Occupy...

I had a little conversation with some of my classmates last night about Occupy Wall Street movement. One identified himself as a Republican and the other didn't know what it's all about. And she started the topic as she wonder what people are protesting about. Across the hallway, members of Occupy Birmingham (Birmingham version of Occupy Wall Street) were having a meeting.

It's like Tea Party movement. There is no organization that lead the movement, and it's not like political party, but they are frustrated. Tea Party seems to me concerned about increasing national dept and deficit on government budget, and in contrast, Occupy movement is concerned about economy, jobs, welfare. Certainly Tea Party was one factor that led the Republicans to gain seats in the House, but reaction to that was Occupy movement. When a part of the public leaned to cutting tax and government size to hand money on the market and public sector, others saw the  wealthiest ("1%") take those money to benefit themselves.

I agree with the man in a sense that there is probably little they can change with the movement. If they literally occupy Wall Street and shut down the market, world economy will crush. It would get even worse... But at the same time I also sympathize with them. It's certainly better than doing nothing. Having been already so big and global, they have audience. Government leaders have to listen to them.

I recognize myself as a liberal. As for economy, I don't fully trust in private sector. There should be government involvement in economy. I'm for universal health care. I don't think it's good idea to let private sector alone handle such a critical part of human life.

I understand the argument for flat tax rate. But, I think the wealthy should pay more tax. If every wealthy person voluntarily gave back to society for the lower class, that's perfect. But unfortunately, not every wealthy is good enough to care for the less fortunate.

For me the government is to protect the people, not to harm. In a sense of taking more money from the wealthy, it may be not protecting, but they can afford more than necessary anyway. The government should support the needy, and help them to live.

JSU 14 Kentucky 38

JSU lost to Kentucky.

While I hoped for another upset like they did against Ole Miss last year, I also expected it wasn't gonna be like that amazing game. Even though Kentucky lost so many games, they are a SEC team. And JSU's defense has not been successful throughout this season. All their wins were come-from-behind. To me, it seems JSU has a very good offensive team and a struggling defense team.

For this game, JSU couldn't defend against Kentucky's rushing offense. Then, when they expected rushing, they turned to pass play. The defense has been struggling against other FCS offenses. They should have been prepared even more when playing a SEC team

Penalties were frustrating too. How many illegal formations were taken? It's just worthless fouls.

But, we had two touchdowns and some good plays. We are still on 1st place in OVC. If they can train and make competitive defense, JSU Gamecocks would be a really good team and even go to playoff and possible National Championship.

Funny when you're dead, how people start listening...

"If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in a river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song"

I couldn't stop listening this song by the Band Perry a couple of weeks ago. It reminds me of a hymn "Some Glad Morning." Both songs don't look death negatively. Certainly death is something very scary, but I want to take it more positively like these songs.

The Band Perry also sings about days after death.

"Penny for my thought, oh no, I'm selling it for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner.
And maybe then you hear the words I've been singing
Funny when you're dead how people start listening"

Many don't notice how much the person mean until he or she is gone (including myself). I wonder how everyone reacts when my life is over.

By the way, I don't really like to listen this song in pops version. Once while I was driving, the radio started playing pops version of it. I couldn't keep listening because it just doesn't match the mood the song was making with what it was singing about. I know some people couldn't stand country music but this is too much.

I can say same thing about Lady Antebellum's songs. I don't like the pop version of "American Honey," "Need You Now" etc.

Now I gotta go back to studying for midterms... I know what I'm studying is worth it but it's so boring... maybe because of professors... Sigh....

High Speed Rail?

It's fall break and I'm back in Calhoun County. It's good to be back, but for midterms coming up next week, I need to study too.

Plus, I think I have to get a new coffee maker. This is what happened two days ago...

I fixed it right away, but it fell apart again... I think it's over three years old and it's about time to get a new one. I could get a replacement decanter, but shipment make it more expensive than just getting a new unit.

New coffeemaker would be GE's. It looks cool, and by this happened, I'm not sure if Mr. Coffee is reliable.

