Thomasso’s weblog

All Through The House, It’s So Cold

December 24th, 2009 Thomasso

Yikes, could it snow tomorrow?

This is great, two long weekends in a row! Nice.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Posted in Events, General, Holiday, Photographs | 2 Comments »

This is the Day of Renewal: The Winter Solstice.

December 21st, 2009 Thomasso

It occurred around 9:45am this morning local time, and the darkness was very noticeable, but as the drizzle coated everything wet, spirits were high becuase this is the day of renewal: the winter Solstice. I pay special attention to this day because of its significance as a turning point in the year. I should also point out that I am not a religious person, but a person of reality who looks beyond fiction to see what is really there – and I see the magic of the universe in physics. The Earth has a tilt of 23.5 degrees on a elliptical orbit, with an orbital eccentricity of 0.017, which means that we get four extra days of summer compared to the Southern hemisphere, and our winters are equally shorter. Because of this tilling effect along the celestial equator, we get the seasons.

The significance of today is that from here on in the days will gradually get longer. For us who live in the Northern climates, this is a good thing becuase knowing that the cold and drizzly weather will be gone in about three months makes the hope and happiness of a new beginning something tangible to hold onto while it pours buckets outside, or a dump of snow occurs.

I remember asking my father why, if winter started on December 21, how come winter didn’t start when the days actually started getting shorter instead of now when the cycle was half over? He was unable to actuality answer this question, but he gave it a shot. He said, “Bureaucracy – when they were hashing out the calendar and fitting in all the days and months, trying to make everyone happy, other countries were getting cold weather later than the countries closer to the equator, so they compromised.” he said. For a very long time I bought that story. I was corrected in my beliefs during a high school science lesson on time and the seasons, when the teacher used a fancy model of the Solar System with a light bulb for the Sun that showed physically what was going on. Seeing the process in a model made the difference in fully understanding what was going on and how it all worked.

Of course, the reason for winter starting on the solstice is something called seasonal drag. Two things happen when the Earth tilts away from the Sun. First, the rays from the Sun slowly start to cover more surface area of the Earth, and as a result the energy is spread out wider on the ground. Second, it takes time for the atmosphere and surface temperatures to cool down as the heat is retained and releases slowly. So the really cold days do not start until the days start getting longer. The great news is, March is not that far away!

Happy Solstice! The days are getting longer!

Posted in Astronomy, Events, General | Comments Off

Overcoming Fear and Seeing the True Universe for the Very the First Time.

December 18th, 2009 Thomasso

It was sixteen weeks ago that I took up the challenge of doing a hard-based third year science course, the last of my science requirement in my degree program, and back then I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I embarked on Astro Physics. The fourteen week long course took me on some very wild rides as I fumbled with my scientific calculator, and gawked at the streams of formulas with enough Greek letters to make a bowl of soup with, and it made me ponder the true extent of our universe.

Last night I wrote my final for that class. At the end of the 3 hour exam, which I managed to complete before the required time period was up, I got my list of overall marks from the professor. I was elated with joy when she said that my final mark may hinged between a B or an A, depending on the outcome of my final exam. (I was happy that it was not the difference between a C or a B.) I remembered how hard the mid-term was. I squeaked in a borderline B+/A- in the mid-term, after putting a lot of hours repetitiously memorising the 150 pages of texts for that exam. The big blow to the chest was that the final exam was accumulative, meaning that it covered everything from day one till the final moment of the last class. I had to work harder for it!

I remember sitting in the class, dumbfounded, when we were given our Math labs. Physics has a dual whammy with it, in that it deals with theory and Math all in one, and they are inter twined. You can not happily wonder through the course with just the theory and not take in any of the Math components–you would never be able to answer any of the questions, or get full marks for them. So seeing numbers, huge numbers, written in scientific notation like this, scared the pants off me. But once I figured out to enter them into the calculator, and properly understand them, then the wheels started to turn for me.

