First person sued for posting songs on blog

Yahoo 新聞 | 部落格貼歌違法！高職生判刑5月

這高職生太天真，笨笨的幫人家做免費宣傳卻被判侵權賠錢還要坐牢。台灣的 IFPI 已經很客氣了，目前為止只找了幾個代罪羔羊；美國 RIAA 曾經每個月找一堆「疑似抓MP3」的人庭外和解，不管你是否有抓歌的確實證據，反正你沒錢請律師就一定要付錢和解。


網路，使人們接觸到現實社會的黑暗面，很多人卻不自知。請學會保護自己，不然就多多之持有開放使用權的地下/非主流音樂。

Savings account interest

An interest of 17 cents every month really equals to nothing. Big banks are all that wealthy, yet picks on every penny. 5% interest rates of local small banks are much better. I'll be looking for a small bank CD account with a high interest rate first thing after I get back to the US, I had enough with 17 cents per month (which was only 15 two months ago...).

唉

可惡，最近尋找畢業後出路＆橋北海道團的事情搞的壓力越來越大，再加上長期睡眠不足，身上皮膚越來越爛，想去游泳都不敢下水...

這一年來的生活事事不順，問題連連，該說日本買的御守不靈驗還是說我的人生本來可以更糟的？

現在只能走一步算一步，每一通電話、每一封email都是一個希望，雖然目前為止每一個回應都是個幻滅...

現在只有在實驗室做實驗時，或在當助教教人家做實驗時，我才敢覺到生命有意義...

Postbac programs?

Nature | The places in between
I was just flipping through a copy of Nature at the library, this time not for research papers, but for job listings. And I came upon this interesting article. So there are programs for people (like me) in the gap between graduation and grad school, so called "Postbaccalaureate" programs. You prepare for grad school applications while having the full time lab experience before hand, and best of all, with pay. My hopes went high for a split second, as I excitedly opened my MacBook to look it up.
...
Okey, so the application deadlines are long past, just as grad school applications. And with the NIH program, only US citizens graduating from US universities can apply. Great, yet another chance turns moot.

Arrrrrrrrg!

Now what? Pester every herpes virus PI that I can find with email?

Get my new Sony Cybershot H9!

In preparation for my Hokkaido biking trip, I decided I need a good camera, so as Sony came out with their newest ultra zooms (the H7 and H9), their only models that feature manual shutter speed and aperture controls, I went to pick one up. I choose Sony mainly because it uses memory sticks, which my Clie can read, and I really like Sony's user interface designs. If I was using a Palm TX instead of a Clie TH55, I would considered a Nikon or Cannon, brands that use SD cards.

Not much time left to write a review of is today, so here's a short summary of my first thoughts.

First of all, I got a black model. The plastic case is jet black with a granny texture, similar to Sony's own Alpha A100 DSLR, gives a nice feel of good quality. On the other hand, there is a silver model which is downright ugly and disgusting, feels more like a toy.

I originally wanted a good camera. Yet I havent got much time to test it's photo capabilities yet. I was playing a lot with it's entertainment functions: It's got built-in photo retouch software, with functions such as making cross shaped shines, blur the background, make the background gray, and more. Sometimes these modifications make really hilarious effects on the photos. I had one mod that made me laugh more then 5 minutes. Also, it can play your photos as slideshows on it's huge screen, while playing music in the background. I just loaded some music on to the camera, and boy is it fun. The flip-up screen allows you to set the screen to a comfortable angle to watch the slideshow, and you can sit back and control it with the supplied remote.

Something that surprised me is that it can use a built-in gyroscope to determine the orientation of the camera when you press the shutter button, and save the picture automatically in the right orientation. No more flips required anymore.

The lens cap is quite loose but won't fall off unexpectedly. Yet, there was one time I turned it on with out removing the cap. The telescoping lens simply pushes the cap out of the way and stretches out. Yet when I leave the cap closed on purpose, the cap got stuck and the lens retreated back into the case when it struct the stuck cap.

