Response to Dance

What were your reactions to the location in general?

In general, I thought the lighting was good, maybe the scary elements were a little bit off... It was kind of dirty, and it had the market feel. 

What is it like for you to witness people living in relative poverty in a place like DongMen surrounded by the relative wealth of Hsinchu?

It's not uncommon, since there are always going to be people with less wealth in the world, even in a bustling city like Hsinchu. What I felt like I witnessed more of was that the people living there aren't used to people using their location to film. After all, it is their home and we did sort of just show up and start filming. 

What would you do with a place like DongMen if you were the mayor of Hsinchu? Would you tear it down? Leave it? Try to revive the industry there? Allow people to live there or not?

The one thing that I wouldn't do is to tear it down. If the building is not one that is harmful, I don't believe that tearing down a building with history would be what I could do to a place like DongMen. I wouldn't necessarily leave it as it is, but I think attempting to revive the industry may be something I would look into. Because my two visits there, I noticed that the businesses there, are family owned and more widely spanned business- for example, for tourist attraction-, therefore would only get local customers. Considering the conditions they are living in, improving their business and reviving the industry would be beneficial and could possibly bring wealth to DongMen. 

Dance at Dong Men

How did the site of DongMen alter the choreography that you created in the classroom?

     My first reaction when I saw DongMen was that I didn't find it very scary, so I was wondering how we could make everything work our so our final project would be a scary one. But then I realized that the lighting that the location provided was good. The information that we received about the escalator, we were able to choreograph a dance on a regular but shorter set of stairs. What I think was the biggest reaction that my group mates had was that they were surprised by the dirtiness of the broken escalator. I admit we were a little hesitant at first, but we thought up of using a plastic bag for when we could all lay on the ground. So yes, I think this is only the alteration we made to our dance, but for the most part, we didn't change the choreography, since we had something similar to an escalator that we worked with at school.

Now that you know this site better; If you were to go back to Dongmen, what would you add or subtract from your choreography to make it stronger?

     I think for the most part, we used our dance location, the escalator, very well. Escalator steps are elevated with different levels as it ascends, and we had dancers positioned at different levels of steps. We incorporated movements of walking up and down the stairs, which I thought was a good example of using a location wisely. Although I am not sure what could be added to our choreography to make it stronger, I've had the chance to look around DongMen, like the roof. I can think of some good choreography that I could suggest we do for such a place for future dance choreography.

Not the Cure for AIDS

Humanities

Current Event #3:

Not the Cure for AIDS

from cnn.com

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/14/not-the-cure-for-aids/

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What is the news story about?

This article is about a patient who, after a bone marrow transplant, appeared to not only have his cancer go away as a result, but also the virus that causes AIDS. This successful transplant has become known world-wide, but still, doctors are questioning if this one success would mean a cure for AIDS. If it were, it would be a world-changing discovery in the medical world.

What is its significance?

 

Although it is interesting, an AIDS top expert in America doesn't think so. "This is interesting but not a practical application. It's not feasible and has extraordinary limited practical application" long-time AIDS researcher and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN. 

While reading this article, I've also found some interesting caveats or warnings that are featured in this story:

1. Although the tests came up positive for the patient who had the successful bone marrow transplant that cured his cancer and seemingly, his AIDS, there is also a factor to be considered. HIV is known to be one of those diseases that are hidden very well, that are hard to discover until it decides to 'pop up' later. So it would be not justified to say that he is completely HIV-free.

2. There is a very very small chance that doctors can find two matching bone marrows with the same two genetic mutation from a donor. The probability is very small, only one percent and below. So, this would not be ideally realistic. 

3. Bone marrow transplants are risky and dangerous since during the transplant the immune system will stop working, so there is a big chance that the body cannot defend itself from potentially harmful diseases. There might also be a possibility that the immune system will reject the new cells that are injected into the body. This would result in the patient having to take immune-suppressing drugs for a lifetime. 

4. Bone marrow transplants are expensive and so would not be available for everyone. This would be a big problem since many AIDS victims are located in the poorer and developing countries.

Is there bias?

I don't think there is any bias, especially since this is a serious topic concerning a disease that concerns a lot of victims. There aren't any sides to take. Maybe if I had to decide on if there are sides to be taken, it would probably be if the doctors the cured the man of his AIDS and cancer, was truly convinced that the cure of AIDS was found. But other than that, I do not detect any bias. 

