Saturday, February 28, 2009

Linux Tip: Retrieving Files From Unbootable Windows partitions

You are a Windows person. You've been using Windows for your daily work, school, or something else. One day, you turn on your PC, and, for whatever reason, you can't boot your Windows. You try every trick you know without success. Your last resort is to recover your precious data from your unbootable Windows partition — if your hard drive is still in good condition and accessible. You could use a Windows Vista installation CD which lets you use the unfriendly Windows repair console.


You can also use Linux to retrieve files from your troublesome Windows partition. If you don't have Linux installed in your computer, you can use a Linux Live CD that's available free from the Internet. A live CD lets you try something without installing it into your computer. Most Linux installation CD's released today are also live CD's. For example, you can try an Ubuntu CD to test-drive Linux and also access data from your broken Windows partition.


Assuming that you booted into Linux, start xterm, konsole or Gnome terminal. Mount your Windows partition with the following command so that you can access and copy files from Windows — specify your Windows partition in place of /dev/sda1:


mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sda1 /mnt

The command above mounts your Windows partion /dev/sda1 on the directory /mnt. Now, you can change the current directory to /mnt and list its contents like this:


cd /mnt

ls

Plug in your USB flash so you can save your data on it. Then, mount your USB flash onto /media &mdash assuming your flash drive is /dev/sdb1 and the directory /media exists:


mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /media

Now you're ready to copy files from your broken Windows partitions to your flash drive using Linux. The following example illustrates copying files in Linux:


cd Users/Kenneth/Documents

cp project7k.doc /media

mv finance9b.xls /media

tar cf - folderX | (cd /media; tar xf -)

The first command in the example above lets you change the current folder to Users/Kenneth/Documents — that's the typical path to user data in Windows Vista. The next commands copy the file project7k.doc and move finance9b.xls and folderX to your flash drive mounted on /media.


Once you retrieve your data files from the broken Windows partition and save them on your USB flash, you can go ahead and wipe your Windows. Then, you may choose to reinstall Windows, or better yet, try and install Linux. My recommendation is Debian Linux.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Calculus Formulas: Finding Anti-Derivatives

Properties of Definite Integrals


Properties of Definite Integrals

Basic Properties of Integrals


Basic Properties of Integrals

Derivatives of Definitive Integrals


Derivatives of Definitive Integrals

Table of Integrals


Table of Integrals

Calculus Formulas: Finding Derivatives

Basic Formulas of Derivatives


For any two differentiable functions f(x) and g(x):



  1. f(x)=c (c is a constant), then f'(x)=0
  2. g(x)=cf(x) (c is a constant), then g'(x)=c·f'(x)
  3. f(x)=xn (n is a rational number), then f'(x)=nxn-1
  4. y=f(x)±g(x), then y'=f'(x)±g'(x)
  5. y=f(x)·g(x) then, y'=f'(x)·g(x)+f(x)·g'(x)
  6. y=f(x)/g(x) (g(x)≠0) then, y'=(f'(x)g(x)-f(x)g'(x))/g2(x)


Derivatives of Various Functions



  1. y=ex then, y'=ex
  2. y=ax then, y'=ax·ln(a)
  3. y=ln(x) then, y'=1/x
  4. y=logax then, y'=1/(x·ln(a))
  5. y=sin(x) then, y'=cos(x)
  6. y=cos(x) then, y'=-sin(x)
  7. y=tan(x) then, y'=1/cos2(x)
  8. y=arctan(x) then, y'=1/(x2+1)
  9. y=arcsin(x) then, y'=(1-x2)-0.5


Derivative of Composite Functions



  1. y=f(u), u=g(x) then, dy/dx=dy/du · du/dx
  2. y=f(ax+b) then, y'=af'(ax+b)
  3. y=fn(x) then, y'=n·fn-1(x)·f'(x)

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Kamehameha the Great and His Epic Conquest

When Captain Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands, young and ambitious Kamehameha first encountered white men, including Captain Cook, and witnessed the wonderful novelties of white men's civilization, such as their guns and metallic weaponry. It was since this encounter that Kamehameha awakened to the new ways of the world and began nourishing his great dream of uniting the Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha was one of the noblemen on the Big Island of Hawaii, and a nephew of the aging ruler of Hawaii, Kalaniopuu. Upon his death, Kalaniopuu bequeathed the icon of Hawaiian war god Kukailimoku to Kamehameha, but named his son Kiwalao as his ruling heir, and also handed down a big portion of the Big Island to Kiwalao.

