Friday, September 5, 2008
1st blogThis is Kai.
The past weeks have been very rewarding. Acquisition of knowledge have been an all time high. Even if the host's body continues to break down, i remain alert to his surroundings.
To all those planning a career in biological sciences, the most up and coming career option would be the bioweapons industry. Traditionally look upon as a career dealing with death and destruction, it has been neglected for too long. One common misconception people have is that it is wrong to manufacture death in a test tube which may be dropped on millions of people. Remember that the one pushing the button is not you but some crazed human chimp with illusions of grandeur. If you are guilty, then the defence industry would be sued to bankruptcy a long long time ago.
The American Permanent War Economy can only continue running if it pursues research in bioweapons. Russia has numerous bioweapons programs, though discontinued, remains powerful, equal if not more powerful than America. With that, bioweapons is a hot demand especially to the small breakaway nations of the former communist bloc. Due to the incident in South Ossetia, the surrounding nations are desperate for a stronger defence. And a strong defence is a good offense, the option of deterrence would make Russia think twice about invasion. America has a small bioweapon industry and it should expand that field to meet the current demands. This would also result in the development of defensive bioweapon, to be used when the shit hits the fan.
With these developments, America can once again assume its position as a superpower once more, not just in the field of defence but also economically. In the long run, such weapons will become cheaper and more efficient, eventually more cost-effective than the bullet itself. The expansion of the industry will also create thousands of such knowledge-based jobs, something every country really needs in this global downturn.
You could claim that the cons outweigh the pros; millions of lives would be at stake. Do not worry. A high percentage of global leaders remain rational, the weapons would only serve one purpose: deterrence of possible enemies launching an attack. It is a political game of chicken, where participants tries to outrun each other towards the proverbial cliff of annihilation. Being prudent, they would only stop at the edge, turn around and restart the game again. We have see that in the Cold War, when nukes are proliferated. Bioweapons is just another option of deterrence and can only serve only that purpose, unless the majority of the population are intellectually challenged enough to elect another Adolf Hitler, which is highly unlikely in this modern world.
The host's body needs to sleep now. Good night and sweet dreams to all. Evileye | 12:40 PM
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sorry
Due to my laziness and tendency to procrastinate I have not blogged for a long, long time. Here's some cat pics.
School has been very busy, with unending work. I focused most of my energy into revision before attempting the tutorials, which especially for microbiology, can be tough. I have several frustrations in many areas of my life, that I wish there was some way I can make them magically disappear.
A particular lecturer has irked me with his constant barrage of self-importance. That lecturer as some of you have speculated, teaches a really unimportant subject, which can be self-taught (really). His promise of help, followed by a flip-flop of 'must be cruel to be kind' when talking about his assignment, goes to show how much students matters to him. And since from the start he has already mentioned that he was an external teaching staff, which means he would never give a rat's pee (His favourite example) about any of us.
His ignorance of the fact that students are actually in a hurry for the next class led to him making the incredibly pompous assumption that we don't care about the assignment. Not to mention that the need for tunneling to his website goes to show his paranoia or perhaps his unwarranted belief that his materials are worth millions. He tends to stray from the subject matter to talk about completely unrelated matters (new phone!??), makes it all the worse for us to bear. Did anyone note the irony that he said he needs to end the lecture early to brief us about the assignment? Why is he wasting time telling us an anecdote about how much wealthier he is compared to us?
He continues to exude this aura of elitism, always calling out for the scholars or the exchange students, only to be rebuffed by either their lack of attendance, or unwillingness to stand out and be subjected to certain humiliation by him. He is the paragon of what every lecturer, professor or teacher should never be; the proverbial devil of higher tertiary education.
Now that the rain has stopped. i will probably go over to my cousin's place for dinner and to study. Please comment on my rant (highly sarcastic, i know).
Evileye | 2:38 AMSaturday, May 10, 2008
Dim Sum, Astronomy and ScientologyIt's been a long week. Here's an update.
Watched Iron Man on Monday with a few of my uni friends, enjoyed it thoroughly. Spend the next 3 days learning astronomy. Will update the study blog with the data soon. Had dim sum with my usual kakis, minus Tridansh and Jeck but did invite Alicia. Didn't eat as much as I expected, does exercise suppress appetite. Denise was amazing, finished 5 baskets of xiaolongbao. I think Pingting and Denise ate more than the rest of us combined. Haha
Right now as i type, thousands of people around the world are protesting against the pseudopsychology cult known as Scientology. This is already the fourth protest (Operation Fair Game Stop) in 4 months and there's no sign of it abating. More and more of the dirty secrets of the cult is being revealed onto the net and into the streets. It will eventually snowball into an unstoppable force that will change the world.
