Just Another Extraordinarily Ordinary Blog... 平凡人的平凡事…

Hierarchy at Work

2012-01-31T13:24:00.000+08:00

Emo Monday...

2012-01-30T08:09:00.002+08:00

People with Unimaginable Intelligence

2012-01-15T14:48:00.002+08:00

I shared this on Facebook some time ago

But seeing this today really strikes me

Carly was diagnosed with autism, but 'she sees herself as a normal child locked up in a body that does things she has no control over.'

Many thought she was dumb, or mentally retarded, that's until she started to communicate with the world through typing. Letter by letter, slowly with each finger-strike, but with unimaginable fluency.
"I think people get a lot of their information from so-called experts, but if a horse is sick, you don't ask a fish what's wrong with the horse. You go right to the horse's mouth."

"Why do autistic kids cover their ears, flap their hands, hum and rock?"
Carly, "It's a way for us to drown out all sensory input that overloads us all at once. We create output to block out input." "Our brains are wired differently, we take in many sounds and conversations at once. I take over a thousand pictures of a person' face when I look at them. That's why we have a hard time looking at people."

"I think the only thing I can say is don't give up. Your inner voice will find its way out. Mine did."
~Carly

A Night of Pentatonix

2012-01-13T03:01:00.001+08:00

That's what I love about live music.
Enjoying the swings... and the grooves...

Pentatonix singing "Video Killed The Radio Star" By The Buggles in The Sing-Off (Season 3)

Pentatonix singing "Born To Be Wild" By Steppenwolf in The Sing-Off (Season 3)

Pentatonix singing "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence & The Machines in The Sing-Off (Season 3)

A collection of all the songs they performed in the TV show
Follow them at

比喻

2011-12-31T13:11:00.000+08:00

又一年过去了
分享下我觉得挺有意思的比喻

1. 蜘蛛：能坐享其成，靠的就是那張關係網。
2. 蝦：大紅之日，便是大悲之時。
3. 天平：誰多給一點，就偏向誰。
4. 瀑布：因居高臨下，才口若懸河。
5. 鋸子：伶牙俐齒，專做離間行為。
6. 氣球：只要被人一吹，便飄飄然了。
7. 鐘錶：可以回到起點，卻已不是昨天。
8. 核桃：沒有華麗的外表，卻有充實的大腦。
9. 指南針：思想穩定，東西再好也不被誘惑。
10. 花瓶：外表再漂亮，也掩不住內心的空虛。
11. 樹葉：得勢時趾高氣揚，失意時威風掃地。
12. 歷史的標點全是問號，歷史的幕後全是驚嘆號！
13. 年輕人以為教育可以取代經驗，年長者以為經驗可以取代教育。
14. 飯桌上批孩子，大人傷神，孩子傷胃，全家傷心。
15. 父母想念子女就像流水一樣，一直在流;
      而子女想念父母就像風吹樹葉，風吹一下，就動一下，風不吹，就不動。
16. 夫妻倆過日子要像一雙筷子：
      一是誰也離不開誰; 二是什麼酸甜苦辣都能一起嘗。
17. 揮不去的是記憶，
      留不住的是年華，
      拎不起的是失落，
      放不下的是情感，
      輸不起的是尊嚴。
18. 因為電話，信箋少了;
      因為時尚，布料少了;
      因為空調，汗水少了;
      因為應酬，親情少了;
      因為宴會，食欲少了;
      因為競爭，悠閒少了......

taken from here

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas!!

2011 in Review

2011-12-16T11:16:00.001+08:00

干! In this FIRST WORLD country, chances of getting a faulty MRT is higher than hitting a Jackpot

2011-12-15T22:57:00.003+08:00

First there's the taxi fare hike. Comfort taking the lead, then SMRT follow suit.

NOW, a breakdown on North-South Line during evening peak hour (more at XINMSN and STOMP).
Never have I been so pissed at SMRT.

Ms Saw, GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY!!!

Source: The Online Citizen

Counting down

2011-12-01T21:09:00.001+08:00

5 lessons to learn

2011-11-30T01:53:00.000+08:00

Enjoy and Learn

A junior manager, a senior manager and their boss are on their way to a meeting.
On their way through a park, they come across a wonder lamp. They rub the lamp and a ghost appears.
The ghost says, "Normally, one is granted three wishes but as you are three, I will allow one wish each"
So the eager senior manager shouted, "I want the first wish. I want to be in the Bahamas , on a fast boat and have no worries." Pfufffff, and he was gone.
Now the junior manager could not keep quiet and shouted "I want to be in Florida with beautiful girls, plenty of food and cocktails." Pfufffff, and he was also gone.
The boss calmly said, "I want these two idiots back in the office after lunch at 12.35pm."

Lesson I - Always allow the bosses to speak first.

**************************************************************************************
Standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?"
"Certainly," said the young executive.He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.
"Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the shredder machine.
"I just need one copy."

Lesson II - Never, never assume that your BOSS knows everything.

************************************************************************************************
An American and a Japanese were sitting on the plane on the way to LA when the American turned to the Japanese and asked, "What kind of -ese are you?"
The Japanese confused, replied, "Sorry but I don't understand what you mean."
The American repeated, "What kind of -ese are you?"Again, the Japanese was confused over he question.
The American, now irritated, then yelled, "What kind of -ese are you... Are you a Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese!, etc......???"
The Japanese then replied, "Oh, I am a Japanese."

A while later the Japanese turned to the American and asked What kind of 'key' was he.
The American, frustrated, yelled, "What do you mean what kind of -kee' am I ?!"
The Japanese said, "Are you a Yankee, donkee, or monkee?"

Lesson III - Never insult anyone.

**************************************************************************************************
There were these 4 guys, a Russian, a German, an American and a French, who found this small genie bottle. When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appeared.
Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle,He said, "Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool and jump, you shout what you want the pool of water to become, then your wish will come true."

