Campaign 4 An Inconvenient Truth

Just watch the documentary on global warming at a special screening by ECO at GV Plaza Sing...would like to encourage more ppl to watch it...

It's an excellent documentary that everyone have to watch...and take action!!!
Global warming has to be stopped if u want the earth to live longer than u and many generations after u...

The evidence of global warming is overwhelming and undeniable...
1) The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
2) Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level
3) The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade
4) At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles

...and if the warming continues...
1) Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years - to 300,000 people a year
2) Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antartica, devastating coastal areas worldwide
3) Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense
4) Droughts and wildfires will occur more often
5) The Artic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050 (where would penguins and polar bears go then??!!)
6) More than a million species worldwide could be drive to extinction by 2050

Therefore, take action b4 it's too late!!!
A little effort goes a long way...

Here are 10 simple things u can do...
1) Change a light
2) Drive less
3) Recycle more
4) Check your tires...keep it properly inflated
5) Use less hot water
6) Avoid products with a lot of packaging
7) Adjust your thermostat
8) Plant a tree
9) Turn of electronic devices...when not in use
10) Spread the word!! Encourage your friends to watch An Inconvenient Truth!!

For more information, go to www.climatecrisis.net
Most of the information above are obtained from the website

My favorite quotes from the movie: "Ask your parents not to ruin the world you'll be living in" and "If you are a parent, join your children..."

"It is DIFFICULT to get a man to understand something when his SALARY depends upon his NOT UNDERSTANDING IT."
Upton Sinclair

Just another busy week

It's been busy busy busy again...so busy I can't really rem wat kept me busy :P

Let me see...I have been swimming at least once a week recently...other than that...it's just going to the lab...nothing interesting...

Sat I went to KL for a seminar...left super early in the morning...and came back super late at night...after a yummy dinner at a nyonya restaurant in Malacca...yummy!!!

Sun...even though I went to bed pretty late...still had to wake up early for an interclub tennis match in NUS...it was my longest game!!! 3hrs...3 sets...lost the first one...won the 2nd...then...lost the 3rd...sianz...I think our NUS ladies' team has yet to win a single match throughout this doubles league!!! excluding the walkover we got :P
Eunice and I got real close to winning one...but...sighz...that's kinda wat happen when u dun train...u regret it!!!

After the super long match...I got lift to Suntec for pharmacy week!!! Plenty of free health screening...including blood glucose, blood pressure, body fat analysis, bone density test...and, most importantly, ANTIOXIDANT scan!!!
Well...ur antioxidant score tells u how healthy u are...unlike the other "health" screening which only tell u wat disease condition u have or do not have...for example a normal blood glucose only tells u that u do not have diabetes :P

Whereas if ur antioxidant level is high...it means ur body is better protected against free radical attack...
Free radical attack can cause aging and cancer, and have also been proved to be associated to 200 over chronic diseases!!!

My antioxidant score is 53000 (optimal = 50000+)...wat's urs?


This week...back in school...except on Tue...'cos it Hari Raya!! Worked at TPY instead...
It flooded at the basement due to a burst pipe the night b4!!! Luckily by the time I got there...it was more or less cleared up...nothing interesting except I got so many calls from that irritating aunty again!!!

Wed I was planning to column of the crude compounds I synthesized a couple months back...hehe...jialat hor...leave it for sooooo long...
Instead I was busy editing a paper...that hopefully will be published on the Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters soon...it finally came back after a long review...

Finally I managed to column my compound today...it was really fast using the Combiflash...looks quite clean...I think...hehe...Jianchao doesn't think so :P Oh well...it's just an intermediate...will do NMR on Mon and see how ;)
Had to do another cell culture assay to determine the IC50 of 2 compounds because blur me added the wrong compound in the last assay!!! Waste time and waste money man!!! So I seeded the cells today...tom add drug...next Mon add MTT ;)

After a mad rush...decided to join Wilson at the screening of "The Inconvinient Truth"...it's a documentary on global warming...narrated by former US Vice President Al Gore...hehe...last minute go gate crash :P

I'm still alive!!

Yippee...the test is over...and I'm still alive...haha

In fact, I think the little bit that I studied was all I need for that paper...hehe...yippee...

Hmm...so now I just need to complete my 2 assignments due in less than 2 weeks time :D

...and in the lab it's back to playing with chemicals again soon...well...my boss have been bugging me abt that quite a while ago...but...hehe...cell culture work is really time-consuming...my boss dun seem to understand that...seems like u really gotta do it to understand it :P

I'm so dead :P

Just realized that I haven't had a closed book test/exam for a long long time...since undergrad times...

