. Who are currently the most important people to you?
ME!

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
she is nice

15. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?
~A singer in a smokey room/
The smell of wiiiine and cheeeap perfuuume~

16. What’s your favorite item of clothing?
stripey shirt. I like stripey shirt

17. Britannia or Nipponpon?
does Britannia sell sake in 2L cartons? I think not

18. What turns you on in the opposite gender?
cuteness.
that, and a mind of their own

19. What would you like to achieve within the next 3 years?
well, the ability to feed myself would be nice...

20. What should you be doing right now?
sleeping

21. Wii, PS3, or Xbox360?
for free? PS3, duh.
otherwise, I'd rather eat for a week (or, like, a month if it's PS3).

On Campus Evangelism and Free Stuff

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:33:49 GMT

First day of classes.
So, of course, I arrive at NCB early - like the keener I haven't been since high school - with the intention of juicing up at the Timmy's and then plopping down somewhere to read a book (Digital Play, co-written by my associate dean... yeah, my new-found keener-ism scares me too); but, lo! What's this?

FREE STUFF!

Obviously, being the complete sucker for FREE STUFF! that I am, I make a quick beeline for the little table set up on the side of the hall.

"Hello," I say, "I am interested in free stuff."
I speak in even tones, concealing my excitement, so as to not appear a complete dork.
"Can you tell me more about this stuff?"

"We're giving away free books," says the girl in front of the booth, "we're trying to teach people about Christianity and connect people around campus."
"Oh" I say.
"We've got two packages," she continues, "one is a more scientific book about God and evolution, and the other is of a more spiritual bent."
"Oh" I say, again.
"Thank you"

And that's how I ended up with a copy of Lee Strobel's The Case for a Creator (ID! lolz) and a hip new edition of the New Testament. Also, another cool hybrid pen/highlighter.

So, now my copy of The Golden Laws, given to me by a guy in Hiroshima who was selling unagi-don, has some company on my shelf. Which leads me to thinking: why don't atheists ever give me free stuff?

Cuz I could totally use a copy of The Blind Watchmaker.

Touchdown.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:58:18 GMT

Got here in one piece.
Shit has mostly been unpacked.
Have not met roommate yet, but suspect that she's a she.

Bought an issue of Time at the airport and am totally gonna subscribe (only $30!).

Going out for lunch now.

Sonic's legacy?

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:05:48 GMT

In the 16 bit era, Sonic the Hedgehog was massively popular. He was basically the anti-Mario: sleek, cool, "mature" - a teenager with attitude years before Zordon immortalized the phrase and the only mascot character that could reasonably rival the pudgy plumber.

Both characters made the transition to 3D a promising start, but unlike Mario, Sonic would proceed tofall on his face, and over and over again. In fact, after all these years, Sonic has yet to pick himself up out of the gutter, rather, he seems to not even notice that he's there. What I'm trying to say is: Sonic games are crap.

Even as Sonic grows increasingly less relevant in the world of gaming, he may just leave an indelible mark on the world at large. Sonic the Hedgehog may be a has-been, but Sonic Hedgehog(shh) is one of the most amazing stars of developmental biology. A signaling protein belonging to the hedgehog family of signaling proteins, shh has basically been found to have a hand in nearly every developmental process imaginable - everything from fang development in venomous snakes to the formation of your hand! As the little blue hedgehog slips further into obscurity, there may come a time soon when, ironically, Sonic Hedgehog is more well-known than its namesake.

I think it's funny, anyway.

Addendum: Holy shit

And as a follow-up to my last post...

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:06:47 GMT

(~^0^)~ http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=oFXIALf9zDA

On the importance of critical thinking

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:58:36 GMT

I was out the other day and had about an hour to kill, so I decided to have a browse at the local library. Looking through the science and nature section, I came across a book titled Shattering the Myths of Darwinism by one Richard Milton, a British engineer and journalist, and, naturally, being interested in the subject, I sat myself down to see what he had to say.