Little Liuchu island biking trip - Day 2

Well, after a whole month of procrastinating, busy life and bad moods, I've finally found the time and am in the mood to continue some more story telling... :)
(Link to day 1 | All photos)

Apr 6

After a night at uncle's in Kaoshung(高雄), I planned to ride directly to Pingdong(屏東), Dongong (東港) port and off to Little Liuchu island (小琉球), yet uncle & aunt said they are going to Pingdong and could give me a ride. Considering that would save me some time, I once again disassembled my bike and hopped on their car. Interesting how disassembling my bike rapidly surprises people every time, though. I got off at Chauchu(潮州), where another uncle's house is. Nice that I could leave my clothes here and ride off to the island with a lighter load, yet, I stayed for an hour, had a chat and a banana, and got back on the road with 2 more bananas in my pack. Bananas are free and fresh since uncle has some banana trees of his own.

I like the feel of riding in Pingdong, typically feels like in a southern tropical place with all the rice paddies, betel nut trees, bananas and coconut trees. Yet in the cloudy day, it's not as hot as usual, quite nice and comfortable. I got to the port at about 10:30am, finding out that my speed isn't as fast as day one, and that I might have got there faster if I started from Kaoshung, saving that one hour's chat.

But oh well, I got there and quickly found the ferry terminal for the island. There was 2 ferry companies, with one of them working for the government with less frequent departures but a cheaper price. I bought a round trip ticket for only 350 and got on with my bike. I was told that a fee of 50NTD will be collected for my bike upon arrival at the island.

The ferry was much cleaner and the ride was much smoother then I expected. You could clearly see 2 kinds of passengers on board: the excited tourists and the island residents who sleep through the ride. And as you guessed, yours truly was one of the excited tourists who can't stay in his own seat for more then 5 minutes, walking around, looking here and there and taking pictures. And even more excited when the island comes into sight.

As we come to shore, I went aft to "rescue" my bike from the sea of scooters, took my bike on to the pier and some one directed me to exit in one direction. I went that way and was already outside of the terminal, wondering why no one came to collect my bike's 50NTD transportation fee... (In the end, I realized that under the direction of that mysterious "somebody", me, and several others exited from the entrance, bypassing the toll collection.)



Finally on the road circling this little tropical island. The sea air was clean and cool, free of polution, the same also with the surrounding sea water. Best of all, this place isn't as crowded as in the city, nor as tense the life style. Just by standing on this tiny coral reef island, I can somehow feel an atmosphere of serenity and relaxation.

Went down a route off the road leading to a rocky sea shore, and saw the sea water close up and personal this time. The water was so clean it was practically crystal clear, and the shore line so clean and pristine that it seemed untouched by humans. Never, have I ever saw sea water this clean around Taiwan. And the sea shore drift garbage that we all expect on most Taiwan sea shores are nowhere to be found in this natural environment. Ah, this is such a great place for a vacation, a clean and natural tropical island so close to Taiwan and the ferry tickets so affordable.

Next to the little route, on the side of the road, stands a resting post, where I was so fortunate to meet 4 other cyclers riding around the island. The 2 husband and wife couples were staying in bed&breakfasts on the island and planed to stay for 3 days, relaxing and taking their time. They told me that the seaside sunsets and sunrise were dazzling. At that instant, I started to regret leaving my clothes at uncle's house: I started to wish I had planned to stay on the island longer. Having seeing that the road around the island was only 20km long, I never though I would want to stay there. Yet, I believe now that a relaxing night on the clean beach would be like a dream. But then again, I set out on this trip to get a taste of solitary, not romance. So maybe next time, if I would ever want to goto a tropical island to have some sweet romance, this would be a great destination.

As the group of 4 planned to ride in the opposite direction, after a pleasant chat, we bid our goodbyes, hoped we'd meet on the other side of the island, and parted our ways. Soon I arrived at the main harbor on the island, the one where the other ferry company comes in. Now, this is where all the tourists are: gone with the serenity and the place filled with seafood restaurant, souvenir shops, snack stands, convenient stores, scooter rentals and even stores selling flowery beach trousers (yikes, only 60NTD each!!!), and beach sandals. So this is where I had my lunch, simple noodles and ride on.

Since there's not much cars nor buses on the island, most people get around on motor scooters. And thus, you see very interesting views of whole groups of tourists in cheep beach pants with flower paterns and slippers on their feet, on rental scooters forming a large group of young riders zooming by. Just can't help but laugh at the interestingly comical sight. This is truly a place where people come to have fun.


