Essence of learning optics

Just read some very nice little series about optics from Gary Cloud - Back to Basics
Truly love the sentense:-

"Find an acceptable balance between key concepts, mathematical detail, and physical understanding"

It tells the essence of my learning curve of optics (or perhaps any other kind of mathematical physics)?

BUT am I ever gong to find this balance? I seriously question myself...

Outrageous forest fire kills lovely orangutans

It saddens my heart to see the news at Reuters Yahoo online:

Indonesia forest fires, attacks kill 1,000 orangutans

Around 1000s of orangutans were claimed to be killed (or attacked) during the dry season this year in Indonesia. I think man should seriously think about the effects of our irresponsible acts.

"The fires in the Indonesian part of Borneo have deprived orangutans of food and forced them to encroach on human settlements, where they are often attacked for damaging crops, the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation said." from the article said. If i were an orangutan - i would cry out loud to ask- what is this deal? Deliberately destroy my home and then don't want us to go out of the firing spot? Is there on earth a room for living?

This is so outrageous - bloody and brutal way of treating our mother nature. Think - please! Those who deliberately lit fires and those who allowed such acts - where is your heart?