For those who watched last weekend's F1, well done! You must have been thrilled by Hamilton staging his comeback from 15th to 2nd place before a mistake in the team's tyre choice forced him to contend with 7th. Oh well, still a great feat.
The driver and constructor championship points are both so close now it makes you tremble and shiver in your seats with only 4 races to go.
With less than 2 weeks left, it'll be our turn finally... F1 here we come!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
The Third Nipple
The first time you saw the woman in Total Recall having 3 boobs, I bet you were laughing your ass off.

Sorry you hardcore porn fans, in order to prevent ppl spaming and flaming on my site (not as if it'll happen seeing the amt of ppl that visit it as of now)... I've decided to not put up the uncensored version.
Now if you think that's weird, take a look at this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQhQcZPl16U
Bet u never knew that 1 in 10 ppl actually have it. Assuming there are 30 contacts on my sidelinks on this page, it means there are 3 people who actually have it. Now 'fess up you guys and let us laugh our ass off at you.
The next time you go to a cinema and laugh at the character, check and make sure that you do not have it first :p
But if you still insist on wanting **censored, click here... And don't be disappointed after seeing it you sick ass!)

Sorry you hardcore porn fans, in order to prevent ppl spaming and flaming on my site (not as if it'll happen seeing the amt of ppl that visit it as of now)... I've decided to not put up the uncensored version.
Now if you think that's weird, take a look at this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQhQcZPl16U
Bet u never knew that 1 in 10 ppl actually have it. Assuming there are 30 contacts on my sidelinks on this page, it means there are 3 people who actually have it. Now 'fess up you guys and let us laugh our ass off at you.
The next time you go to a cinema and laugh at the character, check and make sure that you do not have it first :p
But if you still insist on wanting **censored, click here... And don't be disappointed after seeing it you sick ass!)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Hands Down
This holiday has passed so quickly... Apart from the fact that I went to 7 countries, I have basically been slacking around =) Yay!!
Was feeling sleepy while driving the massive campervan, so I got my bro to switch on the com and play me some songs. And somehow or another, Hands Down came on. Bro started insulting my guitar skills and said they were nothing unless I learnt how to play Hands Down. And I thought... Fair enough, I will give it another shot having failed miserably. Well, I've actually managed to get the chords. Yay heh. But the transition between them wasn't as easy becoz they are all weird and new barr chords that I'm not used to. Damn! Just you wait Poh Pei Ghim. I'll get you!
In the process, I found this video that this little 15 year old boy did with the help of really basic programmes. Praise MS Paint =)
Daniel, hope you're doing fine. Sorry, only managed to talk to you for a while the other day. Missed the way your band played the cover for Hands Down 3.5 years ago now. It was awesome. Sounded just like the real thing. And u almost won. Damn! Oh well, I might see you this Dec and catch up with you then.
Oh ya, I'm glad to be acquainted back with my Chinese music =)
Was feeling sleepy while driving the massive campervan, so I got my bro to switch on the com and play me some songs. And somehow or another, Hands Down came on. Bro started insulting my guitar skills and said they were nothing unless I learnt how to play Hands Down. And I thought... Fair enough, I will give it another shot having failed miserably. Well, I've actually managed to get the chords. Yay heh. But the transition between them wasn't as easy becoz they are all weird and new barr chords that I'm not used to. Damn! Just you wait Poh Pei Ghim. I'll get you!
In the process, I found this video that this little 15 year old boy did with the help of really basic programmes. Praise MS Paint =)
Daniel, hope you're doing fine. Sorry, only managed to talk to you for a while the other day. Missed the way your band played the cover for Hands Down 3.5 years ago now. It was awesome. Sounded just like the real thing. And u almost won. Damn! Oh well, I might see you this Dec and catch up with you then.
Oh ya, I'm glad to be acquainted back with my Chinese music =)
Friday, July 11, 2008
A Day To Remember
In 18 months time, we'll be taking our finals and qualifying as doctors (that's if we pass)... How time flies.
After perhaps many many years, I was persuaded by my housemates to adopt a different look. How different it was... it's up to the individual to judge. Perhaps when I get some photos, I shall post it up.
Dinner at Dans Le Noir earlier in the evening was expensive, but definitely good and worth the experience, especially for the type of food that you're actually served.
Well... What should I say? Sometimes hearing the incomplete picture just makes us all confused, mad, sad and biased. I shall keep my reservations for now =)
Matt, thanks for the company and helping with the choice of clothes today. Much appreciated. Housemates, thanks for the company as well, and Jeff, thanks for the emo music offer.
Love what we can while we still have a whole lot of our lives to look forward to.
After perhaps many many years, I was persuaded by my housemates to adopt a different look. How different it was... it's up to the individual to judge. Perhaps when I get some photos, I shall post it up.
Dinner at Dans Le Noir earlier in the evening was expensive, but definitely good and worth the experience, especially for the type of food that you're actually served.
Well... What should I say? Sometimes hearing the incomplete picture just makes us all confused, mad, sad and biased. I shall keep my reservations for now =)
Matt, thanks for the company and helping with the choice of clothes today. Much appreciated. Housemates, thanks for the company as well, and Jeff, thanks for the emo music offer.
Love what we can while we still have a whole lot of our lives to look forward to.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Housemates
Housemates... Funny how fate kinda brought us to live together. Well, we had our fair share of arguments throughout the years, but end of the day, they're still the funniest and craziest lot!