The main attractions of the island are mostly stones and holes of special shapes around the shore, all works of the power of sea waves. Many of those attractions require tickets, and those are the ones that I by pass. I just don't see the point of paying to see a stone. Yet the free ones are good enough.

There are several small dirt roads that lead out from the main road, which made me really want to try some offroad routes, although I only got road tires on. I initially hoped those dirt roads would cut through the grass bushes to the sea shore, yet, all of them lead to dead ends with tombs. Well, not a good place for "off road" riding...

The best part of the island was the beach, which I already saw on the ferry, and longed to go. The road to the beach was yet another obscure leading off from the main road. As with most of the shore of the island, is was a clean shore facing crystal clear sea water. But something made this beach stand out: it's not a shore of sand, it's full of coral reef and sea shell debris with all sorts of colors (mostly white, though), and a lot of sea weed. I took of my sandals and walked out to the near shallow part of the sea. I could see clearly through the water, my feet, the coral pallets and cute little sea weed that look like fur balls. Sometimes you step on one of those, and it feels, well slippery and furry. The dry part of the beach, on the other hand, is a great place to sit, since most of it were pallets, it's not as hard to clean off as sand. Even of you do get sand on your feet, you just walk in the clean sea water, and you're all clean again.

By the way, the 2nd banana tasted good on the beach.

Not long after leaving the beach, I meet the other cycling friend of 4 again, and they invited me to some coffee. Turns out they always bring coffee, a mocca pot and a little stove on trips. Although it's not the best coffee beans, it's still so nice to have coffee here outdoors. We talked more about coffee, bikes and more. Turns out we know the same bike store in Taichung(台中). The biking community in Taiwan sure's small.


Taiwanese people tend to like to give names to stones that look like faces from certain angles, and here I give you the "Indian stone" and the "budda stone". Well does look a little like it, but what's going on with all the fluffy green "hair" on the Indian? And why do I think that the Indian's mouth look more like Optomus Prime from the Transformers...

Next on, after a little climb, there's a century old tree

And as a very very old tree is like a miracle, people think it's kind of holy, and so as you would expect with Taiwanese, a "shrine of the old tree" would always be next to the tree, worshiping the "tree god".


"The White Lighthouse" was about 1km from the old tree, at the end of the up hill route. Well, it's a lighthouse alright, it's white alright. But I don't see anything special of it. I don't understand why I had to wait about 20 minutes to get a picture of it alone: waiting for 1 pair of newlyweds to get their wedding photos taken. And, after I released my shutter once, I had no chance to do it again, as another pair of newlyweds, this time with all family and friends came for the same thing... What a commotion!



Soon it was time to leave, as uncle was waiting back at Chauchu(潮州) was waiting for me for dinner. I got to the ferry terminal 3:00, and waited for the 3:30pm one . Yet the 3:30pm one came and said the water's too shallow and the other, shallower boat was on another duty. Thus it was not until 4 that I got on the boat. Yet in the one hour waiting time, I met another group of bikers from Kaoshung. I guess making new friend of all different walks of people is part of traveling alone, making it interesting in another way then that of traveling with old friends.


I got back to Donggong harbor at about 4:30pm. This time, yes, they did remember to collect that 50NTD fee for bike transport. I was back in Chauchu in about an hour, yet got lost in Chauchu city for a short while.

Dinner was at a "beef hotpots" restaurants' where you pick up the stuff you want to put in your pot your self, in plates and they calculate the price by the empty plates you left on your table. Usually when eating hotpots with friends, they'll argue what should go in first, what goes in next. But with uncle and cousin here, they just dump everything in and start eating, regardless of the danger of overcooking anything. Throwing food in the pot freestyle don't give you food cooked to the right point, but it still tasted good enough, and you don't worry about anything but eat till you're full. That's an interesting approach.

Got Google Maps working on my Clie!!!

Here's a screen shot.

Previously Google Maps didn't work on Japanese Palm OS, yet, thanks to Mini's tip on 1src, I edited the prc file with HexEdit (not to take credit for the fix, please check out Mini's site for details), and the error message was gone!

