Mason's Blogspot

Parabolic Reflector

2009-09-13T17:26:00.002+08:00

To deal with my poor wireless network, I downloaded the Ez-12 Parabolic Reflector Template, and made a signal reflector myself.

It is clever.

Studying QWERTY Like One of the Idiots

2009-09-01T09:59:00.001+08:00

QWERTY, the most common English-language keyboard is used, ~~while also the most inefficient in human history~~. It takes its name from the first 6 letters at the top of the keyboard. Test takers should practice on a QWERTY keyboard before taking the TOEFL iBT, ~~and throw it away as soon as possible.~~

Official ETS website (modified by an angry Dvorak typist)

It seems that different keyboard layout is not allowed in any ETC test. It means that I have to re-study QWERTY keyboard which I have dropped three years ago. I feel depressed, disappointed and angry.

Freedom Comes Eventually

2009-08-18T19:52:00.007+08:00

That is three hundred and forty-three days, the awful past makes people have nightmares.

I can get rid of them finally. My diary evokes me the memory from the first day I stepped into the training center to the last moment I stepped out the battalion unit. Someday I may be able to overturn it from old personal archives and tell stories to friends.

I realize there are some important things need to be done. I will get busy soon.

Er...

Mouse Gesture for Sharing on FriendFeed

2009-03-04T13:02:00.008+08:00

Found a way to share a web site on FriendFeed without add a button to Firefox bookmark toolbar.

Put the following code into a new FireGesture script and render a mouse gesture to the script.

var document = FireGestures.sourceNode.ownerDocument;
var e=document.createElement('script');
e.setAttribute('type','text/javascript');
e.setAttribute('src','http://friendfeed.com/share/bookmarklet/javascript');
document.body.appendChild(e);

Surely you must have Firefox with FireGesture extension and a FriendFeed account first.

Dvorak Simplified Keyboard Layout

2009-02-18T21:31:00.003+08:00

"Have you ever thought how the arrangement of the letters on our keyboard comes from?"

Every time I asked the new question to my friends, the answer was always no. I have tried so hard to convince my friends or family members to try Dvorak simplified keyboard layout. However, all of them were just listened quietly but never do a change themselves. I was tired and disappointed. They probably didn't know how much this can affect their life style. Here I found a marvelous comic book that describe the evolution of keyboard layout and sincerely convince you to TRY Dvorak keyboard layout. It does greater job than I could explain its advantages. Please enjoy and consider it.
DVzine.org - PDF Edition

Being very lucky, I learned typing when I was six grade in elementary school. It was very impressive that a ten-year-old boy could type faster than most of adults in that time. I neither knew nor asked why the keyboard layout was arranged so awkward. Maybe I thought it was just something there I couldn't understand on my age. On the first year of my college, I asked that question to myself and did a thorough research on the Internet. So I started to learn Dvorak keyboard layout. In the first few weeks, it really needed patient to look up the layout table whenever I forgot where a letter is, and the frequent typing error and re-typing also made people frustrated. Then I thought, "Haven't I just managed it when the first time I studied the QWERTY layout? What does make me not through this time? I just need to drop what I've learned, as though it's not easy." So I did make it.

The training ended up in fewer than two months, and since then I can enjoy the advantages of Dvorak keyboard layout completely. I have also tried to introduce Dvorak layout to the others. None of them have ever changed to it though. Maybe the human race just simply don't want to change, like what August Dvorak said before he died.

I'm tired of trying to do something worthwhile for the human race.
They simply don't want to change!

August Dvorak

I know that Dvorak layout may not be the best one to my use. It can be optimized better for programmers like me. However, once I know a general and efficient layout for programmer developed out there. I won't hesitate to have a try. Would you?

Worldwide Percentage of Adherents by Religion

2008-03-24T14:07:00.008+08:00

Originated from Wikipedia - Religion

"No, you are not alone."

Originated from The Animatrix

Kill 5 in One Row

2008-11-16T09:57:00.004+08:00

Muhahahaha! A little sad self-comfort before the eve of the end of military training.

I registered the sergeant test. If nothing goes wrong in the next week, I could become a squad leader after another five-week long training in Wu-gu military police school.

Programming Code for IQ Test

2008-06-19T14:14:00.009+08:00

Here are three IQ quizzes. Each quiz has a sequence of numbers, having some relationship between number and number. Following the relationship, find out the last value.

1) 1, 5, 5, 9, 13, 26, 30, ?

2) 324, 54, 63, 21, 27, 3, 6, ?

3) 375, 374, 374, 363, 33, 22, ?

I've done my best and wrote the algorithms in C# code:

// Question 1
for (int i = 0, value = 1, timesToAdd = 1, count = 0; ; i++, timesToAdd++) {
 Console.WriteLine("{0} ", value);
 
 if (count < timesToAdd) {
  value += 4;
  count++;
 } else {
  value *= timesToAdd;
  count = 0;
  timesToAdd++;
 }
}

// Question 2
int[] sequence = {9, 6, 3};

for (int i = 0, value = 324, oddState = 0, evenState = 1;value >= 0 ; i++) {
 Console.WriteLine("{0} ", value);
 
 // Even state
 if (i % 2 == 0) {
  value /= sequence[evenState];
  evenState = (evenState + 1) % 3;
 }
 // Odd state
 else {
  value += sequence[oddState];
  oddState = (oddState + 1) % 3;
 }
}

//Question 3
for (int i = 1, value = 375, adjustValue = 1; value >= 0; i++) {
 Console.WriteLine("{0} ", value);
 
 switch(i / 4) {
  case 0:
  case 2:
   value -= adjustValue;
   break;
  case 1:
   value /= adjustValue;
   break;
  default:
   value /= adjustValue;
   adjustValue = adjustValue * 10 + 1;
   break;
 }
}

God Does Not Play Dice with the Universe

2008-06-20T11:31:00.002+08:00

Albert Einstein said that. But how could he explain that my mom often gets mad with no reason? I just cannot figure it out!