Clarissa: Thanks for the surgical book today, and ROYAL bitch comments... Sarcastic as they may be, they are really funny. Stop stealing my food... Stupid bitch!
Diana: Thanks for the cookies and chocolates that I always steal from you, even without you knowing at times... Haha! Stop playing your games and do more work... You can pass your DS to me :p
Jeff: Wa lao eh... You've been properly Singapore-fied What can I say? You're the coolest man! Bueh tahan ah. (Yeah, thanks for the drawing the cat whiskers on my face on the duty roster without me realising for months... Goes to show how much cleaning we have done :p)
Matt: (Claps hand) Orh,不错 oh... Haha! Thanks man, for always taking the initiative to come and talk to me, when I stay alone in my room alone at times, and for sharing with me all your cool videos and stuff. You r de boss (Indian eccent) =)
Good luck to all our OSCEs man...
P.S: And yes, perhaps that's one of the few pictures where I actually SMILED =)

Clarissa: Thanks for the surgical book today, and ROYAL bitch comments... Sarcastic as they may be, they are really funny. Stop stealing my food... Stupid bitch!
Diana: Thanks for the cookies and chocolates that I always steal from you, even without you knowing at times... Haha! Stop playing your games and do more work... You can pass your DS to me :p
Jeff: Wa lao eh... You've been properly Singapore-fied What can I say? You're the coolest man! Bueh tahan ah. (Yeah, thanks for the drawing the cat whiskers on my face on the duty roster without me realising for months... Goes to show how much cleaning we have done :p)
Matt: (Claps hand) Orh,不错 oh... Haha! Thanks man, for always taking the initiative to come and talk to me, when I stay alone in my room alone at times, and for sharing with me all your cool videos and stuff. You r de boss (Indian eccent) =)
Good luck to all our OSCEs man...
P.S: And yes, perhaps that's one of the few pictures where I actually SMILED =)
Ma Wife and Da Chicken Soup
This is "my wife"...

Because of my exams tmrw, and becoz she knows I'm sick... She specially cooked herbal chicken soup for the makatan group for dinner just now!

Actually, this wasn't the chicken soup she cooked... Just looked through Google Images and found the best one of the first 200 already. But my wife's looked a 1000x better and yummier =)
So... Wish me luck for tmrw's exam, and I shall come out the top scholar specially for her.
Happy wife? :p
Because of my exams tmrw, and becoz she knows I'm sick... She specially cooked herbal chicken soup for the makatan group for dinner just now!

