ScienceCasts: Genius Materials on the ISS

Real Challenge - find the horse !

Orwellian Doublespeak ( 1984)

A concept created by George Orwell , can be seen to be analogous to Doublethink and Newspeak .
Using doublethink , a person can hold 2 opposing ideas  and fully believing in both the  ideas . Newspeak is then the offical language used to express the ideas in  doublethink.  Doublespeak , therefore , can be described as evasive ,  ambigous  language intended to deceive or confuse . It possesses the following specific attributes

• misleads
• distorts reality
• pretends to communicate
• makes the bad seem good
• avoids or shifts responsibility
• makes the negative appear positive
• limits, conceals, corrupts, and prevents thought
• makes the unpleasant appear attractive or tolerable
• creates incongruity between reality and what is said or not said

Some examples of doublespeak 

• senior citizen ( old)
• Constructive severence ( laid off ; fired )
• negative patient care outcome ( patient died)
• mental activity at the margin ( insanity)
• non-performing assets ( bad loans , debts )
• pre-owned car  ( used car )
• Industrial action ( strike )
• enhanced interrogation ( torture)
• premptive strike  ( unprovoked attack )
• person of interest ( suspects in a crime)
• take down ( kill )
• ethnic cleansing  ( genocide)
• substance abuse  ( drug addiction ) 
• curvy ( fat ) 

Pareto Principle ( Life isn't fair ! )

In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto noted that 80% of Italy's land was owned by 20% of the people. 

He became somewhat obsessed with this ratio, seeing it in everything. For example, he observed that 80% of the peas in his garden came from 20% of his pea plants. 

The 80:20 ratio of cause-to-effect became known as the Pareto Principle. 

The Pareto Principle is the observation (not law) that most things in life are not distributed evenly. It can mean all of the following things:

• 20% of the input creates 80% of the result
• 20% of the workers produce 80% of the result
• 20% of the customers create 80% of the revenue
• 20% of the bugs cause 80% of the crashes
• 20% of the features cause 80% of the usage
• And on and on…

However, be careful when using this idea! First, there’s a common misconception that the numbers 20 and 80 must add to 100 — they don’t!

20% of the workers could create 10% of the result. Or 50%. Or 80%. Or 99%, or even 100%. Think about it — in a group of 100 workers, 20 could do all the work while the other 80 goof off. In that case, 20% of the workers did 100% of the work. So the 80/20 rule is just  a rough guide about typical distributions.

Also recognize that the numbers don’t have to be “20%” and “80%” exactly. The key point is that most things in life (effort, reward, output) are not distributed evenly – some contribute more than others.

The pareto principle has become a popular business maxim. It has been used to describe everything from economics to projects. 

1. 80% of value is achieved with the first 20% of effort 
   Project teams commonly report that a task is almost completed after a short time. A long time may pass after that before they report any further progress.
2. 80% of problems originate with 20% of projects 
   Some projects are far more problematic than others.
3. 80% of work is completed by 20% of your team 
   The observation that there is often a wide performance gap between your top performers and the rest of your team.
4. 80% of sales come from 20% of your clients 
   Many businesses are dependent on their largest accounts.
5. 80% of your complaints come from 20% of your customers 
   This is a commonly cited customer service rule of thumb.
6. 80% of wealth is owned by 20% of people 
   Pareto's 1906 observation that 80% of Italy's wealth (land) was controlled by 20% of people has held up extremely well. Today, 20% of the world's population controls 82.7% of wealth.

The Rule Of 72

The Rule of 72 is a great mental math shortcut to estimate the effect of any growth rate, from quick financial calculations to population estimates. Here’s the formula:

Years to double = 72 / Interest Rate

This formula is useful for financial estimates and understanding the nature of compound interest. Examples:

• At 6% interest, your money takes 72/6 or 12 years to double.
• To double your money in 10 years, get an interest rate of 72/10 or 7.2%.
• If your country’s GDP grows at 3% a year, the economy doubles in 72/3 or 24 years.
• If your growth slips to 2%, it will double in 36 years. If growth increases to 4%, the economy doubles in 18 years. Given the speed at which technology develops, shaving years off your growth time could be very important.

You can also use the rule of 72 for expenses like inflation or interest:

• If inflation rates go from 2% to 3%, your money will lose half its value in 36 or 24 years.
• If college tuition increases at 5% per year (which is faster than inflation), tuition costs will double in 72/5 or about 14.4 years. If you pay 15% interest on your credit cards, the amount you owe will double in only 72/15 or 4.8 years!

The rule of 72 shows why a “small” 1% difference in inflation or GDP expansion has a huge effect in forecasting models.

By the way, the Rule of 72 applies to anything that grows, including population. Can you see why a population growth rate of 3% vs 2% could be a huge problem for planning? Instead of needing to double your capacity in 36 years, you only have 24. Twelve years were shaved off your schedule with one percentage point.

