As some of you may have noticed, the URL of this blog has been changed to fangjinghk.blogspot.com, which is part of my proposition to change the orientation of this blog to a more personal/casual one. (I know it is not very techy now, but I am hoping by such a shift I can focus more on my life and write more frequent posts.) What do you think of such a change? Drop me a line to let me know.
June 10, 2011
May 8, 2011
The two stages
In junior high, we learned in literature class the famed piece Yueyang Lou Ji (《岳阳楼记》) by the prominent Song-dynasty literary figure Fan Zhongyan. In it there were two most important sentences that have been quoted by writers and scholars throughout the one thousand years after Fan's era. They were Xian tianxia zhi you er you; hou tianxia zhi le er le (先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐, literally "Worry before the whole nation do; enjoy after the whole nation have done"), and Bu yi wu xi; bu yi ji bei (不以物喜，不以己悲, literally "Feel no ecstasies for the outer world; feel no sorrows for your inner self").
Back in junior high, I didn't fully understand either of these two sentences. By senior high, I think I already understood the first sentence, to think about state affairs and the future of the country before most everyone does, but I still couldn't bu yi wu xi and bu yi ji bei. Not until this day, I realized that I am now nearly capable of the second level, with myself unmoved by the many happenings, be it agreeable or unfortunate, in life.
May 2, 2011
Vocabulary Learning
I unexpectedly saw this article on learning vocabulary and found it quite interesting. I especially like his notion that "reading in Chinese can, in a sense, improve your English." I heartfeltly agree on this. On the other hand I am encouraged to have found quite some words the author (who I assume a native English speaker) was learning in college that I already know. This article also points out for me an online version of the American Heritage, which is nice.
I have been taking an approach to vocabulary quite different from this author. I'm thinking about trying out his though.
April 30, 2011
April 28, 2011
Supernatural?
I am not superstitious, but this morning something happened in our dorm room that I cannot explain with any physical knowledge that I know. By the time I went to bed, the room light was off, and the A/C was on; the lights in the bathroom were on too.
About 5:55am this morning, I was woken up, by the sudden turning on of the room light and the simultaneous powering off of the A/C. I woke my roommate up, and told him what happened, and he had no idea why either. The electrometer for the A/C was not working; I tried to switch off the light, but despite that the switch can be moved, however many times I hit the switch, the room light stayed on. My roommate went up to the bathroom, only to discover that all the lights in the bathroom went off as well.
I called my electronic-engineering-major father, but he couldn't explain this. Before I finished my phone call, everything went normal all of a sudden: The A/C turned itself on again, and the room light switched off. The lights in the bathroom were also back to work again. This unnatural event lasted three to five minutes.
Until now I still cannot think of a good explanation for all the linked events. Can anyone help me on this? I think I will report this to the Student Residence Office.
April 25, 2011
How to produce an asterisk in LaTeX
Strangely I cannot find a document online showing how to produce a single asterisk (*) in LaTeX, except the centered version (by \ast in math environments). Multiple asterisks in a row are fine (**, ***), which are displayed as they are, but if you simply type * or \*, nothing will be displayed in the compiled file. After trial and error (which fortunately didn't take long), I figured out a solution by typing \** (yes, two asterisks) in the normal environment, which produces a single asterisk (*) in normal size and position.
April 8, 2011
A US government shutdown?
"They've got to be laughing at us right now" in China, said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry. "How terrific that the United States of America can't make a decision."
But a democracy that cannot resolve on a decision is still better than a dictatorship, very efficient might it be. Reuters: Lawmakers bicker over budget as shutdown looms.
April 2, 2011
Official transcripts
One TMer, philecon, posted on Feb. 22 ,
I logged in on Virginia's applyyourself webpage, and my application status still says Incomplete. I actually e-mailed the admissions office, and they informed me that I could send a pdf copy of my transcript, but I should send an official copy if I get admitted. And I already sent them a copy a month ago.I do agree that some graduate programs are really inefficient in documenting the application materials, and I have no idea why would some programs refuse to accept an unofficial copy (whether of transcripts, or GRE/TOEFL reports) for review purposes. I mean nobody is going to fake this since the true copies are sent for check later, but this will save a lot of effort (and money) for the admissions officers as well as the applicants. Why can't we just make life easier for everybody?
