LA Recap: Burning Money... Or Not

Window shopping can be a whole lotta fun, especially when it comes to beautifully built and designed stores.—September 10th, 2013

The busy streets of the Grove

Fountin Grove

LA Recap: Color of Venice

It was a bus ride away. Venice, from the peaceful canals to colorful graffitis to the cheerful beach, it is the place of holiday fun.—September 6th, 2013

LA Recap: Hollywood & Heroes

No stay at the city of angels is complete without at least a visit to Hollywood.—September 4th, 2013

"With broad strides, Superman walked past me, his cape lightly brushed my legs. We all dream of heros from time to time. For me, he has always been the perfect solidification of what hope is."

"Penn & Teller are my favorite magic performers. They can put a touch to the most traditional magic tricks and turn them into something extraordinary."

Live Below the Line: Day 5

The end is finally here.

I am less afraid of going hungry than I was over the last four days. I know I’ll be free to eat whatever I want in no time. I’ve been counting down the hours. The happiness I am feeling right now is very different from the delight of having something to eat. It’s such a relief. Only now do I realize the fear of getting stomach cramps, staying up at night, and feeling faint had given me so much pressure. At the start of the week, I was confident: “It wouldn’t be too bad, I didn’t usually eat that much anyway.” As the week progresses and the first sign of hunger appeared, I guess I panicked a little. Expectations felling short of reality probably made it scarier. All thoughts automatically wonder to the one question of how to get more food. I learned to feed myself better towards the end, but the diet has gotten progressively less balanced and less healthy. If I continue to live by $1.50 a day, pretty soon I will be eating nothing but potato and lattice. Malnutrition is inevitable, but I wouldn’t care. It’s a frightening notion.

There are still hours to go before the challenge ends. But it is already a fine time to reflect on my week. I am so overwhelmed with the experience it will be difficult to put everything into words. As before, I will do my best and try to be as honest as possible.

The most profound impact came from the realization of how hunger, or indeed being in extreme poverty, makes it almost, if not completely, impossible to change one’s fate. At worst, I was only mildly hungry this week. Yet all my energy was directed to seeking and craving food. I can do little else. And when I do, I cannot do them as well as I want to. The situation gradually worsens towards the end. I was constantly tired, more than I realized. Just today, I went out for some errands and was exhausted upon returning home. I slept for nearly three hours afterwards. It was no laziness. It was fatigue. People need food to be productive. People need energy to work to get the money for food. Lacking either, one will have difficulty getting the other. The cycle completed itself. It surprises me how hard it was for me to really grasp that before.

We, who have a house over our heads, who have enough food, who can go to school, who can spare money for actives we love, are extremely lucky people. I feel almost guilty for being so privileged. The guilt comes from knowing how I used to crave more. I was always wanting. Nice clothes, books, tickets to a show, money to go a traveling... I never wanted food before. Hunger was too foreign a concept. People were suffering around me but they seemed so far away. They don’t anymore. They never will again.

I have a new-found appreciation for food. I will never be more thankful than to have a hot meal on the plate. The food I wasted before would put me to shame now. How can anyone throw edible food down the drain when they spent a week eating apples down to the core and would consume its seeds and stem were it possible not to gag in the process?

The world seems both smaller and bigger. Smaller because there are so many people who are willing to help and who are supportive. I am most grateful for everyone who has cared for me though out the week. But participation in the campaign also brought about connection with like-minded strangers. I have received much heartwarming encouragements. Frankly, though, I was too wrapped up in my own misery to give as much support to fellow participants as I would like. The world feels bigger because there are still an alarming amount of people who need help. The feeling that we might never truly end poverty can be depressing. We can only do so much. With all there is to be done and should be done, chasing after fame and fortune seems like such a childish insignificant business.

This has been a most amazing journey for me. To say it is life-changing is not an exaggeration. The understanding that people are suffering all around will not be forgotten for a moment. It is clearer to me than ever before that everyone should be given a chance to start from the same footing. No one should inherit poverty and be left to perish. If donating and volunteering was only an act of kindness before, it is an act of necessity now. People need not suffer if we do something. The campaign may be over, but the need to help continues.

