Computer mice are great. They allow us to interact with computers. Duh!! You are probably using one right now to navigate away from this page. Bear with me for a moment. Right now I am using a Mac computer with a Microsoft mouse. I have no clue what model the mouse or computer is. The Mac is one of those that has the computer and screen in one unit and is big enough to be a small TV. It's in a 24 hour computer lab at MU. The library closed a couple hours ago and I had to find a new place to finish my polymer lab reports.
The computer mouse I am using has two buttons and a scroll wheel that can function as a third button. I just pressed it and nothing happened. Presumably the button function of the scroll wheel is good for something. I'm not exactly sure what.
Mac mice used to have only one button which was annoying for those of us who are used to Windows or Linux. The new ones now have two buttons plus a ball used to scroll. They don't look like they have two buttons, but if you press the right side it acts like a normal right mouse button and if you press the left side it acts like a normal left mouse button. The little trackball in the middle can move in any direction. A disproportionate number of the trackballs on the Mac mice at my school no longer work. This is annoying when I am trying to scroll through web pages or pdf files of class notes.
The first computer our family had was a Tandy 1000 that my aunt and uncle gave to us. It came with a mouse, but since it ran Dos 3.3 the mouse was pretty much useless except for a few programs. It also came with a joystick which didn't work for any of my games.
The next computer I had had a mouse which was more useful. That computer had Windows 3.1. The mouse had a ball at the bottom which rolled along the mousepad. Sensors inside the mouse measured the movement of the ball and translated that into movement of the cursor on the screen. The cursor tended to jump across the screen.
Eventually I bought an optical mouse. Actually my parents paid for it. It was a Logitech. I had begun to despise Microsoft by then and refused to buy a Microsoft mouse. Microsoft and Logitech were the two main competitors in the field at that point. That mouse has worked perfectly ever since and our family still has it.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Crunch Time
So final exams start on Tuesday at my school. As usual I waited until the last minute to do a bunch of stuff. Right now I'm in the library working on three polymer lab reports that are due on Monday. Earlier I was studying for a biochem exam that is on Monday. Yes, finals do start on Tuesday. I have a biochem exam on Monday and then the biochem exam is on Thursday. According to the syllabus, next week accounts for 300 out of the 860 points in the class. I'm a bit nervous with my grade, but also need to get these lab reports done so I might be up awhile yet tonight.
I do this every semester. I mope along during the semester with occasional bouts of intense studying and long stretches of laziness. And then at the end of the semester I find myself over my head with studying and homework. Every time I vow I will do better the next semester. And next semester comes and I do a little bit better, but still spend too much time screwing around. And then finals comes and I am stressed out again.
That won't happen again in my undergraduate career, not because I am finally going to be diligent, but because I plan to graduate next Sunday. Unless of course I fail a class or something. Biochemistry comes to mind. On the first biochem exam I got an A. The labs were super easy compared to the physical chemistry and analytical labs I had last semester. So I figured that biochem was easy and slacked off. I discovered Netflix on my roommate's Wii and watched about four seasons of Family Guy as well as some other shows. The next exams were not As. In fact the last one was really bad, a 34, perhaps the worst grade I ever got on a test. Now here I am again trying to play catch up.
I do this every semester. I mope along during the semester with occasional bouts of intense studying and long stretches of laziness. And then at the end of the semester I find myself over my head with studying and homework. Every time I vow I will do better the next semester. And next semester comes and I do a little bit better, but still spend too much time screwing around. And then finals comes and I am stressed out again.
That won't happen again in my undergraduate career, not because I am finally going to be diligent, but because I plan to graduate next Sunday. Unless of course I fail a class or something. Biochemistry comes to mind. On the first biochem exam I got an A. The labs were super easy compared to the physical chemistry and analytical labs I had last semester. So I figured that biochem was easy and slacked off. I discovered Netflix on my roommate's Wii and watched about four seasons of Family Guy as well as some other shows. The next exams were not As. In fact the last one was really bad, a 34, perhaps the worst grade I ever got on a test. Now here I am again trying to play catch up.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Freedom of the Press
If you haven't heard, the world has been shaken by the wikileaks release of a ton of secret government documents relating to foreign relations and policy. Some people are angry at wikileaks and some people are happy with them. Some people think that governments should be allowed to hide information from regular civilians especially if that information is related to national security or may incite terrorism against certain targets. Others believe that information should be freely shared and, by implication, that a good foreign policy will be enough to prevent hatred and terrorism against nations.