The French wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped and shouted"WINE".
The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine. The Frenchman was so happy swimming and drinking from the pool.
Next is the Russian's turn, he did the same and shouted, "VODKA" and immersed himself into a pool of vodka.
The German was next and he jumped and shouted, "BEER". He was so contented with his beer pool.
The last is the American. He was running towards the pool when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool and shouted, "SHIT!!!!!!!........."

Lesson IV - Think twice before you say something, because sometimes accidents do happen.

******************************************************************************************************
The organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was in charge.
Each organ took a turn to speak up:
Brain......... I should be in charge because I run all body functions.
Blood........ I should be in charge because I circulate oxygen for the brain.
Stomach... I should be in charge because I process food to the brain.
Legs......... I should be in charge because I take the brain where it wants to go.
Eyes......... I should be in charge because I let the brain see where it's going.
Asshole.....I should be in charge because I get rid of your waste.

All the other parts laughed so hard and this made the asshole very mad. To prove his point, the asshole immediately slammed tightly closed and stayed that way for 6 days, refusing to rid the body of any waste whatsoever.

Day 1 - Brain got a terrible headache and cried out for relief
Day 2 - Stomach got bloated and began to ache terribly
Day 3 - Legs got cramps and became unstable
Day 4 - Eyes became watery and vision became blurred
Day 5 - Blood became toxic and poisoned the body
Day 6 -The other organs agreed to let the asshole be in charge.

Lesson VI - No matter who you are, or how important you think you are, you will find that it is always the ASSHOLE that is in charge.

Christmas Mood...

2011-11-29T22:21:00.001+08:00

本世纪最大的节日，可惜我错过了

2011-11-11T23:11:00.000+08:00

祝光棍节快乐

7 Billion and Still Counting

2011-11-07T15:04:00.000+08:00

Current World Population

from Nat Geo

from Boston.com

I Wanna Move to the Out Skerries!!

3-Minute Management Course

2011-10-31T22:23:00.000+08:00

Lesson One:

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"

The eagle answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.

All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Management Lesson:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
___________________________________________________________

Lesson Two:

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey. "But I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Management Lesson:
Bull shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
___________________________________________________________

Lesson Three:

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He laid there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.
Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Management Lesson:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

This ends the three minute management course.

Ingenious Batman Equation

2011-10-15T00:59:00.000+08:00

Saw this on Facebook, and I thought it's fake.

But out of curiosity, I went to google 'Batman equation", and found that somebody actually solve it!!
These people are brilliant...
And the prof who came out with this equation is genius.

Solution taken from HERE:

The ellipse

(x7)2+(y3)2−1=0 $\displaystyle \left( \frac{x}{7} \right)^{2} + \left( \frac{y}{3} \right)^{2} - 1 = 0$ looks like this:

So the curve

(x7)2∣∣∣∣x∣∣−3∣∣∣∣x∣∣−3−−−−−√+(y3)2∣∣y+333√7∣∣y+333√7−−−−−−√−1=0 $\left( \frac{x}{7} \right)^{2}\sqrt{\frac{\left| \left| x \right|-3 \right|}{\left| x \right|-3}} + \left( \frac{y}{3} \right)^{2}\sqrt{\frac{\left| y+3\frac{\sqrt{33}}{7} \right|}{y+3\frac{\sqrt{33}}{7}}} - 1 = 0$ is the above ellipse, in the region where

|x|>3 $|x|>3$ and

y>−333−−√/7 $y > -3\sqrt{33}/7$ :

That's the first factor.

The second factor is quite ingeniously done. The curve

∣∣x2∣∣−(333√−7)112x2−3+1−(||x|−2|−1)2−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−√−y=0 $\left| \frac{x}{2} \right|\; -\; \frac{\left( 3\sqrt{33}-7 \right)}{112}x^{2}\; -\; 3\; +\; \sqrt{1-\left( \left| \left| x \right|-2 \right|-1 \right)^{2}}-y=0$ looks like:

This is got by adding

y=∣∣x2∣∣−(333√−7)112x2−3 $y = \left| \frac{x}{2} \right| - \frac{\left( 3\sqrt{33}-7 \right)}{112}x^{2} - 3$ , a parabola on the positive-x side, reflected:

and

y=1−(||x|−2|−1)2−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−√ $y = \sqrt{1-\left( \left| \left| x \right|-2 \right|-1 \right)^{2}}$ , the upper halves of the four circles

(||x|−2|−1)2+y2=1 $\left( \left| \left| x \right|-2 \right|-1 \right)^2 + y^2 = 1$ :

The third factor

9(∣∣(1−∣∣x∣∣)(∣∣x∣∣−.75)∣∣)(1−∣∣x∣∣)(∣∣x∣∣−.75)−−−−−−−−−−−−√−8|x|−y=0 $9\sqrt{\frac{\left( \left| \left( 1-\left| x \right| \right)\left( \left| x \right|-.75 \right) \right| \right)}{\left( 1-\left| x \right| \right)\left( \left| x \right|-.75 \right)}}\; -\; 8\left| x \right|\; -\; y\; =\; 0$ is just the pair of lines y = 9 - 8|x|:

truncated to the region

0.75<|x|<1 $0.75 < |x| < 1$ .

Similarly, the fourth factor

3|x|+.75(∣∣(.75−∣∣x∣∣)(∣∣x∣∣−.5)∣∣(.75−∣∣x∣∣)(∣∣x∣∣−.5))−−−−−−−−−−−−−−√−y=0 $3\left| x \right|\; +\; .75\sqrt{\left( \frac{\left| \left( .75-\left| x \right| \right)\left( \left| x \right|-.5 \right) \right|}{\left( .75-\left| x \right| \right)\left( \left| x \right|-.5 \right)} \right)}\; -\; y\; =\; 0$ is the pair of lines

y=3|x|+0.75 $y = 3|x| + 0.75$ :

truncated to the region

0.5<|x|<0.75 $0.5 < |x| < 0.75$ .

