戰績 - 殺戮

前晚的廁所入侵者

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

This is the recently installed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument in the university.
The actual instrument is the round thing in the middle, the rectangular machine next to it is its processor.
The black part on top-middle of the instrument is where you insert the NMR tube for sample analysis. (and that's why the orange step is placed there)

I won't go into the details of how NMR works, I'll leave that to Wikipedia.
Just to let you know the NMR spectroscopy is an important tool for organic chemists to determine a compound's structure.
For organic compound structure determination, a IR spectra, MS spectra and NMR spectra will be needed.

Tools that organic chemists use to determine molecular structures:
Mass Spectrometry - molecular size and formula
Infrared Spectroscopy - functional group present
Ultraviolet Spectroscopy - conjugated pi electro system present
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - map of carbon-hydrogen framework


Further reading:

1. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
2. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy

The Vampire Test - Are you one of Us?

At The Shooting Range 18-09-2010

I planned to go to the range with my housemate last weekend, but I ended up sleeping the whole day. (She was disappointed.)
A week later, we finally did it.
It's not my first time going to the range, but it was my housemate's first time and she was super excited about it.
We rented a .22 bolt-action rifle with 50 rounds and a .40 Glock 22 with 30 rounds.
The range officer gave us a wooden rifle first, after I tried holding it - "nope, too heavy", so I asked for the plastic one.
Then what happened was of course "Bang! Bang! Bang!" with the 50 rounds.
I didn't shoot well today and I wasn't very happy about it.
My housemate didn't really enjoyed it either because she couldn't hold and aim the rifle properly. (One time, she fired 5 rounds and there were only 2 holes on the paper)
Next - the legendary Glock handgun.
Unfortunately, the Glock 22 was busy (Damn! Why is it so popular!) and we tried a Beretta instead (Yeah Italian!).
It's a .40 Beretta 90two and "Wow!" the bullets are big (well, not super big but double the size of .22 if you do the maths).
She went for the first shot, "Bang!" she was terrified by the recoil and totally missed the paper target.
Then I tried. I didn't totally miss the target, I shot 4 rounds and there were 4 holes on it, but on the corner of the paper.
My precision did improve after a couple of rounds, but because the recoil was a bit too strong for me, so I kept breaking my wrist after I squeeze the trigger which resulted in either not hitting the bulls-eye or missing holes.
Okay, end of storytelling. Go photos!

.22 Bolt-action Rifle:

.40 Beretta 90two:

Holes:

Her Rifle Shooting (10 rounds were shot)

(Mine) Embarrassing...

(Mine) More embarrassing...

At least I made 4 holes with 4 bullets...

This is not the end...

A Strange World - Introduction

We live in a strange world. 

We perceive the world with our sensory organs, 

as this is the only way to know about the world around us; 

however, our senses often deceive us, 

along with the distorted views of reality that we have been taught since childhood.

We do not readily perceive the world as it is.

Rather, we live in a distance from the world that we remain in the midst of.

I am going to start writing a "Strange World" series, exploring the world in a different way.

Stay tuned.

飛天Tobi

Tobi: 好期待跟隨山人空運到港啊

(Image Source)

Your Need for External Validation - Are you aware of it?

Ever since the dawn of the Facebook Era in 2007, I have always pondered why are social networking sites so popular. The urge to open a Facebook account has never occurred to me, nor do I see the necessity. My friends have told me that they have one is because social networking sites are very useful and convenient tools to keep in touch with friends. I do agree with them but I believe this is only part of the reason for popularity.
From what I have seen, many have used Facebook to receive comments or feedbacks by posting from minute-to-minute status updates to summaries of their day.
For example:
A: My poop floats today.
B: That's nice, I didn't poop today.
(This sounds like a retard to me.)
To totally avoid this kind of nonsense, I refuse to open a Facebook or other major social networking service account.
I question this need. Sharing ideas, thoughts and feelings with friends is one thing (which is what I am doing here), but what I am trying to discuss here is totally different, I am talking about the "comment junkies" (their 3 most frequently used letters: CM me).
Before the uprise of social networking sites, this phenomenon was virtually nonexistent, probably because they simply couldn't. This wasn't too long ago and I miss those days. Comment junkies are everywhere on the internet nowadays. Services such as Facebook have enabled them, providing them with an easy way to feed on other's attention, social networking sites are their feeding grounds. They have made up the majority of social networking site users.
These people who post extremely frequent and detailed status updates have weak egos and thus have a constant urge to seek other's approval (i.e. external validation) through other people's comment. They live a lowly life and need stroking each other's weak ego to make themselves feel better. They are weak. They feed on other's attention. Without other's attention, they starve to death. They are indeed parasites.