Today's total: $1.42

You can help make a difference too!
The campaign will remain open until the end of May.
To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke
All funds raised will go to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Day 4

Today's total: $1.48

It was the same routine as usual: Feel hungry. Get excited about breakfast. Get up. Eat. Still feeling hungry. Except I was more tired this morning. The hunger kept me up for a while last night. It was not pleasant. I tried to go for even more filling stuff today: Baked potato, banana, and stir-fried rice. They never looked so good. This change even allowed me to sneak in a couple of toast in between meals. Right now I am more content than I ever was since day 1. With more food plus my body adjusting to the new diet, I think I coped rather better today. There wasn't much incident. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight. I'm glad the end is near.

You can help make a difference too!
To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke
All funds raised will go to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Day 3

The full effect of hunger is building up.

There were a lot more to endure today. I hesitate to describe what I’m experiencing fully for fear of worrying those who cares about me. But I am determined to be completely honest in making these records. So before I continue, I want to assure everyone who loves me to not worry. What you are about to read may sound worse than what I actually experienced. None of what was going on with my body has affected my regular schedules. Please be confident that I am still well.

Since yesterday, I have been feeling a bit cold even though the temperature is high. I thought it might not be directly related to hunger. Yet today the feeling persisted. My body is getting weak. At times, I feel a very slight tremor in both arms and legs. And then there was the stomach cramps. They happened a few times right before meals, but never long. I feel best after eating, like now. Having had dinner, nothing can be more in the norm. Only two days to go. I can do this.

Feelings aside, filling my belling is getting more difficult. I struggle with whether to maintain a balanced diet, or to simply try to fill my stomach as much as possible when making meal plans. The hungrier I get, the more my priorities shift towards getting as much food as possible instead of eating healthily. I cut down on milk and meat today. A couple of days ago, this decision would be unthinkable.

For lunch, I still had an apple. It almost seems like a bad choice. Fruits are most unfulfilling. And without it I could get three times more pastina. Now that sounds very appealing. The sandwich I would normally find enough seemed much too small.

Dinner was equally unsatisfying, even though I got slightly more starchy food by cutting down on everything else. I am keeping this short. It seemed so pitiful, I can hardly think of something to say about it here.

This is the end of the third day; already the lack of food is having an effect on me. To think that soon this will be all over is a comforting one. But this is just me. There are 1.2 billion people out there who never know when their suffering will end. Hunger fogs the mind and weakens bodies. It exposes people to sickness. And these people, they are helpless against it. We, able bodied and healthy, can only try to do as much as possible to help. But will it ever be enough?

Today's total: $1.49

You can help make a difference too!
To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke
All funds raised will go to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Day 2

I couldn't wait to get out of bed this morning. I kept thinking "I'm having breakfast!" like it was the most exciting thing that can happen. Pouring cereals into the bowl, it occurred to me how wonderful the sound of cereals clinking on ceramic was. It made me happy. Then I realized I haven't appreciated breakfast cereal like this ever since elementary school. Having a meal feels like a rare treat.

I planned the coming meals with care today. Yesterday, I miscalculated the impact missing afternoon tea can have on my hunger and ate too little at noon. I won’t make that mistake again. For lunch, I modified a favorite brunch menu to fit my budget. I cut out the center of a toast, filled the hollow with an egg, and fried it. The extra bit of toast went into the stir-fried lattice. The dish sort of cheated my senses into believing there were more on the plate than there really was. Adding an apple, lunch was a feast.

The afternoon was easier to pass by. Even though I still wish for a snack, the craving wasn’t overwhelming. I was able to push food from my mind for a few hours as I went about my studies. At 5:30, I cut the toast and made some salad. Dinner was delicious but unfulfilling. My stomach still rumbles as I sit here typing, but the hunger doesn’t bother me that much anymore.

Even though I am getting used to the empty feeling, there were moments (such as when unknowing friends called up for ice-cream) when battling for self-control became difficult. Those were times when all the supporting voices that came to me over the last few days helped very much. In addition to friends’ and family’s encouragement, I was happy to receive words from both WFP and ‘Live Below the Line UK’ through social media. They reminded me that I am doing this for a good cause. Going to sleep tonight will be easier even with an empty stomach. For all that send in their support, thank you. I am very grateful to get those messages.

Today's total: $1.41

You can make a difference too!

To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke

All funds raised is going to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Day 1

Even though I expected to be hungry, I thought LBL wouldn’t impact my life too much because I don’t really eat much on a daily basis.

I was wrong.

Breakfast time. Coffee or tea was too much luxury. This I could deal with. Although an empty feeling was beginning to grow on my body. Still, I got through the morning without incident.

