A Brief Respite...

I'm going to be taking a brief hiatus from updating this blog for about 4 days. I need a break :P. And so, I'm taking a short vacation.

Don't miss me too much.

Why our education system is broken

I believe that education should be focused. In most cases, after the first 8 years of education, many, if not most students have at least some idea of their future career paths. I think that the forced participation in subjects that the student has no interest in is unecessary, and superflous.

Perhaps my idea is very different from what most percieve to be the "proper" concept of education, but progress isn't, (or rather, shouldn't) be made in small steps.

I think that schools should begin to institute focused, and directed study from grade 9 onwards. In concept, it's almost like choosing your area of study in university, just a few years earlier. Of course, this requires that youth at this age posess some degree of maturity (which in this day and age, many seem to lack :P).

But then again, think about it. Just 100 years ago, adescolent girls often were married, taking care of children, and managing the home. Has the maturity level of teenagers themseleves changed that much in only a century?

It seems to me that the maturity of this age group is not at question, but rather, just our perception of them.

Focusing our educational efforts in this way will presumably benefit us in a number of ways:

• Reducing High school dropouts. Here in Canada, no matter how ridiculous, you're legally permitted to stop attending school @ 16. In 2004 (the latest date for which data is available) 9% of all 20-24 year olds dropped out of school. Perhaps that figure seems low, but that 9% represents students that this government has failed. If students are actively involved in a topical study of their choice, there will probably be noticably lower drop out rates.
• Increasing the skillsets of our professionals. It's not rocket science. More education in a specialized field = a more experienced workforce.
• Allocating educational resources efficiently. If there's only 10 students that like math, you only need 1 math teacher. With this system in place, school boards won't keep on running out of money.

In the unlikely scenario that someone notable in the education community actually reads this, I hope they take a cue. It's time to reconsider our education system. We need to change the underlying principles that set us up for failure.

"Education is...

One of the few things a person is willing to pay for and not get. "

-William Lowe Bryan

No post today.

This really is quite an odd post, but it's eloquence lies in its simplicity. I'm too lazy to post today. And so, there's no post.

Don't you love that picture?

Cuil

Cuil (pronounced "cool") made its debut today. Cuil, from the Gaelic word for knowledge, is yet another entry into the already (arguably) too crowded search engine market.

Founded and managed by former Google defectors, Cuil is directly, and publicly challenging Google's search monopoly. It claims that it indexes more webpages (~121 billion) than Google itself, which of course, Google vehemently denies. Personally, I find that fact extremely unlikely, and through my own testing (more below), I have reason to doubt the credibility of their claims.

Search Analysis

Search Term: codexofdreams (my own blog :P)

Google-517 (6 pages), of which the first 4 pages are at least partially relevant.

Cuil- 0 results. Suggests a spelling mistake.

News4Kids (my former employer)

Google- 9240 results, of which, the first results are relevant.

Cuil- 10+ pages, of which I see 1 relevant result

Bangkok (thrown in for effect)

Google- ~98 million results, of which the first ~10 pages are probably relevant.

Cuil- Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Suggests a typo (rolls eyes)

Advantage: Google -I seriously doubt that Cuil indexes more pages than Google.

Interface

Google- Utilarian, spartan but useful. HUGE variety of Google owned services (docs, search, calender, etc.).

Cuil- Beautiful, modern, and thoroughly functional. Despite its search shorcomings, Cuil has a stunning 3 column design that is visible and highly useful. Hovering over a word will provide definitions, and Cuil gives you multiple search choices.

Advantage- Cuil- Google is stuck in the past. Cuil embraces the future.

Speed

Google- Blazing speed. Search terms are found nearly instantaneously. Access is consistent.

Cuil- Noticable and notable lag. Incosistant search results depending on method. See here and here. Unproven and immature reliability.

Advantage- Google- Enough said.

And so, in short, Cuil isn't going to suffice as an alternative for good ol' Google. Sorry to rain on the parade.

Winner: Google.

"As we go forward, I hope we're going to continue to use technology to make really big differences in how people live and work."

-Sergei Brin (co-founder of Google)

The Bejing Olympics- Part 1

Perhaps this post is slightly pre-mature, but there are some athletes that are beginning to arrive in China. And so, I've decided to write my first post on the upcoming Olympics.

This is an exciting time for this nation. They're finally in the spotlight, and not for some human right violation. And of course, being one of the most image-conscious countries, on earth, China has gone to great lengths to ensure a perfect Olympics.

An interesting development that's been in the news lately, is China's "list of things not to ask foreigners". Reportedly, there's posters all over the city warning the Chinese not to ask visiting tourists about their ages, salaries, love lives, health, income, political views, religious beliefs or personal experiences. What else then can we talk about?

This rule is absolutely ridiculous. It's ludicrous to think that China somehow believes that inquisitive citizens will tarnish it's image. They've effectively stripped the country of all it's character, and that's exactly what foreigners hate.

China's not exactly the most media friendly nation on earth, and this Olympics will undoubtedly be no different. Despite their promise of absolute press freedom, I don't see that happening. China current regulations are simply too restrictive to give western reporters enough autonomy to even be considered "freedom".