Energy Bar Test #1

The Way You Is 

An energy bar by Vivian, Vincent, Augustine

We made our first energy bar with the following ingredients: marshmallows, oatmeal, raisins, dried bananas, and red bull. What we did is, is that we first heated the marshmallows with a heated pan over a fire. Then we added a small amount of red bull into the melted marshmallows and then added the rest of the ingredients. Since red bull is liquid, our product was sort of in a liquid form. So, we let the liquid evaporate a little in the added heat, over the fire. But eventually we decided that we weren't going to bake it, but we would try freezing it instead. So we put it in the freezer after forming a general bar shape (a rectangular prism) and placed it in the freezer. The next day when we took out our frozen bar, it was indeed frozen and remained it's rectangular prism form, but after leaving it out in room temperature, although it remained bar form, it was squishy. 

 

We decided that we will alter the recipe a bit. Since our biggest concern was that the texture of the bar was squishy rather than a firm texture, we think we need to focus more on how to keep a bar form. So, we are going to use gelatin as a factor to help maintain to form. And maybe try blending the ingredients in a bender. 

 

We are still in the laboratory testing... 

Education for all!

Global 20/20

There are four big reasons why we would want to ensue education on all, but before we try to change the world (if we can), we look at the big picture behind everything. There are always the negatives and the positives. So, in my first blog for global 20/20, I want to focus on one of the reasons/ideas that education is important for everyone. It is that education reduces poverty and inequality and lays the basis of sustainable growth. Now, I believe this point links up to to next point, which plays a big part in the new world economy. It effects it in a way that a country's education will make an impact on the way the government is run in that country or as a low-return country. 

In the new world economy, countries with higher power and money, do they want the poorer countries to be more educated so that they will in turn, acquire equal power as the richer countries have? Think about it... if countries in the entire world, across the oceans... if they all had a successful economy, a systematic government, and the people of the country all educated, what would be the outcomes, the consequences? Can we see this as something positive, that we want, or something negative, that we wouldn't want? Education for all... would it have a favourable outcome?

This is a really big topic, something I can think and wouldn't be able to decide on anything except maybe open ended questions. There are so many twists and turns to education. Everything isn't as smooth and easy as I would like it to be. People in poor and developing countries... they should be educated, at least until high school. It would definitely help out the state the poor countries are in, especially with the spread of diseases like AIDS. People are becoming victims of these diseases because they are unaware and educated. Now, I feel like I'm back in the middle again. These statistics and all these information that I'm reading about what's happening in the developing countries, I'm uncertain and not sure what to think about 'Education for all!' 

Yes! I want education for all! I want the people of developing countries to be educated about AIDS and other diseases so they can resist. But also maybe not sure! Because right now I'm pondering about the idea that's supposed to make the world a better place? Will we be unknowingly assisting in a global confrontation of all countries...? Right now though, the yes' out weights the no's on the scale of decision making... But we shall see. Since I would like to hear other people's opinion in our next meeting tomorrow. It will help with piecing my thoughts more easily. 

Frozen mice cloned; wooly mammoths on horizon

Humanities

Current Event #2:

Frozen mice cloned; wooly mammoths on horizon

from cbc.news.ca

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/11/03/science-mice.html

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What is the news story about?

As far as cloning goes, Japanese scientists have made an even further advancement by now finding a way to clone bodies of mice that have been frozen for as long as 16 years. From this advancement, there is a possibility of cloning extinct species of animals. It has come into consideration that even long extinct animal called the mammoth, can be resurrected. 

What is its significance?

Scientists have found a way to unfreeze frozen cells that the frozen mice contained. By using a chemical called cryoprotectants, it can prevent the frozen cells from bursting and damaging the DNA inside. Although, a downside is that cryoprotectants must be used before the cells are frozen. 

"However, it has been suggested that the 'resurrection' of frozen extinct species (such as the wooly mammoth) is impracticable, as no live cells are unavailable, and the genomic material that remains is inevitably degraded," they said.

Is there any bias?

I don't believe that there are any bias since it is an informative article that looks at cloning in perspective. The mice cloning was successful, but now scientists are pondering about cloning the extinct mammoth species. Instead of bias views, rather there are more concerns.

