tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116108432011-04-22T06:33:56.060+08:00Random issues in lifeChownoreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-56682489304795748592007-09-10T18:29:00.000+08:002007-09-10T18:34:14.224+08:00

My DH took this little video of me - he wanted to follow what my hands did while I was trying to drink my tea, but... LOL

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-87020187677262862122007-06-26T08:36:00.000+08:002007-06-26T08:42:03.796+08:00

The Glass House was created by by architect Philip Johnson. It has now been open for public tours.Report from CNN: "Glass House Opens for public tours"

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-78873242610745900452007-06-13T14:10:00.000+08:002007-06-13T14:26:41.733+08:00

On July 4, the IOC will elect the host for the 2014 Olympic Games. The 3 final shortlisted cities are: PyeongChang (Korea), Salzburg (Austria), and Sochi(Russia)Having participated in the Dream Program at PyeongChang, I must say it was a truly wonderful experience. They took care of our every need and ensured everything ran smoothly. Every logistical detail was thought of, nothing was left to

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-64742783671045178872007-06-02T13:38:00.000+08:002007-06-02T13:41:46.254+08:00

On a recent trip to Europe, I took two videos of birds...First were ducks in a lake near Oberstdorf, Germany:Then was a stork crossing the street in Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-621662370200685692007-01-04T22:14:00.000+08:002007-01-04T22:17:56.310+08:00

One of the sections of the newspapers today mentioned another novel, innovative creation by the Japanese:A bra that can be converted into a shopping bag!This was announced on Triumph's Japan website, and even has pictures to show how the conversion is done!

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-81150370427357954772006-12-17T22:57:00.000+08:002006-12-17T23:41:20.935+08:00

In a recent conversation with friends, the condition synesthesia came up. Synesthesia is a condition where senses are joined, and the real information of one sense is accompanied by a perception in another sense.The most common is where numbers/letters are perceived with color. Some time ago, my colleague described what she had read about a little girl saying that the music was pink - then

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-40400250282709165822006-12-15T22:54:00.000+08:002006-12-15T23:01:50.845+08:00

My DH sent this link to me:High IQ link to being VegetarianSo, an overweight vegetarian would just have normal IQ?[Ref: previous post, Weight and IQ]

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-36342939565701049922006-11-27T23:31:00.000+08:002006-11-27T23:32:51.527+08:00

Think happy thoughts.Look on the bright side.Count your blessings.Get more insight

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-16219367608905598282006-11-16T23:33:00.000+08:002006-11-16T23:54:58.977+08:00

The results from a study coducted by Dr Maxime Cournot from Toulouse University Hospital indicate that weight and IQ are inversely proportional.Reported on MedicineNet:Gain Weight, Lose Brain Power?Press release from American Academy of Neurology:High BMI Tied to Poor Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged AdultsAbstract on Neurology.net:Relation between body mass index and cognitive function in

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-87100667324138034262006-11-04T16:48:00.000+08:002006-11-04T18:06:18.507+08:00

The TED Prize is awarded by the Technology Entertainment Design to individuals who have shown that they can change the world. Quoted from the TED Prize website:Our goal is to honor and empower these people by connecting them to the formidable resources of the TED community. Our prize-winners may be very different, but they will have this in common: They will be doing something that has

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-20727812029475819732006-10-27T13:08:00.000+08:002006-11-03T15:11:53.417+08:00

It may not be such amazing news, but it made news all the same:Amazon River Flowed Backwards in Ancient TimesSouth America's winding Amazon River flows in an easterly direction across the continent, dumping water into the Atlantic Ocean. But in eons past, it flowed from east-to-west and, for a time, in both directions at once, a new study finds.Come to think of it, with all the plate tectonics

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-84295948869940453422006-09-21T22:05:00.000+08:002006-09-21T22:15:47.950+08:00

The 2006/2007 Yellow Pages was sitting in my mailbox today.In the apartment building I am in, the mailboxes are all on the ground floor. They are little pigeon-holes with a door that has a tiny slot about 8" wide and 1" high, for letters to go through. Letters.Parcels generally cannot fit, and I would get a little note asking me to collect them from the post office.I have, on two occassions,

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-72125445546489356752006-09-19T21:26:00.000+08:002006-09-19T22:17:54.101+08:00

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. [Photo from McGill's Professor Sijpkes' Website][Photo from "A Digital Archive of American Architecture"]On further thought, people who live in glass houses should invest in drapes. Or, an alternative solution at Happy Day CardsBy the way, people who live in stone houses shouldn't throw glass!