It's simply inevitable that during these Olympics, some kind of protest will occur. China has been desperately trying to stifle any kind of resistance, but even they know that something will happen.

I'm not endorsing revolution, but if, and when it does happen, the world will be watching carefully. China had better keep things under control, because, when they fail, we'll be watching their every move.

"A lifetime of training for just ten seconds"
-Jesse Owens

A Tribute to Randy Pausch...

Randy Pausch, a tenured professor of science at Carnegie Mellon died today of complications. He was 47 years old.

I've been following Pausch, the author of The Last Lecture for quite a time, and I was shocked today, upon hearing of his death.

Professors are often asked to give a last lecture, a lecture ruminating on their lives, their choices, and ultimately, their imminent deaths. Randy Pausch needed no imagination.

In August of 2006, Pausch was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He was due to die within six months. Against all odds, he held on for nearly 2 years. Still, despite this grim forecast, he took the time to prepare a last lecture of his own, which eventually spawned an international best-seller.


Foreseeing his death, Pausch adopted a mentality of opportunity. He chose to do his absolute best to leave a legacy that his children would could refer to, even in his absence. In that sense, he succeeded beyond what anyone could've ever forseen.


Ever since I read his book, I was intrigued. Here was a man that, in the face of death, remained optimistic. I routinely checked his day-to-day update page, and about a month ago, all seemed fine. Yesterday, an anonymous friend posted a message on behalf of the ailing professor. He spoke of recent scans, that revealed complications. Pausch had more cancer in his body than we had anticipated.


This morning, on Good Morning America, host Diane Sawyer announced his death. Pausch died peacefully at home, surrounded by family.


Here's to a life of merit, and a man, who truly, made a difference.

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand" -Randy Pausch

and on obstacles,

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough." -Randy Pausch

My favourite new (some of them) shows

Well I don't usually post on topics this frivolous, trivial, and hopefully humourous in nature, but some shows that I've discovered recently (or not so recently) are so good that they warrant a post. This won't be an eloquent beautiful piece of work, but hey, I'll let these shows speak for themselves.

• Strictly Legal: While this might seem ridiculous, I love this show. Highly complicated, and even more technical, this show speaks in pure legalese. While I don't understand all of it (I'm sure that with time, I will), it's still mightily educational, and highly entertaining, if only for the fact that the guests on the show seem awkwardly out of place. Michael Cochrane, the host of the show is knowledgeable and articulate, and he gets the job done. Of note is the word of the week. Who knew that "voir dire" could be so interesting? BNN- Thursdays @ 8
  
• Eli Stone: Another legal show, but this one's of a more fictional nature. Now into it's second season (well, at least I think), Eli Stone focuses on big city lawyers. Stone, the protagonist is a brilliant lawyer, on his way into the upper echelons of his firm. But all is twisted when he finds that he has a major, and potentially life-threatening brain aneurysm. Although this was resolved in the last season (sorry for the spoiler), it'll be interesting to see what Greg Berlanti comes up with next. Oh, and, Katie Holmes has a guest role this season :P (if that doesn't pique your interest, nothing will). A Channel- Saturday @ 10
  
• and finally, Flashpoint: This show actually surprised me. Initially, I just thought it was going to be another mindless show with big,burly men shooting big,bad men with bigger guns. But I was wrong. Supposedly (obviously, I wouldn't know), Flashpoint is scarily realistic. Still, even if it wasn't, Flashpoint has emotion, which may sound simple, but it makes a world of difference. When one of the snipers kills a criminal, he doesn't just walk away. The ramifications of that action, regardless of his training, affect him forever. The negotiater is plagued by real problems. He's obligated to serve the city, even if it means he has to lie his way through, but after, morality takes a toll. CTV- Friday @ 10
  

All in all, the 2008-2009 line up is very promising. So don't listen to those TV parenting magazines!

Kevin Wong claims no responsibility for TV image burn-in, Cable cut-off, a permanent addiction to the tube, broken remotes, sofa breaking, weight gain, or dizziness.

Have fun!
"Television is so ubiquitous that some of the top shows have become an integral part of our lives."
- I forget their name.

The Dark Knight

Just a note: What you see at left is not the poster used by most theaters, but I liked the art infinitely more than the other poster.

WARNING: I claim no responsibility for spoilers, and I make no effort to conceal parts of the film that will enhance me review.



The Blockbuster of the summer has arrived.



The Dark Knight, sequel to the 2005 film, Batman Begins, began production July 31st, 2006. Starring (notably),Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Heath Ledger as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two Face, the film was cast well.


Batman's role was well played, but understated. Bale portrayed the character's incorruptibility effectively, but the element of darkness that was supposed to be evident here didn't seem quite genuine. Towards the end of the movie, Batman's noble actions, redeemed the character somewhat.


Aaron Eckhart characterized district attorney Harvey Dent without flaw. Dent's in effect, saved Gotham. After his "accident" by which he became Two-Face, Eckhart portrayed the manic quality of Two-Face well, if not a bit dramatically. Dent's "lucky coin", and his obsession with luck was a somewhat interesting plot device, but I question the inclusion of something so trivial.