I have kept tabs on Scientology since 2005 after stumbling onto www.xenu.net . Being in a country that has enjoyed the protection against such cults, it was shocking to see how an innocent personality test could degenerate into financial ruin and insanity. The heartbreaking stories reminds me never to take for granted rationality and critical thinking, because if you were to surrender it to a collective group, it would eventually degenerate into a totalitarian regime.
I would like to state my support to Anonymous and all those who have taken part in the protest today. May their good work continue and may they have the divine support of whoever or whatever they believe. Keep up the good fight, Anons! Epic Lulz! And to the scientology trolls out there, don't bother harassing me, I'm a Singaporean and you have no legal right to attack me. terryeo, stay out of my comments, I already read your ridiculous comments from other sites. To bgodly and those who have left Scientology, good luck and wish you all the best in rebuilding your lives. I hope someone could set up a charity group for you people and help you transit into normal society once more.
For more information, please google scientology, anonymous and chanology. Have a nice weekend. Evileye | 10:05 AM
Thursday, May 1, 2008
How do new genes arise?
Serious Cat: "Get busy, or you are fired!"
I have a very bad habit. Once I go on a school holiday, I end up thinking about studies. Proof that you don't miss some things until it's gone. And since anyway I'm also writing up the seminar/workshop proposal for Tridansh, I get to kill 2 birds with 1 stone (hmmm, violent imagery for a common phrase, time to change it?)
I was lying in the bitter cesspool which is known as my bed, trying to get more sleep than I ever need, when something popped in my head (No, it's not a blood vessel, Ben and Spen, you can be sure I won't be in a body bag that soon). How did new genes come about? We all know that higher organisms have more genes and larger genome sizes than the lower ones, until it reach a certain point (C-value paradox, imagine the maize plant having a bigger genome than us).
I got out the Albert's Molecular Biology of the Cell 4th ed to look for the answers. Quite fascinating. It seems that new genes can only arise from existing genes, which explains the gene families and superfamilies. 4 ways how gene innovation is performed: Intragenic mutation, Gene duplication, DNA segment shuffling and horizontal transfer. I would love to put up the diagrams on the 4 known ways of gene innovation, but i'm afraid of copyright infringements, which would mean the demise of my blog.
1)Intragenic mutations refers to the internal mutation within the DNA sequence of the existing gene.
2)Gene duplication meant exactly what it says: another copy is made. This also explains redundant genes, which can sometimes play a vital role if the original is mutated. This method gives rise to gene families and superfamilies. An example would be Bacillus subtilis, 47% of its genes have 1 or more relatives. There are 3 terms used to describe relationships: Orthologs, paralogs and homologs. orthologs refers to 2 genes that are derive from 1 common ancestor gene of the last common ancestor of the 2 species. Paralogs means that the related genes are result of a gene duplication event within the same genome. Homologs simply are either orthologs or paralogs, it's a general term for both.
3)Segment shuffling means that 2 genes "cross over" one another, creating 2 different gene. I don't really know whether this is translocation and that whether the rejoining of the segments is based on homologous recombination or not. If anyone knows, please tell me.
4) Horizontal transfer is the mixing of genes between 2 organisms, even different species. Think conjugation in bacteria, gene reassortment in intermediate hosts for viruses. Sex is also a type of horizontal transfer within the same species. Vertical transfer just means transfer of gene from parent to progeny, during mitosis.
I leave you with 2 questions. Within a genome, how would one know which gene in the family came first? Secondly, if it is completely true that all genes came from existing genes, how would one know which gene was the original ancestor of all genes?
Going to watch some astronomy show now. Will blog again later. Evileye | 10:40 PM
Updates
Finally! The exam is over. Time for some progress reports.
Evileye | 7:57 AMAs you can see the blog has been revamped. I removed the Bleach background and change to a Naruto one. The picture of cursed seal mode Sasuke and Kyuubi Naruto is pretty cool. I linked some of my blog to some people I know. If you wish for me to link you, please tell me and I will get to it. I added some music, Shayne Ward's Breathless Snowflaker's remix. Enjoy
I have finally started my jogging regime, with zhongyi as my running kaki. Hopefully I can keep to this for the next 3 months.
Spencer has finally returned to poly after a year of recuperation. His left hand has recovered quite well, judging by how hard he punched me the day before school. I went down faster than a roller coaster ride. Hope he don't get into any more trouble. I don't want to have to run all the way to Downtown at 2am in the morning to see if he's alive again.