For lunch, there was only one lonely apple. It was the only fruit I planned to have all day. The memory of it stayed with me though the afternoon. I never thought I’d love the sweet taste of an apple so much. For someone used to having at least a fruit after every meal, my body was protesting. Dissatisfaction and cravings were constantly on my mind, even when I tried preoccupying myself with schoolwork as distraction.

3pm, the time of the day when I usually have afternoon tea and snacks. The desire to eat was overwhelming. I was already looking forward to dinner very much. The empty feeling continued to grow. To fill it, I kept on drinking water. It didn’t help much, but at least it was something for my mouth to do.

At 5pm, I decided I can stand it no longer, and had to have my last meal early. Mercifully, my daily budget was still enough to cook a simple pastina with some lattice and a very little sandwich turkey. No meal ever looked as wonderful as that small bowl of pastina soup.

This is only the first day. Already the feeling of hunger has taken up a big part of my conscious. But there is no cause to complain. Unlike people living though poverty, I do not suffer from the fear of not finding my next meal. I have the freedom to stop doing this if it becomes unbearable. How anyone can live in such insecurity and hunger for months, let alone years, is almost unthinkable.

Today's total: $1.44

You can make a difference too!
To donate, go to: http://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke
All funds raised is going to the World Food Program (WFP)

Live Below the Line: Answers to Friends' and Family's Questions

When I expressed my intention to participate in this year's Live Below the Line challenge, the first thing friends and family said to me after learning what the challenge about is "Is it necessary? How will you stay healthy?"

The answer to that is: Yes, it is necessary because it not only helps me in experiencing a fraction of what it is like to live in poverty (we can never truly understand what it is like for we are still in the safety and comfort of our home, with a choice to end eat better shall we feel unwell) but this effort will give us the chance to tell the people around us: “I’m making an effort, why not join me?”

How will I stay healthy?

I won’t. I will make an effort to balance my nutritions and I hope they will not worry for me. It will be hard, and I will be hungry. But remember: it is only for five days, and there are billions of people out there that have to live through that for who knows how long? If you are concerned for me now, you should be even more concerned for them.

No one deserves to live such a life. That is why we are donating money and taking the challenge. When we are people who can make a difference for others, it is our duty to do so.

See more & participate at https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/mxke

Birthday Wishes

For my first birthday alone, I was determined to do whatever I please. California is the perfect place for outdoor reading. So I tucked my Shakespeare Tragedies (best bday present ever!) and set out for the Getty Center.

My other objective that day was the guided tours and the special exhibition on Victorian photography. Having never joined the guided tours the past couple of times I was there, I had the pleasure of discovering more of the museum. I love hearing about the design concepts and the history of the place. Stories of things, they can make everything into art. In fact, what we call art is often more than something that looks beautiful. They tell us stories. For the same reason I enjoyed the Victorian photography exhibition. It showcased the the development of photo taking and of the life story of Queen Victoria. I was even surprised to find that 3D photography, or 'stereography', was invented as early as the 19th century. The aristocrats sure know how to entertain themselves.

I am 23 now. About 1/3 of my lifetime is already gone, less if I am luckier. So little was done and my todo list is still endless. On this day, at least, I was able to tick off a few items on that list. If only birthday wishes always came true, I'd have asked for a few thousand healthy years. But that is not to be, and all we can ever do is to chase after our dreams with relentless vigor.

Welcome to the Grid: The LA Bus System

The bus system in Los Angeles covers practically the whole city if one knows how to take them. Los Angeles is a place where I don't really mind not having a car. I probably wouldn't use it that much even if I do have one. You'll be surprised of all the places you can go without a car. There are ways to get up to the Griffith Observatory and the Getty Villa in Malibu. Find out how below.

There are several different bus companies. I take the Big Blue Bus when going to the shores, everywhere else, the LA Metro. When I first got here, Google Map was not as updated as it is now. It missed a lot of bus lines, and showed only the line number without specifying which bus system it is showing (If I'm new around here, how can I know if it's Metro line 2 or BBB line 2 that I'm suppose to take?). Sometimes I get "no transportation possible" for my queries even though I know buses run along my destination (I was trying to get to the Greystone Mansion then). So I got myself a few copies of bus system maps. You can see what they look like below. Wasn't it a headache to read!