But even in spite of any errors made by other actors, Heath Ledger was without question, the star of the movie. His untimely death stirred much speculation, and arguably, some disruptive publicity, but Ledger was a superb actor, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the movie.

Even more impressive were the lengths that Ledger went to become his character. In preparation for the role, Ledger lived alone in a hotel room for an entire month, and kept a diary, recording the fictional Joker's probable thoughts. He emerged after for filming, and delivered one of the most explosive performances from an actor that I've ever seen in a film. His spectacular performance epitomized the entire character of the Joker. His perfect delivery captured the essence of a antagonist that was severely disturbed, but yet, brilliantly inspired. The powerful interpretation of the role accomplished the impossible, making the Joker seem human, even considering his inherently evil motives.

I fully support the idea of posthumous academy award for Ledger. His acting was absolutely unparalleled in any other movie this year, perhaps even this decade. If you're interested you may sign a petition here.

There is rawness and darkness here, but if one seeks it, there is more. Underneath the brutality, the crime, the unspeakable evil is a message about heroism. The final ending speaks to the goodness of humanity, and the sacrifices of heroes, whether ordinary, or otherwise. It reveals the emotions of men and women that are torn by commitment, and who are ultimately pushed to their limits, exposing their true identities.

The Dark Knight is a cinematic masterwork. Even in light of all of Nolan's other works, this movie is his magnum opus, his Pièce de résistance. It's going to be hard to best this movie.

"True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat."
-Napolean

China- Case Study-Part 4- Final- What China can Do

China, despite it's faults is quickly becoming a country with the potential to undergo a complete transformation. Over the last 30 years, China has experienced radical, and unpredicted change. The nation has learned to harvest it's most prominent asset-it's population, in order to promote economic growth. It's already on it's way to becoming a future superpower.

Still, in light of all the advances, there's a few things China needs to change:

• Ditch the political system! China has yet to realize that it's communism, even in spite of it's often capitalistic intentions, is outdated. Communism severly inhibits citizens, and in an increasingly modern country like China, it simply, doesn't fit.
• Care for your people. China, I think, has yet to realize that it's mistreating it's greatest asset. China's population is it's lifeblood. There is nothing worse than a system that abuses it's people, when the people are keeping it alive.
• Curb the pollution. China is slowly, killing itself, poisoning it's natural resources, and drawing international criticism. If it wants to continue to grow, it has to learn how to do so sustainably.
• Free the press. If China really wants to portray an image of even reasonably democratic conduct, it has to release some of it's grips on the media. What's the point of reading a Chinese newspaper anyways? It's pure propaganda, and everyone knows it.

China is going great places, albeit, very slowly, and very unsteadily. If it finally gains some hindsight, and learns from it's mistakes, perhaps, someday, China will be among the great nations of the world.
For now though, we've just got to wait for it to rectify it's mistakes. Somewhere, underneath all that dirt and grime, lies a leader of the world in the waiting.

Case closed.

“People underestimate their capacity for change. There is never a right time to do a difficult thing. A leader's job is to help people have vision of their potential.”
-John Porter

China-Case Study-Part 3- China Today

In 1990, facing the aftermath of the protests, China began to settle down for a calmer decade. Although there was some concern about the Hong Kong Handover, when 1997 finally rolled around, it occurred quietly, and for the most part, politically uneventfully.

China's vast population, ever-growing workforce, and large research and development investments have many people regarding the nation as an emerging superpower. China has the world's largest (by manpower) military force, and the world's second largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. China is the world's fastest growing economy, with an annual average GDP increase of 9.4% over the past 25 years. China now, more than ever, plays an integral role in world trade. It is the world's largest producer of steel and concrete, and it's cheap labour makes it an attractive country for foreign production.

But above all, China is a country that is growing. China's population is now 90.9% relatively literate, compared to 20% in 1950. Only 10% of China's residents live below the poverty line. Of note is China's hosting of the Olympics this year, a historical first.

Nevertheless, growing does not occur without incident. Human rights in China are a topic of much concern. Censorship of political speech, and free expression is used openly, and routinely, in order control the image presented to the world, and to the Chinese people. In particular, China is notorious for it's media restrictions. Reporters without borders named China one of the least free countries in the world for the press. Numerous non-governmental organizations, as well as a number of governments have criticized China for widespread human rights violations, including detention without trial, torture, forced confessions, and nearly non-existent labour rights.

Human rights lawyers in China, especially those dealing with sensitive topics, (recently, Tibet) are disbarred, persecuted, and harassed. The Chinese government tends to see economic growth, and human rights, as one and the same.

China cannot grow at this rate indefinitely. It's facing multiple problems, even aside from human rights. The huge urbanization that is occurring is the cause of rampant pollution. China's famed Yangtze river is becoming increasingly poisoned. Furthermore, China's population is aging, and China has no long term plan to address this. The income disparities between rural and urban dwellers is rapidly climbing, forcing more people to urbanize, making these problems, a vicious cycle.

It's time to face the inevitable. If China doesn't think carefully, I foresee an imminent disaster. It needs to change, now. A country, expanding at this rate will crash, and it will crash hard. It's people aren't going to remain complacent forever. Revolution, on a scale that we've never seen is in the cards if China keeps treating it's citizens as expendable.