The fifth factor

2.25∣∣(.5−x)(x+.5)∣∣(.5−x)(x+.5)−−−−−−−−−√−y=0 $2.25\sqrt{\frac{\left| \left( .5-x \right)\left( x+.5 \right) \right|}{\left( .5-x \right)\left( x+.5 \right)}}\; -\; y\; =\; 0$ is the line

y=2.25 $y = 2.25$ truncated to

−0.5<x<0.5 $-0.5 < x < 0.5$ .

Finally,

610√7+(1.5−.5|x|)−(610√)144−(|x|−1)2−−−−−−−−−−−√−y=0 $\frac{6\sqrt{10}}{7}\; +\; \left( 1.5\; -\; .5\left| x \right| \right)\; -\; \frac{\left( 6\sqrt{10} \right)}{14}\sqrt{4-\left( \left| x \right|-1 \right)^{2}}\; -\; y\; =\; 0$ looks like:

so the sixth factor

610√7+(1.5−.5|x|)∣∣∣∣x∣∣−1∣∣∣∣x∣∣−1−−−−−√−(610√)144−(|x|−1)2−−−−−−−−−−−√−y=0 $\frac{6\sqrt{10}}{7}\; +\; \left( 1.5\; -\; .5\left| x \right| \right)\sqrt{\frac{\left| \left| x \right|-1 \right|}{\left| x \right|-1}}\; -\; \frac{\left( 6\sqrt{10} \right)}{14}\sqrt{4-\left( \left| x \right|-1 \right)^{2}}\; -\; y\; =\; 0$ looks like

As a product of factors is

0 $0$ iff any one of them is

0 $0$ , multiplying these six factors puts the curves together, giving: (the software, Grapher.app, chokes a bit on the third factor, and entirely on the fourth)

It has gone a long way

2011-10-08T01:31:00.000+08:00

From 3 major EW, NS & NE Lines serving the little-red-dotians for years...

Comes the not-so-circle Circle Line, the long-awaited new MRT.

Hopefully this will ease the pressure on Raffles City & City Hall station in transporting people during peak hours. And most importantly, I hope won't have to spend 1 hour plus to get to work everyday from now onwards.

And more MRT are coming our way, with Downtown line underway

MRT line in the near future

Speculated MRT line in the not-so-near future.
Can't imagine the face of those tourists when they first see this.

RIP, Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T00:49:00.000+08:00

Lemmings! So Classic!

2011-10-01T11:57:00.000+08:00

Lemmings~

You can play it HERE

Sure brought back a lot of memories
Was I playing on the 586? or the very first generation of Pentium?

OMG! Can't wait to try it out!

2011-09-30T21:33:00.002+08:00

I like Mosaic and Flipcard, too bad my blog don't have a lot of pictures to start with.

Balance Sheet of Life

2011-09-30T13:12:00.000+08:00

Our Birth is our Opening Balance
Our Death is our Closing Balance
Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities
Our Creative Ideas are our Assets
Heart is our Current Asset
Soul is our Fixed Asset
Brain is our Fixed Deposit
Thinking is our Current Account
Achievements are our Capital
Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade
Friends are our General Reserves
Values & Behaviour are our Goodwill
Patience is our Interest Earned
Love is our Dividend
Children are our Bonus Issues
Education is Brands / Patents
Knowledge is our Investment
Experience is our Premium Account

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.
The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award.

不够格的大便

2011-09-22T01:06:00.000+08:00

They are gonna dig my TOMB!

2011-09-20T15:23:00.000+08:00

To ease the traffic on Lornie Road, they are gonna dig Gan Eng Seng's TOMB.
Buried together with me are other Singapore Pioneers, such as Chew Boon Lay, Lee Hoon Leong, Lee Choo Neo and Tay Ho Swee.

Stand Tall, Be Proud! Fellow Gamers!

2011-09-20T14:20:00.001+08:00

The next time someone say gaming is not good, show them THIS.

Foldit, an online protein folding game, was created to challenge the gamers to produce the most accurate models of proteins.

However, the discovery that caught the attention of the public was the gamers' accomplishment in unlocking the structure of the M-PMV retroviral protease, the enzymes that the HIV virus uses to multiply and grow into AIDS. What took the researchers a decade worth of solving to no avail finally show glimpses of the final structure with the aid of the gamers.

Personally I don't think scientists are stupid, just that we are stuck in too much of background knowledge constraints that sometimes we just don't see the big picture.

Those with some biology knowledge can read the paper HERE
Crystal structure of a monomeric retroviral protease solved by protein folding game players
by: Firas Khatib, Frank DiMaio, Seth Cooper, Maciej Kazmierczyk, Miroslaw Gilski, Szymon Krzywda, Helena Zabranska, Iva Pichova, James Thompson, Zoran Popović, Mariusz Jaskolski, David Baker
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Vol. advance online publication (18 September 2011) doi:10.1038/nsmb.2119

The already closed HIV protease puzzle, showing the many gamers making into the hall of fame. http://fold.it/portal/node/988310

Can you solve the puzzle by folding this

to this

Read the SCIENCE behind Foldit HERE

Undilah

2011-09-16T23:55:00.000+08:00

On this very Malaysia Day, we receive what could be the biggest gift from our dear prime minister, the abolishment of the Internal Security Act (ISA) [source: mysinchew.com]

See Najib's Malaysia Day message

Although I welcome the change, I like many others share some skepticism. Will it be another empty promise just to buy votes until the next election, which is just around the corner.

Anyways, I shall wait and see.
And this time I shall fulfill my right as a citizen.

For those who are not sure if you are a registered voter, click the link below and check your eligibility :
http://daftarj.spr.gov.my/NEWDAFTARJ/DaftarjBI.aspx

Happy Malaysia Day 2011

2011-09-16T00:01:00.000+08:00

Happy ~~2nd~~ 48th Malaysia DayHope 'Kita Satu Bangsa' is not just a dream

p/s: I like one of the comments in the video. "Some people just can't tell the different between a patrotic and a propaganda song. A patrotic song makes you love the country that treat you equal. A propaganda song makes you love the country that treat you different."
I sincerely hope that this belong to the former.

facebook vs Google+

2011-09-13T23:05:00.000+08:00

Ooo... So that's what they have in mind...