Actually, this wasn't the chicken soup she cooked... Just looked through Google Images and found the best one of the first 200 already. But my wife's looked a 1000x better and yummier =)
So... Wish me luck for tmrw's exam, and I shall come out the top scholar specially for her.
Happy wife? :p
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Home
I was reading the news earlier yesterday when I glanced upon the news headlines "Singaporean Tanya Chua scoops top honours at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards". Wow, Tanya Chua... How long has it been since I first listened to her songs. Of course, for my dear wife's info, Malaysian's singer Gary Cao (though I don't know who he is) also managed the award too =)
Tanya Chua... How nostalgic. For some reason, I got bored of studying in the afternoon and was looking through my Windows media playlist and saw Shu Yu/Where I Belong by her. Wth... I actually still have the SingSingapore songs in my com. Ended up you-tubing NDP songs and found Home/家. What a sweet song... 10 years ago, I remember having to go down to school early in the morning at 06 45 for a month to play that song through the school's PA system (coz I was in the AV club). Man! Stupid, but yeah... It just made me miss home a little more since I'm not going back this summer.
And since National Day is just next month, I thought I shall just post the songs here in both Eng and Chinese for each verson. If you want the Malay/Indian (I didn't even know they existed till today), go to http://www.ndp.org.sg/
Patriotic it may seem, and stupid propaganda you might say, but who cares... I love them. So enjoy Home/家 =)
Home (2004)
Click here for the Chinese version
家 (1998)
Click here for the English version
=)
Tanya Chua... How nostalgic. For some reason, I got bored of studying in the afternoon and was looking through my Windows media playlist and saw Shu Yu/Where I Belong by her. Wth... I actually still have the SingSingapore songs in my com. Ended up you-tubing NDP songs and found Home/家. What a sweet song... 10 years ago, I remember having to go down to school early in the morning at 06 45 for a month to play that song through the school's PA system (coz I was in the AV club). Man! Stupid, but yeah... It just made me miss home a little more since I'm not going back this summer.
And since National Day is just next month, I thought I shall just post the songs here in both Eng and Chinese for each verson. If you want the Malay/Indian (I didn't even know they existed till today), go to http://www.ndp.org.sg/
Patriotic it may seem, and stupid propaganda you might say, but who cares... I love them. So enjoy Home/家 =)
Home (2004)
Click here for the Chinese version
家 (1998)
Click here for the English version
=)
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Praise the Enemy
I was speaking to Yew Song just now and complaining how it is that all the girls around us are slowly being "stolen" away by other guys... And it just becomes frustrating coz:
Yay... Praise the bastards!
- You can't even speak to them as much or be close to them
- You can't even go after them anymore.
Yay... Praise the bastards!
Thursday, July 03, 2008
The First Paper
"Mediastinal mass with antibodies to ACh..."
I so covered it in the EMQ practice book but I just couldn't remember it. I even remembered going to Wikipedia to research it.
So was it:
a) Small cell carcinoma (Lambert-Eaton Syndrome)
b) Thymoma (Myasthenia Gravis)
I thought it was myasthenia gravis... but I just couldn't link it with thymoma. And becoz only small cell carcinoma was in the syllabus, I put (a), when I knew that the answer to the next question was also (a). Answer turned out to be (b) as I found out after the paper...
Stupid thymoma... Sounds so vulgar... Like diu lei lo ma. I swear I'll remember that from now on... Humph!
I so covered it in the EMQ practice book but I just couldn't remember it. I even remembered going to Wikipedia to research it.
So was it:
a) Small cell carcinoma (Lambert-Eaton Syndrome)
b) Thymoma (Myasthenia Gravis)
I thought it was myasthenia gravis... but I just couldn't link it with thymoma. And becoz only small cell carcinoma was in the syllabus, I put (a), when I knew that the answer to the next question was also (a). Answer turned out to be (b) as I found out after the paper...
Stupid thymoma... Sounds so vulgar... Like diu lei lo ma. I swear I'll remember that from now on... Humph!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Stolen
And from the ball room floor
We are in celebration
One good stretch before our hibernation
Our dreams assured and we all
Will sleep well
Sleep Well
Sleep Well
Sleep Well
Sleep Well
You have stolen my...
You have stolen my...
You have stolen my heart
We are in celebration
One good stretch before our hibernation
Our dreams assured and we all
Will sleep well
Sleep Well
Sleep Well
Sleep Well
Sleep Well
You have stolen my...
You have stolen my...
You have stolen my heart
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Shotgun
The wife yesterday posed a question to the Doink (you know who u are) and me last night.
"So how long are your... guns?"
And as usual, I shot myself in the head again.
"Mine's like a Shotgun"
And the 2 stupid fools just started bursting into laughter. Yeah yeah, short gun. I meant the double-barreled long shotgun you doinks! To show those fools what I mean, I went to Getty Images to look for images of shotguns. So here you are...