China needs to change. They cannot continue blindly into the future with an apparent disregard for anything but economic growth.

“There's no disaster that can't become a blessing, and no blessing that can't become a disaster”
-Richard Bach

  

An Unknown Hero

I'm not usually an advocate of Youtube but I found this video. Check it out.

China- Case Study- Part 2- The Tienanmen Square Protests

The reason that I have split my posts in this way (with the end of the previous post leading up to 1989), is because I want to spend a significant amount of time discussing the Tienanmen Square Protests, and it's manifestation into the Tienanmen Square Massacre. Referred to in China as the June 4th incident (六四事件), the massacre was a pivotal event in the nation's recent history. I have decided to dedicate an entire post to this incident, which was not originally planned, but I feel that the magnitude of the event warrants such an action.

Starting in 1978, Deng Xiopeng led a progression of economic and social reforms, designed primarily to implement a market economy and, to some extent, limited political liberalization. The reforms were, in concept, supposed to gradually loosen and relax the system of Mao Zedong's reign.

Still, many students and intellectuals in China believed that the reforms were simply, not enough. In addition, they had some significant concerns with the controls and power still held by the CPC. They were encouraged, in part by Mikhail Gorbachev's efforts to promote political liberalization in the former Soviet Union. Believing that their voices of dissent would convince the Chinese government, the protesters were finally spurred on by the death of former reformist Secretary General Hu Yaobang.

On May 13th, 1989, two days before the much hyped visit of Mikhail Gorbachev, huge groups of students, numbering over 100,000, staged a large scale protest demanding the withdrawal of certain propaganda statements regarding previous protests about a month prior. More protests and strikes began to form at colleges all over China, with many students making the journey to Beijing to join in the demonstration. But in spite of the predominately student demographic, this was no amateur act. Almost daily, the passionate students marched displaying support for the developing demands of the protest.

Ultimately, the students decided that in order to not lose momentum, a hunger strike would need to be enacted. More than 1000 students refused food, and to great effect. The strike prompted widespread support, and "the ordinary people of Beijing rallied to protect the hunger strikers...because the act of refusing sustenance and courting government reprisals convinced onlookers that the students were not just seeking personal gains but (were) sacrificing themselves for the Chinese people as a whole." (Calhoun- Science, Democracy, and the Politics of Identity.- In Popular Protest and Political Culture in Modern China 1994, Page 113).

On May 19, at 4:50 PM, the incumbent General Secretary Zhao Ziyang made a speech at the square urging the students to end the hunger strike. The students refused, and continued to negotiate. The protests only escalated.

On May 27, amore than 300,000 people gathered at the Happy Valley Racetrack in Hong Kong, singing songs of support for the students in Beijing. The following day, one and a half million people, one quarter of Hong Kong's then population, paraded throughout Hong Kong Island. Across the world, millions were watching.

Despite the deceleration of Martial law on May 20th, the throngs of people blocked military entry, and the soldiers were eventually ordered to withdraw. Meanwhile, the demonstrations continued. The hunger strike was now into it's third week, and the government desperately wanted to prevent deaths. It was at this time that they decided to take radical action, seemingly without thought towards the aftermath.

The 27th and 28th armies of the People's Liberation Army forcibly moved into Beijing, seeking to regain control. Some say that the armies were chosen because of their lack of affinity with the dissidents. The locally manned 38th army, sympathetic to the cause, were provided no ammunition, and were rumoured to burn their vehicles as they set out to join the demonstration. Supposedly fearful of retribution from other armies, the 27th and 28th armies were seen to take defensive positions around the city, not a move normally endorsed by a army that had a peaceful intent.

On June the 3rd, at 10:30, the assault on the square began. Armoured personnel carriers, and armed troops approached from various positions. The APC's fired as they drove, potentially injuring their fellow soldiers in the process. BBC reporter Kate Adie was said to have seen "indiscriminate fire" that only sought to inflict massive damage. By the next morning, on June the 4th, the square was cleared.

The reaction to the military action was huge. All over the world, people wore black armbands in mourning. While the Chinese government listed the casualties as 241, the final number will never be known. According to Nicholas D. Kristof, "The true number of deaths will probably never be known, and it is possible that thousands of people were killed without leaving evidence behind." There is now some evidence to support that the soldiers disposed and hid some bodies in order to conceal the huge death toll.

Statistics and estimates generated from different groups of sources would indicate:

• 4,000 to 6,000 civilians killed - Edward Timperlake.^[19]
• 2,600 had officially died by the morning of June 4 (later denied) - the Chinese Red Cross.^[14] An unnamed Chinese Red Cross official estimated that, in total, 5,000 people were killed and 30,000 injured.^[20]
• 1,000 deaths - Amnesty International^[14]
• 7,000 deaths (6,000 civilians and 1,000 soldiers) - NATO intelligence.^[19]
• 10,000 deaths in total - Soviet Bloc estimates.^[19]
• in excess of 3,700 killed, excluding disappearance or secret deaths and those denied of medical treatment - PLA defector citing a document circulating among officers.^[19]
• 186 named individuals confirmed dead as at the end of June 2006 - Professor Ding Zilin.^[21]

-Wikipedia

Days later, the now famous Unknown Rebel, as pictured in this post's image,fearlessly blocked the procession of tanks. Although his identity will likely remain a mystery for some time to come, his act perfectly embodied the sentiment of the protest. Some reports say he was killed, others say that he still lives, hiding in China. No matter what happened, one thing was certain. This man's fearless actions, in effect changed the world. His actions not only epitomized the demonstrations, they strengthened them. This simple gesture single handedly supressed any amount of propaganda the government could produce.