That said, I wonder how many of us will switch from facebook to Google+ when it has more features.

[Via: Single Grain]

Counting Down 1 Month...

2011-09-08T05:58:00.000+08:00

Eagerly waiting for the arrival of 8th October 2011. Then the other half of the Circle Line, now still in dotted line, will be complete.

See HERE

The not-so-circle Circle Line

Try if you can solve this math question

2011-09-01T09:44:00.000+08:00

The question is....

If

1 = 5

2 = 25

3 = 125

4 = 625

5 = ?

Answer Below

Answer is = 1

Have you forgotten? 1 = 5

How people in science see each other

2011-08-15T10:36:00.003+08:00

created by @biomatushiq

bit extreme, but somewhat true. lol.

Thank You all for Your Birthday Wishes

2011-08-10T00:45:00.003+08:00

Was busy replying thanks till Facebook thought I was some malicious software. Lol.
Thank you very much for all your well wishes!!

Upgrade Completed - The Sims Style

2011-08-03T09:16:00.004+08:00

Say Bye-bye to the super cramped coffee table
Say Hello to a proper desk with shelf

Say Bye-bye to the little wardrobe
Say Hello to the gigantic (by my standard) built-in wardrobe
btw, that's all the clothes I have.

Say Bye-bye to sleeping on a tilam on the floor
Say Hello to a queen-size bed with storage bed-frame

After weeks of painting & tidying, I finally move into my new home.
But the living room is still empty though.
Need some time for my wallet to recover 1st. =)

FINALLY!!!!!!!!! It's COMING!!!!!

2011-08-02T10:05:00.003+08:00

from Straits Times

Fire Drill that Left Me Speechless

2011-07-25T23:27:00.004+08:00

The draggy start...
The chaotic distribution of lab nameboard...
The sub-standard SCDF who can't find the mock casualties...

"拜托. 藏到酱明显还找不到. 真的是烂到......... I'm gonna haunt you..."

还有消防演习...可不可以不要找个口音重的印X人来报告重要事物... 听不懂叻...

I was expecting something from the fancy e-mail of 'real smoke, as realistic as possible, etc'.
lol. maybe I was expecting too much.

Coincidence??

2011-07-16T11:04:00.006+08:00

Taken from Facebook

The words in the pictures are roughly translated as below

Queen Elizabeth usually welcomes or greets her guests in pink or white. But why is Najib treated differently	This is BERSIH (CLEAN)
Najib is greeted in Yellow Clothings. Even the flowers are yellow.

I Googled "Queen Elizabeth Obama" & "Queen Elizabeth Najib". Seems like those photos are real. Not photoshopped.

Even if it is just mere COINCIDENCE, I still find it funny.

I Come in Peace

2011-07-12T10:45:00.003+08:00

I wish I can sit here and treat this like a drama.
Like how I used to watch those monkey show played by the politician.

But this is saddening... heart-breaking...

Taken from Facebook

Chinese Version	English Version

More info on Bersih 2.0 at WikipediaHERE

Batman 3: Why so Delicious?

2011-07-06T18:52:00.002+08:00

How to do Plant Science

2011-06-29T10:20:00.002+08:00

Extracted from
From flour to flower: how Polycomb group proteins influence multiple aspects of plant development.
Hsieh TF, Hakim O, Ohad N, Fischer RL.
Trends Plant Sci. 2003 Sep;8(9):439-45.

Download from ScienceDirect, Click HERE.

端午节快乐

2011-06-06T22:57:00.003+08:00

幸运的，表妹刚好放完假回宿舍筹办KEWOC活动

所以今年有得吃妈妈做的粽子

裹在带点班兰香的糯米里是挤得满满的馅料

猪肉，香菇，栗子，虾米，还有芋泥

是熟悉的味道，是妈妈的味道

带着感恩的心我吃下这一粒粽子

祝天下端午节快乐

Har Jeong Kai Burger, Korean Burger??

2011-05-16T21:16:00.004+08:00

Ordered a Har Jeong Kai Burger thinking it's Korean food. But turn out to be 虾酱鸡 Burger...

EwF by Everything With Fries @Orchard Central

Photo Credit to WWJE

The Har Jeong Kai Burger is too salty for my liking, but the Cha-Siu Burger taste not bad.
The flavoured fries also not bad. But I think it gets soggy a little too quickly. Maybe that's a sign it is not those McD-style over-processed fries. But for a restaurant who uses fries as its signature dish, it definitely need some more improvements.
But for guys out there, there are a lot of eye-candies. The fast food restaurant is fully-manned by friendly 年轻美眉. =)

All in all, it is not the type of restaurant that I will go for a second time in the near future, but it's not bad for a first try when you run out of places to eat in this little red dot.

An llustrated Guide to a Ph.D.

2011-05-13T22:25:00.001+08:00

A few pictures say it all

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge:

By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little:

By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more:

With a bachelor's degree, you gain a specialty:

A master's degree deepens that specialty:

Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge:

Once you're at the boundary, you focus:

You push at the boundary for a few years:

Until one day, the boundary gives way:

And, that dent you've made is called a Ph.D.:

Of course, the world looks different to you now:

So, don't forget the bigger picture:

Keep pushing.

Taken from The Illustrated Guide to a Ph.D by Matt Might: http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/

What does the Scientific Community have to say to the Wedding of the Decade

2011-04-29T12:45:00.005+08:00

We still have 89 years before I can really conclude if this will be the wedding of the century, but I think it definitely will be the wedding of the decade. =)
As the girls whine over the loss of the world's most eligible bachelor, the editor of Cell Culture tries to link the scientific community back to the society. Enjoy. But...