"So how long are your... guns?"
And as usual, I shot myself in the head again.
"Mine's like a Shotgun"
And the 2 stupid fools just started bursting into laughter. Yeah yeah, short gun. I meant the double-barreled long shotgun you doinks! To show those fools what I mean, I went to Getty Images to look for images of shotguns. So here you are...

If you still don't get it, here's a picture for you to gauge and compare its MASSIVE length!

And while I was at it... I found some cute and nice pictures to share with everyone =)

How cute right?

... Boys to Men...

Somehow this picture just reminds me of Rama... Lazy ass :p



I am thankful that Getty Images exists =)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Eyes only for You
Bored~
I recall Yew Song saying: ... One day you'll find someone who looks at you and only you, no one else. And you'll be looking the same way at her. Then you'll know that she's the right girl for you.
Now I do wonder whether this girl exists. It's like plucking a star from the sky, cloudy at times when you're blinded, and clear and bright when you're looking far away. Does someone like that exist or will she come by? I don't know... but maybe 20 years down the line, I'll be able to tell you =)
Sometimes I wish that there was someone beside me. But I don't want to make the mistake of getting together with someone to ease my loneliness. I want to ease hers before she understands and reciprocates mine (Oh man, 2 lonely ppl getting together, how sad!).
I'm sorry if I sound sad and emo in this post... And perhaps have been for the past 1 and a half years. It's not that I'm really sad... It's just... I don't know. Over the past year, because of the incidents that have happened, I've stopped speaking to a lot of people - less girls and perhaps a little more guys, or at least I think. And somehow, the idea of calling a new friend to talk to and develop a new friendship/ bond with seems less appealing. I find it harder now to call someone to just talk crap, unless that person phones me up first for some problem/reason or another. It feels awkward when you call someone, and that person (especially if it's someone new) asks you what's up, and you can't think of a reason to give. So please, it's not that I don't want to call... It's just... I'm choked!
And with less time now while I struggle learning medicine, how to call/find someone right? Haha.
(Ah, it seems like I'm talking about 2 different issues here...)
Oh well... Exams in less than 2 weeks now. Argh, study~!
P.S: And Loo, don't take the opportunity to ask me to marry you!
I recall Yew Song saying: ... One day you'll find someone who looks at you and only you, no one else. And you'll be looking the same way at her. Then you'll know that she's the right girl for you.
Now I do wonder whether this girl exists. It's like plucking a star from the sky, cloudy at times when you're blinded, and clear and bright when you're looking far away. Does someone like that exist or will she come by? I don't know... but maybe 20 years down the line, I'll be able to tell you =)
Sometimes I wish that there was someone beside me. But I don't want to make the mistake of getting together with someone to ease my loneliness. I want to ease hers before she understands and reciprocates mine (Oh man, 2 lonely ppl getting together, how sad!).
I'm sorry if I sound sad and emo in this post... And perhaps have been for the past 1 and a half years. It's not that I'm really sad... It's just... I don't know. Over the past year, because of the incidents that have happened, I've stopped speaking to a lot of people - less girls and perhaps a little more guys, or at least I think. And somehow, the idea of calling a new friend to talk to and develop a new friendship/ bond with seems less appealing. I find it harder now to call someone to just talk crap, unless that person phones me up first for some problem/reason or another. It feels awkward when you call someone, and that person (especially if it's someone new) asks you what's up, and you can't think of a reason to give. So please, it's not that I don't want to call... It's just... I'm choked!
And with less time now while I struggle learning medicine, how to call/find someone right? Haha.
(Ah, it seems like I'm talking about 2 different issues here...)
Oh well... Exams in less than 2 weeks now. Argh, study~!
P.S: And Loo, don't take the opportunity to ask me to marry you!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Do it!
Do something only if you really want to... Or so as I was told. Well, let's see what happens =)
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Birthdays
Matthew's birthday just passed a few days ago, and he's coming back soon. Still haven't got a birthday present for him. Well... guess it'll have to be a few months late as always. And because exams are round the corner, I'll just post all my birthday wishes here.
Anyway, I'm not sure whether I have your correct Singapore no now, so I'm just going to post here...
Now Lai-lai, congratulations (should I use this word) on being 22 now. Haha, among us all from the VTC bunch, you're the only attached one. So I'll be hoping to receive your wedding invitation sometime soon. Perhaps then, I might consider going back home :p Not been terribly good at keeping in touch. Things just get more busy as we grow up, but here's at least still a part of sincere me wishing you happy birthday at 0030 Singapore time.