2008-06-20T10:45:00.002+08:00

It seems Firefox 3 does not so reliable as it advertises.

Elrond, Agent Smith and V

2008-03-11T10:06:00.003+08:00

I realized they are the same person today!

People Don't Change

2008-02-28T08:42:00.008+08:00

I'm tired of trying to do something worthwhile for the human race.
They simply don't want to change!

August Dvorak

Drugs!

2008-02-26T14:19:00.003+08:00

I got lots of pay...

to buy drugs, lots of drugs.

Holy moley!

Taiwaneses Love Wii

2007-11-23T11:18:00.000+08:00

Lots of people say there is deep recession in Taiwan. Why couldn't I see that?

Change is good

2008-02-02T08:17:00.000+08:00

Macy's East, 151 W 34th St New York.

New York Street View

2008-02-04T01:31:00.001+08:00

Kindle - E-Book Reader by Amazon

2007-11-23T10:58:00.000+08:00

Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store

It's another gorgeous eletronic gadget released last week by Amazon.com. The most amazing stuff is that it is based on a new display technology - E-Ink (aka Eletronic Paper). But, what a pity that it could only show two kinds of colors, say, black and white. So, in this moment, I would probably like to read news paper, or maybe listen music on it. About the price of 400$, it is not really worth that price. I would rather go buy PS3.

Online Radio

2007-11-06T00:02:00.000+08:00

Sky.fm Online Radio - New Age World

Resent days studying in front of desk, I couldn't help myself to open Winamp and play background music.

Without annoying advertising, online radio has better tone quality than ordinary radio. Still complain about your local radio? Try online radio. What you need is a cable with sufficient bandwidth.

CNN Terrifies Young Students!?

2007-10-31T14:32:00.001+08:00

CNN Student News

CNN came terrifyingly today! Okay, it's Halloween. I'm going to see what's on Christmas.

The Most Feared Phrases to A Computer Guy

2007-10-19T16:54:00.000+08:00

Last Tuesday night I received a phone call from my brother. I’d barely said hello before he blurted out one of the most feared phrases in the English language—at least in my family:

“I think there’s something wrong with my computer.”

Originated from Click

Slides Show Tips: Don't Torture Your Audiences

2007-10-11T20:15:00.000+08:00

Those audiences laughs crazy, don't they. Do people really do those stupid things?

Yes, they do. College students usually put everythiing they want to say on a slide. It's just like we're two-year-old children and still dyslexic.

They read slowly and gently and make us hard to pay attention on their points.

Why don't they just give us a short break? How such a torture it is!

US Journey Episode 3

2007-09-29T15:08:00.000+08:00

When enjoy summer vacation in a foreign city like New York, what is the best thing to do? Bike! Of Course!

Here are well-constructed bike roads, and even traffic signals. People here could rent a brand-new, follow along the city bike roads rounds and rounds. There are no noisy car traffic bothering, but beautiful sea shore and great building view.

Unlike New York, Taipei doesn't have such gorgeous public facilities. I ride bike to school everyday. Someone may think I am so lucky that my school is so much near. But let me suggest: That is a torture!.

Because bike road doesn't exist, bike rider have to ride on the sidewalk. Why don't I ride on the street? Please~ I want to live more than sixty year of age. Dodging those crazy buses and mean motorcycles, riding on Taipei streets is suicide!

Indeed, rider othen ride on a road because of the thirty-centimeter sidewalk.

Moveover, we don't even have place to park. See? I can't see the end of the extended and chaotic line of paking motorbikes, can you? It's miracle!

There are also bike accidents in New York, too. However, it's so rare and at least they will erect a symbol for that accident. In Taipei? Just die beside the road.

Funny Conversation

2007-10-02T01:24:00.000+08:00

This morning I was listening in a Skypecast room titled "Hello Skype Friends". See how the man started his conversation with a lady:

Man: Are you married?
Woman: Why?
Man: Because I'm wondering you're married with my father.
Woman: (Crazy laughing).

Oh my god! And then they did talk about that. It sounded like she really wants to date his dad.

Teeth Pulling

2007-09-20T21:15:00.000+08:00

I had my teeth pulled out this afternoon. That's not because I have eaten too much candy, but the doctor said my wisdom tooth was squeezing the other teech. It's a joke that someone's wisdom teeth grow so late. I remember that I was always the shortest in childhood. Maybe I'm late-maturing.

See? How a miserable face I had. Besides painful ache on my gums, my lip also got hurt. I thought that will be easy and relaxed at the begining. But I was totally wrong! I cannot eat anything until 8 pm and only liquid diet allowed. Also, I need to get couple antibiotic pills.

After this disaster, what I've learned is: Good teech are maintained from young.

Welcome to Web 2.0

2007-09-22T00:09:00.000+08:00

Watch the newest ideas of Web 2.0 in video films made by The Commoncraft Craft. I believe you'll love those technologies when you understand them. Just don't be addicted. :D

Social Bookmarking in Plain English

Social Networking in Plain English

Wikis in Plain English

RSS in Plain English