Although it's a shame the maps of Taiwan are empty, I'll have mobile G Maps for my Hokkaido cycling trip this summer :)

Mac software for bio-scientists!!!

I was recently reading MacNN on my Clie with Avantgo, and came over a report on a new software called Papers, which is a software to organize scientific paper pdf files in a database, just like in iTunes. Just what I was looking for! Just downloaded it and will be giving it a try :)

By the way, the site it self is amazing. I was really happy to see another bio-scientist who is also a Mac lover. Best of all, there were many other software other then Papers, such as 4peaks, which analyzes DNA sequences; EnzymeX, that helps you plan restriction endonucleus digestions (complete with the buffer requirements, reaction setup calculator and everything you could imagine needed); and even an RNAi designer. Other then that, there's many interesting wallpapers avaliable for download, pictures of pipettes, tips, tubes and confocal pictures of cells.

It's always exciting to know someone with multiple interests that complies with your own. I wonder if I'll ever get to know someone who likes viruses, mobile gadgets, Mac computers, business stories, cycling, traveling, Japanese culture, coffee and web designing. If that person ever shows up in my life, I guess we'll be really close friends :)

Google maps now covers Taiwan!!!

Example: 台大門口
Google Maps終於有台灣的地圖資料，而不用對著空空的衛星照完猜猜樂了。終於，在Urmap之外，台灣的網路地圖又多了一個選擇。

不過，目前似乎資料還不夠完整。地圖查詢資料不像美國、日本的那麼完整，台灣的幾乎都是網路使用者自行上傳的資料。而道路導航查詢目前對於台灣還是不能用了。需要開車指南的，還是要求助於本土的Urmap。

Junk food

Got a pack of m&m's and a bottle of Coke zero.
m&m's are too sweet, not very tasty.
Coke zero, which is said to contain zero suger and zero calories, tastes like water with a touch of pepermint chewing gum... simpily disgusting. Real suger is much better.

Game Over

With a phone call, I finally confirmed that I am officially rejected by all programs, so much for the nice day dreams.

I now finally have no excuses to postpone finding a lab technician / research assistant slot. Application competition is said to be at a record high this year, and I shall try again next year. If the 2nd try doesn't work, I might as well find a real job, or leave the biomed field for good.

Arrrgggg......

衝突

終於了解心中長期的茅盾有一部分是因為心中追求自由的唯心主意和社會主流的唯物論的衝突

...

上課時希望趕快下課,上午希望趕快中午,下午希望趕快回家,傍晚對著電腦銀幕發呆希望時間趕快過去.
日復一日,什麼事也不想做,懶洋洋的,不知道這樣度日有何意義?

申請不到學校來找研究助理工作,大部分都要博士,不然就要有特殊技能. 越看越慌不知該如何是好.

封B耍自閉,發現人間蒸發可以做的很徹底.

...

And then you come to a sad realization that all roles that you play in this world are highly replaceable. Halelujeh!

Apple enters NTU campus

News link on Apple Taiwan

So the first campus Apple store in Taiwan opened today in NTU, yet I didn't know until I got a news letter from Apple in my email, just now. Oh well, just happened that I didn't walk pass that corner of the campus today.

Apple has been a strong presence in American campuses. Maybe that may also happen soon in NTU, with the help of this new store. But here's the big question: Does this store offer educational prices to faculty and students as the campus stores in the US do? From what I see in that news letter, not a word regarding this is present. So I assume, no.

Sad intelligence

Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

Ernest Hemingway
US author & journalist (1899 - 1961)

From Quotations page

Okey... Someone tell me how to turn stupid.

Foxy: 惡質P2P 還是無知使用者？

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxy
剛剛收到學校寄來的信：

Subject: 「校內訊息發送」請勿使用foxy點對點傳輸軟體
Date: April 14, 2007 5:16:39 PM GMT+08:00

foxy是天使還是惡魔?

