America should not be afraid of nuclear power

As if the biggest earthquake in the history of the country and a massive tsunami that ensued was not bad enough, Japan is still frantically trying to stop a nuclear meltdown at one of their nuclear power plant that was damaged due to the earthquake. It would be like pouring salt on a a really bad wound if that power plant implodes and harmful radiation spreads like it did when Chernobyl had it's down similar disaster many moons ago. 

But engineers knew the risk of nuclear power plants. Hence there were safety measures put in, and fail safes also. But then again, they probably did not think at that time an earthquake as massive as the one that just hit would ever happen. See the nuclear power plant they have over there was relatively old, and supposedly the newer the power plant, the more safe it is since safety technology has been improving consistently over time (as well they should have). 

I just hope engineers over in Japan can avert the crisis, as I think even something even at a quarter of the scale of Chernobyl was to happen, we here in the US can kiss nuclear energy goodbye. 

Sure nuclear meltdowns are terrible tragedies, and radiation can do some damage to a human body. But name me a significant energy source that is 100 percent clean and environmentally friendly? As with anything there are risk attached to it. I don't see how some people in the political arena can even argue against nuclear power, and using the case of Japan as evidence. The German people are even tell their government to shut down their perfectly fine plants. And where do you suppose the country should get its energy, oil?

Lest we forget, oil is responsible for some or the worse man made disasters ever. Last time I check, the BP oil spill happened just this past year, and of course the poster boy for environmental disasters - the Exxon Valdez. So politicians if you are going to harp on about the safety of alternatives other than nuclear, I really don't think you have a case (clean coal is an absolute oxymoron - you hear that CHINA?). And I thought we are trying to lower our dependence on foreign oil? You know, be self sustaining in terms of our energy needs? Might not happen with the automobile, but I am pretty sure powering the grid (TRON reference) should be left to our own. 

Nuclear is the next frontier of clean power, and it is time US joins the rest of the world (not you Saudi Arabia, you should worry about an uprising first) and embrace nuclear full steam. If all the safety technology is implemented, it should be plenty safe. I just don't understand how the government can be so apprehensive about it. Every kind of energy solution has its potential problems (plane flies over field of solar panels, gets incinerated by the reflection, but of course this is conjecture). Oil can spill, miners can get stuck in mines, and etc. I mean according to the game Sim City, short of leverage the powers of nuclear fusion, current nuclear power plants are some of the safest, least polluting, and most power generating type of plant on the planet. There is no reason the US should not be using it fully.

Disasters happens. What can you do but try to prevent the heck out of it. But mother nature is unpredictable, and hence you should not be scared by it. Did people of New Orleans move its city north just because of the Hurricane and the fact their city STILL lies beneath sea level? Since when did US drop its balls and not willing to live with the risk when the benefit FAR and FAR outweighs it (hello off shore drilling). Unless there is some treasure trove of oil that rivals the combined might of the OPEC countries, US is going have to start looking at adding more nuclear power plants. Lest we have to invade another sovereign country, accuse them of harboring weapons of mass destruction, and the plunder their oil (which is not true, for pretty much the war in iraq was a just massive display of nothing - and so many died, its a shame). 

Its is energy - the whole world runs on it. With the rise of China and other fast developing countries, it is appearing more crowded in this zero sum game. Stop using Japan's nuclear nightmare as an excuse to deter the US from using nuclear power. Besides, relatively speaking the US is not that densely populated hence the energy department should have no problem finding a suitable site far away from civilization to build nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power is the answer to the US's energy problem. No oil need to be spill, no miners will die a horrible death, and of course fail safe the hell out of the plant. What is happening in Japan is horrible yes, but no one could have predicted such natural catastrophe. Engineer says new nuclear power plants are built to withstand such earthquakes, so I don't think it should be a deterrent at all. I mean, I am not going back to rubbing two sticks together. 

