Let it snow!~ Let it SNOW!~ LET IT SNOW!!~

People in Birmingham!!! If you never notice, it just hail moments ago! So what is hail and why it hails?

Hail is only produced by CUMULONIMBI. If you pay attention in your geography class, your teacher will surely mention cumulonimbi. It is, in English, thunderclouds. It occurs when dust, insects (INSECTS!! JUS IMAGINE A COCKROACH IN HAIL!!), or ice crystals freezes into ice balls when contact with supercooled water. Supercooled water are water that is below freezing point but remains in liquid state. And you can find plenty within the cumulonimbi! The updraft will bring the ice balls up into the clouds. The more supercooled water it contacts, the larger it is! And when the updraft cannot support its weight, you will see ice cubes falling from the sky!

Raincoat is useless against these falling ice cubes, that why smart people buy umbrella! So this is the million dollar question!! Is hailing a sign of snowing??

Well, hail is actually a form of snowing! Snow forms if the air in a cloud is below freezing. The water vapour then turns to ice instead of rain and the tiny ice crystals stick together until they form snowflakes. When they get heavy enough to fall, they drop out of the clouds. At this point though, we still don’t know whether they will end up as rain or remain as snow. This depends on the temperature of the air they travel through on the way down to the ground. If it gets warmer, they turn into rain, but if the air stays close to freezing all the way down, then the snowflakes will make it without melting and so fall as snow.

What I can say is that if it is cold enough to hail, it might be cold enough to snow! And maybe, it is snowing everytime!! But it reaches us as rain. :)

Weatherman Z :)

Exams Preparation!!

For many today is the eve of our exams, but some is already in the midst of the battle of examination! Which moron invented exams? That was the question I try to find out eariler, but no luck. However, I found another article, which I found would be rather useful.

5 Things to do the day before the exam

1. Review Key Points

Notice the word REVIEW!! The day before your test is less than ideal to be first learning something. Hopefully you have already mastered the material, and it is just a matter of giving that material an extra polish.

2. Eat Well-balanced Meals

Remember the phrase, You are what you eat? Be sure to keep your body and your brain in peak condition by feeding it the nutrients it needs to perform at its best. Usually easier said than done. Might not make a BIG different, but sure would help.

3. Feed Your Ruminator

Whatever we spend time doing, thinking, and seeing in the 45 minutes before falling asleep is what our brains ruminate on throughout the night. So it’s to your advantage to feed it, the things you want to remember for the next day’s exam and not horror movie. You probably scare yourself awake in the middle of the day. Not something funny, or else you be very tired the next morning, cause you being laughing all night! Of course not something too sexy, or else you need to do laundry the next morning!! :P

4. Envisioning Your Success

Just before you drift off to sleep, create a picture of yourself successfully completing your exam. It’s most effective if you do it every night, but even one day before your exam could make a significant difference in creating better exam results.

5. Get A Good Night’s Sleep

You need your 7-8 hours of quality sleep to perform at your best. I being having quality sleep today too! But unfortunately I did not sleep at night. I napped! For those that going "What a lazy ass" well, A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.

5 Things to do the morning before the exam

1. Eat Your Breakfast

Keep your body, mind and blood sugar in balance. You can always drink RED BULL!! The sugar free one. The non sugar free is too sweet. And try to hide your wings in the exam.

2. Do Light Exercise

Light exercise will help you feel good and energized, and help get more oxygen to your brain. Not very sure the definition of Light Exercise, maybe some Singapore Workout!! Dont what is a Singapore Workout? Nevermind, I believe some free ass around with do a post on that! :)

3. Do A Light Review

Glance through your exam preparation materials one more time, and do any last minute checks you feel you need.

4. Keep the Exam in Perspective

It’s just a test, not the end of life on this planet. Allow yourself to relax and let your worries go. But it is usually easier say than done.

5. Breathe

A lot of students tense up, and forget to breathe, or take shallow breaths. Be sure to breathe deeply from the diaphragm. This will help your muscles feel better and will help to clear your head and allow you to think better.

After my president, Francis wishes everyone luck. I would also wanted to end this post wishing everyone that read this post GOOD LUCK!!

So now you got DOUBLE LUCK!!

Zhiwei :)

QWERTY

No.. no.. no.. It is not because I drink too much red bull in such unproductive day that causes me to anyhow type the first 6 letter of my keyboard. It is neither because I finished my revision and start typing nonsense.