In the years that followed (1780's), the Big Island of Hawaii found itself in frequent feuds between Kamehameha and his allies, and Kiwalao's alliance. In 1782, Kiwalao was killed in a battle at Mokuohai by Kamehameha's ally Keeaumoku. Kiwalao's younger brother Keoua and Kiwalao's uncle Keawemauhili escaped the skirmish and remained strong amid occasional conflicts with Kamehameha.

On the leeward side of the Hawaiian archipelago, other lords ruled the other Islands. Most powerful of them was Kahekili of Maui. By 1786, Kahekili had Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Lanai under his rule. Kahekili also had a peace pact with his half-brother Kaeokulani, lord of Kauai.

Since Cook's discovery of the Hawaiian Islands, many ships from the United States, Britain and other nations came to the archipelago as a resting stop on a long journey through the immense Pacific Ocean to replenish their supplies, such as water, salt, fruit and pork. The Hawaiian natives were eager to barter with the white men to get Western goods, including various novelties and metal. Of particular interest to Hawaiian chiefs were firearms of haoles that could give advantages to the warring lords of the Islands. Soon, Hawaiians enthusiastically bought or stole guns and metals from foreign ships that stopped at Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha, with his keen foresight, was not exception to the first Hawaiian arms race. He captured two Englishmen Isaac Davis and John Young, and had them working for him as gunners. He also acquired a small cannon from a vandalized ship Fair American and called it Lopaka.

With western firearms and English aides, Kamehameha was ready to set out his conquest. In 1790, he invaded Maui and came short of capturing Kahekili's son Kalanikupule. Failing so, he had to return to the Big Island upon hearing about war there. Keoua had killed his uncle Keawemauhili and ravaged Kamehameha's territory. Kamehameha engaged Keoua in indecisive battles before both sides withdrew. One day, Kamehameha built a ritual tower and invited Keoua for discussion. Keoua accepted Kamehameha's ominous invitation and arrived at Kamehameha's ritual site in Kawaihae. Upon setting foot on the beach from his canoe, Keoua was fatally wounded with a spear thrown by Kamehameha's lieutenant Keeaumoku. Thus, Kamehameha got rid of his last opponent on the Big Island of Hawaii, and became the Lord of Hawaii.

In 1791, Kahekili, together with his half-brother Kaeokulani, his foreign gunner Mare Amara and many warriors, sailed for Hawaii to challenge Kamehameha. This battle was the first in Hawaii that saw both sides have foreign gunners, Mare Amara with Kahekili, and Isaac Davis and John Young with Kamehameha. The battle was so fierce that it was called Kepuwahaulaula, the battle off the red-mouthed gun, but no side came out winner. Kahekili withdrew to Oahu. In the quiet years that followed, Honolulu began to transform into a port city when the Englishman William Brown discovered the usefulness of Pearl Harbor. Yet, in mid-1794, Kahekili died leaving Oahu to his son Kalanikupule and other leeward islands to his half-brother Kaeokulani.

Soon after Kahekili's death, Kalanikupule and Kaeokulani turned against each other. They fought each other on Oahu. Kaeokulani was outnumbered and outmaneuvered by Kalanikupule and by Englishman William Brown's men and muskets. In the end, Kaeokulani was killed. In January, 1795, Kalanikupule killed Brown and forced the surviving shipmates to sail the ships for Hawaii to wage a war against Kamehameha. However, Kalanikupule was soon overturned and forced overboard and ashore to Oahu. The shipmates sent a note to John Young and Isaac Davis on Hawaii, telling the plot and its outcome, and left for Canton, China.

Now that Kalanikupule was without military advantages, Kamehameha invaded and took Maui and Molokai in the early months of 1795. Next, Kamehameha took his fleet to Oahu and drove to Nuuanu valley Kalanikupule and Kaiana, once Kamehameha's ally but now his traitor. Eventually, Kalanikupule and Kaiana were cornered and put to death.