I never got the chance to finish it, having forgotten my library card, but the half I did manage to read during my hour or so with the book was rather unsettling. Clearly, Milton is either a shameless liar with a low (though probably realistic) view of the average person's critical reading skills, or he is immensely dense. While I am no stranger to creationist lunacy on the internet (where any half-wit with an agenda can publish), seeing it in print masquerading as legitimate literature was a bit of a shock.

I'll not dwell overly much on Milton's arguments disproving evolution: they are contradictory, fallacious, and the same old tired crap that's been refuted countless times by people far more capable than I; rather, as an aspiring librarian, I'd like to take this opportunity to underscore the importance of doubt - of clear and critical thinking, and the unwillingness to take bold claims at face value.

At first glance, Milton, claiming to be merely a dispassionate truth-seeker, seems to present a balanced overview of topics important to a sophisticated discussion of evolution - among others: the age of the Earth, the conditions necessary for life, heritability, and the fossil record. He quotes numerous scientists and studies, both for and against the established opinion and analyzes their data and conclusions. At first glance. But a quick scan through the footnotes (right, who checks footnotes?) reveals that nearly all of his citations from mainstream sources are at least a decade out of date, with a disturbing number of them coming from works published in the '50s or earlier. As the book was written in 1992 (re-published in '97), this smacks of intellectual dishonesty, or, at the very least a crippling inability to refine search criteria.

On the other side, Milton draws nearly all his support from a single source: American chemist Melvin A. Cook, who specialized in explosives research and publishing Mormon creationist texts. Even when supporting his claims, the bulk of Milton's citations come from books and articles published while the USA was still fighting communism in Vietnam.

Also, evolutionary theory is clearly wrong because animals rarely actually fight and kill each other in the wild.
Clearly.
Because a blood-soaked battle to the death is the only way that the European rabbit and the Greater Stick-Nest Rat could possibly compete for resources.

And so, boys and girls, the lesson here today is to not only pay attention to what people are telling you, but also to the how and the why - and, of course, lets not forget to pay extra careful attention to what they *don't* tell you.

Further reading:
Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened

So, I went to see the hulk tonight...

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 07:45:31 GMT

It wasn't really bad.
But, the whole time, I had the theme to the '66 cartoon stuck in my head...

One day...

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 07:47:26 GMT

This might be me

And it will be awesome.

Yay! Meme!

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:23:40 GMT

Hooray for horoscope-type descriptions that apply to (almost) everyone!

When I was in high school, I always thought that this would be, like, the best job ever.

Tue, 27 May 2008 04:37:10 GMT

Really, though, working in a video game store isn't as glamorous as I had imagined.
Mostly, I just tell people that, no, we don't currently have WiiFit in stock.

Still, there are benefits to the job.
I grabbed a copy of Odin Sphere for cheap and in a momentary lapse of judgement, a used copy of Duel Masters (I'm weak to card games...) for about $3. And then forgot to actually put the discs in the cases when I took them home. Hopefully, I won't forget tomorrow when I go back for that last $3 copy of Silent Hill 4...

I also got a free DBZ T-shirt.
It's one-size-fits-elephant, but hey, free!

OMFG RAEP!

Fri, 02 May 2008 22:34:13 GMT

Sexually frustrated fur seal attempts to have sex with penguin!

It's kinda funny how the natural world just seemed so much more innocent when I was young.

Sometimes, /. is funny

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:06:58 GMT

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction normally taking less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years. It does not decay, but undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes, not to mention multiple oxymorons.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. That hypothetical quantity might normally be called 'critical mass' but, in this unique case it is known as 'critical mess'.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (Am), another just-discovered element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Further research revealed that Governmentium also occurs naturally alongside Capitalium, a lighter, but more numerous element. Capitalium is compromised of a cloud of entreprenions, which are attracted to a core of opportunium, which was made stable by emissions from Governmentium.