QWERTY is commonly referred to the design of the current keyboard. It makes no sense. It is awkward, inefficient and confusing. These arguments and complains has lasted for 124 years, but there it remains, un-alphabetically.

It is a design from Christopher Sholes. (I forgive his stupid idea, cause his family name is rather similar to a great football player). And the purpose of this design?? It is to slow down the typing speed of typist!! If you notice, very common letter such as “A”, “S”, “I” is located at position that reachable by your less strong fingers.

Why is he so evil? The design is intially for old traditional typewriters. When a key was pressed, a typebar would swing up to hit the paper from underneath. If the typist typed too fast, two typebars would crash and causes jams.


Definitely as technology advances, typewriter retires and computers took over. And the typebar crashes problem gown with the wind. But this design remains as it becomes a universal standard and many had got use to it!

Zhiwei :)

Suicide Method

In response of one of the member wanting to shoot herself, I, as a caring and concern friend and committee member, shall.......

Give your more option so you can choose :)

Burning (Self-Immolation)

Self-immolation is the act of setting oneself on fire; an accelerant such as gasoline is frequently used to hasten death. Burning to death can take several minutes to several hours, making this a painful way to expire. Death may result from smoke inhalation, shock, or, after a period of days, systemic failure. A person who survives self-immolation may still suffer extensive burns.

This definitely not recommended, unless you are really desperate to become damn HOT!
Male Ghost: *Whistle* “Oei chio bu!! Want dinner? Got some delicious candles here!!”

Jumping

Jumping from a great height can shatter organs and tissues. If a person jumps from a bridge into water, the person may die by drowning rather than by impact, especially if the bridge lies low over the water.

But generally it is not recommend, because, as you jump halfway, your life will probably flash in front of you, and you might regret. You might not wanted to die half way through, but you cant change the course anymore. But of course, unless you drink red bull before you jump. Cause…. RED BULL GIVE YOU WINGS!!

Carbon monoxide poisoning

In most cases carbon monoxide is a product of combustion; for example, it can be released by cars and some types of heaters where there has been incomplete combustion.
Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas, so its presence cannot be detected. It is harmful to the human organism as the CO molecules lowering the body's oxygenation, eventually resulting in death.

Carbon monoxide is produce mainly by car. If you wanted to choose this option, you can rent a car from enterprise. Links is at the side of the blog. And remember, said you know “Francis” and you get 10% discount!! WOOHOO!! *So proud of my president* ^^

Shooting

Brain or heart damage kills a person most quickly; however, the gun must be powerful enough for that to succeed. Usually place to aim are the side of forehead, in the mouth and in some cases the heart is chosen as a target, but it is harder to aim correctly. There are many cases of brain damage and severe physical trauma that do not result in loss of life.

Getting a gun here is difficult but not impossible. But it is probably so troublesome, you might give up committing suicide. Not a option for the less determined ones! :)

If you want a more comfortable option of being shot. Being shot by a guy.. With another gun. That would surely relieve some stress :p

Hanging

Death will be instantaneous due to breaking of the neck. If the neck is not broken, severely deficient supply of oxygen due to the obstructed wind pipe will ultimately lead to death.

This is quite a ugly death. Your tougue will probably be sticking out and eye balls popping up like nobody business. And please, do get a stronger rope with you think you are heavy.

Drowning

Suicide by drowning is the act of deliberately submerging oneself in water or other liquid and staying there long enough to prevent breathing and deprive the brain of oxygen. Genuine cases of drowning are determined by whether the victim's lungs are filled with water.

This is also another case of ugly death. Your face and body would probably be so bloated and wrinkled, noone will recognise you. Please! Do this only you are very desperate of swimming.

Electrocuting

Sticking your fingers into the plugs, will cause a lethal electric shock that is able to kill. A high enough voltage can overcome the high resistance of the skin and pass a sizable current through the trunk. A large alternating current through the body can seriously disrupt nerve signals and can cause the heart to go into irregular contraction.

PS: People with fat fingers? Opps.. Try another option.

And of course, above is an only reference, not recommendation by the singsoc committee. Carrying out of any of the above acts will not be the responsibility. :):) And if you really felt stress and pressure, please.. look around at the greeneries and the people around! The world is still so beautiful!! Have a good break and a good laugh at the post and..