Compass you'd be north - random thoughts

Welcome to another Thursday edition of my wonderfully wonderful tumblr blog. As I am typing right now the voice in my head is in an English accent because I have just finished watching a piece that was made in the UK. Through the years with all the Formula 1 coverage and Top Gear episodes, my inner voice has a tendency to convert to the British accent whenever I am amongst programming (or for that matter people) that emanates it.

Nonetheless, for the past few weeks I have stuck to a Monday - Thursday blog schedule, and I feel like the spacing works out perfectly for me because I do not have the time to write any more often than that. Anyways as far as format goes I think for the Thursday post I will stick with the random thoughts theme, and the post on Mondays will be centered around one big topic (next Monday's post will probably be about Japan again). Anyways, let's begin. 

Today is St Patrick's day, and also the first day of the tournament. If I was not in school and busy with the equivalent of a full time job, I would have just taken the day off and gotten drunk and watch tons of basketball from morning until the evening. But of course my immediately obligations to graduation and getting out of debt precluded me from making that choice. Thus I am stuck at some form of work or school from 9:30am this morning until 10:30pm tonight (13 hours of pure unadulterated fun I might say). So not only is there no alcohol for me (not a good idea actually since I have another full 8 hours of work/internship tomorrow) today, I cannot even watch basketball to see how fast my brackets crumble (damn you Morehead State!). Though I must say thanks to the NCAA iPad app, today's lone three hour class was went very smooth indeed.

Oh and I hate how conservatives complain about Obama having the time to fill out a bracket, amidst all the tragedy and tumult around the globe and on the home front (budget? no?). Give the guy a break. He is human after all, and a male at that. March Madness is the best month in the entire year of sports (unless your hometown team won it all and became the World Fucking Champions). Even presidents needs to kick back and enjoy life a little (unless you're Richard Chaney)  

You know how they caution people to not text and drive (wait, I have just receive word that it is indeed illegal in California), well I say people should not text and walk either. As I was walking from my parked car towards class today, this was the scene that played out: 1. Girl walking out of the door, texting on her cellphone. 2. Girl meets the ultimate monumental challenge - three flights of stairs down. 3. Girl trips on the first step. 4. Phone leaves girl. 5. Phone implodes on the pavement. 6. Profit?

Lesson is, unless you are a budding comedian, or have a very robust insurance plan for your undoubtedly very expensive smart phone, please hesitate to text and walk at the same time. Put the phone away and enjoy the scenery, look at hot girls or guys - you know, the reason your ocular abilities have evolved as such. Staring at a three inch screen while in motion is not what our caveman ancestors did.

I have been massively living unhealthily since starting work at my internship. Today is already Thursday of the week and I have only worked out once this week. Not only that with the internship place being at an industrial park at Oyster Point, the only food option of choice is either a diner, taco truck, or the nearby Costco (though extremely cheap). Not exactly the most healthy of choices. I would bring my own packed sandwich but I don't have the time in the morning, and I have enough stuff to carry as is since I have to lug all my photography and mobile computing equipment to the internship. Plus this weekend I am pretty much going to be out all the time so I think from now until graduation my traditional healthy lifestyle will be taking a significant hit. To be young again with a raging metabolism (8 slices of pizza like it was nothing).

An old co worker of mine, and a good friend, have been trying to get a radio gig for awhile now, since that was what he studied for career goal is. As you may all know the job market is still in the tank, and I guess the broadcasting industry is no exception. My advice to him was to just keep putting out work, make your own podcast, and upload them online. Because even if you think no one is listening to noticing it, someone out there is. The reason to do it is basically build up your experience and portfolio (no to mention, it was his passion), so in the case you do get a job interview, that resume will look very shiny.

Recently this friend swung by my work to say hi, and turns out he got a successful interview with a radio station in LA. The funny thing was, the interviewer said that the company already knew about him from listening to all the podcasts and radio shows he have been putting out! The lesson is this: never stop working on your art. Keep putting out stuff because someday someone will notice it and the hope is you will get your reward in the end. I am indeed very happy for my friend.