Anyway, those things are something that I worry about lately.

So, maybe I wrote this before, but I think Alabama is in need of reliable high speed rail network. Before moving to Birmingham and starting classes at UAB, I had to make several trips between Jacksonville, AL and Birmingham. It's about an hour and half drive for one way.

One time for my TB skin test, I drove twice in three days to Birmingham for TB skin test, which is required immunization at UAB.

For me, trip with ride for over an hour should be done for something at least taking a half day to get done or a huge event. Like, Six Flags or football/baseball game. It's not for something I can finish in like an hour.

Especially when you have to drive. I like to drive but one and half hour drive and traffic in Birmingham are energy-consuming and very tiring.

Imagine that a high speed rail run where I-20 currently runs, connecting Atlanta and Dallas, capable to run around 200 miles per hour. I only have to drive to Anniston/Oxford to get on the train. It's about 60 miles between Oxford and Birmingham. Even if it stops at Lincoln, Pell City and Leeds, it won't take even an hour.

It's about 20-30 minutes drive from Jacksonville to Oxford. You can reach to UAB campus in 10 minutes from downtown of Birmingham.

So I guess it would be total of about an hour or a little more. Plus, you don't have to drive all the way.

It would be even better if there is inter-city rails. If you're coming back from Birmingham, you can get of the train at Oxford, and transfer to a train that run between Talladega and Fort Payne via Calhoun County. Or it can be between Auburn and Fort Payne. But anyway, in this case, you change to the train bound for Jacksonville and just get off the train at station in Jacksonville and ask somebody to pick me up. Or if I drive and park at the station, then I only have to drive short distance to get back to my residence.

Again, I do like to drive. It would be even better if I can get stick shift. But not so much when you have to drive a long distance. I want rather ride a train for about an hour and read a book or something.

Well, I haven't really driven back to Jacksonville over past three weeks, so I just thought about it.

Boring lecture

Fall break is here! It's kinda cool to have such break in the middle of the semester besides thanksgiving. JSU doesn't have fall break so this is something unique for me. A semester is shorter at JSU but still good to have a little break.

As I'm writing this post, I just got out of class. This particular class is so boring. And I don't know for sure the reason of boredom.

The professor, she knows stuff she is talking about. Her lecture is well organized. It's not a simple summary of the chapter from the textbook.

Another class, where an adjunct teacher gives a lecture, is also lecture-based, but more interesting. The both classes use Power Point. The slideshow is prepared well too.

Maybe because nature of the class subject itself is boring. But the other class has some theory too. Actually last week, the stuff we learned was very theoretical.

Maybe because this boring class lacks real examples. The instructor of the other class actually works with a nonprofit. But, even a theory-centered lecture class can be interesting, and I have taken such classes when I was undergrad.

Maybe because of her way of speaking? Her voice is relatively small and I sometimes have hard time to understand her.

Well, sometimes she just read through things on the slideshow. The lecture is not as concise as the other class.

That's right, conciseness is the key I think. If not concise, there is no point of lecture.

Now, how do I stay focus on this class...

Water stops

Is it usual that water stops two or three times a month in apartment complex?

I remember one time when I was a freshman at JSU, the city's pipe busted and for the next five days or so while they was fixing the pipe and refill the tank, there is no water in my dorm. That means no shower.

It was nasty. It was a week of final exams too. I had to study hard, go to class to take the tests, and I could not take shower. But since then they haven't had trouble with water supply.

I woke up around 9:30 a.m. today, it was a little late comparing other days but it was a good sleep. I don't have to wake up early because all my classes start at 7:00 p.m., but it's better to be up early because I can use more time for study or whatever I do.

Then I notice there was a paper notification on my door yesterday about water stop for the main water line repair. It says water stops from 9:30 to 3:30. So, I could not take shower this morning and I decided to stay in my apartment to study.

I think this is fourth or fifth time they stopped water since I moved in in August. It's like twice a month. One time was inspection by the city, so it was necessary. But it would be better if they could have fixed with one water stop.

