Infrequent Nights

Google Insights

Posted by Ryan at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Out of personal interest I've decided to create a database of blogs which focus on a particular geographic area. This database will occasionally be converted to a kml file, which can be overlaid onto a google map as seen below. Those sites marked with a 'C' feature more cultural content, whereas those marked 'P' lean towards the political. The few blogs on there now were just part of my test run to make sure this was feasible. I will start collecting more blogs in earnest very soon. If anyone has links to top-notch geograhically oriented blogs send them my way and I'll consider them for inclusion.

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Posted by Ryan at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was going blind into the end of last semester. Feedback throughout the term was minimal, so I really had no idea what to expect grade-wise. Thus, I was mildly nervous last week when I logged onto the campus network to check my grades. To my initial surprise, although I had only taken three classes, I had managed to log four grades. Three of the class names were easily translatable from Chinese and I was happy enough with my grades. But the first grade on the list - 85% - was beside a class name I didn't recognize. Curious, I cut and pasted the class name into my Chinese-English dictionary: Caoxing: Moral Conduct.

So I'm 85% moral? Does that make me 15% immoral? Amoral? What sort of metric was used to quantify my morality? With these questions in mind, I headed to the program secretary's office.

- "So what's the deal with that morality grade? I'm 85% moral?"
- "Oh, everyone gets 85% on that."
- "Really? Well what's the point?"
- "Well, it's Chinese tradition."
- "Is it possible to get a different grade?"
- "I suppose so. If you do something really bad, or really good."
- "Like what?"
- "Oh, I dunno. Undergraduates all have to take a class in morality."
- "So maybe I'm morally disadvantaged because I haven't been taught how to be moral?"
- "haha"
- "Who graded me?"
- "Your mentor."
- "Who's my mentor?"
- "Dr. Zhu"
- "And he just gave everyone he graded 85%?"
- "Yeah, that's how it works."
- "So does this go on my transcript?"
- "Yep."
- "So my grade point average is going to be pulled down by my morality?"
- "I suppose so."
- "That's screwy."

So now that I know my morality is being graded I've made it my goal to break out of the 85% trend. Although apparently "everyone" gets 85%, I want a different grade. I'd even be happy with 86% just to know that its possible to log a different grade. The problem is I have absolutely no idea how the grade is assessed. What is 'moral' in this context? Is it a level of Confucian respect for my teachers? A helpful attitude in the classroom? Saving wild dogs? I've no idea.

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王銳言 女士/先生，您好：

To Tze-Chiang A,B,C Residence Hall All:

We have been informed that some people have been making blustering sound in the lounge room this morning (12/24) around 3:00 a.m. Thus, this specific incident has already violated the dorm regulations. Here, we solemnly reiterate that for the sake of the tranquil and harmonious ambience, we expect everyone living in this community to respect each other. We will severely punish those who ignore and violate the dorm regulations.

Residence Hall A,B.C Student Body

自強123舍舍胞大家好
12月24日凌晨3點左右，在B舍一樓有幾位同學聊天喧嘩，已嚴重影響到同學睡眠，請同學在深夜時，務必降低音量，保持宿舍寧靜。
若經檢舉查獲屬實將依宿舍管理辦理扣點處份，絕不寬貸。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dorm123

Posted by Ryan at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Moving on from google trends, google has a newer feature which allows for searching of news archives and graphing the results on a timeline. Here is an example of the Halifax Explosion's impact. The searching gets addictive. I just did Mao, Cuba, Myself (nothing during the year of my birth), Hitler, and Chiang Kai Shek. Here's a graphic representation of the Dark ages.

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