Sunday, March 25, 2007

Turning 22 on the 22nd

22nd of March. It's the second day of spring (admittedly the nicest season), the second day of the Aries month (the first of all zodiac signs), the World Water Day, and it has two twos in the number 22. Most importantly, after all that bullcrap, this day is my birthday :D

So how did it feel like turning 22? It felt unreal really. It's like all out of sudden, I'm 22 already. Thinking back of what I've achieved in my life thus far, I would say that there's definitely ample room for improvement...but I should really be grateful for what I have now too. As Nicholas had pointed out, I'm a man now...gosh, what a term.

To me, to be a man is not just being physically build. A man has to be responsible for himself and for the people around him, generous, open-minded, humble, and kind. A man must be able to keep his head when others are losing theirs. A man exudes an aura of confidence. A man leads when leadership is needed. A man knows how to love and not expecting to be love in return. In conclusion, the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling pretty much defines what a man is supposed to be. It's definitely not easy being a man, and to be a better man (reminds you of Robbie Williams?) will remain to be my lifelong goal.

Here I wish to thank all of those who have made my birthday meaningful. Special thanks to my Umich friends. And thanks to whoever who gave me the mug as a present. You really did cheer my day up :)

Sunday, March 18, 2007

尽信书不如无书


I'm currently reading the "Rich dad, poor dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. It's a book that teaches about financial independence, and there's a lot of radically different and seemingly profound ideas about personal financial management.

Although I haven't finish reading it, I can't help but wondering if he's as rich and financially savvy as he "boasted" in the book. It definitely wouldn't make sense to continue reading if he's not even rich in the first place right? Besides, I was thinking that since this book is an insanely famous best-seller a few years back then, wouldn't it have produced a significant numbers of millionaires across the land?

I did some research on the omniscient Wikipedia and found the following:

"Detailed analysis of public records (including SEC and county registrar of deeds) find no evidence to support Kiyosaki's status as a successful investor and businessman prior to the formation of his present venture, Cashflow Technologies, Inc. They claim that his wealth has come only as a result of selling books and audio presentations about topics he has not personally succeeded in and that he is probably worth far less than the US$50 to US$100 million he once claimed in an interview."
"In 1994 at the age of 47 he shut down the business because of adverse publicity in Australia and 'retired'".

So that's how he retired young. For more, read more on criticism and controversy related to him.

This is not to say that his advice is totally useless or of no value, but again such findings have buttressed my notion that motivational books can only do so much in presenting opinions that might not be necessarily true or applicable in the real world. A critical mind must be maintained, so that the good information can be extracted from the junk. Indeed, 尽信书不如无书...

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Daylight saving time

So tonight I'll lose one hour because of the daylight saving time.

As defined in Wikipedia:
Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time in British English, is the convention of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour in late winter or early spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. Details vary by location and change occasionally; see When it starts and stops below.

Governments often promote DST as an energy conservation measure because it substitutes summer afternoon sunlight for electrical lighting. However, in some cases DST can increase energy costs.


This year's adjustment is earlier than usual, and here's the reason why (from Beauregard daily news):

Starting this year, Daylight Saving Time has been extended by one month because of legislation signed by President George W. Bush.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) will begin at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 11, because it is the second Sunday of March. Clocks will spring ahead from 1:59 a.m. to 3 a.m. The change will end on Nov. 3, 2007, the first Sunday of November. These are the new dates for the DST period.

On August 8, 2005, President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S.

Previously, the dates for Daylight Saving Time had been the first Sunday in April through the last Sunday in October.

After the time changes back in the fall, a study will be conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Secretary of Energy will report the impact of this change to Congress. That governmental body retains the right to resume the 2005 Daylight Saving Time schedule.

The law by which clocks are turned forward in the spring and back in the fall is known as the Uniform Time Act of 1966. The law does not require the observance of Daylight Saving Time, simply that if DST is observed, it must be done uniformly.

The main purpose of DST is to make better use of daylight. Clocks are changed during the summer to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Countries have different change dates are the world. Near the equator, day and night are nearly the same length, about 12 hours. But elsewhere, there is much more daylight in the summer than in the winter.

The closer a location is to the North or South Pole, the longer the period of daylight in the summer. Thus, DST is usually not helpful in the tropics, and countries near the equator generally do no change their clocks.

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2 a.m. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time and DST is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Suam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Arizona - with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona.

Many fire departments encourage people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks because Daylight Saving Time provides a convenient reminder.

More than 90 percent of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, but one-third are estimated to have dead or missing batteries.


There goes my one hour...

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Spring break 2007

A summary of my spring break:

-ski trip
-a bunch of hangout sessions
-a couple restaurant visits
-laser tag
-badminton
-2 movies (Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Cast away)
-futile attempts in starting my paper
-some piano practice sessions
-UMIMSA makan-makan
-1 novel

I can't think of anything else...very unproductive indeed, and I don't feel like I had enough rest (well, it's never enough in fact :D). The second half of the semester will be a killer, and yeah, that pisses me a lot, a whole lot... Bring it on man, I'll see what you can do...


Ski trip organized by UMIMSA!!