Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

Today, there is an apparently growing trend of establishing wireless Internet connections in populated areas to benefit large numbers of users simultaneously with little cost. Most notably, many coffee shops and college campuses have already taken a lead in installing a network for customers, students, and faculty members, allowing for immediate rapid Internet access from all corners of their large coverage areas. In fact, the technology is probably most important not when used by some dude in a coffee shop sending emails, but in major industries that cannot be access physically and thus requires remote communication for control and smooth operations. The best example that comes to mind is oil and gas fields far away from population centers, such as those in the northern slopes of Alaska (that I so regret not being able to visit in my Alaska trip) Rapidly sharing information is necessary for the safety and efficiency of the oil and gas industry in the future. Instant communication b

My grandfather recently passed, dying after struggling with three different cancers for over 30 years...he was quite a remarkable man, having fought in World War II, Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War, starting his military career as a 17-year-old anti-Japanese guerrilla fighter and ending it as a colonel leading his artillery regiment in the North Korean battlefields. After suffering various wounds that made continuation of his military impossible, he became a high ranking administrative official, becoming the dean and headmaster of various major academic institutions...he certainly was the pride of my extended family. With that said, obviously his passing is a big deal around here. That is especially true for me, his oldest grandson and legitimate heir (of what, I still am not sure...his legacy of military and administrative success, I suppose?)...and then here comes the biggest irony of all: while he was breathing his last breath on the hospital bed, surrounded by his other fami

When I tell people how USA and China are similar, the first thing that comes to my mind is how in both countries, "people treat each other like shit." While crude sounding, for anyone who has been in any contact with over the counter customer services (I am not just talking about pharmacies but also things like small shops, post offices, buses, or anything else that requires direct verbal interaction between the customer and the worker on the spot) can tell you, the rudeness frequently encountered is quite similar in both countries. Probably beyond even that, just ask for directions on the road, people who are asked the questions are frequently ignored or simply given something highly ambiguous in an extremely impatient manner. Now, imagine you didn't actually speak English or Chinese, how pissed off would you get when you are given the cold shoulder as you try to get around places as a complete stranger (yet, it is kind of surprising to note that the USA and China are 2n

Watching Chinese TV at home in Shanghai, I am surprised (not really) by how the same hosts, same singers, and the same comedians makes same appearances in concerts and "galas" that practically have not changed...eh...since I started watching TV in China....(just an explanation, "gala" is a comprehensive TV event that incorporates all sorts of entertainment, i.e. comedy, dancing, singing, acrobatics, magic, etc. in a short time, generally around two to four hours....yes, it has roots in communist thought as a form of mass entertainment for the common people because they can see all this in a short time for free...and its a form of mass employment for little known entertainers as each of these galas generally involve more than ten thousand people in performance, logistics, and preparations) To be fair, there has been reforms in Chinese media: the provincial TV stations have evolved to more than local rebroadcast stations of China Central TV (CCTV), the main propaganda

People tend to assume that when Chinese people are atheist, they are not really anti-religion, they are just brainwashed by the government to do. And when they immigrate to the West and become devotedly religious, it is because they are enjoying the freedom that they did not have back at home. Now, at the risk of sounding purely anti-Chinese (and making this blog way too China-focused after the last post), I would have to say that Chinese people (in China) are not religious because they have no idea what religion entail and simply thinks religion is some foreign idea that is incompatible with Chinese thought. In some ways, this belief is true. When Westerners label Confucianism and Daoism to be "religion," they seemed to have completely ignored their roles within Chinese (and East Asian) society and history. They have been unifying philosophical ideas that allowed for social integrity and political stability. On the other hand, true religions (such as Christianity, Islam,

OK, I finally got to Shanghai after about two and a half days spent in airports and planes...and probably most annoying aspect of being here, besides the insanely hot weather (95 degrees and 95% humidity) is probably the fact that most sites Americans tend to access (a lot of news sites, Facebook, Youtube, blog sites including Blogspot...yes, I can only post via email now) are completely gone here...while, of course this is not news, but the sites and softwares that allow for proxy access to bypass the so-called Great Firewall of China have themselves been banned, showing the increased sophistication of Internet monitoring in this country. Now, we all know certain sites are blocked for political reasons (news sites and blog sites with their "anti-Chinese" writings) and others for economic protections (Facebook and Youtube blocked so their Chinese counterparts can practically have monopolies of their domestic markets), but considering that both the Chinese netizens and the CCP