BEWARE: ARTICLE NOT FOR THE AVERAGE AUDIENCE

Ladies, please inject some vasopressin ligands into your spouse.

Abstract
On Friday the 29th of April, 2011, England's Prince William will marry the graceful and poised Miss Catherine Middleton in London's hallowed Westminster Abbey. As the world tunes in to watch the “wedding of the century,” Cell Culture explores the more biological aspects of this historic union, including the neurocircuits that strengthen a marriage, the epigenetic changes that transform a “commoner” into a queen, and the search process for finding a high-affinity partner in a sea of weak interactions.

Royal Wedding.
Robert P. Kruger
Cell. 2011 Apr 15; 145(2):167.
doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.04.001

Click HERE to read the complete article from the Cell.

looking forward to a brighter future for Sarawak.

2011-04-17T00:42:00.003+08:00

Looking forward to a brighter future for Sarawak... for Malaysia...
if there ever is one...

That said, well done to my dear Sarawakians,
BN: 55
DAP: 12
PKR: 3
Independent: 1

We heard your voices
We heard your concerns

黄道吉日: 公元2011年04月16日

2011-04-16T00:39:00.001+08:00

Even Singapore Reporter thinks Taib is a Thorn in the Flesh

2011-04-15T11:52:00.001+08:00

A report in the Singapore Straits Times this morning - in the eve of Sarawak State Election!

Straits Times 15 April 2011
Win or lose, Najib in a bind over Sarawak polls

forwarded from my uncle

Thank You. Clare Rewcastle Brown

2011-04-14T01:19:00.000+08:00

I am ever so thankful for these people, whom though are not Sarawakians, dare to speak up for what they love, what they think is right.
Thank You, Clare Rewcastle Brown, the Sarawak-born sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown.

ABC Australia from Sarawak Report on Vimeo.

Now even Australian TV is broadcasting this...

I Wish for a Better World

2011-04-13T23:45:00.005+08:00

I with for a Better World, a Better Government for Sarawak.

Like how JR wish for everyone to participate in his global art project, "... and together we'll turn the world...INSIDE OUT."

by, 2011 TED Price Winner, click HERE to participate in JR's Inside Out Project

JOM UBAH!

2011-04-12T22:25:00.003+08:00

I have the least interest in politics. But for my beloved state of Sarawak, my dearest Home.

I WANT A CHANGE!!!

from http://sarawak4change.com/

Still don't understand why is postal voting is only allowed for teachers, military personnel and policemen residing far away from their constituencies...

6 Years Worth of Stuff (but not all mine la..)

2011-04-05T00:31:00.002+08:00

After

Temporarily bunk in at my uncle's house

Moving House Really is a Pain in the @$$

2011-04-03T02:26:00.002+08:00

Before

So that's how Angry Bird was created...

2011-03-27T11:55:00.001+08:00

2000 words... Done & Submitted

2011-02-16T00:04:00.004+08:00

2000 words in 3 days...
NUS has trained me well...

Attachment: The role of inter-cellular communication in plant development

Happy Chinese New Year 2011

2011-02-03T10:39:00.000+08:00

During CNY, What shop can beat KOI in terms of Queuing Lines?

2011-01-30T10:50:00.005+08:00

肉干 aka Bak Kua...

KOI
Note: some are just passerby along this narrow corridor.

Bak Kua Shop
Note: and it's not even 林志源 that we are talking about here.

My Personal Hair-stylist

2011-01-22T22:42:00.000+08:00

My very personal hair-stylist

Lab Safety, can be so different...

2011-01-21T16:38:00.000+08:00

Safety from the point of view of a safety manager who deals with admin stuff
"You must wear lab coat, it's an image of the institute."
"You must throw your used gloves into the biohazard bin. If external auditor see this in normal waste bin, it will affect our reputation."
"I hope you all can follow the rules, hopefully next year we can pass the safety review with better mark."

Safety from the point of view of a deputy CEO who does lab work
"You must follow the protocol. You are responsible for your own health and safety. Do wear gloves & lab coat when touching EtBr contaminated gels."
"You must treat your waste carefully. Think of the environment when you discharge contaminants into the drain, when you pour them down the sink. Be responsible to the environment."
"Safety is not something about pass or fail. It's not about I hope you will follow this or that. You ARE expected to comply to these regulations. Lastly, I wish you all a good research year with fruitful results."

A Production Workshop for the 13th XQRJ

2011-01-16T21:43:00.006+08:00

I don't know how many more years will I still have the heart and energy and will to go back.
So before that day come I shall immortalized what I know into these slides.
It is by no means comprehensive, but I hope this can be a first step for many of you to venture into the world of production, be it a Stage, Theatrical or Concert production. Just google/wiki for the technical terms, and you shall find what you want to know.

Production Workshop v3 for the 13th XQRJ

Click [HERE] to download

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Version 2 for Ken Juin and the 12th XQRJ

Looking back at how Version 1 has grown over the years...

Crazy Timetable...

2011-01-11T23:11:00.002+08:00

Taking this module, BL 5221 PLANT AND MICROBIAL DEVELOPMENT, now.
At first glance at the schedule given, it seems ok. The usual NUS style 2 lectures per week.

But upon putting them into the calendar.
OMG! That's 3 lectures per week, with exam almost every fortnight, covering topics by 11 lecturers in just exactly 1.5 month.
Super crash course... Win....

[Turkey] Back from the Land of the Crescent Moon

2011-01-03T07:14:00.001+08:00

Back to the land of constant 30°C.

Starting to miss Turkey... and the companions...
The moment the plane touched down, I can't help but felt a bit lost.
Not due to jet-lag, lack of sleep or whatsoever.
Just a feeling of emptiness that strikes me in the heart...

I don't know when will the next trip with good company be, so just let me cherish this moment for a while more, if not forever...

emo'ing

主人你终于回来了...