使用foxy非常容易造成個人電腦中的所有資料供人分享，可能原因包括P2P軟體本身的漏洞、使用者設定不當，或是P2P軟體本身或相關程式遭有心人士加入惡意程式。

帳號密碼、機密資料、企劃案、研究報告、試卷、論文等，都可能被他人透過foxy從網路上搜尋到，資訊安全受到威脅。

報載今年二月底台北縣某位警員因使用foxy，造成國家元首車隊路線的道路警衛資料外洩；4月13日刑事局發現警方9個單位的筆錄資料，因為警員使用foxy造成資料外洩。這些事例都反應使用foxy的高度危險性。

計資中心提醒全校使用者立刻將foxy軟體與相關資料夾移除，並將於一週後開始進行流量過濾，如果仍發現使用foxy，將以公文通知所屬系所或單位。
。

感覺還頗嚴重的，全民用P2P違法抓檔，大家一起資料外洩？
雖然我沒用過Foxy, 不過以一般P2P的使用方式，應該是一開始要指定一個「共享資料夾」，然後要分享的東西才擺資料夾。我想應該是某個沒概念的員警把機密文件放在「共享資料夾」裡了。

不過學校本來就已經有鎖P2P常用的port了，只是現在特別針對Foxy發出警告。而Foxy跟其他P2P的最大不同就是不限流量，因此犧牲掉所有可佔用頻寬來達到最快抓檔速度。若這次學校禁用Foxy而使學校網路變快，我想也是功德一件吧。

Photo webalbum switch to Picasa

So Zoto has closed their free accounts, including mine.
I originally went to Zoto because they provide a free 1Gig photo space. Now they say that they are giving better functionality, unlimited space, but no more free accounts. Thus, good bye Zoto.

Luckily, Google's Picasa web albums came just in time. Originally, Picasa only has 200MB, which I could fill up in 2 biking trips, thus I didn't use it. Just as Zoto started charging, Picasa bumped up to 1gig, turning into the perfect substitute to Zoto, just in the right time :)

Thus, here's my new web photo site at Picasa!
But, still, I am keeping my free account at Flickr. I will use Picasa whenever I exceed my 200MB/month upload limit. A loose rule is that cycling trip photos goto Flickr, while non-cycling multi day trips goto Picasa because these trips easily produce batches larger then 200MB.

BBS

最近完全不想上B。

開始以 Mobile01 跟 1Src 為我上網的重心。
很有趣的，Mobile01上關於單車的討論竟然比單車社社版多很多。

剪頭髮

頭髮又長了，長髮+自然卷=爆炸頭。

聽說家附近新開了一家剪頭髮的，新開幕特價，就去試試看。
招牌上寫著「費絲髮型設計」，雖然被兩家髒亂的店家夾著，店面本身還算時髦。看起來有點像專剪女髮的，有點猶豫要不要進去，不過都過來了，就硬著頭皮進去。

哇咧，剪髮的都是打扮時髦的正妹... 都是那種流行打扮的，還有不錯的眼影... 雖然口味重了點，純欣賞也不錯XD
結果，正妹叫我坐下之後叫了個男的過來，我你咧，這一個是型男... orz
忽然有種整家店裡我最土的感覺。

不過，給一個年紀相近的男的剪，似乎不錯，感覺這樣應該比較會知道我適合甚麼髮型吧。

剪到一半，型男試著開話題：「你讀甚麼學校？」（為甚麼每次剪髮都是這個老梗？）
「台大。」
「海大？」
「恩...」(算了，懶得糾正了，反正畢業後失業，那個學校都一樣)
「你在這附近租房子嗎？」
「沒有，我家住這裡。」（這倒是實話）
「喔，那樣很方便耶，你很多同學都要租房子；我有聽說很多住高雄的說。」（囧，我同學?）
「你今天要補課嗎？」
「不用。」
「這樣啊，聽說有些人要補課耶...（疑惑貌）」
（傻笑）（此時忽然想到，老爸的學生，海大的似乎要補課耶，囧。）

剪完沒有特別感覺如何，只覺得我穿著土土的 T-shirt，然後一臉希巴爛的皮膚，不管配甚麼髮型都很醜。等臉上的表皮細胞有一天吃夠類固醇，開始高興的生長後，再決定剪的如何好了。

不過根據經驗，若我自己心情沒有特別輕鬆愉快，似乎類固醇再多都沒有用... 爛皮膚啊...