Being so used to open book exams...I'm usually quite bochap abt tests/exams...until a day or 2 b4...and I'm still quite confident I'll survive :D

But now I have a closed book test on NMR and MRI tomorrow...I know nuts abt this topic...and I just started looking at the notes yesterday!!! Spent a whole day out yesterday, and the whole morning out today...
Can't believe I had a tennis match this morning, and went for an KR alumni gathering after that...as though I'm so free...not realizing how jialat I'm gg to be if I dun spend more time studying...and worse still...I still dun feel like studying now!!!
I feel so stressed for myself :P

Well...if u find me dead tom...this post will tell u y...wahahah :P

Ok...back to staring at the notes :S

Ironman inspiration!!

I have been inspired to do an Ironman race ever since I started participating in various marathon/biathlon/triathlon last year...esp when I see so many fellow triathletes who aim to be an Ironman!!!

Interestingly...even though I have been very active in sports since...err...primary school years?!! I played tennis competitively to a pretty high level and also represented school, college or hall in swimming/track etc...
Yet I have never thought that running 10km or more was an achievable target...

And now I have done various marathons, biathlons and triathlons!!! In fact, the more I participate, the more inspired I'm to go further!!

However, training for a triathlon is really really time consuming...wat more an Ironman??!!!
Not to mention a tribike is pretty expensive and not cheap to maintain too!!! Dun think I can do an Ironman with a mountain bike or a hybrid :P

Today I saw this clip on Youtube...it is really touching to see so much love of a father for his son...so much that they participated in so many marathon/triahtlon together!!! U really have to watch it and be inspired!!

It also inspires me further to do an Ironman...not just for myself...but for a charitable organization!!!

So now I have to work hard to find time and money to do an Ironman b4 I reach the veteran's category for ladies...hehe :P

More on team Hoyt here :D

Are you feeling sleepy/lethargic lately?

I kept feeling sleepy last week...just couldn't figure out why...so decided to blame the haze...haha...actually I thought it must be psychological lah :P

Then someone mentioned she felt the same way too...hmm...then I really started to wonder whether it's the haze...

Last Sat I was referred to the website by the National Environment Agency on the latest PSI readings...
There's this 24-hr PSI at 4pm for each day...where they report the SO2 (sulphur dioxide), PM10, ozone and CO (carbon monoxide) level...

I noticed the CO level was abt 30-40 on Fri and Sat when the air was very hazy...and that is still within the good range of 1-50...
However on Sunday when the haze was gone...the CO level was in the single digit range!!!
Which means there's something like 5x more CO in the air than normal during hazy days...maybe that's the reason for the sleepiness...after all, sleepiness is one of the early symptoms of CO poisoning :P

So that's my theory...haha...
Saying that...increased my dose of Cordymax seem to help elevate these symptoms...maybe from the increased VO max :D


Some facts abt Carbon Monoxide

What is carbon monoxide (CO)?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and toxic gas produced as a by-product of combustion ...well, not surprising there's additional CO in the air with the haze...plenty of incomplete combustion gg on in our neighbouring country :P

What are the medical effects of CO?

Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood's ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain. When CO is inhaled, it combines with the oxygen carrying hemoglobin of the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). Once combined with the hemoglobin, that hemoglobin is no longer available for transporting oxygen ...well, lack of oxygen in the brain can sure make ppl sleepy :P

How quickly the carboxyhemoglobin builds up is a factor of the concentration of the gas being inhaled (measured in parts per million or PPM) and the duration of the exposure. Compounding the effects of the exposure is the long half-life of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. Half-life is a measure of how quickly levels return to normal. The half-life of carboxyhemoglobin is approximately 5 hours. This means that for a given exposure level, it will take about 5 hours for the level of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood to drop to half its current level after the exposure is terminated.

What are some symptoms of acute low level CO poisoning?

The earliest symptoms, especially from low level exposures, are often non-specific and readily confused with other illnesses, typically flu-like viral syndromes, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and migraine or other headaches ...anyone experience any of such symptoms recently?

The effects of carbon monoxide in parts per million are listed below:

35 ppm (0.0035%) Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure
100 ppm (0.01%) Slight headache in two to three hours
200 ppm (0.02%) Slight headache within two to three hours
400 ppm (0.04%) Frontal headache within one to two hours
800 ppm (0.08%) Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 minutes. Insensible within two hours.
1,600 ppm (0.16%) Headache, dizziness, and nausea within 20 minutes. Death in less than two hours.
3,200 ppm (0.32%) Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes.
6,400 ppm (0.64%) Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Death in less than 20 minutes.
12,800 ppm (1.28%) Death in less than three minutes.

Better air please?

Wow...the air has been real bad recently...wonder wat's the PSI...

