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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Powerless but okay
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Comprehensive Must Read High School Review
At some point in life, one is confronted with the reality that one has to spend four years of one's life in an institution that's called high school. And to some, even to re-acquaint oneself with it once or twice or a few times later in life. I didn't go to any high school here in America, my America high school knowledge is mostly hearsay.
Being a somewhat caring and responsible parent, I have decided it's about time to get to know high schools better instead of and in addition to just watching Saved by the Bell, Hollywood, 90210 and 21 Jump Street reruns on TV.
I could preface all the below HS with "This is the high school you want your kids to go to ..." but I guess it goes without saying.
Hunter College High School
If your kids meet their requirements like 690 on ELA and 733 on Math, they will get a letter from the middle school saying that they can take the Hunter's Entrance Exam. Sometimes, on the number 7 train on my way back home, I see some Hunter HS students, they are usually quite cheerful (for the simple fact that they are going home I guess) and good looking. The world is just not fair. Smart and good looking. Three United States Supreme Court justices went there and so was Cynthia Nixon.
Stuyvesant High School
I was there once many years ago as a guest. Four Nobel laureates are alumni. Other notable alumni include Lucy Liu and Tim Robbins.
The Bronx High School of Science
I read quite a bit of HS reviews (that's why I am an expert). I think this is like the only HS people don't really complain about. This is a big HS, I say huge. I went there last year in the evening. And parking wasn't any easy. I remember kids playing Chinese yo-yo or diabolo (are they the same?). If you want your kids to play Chinese yo-yo in a respectable HS, this is the only HS to go to. The students there are bright and cheerful.
Bard High School Early College Queens
If I am not mistaken, this HS offers a HS education and an associate degree upon graduation in four years. Do you still have a life? I know all good HS are rigorous. But still, this is frightening. You need to pass their assessment test and then an interview to get in. I was impressed the time I was there. Mark, the school student representative and the principal Ms. Thompson did a great job representing and introducing the school. Ms. Thompson was actually at the elevator bank directing parents to follow her when the kids went to take the exam. The campus is in a building shared with two other HS and a community college. By all accounts, it should suck. But I actually find the campus oddly pleasant perhaps because of its bright decor and open atrium in the middle. Overall I have a positive vibe.
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education
USNEWS ranks it the number one high school in New York State. The ranking probably sets it up for disappointment. During my visit, I was impressed by one and only one thing: The super tight no photography security. A parent raised his cell phone, apparently wanted to take a picture of the crowd waiting at the entrance was immediately warned of no photography by the lone security woman at the front desk twenty feet away. I think the parent thought he was going to die because he just wanted to snap a picture. Once inside the make-shift auditorium, I saw the guidance councilor David-Lang talking to a group of parents came prior. This went on for a good ten minutes while the 2nd group was kept waiting and waiting for his introduction and the slide-show to begin. Being a New Yorker, I just have no tolerance to this kind of wait, if he's not ready for the second group why letting us in? There is really little or no campus to speak of, kind of expected but still disappointing. I got the chance to talk to a history teacher, she was nice and helpful.
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
It was a rainy evening when I got there so it wasn't the greatest open house experience but the principal and the students made it kind of worth my trip. The open house ended at the auditorium where the principal and some twenty students gave a Q&A session. It seems like a good HS. Again there is little campus to speak of unless you count the shared facilities with York College. It's expected but still disheartening.
Being a somewhat caring and responsible parent, I have decided it's about time to get to know high schools better instead of and in addition to just watching Saved by the Bell, Hollywood, 90210 and 21 Jump Street reruns on TV.
I could preface all the below HS with "This is the high school you want your kids to go to ..." but I guess it goes without saying.
Hunter College High School
If your kids meet their requirements like 690 on ELA and 733 on Math, they will get a letter from the middle school saying that they can take the Hunter's Entrance Exam. Sometimes, on the number 7 train on my way back home, I see some Hunter HS students, they are usually quite cheerful (for the simple fact that they are going home I guess) and good looking. The world is just not fair. Smart and good looking. Three United States Supreme Court justices went there and so was Cynthia Nixon.
Stuyvesant High School
I was there once many years ago as a guest. Four Nobel laureates are alumni. Other notable alumni include Lucy Liu and Tim Robbins.
The Bronx High School of Science
I read quite a bit of HS reviews (that's why I am an expert). I think this is like the only HS people don't really complain about. This is a big HS, I say huge. I went there last year in the evening. And parking wasn't any easy. I remember kids playing Chinese yo-yo or diabolo (are they the same?). If you want your kids to play Chinese yo-yo in a respectable HS, this is the only HS to go to. The students there are bright and cheerful.