Dissidents will not be silenced. Even in spite of the mass bloodshed, this event opened the eyes of the world to the gross injustices occurring in China. The acts of fearless thousands will forever be marked in history as an act of revolt against a government that kept, and still keeps a tight reign on it's citizens.
"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."
-Elie Weisel

Downtown!

I'm going downtown today. Consequently, it's unlikely I'll post the follow-up to yesterday's post today. Obviously, I'll be taking the Red Rocket (for those of you uninitiated, the TTC), but I just realized a flaw in the fare system.

Children 12 years old and younger pay 70 cents a ticket.

Students, with valid student ID, and who attend High School pay $1.85 a ticket.

But what about the in-betweens? Youth who are older than 12, but not yet in High School? Are they expected to pay adult fare? I'm surprised that in the TTC's nearly century of operation (admittedly, not at the current fare rate), no one has noticed this. This is by no means, a service-stopping blunder, but this is a huge city-run and partially government funded operation. Don't they have people that fix this kind of stuff?

"Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."

-Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act III

Case Study- China- Part 1- A Brief History Until 1989

China. First, a note. This case study will be in multiple parts. The reason is quite frankly, it takes a lot of time to do an exhaustive case study. On a country that is as intriguing to me as China, I anticipate that it'll take approximately 3 times the length of North Korea's case study, which is long in itself. In spite of it being summer, I don't have the time to spend hours researching and typing on the computer :P.

China is the world's most populous country, and without any doubt, one of it's oldest. It is a country that is deeply rooted in culture, yet one that is as of late, rapidly growing.

Ancient China was one of the earliest centres of early mankind. In it's early days, China's innovations became the foundation of the technology of later civilizations. Since then, China has changed drastically. Torn by nearly continuous war during the early 20th century, China began to experience civil unrest, due to a variety of factors. Whispers of revolution circulated around the nation. In 1920, Sun-yat-Sen set out to unify the fragmented nation, establishing a revolutionary base in the process. Upon his death in 1925, he was succeeded by Chiang Kai Shek, who led the communist party into a period of exponential growth (and military confrontation). After a seemingly never ending era of perpetual war, by 1949, the CPC had finally occupied the vast majority of mainland China. At this time, a large proportion of the last pockets of resistance, and their sympathizers, retreated to Taiwan.

On October the 1st, 1941, Mao Zedong, and the Communist Party of China established China as a Social state, headed by a so-called "democratic dictatorship". Between the late 1960's and the mid 1970's, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution occurred. It was essentially, a struggle for power within the upper echelons of the CPC, that manifested into large-scale chaos and violence. Officially initiated in 1966, the revolution is seen today largely as a ploy by Zedong to regain total control of his party. One thing that we can know for sure, is that the havoc wreaked by Mao's Red Guards, his revolutionary committees and his supporters, marked the nation forever. Millions of artists, religious leaders, and authors were persecuted, and millions more killed.

For better or worse, the party continues to head China today. In the next post, I will be discussing the events leading up to the Tienanmen Square protests of 1989, to the present. Stay tuned.

"In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. Only one who knows the disastrous effects of a long war can realize the supreme importance of rapidity in bringing it to a close."
- Sun Tzu

Technorati

I'm happy to say that Codex of Dreams is now listed on Technorati. If you've never heard of it, go check it out. Really, it's an intriguing concept.

I would greatly appreciate if you link to my blog on yours, thereby driving up my Technorati authority, and consequently, traffic. If you feel so inclined, favourite it too.

The Human Attraction to Conspiracy

A conspiracy theory attributes the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (primarily major historical, political, or social events), to a (usually secret or concealed) group or organization. The most famous examples of conspiracy theories, or at least my favourites, include:

The 9/11 conspiracy theories

Why would George Bush want to terrorize his own nation?

Area 51

Where's the aliens?

The Kennedy Assasination

Who really killed JFK?

Paul McCartney is Dead

Why are there clues in the Beatle's songs?

and an all-time classic,

The Appollo Moon Landing Hoax

Humans can't really land on the moon, can they?

I've included links for reference, because in spite of the absurdity of some of these theories, they're still really thought provoking.

But why are humans so attracted to conspiracy. Here's my take.

(Note that the following is not cited, referenced, or quoted, I'm just making this up, so proceed with caution :P)

Since the dawn of humanity, humans have always felt the need to satisfy their curiosities. Through exploration, invention, and research we've usually been able to find the answer to many of life's "mysteries". But in times of crisis, it all falls apart.

Have you noticed that most conspiracy theories deal with subjects that are unusually "fantastic" in their own right? Events like 9/11 and the JFK assasination shaped our world. Although they were by definition, American tragedies, their impact left the whole world reeling.

