you know you are a TCK when
You know you are a third culture kid when…
A someone who is third culture has lived in two different places, and doesn’t really fit perfectly into either culture, but has their own unique mix of culture.
The linked site is an exaggeration, but quite humorous.
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Loquacity- the new bBlog
There is a new opensource project on the scene- it’s Loquacity which is the continuation of bBlog (the platform that is bringing you this content!).
The project needs all the help it can get, so check it out, and if you can help, we’d love to welcome you aboard!
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5 cool Google Hacks
Google search is a great tool, here are 5 cool things you can do to make Google work for you.
- You know which site you found the information on- but where is it?
Type site:http://www.thewebsite.com keywords and there you go- the search is restricted to that specific site.
You could even go further if you know the folder the info is stored in- thesite.com/science or thesite.com/technology for instance.
- Type 15 feet to inches and you get… 180!
- centimeters to inches
- pounds to kilograms
- centigrade to Fahrenheit or degrees C to F
- USD to AUD
It’s amazing- think of something that needs to be converted and you can probably do it with Google.
which brings us to:
- + – * / are the operands- plus, minus, multiply and divide.
- I know people in many different time zones. Quit counting back hours in your head, tell Google time in London or generalize a bit more and use a state or territory name instead. Unless the country only spans one time zone, try and be as specific as you can.
- You search for mustangs- do you want the car or the horse? You could add “car” or “horse” to your search, but if you want to completely exclude a keyword, use the minus key, – so you would say mustang -car for sites that do not mention cars. (for example)
Really, the calculator clumps a lot of functions together- this article could be 15 coolest Google Hacks, but that would be a bit repetitive.
These are the ones that I have used and remember, there are a stack more that I found at LifeHacker.
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digital photography school
I found this great site, Digital Photography School (via [LifeHacker])- I had a bit of a browse, and was so impressed I emailed it to one of my friends. Then, as I read more and more of the content, I kept thinking of other people who would really appreciate the site as well, so I decided to post it here.
The site is quite tidy, with a good spread of content, from how to photograph your pets, to camera protection and cleaning, to imitating obscure Russian cameras using Photoshop.
- Groovy:
- explains technical terms without making you feel silly when you don’t know what an exposure is.
- Variety of topics covered by someone who knows what they are talking about.
- good use of example photos without being too intense a download.
- Blog for content management- organizes the content well, and gives the reader the impression that new content will be added very soon.
- Intelligent use of colours that is friendly to the eye. (though really, it’s what you would expect!)
- The template used gives a very claustrophobic feel- two large black bars at the top and bottom that trap the content (much like the much maligned frames of the late 1990s/early 2000s.)
- The subscribe to newsletter feature is much linked to, but the actual submit box seems to be missing.
- There could be some helpful interlinking- it would improve the ease of use factor.
- Minor typos- proof read!
Gripes:
Overall, this is an excellent resource that seems to be a fairly new site, and as such the gripes aren’t as severe as they would be with a more established site.
I’m giving it a rating of three and a half hedgehogs- lose the claustrophobia and it would be a four.
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imperialism or aid?
This article is inspired by this one, and also by the attitude I have observed in the media at different times.
It is a sad fact that there are people in this world who are generally better off than others, and that the others often live in horrible, health damaging conditions. This division is best observed in the difference between the Western World and the Third or Developing World.
Human compassion compels us to help these people find a better life. Is the solution introducing western culture?
There is something different about the way that ‘western’ culture works- it has lead to a mindset that makes us very successful. We have our vices as well, but observation shows the comfort and freedom that we experience.
I admit this is delicate ground to tread- it is easy to point fingers and call “racist!” or “imperialist!” – but it is an issue that has to be looked at, to help people who are suffering in this world.
Some people argue that the best way to help (particularly “undeveloped”) people is to encourage them to live in their “unspoiled” condition.
It is too late.
We have already ruined the traditional ways of life for people, we have introduced our alcohol, our diseases and our money. It is not fair, it is not fair to withdraw support from our fellow human beings after spreading our troubles like an office worker with a cold. It is an impossibility for these people to return to their old way of life.
It is, in fact, discriminatory to expect them to do so. We do not long to return to the middle ages where the majority of people lived brutal, short lives, when hygiene standards were low and plague terrified the populace. Why is western culture allowed to advance, while others should “retain their traditions and cultural heritage”?
There is a fine line to tread, however. Racism, slavery, the stolen generation, exploitation and the destruction of cultures are all bad things. We do not want to visit those sorry chapters of our history again.
The goal is not to wipe out another’s culture, but to help improve the quality of life. Cultural sensitivity is necessary, but so are good old fashioned friendship and generosity.
Though western culture is not without it’s problems, it has gotten onto something good. Can we share that with the world with out wiping out the beautiful and diverse cultures? I think so.
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new found power!
Apple like to present the idea that they are very user-friendly. This is a good thing. Sometimes software designers over do this and try to protect users from themselves, even to the extent of preventing users who know what they are doing from doing the things they want to do.
Apple can sometimes appear to be very guilty of this, and this is can be very annoying for the power user.
