Dedicated to the study of TPEN phenomena.
Hey guys! Quick blog, just gonna update everyone with news: Just came back from Hawaii! Came back on Monday night, after an awesome 8 days with some of my best friends (save for 1) and another good friend! Joe, Will, Heshan, Vince, Kathleen, Jam, Jesiree, and the rest of ya, thanks for such a great time! Must go again. MUST! There are pics on my flickr, but you can access them on my website just by going to this page: Photos
One word: AWESOME.
Hey everyone! Stephen is back, and is ready to blog! I’ve been so lazy over the past couple of months, and I’ve been busy trying to be the best at some great PS3 games (which reminds me, I forgot to pick up my MGS4 Special Edition! D’OH!), including GTA4, GT5 Prologue, and GRID (awesome Codemasters game). Which reminds me, I forgot to tell everyone that my family and I are officially moving from Southern California. I know…HOW COULD IT BE? Stephen and family leaving? How crazy is that?!?!?!? Well, I guess circumstances have presented themselves that make such a move the best option. Fortunately, I don’t hope to be a stranger to everyone, and I hope I can keep in contact with everyone via Facebook, this blog page, and other means (AIM, Cell, PSN, XBOX, Wii). Furthermore, I’ll be making a continued effort to visit California at least every month, and if not, at least once every two months. I could never leave the place that I have lived for over 22 years, let alone lose all the connections and dear friends that have shaped me to who I am today! I will never be too far away (besides, I’m only up the coast, so you can even make an excuse to visit me if you’re headed to Canada!). Anyways, life has been pretty mundane, but I have achieved a new appreciation for taking care of a whole house by myself….I finally understand what my parents have been going through for countless years; tending to the yard, cleaning the bathroom, washing dishes…boring stuff that must be done in order to maintain the cleanliness that is so desired.
Actually, I’m in the airport right now while I’m writing this blog…I’m in front of my gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac), 2 hours early since the shuttle couldn’t drop me off any later than 3:50 AM (grrrrr….) , so pardon my grammar if I tend to run on; I haven’t had sleep in 30+ hours. Hopefully i’ll be sleeping on the plane, but I always hope that there is a hot girl that sits next to me and happens to talk to me (love at first sight? hahaha who knows).
Lately, I’ve been catching up on new technologies, reading up on a guy finishing his surgical residency (Atul Gawande), reading about diseases, honing my skills on writing upside down, and mastering trigonometry & geometry (c/o Mathnasium). Speaking of work, it has been oddly satisfying; it’s great to know that people I have taught are no longer failing! They are earning Cs, and even Bs! Their improvement in their math scores has been VERY drastic, to say the least (given that I’ve only been working with them for a maximum of 3-4 months). It seems that these kids are now enjoying math, and it’s awesome to see the maturity of their work increase as well. I guess you could say that I’m starting to get the feeling of how teachers might feel when they finally reach one of those difficult students and help them understand.
I’ve been watching too much TV; seriously, I think it’s starting to rot my brain. However, there have been two interesting series of late that I must mention: The Human Body - Pushing the Limits, and NASA Missions - When We Left Earth. First, the Human Body series: I watched a special on brain power, and I was mesmerized (not just because I was a Neuroscience major) at the descriptions and comparisons that the show made to what the potential of the brain really is, and I think it’s something that everyone should see to realize how much ANYONE can actually learn, and what kind of abuse your body can really take! Secondly, the NASA Special really brought out an emotional side of me that I haven’t felt since studying time travel; I guess space travel has that effect on me, especially in HD. Definitely watch it (They’re both on Discovery Channel, with NASA Special airing on Sunday Night).
Otherwise, that’s it. On a closing note, I feel proud to call myself a Southern Californian, even if I no longer live there (for now…). This diverse place has taught me so much, and it has given me so much more. I hope that the future fulfills much of the promise that Southern California always gave me. Peace!
Hey all! Note: I’M HOME IN OC, SO CALL ME! LET’S HANG! I can’t believe I’m 22 already…ridiculous. PS3 awesomeness, then awesome Sushi from my parents, it’s a great day. I’m still in my pajamas, and I’m going to change so I can make the most out of this day. Dromo, ANYONE? Hehehe. Take care everyone, and hope to see you this week!
There are times where a person experiences something so profoundly eye-opening that they can’t explain it in words. Fortunately, this is not of those times.