It is my opinion that conspiracy theories are human's natural response to attempt to explain the inexplicable. Humans have a desire also to be naturally suspicious, and often this paranoia leads to aburd theories.

These theories, even if they have little merit, and even less credibility, show the extent to which humans will go to "comfort" themselves. We simply cannot seem to accept a subject, or a question to which no one knows the answer. So go on then. Explore what things mankind has wreaked, and ultimately, questioned.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality."

-Albert Einstein

30 Hour Famine Follow Up

Whew! Sorry for my lack of a post yesterday. I was still recuperating from the 30 hour famine.

It was without a doubt, a true eye opener. Some of the stories that we heard, and saw on video, were in a word, heart wrenching. The lives of children in some impoverished countries is absolutely unimaginable. What they deal with on a daily basis, stretches the limits of human tolerance. They're forced into conditions that are inhumane, at best.

But what really struck me was the prevalence of child soldiers. There are children out there, forced to kill their own family. They are abducted from their homes, then conscripted into factions like The Lord's Resistance Army. And despite it's name, this army has nothing to do with the Lord's work. Every time that these children kill, or are killed, I know that it could've been me. We live in a world, where unfortunately, where you're born, dictates in most cases, your future.

Take a stand. Have your voice heard. Protest against these injustices.

Join the famine. Petition your government. Change the world.

"Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime"

-Aristotle

So Hungry...

Hiya. It is now 2:45 AM, and I haven't eaten for 14 hours. Only another 16 to go. I'm too tired to write anymore.

Good Night.

30 Hour Famine

I might be a bit hungry tomorrow (and I certainly won't be blogging). I'm fasting for 30 hours in an effort to raise some much needed funds for World Vision.

The 30 hour famine, (also known as the 40 hour famine in much of Europe) is a World Vision initiative to raise funds for depressed areas. Participants in the famine eat no solid foods for 30 hours, in a protest against poverty. See here for more information.I'm sleeping over at a 30 hour famine event. There's about 20 of us simultaneously fasting, all for the same purpose.

I'm very impressed with this idea, but there's one thing that concerns me. The money raised will presumably be used to airlift in food to deprived areas. While I'm all for food drops, there's a problem here. The problem in these areas, notably, African countries is systematic. No matter how much food we drop in, this problem isn't going to end. While we migh alleviate the problem in targeted areas for a short term period, these food drops don't leave a lasting impression upon these communities. Even if we had dropped trillions of dollars worth of food in, tommorow, it would eventually, be rendered useless. Systematic problems require systematic solutions. We need to get to the root of these problems. We need a long-term fix, not a short-turn plan.

"Man can and must prevent the tragedy of famine in the future instead of merely trying with pious regret to salvage the human wreckage of the famine, as he has so often done in the past."

-Norman Borlaug

Post Script:

Once again, in the name of shameless self-promotion, if you feel so inclined to make a donation, you may contact me by email, from my profile page.

NDP

Firstly, I just want to say that I sure am glad I made that Obama posting! Yesterday, I had hits from Germany, Indonesia, and yet another one from Virginia. It seems that Obama has more of an universal appeal than I had thought.
Anyways, today's post will focus on my Canadian political party of choice, The New Democratic Party, or in short, the NDP. In this particular posting, I'll be focusing on primarily, the NDP's role in the federal government, not the provincial one. The proportion of seats held in Ottawa by Jack Layton's NDP, is significantly greater than the amount of seats held by Howard Hampton's NDP in Toronto.

Currently, the only province where the majority of seats are held by NDP MMPs is Manitoba. In the past, British Columbia, Ontario, the Yukon Territory and Saskatchewan have all had NDP majority governments.

Amongst other things, the NDP party currently advocates:

- The reduction of nationwide poverty
- Electoral Reform, notably, the abolishing of the un-elected Senate
- Aboriginal Treaties, and constitutional rights
- Human Rights Protection

and finally, the one that potentially has the most bearing on my future,

- Affordable and accessible Post-Secondary education

The NDP, in a nutshell, stands for what I believe in. Jack Layton is a charismatic, eloquent, down-to-earth leader, who I think could quite possibly, revolutionize Canada's government. For a long time, I've though that the Senate, being somewhat partisan, is un-democratically biased. The constituents of Canadian ridings have absolutely no input in their election. The electoral reform proposed by the NDP, is in my eyes, the next step for Canada.

Their stance on Aboriginal rights is also something I believe in quite passionately. The Aboriginal peoples have been robbed of their rights, lands, and to some extent, their culture, and I think that it's time that we do something about it. Our government's apologies are purely symbolic. They're nice words, but nothing more. Many of Canada's apologies and remedies have resulted in nothing, and the situation is deteriorating even more as the Canadian government fails to provide adequate support for these communities. It's time for a change.

“Canadians can get Parliament working again. Here's how to do that: elect more New Democrats.”
- Jack Layton

An interesting finding...

Hmmm...

I was pleasantly surprised when I checked my site statistics this morning. Yesterday was my site's best day yet. I had brand new visitors from Texas, Poland, London (England), Moncton, and the Netherlands.