Over time, Capitalium produces emissions of money, some of which is absorbed by nearby Governmentium. Capitaliums will thus try to move as far away from Governmentium as possible. But most of this money is transmitted between other Capitaliums in what is know as the venture band. These oscillations of money produces economyetic radiation, which attracts more entreprenions, and stimulates peons, but also attracts greedions and slackhyons which have the temporary effect of increasing the flow of money in the venture band, while increasing their own energy.

However, as the flow in the venture band increases, the greedions and slachyons reach critical mass, and the flow of money becomes unstable and suddenly reduces dramatically. Capitaliums spontaneously split from their now depleted opportunium and evolve into Spend 0 particles, refusing to bond to any more opportunium. Any peons in the region become inert and may decay, or be absorbed by greedions and slackhyons, forming anti-entreprenions, which have the effect of destroying any opportunium they contact with.

The state will remain unstable for a time until the depleted Capitaliums begin to move closer to Governmentium. When this happens Governmentium undergoes a shift and emits bailout radiation, which has the effect of releasing vast amounts of stored money into the venture band and into Capitaliums. This restimulates the Capitaliums and they once again begin to emit economyetic radiation, and also move away from Governmentium.

Interestingly, Governmentium can be formed by either the fusion of peons, or the fusion of Capitaliums. However these two types of Governmentium have different spins, which manifests itself through their interactions with Medium, a type of Capitalium, which has the ability to pick up Governmentium and Capitalium spin, and then broadcast it to nearby peons.

What the shit Richmond?

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:35:11 GMT

Try to suck a little harder please.
That's the second accident on the corner outside my house in three days.

*sigh* I wonder when the next one's gonna be?

I called 911 for the first time today!

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:35:12 GMT

I also witnessed my first car accident.

Kinda weird.
I was meeting a friend tonight and almost got hit by a guy on a motorbike as I was ~~jaywalking~~ crossing the road.
Then, a few seconds later, I see the guy gently bump an Echo.
Of course, since it was a bike, the guy fell off, but there were only minor injuries and not too much damage.
I'm pretty sure it was actually the car's fault, cuz they had a stop sign, but the bike was going pretty fast and stuff.

Seems to have been quite an accident-prone day today: I heard about a crash on 3 Rd and Francis as I went to work, I saw police cleaning up a crash right outside my house at Blundell and St Albans when I got back from work, and then I witnessed this last one on Alexandra and Kwantlen.

Seriously, Richmond drivers, what the fuck?

I'm going to London!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:42:24 GMT

...Ontario.
To become a librarian.
Yay!

Hangin' up to green apron

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:48:33 GMT

Quit my job at Starbucks today!
Yay!
...but I've still got two weeks left...
Boo!

It was fun and stuff, but totally not worth $9/hr.
And $45 a month for parking? Seriously, WTF?

Maybe I'll go look for something with normal hours after this...

Sometimes I wonder about stuff.

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:15:26 GMT

Maybe I should drop the oblivious idiot routine one of these days?

But then, that sounds a lot like growing up.
One of these days?

Yeah, one of these days~

Bah! I'll bite.

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:29:50 GMT

A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself
B. Tag seven people to do the same
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it"

1. I apparently say "oh really?" a lot. Like, so much so that little kids I teach call me out on it...

2. I hate french fries.

3. I HATE ketchup.

4. I like to cook, but never actually get around to making anything.

5. I sing along to the radio when I'm driving by myself.

6. My dining room has a mirrored wall, so I make faces at myself pretty much all through breakfast/dinner.

7. Cold pizza is the breakfast of champions.

Aaaaand... I think that everyone I know on LJ has already been called out, so...

Well, I didn't know you were called 'Dennis'.

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 03:21:38 GMT

Wasn't there some joke about needing an English degree to work at Starbucks?
Cuz I'm now working at Starbucks, at the airport.
Sorta.
Technically, it's licensed by an international food/beverage management company, but, the fact is, I'm still serving up double tall, non-fat, caramel lattes.

