Chinese Vocabulary: 藉景抒情

...書中外星人的境遇,被認為是作者自況,藉景抒情

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Journal of the Week

12/7/2023 Vectorized Emoji library for the web.

Sliced Text Effect (demo included) - animation as you scroll down the webpage. Fun for long pages.

How to build a Javascript Framework by Nolan Lawson. At least someone cared to explore this.

Here's an idea: What can be done by CSS & HTML of today instead of Javascript.

The 500 Highest Paying Companies (for Software Engineers): Long list, but interesting to know how much Netflix, Airbnb, etc. pay.

12/6/2023 For shining my resume, I should learn the essence of the uniqueness of each kinks and frameworks and what not in today's software developer world, then link them to a small project of mine for each of these in my resume.

Understand File System, using Rust. How computer files are structured, formatted, etc.

5 rules to be better writer and marketer:

1. Feelings color wheel
2. Powerful cognitive biases
3. Stephen King's writing rules
4. Cashvertising's LF8 and 9 Wants
5. Cialdini's 7 persuasion principles

12/1/2023 NYGC upgrading data speed from 75mb to 1gb today. But it may not be done today as there's much complication. But learned something new: network speed tester these pros use: T-berd. Expensive product. We use Windstream, which used to be Broadviewnet. And it's been a long upgrade back and forth since June. So much bureaucracy since Windstream is the 3rd party vendor using Verizon's wholesales. Verizon sent techs so many times for the same cancelled jobs, as if the orders were completed via some broken repeated radio. Verizon ticket #: NYEG0WEHZ3

Online tool to turn your headshots into cartoons: https://www.headshotpro.com/tools/free-pfp-generator

Top 50 most viewed US Youtube Channels. I just don't get how some of these kids are so good at influencing.

Interesting Math problem where a 1982 SAT Math question (#17) got it wrong:

The trick to this Coin Rotation Paradox is the fact that Circle B itself is curved and thereby increased the rotation of circle A which rolled around B one cycle.

They worked out the definitions between rotation and revolution and then a proof and formula to summarize that if A's rolling outside of B, then the total revolution is always the ratio of the circumferences (C) + 1, and if A's rolling inside B, then it's the ratio of C - 1.

My own proof is so:

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Bible Study: Psalm 4

This prayer skipped from verses 2 - 6 from God as subject to the "sons of men".

v.5 Sacrifices of Righteousness demands hard work, facing the trials and sufferings of challenges. Not something many Ameristians recognize today, apparently. They would even call this sinfulness in anxiety. Conflating anxiety 焦虑 with concern/worrying 挂虑.

v.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
This kind of gladness is not the kind coming out of complacence or indolence. This is the kind that is from hard work, as David compares it with those rejoicing from their hard earned profit. How is David's joy better? Because of his total reliance in God. Unlike many interpreters today, David labored first and find joy in God. The others would either have David labored first and find joy later; or, even worse, which is the view of many Ameristians (spoilt?) apparently, don't think about or worry about labor, for such is sinful, but simply dwell in the Lord, somehow.

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Dental Insurance Terminology

I thought I had written it down early this year when I visited the dentist for my root canal. I asked for the terminology used to check the remaining balance I have out of my annual maximum from my dental insurance. I was given the answer by the clerk, but I don't remember now.

annual maximum: Most dental insurance plans have a designated annual maximum—which refers to the total amount your dental insurance policy will pay for dental services on your behalf over the course of the 12-month benefit period. 

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Journal of the Week

11/30/2023 text-to-SVG, basically type in the text, it will generate black/white graphics quickly. Not bad. Good for generating characters quickly.