Coincidentally, yesterday was also my first posting on politics. Do I see a correlation here? You bet. I don't really understand why American Politics is such a hot button topic, but If that's what my readers want, I guess I'll be writing more!

But I think it's best if my next post deals with the rather dry world of Canadian politics. It may not be as exciting as what they have down south but I'm significantly more knowledgeable on it (which still doesn't make me that knowledgeable :#), so I can (hopefully) speak more authoritatively.

Canadian politics directly affect me so I'm particularly passionate about it. I have very strong feelings toward particular parties, and they're not necessarily in line with my American political preferences.

Stay tuned.

"Man is by nature a political animal."

-Aristotle

New Logo Image

Hey there,

Just a quick anecdote. I hope you noticed my new logo at the top of my blog.

I licensed this work under CC-BY-SA, or the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike license (Canadian Version). Full details of this code, if you really want all the legalese, are available here. A more readable, simplified version, (with wonderful images) is available here. The beauty of this license is it's virtually free rules for the distribution of the image, and it's requirement to attribute the work to me.


Codex of Dreams Logo by K.Wong is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License.

Also, a quick correction. Erroneous facts were unfortunately, and accidentally posted in my "Copyleft" posting regarding the legality of copyleft profit. After identification by the ever-so-helpful Plouj, I have removed the erroneous facts. I regret the error.

The Audacity of Hope-My view on Barack Obama

You may recognize my title. For those of you who don't, The Audacity of Hope is the title of Barack Obama's 2nd book.
Now, just to clear things up, this post will be my first entry into the controversial world of politics. I realize I might strike a nerve with some readers, but hey, if you don't like it, don't read it. :P
I'm going to declare this from the outset. I support Obama, in other words, Democrats.

Even though I may have a limited knowledge of US politics, I've deduced enough information from the Canadian media (which may or may not be biased/incorrect/propaganda/garbage/etc. :O) to knowledgeably make reasonable, and (somewhat) educated decisions. Obama, is in my opinion the right man for the job. He's articulate, moral, educated, trend-breaking, courageous, and most importantly, willing to make sacrifices.

I'm just writing on a whim here, a gut feeling, but quite sincerely, I truly think Obama is going to be elected. He has the right mix of likability, publicity, eloquence, and popularity to clinch the presidency. Although this sentiment is certainly not shared by everyone, I think that if/when he becomes president, he, and his party will make great efforts to lead the United States out of it's current troubles, and into a new age of American prosperity.These days are not quite America's finest hours. He is quite frankly, what America needs right now.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
- Barack Obama

A Brief note of Thanks

Hey there,

I'm happy to announce that the popularity, and consequently, the traffic on my blog has been exploding. I've got visitors from Peru, Virginia, New York,Hong Kong,Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, as well as all over southern Ontario. I'm delighted to have so many people actually reading what I write.
As a token of my appreciation, check out this cool line of javascript I found.
javascript: document.body.contentEditable = 'true'; document.designMode = 'on'; void 0
After visiting a site, simply copy and paste that into your adress bar. You can now edit nearly everything on the site! Imagine the possibilities.
Don't like Wikipedia? Make it Johnpedia! Google? Froogle!
Go on then. Have fun. Shock your friends.

But in any case, keep posted to my blog (don't you love shameless self-promotion? :P). The best is yet to come.

Cheers,
-KW

"Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises."
-Demosthenes

The Wonders of Copyleft

Copyleft the practice of using copyright law to remove restrictions on distributing copies and modified versions of a work for others and requiring that the same freedoms be preserved in modified versions. - Wikipedia, here.

Copyleft is a wonderful practice for a number of reasons. While copyright laws and licenses prevent someone else from modifying, using, or distributing your intelligent property, copyleft encourages it. Not only does it encourage such action, it binds all future adaptations of the work by the same statutes. A principle like copyleft, is to me, intriguing. Potentially, copyleft could cause problems, namely if the work is distributed for profit by a party other than the creator. This is allowed in copyleft "law", but if the owner of the work decides to take legal action things could prove complicated in litigation because copyleft isnt officially recognized by most governing judicial bodies.

Probably the most profilic, and the most well-known example of copyleft law is The GNU Public License (note that I link to Wikipedia, which is licensed under GNU, but that's another post in itself...). Written by Richard Stallman, this license is widely used for copyleft software. Variants of this license include the GNU Lesser Public License, and the Affero General Public License.

I license all my work under the GPL, you shouold too. Innovate without patents. Let future generations enjoy your work, no strings attached.

"Patents are of no value whatsoever in spurring research and development."

Vice President of Intel Corp.- 1981 Business Week

Case Study- Sealand

Today's blog post is purely trivial in nature. Sealand is not particularly important, nor does it really matter, but still, I felt like I needed to shed some light on this neglected (probably for a reason :P) micronation.

Officially, The Principality of Sealand, this micronation is located on Hm Fort Roughs, a former naval base. Since 1967, the base (which essentially, is a slab of concrete in the water), has been inhabited by Paddy Roy Bates, who claims Sealand is a independent sovereign state. That sentiment is not shared by any member of the United Nations, and courts all over the world have ruled sealand under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom.