Source : Learn Right Not Rote

Power Of teacher

Irish Philosophy

Oxymorons

Natural Bleach Alternative

Try this natural BLEACH ALTERNATIVE the next time you clean, whether it be fabrics or as a general all-purpose cleaner in your kitchen or bathrooms. The acidic lemon gives it a nice cleaning boost and, of course, a fresh citrus scent.

Ingredients:
-12 cups water
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1 cup hydrogen peroxide

Mix ingredients. Add 2 cups per wash load or put in spray bottle and use as a household cleaner.

How best to get rid of ants !

1 empty water bottle
(Cut it down to about 2" tall)
5 Tbsp of baking soda
5 Tbsp of sugar
3 Tbsp of water. ( dry works buy I used real sugar.)

The very best way of eliminating ants is truly simple:

Take a small amount of powdered sugar (also called icing sugar) and mix it with an equal amount of baking soda (formally called sodium bicarbonate)

Powdered sugar is essential. You cannot use the larger grains of sugar for this..

Mix the two powders together and then place small amounts against the walls or other areas where you would not normally walk but where you would normally see the ants.

The ants will be attracted to the sugar and will eat some of it and collect more to take home to feed others, so all of them will get their share.

The sugar and baking soda powders are similar in size and, once mixed together, the ants cannot separate the two items, so, as they eat the sugar, they will also ingest the baking soda, which they would otherwise never touch. This is the reason for using powdered sugar.

Once the ants eat the baking soda it will react with the formic acid in their stomachs and cause gas. The bodies of ants are unlike humans and they cannot eliminate gas so it will build up inside them and cause them to literally explode.

Remedy for sore throat

help for diabetics

RECIPE:-

½ cucumber-
1 green apple-
½ bitter gourd-
2 ribs of celery-
½ green capsicum (bell pepper)

Hair Fall Remedy with Aloe Vera

Hair fall is an ever existent problem in out lives. And it constantly captures our attention! We are unable to think of anything. Aleo Vera is a perfect for healing the scalp and bringing the pH balance to normal. It also has cleansing properties that cleans the pores out.

Blend aloe vera gel with 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Add 2tbsp. coconut oil.
Mix it and apply on your scalp and hair.
Wash your hair as usual after 20 min.
weekly 3 time

POEM: Perseverance by STACEY

When all the world is looming dark

And things seem not so clear,

When shadows seem to hover ’round

Lord, may I persevere.

When it seems everything’s been tried
And there’s no way to go,
Just let me keep remembering
Sometimes the journey’s slow.

I may just need to stop and rest
Along the path I trod,
A time to try to understand
And have my talk with God.

As I gain new strength to carry on
Without a doubt or fear,
Somehow I know things will be right,
And so, I persevere.

Becoming God's Masterpiece

20 Gifts to Give

1. Mend a quarrel.

2. Seek out a forgotten friend.

3. Hug someone tightly.

4. Forgive an enemy.

5. Be gentle and patient with an angry person.

6. Express appreciation.

7. Gladden the heart of a child.

8. Find the time to keep a promise.

9. Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously.

10. Speak kindly to a stranger.

11. Enter into another's sorrow.

12. Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.

13. Take a walk with a friend.

14. Kneel down and pat a dog.

15. Lessen your demands on others.

16. Apologize if you were wrong.

17. Turn off the television and talk.

18. Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.

19. Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly.

20. Encourage an older person.

© Copyright by Charles R. Swindoll
Condensed from The Finishing Touch: Becoming God's Masterpiece

Organic Chemistry Lab Demo: Distillations

A Brief Introduction to Refluxing

A New hairdo for me !

My regular hairdresser is out of action for a while , her husband told me . I decided to try MK , introduced by an old pal sometime back . What a coincidence that I should meet this lady  at the mountain walk this morning and had the appointment made straight away .MK must be really proud of what she is doing , chatting away as she trimmed my hair . She said she would give me a new look and I  am actually quite happy with her cut . As I was planning to dye my hair after the cut , I told her I just needed a cut and no more . The blessed proprietress insisted on washing my hair after the cut (FOC), she even sprayed nourishing hair oil to give my hair a little shine . It was then that I realised she was really proud of her work , she wanted me to know exactly how to blow my hair to give the  new cut the best effect .To appreciate her earnestness in doing her best for me , I bought from her a bottle of the "nourishing oil" costing RM 33 ( CP : 35 ) .

The passing of yet another old friend

I received this  FB message on April 12"Hi Auntie , my mom passed away peacefully on 10th Apr. We are doing her wake at our home in Puchong, leaving for the crematorium on Saturday at 11pm."I read the message again , just to be right . She is a dear old friend and we spent a lot of time together in those days when our children were still small . There were swimming days , family trips to Islands etc . How I miss those times .When she and her family transferred out of town to the capital City , we lost touch a bit but remained close at heart . In between , we have paid each other visits though not that many time s to boast about. .

