Rho Agenda

Posted on April 27, 2011 by sinyaw

“Do you have a book by Richard Phillips titled ‘Rho Agenda’?” A Barnes and Noble is between the bus stop and home. I was curious on what the book really feel like. It does not hurt anybody to take a look, even I have no intention of buying. “Hmm… ‘Immune’?” Answered the girl behind the information counter. “Yes,” I pressed on. “That’s Book Two. The first is ‘The Second Ship'”

The clerk girl gave me a cryptic look, “These books are available only in eBook format.” She offered no more information. This is not exactly her employer’s strong suit.

I was amused. I did not know those are exclusively eBooks. This will be the first time I read a book that does not exist in paper form and they are cheap. I wonder on the economy of publishing exclusively in eBook format.

It turned out both books are availabe in print form, only substantially more expensive. Book One sells at $1 as eBook and $12 in print; Book Two $4 and $14. Wow!

Book One (Second Ship) is a junior SciFi. Easy reading, teenage main characters, well structured and good pace. The story began with two rivaling space ships dueling each others and both fell to the earth with no survivors. As one, the Rho ship, became the true story behind the famous area 51, the other was discovered by three teenagers.

I realized the reason for selling this book for $1: it is not complete by itself. I felt cheated and bought the second book to finish the story. Throughout the second book, I had this dark mood of worrying if he is going to play the same trick to force me to read on. That diminished my enjoyment a bit.

Book Two is more an action fiction than SciFi (techno-thriller?). The plot centered around a professional killer who can somehow anticipate people’s next move. Of course, he and the three kids must save the world. This is the kind of SciFi that have little social agenda. It does not leave you thinking of your lives, the government, or other deep topics. It is like a Jackie Chan movie that provided good entertainment and will be forgotten minutes after you walk out of the theater.

There is one serious thought, weakly covered, on the role of diseases as a population control mechanism. If the world is rid of all diseases, humanity will actually collapse from lack of resources to sustain the explosive increase of population. For this reason, we should thank AIDS or other pandemic diseases to control the world population, because the only other alternatives will be wars or worse brutality.

Since they are eBooks, there seems no point showing the book covers. Mr. Richard Phillips studied Physics in college and was a military ranger. That explains the good writings on sub-space, GPS technologies, encryption, programming, and worm holes. It also explains the good scenes on military attacks and maneuver. Those technical details were really delightful.

Posted in Books & Reviews, Peek into my mind, Witness to my life | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

ABC Nightly News, no more

Posted on April 24, 2011 by sinyaw

For decades, I loyally watched ABC Nightly News. For this new comer to the US, Peter Jennings seemed more understandable and Ted Koppel’s Nightline interviews brought perspective for many topics for me. Anchor person changed, but I stayed with ABC.

In China, video podcast solved the problem. ITunes would download the news (for China, it would have been two-day old news, but still valid) and I would watch it during my commute. I even bought an expensive iPod video cable so that I would watch it on real TV during the weekend. This podcast habit continued even after I came back to the US. On my frequent business trips, this is how I kept up.

Essentially, I have only two sources for daily news: NPR and ABC. Both I receive free through my iPod. I read newspapers, magazines, and various web sites, but not daily.

Several weeks ago, David Muir gave me the last episode of the ABC News Podcast. They will deliver exclusively via their website and an iPad app. This means no offline access to ABC news anymore. I could DTR the program, but that is very restrictive.

I found video podcast from CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox. Guess ABC is losing one fan now.

Posted in Witness to my life | 1 Comment

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

Posted on April 21, 2011 by sinyaw

The art is in chopsticking. Pick it up gently and slowly. the friction of chopsticks will do the works; you need to provide the patience. The dumpling will sag like a small water balloon and you will crane it to the vinegar saucer for a light dip, don’t put it down, hoist it to the spoon gently down. You are half-way there. Now pick up several ginger threads that should have been soaking in the vinegar nicely and place them on top of the dumpling. Raise the spoon up to your mouth and bite just a small opening carefully. The steam rushes to your nostrils and you pour the hot juice into your mouth and savor for a while. Then, throw the whole thing into your mouth and enjoy the mixture of dumpling shell, the subtly flavorful filling, and the nice play with the vinegar and ginger. Repeat this process as fast as you can, since they are so good when hot.