Thankfully, Google Map now offers pretty accurate and detailed information on public transportation. Even the ones that were previously missing were replaced. This is how you get to the Griffith Observatory: on weekends, as shown on Google Map:

Vermont/ Sunset Station

DASH Weekend Observatory Shuttle Bus

It will take you all the way up to the observatory. Neat! I didn't know that when I first got here. There was so few information. I settled to tagging along whenever someone with a car was going that way, else I'm well prepared to hike the rest of the way up there (which probably isn't a good idea). I'm only too glad to be spared the pain now with Google's help. As a bonus, the time shown on Google is pretty accurate. It's perfect for trip planning now.

OK, more on the bus systems:

The Metro system includes bus lines as well as rail lines. Regular bus fares are $1.50 per ride, and rail lines only accept TAP cards, which can be used to board buses as well. Consider buying a TAP card if you're making transfers to your destination. You can get them at local supermarkets or TVMs. It's one buck for the card and 5 dollars for a day pass. Credit can be added online, at TVMs, or on the bus. Simple! Plus, there'll be no need to worry about collecting coins anymore.

The Big Blue Bus and Clover City Bus covers the Santa Monica area, and Clover City, respectively. Regular bus fare is one dollar per ride. I highly recommend going to the beaches by bus. Parking space is hard to find, the price for fuel and parking combined far exceeds that of public transportation, and you'll be doing a favor to the Earth.

Lastly, here are the detailed bus fares for the two public transportation systems: LA Metro, Big Blue Bus. Happy Riding!

Easy Reading: Fortunately, the Milk

TGIF! What a nice day it was to go down to the Los Angeles Public Library and get some easy reading material. I heard about Fortunately, the Milk from Neil Gaiman's Tumblr (Nice marketing, Mr. Gaiman!), and had wanted to get my hands on one ever since its publication last month. Imagine my excitement when I found out that the library already have several copies and I can place a hold for one (They circulate fast and were all checked out.). Now imagine what it's like to finally get a message after a week's waiting:

The following item(s) you requested are being held for you:
Gaiman, Neil.
Fortunately, the milk /
The item will be held until: 11/04/2013

It was heavenly! Skipping down the streets with my headphone on, I couldn't be sure if the silly grin was due to the giddiness of knowing what I was about to pick up or the cheerful audio book playing on my headphones (The book was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang narrated by David Tennant.) was simply too much fun.

With all these excitement, I finished the book in no time. And I am happy to say, it absolutely lived up to my expectations. The story was most curious. 10 years ago I would find it fantastic. Now, nearly an adult, I find it cute and silly. I nearly forgot how good it is to read adventure stories without having to feel anxious about the characters. Another great element of children's books are the illustrations. How I adore them! People with curly fingers, animals standing on their hind legs, strange creatures with big eyes.... Fortunately, the Milk has become one of my all time favorite children's books. It is something I would love to share with my younger cousins and probably read to them when I have the chance.

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Note: This was originally from my other blog: College Frenzy. Realizing that the contents actually gave some insight of what my life in LA is like, I decided to repost it here (with a few adjustments).

City of Angels: First Impressions

It is easy to forget just how big United States is. Even today, with the frequent communication and transportation, the differences between states can still be surprising. I remembered United States as the harbor city of New England: cool breeze, seagulls, stone-paved streets, neat little cafes, and people in long coats. Walking down the streets of LA on my first week was the strangest of experiences: Everyone was in sandals, short jeans and sunglasses; People talk in all kinds of languages; The hills were bare except for palm trees and bushes; And there were more sports cars on the road than I've ever seen. There was no trace of the romantic European feel that I was expecting. I was, to be honest, slightly disappointed.

Today, however, if anyone asks, I am in love with this city.

LA is like the ocean. She seems flat and unchanging on the surface, but underneath, she is full of life, beauty and unknown adventures. One just needs the right gears and some time to explore. Visiting any one museum or art gallery can take up a day. I've spend my time in art galleries and museums, seen some of the most famous masterpieces in the world, and many more expressive contemporary artworks. Whether it was the overall atmosphere or the inspiration from these experiences, I found myself taking up drawing even when I had abandoned the paint and brushes for many years. The city is also filled of history, even though the west coast was developed much later than other parts of the US. From  Felipe de Neve[1] to the Mexican-American War[2] to the rise of the film industry[3], a trip to the Natural History Museum can only tell so much of all the fascinating stories.

