yellow dust closes schools..

and you thought smog warnings were bad.. today, "yellow dust" warnings were issued for much of south-eastern korea. originating in china's gobi desert, the sand or 'dust' sweeps south enveloping the korean peninsula and parts of japan every spring. it gathers heavy metals and carcinogens such as dioxin as it passes over chinese industrial regions before hitting korea and japan. the korean environment institute reports that this yellow dust causes around 165 deaths per year, with about 1.8 million people becoming ill. it also estimates the damage this dust causes to be upwards around ($5.82 billion). this time of year has become widely accepted as "yellow dust season". the streets are nearly empty, but those who dare to be outside are wearing masks specially designed to cope with this season.
it disgusts me that we simply choose to cope with this problem rather than work toward fighting the source of the problem. humans seem to be able to adapt rather well in many different circumstances, but perhaps rolling with the punches isn't the best answer. we as a population need to stand up and stop buying cheap crap from china; stop buying so much stuff that has been shipped from other countries (buy local); stop supporting the big businesses; stop buying crap we don't need.. (i'm kind of tired and whiny- sorry bout that)
recently I've come to the realization that major changes in the world comes either comes very slowly (because the generation in power is often quick to educate, but slow to learn), or a little bit faster than very slowly because of the urgency of the situation.
although we all know that changes need to be made to clean up this world, it seems like we are never too worried about it. maybe it doesn't effect us directly, or we have ongoing projects that don't need finite due dates - but it seems that we are so slow to turn ourselves around when we've come down a wrong road.
i don't know. if we could educate (both the older and younger generations) about the many sustainable ways to live, maybe that would make a difference..

partially inspired by no impact man
yellow dust info gathered here.

creativity -> inspiration -> creativity

lately i've been really inspired by the multitudes of art created by seemingly simple things. paint and canvas, a single sheet of paper, words on a page... combined in the right way can create something amazing.
a few things that inspire me:

jess weatherhead paintings

random emails with cool art. i recently got one with photos of this artist who used a single 8x10 piece of paper and created some amazing things. his name is Peter Callesen, and for his website, click here. here are some examples of his stuff:

browsing through flickr photos. a few faves:
because i cant really copy them, they are here, here and here.

berkeley rules..

this quick note is tied to my last post about various websites that help out those who like to study at home. i just found berkeley's webcast page and... it is awesome! they have recorded lectures to make full courses in so many different subjects. just click here, and check it out. i'm excited about it.
shoot.
i guess ry was right.. i am a nerd..

for those who are self motivated..

since i left my small university i have been suffering from withdrawal. i found that i long not only for the close community that i was once a part of, but also for the challenge that university courses present (i never thought i would say that). and so, seeing as i only work 6.5 hours a day, i have learned how to (partially) satisfy this hunger for knowledge and challenge. i have started reading books that i want to read, and studying things that i think are interesting. i've even found various sites that will act as a (kind of) replacement to university courses. and the best part about it is that it is free. this blog is dedicated to those lovely sites that attempt to show that, with enough determination and perseverance, anyone with an internet connection can obtain a wealth of knowledge. (though i don't think anything could beat a group of eight or nine friends and a professor discussing issues in the context of a defined course... sigh..)
these are some of the sites that i have been able to get some cool stuff from..

logic tutor - this site was shown to me when i was in logic class at ssu. it is supposed to be done with the book, but you don't necessarily need the book.

internet archive - one of my favorite sites: they host a variety of goodies- from audio readings of classic books (dickens, twain, wells, herbert, etc.), to online versions of books and other things. i have an audio library of mp3 books that i often listen to (great for a multi-tasker!).

the stingy scholar - this is a blog that continues to give out ideas on how one (properly motivated) can learn for free on the internet. there are many great ideas throughout his blog, and many great resources he lists.

wide open education - here is another blog that lists many other sites where one can acquire free textbooks, and other educational stuff.

science and engineering texts - here is a group of free science and engineering textbooks.

textbook revolution - this site is dedicated to supplying the links to a bunch of different textbooks.

berkeley courses - this is a pretty cool site - if you have high speed internet you can watch a variety of courses from the university of berkeley that were video taped. my favorite is the introduction to nonviolence course.

uchannel - these are a variety of podcasts compiled from courses and lectures from various universities. i believe this site is associated to princeton university. if you are getting tired of listening to music on your mp3 player, why not turn to a podcast of your favorite subject?

open textbook - another site where you can score some free textbooks..

world lecture hall - free course materials from around the world.

these are a few of the sites that i have found to be pretty good, in terms of giving out quality, free material. if you know of any others, or would like to see more links let me know. in this age anyone with the proper motivation, and the adequate tools (internet), should be able to acquire knowledge in just about any field.
enjoy.

free time = responsibility??

disclaimer: this entry is unedited and ... made up of various thoughts that may, or may not fit together.. it's your free time.. spend it wisely.

two things that i am beginning to understand:
our human life is finite.
every moment has worth.

there is a problems though.. how does one respond to these two truths? do we use every second we have to try to fill our heads with knowledge and experience, and try to squeeze every last drop of life we can come across before the curtains close? or, do we relax and do anything or nothing because we know that life is not endless? obviously there can be no real objective answer, but that everyone will see the meaning of life in their own way. my view falls dangerously on the former response. i say dangerously, only because - one can go crazy if they never truly rest and relax.
this isn't meant to be a depressing note, but more of a thoughtful one. it's a serious question: how do we go about living our lives? and i definitely don't expect any answer (i imagine that most people ask this question to themselves, in one form or another, daily).

i had no real intention on blogging tonight, but as i wondered around my little apartment with so many aspirations about what i could do with my free time, i felt completely overwhelmed with possibilities. this is a positive thing isn't it? there are so many without, while i'm here wondering about how to spend my time when i'm not working at my high paying job in a foreign country. it's just, the opportunities that i've been given- the social class i grew up in- makes me feel a kind of responsibility with how i spend my time. i don't know if i am alone in feeling this, or if this is a good thing or bad thing, but i think.. that it's a good thing.
a friend of mine once said "we (as fellow human beings) are responsible for the quality of life in this world", and.. i like this. the notion of responsibility, how we are obligated to improve life if it is at all possible. i am also beginning to think that the more possibilities that we have, the more responsibility we are given..
haha, listen to me - the idealist.
the blog started out with me wondering how to spend my free time wisely, and i'll bring it back to that now.
i guess everyone need to find out on their own how to spend their time in such a way that brings life to that individual - be it learning online, watching re-runs of seinfeld, or playing halo 2 on the old x-box. is there such a thing as wasted time? some would say yes, and others would say no, but i guess the final call lies on the shoulders of the individual. does this mean that one man's solitaire addiction is worth just as much as another's research in finding cures for cancer? i suppose to each individual - both endeavors are equal. but the global population, the latter might actually make an impact, and better someone else's life.
so maybe that's the bottom line; that responsibility resulting from ones opportunities is only a weight that is added subjectively to the shoulders of those who do not feel a big enough burden with their own lives? basically, if we want to change the world for the better, we should feel welcome to do so - but there is no real obligation for anyone to do so.. however, if everyone only looked out for themselves, rather than giving something back, i don't think we as a species would have made it this far.. (how far have we made it anyways?)
geez... i gotta stop writing these before i sleep..
does this post make sense? although i think blogs are more honest when they are written this way, i also feel like i should start writing smaller entries. free time is a precious thing.