I don't know what's wrong with main water line, but hopefully this time the water problem is fixed and everything goes without water stop.

Where is Mandheling coffee?

As the blog title explains, coffee is quite important part of my life. In my home in Tokyo, I have a coffee mill. One drama, in which one coffee house actually let guests ground coffee beans, started my current coffee habit.

A couple of weeks ago, I cut off caffeine for a week. It was because I was kind of running short of money and curious about how it would be like going through the abstain. It was tough. I have been without caffeine on weekends or off days but not in the middle of a busy week. I had an assignment due in the next week. I couldn't focus on it and on lecture in classes as well.

When the decanter of my coffee maker fell apart, I was literally frozen for a moment. I have to fix this or get a new machine. I need a way to make coffee. I cannot afford to go to Starbucks every morning...

My favorite coffee is Mandheling. When I was in Tokyo, I have variety of choice. I tries several kinds like Mokha, Blue Mountain, Kilimanjaro. But Mandheling is not soar and not so bitter. It was so balanced.

I couldn't find Madheling here in Alabama except Winn Dixie. Closest one from my apartment is one in Cahaba Heights, which is about 20-30 minutes drive. I couldn't find in Publix, Food World, even Walmart!!

Where is it? Where can I find my favorite coffee?

Better Routes for Gamecock Express

On a previous post, I argued about transportation in Alabama. This time it's about Gamecock Express.

Gamecock Express is Jacksonville State University's transit system. It serves around the campus and between the campus and Walmart. Certainly, this is something we needed because there was no other way to get around the city of Jacksonville than car and possible long walk.

I have once actually walked from the campus, which is northern part of the city, to Walmart, near southern city limit. It took one hour just to get to Walmart.

So, we got an alternative to reach the other end of the city. But, from what I heard, it's so slow... I've never used it because by the time they introduced the transit system, I got a car. In day time, I see some passengers in those buses, but when people moves on campus, between classes or lunch, cars are on the move too. Some people just drive into the campus for the first class of the day, and some leave the campus after the last class. Walking may be the fastest way to get to the class.

And when they are in class, bus is nearly empty but still runs... That is just wasteful of fuel!

It seems to me that unsuccessful bus system has only one hub stop. Birmingham MAX has only one at Central Station. Gamecock Express at JSU has only one hub behind cafeteria, which is a kind of center of the campus. It forces students to transfer after driving around Trustee Circle. They should put hubs by Stone Center, which is north end of campus, Stadium Residence, which is south end of campus, and Coliseum. Hubs at Stone Center and Coliseum helps commuters to park and ride to wherever they wanna go on campus. One at Stadium helps trips from one end of campus to the other.

Plus those systems try to make stops as close as possible to each "building," like Gamecock Express get into parking lot of Winn Dixie and Walmart. It takes extra time to get in and get out. If it stops at Winn Dixie on the way to Walmart, they can just stop by the entrance of the parking lot and go on. It's not like public taxi services.

They don't have to enter deep into center block of campus like Trustee Circle. That just takes too much time just go through such a narrow road with speed bumbs. I think they just need a few routes stopping by Bibb Graves and Ayers Hall and Mason Hall.

When you go to Times Square in NYC, there are subway stations one to three blocks away from the place, but not "at" Times Square because not all people go to Times Square. Some may have office three blocks south of the station, and some may be going to a theater two blocks east from the station.

That's how public transportation works. It may not fulfill all the usefulness of driving personal vehicles, but it serves the general public fairly. You may have to walk a few blocks, but you don't have to drive in congested traffic and spend hours to find parking spots.

Better Gamecock Express for me is like this:

One runs on the roads separating campus and residential area, 11th Street, Church Avenue, Mountain Street, Park Avenue NW and Highway 204. Buses runs clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Possible stops are Stone Center, Rowe Hall, Alumni House, TMB, Stadium Residence, Struts, UPD, Mason Hall, Tennis Court/Coliseum, Patterson Hall, Logan Hall, Brewer Hall, Merrill Hall, then back to Stone Center.