The constitution of the United States acknowledges the freedom of the press from government interference. The press is an institution that publishes information that people find interesting. As it happens, people like to know what their governments are doing especially when their government is doing things they don't like. If the "press" is any organization that mass distributes information, then wikileaks qualifies as the "press". Now the United States government is trying to keep wikileaks from distributing this information. In simple terms that means that the government is restricting the freedom of the press.
The real question is whether or not the press should really be free. Hardcore civil libertarians would say yes, the press should be free at all costs. On the other end of the political spectrum, dictators would say no, the press should not be free. Most people's political views fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Many people make excuses why the press shouldn't be free on the grounds that national security is more important, that privacy must be protected, or that the an exception should be made for their own political party. Most people believe that some information is of a nature that should not be published. Examples would be someone's social security number, or codes to launch nuclear missiles. Or in the case of wikileaks, communication between various government officials and diplomats.
Perhaps the deeper issue is the lies and half-truths and violence of which the world is full. What about codes for nuclear missiles? Maybe we are worried about the wrong things. Maybe nuclear missiles shouldn't exist in the first place. Then we wouldn't be worried about the codes for them being published. Maybe people shouldn't be issued a social security number that if it falls into the wrong hands will destroy a person's life. Maybe government officials and politicians should be respectful to their enemies even in private communication. Maybe we should take Thomas Jefferson's advice and have a foreign policy that is friendly to all nations and avoid entangling alliances that necessitate lies and covert violence.
If governments want to use a system of violence and lies, let them. But don't be angry when the truth comes to light. Don't blame the messenger. Take a good look at the system of which you are a part and decide if the lies and violence are worth it. We can't change the world, but we can choose whether or not we will participate in the system.
The constitution of the United States acknowledges the freedom of the press from government interference. The press is an institution that publishes information that people find interesting. As it happens, people like to know what their governments are doing especially when their government is doing things they don't like. If the "press" is any organization that mass distributes information, then wikileaks qualifies as the "press". Now the United States government is trying to keep wikileaks from distributing this information. In simple terms that means that the government is restricting the freedom of the press.
The real question is whether or not the press should really be free. Hardcore civil libertarians would say yes, the press should be free at all costs. On the other end of the political spectrum, dictators would say no, the press should not be free. Most people's political views fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Many people make excuses why the press shouldn't be free on the grounds that national security is more important, that privacy must be protected, or that the an exception should be made for their own political party. Most people believe that some information is of a nature that should not be published. Examples would be someone's social security number, or codes to launch nuclear missiles. Or in the case of wikileaks, communication between various government officials and diplomats.
Perhaps the deeper issue is the lies and half-truths and violence of which the world is full. What about codes for nuclear missiles? Maybe we are worried about the wrong things. Maybe nuclear missiles shouldn't exist in the first place. Then we wouldn't be worried about the codes for them being published. Maybe people shouldn't be issued a social security number that if it falls into the wrong hands will destroy a person's life. Maybe government officials and politicians should be respectful to their enemies even in private communication. Maybe we should take Thomas Jefferson's advice and have a foreign policy that is friendly to all nations and avoid entangling alliances that necessitate lies and covert violence.
If governments want to use a system of violence and lies, let them. But don't be angry when the truth comes to light. Don't blame the messenger. Take a good look at the system of which you are a part and decide if the lies and violence are worth it. We can't change the world, but we can choose whether or not we will participate in the system.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Job Applications and Other Stuff
On December 1 I applied for a job at X Laboratories (where X stands for a rather large lab in my area). The position that I applied for is a flexible staffing chemist. I guess that means I will rotate through labs that are understaffed. So far no one got back to me, no that is except an email bot which told me that they will let me know within two weeks. Hopefully I get the job. It means I won't have to move out of the area and that I will be able to get some lab experience and hopefully in a few years I will be promoted or can transfer to somewhere more interesting.
