再衝巴拉卡

之前有讀者來信，說陽明山的櫻花應該很棒。可惜當時我比較忙，而且想說新中橫已經看了一堆山櫻花，就一直拖延沒去。今天總算是有時間去了。整個下午因研究所考試而放假 ，雖然期中考快了，不過真的念得很煩，就衝陽明山，行義路上，巴拉卡下，再經淡水回來。

今天也順便走了一趟過去一年來一直避開的竹子湖海芋田。一年級班遊時來採海芋，然後它成為我第一次，也是唯一一次送過女生的花（好啦，我知道從植物學的觀點它其實不是真的花啦），象徵當時單純（也有點笨）的情感。後來，每次看到有人手裡拿著海芋，就勾起一些痛苦的回憶。今天能以平常心來逛逛，算是種突破吧！

一直拖延，櫻花果真沒剩多少。上面照片中的不知是什麼花，有點像櫻花，卻是白色的，而且凋謝得差不多了。

巴拉卡的風景還是一樣棒。不過今天風很大，再加上路面品質差，凹凸不平（胎壓不該灌60的，有夠震的），今天下坡很慢。今天的最高速：64km/hr 很神奇的是在下山後的101上的緩下坡達成的，可見巴拉卡的路況有多差。

想說之前都一直帶新生騎，今天來挑戰一下自己，順便練車。上坡時高轉速+有點種的檔位；下坡時也保持定速踩踏，還盡量過彎壓車少減速。不錯，均速有18.4km/hr。不過回程時就腳軟無力了，速度再也無法突破24km/hr。哈哈，體力被我操光了。有點小小不順的是，在台2進士林那又迷路了，一不小心到了社子島，只好折返再接再厲；最後，終於順利回到中山北，回到台北，順道去敗張YUI的新專輯^^

YUI / From me to you

昨天發現YUI的新專輯竟然已經上市一陣子了，我今天馬上把它買回來了^^

去年，YUI的的2張單曲：Tomorrow's way 的MV出現在日本Sony的walkman recommendation site，當時就覺得對於這種乾淨的吉他搖滾音樂有種久違的感覺，就決定等她出專輯一定要買。

整張專輯都是吉他音樂，有點像Michelle Branch的風格，也有點像「光明版」的Avril Lavigne。有趣的是，她很喜歡在歌詞中參雜一些英文，結果，是典型日本人的英文：用的怪怪的，發音也怪怪的XD

我特別喜歡TOKYO這首歌，有種離家流浪去的滄桑。聽著聽著腦中浮現一個街頭藝人抱著吉他到處彈奏，很有感覺。

最後，談談價格。這絕對張值得買的專輯，不過在這個音樂界充滿「貪念」的時代，真的要小心。台北站前商圈（或者該稱為補習街？）的大眾唱片竟賣398！400元一張CD未免誇張了。想必同公司卻沒有競爭者的公館玫瑰或大眾一定賣更貴，也許430左右吧，我猜。Anyway，附近沒有競爭者的唱片行絕對不要進去。我今天就直接殺補習接的大眾/玫瑰，不過發現他們在坑人，就到隔壁的光南，348到手，現省50！

YUI的首頁提供所有曲目的試聽喔

北橫生態之旅～photos

photos here
第一次把車社大活動當ecological tourism, 終於有像「別人眼中的生科系」XD

嗯, Sony Cybershot F707真棒，4、5年前的產品比現在市面上的任何一個非單眼數位相機都好用^^

Writing tools

Most people use ball point pens, I can not fathom why. To me the mechanical pencil seems to be the best thing for writing. Using good leads, you get a smooth and clean writing experience. With a small eraser, rectifications are simple and easy. Get a mechanical pencil with a big chamber, fill it up with a whole pack of leads (about 20~40), and you can write on for more then half a year with no hassles.

Let's see how pens do. For corrections, you either need a bottle of slow-drying liquid paper(which sometimes clog up); bulky and expensive correction tape; or scraps of paper and glue. Sometimes the pen is old, or you forgot to recap,or you might have accidentaly dropped it, or for no apparent reason, the ink just gets clogged, or ink gratuitously comes gushing out, or maybe the "ball" of the point just fells out. Farthermore, you use up ink fast, either you buy a new one, or get ink refills, every few weeks. Just think of all the hassle.

Clearly, the pencil is much better. All you have to do is concentrate on your writing.