Lunch date with friends

We have scheduled an early lunch date today , just the 3 of us .
My  friends are ever so considerate , always thinking of the food I like  , dislike or avoid altogether .
As usual , I will  say anything will do , just no beef , mutton  and  cheese !
The funny thing that happened was the first 3 joints that we tried were closed  and they were not to close today, rightfully! We ended up eating  in an  inconspicous location , but I enjoyed this outing !
After the lunch , our most gracious driver offered to chauffeur us around and I managed to run few errands which otherwise I would procrastinate . I collected the long overdue mis-spelt name tags from the shop , bought anti-tick medication for my beloved canines plus a chain for Tiny , the latest addition to my canine brood .

Herbal remedy for me

Someone that I got to know recently suggested that I try a herbal remedy for my thyroid condition . Such a sweet person , she gave me the perscription promptly .

I just started the first course of the herbal medicine  on  8 april ( Monday ) and will continue taking on alternate days for a month .

Hope it works !

"You Are The Light of the World" Movie - Mary Robinson Reynolds | The MasterMinding Maven®

"You Are The Light of the World" Movie - Mary Robinson Reynolds | The MasterMinding Maven®

Best wishes to my brother , Jimmy !

My younger Brother is admirable . For the future of his only son , he is venturing into something new at an age that has passed half a century .
Today  , he will be flying off to a foreign land to learn some culinary skills for a month .If feasible  and doable , he plans to start an eatery specialising in the dishes that he would learn . I  pray that he will have an enjoyable & successful learning experience that he can then put to practice .
Good Luck , dearest brother ! May you realise the plan that you have carefully thought of for your son , and yourself . God Bless !

IRIS 2 - 아이리스 시즌2 - Episode 11 - VIP #1 - Part 1 | Watch online and download free Asian drama, movies, shows

IRIS 2 - 아이리스 시즌2 - Episode 11 - VIP #1 - Part 1 | Watch online and download free Asian drama, movies, shows

In Memory of Beloved Dad

Today , we performed the 1-year anniversary rite for our beloved dad  who left us last year , due to pulmonary failure . Dad was 86 going on 87 then .

The passing of dad made mum really sad , we all felt it for her . I can see her age a few years in just this one year . In my prayers , I always  ask Pa  from Heaven to look after mum ( + every one of us) . Today , I really felt Pa's presence and knew that he heard me , my special  request . Thank you so much !

Pa , I hope you have received all our offerings , prayers , hopes &wishes . All of us wish that you can show your presence to us . We want to hear your story , how you are now !  We are certain that you are in the good company of all the ancestors  ! Continue to watch over us , especially mum !

Pa , we love you !

For the special someone !

Believe in this

I hope you embrace this

Life

The Wrath of Mother Nature

I was caught off-guard by the sudden heavy downpour in the late afternoon  yesterday . My laundry was all drenched and got to be rewashed . The roofing in our extended kitchen was recently refurbished but that was not spared too , it "rained"  in part of the kitchen!
The rain lashed  and lashed hard to give much respite to local residents coping with  prolonged dry spell .But the destructive and the vicious essence of the heavy rain  were also felt .  2 tall  trees at the mountain where I take my morning walks  were uprooted during that storm .
But I really can't understand  why the 2  trees toppled  as they were  living in a midst of many surrounding trees ,the physical protection of the surrounding trees is intact. There is no apparent evidence of any vulnerability unless the trees were infected internally  or could it be the soil condition ?

Punctuation is powerful

Canine Hierarchy

Mighty White aka Scarface

MightWhite aka Scarface ( alpha male)

Brown female : Milo ( the alpha female) ; Pepi - ( pup) ; Tiny ( forefront ) 

Our  4 dogs ( with another one stationed permanently out of the house compound )   at home operate under  some hierarchy. They kind of instinctively practise  a " pack behaviour" . I observe the  domineering personality of  MightyWhite (MW)   and the submissive personalities of the others   as they play and interact with  each other.. Pepi & Tiny ( the 2 puppies) largely keep themselves  in line with the growlings  of Milo .

Inspirational

A stark reminder for all of us !

A memorable milestone ....

I am thrilled , elated .... to see my blog  crossing over the tipping point of 1000 hits today , ( 1006 to be exact). Thanks to all the readers , it means a lot to me . One thing I wish though -  if only there were more comments on the  posts  .

999 views !

I am just waiting for one more visitor to this humble site .......and  it will be 1000 views ! I am getting excited like  it is hitting 100,000  already ! Giddy me !

I like these !

Watch

"Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

 

Do not resist changes

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them, that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

Kindness

 "Kindness in words creates confidence.
 Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
 Kindness in giving creates love."  

 Lao Tzu