March 19, 2011
A Market for Hukou
Amid the soaring housing prices in numerous major cities in China, some local governments have proposed contractionary housing market policies to cool down the fervency, including limiting the purchase of additional new housing and that by nonlocal residents. In Beijing, temporary residents without a Beijing hukou are now forbidden to purchase residential housing until they have been working and paying taxes in the municipality for five years. Some netizens even suggest that Beijing residents (hukou holders) make money by faking marriage with nonlocals who have the intention of buying a house in Beijing, and divorcing afterward.
The ill-justified hukou system has been a long-time issue, constantly debated among Chinese intellectuals. While seriously doubting the equity, efficiency and validity of this current housing purchase limitation policy, I cannot stop thinking about allowing people to trade their hukou under the existing system, so that people (like me) may get some extra cash by leasing out their little used Beijingese ID. If the government established the system only to limit the number of residents in urban areas to avoid congestion, then exactly who live there should not be an issue.
This cap-and-trade system can potentially make a huge market and a partially efficient solution, if the trading cost and barrier could be lowered to ground.
March 10, 2011
Economics Rankings
A few rankings in Economics that I found helpful:
World rankings:
- ARWU. Also known as the Shanghai ranking.
- Tilburg Top 100 Ranking
- IDEAS. Compiled by the "largest bibliographic database dedicated to Economics and available freely on the Internet". But use this one with caution.
US rankings:
March 3, 2011
How to use a toolbox in Matlab
A Matlab toolbox is a batch of functions dedicated to a specific purpose, e.g. statistical analysis. Most Matlab distributions contain a handful of toolboxes of their own; they can be accessed from the "Start" button at the lower-left corner of the Matlab interface. But once in a while you may need to install external toolboxes for usage in a particular area.
Days ago I came across the Econometrics toolbox for Matlab (different from the (other) Econometrics toolbox installed with the Matlab R2009a distribution; see help econ) which I need for my Honors Project. At first I couldn't figure out how I can use the functions in this package, and I googled but there was no relevant document either. Thanks to Amanda and others, I eventually figured this out.
First you need to move the folder of the toolbox to some domestic location; I would suggest Document\MATLAB on Mac machines where is the default folder for Matlab files. Then, from the menu bar, choose File > Set Path..., click Add with Subfolders... before choosing the folder of the toolbox (which includes all functions of it). Now you should see all subfolders of the collection you've chosen included in the list on the right. Save it, and now you should be able to command any function newly added like all other functions. Enjoy!
February 17, 2011
CUHK MPhil Econ Interview 面经
On Feb. 10, I was informed by telephone of the interview. It was to be conducted on Feb. 17, 10:50am at CUHK's Econ Department. I was also told that the interview would last for about ten minutes, and that I should bring with me my HKID. Formal dressing code was advised by the lady.
Before the day of the interview I search online forums about this interview, and found little resources. Some report that CUHK's panel will ask technical questions depending on your area and courses you've taken, ranging from the IS-LM model to the assumptions in classical linear regression. Since I was participating in the MCM contest day and night for four days only one day before the interview, and I had homework to finish and lessons to go to in the only day in between, I really had little time to prepare. However, I still managed to dig out my Intermediate Macro and Econometrics textbooks to take a look at relevant graphs and theorems. That was the little preparation I did.
I left the student residence of HKBU at about 9:25 on Feb. 17. It was only four train stations to CUHK, so I was not in much hurry. In fact it only took me a little more than half an hour to get there (including the walking), but I think that is not unnecessarily too early because I think I benefited from the extra time in reviewing what I had prepared and gaining some confidence. I called the secretary and told her that I'd arrived, and she told me to report myself after 10:30 at the office facing the interview meeting room. During this period I made out the IS-LM model in my mind and committed the classical linear regression assumptions to memory.
There were three other students waiting outside the meeting room by the time I went there. I signed on the name list, and began conversing with the students. The one to be interviewed immediately before me was a CUHK mainland student majoring in Math; the other two, interviewed after me, were from the MS program at HKUST, and who had done their undergrads at Nanjing University and Zhejiang University respectively.