Gives me tremendous resolve and inspiration to continue to work on my digital photography, blog, and flickr. Even if nobody reads them, I genuinely enjoy doing it. And that, as Mastercard so eloquently puts it, is priceless. 

So everybody knows I am a big proponent of Apple's Mac computer line. I use it for everything, including editing and publishing my photos. Naturally I bring my Macbook along with me to my internship so I can do on the fly editing (not ideal, since the dinky 13 inch screen pales in comparison to my 30 inch at home, not to mention not nearly as color correct). My internship place uses Windows PC, and I must say unintentionally I am influencing them to the power and simplicity of mac. What can I say, as a creative type the mac is the de facto platform to do that kind of stuff on. PC may have the same program, but they are just not as intuitive as they are on the mac. Not to mention, windows has one fatal flaw - font handling. Every notice fonts (even of the same one) looks vastly superior on the mac system? Windows handles font in a terrible way, and if you are a graphic artist doing signs and things, that is just not going to work.

And to quote my boss: "The next Macbook Pro I see I am going to steal it"

Thanks to the honorable George W. Bush, the start of daylights savings time since couple of years ago have been push forward a couple of weeks. While I do enjoy the idea of having more of the sun's time (I mean today at 6pm it was not dark yet!), anybody will tell you springing forward just messes up your body. Its like a self induced Jet lag, without the travel to exotic locales. Body clock and habits takes a while to change, and you feel like you just never get the same sleep you did before the change, even if the hours are the same. These days I am so tired at the end of the day I just crash straight to deep sleep, and I wake up extra tired in the morning because body clock still feels like it is waking up one hour too early. I am contemplating moving back to the mother land where clocks stays put (or, be an iPhone user).

Oh and I how can I forget about that UCLA chick's rant about Asians in the library. Perhaps I am on the mellower side of the political correctness scale, but I kind of found it funny? In the face of such blatant ignorance, one can only laugh and have pity on the girl. Besides, like many responses have point out, some of the stuff she say is true anyways. Sure she made fun of how the Chinese language has so many words that ends with "ing", but heck the Chinese been using that technique to identify other Asian ethnicities for a long time (Japanese - lots of sentences ending in  "ka", Korean sentences with "yo"). Is she wrong? Of course! Should she be persecuted like she has? I don't think so. Lighten up, laugh, shake your head, and move on. Thought I must give props to all the Youtubers out there that have the comedic mind to respond in a hilarious and responsible manner. Best thing to come out of all this? The girl has learned a good lesson, and will never do it again. Is that not the true American value?

Random thoughts have stopped for now. Have a good weekend. 

Pray for 日本

You know it is kind of expected when one builds a civilization right on the ring of fire. It is what happens when you mix plate fault line and volcanoes - earthquakes are not an if, it a when. Does not diminish the human tragedy every time it happens. Last week Japan experienced yet another earthquake, one of the many in its long and infamous history. I was kind of taken back when I was ready to call it a night, checking CNN, and saw the news. 8.9 on the Richter scale? That is absolutely insane. And remember the it scales up exponentially, so it is hard to fathom that the earthquake that just rocked Japan was some 100 times bigger than the one that rocked Haiti last year. 

I should say Japan is lucky that it is one of the most developed nation in the world (though like the US, absolutely mired in debt) and thus have the infrastructure and building codes to sustain earthquakes. Not to mention they already know what they are dealing with, and the long line of history (like the Kobe earthquake). And for the most part the buildings built to code withstood the quake, and that alone saved countless lives right there. Imagine the absolute destruction had an earthquake of this size stuck a third world country instead - I think we would be talking about the death of a country. 