Are you aware of your need for external validation?

The History of Catholic Church Sex Scandals

It appears that pedophilia has been a 2000-year-old problem in the Catholic Church, even older than the New Testament, as the following video demonstrates.

The First Successful Creation of Synthetic Life

With 15 years of work, Craig Venter and his team has successfully created the first self-replicating synthetic bacterial cell. The bacterial cell, Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 contains 1.08 million base pair and it is full functioning. This is truly a historical human achievement and a giant breakthrough in molecular biology.

Figure 1: Dividing M. mycoides JCVI-syn1.0 under electron microscope. (Source)

Figure 2: Creating bacteria from prokaryotic genomes engineering in yeast. (Source)

Figure 3: The assembly of a synthetic M. mycoides genome in yeast. (Source)



Further Information

1. http://www.jcvi.org/cms/research/projects/first-self-replicating-synthetic-bacterial-cell/overview/
2. Full text pdf of the research article "Creation of a Bacterial Cell Controlled by a Chemically Synthesized Genome": 
   http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/rapidpdf/science.1190719v1.pdf

Abolishing Stupidity

Stupidity, the Satanic Cardinal Sin, is something that Satanists try to avoid, as well as those who are not totally stupid or who are not stupid all the time. It shouldn't be too hard for a person to avoid at least some stupidity in his/her everyday life, as long as one exercise his/her brain muscle properly. However, this remains only on the individual level. What ways do we have to abolish stupidity?

The idea of eliminating stupidity was first suggested in 1976 by Hagbard Celine in his essay The Abolition of Stupidity (published in Robert Anton Wilson's book The Illuminati Papers). [The essay can be read in this link.] 
The author suggests waging a worldwide war against stupidity. I naturally agree with his idea since it is utterly rationally, practically and desirable, it should not be ridiculed. He has also provided grounds to support his idea.
Back to the question, how are we going to do this? Although I seriously doubt the feasibility of abolishing stupidity completely in the human race, it is still possible for the "lucid" individuals to attain such goal. Frederick Mann devised the Project Abolish Stupidity & Increase Intelligence. His intention is to "to gather together a group of people who assist each other in abolishing stupidity and increasing intelligence." Mann has indeed shed some light on how to identify and classify stupidity, and more importantly, how to abolish stupidity. [Link: http://www.buildfreedom.com/stupidity/abolish_stupidity.html]

Postscript: For those who are interested, the list of Satanic Sins can be found on the official website of the Church of Satan. Note that The Nine Satanic Sins is copyrighted and permission is required for reproduction.

齊來看看如何使人發動自殺式襲擊

捲耳毛

飯後消滯活動之一

花了一星期吃完晚飯後的時間學習和練習。

Housemate回來後看過我的作品也感興趣，於是山人就從旁"指導"他。
在指導他的時候發現原來我已經可以隨手砌出一個四層撲克牌塔。

 (上圖: housemate正坐在三層撲克牌塔對面)

想了很久怎樣去解釋一個剛剛第一次成功砌出三層塔的人如何可以立刻隨手砌出四層塔，還要是東倒西歪的，快要倒塌的樣子卻又可以圪立不倒長達一整夜。
不，我想知道的是我要怎樣才能再次進入在砌時那種心理狀態。
在砌這兩座塔t時，中途幾乎沒有出現局部性倒塌，我感覺到手放出一種透明而少許黏手，似希索加的念能力，輕輕擠它會有阻力像是佔用了空間的實體但又無型的接合劑，把撲克牌都黏起來，同時心境十分平靜，靜如止水，腦海中的嘈雜背景扞擾聲消失了，是平靜了才留意自己的心是這麼嘈吵。那接合劑的感覺從何而來？空氣的流動是不足解釋這感覺。而這感覺的出現跟心境平靜又有沒有關係？那黏黏感覺是否我的幻覺？

Anyway 我證實了我的 fine motor skills 很正常。

Predators 2010 Movie

 The sequel to Predator (1987) and Predator 2 (1990).
我快要化成長頸女妖。

Need A New Organ?