On a more practical note, one can live in LA without a car. Isn't it great? There are places to shop and dine within walking distance. If one is picky and wish to go to specific places that happened to be farther away, there is always the bus. Bus lines are spread out like thick spider webs here and most of them come and go fairly frequently. For those that are unfamiliar with the system and need to look up what bus(s) to take, however, it may be slightly confusing. Google Maps only shows a fraction of the bus lines and does not specify which buses belong to the Metro System and which belong to the Big Blue Bus or Culver City Bus System. For bus info and how to look for bus schedule in LA, see this post here. Once you get your head around the system, however, it can be more convenient than driving around town. No need to worry about parking spaces and gasoline prices!

Steadily, as the city became more familiar, and the initial shock passed, I felt like this is the city to stay in. The weather is perfect, getting around is convenient, and there are plenty to do year-round. My todo list is infinitely long and growing! Browsing through all the theatre productions and music festivals happening around town, it all came down to the same problem: Either I don't have time to go to the cheap/free events, or the pricey tickets put too much financial pressure for a jobless student. So much is going on all the time that instead of feeling bored, one worries about missing all the excitement!

Catching Up With Adventures

It has been 84 days since I first touched down on the sunny city of Los Angeles. This was not for a holiday trip. Soon, there will be serious studying to do. Admittedly, it was too early to come in for academic purposes: School would not start until mid-September. However, due to a naturally anxious personality, I had to see myself properly settled down. The result? Plenty of time to kill.

Los Angeles is a big city. It has more museums per capita than any other city in the world. To be exact, there are 841 museums and art galleries combined in Los Angeles County[1]. Her busy streets are easily navigable using public transit (Although with the various bus lines, it may seem confusing at first. More on the subject in later posts). Within a month, I have visited most of the tourist attractions and some of the lesser known paradise. Much excitement kept me fairly occupied and until now, I have neglected to sort out all the photographs (Did I mention that LA is a photographer's heaven?), notes and journals. In the coming weeks I plan to get everything up here, and hopefully provide some useful information (perhaps exclusively for students traveling on budget).

To get things started, here are a list of topics I'll try to cover. Once relevant posts are updated, there will be a link to each post/story/info.

• City of Angels: First Impressions
• Traveling on foot
• LA Public Transportation
• At the train station

• The Getty Museum(s)
• Santa Monica Beach and nearby regions
• Venice Beach \ Boardwalk
• The Grove: traveling alone
• The Venice Canals
• Navigating the hills of UCLA
• Greystone Mansion: forgotten glory
• Adventures on Rodeo Drive: more than window shopping
• From Sunset Boulevard to Hollywood
• Downtown LA (in parts)
• Space Shuttle Endeavor
• Universal Studios
• Nerdy Pleasures Libraries

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References

1. "The Los Angeles Region". Loyola Marymount University. May 5, 2008. Retrieved 2013-10-23.

The Newton-Raphson Method

This post was originally on my other blog College Franzy, which is dedicated entirely to sorting out the notes and studies I've done during college. This particular subject, the Newton-Raphson method has always been very helpful to me. So frequent did I find myself searching through my notes that they would soon fall apart if they are not stored somewhere more permanent. So I set down one day and posted Newton-Raphson Method: Application. I am so very proud of it that, very soon, I realized that I have to share it here as well. The following is the full content of the original post. Enjoy!

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This is an application of the Newton-Raphson method for finding the joint angles of a mechanism. This was adapted from a note I made in a class called Mechanics of Machines in my sophomore year. It has proven useful to me for numerous times since then. The Newton-Raphson method can be used on any closed-loop mechanisms, including non-inverted and inverted slider-crank mechanisms. It also converges relatively fast in many common cases which makes it such a convenient tool. Throughout the years the Newton-Raphson method one of my favorite tools as a ME student. 

--

Consider the double-loop mechanism:

Link 1 is the input, i.e. the rotation angle of link 1 is specified. Since this mechanism have one degree of freedom the positions of all other links can be found. Realizing that the two loops shown in the figure are in fact two four-bar linkages, we can solve them independently.

First of all, to find the joint angles of the 4-bar linkage made by links 1, 2, 3, and the ground link,notice that the vectors R₁, R₂, R₃, and R₆' have the following relationships:

$R_1+R_2-R_3-R_6=0$.

This is the loop equation for Loop 1. One must be aware of the direction of the vectors. Rewriting this equation in terms of link lengths r₁, r₂, r₃, r₆', and joint angles $\theta_1,\ \theta_2,\ \theta_3,$ and $\phi_6'$, it becomes:

$r_1\cos\theta_1+r_2\cos\theta_2-r_3\cos\theta_3-r_6\cos\phi_6=0$ $r_1\sin\theta_1+r_2\sin\theta_2-r_3\sin\theta_3-r_6\sin\phi_6=0$.