I have been a fan of Din Tai Feng for over 35 years by now. Its original restaurant in Taipei started as a literally hole-in-the-wall (still is) dumpling maker amongst hundreds of them in that city. Over the decades, it has become an international sensation. When I moved to Beijing in 2005, I was delighted to find its new branch not 10-minute’s walk away. The family soon was conversing with the serving staff on first-name basis.

You must order the XiaoLongBao 小龍包 dumpling. I recommend the traditional (not soupy) one. have known the menu by heart and can usually order without referring to it. My favorites are their noodle and fried rice. Their sesame filled bao 芝麻大包 is of course must-order whenever.

First-timers usually don’t quite understand Din Tai Feng. It does not appear to warrant the wait and the price. That’s OK. The power of Din Tai Feng is in its universal appeal and subtlety. No one dish would stand out after the meal. After a while, there will be a craving gradually brewed. Then one day, you found yourself waiting patiently at the door and would stubbornly not consider any other alternatives.

Yes, I finally succumbed and came to its newest Bellevue restaurant. Yes, I walked away satisfied. I am good, for several weeks at least.

Posted in Books & Reviews, Peek into my mind, Seattle, Tour guides | Tagged , | 1 Comment

It’s your turn. Kids.

Posted on April 17, 2011 by sinyaw

According to New York Times, computation performance improved over 43 millions times over the last 15 years (that’s when “Windows 95” came out). A factor of 1,000 can be attributed to hardware improvements and software claims 43,000 times of the credit. This means, compounded annually, hardware improved 58% year over year and software 103%. I am so much awed by this. A young kid in college today has access to computation that is more than 43 millions times better than when I was in college. By software alone, he or she can be 43,000 times more efficient than I could.

When I was a graduate student, I spent nearly all my spare time in the library. The general routine begin with the index table where articles of periodicals are published. I would peruse those indices searching for papers that are of interest. Then I will read the abstracts to judge how relevant the paper was to my study. Next I will spend long time hunting the specific publication and copying the said article. After studying it, I would usually hunt down its references and repeat the same process. With each article, I would make an index card of it with pertinent information. As time went by, I had a collection of papers and boxes of index cards. That constituted the “literature review” section of my thesis, the famous chapter 2. It was a long and laborious process that made me an expert of the field. The training was vigorous. I felt I could research any topic and become an expert.

Somewhere in these 15 years, I think, the technology reached a saturation point. As someone on the “mature” side of the spectrum, I don’t see young kids these day being that much more productive than when I was at their age. We merely attacked different kinds of problems. Those problems in “platform” or “foundation” were largely solved by my generation. The new generation focused more on application and integration. But when it come down to raw productivity, in terms of the number of complex problems solved per unit of time, they seem about the same. Of course, the new generation is solving problems that we couldn’t even imagine then. But the new generations will always stand on the shoulders of the previous ones.

Guess this blog is a challenge to those who are the new generation. Hey kids, we gave you 43 millions times more computational power. What are you going to do for my grand kids?

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Where Good Ideas Come From

Posted on April 15, 2011 by sinyaw

Steven Johnson’s book is really a historical one, as in the tag line “The Natural History of Innovation.” The premise is that human and nature innovate in striking similar ways. If we accept that, then we can cultivate innovation by creating the right environment, taking a cue from the nature. He gave many examples, some in nature and some from various societies or the history.

Innovation is done drastically differently as a professional or amateur. Anyone can get struck by a flash of genius can come up with a song, nice poem, great idea, etc. But artists, writers, designer, or some engineers need to innovate as their everyday jobs; they do it very differently. It is a laborious and deliberate process that allows few errors.

The most common method to innovate, by professional and amateurs alike, is to explore the adjacent possibilities. Simply put, by tinkering something in existence already — trying new solutions to old problems or old solutions to new problems. The eureka moment is usually after days, years, or even decades of tinkering, pushing, and try-and-error. As such, to professional innovators, ideas worth little. The skills to turn ideas into working solutions are truly valued.