Just grow one!  This is not a science fiction.
No transplant rejection. No lifelong taking immunosuppressant drugs. No cutting open the poor living donor's body.



I wonder if they can grow some brains for those who haven't got one.

The End of the Giant Egg

Finally, I finished my chocolate egg a few days ago.
I eat it everyday and it took me almost a month.
Gosh! Did I gain a few pounds from it?

人獸交 (聊齋志異)

聊齋志異‧犬姦

青州賈某，客于外，恆經歲不歸。家蓄一白犬，妻引與交。犬習為常。一日，夫至，與妻共臥。犬突入，登榻，嚙賈人竟死。後里舍稍聞之，共為不平，鳴于 官。官械婦，婦不肯伏，收之。命縛犬來，始取婦出。犬忽見婦，直前碎衣作交狀。婦始無詞。使兩役解部院，一解人而一解犬。有欲觀其合者，共斂錢賂役，役乃 牽聚令交。所止處，觀者常數百人，役以此網利焉。後人犬俱寸磔以死。嗚呼！天地之大，真無所不有矣。然人面而獸交者，獨一婦也乎哉？

異史氏為之判曰：「會于濮上，古所交譏；約于桑中，人且不齒。乃某者，不堪雌守之苦，浪思苟合之歡。夜叉伏牀，竟是家中牝獸；捷卿入竇，遂為被 底情郎。雲雨臺前，亂搖續貂之尾；溫柔鄉裡，頻款曳象之腰。銳錐處于皮囊，一縱股而脫穎；留情結于鏃項，甫飲羽而生根。忽思異類之交，直屬匪夷之想。尨吠 姦而為姦，妒殘凶殺，律難治以蕭曹；人非獸而實獸，姦穢淫腥，肉不食于豺虎。嗚呼！人姦殺，則擬女以剮；至於狗姦殺，陽世遂無其刑。人不良，則罰人作犬； 至於犬不良，陰曹應窮於法。宜支解以追魂魄，請押赴以問閻羅。」

They start smoking at fifth grade?

11-Year-Olds' Entire Plan For Night Is To Smoke Cigarettes

MARCH 20, 2002 | ISSUE 38•10

PINE BLUFF, AR—Lee Brandt, 11, a fifth-grader at North Woods Elementary School, announced Monday that he and his friends plan to spend Friday night smoking cigarettes.  [...]

So this is what kids are up to nowadays.

Understanding Christianese by The Thinking Atheist

Have you realize the hidden meanings of Christianese?

Lesson 3. Lesson 4.

What is real? - Questions

The questions I compiled below covered parts of some branches in philosophy - epistemology and metaphysics.

What is real?

How do you know it is real?

How do you define real?

Are the five senses reliable?

Are all experiences real?

What is the nature of reality (Idealism vs Realism)?

How do know human senses are not deceiving?

Do you think your dreams are real?

Is an idea real?

If you can see/hear/touch/smell/taste something that other people can't, is it still real?

Can there be unreal?

If something/someone is unreal, how do/can you know? (it's unreal!)

Does real mean true?

If I tell you that I just smashed your precious automobile in the garage or your favorite plant in your garden, you took my word and ran out to check for damage, was "smashed car or plant" real?

Further Readings

1. Zhuangzi (book, chapter 2): The Butterfly Dream [莊子‧齊物論: 莊周夢蝶]
2. Spinoza: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_Spinoza
3. Spinoza: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza/
4. Descartes: http://www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/
5. Descartes: http://www.radicalacademy.com/phildescartes1.htm

The "low self-esteem" Tobi

話說昨晚Tobi整完個電話同冇整一樣...

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is depressed.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is depressed and suicidal.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is a ghost.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is a depressed ghost.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is a depressed and suicidal ghost.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is a 聻.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is a depressed 聻.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: Tobi is a depressed and suicidal 聻.

Jojo: Tobi 冇鬼用

Tobi: ...