11/22/2023 WPA-WPA2 Wi-Fi Hacking: A Step-by-Step Guide:
via TLDR.
Tools Required
Before diving into the process, make sure you have the following tools:

Network Adapter (e.g., TL-WN722N V2) with monitoring mode support.
Kali Linux installed on your machine.
Aircrack-ng
Airodump-ng
Airmon-ng
Crunch

Today's AI though not something to embrace fully, is not something to completely brush aside as well. I think some (AirBnb founder Brian Chesky) feared it for designers who ignore the AI participation will be left behind, because it is somewhat true, as I tried a view AI samples in creative. It's done fast, quite beautifully, without much human labor by the end designers. However, this lacks true human ingenuity and creativity. The creator-creation behavior is missing, meaning so deep that only the creators understand fully, which is something crucial in arts that most ignore, even the artists themselves, as long as they get paid. After all, not all arts need to be that comprehensive, such as those which the AirBnb founder's experience, apparently.

Understanding CSS Grid (basically table format in html/CSS): An Interactive Guide to CSS Grid

Tech Cities of 2024 based on stats. A look from perspective of past tech salaries in different states as well as state taxes.

Wondering how sewing machine needles work? Veritasium did a video:

11/19/2023 Interesting clip from Stephen Tong on another ancient Chinese doctor called 扁鹊. For I had only known 華佗. 扁鹊 could diagnose a person effectively by mere look from afar. Though I felt that this is the first I heard of this doctor's name, the story Pak Tong told seems to be something I've heard before.

11/16/2023 My most satisfactory take on Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) by using a slightly different topic discussed on FB on whether or not a Christian should listen to Mormon Tabernacle Choir:
I have no problem listening to Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Messiah or Christian Hymns. But I do have problem with non-Christians (i.e. Mormons) serving in church choir.

Also, if you do care to listen to MTC, you should at least have discerning ears in the arts. For example, they would never sing "God in Three persons" in their "HOLY HOLY HOLY" hymn. I could easily tell if a pictorial drawing is from the Watchtower (JW). Maybe you could eventually tell if a singing is from MTC by merely using your ears, Moses certain could (Exo 32:18).

Our great hymns and The Messiah are precious heritage. It behooves us therefore to do great study in them. It matters not who (Christians or not) sings them, it matters if you could discern what change they've done to them.

On the other hand, many contemporary Christian composers draw inspiration from pagan/idolatrous creativity. Now that's more like kissing a tran (I generally don't kiss just anyone, so I actually don't have problem hugging a tran, but that's beside the point). Deuteronomy 12:4 warns against such. This is the same as offering up the golden calf to/as YHWH. So definitely tread carefully. However, I am rather liberal when it comes to music: I may have no problem with using John Lennon's IMAGINE tune as Christian music, but I would have problem with doing so just because it's John Lennon.

11/15/2023 Received Notice of Violation from inspector Dave McGill in the mail. Alleged inspection was done on 11/8. Saying our house violated South Amboy article VII code 114-5, for overgrown vegetation. I looked up the code, couldn't find such code, but there was a 115-4 code on Maintenance of Exterior of Premises and Structures which specified no plant life should exceed more than 2.5 feet tall should be within 10 feet of any roadway, but this is to prevent traffic hazard. Also, there are similar notices with the code 115-4 uploaded online (mostly by inspector J. Bartlinski in around 2020 - seems to be these inspectors can't really spell - vegitation, vegetatin, etc.). Nadia and I tried to reasoned who complained about us. I figured either someone walking their pets did, or the new occupant of Joe's house next door, because we never had this issue before since we moved in, and after confronting McGill about this the following day at his office, even he himself didn't think the grass was tall and implied that the blame was to someone else who complained it and that I just needed to do a quick mow of the front-side lawn (because the complaint was about tall grass - I would say 4" tall on average). Should have recorded that conversation. Though I didn't want to give him a hard time because he also couldn't really refer me to the code that he wrote down in the notice, so I left peacefully. I told Nadia we must give our neighbors the benefit of the doubt, and even so, we should be the ones who look for peaceful solution. It's a one time thing, and it's no bother to mow the lawn (which I did right away, easy job), so let it go.

11/14/2023 There's a high tendency for many, because of indolence, to compensate works for knowledge. I need to watch myself of it. As well as be wary of such folks around me. This notion is due to certain individuals at church who are knowledgeable, love to talk, but doesn't really seem to do much work in church.