There are two unknowns, $\theta2$ and $\theta3$. The goal here is to find solutions to these two equations:

$F_1(\theta_2,\ \theta_3)=r_1\cos\theta_1+r_2\cos\theta_2-r_3\cos\theta_3-r_6\cos\phi_6$ $F_2(\theta_2,\ \theta_3)=r_1\sin\theta_1+r_2\sin\theta_2-r_3\sin\theta_3-r_6\sin\phi_6$

Here we will apply the Newton-Raphson method.

• Find estimated values $\theta_2$ and $\theta_3$. Let's call them $\theta_2'$ and $\theta_3'$.
• The partial differivative of F1 and F2 with respect to $\theta1$ and $\theta2$ are
$\frac{\partial F_1}{\partial \theta_2}=-r_2\sin\theta_2$,    $\frac{\partial F_1}{\partial \theta_3}=r_3\sin\theta_3$

$\frac{\partial F_2}{\partial \theta_2}=r_2\cos\theta_2$,   $\frac{\partial F_2}{\partial \theta_2}=-r_3\cos\theta_3$.



Since the values are estimated, it is highly unlikely that they will be the exact solution to F1 and F2. That is, F1 and F2 will not be zero when substituting these values into the equations. We write:

$F_1(\theta_2',\ \theta_3')=\epsilon_1'$ and $F_2(\theta_2',\ \theta_3')=\epsilon_2'$.
Then Newton-Raphson method yields that

$-r_2\sin\theta2'\times(\Delta\theta_2)+r_3\sin\theta_3\times(\Delta\theta_3)=\epsilon_1-\epsilon_1'$
$r_2\cos\theta2'\times(\Delta\theta_2)-r_3\cos\theta_3\times(\Delta\theta_3)=\epsilon_2-\epsilon_2'$where $\epsilon_1=\epsilon_2=0$ in this case (the cost of F1 and F2).
Solving the equations in 4. gives the change for $\theta_2$ and $\theta_3$.

.
The new estimation for the two values are $\theta_2''=\theta_2'+\Delta\theta_2$ and $\theta_3''=\theta_3'+\Delta\theta_3$, respectively. Using these new values we can start the process from step 3 and find new values again. The values will converge to the exact value of  $\theta_2$ and $\theta_3$. Once the values are withing tolerance, the procedure is terminated and we had our answer.

The procedure for Loop 2 is the same as that described above. Just use the Newton-Raphason method again to find  $\theta_4$ and $\theta_5$.

NIght at the Movies: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

   I can go on and on about how happy I am that the epic adventure of Bilbo finally got brought to life on screen, but then that is hardly worth reading about, is it? Simply saying I enjoyed  every bit the movie is all to be expected from a Tolkien fan. No, this will not do. What is interesting is the things that are... well... "unexpected."

(Warning: mild spoilers ahead.)

  First of all, beside the familiar main characters, the addition of Radagast the brown is a magical one. I thought he might be a rather boring character when I first saw him in the Trailer. Radagast was just a kind little old man that concerned himself only with his animals. It seemed he would not contribute much to the plot. And here I must say, Mr. Sylvester McCoy is a very good actor. He portrayed the wizard's loving nature to such a profound level that event the audience would forget about the hobbit, the ring, or indeed anything else and think that the wellness of Radagast's forest is the most important matter in the would. When he ran around his house in a frenzy to save his hedgehog, I find myself praying that he would succeed. The scene made the coming of the Necromancer seem more fearful and abominable because the audience has developed feelings for the would that is at stake of destruction from the villain.

   Anther good portray of character is that of Smaug the dragon. Peter Jackson did it subtly. The downfall of the magnificent dwarf city Erebor is all we know of Smaug. When reading the book, we learned about Erenor mainly from all the eccentric description given by the dwarves. We understand that the halls were grand, the treasures piled high, and all is in awe who looked upon the great city..... from a dwarf's view. It is difficult to feel the eagerness to go on perilous journeys for it. The amazing thing about movies is that they give us the chance to really "see" things for ourselves, and let us be the judge. And when I saw Erebor, with its high pillars and bright marbles glimmering in torchlight and the all the precious gold and gems it contained.... It was spectacular beyond words! The magnificence filled me with longing. In that magical moment, I feel like I would have done anything just to go there. Now I almost sounded like a dwarf myself! To have all that wealth taken so suddenly by a great big bully of a dragon, it would have filled anyone with anger. What was more, that bully really had no need of any of it. He just buried himself in the treasures and sleep his time away! No doubt without giving the audience the feeling of the greatness of Erebor, Smaug would not seem as detestable.