GO BACK TO WORK!!

PS: I found all these information in wikipedia!! WTH!!

Zhiwei

Rainbow Flag

Please. Don’t worry. This is the still the singsoc blog. Not a LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) pop-up. And yes I know there will be a uproar, “WTH Zhiwei post gay stuff, he damn gay lah”, “Wow! Die die must subscribe one year of GAY TIMES for him!”.

Firstly, I would wish everyone look at this in a healthy point of view. Oh, by the way, for those that is confused, the rainbow flag is the colours of Gay pride. Today, we going to discuss on the colours not who’s gay and who’s not

Have you even take a closer look and wonder.. Aren’t there supposed to have 7 colours in the rainbow? Why is it only 6? Is it a printing error? What is the flag represent?

Of course there are special meaning for the colours..

Red represents Life
Orange represents Healing
Yellow represents Sun
Green represents Nature
Royal Blue represents Harmony
Violet represents Spirit

In 1978, Gilbert Baker of San Francisco, inspire by the five-striped "Flag of the Race", designed a rainbow flag as a symbol of gay and lesbian community pride. Slowly the flag took hold, offering a colourful and optimistic alternative to the more common pink triangle symbol.

Initially, Baker’s design is a flag with eight stripes: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, which represents, sexuality, life, healing, sun, nature, art, harmony, and spirit respectively. He dyed and sewed the material for the first flag himself. He later found out that hot pink was not commercially available, therefore, mass production of his eight-striped version became impossible. The flag was thus reduced to seven stripes.

In 1979, the city's first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, was assassinated. Wishing to demonstrate the gay community's strength and solidarity in the aftermath of this tragedy, the 1979 Pride Parade Committee decided to use Baker's flag. The committee eliminated the indigo stripe so they could divide the colours evenly along the parade route - three colors on one side of the street and three on the other. Soon the six colours were incorporated into a six-striped version that became popularized and that, today, is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers.

So next time, if you see a 6 colour rainbow flag in front of a pub, it will mean more than just a gay pub to you. You probably now knows more about their colours than the LGBT.

Zhiwei

Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World!! Many knew its existence, but few can name it. Today, I will take your through the list and allow you to vote for your own Seven Wonders of the World.

Firstly, when we mention about Seven Wonders of the World, we usually meant Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, for because only one out of the seven wonders remains. Others are like mythical stories from the word of mouth.

A historian (Herodotus) and a scholar (Callimachus of Cyrene) decide to make a lists of "seven wonders" but their writings have not survived, except as references. The final list of the Seven Wonders was compiled during the Middle Ages. The list comprised the seven most impressive monuments of the Ancient World, some of which barely survived to the Middle Ages.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Fruits and flowers, waterfalls, gardens hanging from the palace terraces, exotic animals, paradise in the Middle East. It is said to be located on the east bank of the River Euphrates, about 50 km south of Baghdad, Iraq.

Built by Nebuchadnezzar II, around 600 BC, to please his wife, Amyitis of Media, who longed for the trees and beautiful plants of her homeland.

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

It is more than a place of worshipping, the white marble temple was one the most beautiful structure on earth. Built in honour of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature, Artemis, the temple was located in the ancient city of Ephesus near the modern town of Selcuk, about 50 km south of Izmir, Turkey.

It also housed many works of art, including four ancient bronze statues of Amazons sculpted by the finest artists at the time. It was in the end burnt by man who an attempt to immortalize his name.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

This is the statue of the god in whose honour the Ancient Olympic Games were held.. At the time of the games, wars stopped, and athletes came from Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Sicily to celebrate the Olympics and to worship their king of gods, Zeus.

It was located on the land that gave its very name to the Olympics, Olympia, on the west coast of modern Greece, about 150 km west of Athens. The sculpture was made by ivory and accented with gold plating and seated on a magnificent throne of cedarwood, inlaid with ivory, gold, ebony, and precious stones. But unfortunately, it never survive a severe fire in AD 462.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is the burial place of an ancient king of the Persian Empire, Maussollos, his wife, Artemisia II of Caria, and his sister. It was situated in the city of Halicarnassus on the Aegean Sea, in south-west Turkey.