There are numerous benefits to starting a civilization surrounded by water - in fact I would wander to say proximity to water is almost prerequisite for any civilization to start. Unfortunately this fact did not help Japan much when the earthquake struck because when earthquake happens in the ocean, tsunami happens. We have all witness the video and they are not at all appealing to watch. It is a sad really - Japan built buildings up to code for earthquakes like this, and yet who could have thought mere hours later a giant wall of water will come tumbling into town.

For sure it is a tragedy, for sure a person dying due to natural disaster is one too many. But we have to look at the positive in that it could have been much much worse. Be thankful that the country is developed and prepared, and that the earthquake happened 230 miles outside of the capital city (though if you are not a fan of tsunamis, perhaps not). Preparation for impending disasters that you know will someday happen is paramount in going through them with the least amount of damage as possible.

Of course it is nice to see the outpouring of donations and support in such trying times. Developed country or otherwise, people are suffering and they need all the help and generosity they can get. This is humanity, and it is nice to see it alive and well, albeit the circumstances.

What I am shamed to see is people saying Japan had it coming and they deserve it (!?). For attacking America at Pearl Harbor and enslaving pretty much all of Asia. A big what the fuck to that because all that stuff was over 70 years, and many generations ago. I cannot fathom how someone would have the mind and thought process to say Japan deserved the earthquake. The people that are suffering right now (or DEAD) probably have little to no ties to the Imperial Japan and the atrocities of World War II. And to think I live in the same country as some of these people is absolutely disgusting. I know we like to romanticize World War II (hell, Band of Brothers is my favorite mini series), but damnit people need to stop correlating it to the present. By and large the war crimes of Japan is settled and done with back then. With the criminal courts, and oh yeah those two atomic bombs.

Natural disaster is not something you would wish upon even your worst enemy, because the colateral damage is just not worth the price. 

Anyways, we who live in this wonderful city of San Francisco should be mindful that we ourselves live right on a fault line, and also have a history of earthquakes. And of course, the next big one is a just a matter of when. And just like Japan, we are surrounded by water and very much susceptible to the powers of a tsunami. Hate to say it, but what happened to Japan last week can easily and will probably happen to us sometime in the future. Again, preparation is key.

So I hope San Francisco building codes are such that it is seismically sound, and that the powers at be had learned from the 1991 quake and made adjustments accordingly. Though the tsunami is still a conundrum. Do you see a natural barrier before Ocean beach? I did not think so. San Francisco is known for its hills, but hills have sort of a habit of sprouting up inland (damn the laws of land formation), so won't do much good to block off a large body of fast moving water (though I do physically live in a valley.. hmm). I am not saying start building dams and levies, but those that live close to the western waters better have a good evacuation plan.

Ever since we are in grade school we have been taught to be prepared for an earthquake, have a kit ready, and know what and where you are suppose to do and go. But who honestly follows though? I certainly am not prepared (was kind banking on the fact that my building is only 10 years old). Are you ready to loose all the irreplaceable things due to an earthquake? Do you even have insurance? But what am I saying, this is America - we don't do shit until shit hits the fan. Preparation is for other parts of the planet. 

Then let Japan be a warning to San Franciscans that preparing is not a choice, but a necessity. All the humanitarian aid in the world will not replace the lost memories, documents, and help you fight insurance companies for reimbursement. Keep important things safe, backup the hell out of anything and everything that can be backed up (all hail the digital age), and keep a emergency kit ready. DO IT NOW. I repeat, SF lies on a fault, has a history of earthquakes, and is surrounded by water.

Or I can just move, but why? I love this place.   

The weary post - random thoughts

Random thoughts speed-blogging time. I am just going to type what ever is coming to my mind probably for the next 45 minutes. Weather was dreary today, why did not anybody tell me that it was going to rain? Like half the people out there I was caught unprepared, and today it was one of those rains where it was just fine, misty, and never-ending.