------

Let's now talk about pen compuuting. Using handhelds for years now, I'm really wondering why we are stuck with keyboards and mouses on PCs. Sure, typing on keyboards is still the fastest input method. But the mouse? You've got to move the cursor to the correct spot, point it and click. that's at least 2 gestures. With a touch screen, all you do is tap, 1 gesture max. Neat and simple. So why didn't touch screens catch on? Price? That is one, but I guess the main reason is that no big company has strongly promoted it on desktops. Microsoft is trying to push it with tablet PC, but with a price way too exorbitant. They threw in a poor writing recognition system, stripped out the keyboard, and told you that you could doodle and scrible. The best combination should really be a touch screen usable with your finger(you could only use the stylus on tablet PCs) to replace the mouse, a good writing recognition system (such as Graffiti on Palms), and retain the keyboard. Wish future desktops are going this way.

------

So, here's the most used writing tools I use everyday:
-a mechanical pencil
-a stylus

No summer labs...

I SCREWED UP ONCE AGAIN!!!

S**T, WTF......

I missed the last paragraph of a email reply in January, and just found out minutes ago.
Sent my appologies out to the professor just now.

OK, I can't find a single Lab that well accept me, get the only professor kind enough to help was ignored by yours truly for nearly 3 months. He must be really pissed off.

I really want to hit a wall now. I wish I were dead.

F*****************************************k

男三現在沒熱水...

Shit, it's freezing
難道要我們先灌一灌啤酒然後進去用冰水修行？
Corporal mortification?

"Why does women like dumb men?"

I saw someone ask this funny question in Popular Science's FYI (for your information) section. Intreuging indeed, however is the question it self true? Yes we frequently see women on TV saying how "cute" stupid guys are, but I doubt it's the norm.

Pop Sci answered this from a zoologist's perspective, explaining that in animals, males with big testis have smaller brain, and then goes on to say that it's not necessarily that way with humans. But that's equivocating. Of course woman don't choose mates by the size of their balls(gross...)! Let me elucidate from the view point of evolution.

Let's just hypothesize that women do have more affinity with stupid men. That means that there's a selection towards stupidity, the dolts have better fitness, have more offspring, and in no time, the Human species would be one of the dumbest living beings on the planet! Neat, isn't it? Immagine a world of fools.

The Human race is not fit in many environments without the wit to manipulate it into a preferable one. Homo sepians bereft of intelligence would surely go extinct. This is absolutely un-eugenic. So, if women do gravitate towareds retarded mates, chances are that we would all be long extinct.

(Buy the way, good guys should also be de-selected long ago, why are we still here?)

10 years of Palm goodness

(image from Palm's website)

It was this month, 10 years ago when the first Palm device was launched. Through the years we have enjoyed this little innovative and easy to use gadget to enhance our lives.

Here are some of the sites celebrating the aniversary:
(Remember to listen to the audio interview on Palm's site, or get it here [download mp3])

• Palm inc.
  
• Palm infocenter/Happy 10th Anniversary Palm Computing
• Palm infocenter/Palm Pilot 1000 Retrospective
• 1src/10 Years of Palm Handhelds
• C|net/Ten years on, revisiting Palm's first Pilot
• C|net/Palm turns 10
• Palmaddicts/Palm Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary of the Pilot, ...
  

The Prius(with photos)

After a busy week, here's the post I said I would do. (See my first take on the Prius last week)

Although it's already a relatively old model, it is still fascinating, since it's still light years ahead of it's competitors.

It's an expensive hybrid, you wouldn't expect it to sell as good as Camry's; instead it's more of a proof of concept that sets the Toyota brand apart from the competitors. So, only select dealers do show the Prius, where they add a mark to show it does. They say it's a glimpse of the future, but we all know clearly, that we would ultimately need cars that doesn't been gasoline.


Here's the electric motor, taking up half the space of the engine chamber. And this is where it needs specially trained technicions for maintainence. So you're stuck to Toyota dealers that do Prius repairs.

The Hybrid mark on the side and the back, a show off badge that shouts out "I love the environment" (And of course, "I'm rich").

The driver's seat, you can see a "Power button"that starts the engine, the dashboard, and the shift, which is more like a joy stick: every thing's drive-by-wire. The dashboard might seem weird with all the meters and numbers in the middle, up on top on the dashboard. But I tried sitting in the driver's seat, and was amazed by the genious of the design. You can keep your head to the road, and read the numbers without moving your head. I like it.

The "Power button", up close. They use it with the newer "key-less" systems, and it's very cool.