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-38255787637843438572006-09-15T20:05:00.000+08:002006-09-15T20:13:06.850+08:00

I'd like to believe that educated persons would have sufficient common sense to know that tissue paper in the wash basin will choke up the sink.I'd also like to believe that most people, educated or not, would not like a choked-up sink.Lastly, given that I work at a research institution, I believe everyone there are educated.Hence, on several occassions, I have been rather baffled to find tissue

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-46870382755978255902006-09-11T23:28:00.000+08:002006-09-11T23:38:30.308+08:00

Some people lack lift etiquette.I'm not talking about those who squeeze past you to get out when you're clearly trying to get out. I'm not even talking about those who press the "door close" button when you're clearly on your way to catch the lift.I am talking about those who try to squeeze into the lift when you are trying to get out - as if preventing you from getting out guaranteed their place

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1136725350424497142006-01-08T20:52:00.000+08:002006-01-08T21:28:17.636+08:00

When does the post office postmark their mail? I certainly hope they do it the very day the mail was collected... On 30 Dec 2005, I had dropped my entry form into the post box. I was later informed that my entry was late - because the postmark was 3 Jan 2006 (after the 31 Dec 2005 closing date). How baffling! The post office here has a policy of "next business day delivery" for mail posted before

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1136110685390962182006-01-01T18:06:00.000+08:002006-01-02T22:56:43.630+08:00

Happy New Year everyone!!! Its time to celebrate a new year, a new beginning... Parties are held everywhere, people wish one another well in the new year, and make new year's resolutions so better their coming year.BUT, what is New Year's Day anyway? Another day to celebrate? Oh yes, humans are so very clever... not just one day to celebrate but two!!! Indeed, we have big parties to celebrate New

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1135505866125896832005-12-25T17:56:00.000+08:002005-12-25T18:23:08.890+08:00

Its a quiet Christmas - at least for me.  After all, there's not much to celebrate - I'm not religious, and this is but a holiday season for me.  I respect that it is a meaningful time for many of my friends, and I wish them well and joyful celebrations!Nevertheless, speaking to M the other day, we came up with my version of "Twelve Days of Christmas".  It starts as follows:On the first day of

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1133973330960343482005-12-08T00:11:00.000+08:002005-12-08T00:35:30.973+08:00

I cannot believe this...ALL mathematics departments require GRE subject tests for admission. What do you do if you are unable to take the test, due to an absurdly unprofessional act by ETS?My sister is applying to grad school, and she signed up for the subject test on Dec 10. On Dec 5, my sister called ETS to ask why she had not yet received the admission ticket. ETS then told her that the test

Chownoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1129186639765359352005-10-13T14:45:00.000+08:002005-10-13T14:57:19.770+08:00

There has been a small debate recently about an "error" in the PSLE Mathematics paper. Error? My my, this is so criminal!However, where is the inconsistency? Now, if we assume that the diagonal lines across the rectangle are straight, then yes, there is an inconsistency. Otherwise, the dimensions are perfectly reasonable! Of course the apology should then be that the question is not a PSLE-level

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1120452821448690392005-07-04T12:48:00.000+08:002005-07-04T12:53:41.453+08:00

There was a storm early this morning - strong gusts of wind, and heavy rain. The winds got very strong, and blew the shampoo off the ledge in the bathroom. I could hear things falling in other apartments.Later, on the radio, the traffic situation updates included various reports of trees or branches fallen on the roads, causing blockages. At the end of the report, the DJ exclaimed, "we seem to

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1120063728375439912005-06-30T00:08:00.000+08:002005-06-30T01:18:05.963+08:00

The Forum in yesterday's papers carried a letter titled "Have trains run faster", where the writer wrote, and I quote, "From what I observed, MRT trains are running at the same speed today as they were some two decades ago when they were first introduced. Surely, with new technology, trains can be made to run faster?"The writer makes a good point - new technology must now enable trains to run at