But Apple merely hides the functionality behind cute eye-candy. Dig a little, and you find the terminal. (Located in Applications/Utilities) This is your gateway on a whole new world, dig a little deeper and you find that your machine which you paid good money for (well, someone did!) has the command called sudo.
Sudo lets you assume root powers temporarily and lets you actually do what you want to. Just put it at the beginning of the command you are trying to execute in the terminal. It’s almost like saying “pretty please” but better.
Of course, being all powerful has it’s risks. You can inflict serious damage on your system- this is why you have to put in your password. Be careful, ok?
No article on Apple, Macintosh and sudo would complete without quoting Apple’s own helpful advice on using sudo:
We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System Administrator.
It usually boils down to these three things:
- Respect the privacy of others.
- Think before you type.
- With great power comes great responsibility.
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save the whales!
collect the whole set!
seriously though, the recent meetings of the IWC (international whaling commission) has raised some interesting questions. [BBC News]
Why have the pro whaling nations come close to overturning a ban on commercial whale hunting?
Japan, Iceland and other nations argue that the ideals of the “conservation nations” (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, USA etc) when it comes to whales are silly. The conservation nations argue that the whale is an inherently special creature, and should not be hunted. However, the pro-whaling nations say that the whales are a resource, just like the fish and other living marine resources.
Whale hunting is cruel- animals are harpooned and held until they die- this can be a short time or a long- depending on where the harpoon hits. However, hunting is cruel.
Should whales be treated as special? Can the pro – conservation nations justify treating one species as special?
To be honest, I don’t know. I think the slaughter of whales is wrong, but how can I say that as a non-vegetarian? Do whales have higher thought processes than other animals, or is our image of them solely shaped by popular culture, books or film?
On a lighter note, The Star Trek people thought the whales where pretty important.
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Norway Backs-Up the world’s crops
Norway Builds ‘Doomsday Vault’ [SBS] and also from the ABC
Norway is building an “agricultural Noah’s ark” just short of the North Pole. It will hold seeds of all the worlds diverse grain crops, to be released in the event of natural or man made disaster that might wipe out some of the diverse species of food plants that we have today.
It will be sealed well, with many doors and airlocks, and, since the seeds will be kept in permafrost, there is no need for electricity. Scientists estimate that the seeds could be stored for hundreds of years, if not thousands, and still be good to plant.
Though it will be locked up well, it’s only guards will be the polar bears that live in the region.
The fact that we even are going to have one of these is freaking me out a little. The article talks about nuclear war and natural disaster, but also about “human error” and “short-sighted budget cuts.”
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the lengths you’ll go for a football game
Cup fans lose trousers over sponsor row
Up to 1,000 Netherlands fans had to watch yesterday’s World Cup win over Cote d’Ivoire in their underpants because of a sponsorship row, soccer’s governing world body FIFA has confirmed.
A FIFA spokesman said the fans arrived at the stadium wearing trousers in their team’s traditional orange and branded with the name of a Dutch brewery.
But the fans were denied entry because the American company which makes Budweiser beer had bought the exclusive rights to promote their brand in the stadium.
The fans duly removed their trousers and watched the match in their underpants.
A bit silly…
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modern students and plagiarism
The “Google generation” of students often do not understand what plagiarism is, says an expert on the issue.
Net students ‘think copying OK’ [BBC news]
Apparently, the net makes it much easier for students to copy and paste, and they have no idea about ownership of a work and plagiarism.
I know I was taught that you do your own work, and give credit for ideas that aren’t your own and you’ve found elsewhere. I’m kind of confused that something this simple isn’t well understood: If you make something up, it’s yours. Otherwise, let people know where you got it from.
Sloppy habits breeds accidental plagiarism, such as bad bibliographical methods. I have seen another bad habit at university, and I have also been guilty of it myself, because it does work:
- Method
- open up your:
- word processor
- internet browser
- find the relevant information on the internet.
- copy and paste to your word processor.
- with the text handily right there, summarize and reword.
I’m not surprised someone worked this out- it’s so much easier than window flipping. But the danger of slipping into plagiarism is oh-so real- if you are copying and pasting, and get distracted, or are rushed, will you remember what is quote and what is original? Will you care?
(for the sake of any future employers- I did not plagiarise)
Plagiarism gets talked about in big scary ways without ever talking about why it is wrong- and I’m not going to wheel out the “it’s stealing/piracy” arguments used for the internet music debates.
- firstly and foremost, you are damaging your own education. Most assignments are given so that you will learn along the way- take your own education in your own hands and make learning enjoyable! When education becomes jumping through hoops to get a job at the other end, the “end justifies the means” argument sounds mighty convincing. But if the goal is educating your self for personal fulfilment, then plagiarism is a silly idea.
- It is not fair to your fellow students, or your teachers. You are giving a false impression of yourself. Do your own work and be proud of it!
- It is stealing ok, so I lied about mentioning it.
Someone worked hard on that work, to pass it off as your own is claiming something that belongs to another person.
As someone who is a student and hopes to go into teaching one day, plagiarism is one of those things that makes me mad- it is only a short step to educate kids what plagiarism is, and avoid accidental plagiarism. Admittedly, deliberate plagiarism is harder to tackle, but we have to- in fairness to all students- the honest ones and the plagiarists.