Most recent entries

Edward Tufte makes me heart analytical design

My apologies: I am alive still

Spiritual Warfare: Hard Words to Say

Lakers vs. Celtics Game 4 = CHICANERY!

GO LAKERS!!

Edward Tufte makes me heart analytical design

Friday, August 22, 2008

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to a conference held by Edward Tufte, expert in informational graphics and information design.

I have seen books by Tufte, but never quite got what they were about. They are full of beautiful graphics, but I never stopped to read them. Not until my friend at work told me more about him and the stuff he does.

So I went to the seminar all revved up. The room was packed with almost 400 people! And while most people, I’m sure, were sent by their companies and seemed mildly bored, but I begged and pleaded to be allowed to attend. It was totally worth the groveling.

On one end, you could see how big a difference good design could make. Tons of complex data could be displayed in an easy to read and even enjoyable format! Bad design makes your eyes want to cross because its just information overload. It’s hard to describe without an example. I’ll take one example from his latest book, Beautiful Evidence. I’ll try to do it justice:

Below is a lithograph by Charles Joseph Minard depicting the losses in men, their movements, and the temperature of Napoleon’s 1812 Russian campaign.

Here is my slightly annotated version so you can see what these things mean. The yellow box indicates the zoomed image below.

You can visually see how the army gets thinner and thinner as they march toward Moscow. They started with 422,000 men. By the time they reach Moscow, they are down to 100,000. The black line shows their retreat. The cold of winter takes its toll and the troops keep dying. At one point, half the army is lost when they break through the ice on one of the rivers.

Here you see the comparison of how many started and how many survived the Russia Campaign.

422,000 men down to 10,000. That is incredible. And incredibly clear with this informational graphic.

Call me a nerd, but this kind of stuff really excites me! Lots of information isn’t to blame for overload. It’s bad design that’s to blame! For every situation, there must be a solution, not just any solution, but an AMAZINGLY clear and simple to read solution.

I know what to aim for now. I guess I’ll add that to the already mile high pile of “life callings”!

My apologies: I am alive still

Monday, August 18, 2008

I think this is the longest blog-break I’ve taken in awhile. SORRY!

Things have just gotten a bit hectic. I’m taking on more projects than I can really handle, am preoccupied with my human relations (wow that sounds like a cyborg talking!), and have the inability to say “no” to hanging out with friends. This all makes for a whirlwind of activity that has kept me from you, my adoring blaudience. You like that? I just made it up. Blog + audience = blaudience. You think people will pick that up? Yeah...probably not…

I have to say that I have been so blessed with the tons of people that have been a huge support out here. The peeps I hang with are hyper-social and fun to hang out with. I was just remembering back to less than a year ago when I had almost no friends locally for almost 2 years. I think I died a little inside. But things are different now!

Everything in the works is building towards something great in the future that I can be proud of, from the relationships that I’m building to the jobs I take, to the projects I invest myself in. I guess I’m feeling pretty good right about now. A far cry from my last post.

Once again, I apologize for my absence, but trust me: great things are in the works.

Spiritual Warfare: Hard Words to Say

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Sometimes a warrior’s words are her only weapons and her only salve.

Respect, love, honesty and tact have always been in a precarious balancing act in my life. This week in particular, that balance has been challenged more than ever. There are things that must be said because they are just and right. But there are words that must not be said because you love and respect that person.

And sometimes I end up saying nothing at all.

It has been a hard two weeks. For two weeks, I have been pummeled in this spiritual warfare that is taking place all around us. I don’t know how feel about that concept, but I believe that there are forces of good and evil battling for our souls. As a Christian and a follower of Jesus, I know where my strength and salvation come from. But I also know about attacks and why they come. And now I’m under attack.

I wish I had the right words to for every type of attack that came my way. The enemy is really clever, and it always shows up in ways you would never quite expect. The only way I can recognize them is that they always point toward the same message: You’re worthless, you’re not a good person, you’re a failure, you might as well give up. Sometimes I don’t even have an answer to these accusations. All I can do is cry.