Dunno it's the air or it's just me...but I feel like sleeping most of the time...*yawn* :P

Anyway, that said...I'm real glad the sitting area in my lab has been partitioned off just in time...so at least now we have an air-conditioned place to hang out and do our non-lab work...w/o having the smoky smell from the hazy air...hehe...lucky us :)

...and luckily I went for a swim on Tue afternoon...after the downpour which cleared the air...
Hmm...that means I was swimming in smoky water...oops...

Maybe now's a good time to go diving...we could use more compressed clean air now :P

Interesting weekend?

I think this must be one of the more interesting weekends I had for many many week liao :P

Yesterday...after I had lunch...or rather brunch..went to dreamergal's place for board games...hehe...
On the way there...while I was changing bus at one of the bus stop...saw this young boy with the mum massaging his head...found out that he had knock his head on the bollard 'cos some big guy was running to catch the bus which the boy just alighted from...that guy banged into him and somehow the boy knocked his head...ouch!!!
In the end the mum insisted on that guy gg along with them to see the doc...so much for rushing to catch the bus...that guy has just wasted more time :P

Anyway, when I was near dreamergal's place...I saw this red car with an arm each swinging from both front seat windows...hmm...squid tentacles? hehe...yeah..it's sotong and mrs sotong...
We got to dreamergal's place in time just b4 it started pouring...

Well the rest were not so lucky...renoh had to run in just b4 it poured really heavily...then charlotte, daisiki and roonz came in a cab...

Tiwazz, TLR, Fd, Ripley and Philip came later...hmm...I din even see Philip since I had to leave early...

Anyway, we had loads of fun playing all sorts of games...together with dreamergal's many siblings :D
Started of with Billionaire, then Taboo and finally Pictionary b4 I left...after that they continued playing more games...including Jenga and some "banana" game suggested by...who else...sotong lah :P

Had to leave early 'cos I was working at HBF...

Nothing much happened there except kena scolded by some uncle who wanted to buy 3 strips of lomotil...
I just casually asked him how come he needed so many...'cos usually most ppl just buy 1...and usually a few tablets is more than enough for a case of diarrhea...unless u just wanna get constipated :P
Besides, lomotil can be abused...
Well this uncle not happy...apparently I have asked him the same question b4 and he refused to answer me previously too...
But the last time I worked at HBF was moons ago!!! why so "lucky" kena him again...
so he claimed I dun wanna sell to him and said he wants to complain...hmm...I dun really care leh...but I do care if I'm selling any medication to someone who might be abusing it...
In the end he got the lomotil from elsewhere and came back to show me, make noise and tell me he's gg to complain...ya..watever lah :P

Well...tat evening...I met up for dinner with a fren...hmm...she has an interesting story to tell me...apparently some idiot has been bugging her...and that idiot seem to know me too...though I dun even know him!!!

That's my Sat...

Today...I woke up early to go back to the lab...my cells have not been growing as fast as I would like them too...dunno wat's wrong also...maybe something not quite right with my media? At least it's not killing my cells ;)
Oh...when I talk abt "my cells"...I meant the IMR-90 fibroblast cells I'm growing in a flask :P
These cells are inherently slow growing since it's normal cells...not the usual cancerous cells that are more commonly used...and definitely grow a lot faster!!

Anyway, today the cells have finally grown confluently...finally could seed 2 plates from one flask and subculture the other flask...
It's quite peaceful working in the lab on a Sunday morning...not so recommended to work alone if I'm doing synthesis...but cell assay...not so bad lah hor?

After that...I had to rush off to the courts...hehe...got interclub doubles...that's part of the reason why I went back to the lab...I've travelled all the way to NUS after all ;)
Gloria partnered Pauline, Yunwen and Sherene...then I'm with Mich...
Mich and I were so lethargic throughout the game man...sunday morning tennis matches are not good...but since I can't make it for sat matches...I'm playing most of the sundays instead...maybe I need a younger, more energetic partner...hehe...
Mich and I were committing suicide all the way...so our score ended up with 6-0, 6-0...and we din even reach deuce for any game!!! Hehe..ya...it's that bad :P
We also realized we din sweat much throughout the game...when we decided to hit after the game...and found ourselves sweating away...hehe...we were really not warmed up for the game man!!!

We played against NUSS...so after the game they tried to recruit us (the old ones :P)...heh...nothing new...they've been doing that since my undergrad years...hmm...that made me sound rather old :P

Anyway, after the match, I washed up and went down to Orchard to meet a couple of frens for lunch...2 fellow primary school mates!!! Hmm...I think our parents see each other a lot more than we have seen each other :P
After lunch, it's time to head home...

My back is kinda achy now...hmm...looks like I can't do with that lazy way of hitting where I bend forward and try to reach for the ball instead of running to it and hitting in a more upright position...hehe...signs of old age...oh well :P

So that's my more interesting weekend for u ;)