And of coz... To my (bedtime-talking) buddy,
Your present has been ordered though I'm not sure if it'll reach you in time. But oh well, guess you've got bigger and more important things to handle right now. So here's wishing you LUCK for finals, and most importantly, happiness for you. Now now, I've got a bday resolution for you: Stop being the middle-woman between Yew Song and me (though it's funny). You make it seem like he and I are a couple who's just argued =)
And to my dearest and beloved cheeky brother,
First end-of-year exams for you in med school, and I hope everything goes well for you. Be humble and confident (though I know I procrastinate from what I advice, deep down it's different)... Be a good doctor you little prick, else I'll whip your ass when I see you.
And of course the same applies to me... =)
Anyway, I'm not sure whether I have your correct Singapore no now, so I'm just going to post here...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS LAI SONG YU
Now Lai-lai, congratulations (should I use this word) on being 22 now. Haha, among us all from the VTC bunch, you're the only attached one. So I'll be hoping to receive your wedding invitation sometime soon. Perhaps then, I might consider going back home :p Not been terribly good at keeping in touch. Things just get more busy as we grow up, but here's at least still a part of sincere me wishing you happy birthday at 0030 Singapore time.
And of coz... To my (bedtime-talking) buddy,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS JUNIE WONG
Your present has been ordered though I'm not sure if it'll reach you in time. But oh well, guess you've got bigger and more important things to handle right now. So here's wishing you LUCK for finals, and most importantly, happiness for you. Now now, I've got a bday resolution for you: Stop being the middle-woman between Yew Song and me (though it's funny). You make it seem like he and I are a couple who's just argued =)
And to my dearest and beloved cheeky brother,
GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR EXAMS
First end-of-year exams for you in med school, and I hope everything goes well for you. Be humble and confident (though I know I procrastinate from what I advice, deep down it's different)... Be a good doctor you little prick, else I'll whip your ass when I see you.
And of course the same applies to me... =)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ouch!
The things that some people get up to. Mind you, that's 10 chopsticks in case you were wondering... Ouch!
Edit: For M.O.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Doctors and their Opinions
Got this from Wing Yan who posted it on my Facebook Superwall. Really funny, so enjoy =) Make sure you get to the "end" of it :p
When a panel of doctors was asked to vote on adding a new wing to their hospital, the Allergists voted to scratch it and the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the Neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve, and the Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception.
The Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted; the Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body", while the Pediatricians said, "Oh, Grow up!"
The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, the Radiologists could see right through it, and the Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.
The Internists though t it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter."
The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.
The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
In the end, the Proctologists left the decision up to some asshole in administration.
When a panel of doctors was asked to vote on adding a new wing to their hospital, the Allergists voted to scratch it and the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the Neurologists thought the administration had a lot of nerve, and the Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception.
The Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted; the Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body", while the Pediatricians said, "Oh, Grow up!"
The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, the Radiologists could see right through it, and the Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing.
The Internists though t it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter."
The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists felt the scheme wouldn't hold water.
The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
In the end, the Proctologists left the decision up to some asshole in administration.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Cost of Living & The Clean Energy Scam
I was in Rama's room the other day when the headlines of Malaysia's TheStarOnline read:
SUNGAI PETANI: A Molotov cocktail, otherwise known as a petrol bomb was lobbed into a police station... It landed and exploded on a badminton court at the Merbok police station after midnight yesterday (1).
And this got me thinking... Who the hell uses a petrol bomb these days? And I thought the price of fuel has gone up...