Yesterday I met one of my friends at Prince Street Cafe for First Fridays. Downtown Lancaster is usually packed during First Fridays. All of the art galleries open up and people mill around at various coffee shops and bars in the area. I never went to any of the art galleries. Anyways, last night we were hanging out at Prince St. and ended up seeing a bunch of people I knew. That is always cool. My roommate was excited because he got to pet some alpacas. For some random reason there were two alpacas hanging out behind this one art gallery.
Today it snowed in Lancaster for the first time this winter. Actually it flurried and was mind-boggling cold. Unfortunately I was outside for about an hour. My Bible study group at Millersville was going door to door in Lancaster city talking to people about God. I felt bad making people open their doors on a Saturday morning when it was so cold out and don't really like going door to door talking to random strangers. Most people were already Christians. One lady emphatically was not a Christian. One guy thought all religions are good.
Yesterday I met one of my friends at Prince Street Cafe for First Fridays. Downtown Lancaster is usually packed during First Fridays. All of the art galleries open up and people mill around at various coffee shops and bars in the area. I never went to any of the art galleries. Anyways, last night we were hanging out at Prince St. and ended up seeing a bunch of people I knew. That is always cool. My roommate was excited because he got to pet some alpacas. For some random reason there were two alpacas hanging out behind this one art gallery.
Today it snowed in Lancaster for the first time this winter. Actually it flurried and was mind-boggling cold. Unfortunately I was outside for about an hour. My Bible study group at Millersville was going door to door in Lancaster city talking to people about God. I felt bad making people open their doors on a Saturday morning when it was so cold out and don't really like going door to door talking to random strangers. Most people were already Christians. One lady emphatically was not a Christian. One guy thought all religions are good.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Drinking In Early German Society
In my Renassaince and Reformation history class we have been looking at drinking in early modern Germany. The text we are using Bacchus and civic order: the culture of drink in early modern Germany by B. Ann Tlusty. I was too cheap to buy the book so I am reading whatever is available on Google Books. Too bad some of it is not available. It's just that I already bought a bunch of books for that class and don't want to buy another book that I will skim over once or twice.
Drinking was at that time, and remains despite the authorities drive to stamp it out, a social activity that unites all types of people. The chapter on contract drinking was especially interesting. Since ancient times, people drank alcohol to seal contracts, to be initiated into various organizations, and for religious purposes. I did not know that contract drinking was so important before I read this chapter. It sheds a whole new light on the Last Supper in the Bible when Jesus served wine and bread to his disciples and told them to keep this tradition to remember him. In light of the idea of contract drinking, the Last Supper, and by extension communion, represents the sealing of a contract. I guess it means that Jesus is extending grace to us, and by accepting communion we have entered into this contract of grace.
People's response to alcohol in Renaissance Europe was very similar to today. Drunkeness was seen as evil by the religious people, authorities tried to crack down on alcohol, and taverns were loud, chaotic places. And people drank anyway. Some were alcoholics, some kept their drinking in moderation. The authorities were always trying new ways to restrict alcohol, or at least profit from alcohol sales. It seems to me that nothing much has changed. Alcohol seems to be a human thing that runs through all different cultures and times. (It is interesting that even the Bible never actually prohibits alcohol no matter how much religious people try to use Scripture to condemn alcohol.) Drinking brings out the best and the worst in us humans and won't be going away anytime soon.
Drinking was at that time, and remains despite the authorities drive to stamp it out, a social activity that unites all types of people. The chapter on contract drinking was especially interesting. Since ancient times, people drank alcohol to seal contracts, to be initiated into various organizations, and for religious purposes. I did not know that contract drinking was so important before I read this chapter. It sheds a whole new light on the Last Supper in the Bible when Jesus served wine and bread to his disciples and told them to keep this tradition to remember him. In light of the idea of contract drinking, the Last Supper, and by extension communion, represents the sealing of a contract. I guess it means that Jesus is extending grace to us, and by accepting communion we have entered into this contract of grace.