Perhaps why Sealand is most interesting is because of it's size. In it's entirety, Sealand's habitable area is 5820 sq ft. That's about the size of a large house. If it were an official nation, that would make it the smallest on earth.

What is also to me, quite impressive, is Bate's unceasing will. In spite of virtually no natural resources, no trading partners, a location in the middle of an ocean, major fires, and multiple attempts at forcible takeovers, Bates still continues to support it.

Sealand has tried very hard to be like a real nation. It has atheletes (although most international sporting organizations fail to recognize it as a country), it's own currency, passports and even stamps (I guess domestic mailing isn't a problem).

Sealand is the perfect example of the trivial things that make this world, in my eyes, a better place. In the long run, perhaps Sealand will be simply a footnote in history, a small fish in a large pond. Still, I commend Mr.Bate for his enduring efforts at making this world more, well, interesting.

Post Script- If you feel so inclined, Sealand is yours now for the low, low price of ~$1.2 Billion dollars. See here.

“I am all for titillating trivialities. I am all for the epic touch. I could almost say that everything in Time should be either titillating or epic or starkly, supercurtly factual.”
-Henry R. Luce

Dollar Stores

Everything, only a dollar! Have you shopped at a dollar store? I'm sure you have.

Dollarama, the largest chain in Canada was sold for 850 million dollars in 2005. 850 million. That's 850,000,000. How many cheap erasers can you buy with that?

Do you ever wonder how dollar stores can be, well, dollar stores? How can they sell stuff so cheap? The answer's simple. China. A month's labour is $30. Let's just break that down: (all numbers are my basic guesses, there's nothing solid or citeable here :P .)

Production:

Worker costs- 30x100= $3000/Month

Output (conservative estimate)= 75 products a day x 100 workers x 30 days= 225 000 products/month

Estimate Wholesale Selling Price = 5 cents a product - 225 000x 0.05= $11 250

Profit Margin for Factory Owner- $8250

Dollar Store:

Purchase Price Est.= 50 cents a product.

Profit Margin= 50 cents for every item. (that's actually probably really high)

Cost Est. $3000/month

Profit (sales-costs) (15 000 items a month)- $4500

See how this happens? The profit is all because of underpaid workers in China!

Shopping at dollar stores, is without any doubt made possible soley by underpaid, unsafe labour in China. Every item you buy is only fuelling a rampant problem already prevalent in China. Your purchases are devoiding humans of fair wages, and a healthy, comfortable lifestyle.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Don't support consumerism. Please. If you can afford it, skip the dollar stores.

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."

~Mohandas K. Gandhi, quoted in E.F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful

North Korea- A Case Study

A Message to my Nation:

Happy Birthday Canada! You're finally 141. You've come quite a way since your John A. McDonald days. You've withstood countless economic disasters, many, many political scandals, and 2 of the largest wars ever to strike this planet. Congratulations.



To celebrate the liberties we have in my glorious country, I've decided to do a special post today. In spite of the difficulties we face here, this case study will (hopefully) put everything in perspective.

North Korea- officially The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is widely considered to be a Stalinist Dictatorship (go Google that). The current leader, Kim Jong-Il is treated as a national hero, and spoken of only in reverent terms.

Obviously, the country has in place extreme restrictions on media and culture, and dissidents are quickly jailed (or worse). Amnesty International accuses North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation worldwide, and rightfully so. The United Nations has recognized this in the following statement (findings of fact, I think) from 2005.


Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, public executions, extra judicial and arbitrary detention, the absence of due process and the rule of law, imposition of the death penalty for political reasons, the existence of a large number of prison camps and the extensive use of forced labour;

Sanctions on citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who have been repatriated from abroad, such as treating their departure as treason leading to punishments of internment, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or the death penalty;

All-pervasive and severe restrictions on the freedoms of thought, conscience, religion, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association and on access of everyone to information, and limitations imposed on every person who wishes to move freely within the country and travel abroad;

Continued violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, in particular the trafficking of women for prostitution or forced marriage, ethnically motivated forced abortions, including by labour inducing injection or natural delivery, as well as infanticide of children of repatriated mothers, including in police detention centres and labour training camps
-UN Commission on Human Rights- here 2005/11

Does that sound pleasant to you? What I personally find repulsive about this country is it's inherent fakeness, and it's continual attempts at decieving us.

Officially, there are 4 churches in Pyongyang, but high profile North Korean defectors have claimed that they're no more than fancy facades filled with government workers, in order to maintain an image of freedom.

North Koreans are perhaps some of the world's most brutalized people. Free speech is non existent, and the living conditions are a far cry from what's acceptable here in North America. It's virtually impossible to move around the country freely, and only the political elite can own vehicles.

In the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, North Korea is currently second last. News reports are often pure propaganda, and often make false claims, using the United States as a scapegoat. North Korea's population is one of the world's most ethnically homogenous, as immigration is non existent. Can you imagine your hometown without diversity?

Disabled are often "rounded up", and sent to "special camps", and the North Korean system is known to routinely imprison, torture and execute citizens.

Think about it. Are your problems in Canada really that bad?

"We Canadians are standing on the mountaintop of human wealth, freedom and privilege." -Pierre Elliott Trudeau