My study blog is halfway done, once it's up, I'll send the links around. My anime blog is also on its way, so please stay tuned.
Plans for the holidays: read up, clear astronomy, work on tridansh's seminar project, work out, ICT, and more cat and cloud photography. If possible, I hope to organize a chalet on my b'day.Oh well, hope it all works out.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
HiazSorry for not updating the blog, a lot of school work and other stuff.
Baked cookies with a self-made recipe on monday. First batch failed. Second batch was barely ok. Sorry to all those who ate it, especially Gerard and Alicia who had to eat more than one.
Prof Cha, my psychology tutor, says I have a high chance of getting schizophrenia due to not only my own medical history, but also my family. Then again, it may never happen, if the environmental factors doesn't cause it to kick in. I guess I better keep myself off the gene pool.
A new wave of morning nosebleeds again. Dunno whether I should go and see the doc again. 3 times, and 0 diagnosis. Looks like I'm gonna be a great medical case study in the future.
3 more days to the first paper and the tension keeps rising. I'm trying to breathe easy by relaxing. So far, it's working. Looks like I will be able to do 3 rounds of revision before the paper.
Met Jeck this morning for breakfast. Gerard was waiting for a contractor, so he couldn't make it. Tridansh has continuously ignored my messages. I wondered whether the army is screwing his life? Nagged Jeck to get a handphone, and turns out Mrs Jones(pseudonym for u-know-who) has also nagged him to do it. And probably he's going to spend this month's pay on a new Star Wars book to add to his collection.
Went to school to study today. Cleared some mess. Remembered something very horrible just now, and didn't realise tears running till my keyboard was wet. I guessed it's not good for me to be alone by myself.
Will go to Church tomorrow to seek Divine Intervention. Nic is prob going to nag me there again.
Will start my anime blog once the exam is over. Evileye | 5:12 AM
Monday, February 11, 2008
LoveI have been asked a troubling question today by my friend. What is love? This question is a stereotypical rant of one that has fallen out of a relationship or have unrequited feelings, a feeling not strange to many of us, even one who has a heart rotted to the core. Since Valentine day is close, it wouldn't be bad to talk about it.
C.S Lewis talks about the four loves: affection, philia(friendship), eros(sexual love) and Agape (Love of God for man). Of all the four loves, the one that tend to be abused the most is eros. This is the love we always refer to, the source of all our troubles and pains. The joys and euphoria it brings is fleeting like the life of a moth drawn to the flame, only to burn up as it becomes one with the source of its attraction. The only purpose of this love is for procreation, the mating response of all creatures. It can be twisted into disorder, a desire for the same sex or even animals and children!
You may ask why be so critical of it? Well, for once the facts speak for themselves. The Greek knew of its intoxicating powers and how much destruction it brings. The Illiad speaks of the Trojan war, that started because of love for Helen of Troy that results a 10-year suffering for both sides. The French, the people so enamoured with this love, often realistically tells about the price of it. The tragic Cyrano never did receive love from Roxanne, for he had spoken his heart through the face of Christian, who died failing to reveal the charade. In the end, he died in her arms, broken by the pain of protecting her misplaced devotion.
It is like a poison that enters minds and corrupt the purest souls. When a man falls in love, he enters into a trance-like state, a self-brainwashing. He selfishly wishes for the person of the desired, only to place his own tinted-glass view onto that person. It usually ends in a spectacular failure, and if the will is weak, he will lose his life. But then what if his love is accepted? The other party may too fallen into the same spell. It was last for a while, but it will not be forever. Man, a visual creature, seeing that beauty has faded and that his glasses has been shattered, will seek love elsewhere, the eternal craving for satisfaction. The Edison Chen's scandal comes to mind. Each of the ladies that slept with him all believe that he loved them, but to him they are merely conquest, the pictures are trophies for the eyes.
Then how about those couples that have stayed together? Wouldn't that be evidence contrary to what you have given? Hardly. Some continue to put up the facade, or have resigned to their fates. However there is some good news, some have surpassed eros together and transcended to the highest love, Agape. Where eros is concerned with satisfaction, Agape is unconditional. It is the Love Christ spoke of in the Gospel of John. it is the Love given by that man who made sure his wife has held on to the overturned sampan, as he sank to his death. This Love is beyond all other thing in this world. It is this Love so beautifully described by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth,
breadth and height
My soul can reach....
I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!
and if God choose,
I shall but love thee better
after death
Have a happy Valentine day. Evileye | 9:25 AM