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Dim Sum @ Hong Kong

Posted on April 12, 2011 by sinyaw

I heard that Vancouver, B.C., supplanted here as the world capital of Cantonese cuisine. Before a personal verification, Hong Kong remains my favorite place for Dim Sum. This phrase translates to “a little of the heart” or “touching the heart.” Personally, I advocate a more poetic “small delights.” (Isn’t it a great name for a restaurant?) In Hong Kong, they truly live up to this translation. Every dishes brings a little smile when you sink your teeth into it.

This branch of Chinese cuisine is officially “Cantonese Tea-time Snacks.” Unlike British tea-time, Dim Sum is a morning activity. Most of the dishes are not sweet and bite size for a party of about four. Tradition pays little attention to plating. The tea, usually the only drink offered, is served straight with no sugar or milk. (Rather than complimenting the flavors, the tea is more a palate cleanser.) Dim Sum has evolved to probably the most popular Chinese brunch form. Popular restaurants would expect an hour or even longer wait in the weekend. Everyone would be experts and have his or her favorites. It therefore encourages large parties to broaden experience. This is usually no menu. The staff brings the dishes out on plates or push carts. The guests would point to whatever fancies the eyes to succumb to the recommendation or dares. So that it could be even more gastronomically adventurous, Chefs love to innovate within the tried and proven ingredients, instead of trying new ones, to leave you wonder and savor the seemingly familiar, yet not readily identified, flavors. Of course, there are benchmarking dishes that every Dim Sum restaurants must offer.

This is where Hong Kong’s Dim Sum restaurants stand out. Their benchmark dishes are solidly made: steaming hot, full and balanced flavors, smooth texture, and appetizingly aromatic. Here I sampled tarot dumpling’s (芋頭餃) crisp shell with creamy tarot paste inside; tofu wrap with (腐竹捲) shrimp filling that had a wonderful chewiness; the shumai (燒賣) that was nicely juicy and tender; and, lastly, the sweet-rice chicken in lotus leaf (真珠雞, 就是荷葉糯米雞) that combined minced pork and chicken with a hint of grassy aroma off the lotus leaf. Unconventionally, I had Boddington beer instead of tea.

Oh, the Mango Tapioca (楊枝玉露) dessert was the best I ever had.
I dreaded for this flight that would take two days of my life away. Somehow, this brunch at Hong Kong’s airport hotel (Marriott, Skycity) made it less suffering.

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NYTimes.com, for a Fee

Posted on April 10, 2011 by sinyaw

For years, I have daily Wall Street Journal at my door steps. I hated it when rain soaked throught the plastic wrap and ruined the paper. Calling was not really interesting, since all they could do was extending my subscription for an extra day. Delivering another copy would be meaningless, by the time the paper arrived, I wouldn’t have wanted to read it anymore. I was glad that they offer wsj.com to paper subscribers: not the same as holding the real thing, but good enough for infrequent substitutes.

When I was living in China, I did not want to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal Asian edition. So I switched to International Herald Tribute. Soon, I started visiting NYTimes.com regularly. I gladly gave my email address and enjoyed the free online news paper several times a week. It was natural that I installed NYTimes app on my iPod soon after.

Several days ago, an updated NYTimes app informed me that this distinguished news paper is no longer free online. I would have to pay for unlimited access.

Visitors get 20 free articles (including blog posts, slide shows, video and other multimedia features) each calendar month on NYTimes.com, as well as access to browse the home page, section fronts, blog fronts and classifieds. Subscribers enjoy unrestricted access to all of the content on NYTimes.com, and 100 Archive articles every four weeks. Also note that NYTimes apps are free to download and install, and they include the Top News section for free. Subscribers get unlimited access to all sections within the app.

I am leaning on deleting the app and start searching for a free online news paper. So far, I have San Jose Mercury and LA Times. I will also give Seattle Times a try, but it is definitely more local.

Posted in Witness to my life | Leave a comment

國立台灣師大附中

Posted on April 7, 2011 by sinyaw

瘦子不是”原始”çš„317.但是三十幾年後,高中校友會居然是他辦出來了. 今天,過半的同學都”歸隊”了. 真不容易.

半百後才知道青綠時人就定下來了. 三十五年的沉沉浮浮,過濾掉了當年以為重要的東西. 現在班白的我們,只有心還是當年的輕狂.