Bard High School Early College Queens
If I am not mistaken, this HS offers a HS education and an associate degree upon graduation in four years. Do you still have a life? I know all good HS are rigorous. But still, this is frightening. You need to pass their assessment test and then an interview to get in. I was impressed the time I was there. Mark, the school student representative and the principal Ms. Thompson did a great job representing and introducing the school. Ms. Thompson was actually at the elevator bank directing parents to follow her when the kids went to take the exam. The campus is in a building shared with two other HS and a community college. By all accounts, it should suck. But I actually find the campus oddly pleasant perhaps because of its bright decor and open atrium in the middle. Overall I have a positive vibe.
The Baccalaureate School for Global Education
USNEWS ranks it the number one high school in New York State. The ranking probably sets it up for disappointment. During my visit, I was impressed by one and only one thing: The super tight no photography security. A parent raised his cell phone, apparently wanted to take a picture of the crowd waiting at the entrance was immediately warned of no photography by the lone security woman at the front desk twenty feet away. I think the parent thought he was going to die because he just wanted to snap a picture. Once inside the make-shift auditorium, I saw the guidance councilor David-Lang talking to a group of parents came prior. This went on for a good ten minutes while the 2nd group was kept waiting and waiting for his introduction and the slide-show to begin. Being a New Yorker, I just have no tolerance to this kind of wait, if he's not ready for the second group why letting us in? There is really little or no campus to speak of, kind of expected but still disappointing. I got the chance to talk to a history teacher, she was nice and helpful.
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
It was a rainy evening when I got there so it wasn't the greatest open house experience but the principal and the students made it kind of worth my trip. The open house ended at the auditorium where the principal and some twenty students gave a Q&A session. It seems like a good HS. Again there is little campus to speak of unless you count the shared facilities with York College. It's expected but still disheartening.
Emails Intercepted ...
FROM:
AAAAA AAA Adam
TO:
bbbbb bbbb the builder
CC:
ccccc cccc cat
ddddd@
Message flagged Monday, October 15, 2012 5:50 AM
Do u think that there will be a war that would last eight years again? No one would dare to come into China? China is unconquerable. But if china can't win a skirmish quickly or suffer a severe naval setback, people would soon realize that its PLA is nothing but a paper tiger. With the kind of discontent simmering in the country, it is sth they have to think about because the people's anger at the Japs would be re-directed at the Commies.
Sent from my Banana
On 2012年10月15日, at 下午3:58, bbbbb bbbb <redacted@redacted.com> wrote:
top communists work up as a group, very efficient to fuck Bo and his wife, settle all the matter before the 18th CCP conference.
Do you know why Japanese want to end up the conflict with China ASAP, time is on the side of China. In any long term conflict, the enemy will fuck up, even Japanese realized that. the character and behavior of China mobs are the most powerful weapon of the CCP against the western power or Japan, rather than the aircraft carrier, missiles or J-10, J-11, J-13 Jetfighters
> Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:11:52 +0800
> From: aaaaaa@aaaaaa.com
> To: redacted@redacted.com
> Subject: Re: Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend
>
> I do believe China have some crack units which are well-paid, well-t rained and world class. Just look at China's gold medal haul in the Olympics. But in a prolonged conflict, it is a different matter. The Chinese communists can only come up with some showcase things that mesmerize some people. When the CCTV camera crew is gone, every thing is fucked up. The other day, 许鞍华 was stolen in a hotel or someplace. Once it was known that she was the famous film director, it took the local police a few hours to crack the case. Is the local police this efficient in other times?
> But it is impossible for those crack units to be totally oblivious to what is happening in the rest of China. They have relatives, haven't they? Somehow, they know what is going on in China. In a society riven by such income inequality and such prevalence of fake products, can people trust each other as a team?
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "bbbbb bbbb" <redacted@redacted.com>
> Sent: Monday, October 15, 2012 12:20:28 PM
> Subject: RE: Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend
>
>
> welcome back aaaaaa, read your long mail later.
>
> but some response
> in Shanxi, the ancester of Bill of Exchange in China.
>
> I disagree with you, in the long term war, enemy will fuck up, even the Emperor of Japan admitted that in WWII, same as in Russia. But in a short term war, say in confrontation with Japan over those islands, or even short term war in Vietnam in 1979, PLA will fuck up.
>
> read your long mail later
> ddddddddddd
>
>
>
> > Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:09:42 +0800
> > Subject: Excerpts from an email I sent to a friend
> > From:
> > To: dddd@ddddd.com
> >
> >
> > What happened in <redacted>, aaaaaa? I was in China for one day
> > with my relatives, some of them distant ones, in September to attend a
> > wedding party. I didn't realise at the time things wer e that bad in
> > China.
