Vertically Split Islands

One of the most valuable lessons in elementary school (and high school) is geography. Many may think it is totally useless and can't even locate Washington DC on the world map. Come on. It is part of your education. With a good understanding of geography, you will understand world event better.

It takes fairly amazing technological breakthroughs to figure out what kind of world we live in. A few hundred years ago people thought the world was flat! The very fact that America is named that way is because of the guy selling maps of America was named Amerigo.

I thank my dad for showing me a world map and make that a poster. As a child, I immediately noted that ooh, Africa and South America match like pieces of puzzles. Ooh Taiwan seems split off from mainland China. Japan and Mainland seem to match somewhat too. The lands of the world all seems like soap bubbles when I stir them around in a sink: they combine and split off as it spin. Yes, that's the plate tectonic theory. But I did not guess that India actually split from Antartica and traveled long distance to crash into China and creating the tallest mountain in the world.

How does land travel? It doesn't float like a ship. Volcano explosions and earthquakes move them, little by little.
And yes, the earth has been around for millions of years to move that far. Only fairly recently we use up its resources so fast.

As a kid, I noted the horizontal border between USA and Canada, and also noted there are 2 vertical split islands in the world: Haiti/Dominican Republic, and Indonesia/New Guinea.

Earthquake hit the half-split island that contains Haiti, otherwise we don't hear much about this place.

Mother nature is especially harsh during earthquakes... thousands die, and survivors become homeless, and lost everything. And it can happen anytime.

I read that two halves Haiti/Dominican Republic fight a lot in the past. Natural disaster is not so preventable, but human disaster is. I hope the relationship on this island would improve.

Geography gives you a graphical view of the world. Everyone should know some basics, though you don't have to be able to name every country in the world.

I also do not believe in asking kids to remember a Hashmap of states and capitals (and then test them) Yes, I still remember some of this info Alabama->Montgomery, Alaska->Juneau, etc. But they don't need to be in my head.

Jay vs Conan ought to be off front pages

Ok, Jay Leno isn't attracting that much viewers and NBC wants to move him back to original slot?
That is just not too big of a news to occupy headline for days.

Same person on a different time slot makes a difference?
Absoutely. If you move afternoon cartoons to 10 o'clock news spot you probably won't get much audience.

There is nothing wrong with Leno. He had years of success as Tonight Show host. It is the time slot.
Then simply do another type of show! Don't need to bump hosts around. Mr. Leno, don't feel you're a failure. You are one of the best host I've ever seen.

America late night TV: one show after another with same format. Monologue->funny things->interview->singers.
America morning TV: one talk show after another. one judge show after another.
One soap opera with zoomed-in-bighead-talking-nonsense after another. Get out of that studio for a outdoor shot once a while is a good change.
Also game shows lasting decades. Wheel - Of - Fortune! Come on, can we have another game?

Free broadcast business is diminishing. People go to the internet to watch the show they want to watch now.
TV needs some innovation!

Waita minute, is there more deserving news to cover than talk show hosts?

The world is increasingly unrest. Violence around the world and natural disasters strike: snowstorms! earthquake!

TV may shorten your life

Here is something to know: Too much TV may mean earlier death.
Ok, does TV actually kill you? No. It is sitting => lack of exercise => heart disease => death.

Do you need a "study" to know that?

How much money is wasted on duh studies.

What about those who exercise a lot on a threadmill watching (silent) TV in the gym? Are they going to also shorten live because of TV?
Did they study "subjects" that watch TV while running and those who don't?

All the duh research gives you a "may". The world does not need these useless research.

Phone War

I read about a hot new item: the Google Nexus One on the news. Well this is not the first Google phone. You may have seen the G1 that I almost bought.
Well surfing the web on a powerful phone is going to cost $, so I went for a more basic phone. I ain't paying $80+ a month.

That Nexus One demo page is way cool.

Ok remember folks, we call it a phone. (The term "Personal Data Assistant" (PDA) is so past-decade, although phones are actually working like a PDA.) How do you call somebody on the powerful phone such as IPhone or Nexus One, or G1?

It probably involves a lot of steps and a few seconds to find the phone icon and then you tab on virtual buttons to call somebody.

I WANT ACTUAL BUTTONS!

I don't want Rice Krispie keyboard to make my number buttons small.

I don't want buttons + slide keyboard that makes my phone thick.

The MOST important function of my phone is phone ability: call someone, receive calls nice and loud.
I don't need to play Labyrinth on it (ooh, phones can detect how you're holding it, ooh. but I don't need this capability)

My basic NOKIA phone now isn't so bad. It can take good pics and have a bright screen for an occasional game, and it has actual buttons.

The fancy phones have ONE button? How do you play a round of Pac Man on it? I can play with actual buttons on a much cheaper phone.

World's Tallest Building

Ooh, the world has a new tallest building beginning in the new decade, in Dubai. I am sure most have seen pictures of such amazing, ultimate rich place on earth. (If not, use google images for some quick pics).

Oh, it surpassed the Taiwan tower to be the tallest building. I didn't even know that the tallest building was in Taiwan, I just know some building in Asia has surpassed our own Sears Tower. Ok, I don't like to call it Willis Tower, ok?

But don't let the golden skin of Dubai fool you, there is much debt woes taking place now. (See this news for details).

You may have heard of Tower of Babel in the Bible (Genesis 11). That is just made with bricks, I wonder how tall that was. The Bible didn't say God crushed that building, but obviously He didn't like it. Another observation: look at verse 7, it is "let US", in plural! Waita minute is it 1 God or multiple Gods? Ok, some will say that means the Holy Father + Holy Spirit + Jesus. This observation can spark a religious debate here.

I still don't understand why God must scatter the people (How? by teleporting them?) and make them not understand each other (how does this process work? just suddenly I don't understand your language anymore?) ok, then why is there so much efforts to translate Bible to every known language if God intend the world not understand each other.

Why do people keep challenge the limit of how tall a building can go? Probably same reason why people train so hard in sports to achieve that 0.01 second in running 100 meters, and the same reason why I keep playing Pac Man to try to beat my own high score... to challenge upper limit is human nature. But I don't think US and China should enter the contest to build more tall buildings... Let Dubai win this category. I don't want to see one tallest building collapse like Jenga.