At this point, all of the Hawaiian Islands were within the grasp of Kamehameha except Kauai, which was under the rule of Kaumualii. Kamehameha made two attempts to invade Kauai, both resulting in failures. The first attempt to attack Kauai in 1796 was overturned when strong winds and waves turned back Kamehameha's fleet heading to Kauai. The second trial also failed because of the outbreak of an epidemic, possibly cholera or typhoid fever in 1804. Discouraged by two failed attempts, Kamehameha was practical enough to make a compromise with the lord of Kauai, Kaumualii. In 1810, with the help of mediation by an American trader, Nathan Winship, Kaumualii accepted Kamehameha as the supreme ruler of the whole Hawaiian archipelago. In return, Kaumualii would continue to govern Kauai as a tributary king under Kamehameha. Thus, Kamehameha finally united the Hawaiian Islands and built the first kingdom in Hawaii after almost three decades of war.

Upon uniting the islands, Kamehameha laid foundation for the Hawaiian kingdom. He appointed and sent governors to each island. The governors were chosen among his close and loyal chiefs. Kamehameha kept his rule absolute and powerful by directly relaying his commands to his governors and immediately crushing any opposition when such happened. He also established Hawaii as the lively commercial center of the Pacific. Kamehameha controlled Honolulu harbor and oversaw mercantile activities occurring in the harbor. Frequently, he intervened in deal-makings with foreign merchants who sailed to Hawaiian Islands as a stop to replenish food and water. He strictly controlled who could trade with other islands besides Oahu by sending his messengers with foreign merchants to relay his orders to his governors in other islands. However, the foundation of Hawaiian economy was still agriculture and Kamehameha understood it well. King Kamehameha set his people the good example of hard labor by planting taro himself in taro patches and by going on a fishing expedition.

In retrospect, by looking at the feats and deeds of King Kamehameha, his motives to unite the islands may have been to found a strong Hawaiian nation that could bring stability across the Hawaiian isles and strength against foreign forces. At the first encounter with Captain Cook, young Kamehameha may have realized that the world outside Hawaii was so advanced and dynamic compared to the Hawaiian isles. He must have realized that Hawaii had to change. Growing up, he had seen wars between Hawaiian lords. There had to be an end to feuds between Hawaiian people. To this end, he must have felt the need to unite the Islands. Once the Hawaiian islands were united as one kingdom, he could lay a strong foundation for the Hawaiian nation and lead the Hawaiian people for better change so that they could adapt to dynamic foreign influences and resist any foreign forces.

To unite the Hawaiian isles, Kamehameha used both old and new methods. Open-minded about new ways, not only did Kamehameha employ guns, cannons, and warships from foreign merchants, but also advices and aids of foreigners, for example, Isaac Davis, John Young, and Nathan Winship. On the other hand, Kamehameha was still a faithful supporter of old ways at heart, worshiping war god Kukailimoku, building ritual towers heiaus, and consulting soothsayers.

Kamehameha's government was an absolute monarchy in which Kamehameha presided over foreign commerce and foreign affairs of the Islands. However, each island and each district had its own governor and chiefs who governed the area on its own to an extent. He controlled trade on each island through his governors. He also kept strict Hawaiian kapu system to ensure his absolute rule.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Speed Reading

We are living in the age of information overload. Most of us have to constantly read or process a lot of information just to keep up with the fast pace of our business or school. We need to read fast, and a lot faster. But reading fast requires a skill. There are many different techniques for speed reading. What follows is introduction to one of speed reading techniques.



Why we can't read fast



There are 3 major reasons that hinder speed reading:




  • Habitual regression

    A casual reader occasionally stops reading when he or she encounters an unknown or ambiguous word. This dramatically slows reading while reducing the efficiency of the short-term memory used for reading. Remember, the context is more important than the precise meaning. An efficient reader should quickly read through the material and look up words only before or after the reading.