This video is from the TED2008 Conference (TED = Technology. Entertainment. Design)
I love to teach others about what neuroscience is all about, and I feel that this video gives a glimpse into a world that few have had a chance to really understand. I don’t claim to understand the entirety of the nervous system, but these “lesson” blog posts will provide a brief overview into the study of the brain, and perhaps you will come to love neuroscience as much as I have.
Indeed, the brain does come in two halves - the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. They are connected via the corpus callosum, and although their functions differ, they remain structurally identical (in terms of neuronal organization). Additional notes: The left hemisphere controls the right part of the body, while the right hemisphere controls the left part of the body. They cross in the spinal cord at a point called the pyramidal decussation, where the neurons leaving the brain stem for other parts of the body switch sides. This decussation occurs near C1/C2, at the beginning of the spinal cord.
Hey everyone, I know it’s been a while. I’ve been working and semi-busy with some other things (like studying for random stuff), but it has been altogether pleasant. I recently created a fileserver for the wireless network here, and it’s working out great! I’ve had a lot of fun figuring out networking, Linux (ubuntu), and programming. It’s been a lot of fun, and here is a picture of my recent bike rental:
It’s a Dahon Speed 7 that I rented from Montlake bicycle shop near UW. I only rented it for a day, but the people at the bike shop were super friendly and gave me some great advice on finding a folding bike for a commute to the city.
Here is my setup for the Samba Fileserver:
And I made some spinach ravioli, which takes forever to clean up (because of all of the cookware), but it was worth it. It doesn’t look very appetizing, but I can guarantee that it tasted GOOD.
Anyways, that’s all from my end. I promise my next post will be more entertaining and informative, so bear with me. Now, off to work! YAY!!
Happy February 29th everyone! It’s that rare day that comes around every 4 years, just to make the Gregorian calendar work the way it does. Anyways, I just wanted to say what’s up to everyone, since I haven’t posted for a while. Recently, I acquired a part time position as a math tutor at the local Mathnasium! Boy, it was great to finally meet some new people, and dust off the part of my brain proficient in math skills (executive functions, probably left hemisphere neocortex). I had a lot of fun just getting acclimated to the environment, and I feel that the place I work at now is extremely valuable for kids struggling in math. I have seen countless peers and children that have succumbed to the difficulty of math and simply lose their confidence; I am glad that Mathnasium is a place where they make Math FUN instead of rigorous and strict. Coming from Kumon, I was no exception to the rule. Although I love math as a passion, there were some times in my youth where I managed to hate those times when I couldn’t get a concept. It would make me angry, and I can see how many children who are frustrated with simple concepts are forced to feel even worse about themselves because other peers don’t see it as difficult and simply move on without them.
It’s a great place to work, but it’s an even better place to learn math.
Anyways, some other things that I’ve been working on throughout the past 2 weeks are my new logo (which I will post up by this weekend) and adding more flickr pictures. Also, I found this one commercial that REALLY blew me away, and I couldn’t stop watching it: Peliculas Ponder / Metro
It’s by this guy named Gabe Ibanez, and it’s UNBELIEVABLE the angle which he shows this commercial at; it really is amazing.
Anyways, that’s enough about the blurb on Mathnasium and other stuff; have a great weekend!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so just giving everyone some tid-bits to munch on. I’ve been out and about in Seattle with my parents, and I’ve seen a great many sights that I usually don’t get to see by myself (on account of it not being fun when you’re by yourself). While walking around the city, I managed to stumble into the world’s very first Starbucks, which is located at Pike Place Market. Pics following (sorry for the bad quality, was relegated to using my cell phone for pics because my idiotic self forgot to bring the SLR):
Not very exciting is it…I was relatively surprised. Although, the only differences between it and a normal starbucks is the nice gang of african-americans hanging outside singing a-cappella and the brown starbucks sign and logo (as opposed to the green circle with the lady) seen throughout the store. It’s also packed with tourists and a special blend of “pike place market” coffee along with a gang of baristas ready to take your order. Service was slightly slow, but it was a nice change from your everyday Starbucks. It’s located on Pike Street, right across the street from Pike Place Market.
The sun showed itself for the first time in 3 weeks, and everyone was out to enjoy the beautiful weather. (Yes, for all you nonbelievers, there ARE days where it doesn’t rain in Seattle)
Now, I’m at home, sleepy from my extended adventure in downtown.