Tobi 冷知識: 人死為鬼，鬼死為聻。[ 聻: 漸 (粵)]

出自《五音集韻》說：「人死為鬼，人見懼之；鬼死為魙，鬼見怕之。」 [魙: 同"聻"]

著名的《聊齋誌異》中亦有提及。

《聊齋誌異‧章阿端》: 「人死為鬼，鬼死為魙。鬼之畏魙，猶人之畏鬼也。」

那聻死為什麼？聻可以死嗎？

References

1. http://win2003.chi.cuhk.edu.hk/bowen/week_topic/Weekly_Topic-View.asp?id=348
2. 商務新詞典 (1997)

My Easter Present

Well, I never expected to get a Easter present because I am not accustomed to celebrate Easter nor people around me. It's just another holiday to me like Labor Day, National Day, et cetera with no special feelings attached to it.

Then my housemate Brad bought me a giant chocolate egg on the past Saturday. It was as big as my head! (maybe I have a smaller than average head...) It was really a surprise and I liked it.

Unfortunately, it has to be broken into pieces in order to eat it and that's what I did last night.

Good bye, chocolate egg.

Is this what Mormonism teaches?

I have not verified the truthfulness of this video nor it is worthwhile for me to do so. It's simply fun to watch.

I am a Satanist

"I don't believe in God anymore. I am a Satanist."

"I think that's a atheist. Satanist...... do things to goats."

What religion on Earth can possibly be more misunderstood than Satanism?

If you can come up with one, please kindly tell me.

When most people hear the term "Satanism", they think of things like animal sacrificing, digging graves, heavy metal music and teenage fans, or any other ridiculous things they see in the media and movies that they believe is real.

What if I tell you there is a kind of Satanism that the followers are rational and responsible adults, atheistic and do not believe in Satan as a supernatural deity, do not do human and animal sacrifice and harming children as it is explicitly prohibited, do not proselytize their beliefs?

Hard to believe, huh?

Indoctrinating humans in mortality is not enough?

Scientists Successfully Teach Gorilla It Will Die Someday

Richard Dawkins Reads His Hate Mail

Religious intolerant retards never stop to amuse me.

Darwinism at work - The Choking Game

Now, can you see Darwinism at work?

This is definitely a "natural selection" to eliminate the incompetent.

So, you are straight...

The Heterosexual Questionnaire (Source)

1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?

2. When and how did you decide that you were a heterosexual?

3. Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase that you may grow out of?

4. Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?

5. If you have never slept with a person of the same sex, is it possible that all you need is a good gay lover?

6. Do your parents know that you are straight? Do your friends and roommates know?

7. Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can't you just be who you are and keep it quiet?

8. Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?

9. Why do heterosexuals feel so compelled to introduce others into their lifestyle?

10. A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosexual. Do you consider it safe to expose children to heterosexual teachers?

11. Just what do men and women do in bed together? How can they truly know how to

please each other, being so anatomically different?

12. With all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships between heterosexuals?

13. Statistics show that lesbians have the lowest incidence of sexually transmitted disease. Is it really safe for a woman to maintain a heterosexual lifestyle and run the risk of disease and pregnancy?

14. How can you expect to become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive, exclusive heterosexuality?

15. Considering the menace of overpopulation, how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual?

16. Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don't you feel that s/he might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own leanings?

17. There seems to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might enable you to change if you really want to. Have you considered trying aversion therapy?

18. Would you want your child to be heterosexual, knowing the problems they would face?

19. Are you sure you're heterosexual? You don't look heterosexual.

The intent of this questionnaire is to ask heterosexuals the questions, typically asked of homosexuals. By trying to answer these kinds of questions, one can gain some insight into how oppressive and discriminatory a “straight” frame of reference can be to gays and lesbians.

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This may not be your first time watching or reading this, but I still think it's worthwhile to post it here.

You cannot escape...

You cannot escape the results of your thoughts. Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain or rise with your thoughts, your vision, your ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.

- James Allen

It terrorized me that I cannot escape from what I think, because I am always unsatisfied with my thoughts but I cannot stop acting upon my thoughts.

There is no escape.

I must evolve.

萬劫不復

當愛上一個人，愛到不能自拔的時候，
其實是可悲的。
因為如果你離開我，我會…