[Turkey] All Set n Ready to Go

2010-12-25T16:42:00.002+08:00

All set n Ready to GO
TURKEY, HERE I COME

独守空房的三贱客

I also wanna go.....

Kuching Kolo Mee on Singapore Channel U

2010-12-21T22:51:00.004+08:00

In this episode of 《我的食习日记》 my hometown, Kuching (Sarawak, Malaysia) is chosen for Ben (杨志龙) to learn some dish in his Channel U 'Food Apprentice' Show 《我的食习日记》. It is a show where instead of having famous chef demonstrating the way to cook, Ben has to learn from the local chef, and at the last day of his training perform the dish for his masters to examine his skills.

And what food can better represent Kuching if not Kolo Mee.

Will I see the familiar 'Channel U endorsed' food sticker on the stall the next time I visit 新联成?
Whether they have the sticker or not, I just hope they won't increase the price again...
By the way, it is still possible to get Kolo Mee at RM2.00 in Kuching. Cheap eh?

A Brief History of Medicine

2010-12-19T22:51:00.003+08:00

"Doctor, I am sick."

2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."

1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."

1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."

1920 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."

1975 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."

2010 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!"

------------------------------------------------------------------
This irony may be funny. But this irony reported here make me don't know to sigh or to cry... 《孩子们，请不要读医科！》 http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/150845
The original newspaper article: 《实习医生过剩　马国拟建议大学停办医科五年》 http://www.zaobao.com/yx/yx101213_004.shtml

If only SweetTalk tastes half as good...

2010-12-15T23:00:00.006+08:00

KOI Cafe’s Red Tea Macchiato

The frothy milk added on top of the tea instead of blending it together, gives me alternative ways to savor the otherwise commonly-available milk tea.
A layer of think milky creamer first strikes your taste buds, followed by the characteristic flavor of brewed tea...

If only SweetTalk tastes half as good...

Would like to try 贡茶 someday...

20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer

2010-12-04T21:20:00.004+08:00

Welcome Back...

2010-12-04T12:42:00.002+08:00

All it takes is a simple move, done with a heart, for people to feel the warmth...
My eyes actually waters towards the end of the clip...

Most Pathetic McChicken

2010-11-30T00:34:00.003+08:00

Was waiting for my order at the counter after making the payment. Then suddenly a guy came to the counter and ask, 'Can I have some lettuce for my burger?'
I peeped at the burger in his hand, and to my astonishment, it's not that there is very little lettuce.. THERE IS NO LETTUCE AT ALL!!!!

I opened mine.. $4!+#%*&

a pathetic piece of chicken, kiap between 2 bread. and some mayo.. that's it...

McDonald's... If this is how you treat customer... you win... I have nothing to say...

If you ran out of lettuce then just say so la...
Tell the customer the burger is sold out. Don't just keep quiet and sell us sub-standard products and expect customer to accept it.

I miss my Ramly Burger...

SG Wedding Ang Pow Calculation

2010-11-29T21:55:00.003+08:00

Been receiving quite a number of Red Bombs recently, but as newbie to the working society, I seriously don't know how much should I 'pau'. So coincidentally a friend of mine send this to me.
So I'm gonna share it here.
And...
NO!! I'M NOT BY ANY CHANCE GETTING MARRIED ANY TIME SOON!!!

Correct as of 2010. Amount may increase with years due to inflation

A Song Written for Me

2010-11-27T18:26:00.002+08:00

黃乙玲-愛到才知痛 GES Version

If lazy to wait, just scroll to 0:58

Here's the original MTV

Type Your Sky

2010-11-25T00:18:00.006+08:00

All it takes is a pair of observant eyes..
to create these letters, taking photos of buildings against the blue skies...

type the sky by LISA RIENERMANN

You know it's Christmas when...

2010-11-21T20:00:00.000+08:00

You know it's Christmas when gigantic Christmas trees start to dominate the empty spaces in front of the shopping centers

You know it's Christmas when big big discount ad start to fill the windows of the retail shops

You know it's Christmas when IKEA starts selling Julmust, the once-in-a-year-only softdrink, that easily outsells Coca-Cola in the Christmas seasons

You know it's Christmas when DAISO starts selling $2 Christmas decorations

You know it's Christmas when Websites, FaceBook Applications, MMO games, etc start to have Christmas promo

You know it's Christmas when you can listen to Christmas songs on online radios

Top 8 Sites To Listen To Free Christmas Music Online

You know it's Christmas when ppl who can't wait for Christmas start telling the world how they can't wait for Christmas

But most of the time you can't explain it, instead you just know it.
'Cos you can just feel the festive atmosphere in the air...

I know this is a bit early, and I know this is last year's picture.
Just bear with me, cos I'm already in my Christmas mood

OMG! Is that a potty that they are wearing on their head?!?

2010-11-15T03:19:00.002+08:00

Ever wonder how does it feel like to wear your potty (aka Tam Pui, aka 痰盂, 尿壶) on your head?
I know that thought never cross my mind.
But in case you did but never have the chance to try it out, you can go ask those working at McDonald's now.

Kid: Daddy, I want to wear my potty like that too.
Father: Don't be ridiculous lah. Wear like that later you become stupid like them.

Seriously don't know what are those marketing people in McD thinking...

Wow! So that's how they do it.. All thanks to the food stylists.

2010-11-14T01:34:00.002+08:00

Welcome to 'MY' Tomb

2010-11-06T13:02:00.001+08:00

Scenario 1: Meeting freshmen
GES: Hi, I'm Eng Seng
Freshman: Sorry?
GES: Eng Seng, as in Gan Eng Seng.
Freshman: OHHH!! You are 'THE' Gan Eng Seng
GES: -_-|||

Scenario 2: Meeting Lab attachment student
GES: Hi, I'm Eng Seng
Attachment Student: Oh.
GES: My full name is Gan Eng Seng
Attachment Student: Ha Ha! Don't bluff lah.
show her my matriculation card and she look back in disbelief...