午騎喵空細雨飄

GRE念煩了，這學期修的課也都用很無聊的課本，在連續這麼多下雨天後，總算給我抓到一天可以騎車了^^

本來想報今天的貓空offroad活動的，不過昨天的天氣看起來就一副一定會流掉的樣子，於是就不想報了（團長我對不起你XD）。結果，昨晚看小說看到3點，今早睡到10點（被室友吵醒，他從床的樓梯摔下去，好在沒事）。往外一看，天氣真好XD 於是，午餐吃完就往好久沒去的「喵空」跑。

嗯，還是那個，過度開發的閃光彈觀賞聖地；不過白天閃光彈不多，不需要墨鏡:D 因為是以觀光茶園為主的，某些路段還有淡淡的茶香。陡下坡+窄彎+短程，不但刺激，而且省時間。只是，一個月多沒運動了，體力真差，上坡慢慢龜，就算下坡有下到最高52km/hr，全程平均還是只有16.8km/hr，啊，我的體力啊......

回程忽然開始飄雨，所謂午後陣雨，分明就是想讓我淋雨，到台大時還下超大的，嘖嘖嘖。現在回來了，雨就停了。

雨騎回來，鏈條還是亮亮的，不虧是車展買的美國進口Prolink神奇鏈條潤滑劑（不是油喔）。不過新鏈條原廠上的保護油還在，超黏的，不但很難擦，還會黏一些大顆粒（至少不像米奇林的爛潤滑油市集污能力那麼強啦）。鏈條原廠保護油要怎麼清啊@@

New service from the Weather Bureau coming next month

根據氣象局網站公告：

自2006年4月上旬起，中央氣象局將正式推出全新的「氣象資訊服務網站」， 同時提供「行動、無線與RSS」的氣象資訊查詢服務，內容包括：天氣預報、 天氣觀測、天氣與地震警(特)報等；屆時民眾只要利用手機或PDA的上網功能， 便能隨時在任何可上網的地方查詢到即時、正確的氣象資訊。另外，電腦使用 者也可以利用RSS Reader的軟體，即時的收集、更新和顯示氣象資訊。

nice! 現在的網站做得過度花俏，一堆flash和java，害我用PDA看都亂七八糟，現在終於要弄比較適合行動裝置的版本了。還有RSS feed，以後看氣象更快了。期待啊...

PDA usage

Here's an intresting article from PDA24/7 describing how a notebook couldn't replace a PDA.
Can a notebook really replace a PDA?

Makes me think of how much things I replaced with my own PDA. People usually give me curious looks or say how "affluent" I look.

Actually, it saves money, here's how:

What it replaces:
1. MP3 walkman, lets say a 1 gig color screen model, maybe 4000NT
2. Basic functions of notebook, with more portability. Let's count 1/4 the price of a typical notebook: 30000/4= 7500NT
3. Good Scientific Calculator: say 1000NT
4. Alarm clock, let's be stingy, let the cell phone cover that, 0NT
5. portable games and movie player, let's just count half the price of a PSP, 3500NT
6. e-book reader, well, most people don't use this, so doesn't count
7. Cheep camera, this usually adds about 1500NT to the price of cell phones, I guess.
8. Dayplaner, make that 500NT
9. Voice recorder, let's add 500NT to the price of a multi-purpose MP3 player
10. e-dictionary: make it a cheep model 3000NT

Total: 4000+7500+1000+0+3500+1500+500+500+3000= 21500NT
While my TH55 with the 1gig memory stick costs about 12800+3400=16200NT

I saved at least 5300NT, and much more convenience.

Farther more, without a notebook, I don't need to carry a heavy "brick" on my back, count in the medical bills for spinal cord injury... :D

Treo700p rumored photo leak!

Here's the photo of the yet to come Treo700p, from 1src.
Yeah, I know it's yet another incremental update of the Treo, which isn't that exciting, but still, with the Palm area being so boring for a long time, it's still better then nothing.

I'm still waiting to be impressed by the rumored "ultra-thin" Treo. Hope that one would be groundbreaking.

Prius is now avaliable in Taiwan (officially)

It's just distributed to select Toyota dealers on Friday, and displayed since yesterday(Satturday). Just saw it Today, and although it an old model from Japanese standards(avaliable there for years), it's still really impressive. Should post my photos tomarrow when I get to school, and my thoughts if I happen to find the time to do it.

First thought:
1130000NT really isn't expensive for a hybrid.

Link:
Prius promo site for Taiwan
http://www.prius.com.tw/

Great article: 中時/自行單車的台灣奇蹟

2006.03.15　 中國時報
獨立評論 自行單車的台灣奇蹟

剛剛在羅的鳥的個版上看到這個，真是好文啊，讓我百分之百認同。
臺灣的自行車業真得很了不起（尤其去看車展時有深深的體驗），身為一個單車迷，住在臺灣還滿幸福的。

Losing appetite

Some how, I've lost the desire to eat. Well yeah, I am hungry, but just don't have the motivation. Since yesterday, I've only got 1 meal, 2 snacks. Everything at school seems so disgusting. None of the resturants nor venders sell food, they tend to sell some kind of goo, or slime, dipped in thick oil, with a profusion of salt, suger and MSG. At lunch time, you first go: "I'm hungry, right, time for some grub." Then you remember the MSG-rich-oil-dripping-slime, and you're like "Never mind."