In fact, the credit crunch is beginning to take its toll on everything else here. Just a week back, I went into the Indian mama store here to get a 10kg pack of Thai Fragrant Rice. Guess how much it costs me? £14.50!!! And 3 months ago, it was only £9! Looks like rice is not going to be my staple for long.
Sometimes I wonder, are all of these linked? Rice and oil... They don't go together, other than the fact that we use coconut oil to cook Nasi Lemak. Or so I thought... Till I read the TIME magazine at Rama's place the other day, which really opened my eyes.
A tiny sliver of transitional rain forest is surrounded by hectares of soybean fields in the Mato Grosso state, Brazil.
Police Station Bombed
SUNGAI PETANI: A Molotov cocktail, otherwise known as a petrol bomb was lobbed into a police station... It landed and exploded on a badminton court at the Merbok police station after midnight yesterday (1).
And this got me thinking... Who the hell uses a petrol bomb these days? And I thought the price of fuel has gone up...
In fact, the credit crunch is beginning to take its toll on everything else here. Just a week back, I went into the Indian mama store here to get a 10kg pack of Thai Fragrant Rice. Guess how much it costs me? £14.50!!! And 3 months ago, it was only £9! Looks like rice is not going to be my staple for long.
Sometimes I wonder, are all of these linked? Rice and oil... They don't go together, other than the fact that we use coconut oil to cook Nasi Lemak. Or so I thought... Till I read the TIME magazine at Rama's place the other day, which really opened my eyes.
The Clean Energy Scam
A tiny sliver of transitional rain forest is surrounded by hectares of soybean fields in the Mato Grosso state, Brazil.This land rush is being accelerated by an unlikely source: biofuels. Propelled by mounting anxieties over soaring oil costs and climate change, biofuels have become the vanguard of the green-tech revolution, the trendy way for politicians and corporations to show they're serious about finding alternative sources of energy and in the process slowing global warming.
Renewable fuels has become one of those motherhood-and-apple-pie catchphrases, as unobjectionable as the troops or the middle class. But several new studies show the biofuel boom is doing exactly the opposite of what its proponents intended: it's dramatically accelerating global warming, imperiling the planet in the name of saving it.
By diverting grain and oilseed crops from dinner plates to fuel tanks, biofuels are jacking up world food prices and endangering the hungry. The grain it takes to fill an SUV tank with ethanol could feed a person for a year. Harvests are being plucked to fuel our cars instead of ourselves. But the basic problem with most biofuels: using land to grow fuel leads to the destruction of forests, wetlands and grasslands that store enormous amounts of carbon. One groundbreaking new study in Science concluded that when this deforestation effect is taken into account, corn ethanol and soy biodiesel produce about twice the emissions of gasoline.
Backed by billions in investment capital, this alarming phenomenon is replicating itself around the world. Indonesia has bulldozed and burned so much wilderness to grow palm oil trees for biodiesel that its ranking among the world's top carbon emitters has surged from 21st to third according to a report by Wetlands International. Malaysia is converting forests into palm oil farms so rapidly that it's running out of uncultivated land. The biofuels boom, in short, is one that could haunt the planet for generations--and it's only getting started.
The basic problem is that the Amazon is worth more deforested than it is intact. The growing backlash against biofuels is a product of the law of unintended consequences. It may seem obvious now that when biofuels increase demand for crops, prices will rise and farms will expand into nature.
America the Bio-Foolish
The best place to see this is America's biofuel mecca: Iowa.Biofuel-pandering has become virtually mandatory for presidential contenders. John McCain was the rare candidate who vehemently opposed ethanol as an outrageous agribusiness boondoggle, which is why he skipped Iowa in 2000. But McCain learned his lesson in time for this year's caucuses. By 2006 he was calling ethanol a "vital alternative energy source."
Someone is paying to support these environmentally questionable industries: you. In December, President Bush signed a bipartisan energy bill that will dramatically increase support to the industry while mandating 36 billion gal. (136 billion L) of biofuel by 2022. This will provide a huge boost to grain markets.
Why is so much money still being poured into such a misguided enterprise? Like the scientists and environmentalists, many politicians genuinely believe biofuels can help decrease global warming. There was just one flaw in the calculation: the studies all credited fuel crops for sequestering carbon, but no one checked whether the crops would ultimately replace vegetation and soils that sucked up even more carbon. It was as if the science world assumed biofuels would be grown in parking lots. Strange as it sounds, we're better off growing food and drilling for oil.