Scenario 3 and the most common one: submitting personal document
Receptionist looked at my application form, double checked with my photocopied IC and smiled
GES: (smile back) mere coincidence, mere coincidence..

These aren't the first, and I don't think they will be the last.

A friend of mine shared this with me on Facebook few months ago

Not really my tombstone la.

It belongs to Gan Eng Seng (the one here, not the one listed here), one of the early chinese pioneers of Singapore. And that explains why my name is ever so easy to remember among the Singaporeans.
Even if they don't know who he is, I guess they should at least know the 2 schools named after him, Gan Eng Seng School and Gan Eng Seng Primary School. =)

Photo taken with Gan Eng Seng School during my first trip to Singapore.
taken ~10years ago

After Monday & Tuesday, even the calendar says...

2010-10-26T19:58:00.001+08:00

Monopoly Singapore is back

2010-10-23T14:02:00.003+08:00

Still remember the McDonald's Monopoly hype I talked about last year here?

It's BACK!!!
And It's BIGGER!! with S$80,000 Cash

Monopoly Singapore website: http://www.mcdwin.com/

How to Create a Playlist on BooMP3

2010-10-17T22:07:00.006+08:00

A reply to a comment on my previous post on BooMP3.

Special credit given to Google Translate, because I can't speak Portugese

Creating your own playlist is just a few clicks away after uploading your songs to Dropbox and adding it to BooMP3.

Step 1: Click on 'view your files'.
Only available after signing up with BooMP3, and thus the high recommendation of

Step2: Hover your mouse pointer over your songs, and 2 new selection will appear. Click on 'ADD TO PLAYLIST'

Step3: You can then add the song to your existing playlist, or Create a new playlist.

Step4: Embed the playlist to your Blog/Website
This is the tricky part but I think BooMP3 will have this feature in the future
For the moment, this is what I can think of.
use the iframe html code:
<iframe src="YOUR_URL_HERE"></iframe>

eg:
<iframe src="http://boomp3.com/user/ec3os1-ges/playlist/uyc6pt3by-blog"></iframe>

And there you have it

Now everytime you click on 'View Your Files', you can see your uploaded files and created playlists.

Will update this post, when BooMP3 expand on their features.

Embed MP3 into blog/website with a Flash Player

2010-10-10T13:41:00.011+08:00

Unlike videos, where you can upload to Youtube, there aren't a lot of places where you can upload your audio files and later embed them to your blog/website.
Of course you can always use the simple <embed src="yourmusic.mp3"></embed> html code, but you will need to install the Apple QuickTime plugin to play it on your browser.
On the other hand, nowadays Adobe Flash is almost omnipresent in all computers. Coupled with the increasing usage of Dropbox, BooMP3 is a light-weight & free flash MP3 player that allow you to embed MP3 uploaded to your Dropbox account into your blog/website.

The Main page of BooMP3

Embedding using BooMP3 follows 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Register at Dropbox
Oh ya! Do use the link above, cos Dropbox says: "For every friend who joins Dropbox, we'll give you BOTH 250 MB of bonus space!"

Step 2: Optional but highly recommended: Login with Facebook
With an registered account, you can better keep track of your uploaded files

like this

Step 3: Upload an mp3 file to your Dropbox
1. Go to Dropbox website
2. Go to the 'Public' folder
3. Click "Upload" and upload your mp3 file

Step 4: Copy it's public URL
1. Go to Dropbox website
2. Find your mp3 file
3. Hover your mouse over it and click small blue down-pointing triangle ▼
4. Click "Copy public link"

Step 5: Paste the link at the text field
and click 'Save'

And there you have it, a flash MP3 player for your blog/website.
Just copy and paste the html code. If you want, you can tick the checkbox □ for Autoplay and Loop. You can even create playlists for your uploaded songs.

An example of my uploaded song
Perfect Blue - Sungha Jung

Perfect Blue - Sungha Jung

The e-mail Cycle

2010-10-10T11:31:00.008+08:00

I guess the same cycle applies to acebook

An Old Guitar with New Strings

2010-10-09T01:56:00.004+08:00

It was old, dusty and rusty

After polished, it is now all smooth & shiny

My guitar, after restring and tuning from an online tuner

www.howtotuneaguitar.org

On the world tallest Ferris wheel- the Singapore Flyer

2010-10-02T18:32:00.006+08:00

Went to the Singapore Flyer not because we have nowhere better to spend that S$29.50, but because we have a free tickets from the New Paper Big Walk 2010. =) And that's the original intention of participating in that Big Walk.
Standing at 165m, it is currently the world tallest Ferris wheel, for now. It will soon be surpased by the 208m Beijing Great Wheel scheduled for opening in 2010.

To take a ride in the Singapore Flyer is like taking a flight. The whole architecture (though badly designed) mimics the experience of taking a flight from the airport. From the signs hanging from the ceiling, to the Jet-bridge like walkway to the wheel.
Not too sure if it is because it is a weekday, the number of visitors is not as many as I thought for a tourist spot, though presentable by Singapore standard. Thou shalt not compare thee to the London Eye.

Anyway, for a first-timer it was a pleasant experience.
I have not been to the Eye on Malaysia, and No, I have not ridden the London Eye. The snaking queue in the day and even at night fight off my desire to ride the London Eye.
The queue for the Singapore Flyer was just nice. Not too short, such that I can take time to snap a few pictures of its exterior n surroundings, and not too long til the boredom dominates over the excitement of taking the Flyer.
They have nice 'steward' and 'stewardess' n a nice bluish lit 'cabin' in the gondola.
And from the moment we got on, our cameras didn't stop snapping.
Over the 30-min flight, we have the Marina Barrage, the Marina Bay, and Downtown Suntec and Bugis area as the backdrop for our group photos.