Something good about home is that it is one of the scarce places where you could get some real food.

Giant- 達文西單車生活館

今天到柚子剛開始打工的新車店去逛逛，去買鏈條，也順便看看大家口中神奇的車店長什麼樣子。本來在地圖上找時覺得有點遠，不過走羅斯福路左轉和平東路，約1 block後不知不覺中進入和平西路，就看到了，真快。外表看起來，就是一家堆滿單車的捷安特。櫥窗中有一張達文西畫的單車設計圖，不過已經被一堆實際的單車淹沒就是了。走進去才看到特別之處：一座玻璃櫥櫃bar台，裡面滿滿的變速、煞車、碳纖管材，而上面有一台咖啡機，天花板上一塊有如Starbucks的黑板寫著價目（都是一般咖啡店的價格），而bar後面柚子（一顆？）在洗咖啡杯...... 柚子快樂的跟老闆聊著天。老闆超親切的，不過問題是，他太親切了，somehow，你會覺得老闆比柚子更像車店小弟。木頭地板、亮著藍光的木製展示台、花瓶中的向日葵、加上依品牌擺得漂漂亮亮的單車用品，使整體感覺很棒。可惜我晚餐時間去，在播東森新聞；後來關電視，播爵士樂後，更棒！

捷安特該有的幾乎都有，如Yukon, Rinkon, Iguana, Flight M2, halfway, Trence, TCR...等。不過，其他品項也都很乾淨，只有捷安特代理的品牌，如Toppeak, Finishline, Cateye...等會出現，老實說，有點缺乏多樣性。不過同樣是捷安特代理的Bell安全帽為何缺席呢？

今天買了鏈條和打鍊器，價格滿平價的^^ 老闆看大家咳嗽聲此起彼落，還煮了很棒的花茶。嗯，以後，又多了個敗家之地。

Dreams

Dreams are so sweet, it's part of what makes your sleep feel good. It's too good to be true, in fact, surreal. Do not confuse it with reality. Reality is crual.

Keeping a little freshness in life

I read today in the book "Call of the Mall by Paco Underhill" an intresting passage on the differenece between urban adult pedestrians vis-a-vis Tourists. The previous put less trust in their peripheral vision, they just see where they are going, while visitors are described as: "In cities they do that little gee-whiz-ma-lookit-how tall-that-one-is dance when seeing a real skyscraper up close", and, "There's something so innocent, so childlike and trusting, about how tourrists walk in a city." Urban dwellers usually don't pay much attention to their surroundings, thinking that it's just the "same-old-town" that they know, and keeping their mind on "the important business, whatever that is; while tourists and kids pay attention and get excited to every detail that comes into sight. Why must the town that you know by heart seem so dull? Most people take life in the city as boring, and here you have located a provenance of apathy. Chears!

Do you remember the feel of being a tourist in a foreign town, where everything is new to you? Next time you walk down that same-old street, you could look for the details of your suroundings, notice if there's a new shop opening, if there's new decorations for the up comming event, if there's flowers blossoming, if there's anything conspicious. Or, zoom out, picture the whole vision beholding your pupils, take it all in, imagine yourself on a tour, with a camera in hand. Then you'll realize that the "same-old-town" is still alive with vigor and fun. It's also much more beautiful and spectacular then you thought, and took for granted.

And, that reminds me of a similar statement on people. The week before last week, at the "Forest school" of the Humanistic Education Foundation(人本森林小學), one of the faculty told us how they coped with pestering children: "The teachers usually clear up themselves inside each weekend, forget about the bad side of the kids, and the folowing week, they love the kids as if they first met." Maybe that applies to day-to-day relationships, too. We could see our friends and loved ones as new found friends from time to time, expecting nothing of them, and appretiate them as they are. Less expectections curtails unneeded arguments and missunderstandings. Makes life around us much more peaceful and pleasent.

Much of the bordom in life comes from the familiarness of things of everyday life that we accumulate from day to day. It's like some side-effect that comes with convenience of our memory. Dump it out, and add some spice to your life. Sometimes forgetting stuff is necessary.

Evolution and reproduction

昨天脊椎動物學上到魚類的生態與演化
忽然，老師大叫：

「你們還坐在那幹什麼？
還不快出去生小孩，提昇演化上的競爭力？」

（心裡暗想：「老師，我是好人啊～～」）

囧rz