yanxin's squarish world

this month…..

yanxinix — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:32:10 +0000

rough guide tells us to go india!

incredible india~

Dear mathematicians

yanxinix — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:11:56 +0000

this symbol is superly duperly difficult to write. while it makes your equations look 10 times more complicated, it is just a dummy variable. a normal ‘x’ can work as well.

Secrets

yanxinix — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:25:24 +0000

Im so glad to have music in our life. =)

The great pacific garbage patch

yanxinix — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:12:53 +0000

Months ago, I read an article on someone visiting this garbage patch. From the article, the garbage patch wasn’t what he (or myself) had expected from the name. It is not an island of rubbish, gross and stinky. In fact, he didn’t even realise he had reached the garbage patch until someone told him so. The garbage patch is in fact, just like other parts of the ocean, with a few occasional rubbish floating by. You have look very closely into the waters to notice these confetti-like plastic floating in the water. These plastics has travelled miles across the Pacific ocean until they reach this gyre (I think this is what the pros call it), where a number of opposing currents meet, forming a vortex and hence containing the rubbish in this area. These plastics, after spending years under the sun, went through photo-degradation (or whatever the scientists call them), broke down into pieces so small that is hardly noticeable by eyes.

Initially, I thought this idea is quite good. It is like a landfill in the middle of nowhere, and waste are left there to decompose (or disintegrate?). And the best part, the waste are contained within the area naturally. Mother earth is so kind to provide us with a fantastic solution to the problems we self-centered humans have created. Well, guess i was too optimistic.

Few nights ago, I dreamt of the great pacific garbage patch. I woke up googling the term, and became obsessed with this area, reading every single article on google dating back to 2007. (I had a similar obsession with Khmer rouge weeks ago, now maybe my friends can figure out why I am so busy) One of the first few photos I saw was a dissected albatross chick, with what seems like bottle caps and lighters in its bottle. Apparently the albatross mother mistook these small pieces of plastics, especially plastic pellets, as fish roes and fed them to the chicks. Majority of the chicks are unable to survive to adulthood. Another common (and widely advertised) effect of plastics in oceans are sea turtles, who always mistook plastics as jellyfish, and eventually choking on them.

A few more depressing facts I found out includes: 1. Plastics were only widely used after ww2. In mere 60 years, we had created such a huge impact to our oceans and wildlife. 2. As the plastics are in small pieces, it is not energy viable to clean up the patch. (I can’t help but wonder if it is not energy viable or economically viable, because everything in this world now is tagged with a price tag and apparently the lives of animals do not worth as much as market indexes or defense equipments in the definition of those holding the power.) 3. An article mentioned that there is no political interest cleaning up the area because it is in international waters and it is no one’s territory. (come on, we are all living on the same earth!)

I admit i am guilty of contributing to this plastic pollution. While I try my best to prevent plastic from going into the water (for example, no balloons), the bulk of pollution comes from our demand for plastics. 20% of the garbage patch was marine waste. Plastic pellets (raw materials for making plastic) were washed into the sea when being transported across oceans to the factories nearer to the demands. A quick look into my bag; stationaries, water bottle, gadgets, cosmetics, food containers, umbrella, etc. everything is plastic! Recycling/reusing these stuff does reduce my guilt a little. But deep down, i know it’s not solving the problem at all.

Once again, I’m feeling helpless. And I really hate it! So i’m posting up these photos so that everyone around me will feel as disturbed as me. =p At the same time, hopefully these images will make everyone think twice before purchasing another unnecessary plastics disposable item or requesting for a plastic bag for your purchase. Ps to all: since I’m so obsessed now, be prepared to receive a cloth recycle bag as birthday present this year. =)

just a random bimbo-ish thought…

yanxinix — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:30:43 +0000

will i be able to survive applying camouflage on my face instead of foundation and blusher? gosh, got to check if those camouflage has SPF and if it clogs pores. or maybe someone can come out with green foundations and brown blushers? =)

a bobbish danbo!

yanxinix — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:04:50 +0000

drools…

yanxinix — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:40:34 +0000

Everyday, I learn something new about myself!

yanxinix — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:05:04 +0000

grssm: we are taking bus number 32 or 195
Me: ok!
2 minutes later….
Me: sorry, so we are taking 59 or 123?

I’m not sure about you guys, but I just realise my data storage system is the first-in-last-out scheme. No wonder I’m so bad with numbers!! Installing a converter after reading the data would probably help.

ohmmmmmms

yanxinix — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:17:43 +0000

i get so frustrated when i cant do anything (except telling someone up there through my blog) to situations that are just so wrong.

one day, i will be strong like chuck norris and whack those people to ‘wake up their idea’. till then, i will continue to pray that whatever decisions affecting people around me are the best in the situation. by the way, is hijacking car/kidnapping really illegal in singapore? even if it is of good intentions?

i-van: dont worry! i am communicating with someone up there already. they will decide what’s best for your family. they read my blog regularly! =)

More reasons to love the trees.

yanxinix — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:22:14 +0000

YEARS from Bartholomäus Traubeck on Vimeo.