The view of the Marina Bay is always blocked by the gondola in front.
Until... Our gondola reaches its peak at the turn of the wheel.
And that's what all of us have been waiting for... the whole bird's eye view of the skyline of Singapore's CBD and the Marina Bay Sands.
After taking the Singapore Flyer, I seriously think the landscape of the surroundings can be better designed.. like have a few places where people can take picture using the Flyer as the background. and maybe have a few more shops or stalls that can engage the visitors after their rides... Now the Flyer is just a standalone Ferris wheel, there is nothing else to enhance the experience...

If you ask me if I would recommend it to my friends, I would say 'Nar... your S$29.50 can be better spend else where.."

and I just know that, like the Internet, the Ferris wheel should be written with a big letter 'F'. The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. And later the term Ferris wheel came to be used generically for all such structures.

A comparison of the tallest Ferris Wheels in the world.

Happy Mid Autumn Festival

2010-09-22T23:48:00.005+08:00

中秋节快乐!!! Happy Mid Autumn Festival!!!
(aka Mooncake Festival in Malaysia. Dunno why it is translated this way. Personally think Mid Autumn explains the celebration better.)

Went to my uncle's place for dinner and mooncake.

十五的月亮....

Steamboat...

Lantern...

Mooncake...

How Singaporean play lantern in HDB

Looking at the kids playing with lantern at the small balcony,
I kinda miss the days where the kids from my lorong will gather together, hang our lanterns on a long bamboo pole, and roam around the neighbourhood together
the days where we will go to the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to 猜灯谜，燃放孔明灯...

Drawing with Light

2010-09-20T23:34:00.002+08:00

Back then, I was utterly amazed by Sand Art (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Invhsa87isk).
Now, I am amazed even more by this "Light Art"...

Really amazing how creative these people can be.

Playing with Fire

2010-09-12T02:46:00.000+08:00

Found a cool website where you can play with Flame, and Magic Sparks, and Fire, and Water online.

All these at
peter blaskovic | escape motions

There are a wide array of Java generated program you can play with here.

My personal favourite is the Flame Painter.
By setting some parameters such as colour, size, opacity, softness, degree of chaos, AND of course with some artistic sense, you can create something like this

Flame Dragon

Or like me, without that artistic sense, some scribble of my initial.

And the coolest thing is you get to save them in high resolution of 1680 x 1050.

Another one of my favourite is the Magic Effect.
Although you can't change anything in this one, it's just as fun to click and drag and see those sparks fire out of your ~~magic wand~~ mouse pointer.
Initially, I wanted to add a <iframe> tag to embed it in my blog. But I guess for something as awe inspiring as this, this guy deserves some credit.
So do check out his website for more here.

No Reply

2010-09-07T10:49:00.003+08:00

No reply usually means I am not free at the moment
It may mean I am doing experiment, and I don't want to contaminate my phone with my dirty gloves
It may mean I am watching movie
It may mean I am having a game of chess with Dr. Chow

No reply may mean my phone is on silent mode
I may have left it in my room while watching TV in the living room
It may have rang/vibrated when I was busy (sleeping/bathing/cooking/doing laundry,dishes, etc...)
It may have vibrated when I was walking/running (walking home,catching bus,etc)

No reply may mean I am not interested
It may mean I don't feel like going at the moment, yet last minute I might change my mind
It may mean I don't feel like going, yet I don't feel like rejecting you in the face

When you get No Reply from me, Don't worry, I will reply sooner or later. Unless I am really not interested.

If I get No Reply from you , I guess I shall assume the same too....

The Origin of Job Interviews

2010-09-05T16:34:00.001+08:00

Trim Your YouTube Videos

2010-09-01T23:11:00.005+08:00

If your eyes are sharp, you will realise the video in my previous post does not start at 0:01.
Did I trimmed the video?
How did I do that?

Simple. Just specify the start point of the video.
For example, I copied the embed code from YouTube.
Then, I delete and replace whatever is behind the YouTube url "http://www.youtube.com/v/oxSoR4Ec9VU" with &start=5. And Wah-Lah, your YouTube video will start at the 5th second.

My embed code looks like this
<object height="505" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oxSoR4Ec9VU&start=5"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oxSoR4Ec9VU&start=5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="505" width="640"></embed></object>

Oh ya. The time has to be given in second. Thus 2:48 has to be written as 168

And if I would like to split that video into 4 parts, this is what I can do
&start=5

&start=165

&start=328

&start=488

Simple, eh?

If you want some real trimming of YouTube videos online.
Just visit the YouTube 'idea incubator', TestTube, and click Video Editor.
It allows you to trim, combine, add some video transitions (crossfade, wipe, swipe) and even add soundtracks.

As written in the intro
"TestTube is , our ideas incubator. This is where YouTube engineers and developers test out recipes and concoctions that aren't quite fully baked...."
But I sure am looking forward to more features. =)
Kudos to YouTube!

Happy 53rd Birthday, Malaysia

2010-08-31T23:27:00.003+08:00

早点醒吧！

All u ever need to know about flatulence (or "fart" as we know it)

2010-08-29T14:32:00.000+08:00

Huh? the YOG is over?

2010-08-27T12:38:00.003+08:00

YOG... the Youth Olympic Games...

I don't really care about the giving way to the YOG buses, since I don't drive.
I don't really care if YOG budget tripled the original estimates to $387 million dollars, since it's not my money to begin with (I have not started paying taxes).

Well... I do pity those volunteers who are being "volunteered" and their crappy food given.
But, what ticks me off is that I can't find the medal ranking on the OFFICIAL YOG website.

Guess my only fond memory of this YOG is this photo taken with Lyo & Merly, the YOG mascot, at Orchard Road.

Not too sure which part of this YOG caused the International Olympic Committee president, Jacques Rogge to comment this in his closing press conference, “I did not expect this level of perfection”, “Hats off to Singapore for what they’ve done. I now have 22 Olympic Games under my belt and the YOG is ranking at the very top.”

Guess it's just another proud mum bragging about her child.

*Jacques Rogge was the one who came out with the idea of YOG.