I was hard on myself. I only saw the people in the class that were getting all of the questions. I did not see that the class mean was only 67 percent, or that a quarter of the class was very close to fail mark of 60 percent, depending on what benchmark you use from what degree program you are in. I made sure that I allowed myself several hours per week going over the notes, textbook and labs. Disappointment came from the labs becuase of the level of Math that was involved. One lab, I got 7 out of 30 marks becuase of not moving the decimal point far enough to the right when converting measurements when calculating Mass into Solar Units. In another lab I was given only fifty percent becuase my line on the graph was “sketched in” as opposed to a nice thin line drawn in. My graph making skills lacked in the Physics department. On top of that, I saw one student hand in a computer generated graph, and the prof accepted it–”hey I could have done that!”

Oh, I guess I should explain what the four numbers mean eh? Well, the first two are part of the world of Physics known as Physical Constants, the first is the speed of light measured in metres per second, and the next one is the mass, in kilograms, of a electron. The next two are are Astronomical Constants, AU, or Astronomical Unit which equals the distance form the Earth to the Sun in kilometres, and last one is the mass of the Earth in kilograms.

Posted in Astronomy, Criminology, Events, Homework and deadlines, Photographs, University classes | Comments Off

The World is One Big Blob of Light

November 15th, 2009 Thomasso

Back on Friday I completed the second half of my eye exam. This was the part of the examination where the Optometrist puts a couple of eye drops in my eyes that causes the pupils to dilate and then seeing becomes much more difficult, especially from object that emit light. My pupils looked like the size of loonies, they looked all black – a very freakish look I might add. They do this to your eyes so they can look at the back, inside of the eye, at the retina, to look for damage or irregularities. Fortunately my eyes checked out good for that part of the exam.

The weird thing was, when my vision start to change, it made me realizes what would happen if all of a sudden my eyes gave out. Even with the reduced vision my eyes stung when I went out side, and was even with the sunglasses on; light was going to hurt, the kind eye doctor warned me about before she applied the drops. She wasn’t kidding either. As I waited until later that night when it was dark out to take a walk, even the streets light hurt. Yes, I was wearing my sunglasses at night too when I went into the shopping market!

The whole eye thing is making me depressed. Mainly it is the huge cost of the glasses themselves. I have never used glasses before so the whole notion of getting tested and buying your first pair was never something I had to deal with before. The first thing that got me was the price, or cost of the lenses and frames. When I went in for the second test, I had asked several friends to tell me what I should do. They all said that I should seriously shop around for glasses at other shops and do price comparisons. The lady that spoke to me after I completed the eye exam, while I was half blind, started showing me the different brand names that they carry in the store. The break down of prices for what they recommended was $223.00 for the frames, and $242.00 for the lenses (including anti-glare and scratch treatment) which works out to a total of $465.00 with a $100.00 “cash back.”

However I did see, pardon the pun, something that was remarkable while I was sitting and experiencing my eyes going through the pupil dilation phase. I witnessed a young girl who also had just got her first pair of glasses, and she could see for the time objects far away. It was sad, and yet funny at the same time because she did not want to wear them, but was amazed, even shocked, when she had them on. The doctor took her outside in the parking-lot where she could see up at the buildings and the tops of the trees, things that she could not see before. But it was wearing them that really bugged her. I laughed when the doctor said that they really made her look beautiful. I think the little girl was then convinced that she should wear them after that endorsement.

When will I buy my first pair? I don’t yet. Time and cost are my deciding factors. I have to pay for next semester’s course, and already I four assignment due for next week. I may have to wait a few more weeks before I can release my hard earned money out. I will shop around though—that is for sure!

Posted in Events, General, Humour | Comments Off

Remembering, and Those Issues out of Context

November 11th, 2009 Thomasso

Today I walked by the cemetery along Glover Road where the Remembrance ceremonies were held to honour those who fought for our county and our allies and enemies alike. The turnout was impressive. It hit me that in my old age I can understand that during the time of the two great wars, and subsequent wars to follow, the sky was always blue, the leaves were always green and the birds always sang. Ninety years ago till now nothing has really changed, but only our technology. We are still the same bipedal hairy apes that need to eat, drink and sleep. Perhaps our knowledge has, but only if we have the Will to stop all of this nonsense so that we do not have to have a national holiday to remember those who fought and died for their country. Is it ignorance that we keep repeating history, or is it human nature that we keep on fighting?

