The Domain of Steven

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I finally took some decent pictures after learning more about how to use a camera (especially regarding focus and cropping).

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A trip to the optometrist on Thursday revealed two interesting things:

• I have innate monovision.

I’m not sure whether he took a stab in the dark or he already knew, but he pointed out to me that while my right eye is unable to clearly see objects far away, it’s adept at seeing things up close. Conversely so, my left eye can more easily see objects far away, while unable to clearly see things up close. I already knew my right eye was lacking, but I never noticed that my left eye had a deficiency of its own. It’s not something I had laser correction or glasses for, and it’s strange that I can’t find any webpages talking about innate monovision. I would’ve preferred to have a hypnotic gaze, eye beams, or even the ability to change the color/shape of my iris, but at least it’s a sightly mutation. What may not be so sightly, however, are the glasses I purchased after finding out that my left eye (far sight) no longer has perfect far vision. What better lead-in could one ask for?

• I got glasses.

I know. I felt a slight chill today, which might have been because I was wearing short sleeves but also because Hell froze over. For sixteen years and almost eight months I’ve been defying the Chinese stereotype of wearing huge glasses, a reputation which may soon come under fire. My distance vision is no longer perfect, and while I can still see enough to function in most situations, I don’t know how far or how fast my vision will deteriorate. So when the shit hits the fan, I want to be prepared, which is why I went and got glasses. I don’t plan to use them often, if at all, but they’re there if I need them.

There’s certainly a difference in distance vision when I wear them, and it’s interesting to be able to see far away with my right eye (albeit still not as well). However, I find myself unable to wear them for more than a minute without getting a headache, less if I’m walking or moving around. That in itself, along with the chance that I may become dependent on the glasses, is enough to dissuade me from wearing them too often, counteracting my disregard for personal apperance. Boy, these lead-ins are great.

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Steven Li — Homework 1
Writing Class S — September 17, 2004

The Li Solution to Dirty Streets

The 2001 animated movie “Osmosis Jones” tells the story of a white blood cell and a cold pill combating a lethal virus inside of a human body. In the end, after driving the victim to the brink of death, the virus is destroyed when it falls into a conveniently placed beaker of alcohol. A common sight in operating rooms and bathroom medicine cabinets, alcohol is widely known as a disinfectant for surgical instruments, cuts, and any surface that needs to be immaculately clean. Despite its frequent use in the home, it has yet to be used on a larger scale, even though the inside of our homes are cleaner than the outsides of them. A walk in a ghetto reveals streets full of garbage and dirt, bacteria and viruses, all of which we’re being exposed to every day. Our most unsanitary location deserves our most powerful cleaning agent: alcohol.

The traditional method of applying alcohol, rubbing it on a surface, would be both tedious and time-consuming if used on our streets. Not only would many workers be needed to wipe down surfaces, but cleaning equipment and barrels of alcohol would need to be on mobile platforms so the workers could access them. Instead, trucks with tanks of alcohol and hoses attached to them would patrol the streets, spraying alcohol in a wide pattern. While difficult-to-reach areas would not be thoroughly cleaned on contact, the liquid nature of alcohol would ensure that every crevice would be reached. This method would require a hefty initial investment but would complete the job faster than manual labor and would require as few as two people manning a truck.

The state of the area after spraying depends on the level of alcohol used. For less troublesome streets, trucks would be outfitted with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl), which would evaporate a short time after application. Though there is no residual alcohol, if the fumes ever become unpleasant, the alcohol solution could be modified to include a fresh scent. Alternatively, another truck could follow the first, spraying the area with air freshener or fanning the surroundings to hasten the dissipation of the odor. For areas that require a heavier application of alcohol, a higher alcohol concentration (known as a higher proof) would be needed. In addition, the alcohol may be applied more liberally, in order to increase the amount of time before the alcohol evaporates. Residents would be advised to stay away from street cleanings during this time and remove their cars from the streets, a tradition that is currently being followed under penalty of a fine.