Not long after the CUHK girl left, I was summoned. There were two panelists, both seemed to be Hong-Kongers. Questions are mainly from the professor on the right side, asked whiling reading my application materials (mostly my transcripts), and the other only made brief comments. They first asked what is an "Applied Economics" program (which is what my undergrad program is called), and the difference from a normal "Economics" program. I told them that there should be little difference, and in fact many programs in HKBU has this unnecessary "Applied" in their titles. They then inquired about whether we have a three or four year program, and why the first year (Foundation Year) doest no appear on my transcripts. I replied that the Foundation Year did not count toward my GPA. They also asked why some courses on my transcripts do not have a grade (those are courses that I am exempted from), and whether I had a minor (Math). Lastly they asked why the Real Analysis course in only a 2000 course in HKBU, while in CUHK it's a 4000 course. I replied that I wondered the same thing and in fact Real Analysis is probably the most difficult in the whole undergraduate math curriculum. At the end I asked them how many students were invited to this interview and when I would be informed of the result, and got 40 students and within one to two weeks as the answers.
Generally my previous worries about technical questions proved to be unneeded. They only cleared some concerns they had with my transcripts, and the questions are in fact mostly to my advantage. I left CUHK with confidence, given that this MPhil program recruits nearly twenty students each year, and despite they might interview other students separately (say in Shenzhen), but overall since there must be students who decline their offer eventually, the odds of getting admitted are very high to those interviewed. The interview seemed only a "sanity test", or a final double-check before extending their olive branch.
Before the day of the interview I search online forums about this interview, and found little resources. Some report that CUHK's panel will ask technical questions depending on your area and courses you've taken, ranging from the IS-LM model to the assumptions in classical linear regression. Since I was participating in the MCM contest day and night for four days only one day before the interview, and I had homework to finish and lessons to go to in the only day in between, I really had little time to prepare. However, I still managed to dig out my Intermediate Macro and Econometrics textbooks to take a look at relevant graphs and theorems. That was the little preparation I did.
I left the student residence of HKBU at about 9:25 on Feb. 17. It was only four train stations to CUHK, so I was not in much hurry. In fact it only took me a little more than half an hour to get there (including the walking), but I think that is not unnecessarily too early because I think I benefited from the extra time in reviewing what I had prepared and gaining some confidence. I called the secretary and told her that I'd arrived, and she told me to report myself after 10:30 at the office facing the interview meeting room. During this period I made out the IS-LM model in my mind and committed the classical linear regression assumptions to memory.
There were three other students waiting outside the meeting room by the time I went there. I signed on the name list, and began conversing with the students. The one to be interviewed immediately before me was a CUHK mainland student majoring in Math; the other two, interviewed after me, were from the MS program at HKUST, and who had done their undergrads at Nanjing University and Zhejiang University respectively.
Not long after the CUHK girl left, I was summoned. There were two panelists, both seemed to be Hong-Kongers. Questions are mainly from the professor on the right side, asked whiling reading my application materials (mostly my transcripts), and the other only made brief comments. They first asked what is an "Applied Economics" program (which is what my undergrad program is called), and the difference from a normal "Economics" program. I told them that there should be little difference, and in fact many programs in HKBU has this unnecessary "Applied" in their titles. They then inquired about whether we have a three or four year program, and why the first year (Foundation Year) doest no appear on my transcripts. I replied that the Foundation Year did not count toward my GPA. They also asked why some courses on my transcripts do not have a grade (those are courses that I am exempted from), and whether I had a minor (Math). Lastly they asked why the Real Analysis course in only a 2000 course in HKBU, while in CUHK it's a 4000 course. I replied that I wondered the same thing and in fact Real Analysis is probably the most difficult in the whole undergraduate math curriculum. At the end I asked them how many students were invited to this interview and when I would be informed of the result, and got 40 students and within one to two weeks as the answers.