The world of work has changed course yet again. Last week I was bombarded with so much chaos that I threw in the towel. Acting on news that I was going to be laid-off, I decided to do the most honourable thing that an employee can do which was quit as a matter of protest. There are some today (mostly employers) who still believe that it is law that all employees must give notice, at a minimum two weeks, or there are consequences. Apparently, news hit like a shock-wave throughout the company. The wave was enough to have the owner call me during the weekend and set up a meeting to find a solution. The three hour meeting yielded many fruits of opportunity and may pave a new path in my relationship with the company. Already so much has changed as a result of this.

My article that I wrote for the student paper called The Runner is now in print. It is weird seeing your own name printed in a news paper. When they get their web site up and running I will definitely link it here. See full article here.

I have just submitted my courses for next semester. (Actually that was on Monday.) This upcoming semester will be one of the most ambitious ones yet in my quest for completion of the B.A.. My Achilles heal (thanks Diane) is language, in particular French, so guess what I’m talking next semester? Also, quantitative “advanced” data analysis, or what is lovingly referred to as statistics, will be the other major course in my curriculum. Like the little lemming that is about to jump off the cliff, waiting for it causes more anxiety than the moment that you actually reach the bottom. I just want to get it done.

Posted in Bitching about work, Criminology, Events, General, University classes | 1 Comment »

Yes, It’s the Big Day: Halloween Is Here!

October 31st, 2009 Thomasso

It’s going to be a great night for the night of the dead, and all those kiddies, and big kids too, dressed up in costumes who are going to go out on the annual candy feast, the dead better watch out! And don’t let me forget that for the older kids, this is the night when the trick is worth more than the the treat. heh heh heh. The night will be almost perfect. Halloween this year is on a Saturday, so staying up late, parting with no regrets, is almost a certainty. Also, the moon phase will be almost full, at 95 percent waxing gibbous, at 13 days old. The temperature for tonight in the Fraser Valley will be up to a warm 12C, which is quite comfortable when wearing a heavy costume.

Added Around 7:30pm:

I walked around town for a few hours mainly to watch the various fireworks shows that were going on, but there was nothing big. There were lots of people walking around though. Only a few were dressed in costumes but mostly the average age group that I saw were the thirty somethings walking to the various house parties. A least they are not driving.

Interestingly I did not see one C.O.P. on the roads? Could it be that we are a well behaved society, or is it the silence before the storm? Stay tuned.

Posted in Astronomy, Events, General, Humour, Photographs | Comments Off

Half and Half With Happy Neighbours

September 21st, 2009 Thomasso

First, tomorrow is the Equinox, or the final day of summer and the first day of Autumn, around 2:18pm, September 22, 2009. Normally it falls on the 21 of September, but this year it is a day late. Well, really it is not late, that is the way our calendar works. Our calendar has a lot of bugs in it, so keeping events on track and uniformed is unfortunately impossible to do with it.

Tomorrow, me and some friends will have a little get-together, as we always do, to celebrating the passage of the seasons. I consider these moments true events without the hype and commercialism that most other celebrations go. We have debated this to death, and for better of worse, keeping it away from the mainstream is the better way to go. We try and attend right at the time that it occurs, but sometimes that can be difficult for some as it is either during the dead of night or during work times. For us keener’s, taking time off from work to celebrate it is just one way we keep it going.

This started for me back about 13 years ago when me and a couple of old high school buddies, who were all amateur astronomy buffs, realized that in order to really appreciate the seasons and the start of the new year, December 21 should be the day that we do it. We managed to keep it going ever since then. One buddy, Richard, even goes so far as to bring his spouse along, so now it has become a family event for swapping stories and having a few drinks, or in my case a good excuse to have a coffee with the old boys. Only a couple of us get together for the other three events, Fall and Spring equinox and the Summer solstice.

Last Saturday I reached the milestone of reaching 10 installations of the operating system Ubuntu-Linux within my neighbourhood. That is “out with the old, in with the new.” Old, meaning Microsoft in this case.

In every case of installing the new operating system it was due to users not willing to pay for the upgrades, and for the most part, their PC machines were old and slow compared to current standards, so the Window$ system would not work properly. There is sort of a consumer dilemma when it comes to buying a computer, that is, when you fork out up to and over a thousand dollars, you expect it to work for more than a year before you need to throw more money at it. So spending a $150.00 for an entirely new upgraded operating system is a good deterrent for anyone to continue to go along with the scam. And I do mean scam.