Though isopropyl is able to destroy bacteria by denaturing their proteins and breaching their cell membranes, it is unable to deal with hydrophilic viruses such as polyoma. In environments beyond the range of alcohol’s ability are encountered, one of two follow-up measures may be employed. In areas with adequate storm drain coverage, a similar truck will follow shortly afterwards, but with tanks containing boiling water. When the water is liberally used, the alcohol will be diluted to an ineffective point, which is where the extreme temperature of the water will come into play. A method often used by cooks, flash-heating the streets will denature and kill all harmful microorganisms as well as removing the alcohol. In addition, the presence of water will serve the same purpose as today’s street cleaners do: wash away garbage. This is not used as the primary cleaning method due to the extremely high temperature that need to be maintained and the need for drains to take away the water.

In cases where such prerequisites cannot be fulfilled, another method of flash-heating can be employed. The alcohol truck will fill the actual street with a high proof alcohol while it sprays the sidewalks with the standard lower proof alcohol. After the truck is some distance away and while there is still alcohol on the street, a worker will ignite the alcohol on the street. This would not only provide the necessary heat to kill off the harmful microorganisms, but it would incinerate any trash on the street. As the flames are a potential hazard, the lower proof alcohol on the sidewalks will prevent the flames from spreading too far, since the solution will have a higher concentration of water. Eventually, the fire will burn off the alcohol, leaving a dry clean street.

No matter how extreme the method, the end result is what should be judged. Alcohol, fire, and boiling water are effective on their own, but combining them ensures that there would be no doubt as to the cleanliness of our streets. Not only is it thorough, but its results can be seen immediately. If an alcohol truck has to avoid a street because there are parked cars impeding its progress, there will be a stark contrast between those sprayed and those not. That visibility factor, the ability to see the results of our hard work and money, is perhaps even more important than the fact that we no longer expose ourselves to billions of microorganisms when we take a walk. That is what we should strive for, and that is what can be accomplished.

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Steven Li–Homework 2

Class S–September 24, 2004

Reverse Engineering-It’s Not Limited to Computer Programs

A hacker is commonly imagined as a computer programmer who uses his or her skills to break into a computer system through the Internet. However, one does not need a computer to be a hacker, as the first hackers actually predated the Internet. Instead of exploiting security holes in programs, they exploited security holes in people. Common sense tells us to be wary around strangers, but conversely so, we let our guard down around people we know. The first hackers, called social engineers, used this common behavior to swindle thousands, sometimes even millions, of dollars from corporations as well as gain access to confidential information. All of these thefts were made possible because though friendship is a symbol of civilized culture, it is rarely kept in check and has become our greatest weakness.

Many of us don’t realize that friendship is a weakness at all. Friendship is associated with warm fuzzy feelings and memories of a group of co-workers or classmates enjoying each others’ company after a long day; what do not come to mind are the memories of cheating and backstabbing. Oftentimes, this is only because lucrative opportunities do not frequently appear. A broken alliance in a board game, perhaps a dollar for a drink that was lent but never returned—these are things that we’ve all encountered, but never paid much attention to because they were on a small scale. This does not mean, however, that people would not seize an opportunity given the chance. We act for our own benefit, and if the benefits of breaking the friendship outweigh the benefits of keeping it, we would logically choose to break it.

It’s hard to imagine what goal could justify cutting ties with your best friend, but that person being your best friend does not imply the inverse; you may not be his or her best friend. Social engineers are efficient because while their target will think of the social engineer in good standing, the social engineer may care little about the target. Keeping professional is something that anyone can do, but not everyone can notice. By building up friendships, the social engineer increases the potential reward for abusing the relationship, while the absence of feelings for the target keeps the backlash upon cashing in the reward at a minimum. The social engineer only needs to routinely socialize with the target in a polite and amiable nature, removing a need for a deep connection to be formed in order for the target to think of the hacker highly. Many of us already: spark small talk with a fellow commuter, making a social call, or stopping by a coworker’s desk for a minute. When repeated, the two people stand out more vividly in each others’ minds, even if they have no relationship outside of those talks.