But I know where my help comes from. He will give me the words and the strength to keep fighting. He will shield me and protect me. He will keep his warrior alive.

Lakers vs. Celtics Game 4 = CHICANERY!

Friday, June 13, 2008

I can’t BELIEVE that Laker’s let go such a huge lead to lose Game 4! Grrrrrrrrr!

This is my chance to use my new favorite word: chicanery. According to Merriam Webster, chicanery is “deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry.” Cool! How often do you get the word subterfuge to describe your actions?

Anyway, I think that there was some trickery involved for the Celtics to magically make up a 24 point lead. I didn’t even get to see most of the game but I did catch the end, right when they were tied at 75. And then they LOST IT.

It was such a heartbreaking moment when they lost. It’s over. Coming back from a 3-game loss is almost unheard of, except ironically in Boston with the Red Sox. It’s like having someone break up with you. Well, not really, but it IS kinda disappointing.

I guess I’ll hang on and still watch the rest of the series, but I’m already bracing myself for the worst.

Blast that chicanery!

GO LAKERS!!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

It’s been awhile since I’ve been into basketball, but with the Lakers in the finals, how could I ignore my team any longer?

Last night LA came back from 2 sucky games in Boston with bad calls all over the place and some difficulty adjusting to Boston’s defense. But last night, they took it all the way! W00t! I haven’t felt the basketball bug in forever, and it’s kind of nice to be back in it.

I was even more amazed when i realized that there are enough white guys on the team to have an all white team on the floor. Shocking! hahaha

I’ve also noted Paul Pierce’s vague resemblance to an Angler Fish.

There there’s Kobe, who has rat-like features, Fisher who looks like a bulldog,...I’m trying to put animals to other players. Rondo reminds me of some kind of weird elf. I suppose this isn’t very kind of me, but it’s hard not to make some connections…

All comparisons aside, all i can say is “GO LAKERS!”

My New Theme Song: Little Superhero Girl

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

This song is by Corrinne May and I’ve adopted it as my theme song. 

I’ve been following Corrinne May, a Singaporian-born singer/songwriter in LA, for about 4 years now. Reuben introduced me to her. But I was not a very consistent fan. About 2 months ago, I went to hear her play at a venue that was really close to me. I had no excuse not to go!

She had one song that I just really loved called, “Little Superhero Girl.”

L I T T L E S U P E R H E R O G I R L
written by Corrinne May Ying Foo
Copyright 2003, Corrmay Gourmet Music (ASCAP)

I feel like a little girl
Trying to conquer the whole wide world
Everybody wants a piece of me
And I just don’t know where to turn
I’ve got work piled up to my head
All I want to do is jump into bed
And wash away my troubles
with lemonade
Play hide and seek
with the boy next door
Take a trip to Singapore and
Imagine how I’ll make the world
a better place

All I need is a good disguise
One where nobody can recognise
That I’m feeling so small
All I need is a secret weapon
I’ve gotta have faith
Zapping monsters into outer space
I’m gonna be a Superhero

Na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-
Yeah

If I were a little girl
Trying to clean up the whole wide world
I’d kick the bad boys back to school
Teach them fighting’s just not cool
I’d give every kid a teddy bear
Turn starving people into millionaires
Break glass ceilings with dynamite
sprinkle a little sugar and spice
Turn the bullies that terrorize
Into pink poodles that bark,
but don’t bite

All I need is a good disguise
One where nobody can recognise
That I’m feeling so small
All I need is a secret weapon
I’ve gotta have faith
Zapping monsters into outer space
I’m gonna be a Superhero

Na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-
Yeah

Little Superhero Girl
Little Superhero Girl
Save me
Little Superhero Girl
Little Superhero Girl
Save me from myself

I feel like a little girl
Trying to conquer the whole wide world

You can hear it on her website, CorrinneMay.com and follow the directions below:

She’s playing a concert at my church (Hollywood SDA Church) this Thursday, May 29 @ 7:30 pm, so please come and hear her! It’s a free concert!