Decorated with gold and surrounded by Ionic columns, the tomb also adorned a statue of a chariot pulled by four horses on the top and statues of people, lions, horses, and other animals. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was in the end disassembled and used for the fortifying of a massive crusader castle by invaders in 1494.

The Colossus of Rhodes

The Colossus of Rhodes was not only a gigantic statue of Greek god, Helios. It was rather a symbol of unity of the people who inhabited that beautiful Mediterranean island. It stood at the entrance of the harbour of the Mediterranean island of Rhodes in Greece for 56 years, before it was destroyed by a bad earthquake.

Skin of the statues is bronze and its base was made of white marble. The structure was gradually erected as the bronze form was fortified with an iron and stone framework.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, a architectural elegance with a practical use. For sailors, it ensured a safe return to the Great Harbour. For architects, it was the tallest building on Earth. And for scientists, it was the mysterious mirror that fascinated them most. It was located on the ancient island of Pharos, now a promontory within the city of Alexandria in Egypt.

For centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was used to mark the harbour, using fire at night and reflecting sun rays during the day. Knowledge of its location and appearance remains inaccurate, and it too, never survive till the present day.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The oldest, yet it is the only surviving of the Seven Ancient Wonders, The Great Pyramid of Giza. The final resting place for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu, the Great Pyramid still stood strongly at the city of Giza, a necropolis of ancient Memphis, and today part of Greater Cairo, Egypt.

The structure consists of approximately 2 million blocks of stone, each weighing more than two tons. On the north face, is the pyramid's entrance. A number of corridors, galleries, and escape shafts either lead to the King's burial chamber, or were intended to serve other functions. The King's chamber is located at the heart of the pyramid, only accessible through the Great Gallery and an ascending corridor.

After a long history lesson, here is the interesting part. The world needs a new set of the seven wonders, you believe it or not, you can vote yours. The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07!! As effect of this post, you only have only 82 days to vote! HURRY UP!! Next time you can proudly tell your kids, "I VOTED THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD"

Vote here: http://www.new7wonders.com

Zhiwei

Interesting Facts!

Are you A+, B+, O- or AB-??

Yes, I am talking about your blood group!

My First Question:
Which is the rarest blood type??

Well if your guess is AB-, you are half correct! In the UK, only 1% of the population is AB-, while around 37% are O+, which is the most common blood group around. Among the MAJOR blood group, AB- is the rarest.

But there are MINOR blood group. Heard of blood groups that is called C^wD-/C^wD- or Rh_null or S-s-U(+) or Sc:-1 ??? Because of unique inheritance from unique population or ethncity. With a confusing mix of deep ancestral migration. And here you go! A group type you will never hear before!

My Second Question:
Do you think blood type of a person can change?

Well, I doesn't believe at first, but YES, they do change! But at very rarely situation. In such situation is recovering for acute myeloid leukaemia. There are reports about an individual experience changes of blood group after recover from the serious illness. That is probably the main reason that the current Singapore Identity Card (IC) exclude your blood group. A few years ago, Singapore IC contains information of your blood group (it is on mine too), but in recent years, they excluded that information. Those that IC is green or IC is old, can approach imran! His IC is the new one!

Zhiwei

Interesting Facts

Where is London Bridge?

Tower Bridge

Current London Bridge in London

London Bridge in California

Of course it is in London! Right?? Well that depends. Depending on which London Bridge you are referring to. London Bridge was destroyed and rebuilt for several times. In 1013, the bridge was burned down by King Aethelred in a bid to divide the invading forces of the Dane Svein Haraldsson. This episode probably inspired the well-known nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down.

A new bridge was later built in 1831 but couldn't handle the ever-increasing flow of traffic across the Thames River and it was subsequently discovered that the bridge was sinking an inch every eight years. The British government soon decided to put the bridge up for sale. On 18 April 1968, London Bridge was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for US$2,460,000. The bridge was dismantled, and each stone was numbered. Everything was shipped 10,000 miles to Long Beach, California, and then trucked to Lake Havasu City. Those marking on the stones can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed and re-dedicated on October 10, 1971. Urban legend has it that McCulloch mistaken London Bridge as the more impressive Tower Bridge, but he denies it.

So technically, the Old London Bridge is in California and of course, another new bridge now stretches across River Thames. So next time when people ask you, where exactly is London Bridge. Well? It is in London, and California too, brick by brick.

- Winter Serenity