So, I've discovered that actual "work" is hard, but it keeps me busy.
Plus, free coffee!
Also, the GM keeps calling me 'Dennis' because, apparently, I look like someone who used to work here.
Also, there's a guy in my store named Biscotti.
At a Starbucks.
I shit you not.

So, if anyone's flying international, you can come say 'hi'

All you can eat is a scourge upon this Earth

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:24:30 GMT

Everything it touches turns to crap.

Not content with screwing up every Japanese dish save the raw fish (and even making good progress on that), they've decided to go after the Koreans as well.

We decided to go to Earls on Saturday, but at 7pm, when it was packed. So we decided to try our luck at the new-ish Korean place on the other side of Lansdowne. I figured, how can you screw up BBQ? I mean, salt + meat = winning combination, right? Plus, it was $24.95. They couldn't charge *that* much and be *total* crap, could they?

Well, I was right: the potatoes were pretty good.

The rest was crap.

The kimchi was tasteless, the "clam" soup had no clams in it (mussels are not clams), and the prawn tempura was not straight (!!!). Right, but how could they possibly screw up the meat? Well, the beef was crossed off the menu, for one. Sure, short ribs are technically "beef", but in the same way that wing tips are technically "chicken"; not bad, but more trouble than they're worth. Secondly, the marinated pork which replaced the beef was apparently marinated in water; a bold flavouring twist that will no doubt take the culinary world by storm. And lastly, the chicken was not so bite-sized. It was basically half a breast, uncut.

Other random dishes were also sampled, but they were also found to be crap (unsurprisingly).

I suppose it's only a matter of time until hotpot, that last bastion of non-crap gluttony, finally succumbs to the encheapening.

I blame the Chinese people.

Edjumacation

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 22:16:25 GMT

As you may (or may not) know, I am planning to apply to be a secondary teacher.
This may (or may not) have anything to do with GTO.

In any case, my application letter mk.I:

As a high school student, I was always surrounded by a cohort of like-minded peers: high achievers, gifted students, motivated learners – all taking advanced courses. I was, of course, aware that there were other, “average” students taking the regular and even remedial programs, but I never had much contact with them nor gave them much thought; they were scenery, mostly. It wasn't until after I had graduated from university that I found myself thinking about these other students.

My first brush with teaching was as an English teacher in Japan, an exciting position with a unique set of challenges, like kids who never spoke and kids who never stopped speaking (in Japanese). Yet, despite the difficulties, I found it immensely rewarding to watch my students gradually improve their English skills through the year. When I returned to Canada, I was eager to continue teaching and began working with the AVID program at Richmond Secondary School and as a tutor. It was here that I finally met some “average” students: students performing at the 'C' level, students for whom a 'B' was considered a high mark, students fill our public schools. I met students who never read their textbooks, never completed homework, never asked questions – some of them didn't even know how to study! And then I got to know them. Each of them had specific reasons for being lumped into this faceless, “average” group, and each of them had the potential to exceed it.

By learning to identify and address the specific needs of each student, I could begin to see results. It might be that they lacked organizational or critical reading skills, or that they simply needed an intriguing idea to pique their interest. Eventually, they would strike a moment of understanding, when a subject or idea suddenly starts to make sense. This rush of discovery is one of the most exciting feelings I know, and to be able to share it with students is a great joy.

Working with the AVID program taught me to consider each student individually, with different personalities and motivations; working as a tutor has taught me to constantly re-evaluate my teaching methods to adapt to ever-changing classroom conditions; and working in Japan taught me the importance of non-verbal communication skills and how to teach students with an imperfect grasp of English. I would like to use these skills to teach students a love of knowledge and give them the tools to be independent learners.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
And if anyone can help me cut about 60 words off of this, that'd be great.