  • Polysyllabic fixation

    English, like most Indo-European languages, is a polysyllabic language. That means most English words are made up of two or more syllables, for example, hospital, hippopotamus, etc. Most adult readers can recognize thousands of polysyllabic words instantly when they see the words because they recognize their shape, length, syllables and prior learning. However, poor readers tend to read words by each syllable, thus resulting in slow reading. On the other hand, speed readers pass over the words very quickly, taking in all the rest of the stuff with brain-eye coordination and memory.

  • Subvocalization

    Subvocalization often occurs simultaneously with polysyllabic fixation. Most readers speak while reading, either in their mouth, in their throat, or in their mind. This is a bad habit for people who need to read a lot of material.


Organization Patterns: Parts-to-Whole vs Whole-to-Parts


Efficient readers can apply different reading skills to different materials, be it fiction, non-fiction, magazine or newspaper. Most reading materials can be put into two categories: fiction and non-fiction. They have two different organizational patterns, for example, parts-to-whole or whole-to-parts.

Fictional works have the parts-to-whole pattern. When you read something fictional, you don't know until the very end of the story what it is all about. When you read a fiction, you need to understand the parts and put the parts together so as to understand the whole.



Nonfictional materials like textbooks have the whole-to-parts pattern. A typical textbook begins with an introduction of what you're going to read or learn, then the actual contents divided into sections, and finishes with a summary or conclusion. Thus, the organization of informational books leads you from the whole to the parts. You get the big picture and then its components.



Preview before Reading


A good reader should preview a reading material and select an appropriate reading strategy according to the organizational pattern of the material. It is always important to preview the reading material before you actually read it. Some quick preview methods are as follows:



  • skim the first and last few pages
  • skim the first 5 pages, several places in the middle and the
    last 5 pages
  • skim the entire work
  • skim the beginning of each chapter or each subsection


Speed Reading Procedure


The following steps are recommended for improved comprehension, speed and retention:



  1. Survey

    Reader looks at covers and title, reads the preface and introductions, checks out if there is a glossary, definitions, pictures, etc.
  2. Preview

    Reader pays special attention to chapter titles and section titles, reads the introductions and conclusions of chapters, time permitting the first sentence of every paragraph.
  3. Comprehensive Reading

    Select the appropriate reading strategy — what can be skipped, read more carefully, etc. Mark in the margins those places to return to for an additional reading once the first reading is done. There should be NO highlighting or underlining in the first read-through. A simple check/dot in the margins is all that should be done at this point. And the reader SHOULD NOT STOP and employ that BAD HABIT: habitual regression!
  4. Review

    This is to check what was marked in the margin, skim and review the material, recall something, find answers, etc. Some quick review methods follow:

    • skim the entire work, slowing on the marked parts
    • skim from marked part to marked part
    • reread difficult parts only
    • scan only for answers to questions
    • review as many times as you need



Some skills that help Speed Reading


Good vocabulary and grammar skills are essential to reading, of course. Also, prior knowledge helps reading comprehension. Prior knowledge may refer to one's experiences or basic knowledge required for the current readings.



Good Reading Strategies



  • The reader takes chances — risks errors with language
  • The reader reads to get meaning NOT to identify letters or words
  • The reader guesses from context at unfamiliar words or SKIPS them and
    deals with them later at an appropriate time given the reading
  • The reader reads as though he/she expects the text to make
    sense — Expecting meaning, predicting meaning, making guesses, taking
    chances. Pushing ahead confidently are strategies that are critical for
    identifying meaning early on — the brain must relate incoming information
    to already stored information.
  • The reader samples the text as economically as
    possible (especially if a good preview took place) and uses the skills of
    peripheral vision to assist.


Books about Speed Reading


I found some books that teach how to read quickly from P2P networks. The following books can be downloaded using lphant.




  1. A Course in Light Speed Reading, Joseph Bennette

  2. The Evelyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading and Learning Program
  3. The Photo Reading Whole Mind System, Paul R. Scheele
  4. THE ALPHA-NETICS RAPID READING PROGRAM, Owen D. Skousen
  5. THE SPEED READING WORKBOOK
  6. The Speed Reading Course, Shepherd & Unsworth-Mitchell
  7. THE SPEED READING WORKBOOK

  8. Teach Yourself Speed Reading

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