> >
> > I don't know what your friend would say after reading your
> > observations about Northern China or China in general. <redacted> I think.
> >
> > ddddd
> >
> >
> > On 15 October 2012 11:49, <dddd@ddddd.com> wrote:
> >
> > In a way, I am very happy to be back to HK. I was so worried that I
> > couldn't come back before the Chinese National Day/Mid Autumn
> > Festival. If you check it out on the internet, it got really chaotic
> > during those Golden Holidays. Besides I was getting tired after a
> > while when all those people seemed to be trying to get a few extra
> > bucks from me all the time. Things were particularly bad in 平遥/山西。
> > Their ancestors, who built up their banking businesses (银号）almost two
> > hundred years ago on the back of honesty, must be turning in their
> > graves if they saw how their descendants have degenerated into. In the
> > Northeast, never mind the Ermeneguildo Zegna stores or the Lafite
> > wines they are drinking, if you scratch the surface you will find a
> > Chinese peasant/country bumpkin right away. People chuck their rubbish
> > wherever they like, spit all the time (though the situation was better
> > than 9 years ago when I first stepped foot on Manchuria), talk at an
> > unbelievable loud voice, yell when they are on their cell phones, jump
> > the queue and elbow their way into the train （though once settl ed,
> > they can talk with you about civility and other subjects eloquently).
> > OK, these are all superficial things, but these are the things that
> > count. Even by their admission, the quality （素质）of their fellow
> > Chinese people are bad. And I am appalled by the lack of trust amongst
> > the Chinese people. The degree of apathy/indifference was alarming.
> > Trust is what bonds people (li ke you said). A society won't be too
> > efficient if people harbour such distrust of each other. Maybe, that
> > is why China has done so badly in team sports. I wonder what would
> > happen if China ever gets into a prolonged war with its enemy. There
> > is a cosmic disconnect between what you see on TV and what you
> > experience on the ground when the CCTV cameras stop rolling.
> >
> > When Deng opened up China in 1979, he said 'to get rich is gl orious.'
> > The potential of the Chinese people, long stymied, was released.
> > Economic value had to be increased all the time. It was GDP, my
> > friend. Resources have to be mined. If there is a scenic spot in the
> > vicinity, fence it off, build a tower and start charging entrance fees
> > even though no one has a clear idea where the money finally goes. Like
> > in everything Chinese, this sort of Capitalism soon takes on Chinese
> > characteristics. If you are a government official, you have to use
> > your position to make as much money as possible for yourself while you
> > are still in office. For many others, they don't have any qualms about
> > selling fake foods. For men, to cheat is the way to go. For women, if
> > she is young, beautiful and have a good figure, the way to go is to
> > offer her body as a means to get what she wants while s he is still
> > desired by men.
> >
> > Hey, I am not saying HK or elsewhere is perfect. I am just shocked by
> > the apparent lack of shame as manifested by these people.
> > Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have long been the pillars of the
> > Chinese society. But under communism, all these people have grown up
> > ignorant of them. And everyone knows Communism is a pack of lies,
> > those at the top have no idea of what is going on at the grassroots
> > levels. They travel in tinted limousines protected by police escorts.
> >
> > I saw a lot of slogans in <redacted>, <redacted> and elsewhere exhorting
> > people to be honest. It is like my theory that the more you talk about
> > it doesn't mean you have any of it. Just because you talk about
> > harmony doesn't mean you have harmony in the society. Ditto honesty.
> > China right now is a 男盗女娼 society， The men are thieves and the women
> > are whores. This nation has no 礼义廉耻 （broadly translated as politeness,
> > loyalty, free of corruption and the feelings of shame).
> >
> > The mainlandisation of HK is not a good thing, or even in the
> > interests of China. After all it was a vibrant HK that enabled China
> > to get back up after the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. <redacted>. Many
> > people in HK are also impressed by let's say, the Chinese satellites
> > orbitting the moon, the latest aircraft carrier or the number of gold
> > medals China won in the Olympics...But look closer...70% of the
> > Chinese male population in the Northeast are smokers, and most of them
> > chain-smoke. They still look like the Sick Man to me. I really don't
> > c are much about those athletes who won glory for the communist party.
> > It is irrelevant to me.
> >
> > Sometimes I think the Chinese communist party and the Chinese people
> > (in China) deserve each other. Remember the episode I told you about
> > when I was in <redacted>. I was the one who stood up against that
> > jerk. Everyone else, except me and the other Guangdong guy who had the
> > window seat, signed their names in the review sheet.
> >
> > So when you brought me into this category of 'Chinese men', I am
> > slightly offended because being Chinese in China to be is 男盗女娼。
> >
> > aaaaaa
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