“It is hard to justify paying for something that gives me advertising, limited usage and viruses galore—there must be a better way?” my friend Kim said.

When I introduced them to the open source systems, they are stunned. It is like they never heard the word “Free” before. It is through word of mouth that they find out that such a world exists. And oddly, when they get frustrated with it, or they need some help and get mad, I tell them they could always go back to what they had before, they flat out respond with a “NO—Fix it!”

Special Note: Thanks Diane for catching those errors for me and bringing them to my attention. I hang my head in shame, and guilty as charged.

Posted in Astronomy, Events, General, Humour, Linux, Photographs | Comments Off

A Congratulatory Post to My Sister

August 22nd, 2009 Thomasso

I got some news yesterday from my sister, JM. She just found her first job at the start of her professional career as a caregiver in the health care system. For the last two years she had gone to college were she put herself through the rigours of evening classes and achieved all the necessary skills to work in this profession.

What is monumental about this turning point is that there were huge odds against her from seeking such employment opportunities at the start, and up until now. As we are all well aware there is a recession, or depression right now, (depending on whether you are employed or not) and any civil servant job, albeit from a public or private position, are very hard to come by. The cut backs in British Columbia are going to be huge as our provincial budget update coming this September has already started to leak out to the media. Even today, lay-offs and hiring freezes are in effect at most care homes for the elderly. Long term care and nursing positions have being drastically frozen too as every budget in the public sector will be trimmed. The money just is not there to support the system right now.

My personal belief is that jobs are always going to available in this segment of the work force because the tail end of the baby-bombers are just 10 to 15 years away from hitting retirement—that is simple logic. Public or private, the demand is most definitely going to exist and grow over the next 30 years for senior’s nursing care. With so many people getting up into their golden years and living longer, the toll on the healthcare system is most likely going to be tax to its death. Canadians are not going to take being asked to pay for higher taxes, so electing governments that promises tax-cuts is now the trend; just look at our federal government right now and see what they represent. However, Canadians will demand their healthcare, and it will not be there for them unless they can pay for it privately because the public purse will shrink. As I see it, the healthcare system will just be the shell of its former self.

With all of this doom-and-gloom, getting a job right in the middle of the economic downturn is a triumph of both good fortune and hard work. Perhaps the real message I am saying here is that education is the key to weathering a good economic meltdown. We will always have labour in the workforce at any time, but specialists and professionals are always going to be in demand no matter where you sit in the business cycle.

Posted in Events, Family, General, Social economics | 2 Comments »

I Tip My Hat with Honour

August 15th, 2009 Thomasso

Since I’m on a run with catching up with all the of the blogging I have missed from writing exams over the last two weeks, I thought I would pay tribute to those who have worked hard and made it to graduation, before I call it a day. I know how much of a big deal it is when you climb the highest mountain, swam the deepest water or completed the highest degree, you just want to stand for a moment and breath it in, those priceless few seconds as you reach the summit. It is when your pen drops on the desk and you walk over to table at the front of the class and hand in the fruits of your labour that those few seconds start.

Very dew people will know how much effort, time and money went into reaching that point, the end of a very long road. This year, from my institution, an estimated 30 student will have reached that milestone in my degree program. Although I will not be up there with this term’s group of graduates, basking in the limelight of the convocation, I will be there as a spectator as several of my friends have invited me to share this highly prestigious moment with them.

From my last Monday class, lovingly called CRIM4900, I found that six or seven of the student in that class alone were spending there last few moments as students as they handed in their exams. At this level, all of them will have completed their Bachelor of Arts in Criminology or some other degree. They all have paid their dues, four years, 120 credits, 40 to 50 courses. It’s nuts eh?

So I raise my glass to you all for a job well done! Aaron, who I have had the privilege of sharing many group and research studies with in all those classes we shared. Carol, who showed me that no matter how hard-ass the prof is, they to are people and have feelings—although they sometimes don’t like to show it. Evelyn, Sheryl, and Candace who made poster making in social sciences that much more enjoyable—glue bonds more than the word to paper—it bonds the pen as well. Parhm, the silent genius who rescued me from the wrath of hard-base quantitative statistics and foiled the bell curve. There are many more, and I will miss you all.

Please queue the song, “School’s Out Forever,” by Alice Cooper 1972.