Everyone the author interviewed in Brazil agreed: the market drives behavior, so without incentives to prevent deforestation, the Amazon is doomed.The trouble is that even if there were enough financial incentives to keep the Amazon intact, high commodity prices would encourage deforestation elsewhere. And government mandates to increase biofuel production are going to boost commodity prices, which will only attract more investment. Until someone invents that protein chip, it's going to mean the worst of everything: higher food prices, more deforestation and more emissions (2).
Just as this article opened my eyes, I hope it will do the same for you. Take a look at it if you're interested through the references section. I sincerely hope that you'll gain a better insight into the bigger picture, and think about the world that we so dearly love and live in.
References:
Renewable fuels has become one of those motherhood-and-apple-pie catchphrases, as unobjectionable as the troops or the middle class. But several new studies show the biofuel boom is doing exactly the opposite of what its proponents intended: it's dramatically accelerating global warming, imperiling the planet in the name of saving it.
By diverting grain and oilseed crops from dinner plates to fuel tanks, biofuels are jacking up world food prices and endangering the hungry. The grain it takes to fill an SUV tank with ethanol could feed a person for a year. Harvests are being plucked to fuel our cars instead of ourselves. But the basic problem with most biofuels: using land to grow fuel leads to the destruction of forests, wetlands and grasslands that store enormous amounts of carbon. One groundbreaking new study in Science concluded that when this deforestation effect is taken into account, corn ethanol and soy biodiesel produce about twice the emissions of gasoline.
Backed by billions in investment capital, this alarming phenomenon is replicating itself around the world. Indonesia has bulldozed and burned so much wilderness to grow palm oil trees for biodiesel that its ranking among the world's top carbon emitters has surged from 21st to third according to a report by Wetlands International. Malaysia is converting forests into palm oil farms so rapidly that it's running out of uncultivated land. The biofuels boom, in short, is one that could haunt the planet for generations--and it's only getting started.
The basic problem is that the Amazon is worth more deforested than it is intact. The growing backlash against biofuels is a product of the law of unintended consequences. It may seem obvious now that when biofuels increase demand for crops, prices will rise and farms will expand into nature.
America the Bio-Foolish
The best place to see this is America's biofuel mecca: Iowa.Biofuel-pandering has become virtually mandatory for presidential contenders. John McCain was the rare candidate who vehemently opposed ethanol as an outrageous agribusiness boondoggle, which is why he skipped Iowa in 2000. But McCain learned his lesson in time for this year's caucuses. By 2006 he was calling ethanol a "vital alternative energy source."
Someone is paying to support these environmentally questionable industries: you. In December, President Bush signed a bipartisan energy bill that will dramatically increase support to the industry while mandating 36 billion gal. (136 billion L) of biofuel by 2022. This will provide a huge boost to grain markets.
Why is so much money still being poured into such a misguided enterprise? Like the scientists and environmentalists, many politicians genuinely believe biofuels can help decrease global warming. There was just one flaw in the calculation: the studies all credited fuel crops for sequestering carbon, but no one checked whether the crops would ultimately replace vegetation and soils that sucked up even more carbon. It was as if the science world assumed biofuels would be grown in parking lots. Strange as it sounds, we're better off growing food and drilling for oil.
Everyone the author interviewed in Brazil agreed: the market drives behavior, so without incentives to prevent deforestation, the Amazon is doomed.The trouble is that even if there were enough financial incentives to keep the Amazon intact, high commodity prices would encourage deforestation elsewhere. And government mandates to increase biofuel production are going to boost commodity prices, which will only attract more investment. Until someone invents that protein chip, it's going to mean the worst of everything: higher food prices, more deforestation and more emissions (2).
Just as this article opened my eyes, I hope it will do the same for you. Take a look at it if you're interested through the references section. I sincerely hope that you'll gain a better insight into the bigger picture, and think about the world that we so dearly love and live in.
References:
- TheStarOnline. Police Station Bombed (2008). Online: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/28/nation/19016161&sec=nation [Accessed 17th May 2008].
- Michael Grunwald. TIME: The Clean Energy Scam (2008). Online: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975-1,00.html [Accessed 17th May 2008].
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Marital Rating Scale: Are You The Perfect Wife?
The Metro published an article today about a Marital Rating Scale used in the 1930s to determine how well a wife was performing in a marriage. With all the present ladies who just yak and yak all day, here's something for you to look at and perhaps, think about...