    Lastly, it's about the humor. Although The Hobbit is a cheerful story meant for entertainment, I did not expect Peter Jackson to stretch it to such extent because the movies are, after all, the prologue of the dark Lord of the Rings trilogy. One would have though he'd go for a similar style. He must have lost some of the audience because of all the fantasy and fun. At some point, The Hobbit is almost like a cheerful animated children's film from Dreamworks. But that made the movie much more lighthearted and enjoyable. There is less suffering and the audience are spared from heartache.

   When a great book become a major motion picture, we get to sit back and fondly remember the events like our own memory. Not only that, but we are invited to look at things in a different point of view. We find emotions that were not present before and think thoughts that are new to us. The audiences are swept off their feet an into their own, unexpected journey.

*  *  *

"True courage is about not knowing when to take a life, but when to spare one." -- Gandalf, The Hobbit

Leadership Program: The Journey Starts

July 21st, 2012 -- day 0
We had a long flight, from TPE to LAX, DFW, and ORD, and finally getting to IPFW on a 4hr bus ride.
Since the trip started at midnight, we were able to first see the stary night sky, the sunrise, and then, just before touch down in Los Angeles, the sunset again. Even though night is falling over LA, the amount of activity in the city was amazing. There were several hot air balloons floating near the airport. From the sky, they look like little orange fairies, gracefully and unhurried.

We were tired after such a long flight, but we were not at our final destination yet. There was still a long way to go to get from Chicago to Fort Wayne. We made a brief stop at an Japanese grocery store for lunch. The place was flooded with Asians. It felt strange to be there, knowing that we are already on the other side of the planet, yet surrounded by everything NOT American.

Continue on our way, we get a glimpse of the Chicago skyline from the highway. The city looks much less awkward from the ground. From the sky, she rose from the ground like a city in a desert. Her surroundings are flat compared to the immense height of the skyscrapers.

I was hoping that I can overcome my jet leg as soon as possible, but tiredness got the better of me and I slept the rest of the way to the school. We get to sort our things out as soon as we arrive. Our rooms are very nice. With two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and kitchen. After refreshing ourselves, we joined in the lobby to have pizza and coke for dinner. The volunteers who would be accompanying us throughout the weeks are great people. It was the first time that I met people near my age who share so much interests with me that is not Taiwanese. To exchange views with them was a great delight. I was sorry when the little party ends. Cannot wait to see them again next day.

The Beauty of Life

A couple of weeks ago I encountered this talk of Neil deGrasse Tyson. What is the most astonishing fact about the universe? I would thought the warping and such phenomena would be on the list. But No! He talked about how we all, came from the universe. How true, yet how easily forgotten. It reminds me of another video that I've seen  not so long before this. 

It is an animation of the human cells in working. It shows everything we've learned in high school: the making of DNAs and RNAs, the blood cells working their way though the bloodstream.... They are so familiar yet the view is alien to the eyes. How little do we know about ourselves. We are no less alien than the imaginings of our minds. But then again, we are like the stars, we know of its existence,  but little of anything else. We can only do our best to try to understand the work that has been going on in the cosmos since the beginning of time.

What I love about these videos is that they reminds me of the wonderfulness of our existence. To stand on earth, or to be here, at this moment, is a blessing. Sometimes when I feel down, I'd like to remind myself that life is a miracle, and it is worth every second that we cherish it, and love it. When I felt happy, thinking about these facts, I found power in pursuing my dreams. I want to know more! We shouldn't be aliens to ourselves. Sometimes I even believe that, if we work hard enough, if we have enough passion, we would eventually found all answers to our questions.

No matter what the future is installed for us, I want to live it to the fullest. And these videos give me the best reasons to tell people why.

[Scilab] Plotting with Colors

There had been much frustration when I attempted to plot several locus lines of a four-bar linkage in a single graph. I struggled with the color settings. Searching around the web I find that much of the information given about the use of the plot and plot2d function failed to address how plotting single dots works.

Searching the Scilab online help, we get

plot

LineSpec

This option may be used to specify, in a short and easy manner, how the curves are drawn. It must always be a string containing references to LineStyle, Marker and Color specifiers.