Speaking of rain, was talking to one of my boss at my internship and how he used to live in Malaysia. We agreed that the kind of rain that San Francisco sees is nothing compared to the tropical nightmare that is southeast Asia. Being from China I knew that first hand. 100% humidity, and buckets loads of rain (enough to flood improperly irrigated streets in a matter of minutes) 24/7 for months on end during the summer. Last time I went back to China (almost 10 years ago (!) ) was during the month of June, and I don't think I want to make that mistake again. It makes me wonder how I ever got use to that weather.

Today marks the 15th year me and my family have moved to America. I would like to say time flies, but looking back on it, eh it really did not fly. Maybe I went through so many transitions and transformations (you know, part of growing up from a kid in to an adult) that it just registered as a damn long time in my mind. I think it went by way too quick for my parents, whom are due for their mid life crisis any day, now that the kids are for the most part grown and independent. Nonetheless I am eternally grateful that my family decided to bring my along to this wonderful country, where I enjoy much better things and much better opportunities. But as I always say, I still prefer the atmosphere over in Asia (probably not the air pollution).

I must say that due to my workout regiment and healthy lifestyle, juggling 20 hours or work, full time school, and 15 hours of internship a week so far has not been that bad. I would be lying if I say I am not tired, but KTFO tired? Not by a long shot. And no I do not have an ounce of caffeine help either. Goes to show that if you take care of yourself well, your body can tackle anything (within reason of course - don't expect me to play World of Warcraft for 50 hours straight and expect me to still be breathing).

It is very wonderful to be working at a startup, as the vibe is just completely different from an old and entrenched business. The environment is much more flat, relaxed, open, and ultimately more productive. People have to genuinely like each other to be stuck working together for much more than 40 hours per week. The kind of team work and collaboration required means that the hierarchy walls must be invisible and ideas and information must flow. Not having to have a stick up your ass when you are around superiors also helps. Have fun and get things done I think is an appropriate motto for startups, and that is a big part of what draws me in to being an entrepreneur - working together with like minded people towards one common goal. Most importantly, be creative.

Hard to believe it is mid march already. Graduation is only a little more than two months away. But in more exciting news spring break is like two weeks away. My last spring break ever, and I will mostly likely spend a good chunk of it at my internship. I did want to travel somewhere, but my financial situation is not at a good enough place to allow for such extravagance. Then again, where would I want to go anyways? The place I do want to go is Asia, but a week is way to short to be forking over 2 Gs for plane tickets. If you ask me I better be staying for at least a month to make that plane ticket to Asia worth the money.

I am glad I started the 365 project this year and actually sticking to it (I started one last year but it was sporadic to say the least). Most likely it is because I spent $700 on a camera just to dedicate to the task, hence me being Asian I must damn sure get my money back in terms of usage. Like I have stated before, I don't get how people spend insane amount of money on things and not use it because they want to "preserve it". Perhaps they are not business majors, because other than a house (eh, probably not yet in today's times), almost anything you by is a depreciating asset so might as well get some value out of it before the things turns to the equivalent value of dust?

That being said, the 365 challenge is a fun experiment to be able to look back on what happened on a particular day, and sometimes when I see a picture I just cannot help but smile because the memory is just too vivid and great. They say a picture speaks a thousands words, and honestly even if video is dominating (hi youtube), the still picture will alway have its place as just like a painting it can be interpreted in so many ways. It is probably what drew me into photography in the first place. Video is cool and all, but you can't manipulate video as much as you can with a photography. Besides, video editing takes much more serious computing horsepower, over the already taxing photo editing (which reminds me I need a new computer).

I hate to say it but these days my room is a mess. Might not be considered a mess compared to some others, but to my standards I would say my room is quite messy. But that goes with being busy I guess. Even if I started to clean, I get distracted with the task at hand once I sit down on my absurdly comfortable chair. How did it get like this? I guess my OCD with cleanliness has finally worn off some, which is all well because honestly my old OCD used to be intense (that remote is crooked by 1 degree? must move!). But I cannot let it lapse though so I think for now a good thing for me to do is just to clean up a little before I crash into the bed for some sleep.

45 minutes times up. Until next time.