One connecting Stone Center and Stadium Residence mainly on Highway 21 with stops by Merrill Hall, Brewer Hall, International House, Library, Bibb Graves, TMB, and Colonial Apartment.

One between Coliseum and Stone Center via Dixon Hall, Sparkman Hall/Ayers Hall, International House, Martin Hall/Wallace Hall (Nursing) and Rowe building.

One route between campus and Walmart, near city limit to the south. a southbound bus departs Coliseum, and stops by Grove/Reserve complex, Patterson Hall, Logan Hall, International House, Bibb Graves/TMB/Stephenson Hall, Mountain Street (by Waffle House/Quiznos), Square, Food Outlet, Winn Dixie, CVS, Baja Grill, Walmart and Jacksonville Medical Center. A northbound bus leaves the medical center and stops by Rocket's, Advanced Auto Parts, Save-a-Lot, Food Outlet, Square, Post Office, Alumni House, Library/International House, across Logan Hall and Patterson Hall, Grove/Reserve complex, and Coliseum.

Current Gamecock Express Routes. By making stops by every single building, buses have to run longer distance than necessary.

My idea of bus routes. Boxes filled with lines represent residential buildings. Routes should be as straight as possible unless there is an absolute need of stops. Two routes stop by Bibb Graves and TMB for access to on-campus dinning. All three routes depart from Stone Center since most students are required to take basic courses here such as English and History.

Route between JSU (north) and Walmart/Medical Center (South). It runs only on Highway 204 and 21.

Each route goes both direction; clock/counter-clock wise, north/south. east/west.

Depending on where you are, you might have to walk 5 minutes or so, but come on. We used to have to walk 15 minutes to class.

You may notice that no route runs through Trustee Circle on my plan. Well, that one-way circle is not a good road for a transit to run. Every time bus comes back to the central station behind the cafeteria, it takes a few minutes to make over a half of circle before reach to the station. University Circle in front of Bibb Graves would serve much better as a central station; the circle is small, Highway is closer. But, I'm sure the staffs of that administraton building won't give up that nearby parking space.

Buy or fix?

It's been a long week.

I had a presentation for my class and it was a group project. Tuesday and Wednesday was used mostly for the presentation.

In Thursday morning, I was going to eat at food court for lunch and bring leftover of curry rice for dinner. So I cooked rice, and put curry and rice in my lunch box. I ate Taco Bell for lunch, then I went to library to work on one of my other class's assignment. Around 5:00, I went to my car by BCM and opened trunk, then noticed that there is not what's supposed to be there. Apparently, I left my lunch box in my apartment.

So, I would have no meal before my night class. Fortunately, one very kind friend at BCM offered me a couple pieces of pizza. But it was disappointing to leave something I made for myself.

Friday morning, I was making coffee, and when I pulled the decanter, its handle came off. It seemed that some kind of glue that supported the hold of handle and glass lost its grip and screw got loose for some reason. Walmart didn't have a replacement decanter for my machine. Ordering it online would cost the same as getting a new unit because of shipment.

When I took out the screw I found out the plastic of the handle dissolved and stick to the screw. I couldn't take it off of the screw so it became useless. So, if I couldn't get a right screw, I had to get new one.

Well, my coffee maker is three years old. Maybe the decanter fell apart because it was old. Perhaps I'm ready for new one?

I went back to Walmart today, but they were still out of stock of the decanter. If you pay extra five dollars, you can get a new coffee maker with a little more capacity. But instead, I got 1/2" screws for a dollar.

It was a little thicker than the original one, but it went in. It's still loose but hold it anyway. So I didn't spend $17-20 for a new machine.

It's been a stressful week, but at least I've gone through.

It was also college football day. JSU beat Murray State, Alabama beat Florida. UAB lost to Troy by one point. So UAB doesn't have a win for this season yet... I started to think JSU is better than UAB, at least for football. Basketball is a reverse, but you know... Just JSU's game is more exciting. Especially since JSU upset Ole Miss last year. Who knows.

I guess I wrote enough. It seems that this post is so random... Topics jump around... Sorry but hope you enjoyed.