People's response to alcohol in Renaissance Europe was very similar to today. Drunkeness was seen as evil by the religious people, authorities tried to crack down on alcohol, and taverns were loud, chaotic places. And people drank anyway. Some were alcoholics, some kept their drinking in moderation. The authorities were always trying new ways to restrict alcohol, or at least profit from alcohol sales. It seems to me that nothing much has changed. Alcohol seems to be a human thing that runs through all different cultures and times. (It is interesting that even the Bible never actually prohibits alcohol no matter how much religious people try to use Scripture to condemn alcohol.) Drinking brings out the best and the worst in us humans and won't be going away anytime soon.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Learning Python the Hard Way
Yesterday I started the course outlined in Learn Python the Hard Way. I downloaded Python 2.7 and got it working on my dad's computer (my computers aren't working right now). Then I downloaded gedit, which wasn't really necessary, but makes the course easier. These steps are outlined in the first lesson.
The reason I am doing this course is to learn programming. I feel that supplementing my BS in chemistry with some programming know-how is a useful thing, plus programming is kinda cool. I've dabbled in programming before, even took a couple courses on Java, but never got very far with it. Eventually I hope to program Android apps. Sure even though there is a profit motive, I realistically know that making money on that is unlikely. But at least some motivation is better than none at all.
The first three lessons that I completed were mind-boggling boring, but that is because I've been over that material before. So far it is all basic syntax. Hopefully it becomes more interesting the further along I go. At the end of the book, you are supposed to make a text adventure game. That sounds fun combining my interest in programming and writing. If I get that far, I will post a link to it on here.
The reason I am doing this course is to learn programming. I feel that supplementing my BS in chemistry with some programming know-how is a useful thing, plus programming is kinda cool. I've dabbled in programming before, even took a couple courses on Java, but never got very far with it. Eventually I hope to program Android apps. Sure even though there is a profit motive, I realistically know that making money on that is unlikely. But at least some motivation is better than none at all.
The first three lessons that I completed were mind-boggling boring, but that is because I've been over that material before. So far it is all basic syntax. Hopefully it becomes more interesting the further along I go. At the end of the book, you are supposed to make a text adventure game. That sounds fun combining my interest in programming and writing. If I get that far, I will post a link to it on here.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Spain
When learning about the history of Europe in school, Spain always seemed to be marginalized. Sure we learned a few things such as when the English beat the Spanish Armada and how the Christians threw the Moors out of Spain. And of course we learned about Christopher Columbus and how he got permission from Ferdinand and Isabella to look for a new route to India. And at that time I was pretty satisfied with my knowledge of Spain. The French Revolution and William Wallace always seemed more interesting.
Then in the summer of 2009, I went to Spain for ten weeks for an REU program with seven other American students. We were at the University of Cadiz in southern Spain working in the allelopathy lab. When I was there, I realized that I really didn't know very much about Spain. I guess I never read any books that were based in Spain. Quite a few of the books I've read over the years were based in either Great Britain or France or written by English authors. The Three Musketeers, Victor Hugo, George McDonald, C.S. Lewis to name a few. Here I was in Spain and had very little context to put anything into.
So when I got back from Spain I registered for the History of the Middle Ages, partly because it satisfied a writing requirement for my school, but also because I thought I might learn something useful about Europe and Spain in particular. Well, Spain still seemed to be marginalized, so I wrote my semester paper on the Muslim conquest of Spain in the 700s. Then this fall I took History of the Renaissance and Reformation (again for the writing requirement). Again, the class focused mainly on Italy and Germany, not so much on Spain. So I am now writing a paper on Saint Teresa of Avila and the Catholic Reformation in Spain.
Then in the summer of 2009, I went to Spain for ten weeks for an REU program with seven other American students. We were at the University of Cadiz in southern Spain working in the allelopathy lab. When I was there, I realized that I really didn't know very much about Spain. I guess I never read any books that were based in Spain. Quite a few of the books I've read over the years were based in either Great Britain or France or written by English authors. The Three Musketeers, Victor Hugo, George McDonald, C.S. Lewis to name a few. Here I was in Spain and had very little context to put anything into.
So when I got back from Spain I registered for the History of the Middle Ages, partly because it satisfied a writing requirement for my school, but also because I thought I might learn something useful about Europe and Spain in particular. Well, Spain still seemed to be marginalized, so I wrote my semester paper on the Muslim conquest of Spain in the 700s. Then this fall I took History of the Renaissance and Reformation (again for the writing requirement). Again, the class focused mainly on Italy and Germany, not so much on Spain. So I am now writing a paper on Saint Teresa of Avila and the Catholic Reformation in Spain.
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