Bet all you girls failed this test so miserably it's probably even in the negative range. Not markable heh.
Now... No more yakking! (I think I'm going to make a lot of enemies now :p)

Bet all you girls failed this test so miserably it's probably even in the negative range. Not markable heh.
Now... No more yakking! (I think I'm going to make a lot of enemies now :p)
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mayhem
I've never seen something like this b4. (It's the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix in case you want to know)
Michael Schumacher then crashed into David Coulthard, who slowed down to allow him to pass through. Furious, he went into the pits and went as far as saying Coulthard had tried to kill him.
Damon Hill was a little lucky to win the race then because teammate, Ralf, who was actually moving faster than him, had been issued orders by his team not to race with Damon to prevent both cars from crashing out. 22 cars started with only 6 finishing the race.
Guess David Coulthard wasn't all too happy about the incident, and he shows Michael the middle finger 2 years later at the French GP.
But Schumacher still wins again...
And again...
I just love YouTube :p
Michael Schumacher then crashed into David Coulthard, who slowed down to allow him to pass through. Furious, he went into the pits and went as far as saying Coulthard had tried to kill him.
Damon Hill was a little lucky to win the race then because teammate, Ralf, who was actually moving faster than him, had been issued orders by his team not to race with Damon to prevent both cars from crashing out. 22 cars started with only 6 finishing the race.
Guess David Coulthard wasn't all too happy about the incident, and he shows Michael the middle finger 2 years later at the French GP.
But Schumacher still wins again...
And again...
I just love YouTube :p
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