What they never tell you ...

I have always been a bit of a science geek. I did well enough in high school that they pushed me to science stream and I entertained delusions of being an otorhinolaryngologist (ear nose and throat specialist).

Needless to say I'll bet many students have ideas of science as illustrated in the top panel. If they are daft enough (like me) and go into post-graduate research, then they'll discover the truth (as seen in bottom panel).

TMI!!!!

Hahahahah ... now that it is no longer Ramadhan, I can post this picture.

So ... which number are you? Either one.

*grin*

True meaning of Ramadhan ...

... is often forgotten as one is busy chasing Syawal, no? I love how these two video illustrated the sins of vanity



and gluttony



in relation to the holy month.

Men, you should realise by now that when you try to compete with a woman, you're often outclassed. Hee!

The weekend is coming!

For some, it is already here.

Have fun!

Riding like a boss

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride my bike

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride it where I like ...

                                                                                                 - Bicycle Race (Queen)-

Riding the bike is a green transportation strategy. Many cities, particularly in Europe, embraces biking in the cities as a means to reduce pollution and traffic congestion.The Netherlands is popular for both canals and bicycles (with no doubt a number of the latter ending up in the former, thanks to great beers that the Netherlands are also famed for). To encourage more people to opt to cycle, these cities set aside a bicycle lane for cyclists' safety.

But of course, where there are space near the curb (or affectionately known in Malaysia as shoulder of the  road), so shall appear assholes who want to park there. In developing countries, drivers don't even bother with space; double and triple parking is pretty normal. How to overcome this? The mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania decided that a drastic approach is needed.




What I am interested to know is, can we do this here too? The crushing of inconsiderate motorists' vehicles, I mean.

People do the darndest things

Gentlemen, when you visit a lady (or gentleman) of the night, kindly ensure that you have sufficient remuneration to compensate them for their time and enthusiasm; lest you end up like this poor soul who had to visit the surgeon for an embarrassing outcome (see page 2, 2nd column at the top).

Christmas candles should NOT be found in ANY bodily cavity, thank you very much.

Relationship manifesto

(Un)healthy relationships ... if you are in one or are looking for one, this is the song for you.



I give you the delightful Emily Haines and DJ Tiesto. Lyrics can be found here.

Destroying your childhood ...

... one superhero at a time.

Under cut for NSFW images. If you wish your childhood memories of Batman, Spiderman etc to remain inviolate, DO NOT CLICK. You have been warned.

Copy and paste for uncomedic error

Plagiarism in academic circles are considered as one of the highest blasphemy (just below falsifying data). Used to be this is about not acknowledging information sources but the "Ctrl+C" and "Ctrl+V" function in most writing softwares has extended the odd quotes to large swathes of work lifted ad verbatim from the original source (with/without attribution).

 It is not acceptable behaviour.

Anyone teaching at an institution of higher learning will tell you that "copy-paste" term papers are pretty par for the course. The students claim that they are overworked, don't quite understand what is the objective of the paper (and hence stuffed everything possible in it in hopes to garner some mercy points) and all kinds of excuses ("I didn't have time to do the paper properly since my cat died and I'm in mourning." is my personal favourite) to justify their action.

Identifying plagiarised paper of most student is actually pretty easy; just look for islands of flawless sentences in a sea of awkwardly written prose or perfect English sentences from students who could barely identify themselves in said language. Softwares like turnitin makes proving academic dishonesty that much easier.

What are the consequences of citation amnesia? It ranges from suspension, paper retraction or to even stepping down from being the defense minister. Karl-Theodore zu Guttenberg, a charismatic and youthful politician from aristocratic lineage (with the courtesy title of Baron), was alleged to have plagiarised significant portions of with Doctorate of Law thesis. Four years after granting him the degree, the University of Bayreuth withdrew his PhD.

The moral of the story is: If you lie, don't get caught.

Valentine's Revenge

Valentine's Day is not just about lovers reconnecting with one another. It could also provide an excuse for the lovelorn to drive down to the love shack to get some.

But one should also be careful to protect oneself to avoid the fate that inspired this song.



Also, if you are a gentleman trapped in a mine with a few dozen another men (or any on a seafaring vessel, or an oilrig, WHATEVER), try not to share the inflated doll that is made available. It is safer to stick to sudoku.

Kickstarting the week

Ah, man ... starting work after a four-day weekend is not gonna be pleasant. So we need some giggles, no?

Monday.

 

 Tuesday.

 

Wednesday.

 Thursday.

 Friday.

*sigh*

Is it weekend already?

Giving "The Talk" to kids ...

... is fraught with danger and rife with embarrassment. Being a superhero does not help.

Stolen from here.

Storm Troopers just wanna have fun

My niece is addicted to this song. It is bloody catchy and there are tonnes of videos out there of hilarious/serious attempts to copy the original Wonder Girls. But this one?

Star Wars desecration or stupendous imagination? You decide.

Psychopathic, much?

Older, not necessarily wiser

Better living through chemistry, I always say. Scientific and pharmacological progress can help rewind the clock and reinvigorate the limp flesh. No other drug has been enthusiastically lauded and celebrated as the (in)famous little blue pills that made gazillions for pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer.

It is said that Viagra (alongside its brethren Cialis, Levithra etc.) has now changed the sexual landscape worldwide. The little blue pills allow older men to hold on to younger partners as well as contribute to a growing population of swingers.

Frankly, I believe in live and let live. Your body is a temple; worship it, do whatever you want with it. After all, the human condition focusses a lot on pleasure seeking activities; whatever it was that crank your engine, be it illegal pharmaceuticals, adrenaline or even pain.

However, studies have shown that the sexual landscape sculpted by the little blue pills include a rise in sexually transmittable diseases (STDs) among the older population. One study actually demonstrated a link between men who take erectile dysfunction drugs and STDs. Another showed that middle aged swingers are at higher risks of STDs infection.

Previously studies on sexually transmittable diseases are focussed on populations who practice risky sexual behaviours (teenagers, sex workers, men who have sex with men), now it is the parents and grandparents who are more likely to come down with the clap. Is it because they are no longer concerned about pregnancy they leave off using rubbers?

*rolls eyes*

Biggest reason why I like my animals stuffed

Pets are a source of pain. Enough said.

The little grey cells are NOT for decorative purposes only

New nomination for the Darwin's Award: the guy who died in a sauna competition.

I mean, c'mon.You steam a guy like dumpling and see who cries chicken first. Like, WTF? You are elevating your core body temperature, dammit, never a good thing.

They've had the competition for some time already, yeah, (and presumably no one died) but it was just testing fate. A sauna is not meant to be a he-man test; if you want one of those, go swim in an ice floe.

No wonder men die early. They die of stupidity.

The wee hours ...

I discovered this guy courtesy of Manolo for the Big Girl; the awesome ladies of wit and style.

Go to his website for more dark hilarity.

Beard-ome and the science of aesthetics

I have a friend who has never been successful in growing a beard. He would be green with envy at the luxuriant facial hair sported by other men and bitch about the pathetic stubble that was the product of losing the razor for 3 weeks.

Dude, people are doing research on it. Perhaps you just don't have the right genes for it.

*pats him in commiseration*



Who says science geeks aren't creative?