Generally my previous worries about technical questions proved to be unneeded. They only cleared some concerns they had with my transcripts, and the questions are in fact mostly to my advantage. I left CUHK with confidence, given that this MPhil program recruits nearly twenty students each year, and despite they might interview other students separately (say in Shenzhen), but overall since there must be students who decline their offer eventually, the odds of getting admitted are very high to those interviewed. The interview seemed only a "sanity test", or a final double-check before extending their olive branch.
January 16, 2011
Inefficiency of Dictatorship
I used to think that dictatorship may be more efficient (in a sense) than democracy, as the orders by the dictator could not be challenged and would be carried out without delay. While reading Prisoner of the State (by Ziyang Zhao), I am now coming to realize that dictatorship may have more inefficiencies in its own regard - despite the existence of a dictator, people who work under him or her still has their own takes on issues which differ from that of the dictator. However, they dare not express their opinions directly to their boss. The only thing they can do is to carry out something mediocre, not exactly what has been dictated, nor what they believe would be best. While everyone doing the same, each making his or her work fall short of what their boss asked for, the government can never be really efficient.
January 1, 2011
Books read in 2010
Books in English:
- Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
- G. Polya, How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method
- Jostein Gaarder, Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy
- Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
- Loraine Blaxter, Christina Hughes, and Malcolm Tight, How to Research
- Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success
- Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
- Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie
- Tobias Oetiker, The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX2e
- Yutang Lin, Moment in Peking
Books in Chinese:
- 柏杨 《丑陋的中国人》
- 王文山 《美国名校全奖得主申请资料写作范例》
- 许轶、曾舒煜 《留美申请白皮书》
- 韩寒 《1988：我想和这个世界谈谈》
- 韩寒（主编） 《独唱团》
December 30, 2010
The 7 Habits and Confucianism
Recently I have been rereading The Seven Habits by Stephen Covey which I first read in junior high. When reading, I find that the Seven Habits are sometimes closely related to the wisdom taught by Confucianism. For example, Habit 6 is Synergize: "Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems." Covey teaches that it is most important to find the difference in people's paradigms and respect this difference. This makes me think of the teaching by Confucius: "The superior man is affable, but not adulatory; the mean man is adulatory, but not affable (or I would rather, The gentlemen are in harmony but does not need to agree on the same things; the villains agree but are not in harmony; Junzi he er bu tong, xiaoren tong er bu he)."
At the same time, Covey says that Synergy is the essence of nature. Everything is in such harmony in nature; everything is so synergized. Laozi, the founder of Daoism, says, "Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Dao. The law of the Dao is its being what it is (or, The Dao takes its law from Nature)."
December 25, 2010
December 19, 2010
Liberty and freedom
Marginal Revolution: Google ngram: the word "liberty"
Source.
But if you plot both "liberty" and "freedom", you'll see that, added together, the use of these words still declines.For the pointer I thank Kevin Edwards. The link here allows you to see the full graph. In contrast, here is "freedom."
December 13, 2010
The Legal State
Today I read on NYT that
But two other cases — United States v. Lopez in 1995 and United States v. Morrison in 2000 — limited Congress’s regulatory authority to “activities that substantially affect interstate commerce.”When will I be able to see a case in China titled PRC v. Wang?
December 3, 2010
Things happen.
My Gmail account is close to the storage limit. What am I going to do?
Been using it for five years.
Been using it for five years.
December 2, 2010
No ads Wikipedia?
I don't understand. Why can't Wikipedia post some ads on its pages to make up for their operational costs? If they integrate Google text ads it won't be a distraction for the readers while it may even provide some relevant commercial information to them. Since editing Wikipedia is made by volunteers, the revenue generated from these text ads should be more than sufficient to maintain its operation, given that Wikipedia is the fifth most visited website on the World Wide Web. It's not like because you are a non-profit organization then you cannot post any ads on your website; it's not like advertising is an unethical conduct - and if it is, then Wikipedia needs to remove that strikingly colorful photo of Jimmy Wales from its billions of pages.
Posting ads is good to Wikipedia (so that it does not need to go this far to beg for donations), good to its readers (so that they don't need to face Jimmy Wales every time they use Wikipedia and may also get some relevant information in the text ads), and good to the economy as a whole (after all most commercial activities will indeed increase the revenue of the whole society). Then what's been hindering Wikipedia?
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