台北的高中裏,附中人最傲. 誰都不服,我們是不同層次的,不能用一般的標準來衡量. 高一有小週末,每一班有永遠的班號,體育老師是當年的國手.體育課能力分班,游泳池長50ç±³,操場是標準田徑規格,一年有兩次校級運動賽. 附中有自由的校風,”沒有規定不行,就是可以.規定了不行,就別被抓到”. 總而言之,我們比較cool.

別的附中人不知道,我們317班,的確不同. 幾十年的附中歷史,只有317贏過兩次全校合唱比賽,能出去和那些女校的合唱團一拼高下. (日後,附中又有了女生,還加了音樂班,合唱的層次就不同了.)今天看Glee電視,想當年別班拼籃球,我們練唱.有點同感.

其實幾次回台北,都有路過附中.當然景物全非了,也沒有想進去的動機.南樓的木板地早沒了,夏天的穿堂清風,被高樓擋住了.看那些小女生附中人進進出出,還是不習慣. 最重要的,當然是心裏明白,我的附中是在心頭. 一進了那大門,回憶就被重寫了.

祝福Fatter. 早日康復.

Posted in Witness to my life | Tagged | 1 Comment

NIH

Posted on April 4, 2011 by sinyaw

The mentality of Not-Invented-Here will kill any technology company these days.
I was floored with this marketing material from a technology company. I masked out relevant names.

This area concerns ownership of the components that comprise a product. The need to license one or modules carries an array of potential implications and dependencies, from incomplete integration and sub-optimal performance to delayed updates and lack of in-house research and knowledge for a specific area, which could lead to lower effectiveness – such as the inability to thoroughly address blended functions.

The Company’s product technology has no dependencies on outside components. The result is a completely unified and highly optimized solution architecture that maximizes performance and enables the highest level of effectiveness. Furthermore, Company maintains its own, extensive intelligence network, as well as its own research lab staffed by a world-renowned security research team. The result is the ability to provide thorough and timely intelligence and content updates, thereby enabling organizations to efficiently and effectively handle the rapidly changing conditions characteristic of today’s computing environments.

In comparison. With the exception of one, all other competitors license/obtain one or more components of their solution from a third party. As discussed above, this arrangement carries with it the significant potential for negative side effects, from poor performance to stale content and feature sets.

A public statement like this should scare both customers and investors away. Any company, any product, in the world must leverage a supply chain to provide components that are simply impractical to produce in-house. Customers care if products can solve their problems with reasonable costs. If company A license others’ technologies and produce the products cheaper and faster, it will always win over company B that insisted on doing everything in-house.

The argument on quality is really 100% wrong. Would you have a higher quality health care if you treat your own ailments? The clear advantage of industrialization is specialization. A technology is almost always better when produced by companies specialized in that. In fact, that’s why anyone buy any product to begin with: they don’t have the means to solve the problem themselves economically or effectively. By extension, why would anyone claim a product is of higher quality if everything is produced in-house?

Posted in Management Thoughts | Leave a comment

Ungovernable California

Posted on March 31, 2011 by sinyaw

The Economist, sadly, made a text book case out of California. (Try click on link for the full article. Sorry that non-subscribers may not have access.) It feels like the worst case for a democratic political system.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association pushed through “three strikes” laws. Today, California spends more money on prison inmates than educating its young generation. The prison “industry” is thriving at the expense of the general population.

The voters, that’s you and me, want more services and not paying for them. Giving them ballot initiative power, what you end up is every special interest groups passing laws to guarantee their interests at the expenses of the entire society. Since the entire society eventually must absorb the sum of all those vested interest, it sinks.

California is interesting for one final reason. Throughout most of the West, people are in denial about the consequences of wanting both more government and lower taxes. In California ballot initiatives have actually given voters a direct say. Generally they have made government worse, protecting bits of spending yet refusing to pay for it. Having voted for Mr Schwarzenegger in 2003, they deserted him the moment he tried to introduce structural reforms in 2005.

Unfortunately, it also seems the entire United States is heading the same direction. If you look around the world, the gloomy outlook is that all democratic systems are moving toward the same direction, only in different paces.

Today, California is ungovernable. Would the USA be the same tomorrow?

Posted in Peek into my mind | 1 Comment