These references must be set inside the string (order is not important) in an unambiguous way. For example, to specify a red long-dashed line with the diamond mark enabled, you can write : 'r--d' or '--dire' or '--reddiam' or another unambiguous statement... or to be totally complete 'diamondred--' (seeLineSpec).

Note that the line style and color, marks color (and sizes) can also be (re-)set throught the polyline entity properties (see polyline_properties).

plot2d

style

This option may be used to specify how the curves are drawn. If this option is specified, the associated value should be a vector with as many entries as curves.

• if style(i) is strictly positive, the curve is drawn as plain line and style(i) defines the index of the color used to draw the curve (see getcolor). Note that the line style and the thickness can be set through the polyline entity properties (see polyline_properties).
  Piecewise linear interpolation is done between the given curve points.
• if style(i) is negative or zero, the given curve points are drawn using marks, abs(style(i))defines the mark with id used. Note that the marks color and marks sizes can be set through the polyline entity properties (see polyline_properties).

Pretty clear. So what's the problem?
If I were to do a plot consisting of three "points," say, (1,2), (3,4), and (5,6). They are to be presented as (1) a dot with default color, (2)a red default mark, and (3)a red dot. Using plot, the commend lines would be:

plot(1,2,'.')

plot(3,4,'r')

plot(5,6,'r.')

Whereas using plot2d the commend lines should, according to most tutorials,

plot2d(1,2,style=0), plot2d(1,2,style(0), or plot2d(1,2,0)

X plot2d(3,4,style=1), plot2d(3,4,style(1)), or plot2d(3,4,1)

X plot2d(5,6, style=[0,1], or plot(5,6,[0,1])

The second line is fine if I were plotting lines. (The figure shows the results of the first four commends.) However, not setting the mark style will result in an empty plot. To solve this problem, we would have to change the global property of the plot. I have not yet managed this part, but I shall update it as soon as I figure out how. Stay tuned.

[C/C++] Solar System Model

This was a CG project I did for my finals. The result was quite successful although there wasn't much fancy commends or tricks. It primly consists of the glutSolidSphere commend from OpenGL, which is relatively easy to control. To see the program in action, feel free to download it here. The main difference of my model to the ones usually seen is that I have included the asteroid belt and the moons of both Jupiter and Saturn. To make the result even more dramatic (and this is an idea I was so proud of) is that the Sun changes colors! This is to simulate the burning fire ball that it should have been. It successfully caught the attentions of my teacher and peers, which is the goal of our projects. Another notable thing about my model is the scale. The speed of the planets are in scale with the real system. The actual size and distance of the planets, on the other hand, differs greatly from one another. To fit all planets into the frame without shrinking the Earth-like planets and moons into dots is impossible. This is the reason why few models have the right scale for these data. Therefore, to get the model as accurate as possible, I grouped the Earth-like planets and Jupiter-like planets, and scale the two groups differently.  This is the only inaccuracy of my model, I even had the planets rotating in the correct orbital plane angle (see figure below).

The only pity is that I failed notice the massiveness of my rendering method. First of all, all of my spheres were set with the same number of slices and stacks. In my negativeness, I have also chosen to use the LIFO* data construction type instead of vertex array or the VBO*. This slows down my program tremendously and limited the amount of objects I can put into it. The tragedy only presented itself when I attempted to construct the background and fill them with distant suns:

Snapshot of the output

Output with distant suns in the background

It made the overall scene much interesting, but sadly I was out of time and so I did not change any of the original codes regarding the rendering of the planets. It also prevented me from putting any other object into my model. I had plans about putting in a couple of comets to add up complexity. The calculations had even been finished:

From the above figure, we can see that, the tail length and direction differs with the position of the comet with respect to the sun. I thought the idea was pretty neat, and it was depressing that it never got a chance to be put into practice.

I would like to remind all who happens to see this post of mine that, if, by any chance, you happened to need to right a graphic program with dynamic outputs, please learn from my faults. No matter how the simple and friendly pushing-and-popping seems, never consider your program simple enough that acceleration can be neglected. It can't. Life wouldn't ever be easier that way.

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*LIFO - Last In First Out, here it refers to the method of data construction. The transformation matrices needed for the rendering of the planets are "stacked" one on top of another. Like stacking books in the corners of our bedrooms, we would have to retrieve the top most book first if we don't want to end up with a pile of paper chaos!

*VBO - Vertex Buffer Object. It is an OpenGL feature that provides methods for uploading data to the video device for non-immediate-mode rendering. (courtesy to Wikipedia)