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1113831845714822002005-04-18T21:31:00.000+08:002005-04-18T21:45:12.270+08:00

We get off work at 6pm. It is not so strange that ladies working on the 3rd floor would want to go to the bathroom before heading out, or home. By some strange coincidence, there would invariably be a sign outside the bathroom door.Cleaning in progressWe would then have to take out little after-work stroll either up or down the stairs, to use the bathroom on the 4th or 2nd floor.When I went to

Chownoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1113380535367644482005-04-13T16:18:00.000+08:002005-04-13T16:22:15.366+08:00

Not too long ago, there was some discussion in the local papers about teachers resigning. The story involved a teacher who resigned because she could not bear the unruliness of the students in her school. One point of contention is that this sends the message that one can quit when life becomes too difficult to bear - certainly not something we want to teach our children!In traditional

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1112938533119976852005-04-08T13:30:00.000+08:002005-04-10T22:59:52.616+08:00

A little over a month ago, my parents announced that they had bought a new LCD TV. Why?Well, they were having problems with the old TV. After all, it *is* 10 years old, and such ancient TVs are susceptible to typical ailments of old age. The main complaint was that the color of the TV is wrong - it looked redder than it should. Somehow we can determine that all those filmmakersout there didn't

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1112267379322904752005-04-03T08:05:00.000+08:002005-04-03T08:23:26.010+08:00

The flight from Newark to Detroit was exciting!We flew over upstate NY and guess what?Yes, the Finger Lakes!I've never seen the finger lakes from the air before, especially not from so high. Well, in photos, yes, but not with my own eyes. It was exciting to identify the lakes that we knew and the places we had been to.There was Cayuga Lake, with Stewart Park on its frozen southern shore. We could

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1112226891976188042005-04-01T07:50:00.000+08:002005-04-03T08:32:17.490+08:00

While I was in Ann Arbor, my sister and I went to Borders downtown. This is supposed to be the original (first) Borders bookstore. There, a book caught my eye...Runny BabbitA Billy Sook by Shel SilversteinCute, at first glance. The twist was immediately obvious. The first poem went like this:THE FUNNY BAMILYRunny fad a hamily -Matter of fact, he hada sother and two bristers,A dummy and a mad.His

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1112226590757668622005-03-31T07:41:00.000+08:002005-03-31T07:49:50.756+08:00

Its funny how jet lag seems to hit me, not on the first day, but for the next few days. This trip was good, as we got back in the night, and I slept well 'til morning. I actually got through the entire first day very well. We even went out for dinner, and had a good time.But see me the next day, as I tried to stay awake in the afternoon, and ended up falling asleep on the sofa at 10:30pm, while

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1112054068451596452005-03-29T07:51:00.000+08:002005-03-29T09:00:38.506+08:00

In yesterday's Today paper, there was an article about "scientists" inventing an alarm clock which would roll around the house, out of reach of the sleepy user. This presumably would help to ensure that whichever sleepy-head using this would have to wake up.M: Why is it "scientists" who invent an alarm clock that roll around?C: Ahh! Necessity is the mother of invention! Don't you call yourself

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1111780477954911422005-03-25T14:44:00.000+08:002005-03-29T08:59:06.703+08:00

Spring seems to be a little late in coming this year! It was snowing two days ago, and there is still snow on the ground. Now. It is cold, but not too cold, so we have been going for half-hour walks around the neighbourhood.I still can't believe that I'm once again 15mins from Ice House, yet once again not going skating at all. Well, I have an excuse - my back is still stiff in the mornings...

Chownoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610843.post-1111464596115034722005-03-21T22:26:00.000+08:002005-03-29T08:58:02.210+08:00

When I first heard about blogs, I wondered what the thrill was in opening one's thoughts, one's life to the whole world. Plus, where would I find the time to do all that? There is so much more to do in life outside work - skating, movies, outdoors, travelling, etc.On further thought, I recall that in college, I did keep a personal webpage. Then, there was no Blogger that I knew of. I had to do

Chownoreply@blogger.com0