Apple: iPhones outsold BlackBerrys in last quarter

Humanities 

Current Event #1:

Apple: iPhones outsold BlackBerrys in last quarter

from cbc.news.ca

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/10/22/apple-3q.html

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What is the news story about?

The title of this article states very clearly that Apple Inc's latest product, the iPhone has outsold Research in Motion (RIM), a competitor's product called the BlackBerry in last quarter's performance.  

What is its significance?

In this article, it states that Apple was surprised that they were able to outsell Research in Motion in the smartphone market, since Apple has done very well with its iPod mp3 player in the music player market and is relatively new to the smartphone market. Basically, the significance of this article is stating that Apple Inc is doing spectacularly well, even outdoing another leading company by successfully selling millions of its 3G iPhones in the last quarter time.

Bias?

I think this article is written more in favour towards the Apple's side even though it provides proper statistics from Apple and from RIM. I think the most biased are the quotes that are in this article. Take this quote for example, 'Overtaking RIM in such a short time is a "tremondous accomplishment' said Edward Jones analyst Bill Kreher. This quote is biased, since it's putting Apple Inc in such a good spot. 

Debate Continuation: Is a car living or non-living?

If you look at my previous posts, I have already laid out my facts and which side I am on. And to continue the debate we started in class about whether a car is living or not, the argument of evolution of life came up.

The evolution of life; here's my definition. The evolution of life began with prokaryote organisms then to what we have now on Earth with ever growing organisms, having evolved. It's a big ginormous timeline of Earth.

Living things, when they evolve, they pass on traits that are helpful in their survival. So their evolved life form will possess the good traits in their generation. And that's what living things are capable of doing! Non-living things can't pass on these traits through reproduction and noo, the car in the factory argument does not work out. What happens in a reproduction is two different sets of genetic information coming together to form one.

And about the bee with the flower when the topic of reproduction came up; concerning that, a bee does not provide the genetic information! Another flower does. All a bee does is help carry the pollen to another flower. The bee acts as an assisting reproductive helper, basically not directly part of the reproduction process for flowers. So I do not believe that the bee with flower example can clarify that a car is in fact living but rather my belief that it is non-living.

What is the 'rule' for living things??

Mrs. Smith is the coolest teacher ever. Let me tell you why:

1. She is beautiful

2. She is the funniest person on Earth

3. She has a cute cat

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Here's what I think about the 'rule' for living things. There are the standardized rules like reproduction... excretion... etc. But in my opinion, even if it is probably wrong, to be alive would be to have an existence on this earth. And if you're going to contradict what I say by saying cars are alive, then you should probably understand first of all what I mean by existing on Earth. 

Organisms like plants and even one-celled organisms like bacteria, they follow the 'rules' of being alive. They have a circle of life. They can die, and they can grow and multiply. Here's how I decide if something is non-living or living. Besides the breathing part for humans... animals... e.g., is it possible for this something to die? No, this does not mean by making a transition from living category to non-living category. It has to be alive in the first place. 

To be alive means that it has once been alive or is still alive. On the contrary, non-living means that it has never been living in the first place. For example, a laptop is not alive. You can say that it was manufactured and that it was built from pieces... and therefore given 'life', but that's practically a metaphor! Because you can't say that a laptop is alive, just like a car is not alive. 

To categorize something into non-living, it's not able to reproduce, to multipy, to make excretion...e.g. Let's take the car as an example again... You can say fumes are a car's excretion, and you can say building a counterpart of the car counts as multiplying or reproducing, but remember what a car is made out of? Actually, I am not all that clear, but metal is some part of it. And metal was not alive and is not alive. If the metal the car was built out of was not alive, then the car is not living either. Some non-living things, like the car have living characteristics, that is true, but it is still considered non-living. It can be confusing since a car (the example I keep using) does appear to look like it is 'alive' when it is up and speeding off on roads.

I would love to think that a car is alive, that it's going to transform into a giant robot and save my life or something. Or maybe that my laptop is alive and can do my homework for me. But they aren't because they can't do what a living thing can. I can't tell my laptop to reproduce or do such a thing like grow from a white Macbook to one with a refrigerator built inside.