11/12/2023 I notice that in church, for those who aren't into socializing/fellowshipping, the more they talk, the more off topic they get.

11/11/2023 Sometimes I think that this theory warrants some credit: The more apparently innately effeminate a father is, the more likely he sires daughters than sons. And the same goes for a butch man, a naturally macho father, who is more likely to produce sons than daughters. I based this on virtually everyone I know.

Using A.I. to generate your "own" video: InVideo. I'm sure there will be many rivals that are better than this in very near future, if not already. But here's my sample of it after throwing the entire chapter of Exodus 24 into the feed, interesting way to help with understanding of certain passages, not that it's perfect. Think how amazing this would be if there's a classical Chinese version:

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On Karl Barth

This may be a very long entry. Stephen Tong mentioned Barth long ago. But it has recently peaked my interest because Reformed Forum kept mentioning him. Alex kept seemingly defending him (曾劭愷|論范泰爾對巴特的評價) from the aspect of Van Til & OPC folks's (Jim Cassidy, etc.) misunderstanding of Barth.

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Beethoven Met Mozart

First heard of this from Dr. Tong on 1John 5:9 (The testimony of God greater than men):

Then I fact checked:

1787, Beethoven did indeed went to see Mozart for tutelage. Beethoven was 17, using Max Franz's recommendation letter to gain Mozart's audience. Mozart was tired indeed, wasn't interested to listen to Beethoven. Beethoven played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, but Mozart stopped him to have Beethoven play his own piece.

Then Mozart indeed proclaimed to the public, but mainly his wife Constanze: "Stanzi, Stanzi," he said, pointing back into the music room, "Watch out for that boy. One day he will give the world something to talk about."

Unfortunately, urgent news of Beethoven's mother's illness prevented Beethoven to be tutored by Mozart despite Mozart's agreement to take him on as a student.

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Vocab: 桀骜不驯

桀骜不驯是一个汉语成语,读音为jié ào bù xùn,比喻傲慢,性情暴躁不驯顺,不服管教。 出自东汉班固的《汉书·匈奴传》

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Journal of the week

11/1/2023 Passive Income (Indie hackers) projects are fun, creative and motivating. Though I have not done anything about this myself, I've come across many stories about them (indie hackers, one-person startups, personal life's stories). This site learns from successful folks like Pieter Levels, Tony Dihn, Jon Yongfook.

10/25/2023 JBL TUNE120TWS Earbuds disassembly. Only video I found that went through the entire process to replace the battery (when battery life is shortened):

Battery type is allegedly: ICR 1454

10/24/2023 SEO Basics.

10/23/2023 Baby boomers, Gen X, Millennials/Gen Y, GenZ, what do they all mean? Here's a nice chart from LinkedIn explaining them (I guess I am considered LATE Gen X, I do find people in my age group interestingly rare):

10/19/2023 On Pastoral succession: This came across my mind before, particularly from Laura Lin's case: What does it mean to succeed a failed pastor? Succession of the former pastor does not impute sins of the former to the latter. Which is what many Christians naturally fail to see. However, what the former did to the church does influence the later: Is the new pastor succeeding a failed church, having to start from scratch (from zero), or continuing what is already great of the church. The one who discerns this will be on the path to victory.

animated gif made by A.I.: just type in description and it will generate animated gif for you to share. Not bad, not the best, doable.

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Have I Been Squatted URL Website

This is interesting. Came across this TLDR news about a site that can help you detect squatters to your domain. It takes a given domain and tests it against a ton of permutations of possible domain names that look similar to the one provided.

I did a test on nygcinstitute.com and it turns out that nygcinstitute.org, which is not ours, points to zoni.edu. I wonder if Zoni felt threatened by our school. ZONI is a big ESL school, probably the biggest in the country, I wonder if they paid to get this done or if they have someone on the inside doing this, pointing all possible competitors sites to their site instead.

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