We’re certainly not all social engineers, but we all have acquaintances that meet this description. If they asked you for a small favor, you would comply in the interest of keeping the relationship alive. If you declined, they would see you in a negative light, and we instinctively avoid ruining things we cherish, in this case the friendship with the other person. As the friendship gets stronger, the favors can get larger. Social engineers use the favors to get targets to break protocol and inadvertently give them access to what they want, but ordinary people can use the same favors to solicit what they want as well. If those people subtly show that they have nothing to offer you, they can garner favors without having to sacrifice anything of their own, other than socialization time. This is seen as early as the first time students get homework, as someone will eventually plead a friend to let them copy the homework. This comes at no apparent cost to the one with the homework, yet helps out the other person immensely. However, should the teacher catch them in the act, they will get in trouble, and the guilt of the one with the homework would outweigh future socialization with the homework copier. The lesson is not always learned, as the homework copier is sure to make assurances that they won’t get caught next time, and if the target is stubborn, the copier has a class full of other potential homeworks to prey upon.

Obtaining homework is miniscule in comparison to obtaining the equivalent of a senior executive’s yearly salary in one shot, but the possibility for either to happen is equal. The only requirements are effort and congeniality, things that cost nothing and are available to everyone. The fact that everyone may be a potential conman should not make one misanthropic, but rather people should simply be aware of the dangers present in the world. Being tricked by a friend is not something that only happens on television, but a definite possibility to anyone who remains ignorant. If more people were enlightened, the number of social engineers would decline, and we could all enjoy our friendships safely, as it was meant to be.

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Those homeworks are double-sided, too.

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(7:51:23 PM): so they study and study and study freshmen math and eventually it turned into ’study’ and then finally study and then eventually STUDY
(7:51:36 PM): so yeah…
TactOps88 (7:51:36 PM): STUDY eh

On the topic of chivalry
iii THEPOPE iii (10:48:21 PM): yeahh its very basic but its nice
iii THEPOPE iii (10:48:43 PM): and how they let you go first ahha
iii THEPOPE iii (10:48:45 PM): its so fun
TactOps88 (10:48:57 PM): lol
iii THEPOPE iii (10:49:07 PM): but itd suck if we were both to jump off a building
iii THEPOPE iii (10:49:10 PM): id have to go first >_<
TactOps88 (10:49:17 PM): lol
TactOps88 (10:49:29 PM): they’d go first because it’s mean you’d have a shorter and softer landing
iii THEPOPE iii (10:49:41 PM): ahah aww
TactOps88 (10:49:53 PM): as morbid a version of chivalry that may be…
iii THEPOPE iii (10:50:06 PM): lols yeas but that would be very very nice lols
TactOps88 (10:50:09 PM): lol
iii THEPOPE iii (10:50:11 PM): esp since i like my bones lols
TactOps88 (10:50:13 PM): you’d be freaked out
iii THEPOPE iii (10:50:35 PM): idont thnk that ever happens unlesss the two are like in those freakish love scenes
TactOps88 (10:50:41 PM): “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll jump first, so you can land on my dead carcass and have a better chance of living, albeit probably paralyzed and in great pain for the next week.”
TactOps88 (10:50:48 PM): “Adios!”
TactOps88 (10:50:51 PM): *wheee*
iii THEPOPE iii (10:51:12 PM): LOLs
iii THEPOPE iii (10:51:14 PM): -_-;
TactOps88 (10:51:18 PM):
iii THEPOPE iii (10:52:42 PM): altho
iii THEPOPE iii (10:52:47 PM): that would be more romantic
iii THEPOPE iii (10:52:49 PM): rather than
iii THEPOPE iii (10:52:52 PM): chivarly right
TactOps88 (10:52:56 PM): yea
TactOps88 (10:53:13 PM): more like you’d risk your life for the slightest chance that your loved one might live
TactOps88 (10:53:17 PM): than chivalry
TactOps88 (10:53:28 PM): i’d give you my umbrella
TactOps88 (10:53:39 PM): greater air resistance!

I’m done reading!