Sinfonia da Vita, Op. 1
Monday, September 29, 2008
I'm not an enthusiastic follower of the F1 Grand Prix, but an article in the Yahoo! news catches my eyes today. It is a lesson that we can learn from race driver Felipe Massa's behaviour at the all-important, decisive finals of the race.
Formula One: Massa refuses to blame crew for pit disaster
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080928/tsp-auto-prix-sin-massa-5820418.html
SINGAPORE, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Ferrari world title contender Felipe Massa had a disastrous Singapore Grand Prix Sunday but refused to blame the mechanic who ruined his race.
The Brazilian, ahead of rival Lewis Hamilton at the time after 15 laps, was given the green light to leave the pits but the fuel hose was still attached as he accelerated away, spraying petrol and knocking over one of the pit crew.
Massa ended up sitting in his Ferrari at the end of the pit lane as the crew frantically ran after him and managed to pull the hose free.
But he was given a drive-through penalty for almost hitting another car as he drove away and rejoined in 18th place, ending any hope he had of making the points.
Despite the disaster, he was philosophical.
"We could have finished first and second and it could have been different," he said as he slipped seven points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings with three races left after the Briton finished third.
"It is hard to deal with losing in this fashion a race that was within our grasp with a car that was just the way I wanted it.
"But things can change in a moment and that's what happened today.
"We are all human beings, everyone makes mistakes. I am not the sort of person who goes to a guy and fights with him.
"So I went to the guy and gave him even more motivation because we need him and we need everybody together for the last three races of the season." [boldprint by me]
It was a race to forget for Ferrari with defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen failing to finish after ramming his car into the barriers with just four laps left when he was fifth.
"A black day, there's little else to day. We are very disappointed but that doesn't mean we are downtrodden," Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali told reporters, brushing aside suggestions the mechanic would be reprimanded.
"You try to be quick, try to find the right slot for the car to be released," he said.
"It is a difficult moment. We have to have a lot of respect for these guys, who are not top drivers but are part of us."
David Coulthard in a Red Bull had a similar pit-stop blunder with his fuel hose also left on and a mechanic hurt, although his crew resolved the issue quickly.
¶ 9/29/2008 02:36:00 pm 0 comments
Formula One: Massa refuses to blame crew for pit disaster
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080928/tsp-auto-prix-sin-massa-5820418.html
SINGAPORE, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - Ferrari world title contender Felipe Massa had a disastrous Singapore Grand Prix Sunday but refused to blame the mechanic who ruined his race.
The Brazilian, ahead of rival Lewis Hamilton at the time after 15 laps, was given the green light to leave the pits but the fuel hose was still attached as he accelerated away, spraying petrol and knocking over one of the pit crew.
Massa ended up sitting in his Ferrari at the end of the pit lane as the crew frantically ran after him and managed to pull the hose free.
But he was given a drive-through penalty for almost hitting another car as he drove away and rejoined in 18th place, ending any hope he had of making the points.
Despite the disaster, he was philosophical.
"We could have finished first and second and it could have been different," he said as he slipped seven points behind Hamilton in the drivers' standings with three races left after the Briton finished third.
"It is hard to deal with losing in this fashion a race that was within our grasp with a car that was just the way I wanted it.
"But things can change in a moment and that's what happened today.
"We are all human beings, everyone makes mistakes. I am not the sort of person who goes to a guy and fights with him.
"So I went to the guy and gave him even more motivation because we need him and we need everybody together for the last three races of the season." [boldprint by me]
It was a race to forget for Ferrari with defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen failing to finish after ramming his car into the barriers with just four laps left when he was fifth.
"A black day, there's little else to day. We are very disappointed but that doesn't mean we are downtrodden," Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali told reporters, brushing aside suggestions the mechanic would be reprimanded.
"You try to be quick, try to find the right slot for the car to be released," he said.
"It is a difficult moment. We have to have a lot of respect for these guys, who are not top drivers but are part of us."
David Coulthard in a Red Bull had a similar pit-stop blunder with his fuel hose also left on and a mechanic hurt, although his crew resolved the issue quickly.
Friday, September 26, 2008
I have written the following to help those who are, like me, tired of having to change to another font when we open up a new spreadsheet on MS Excel 2002, simply because we don't want to use Arial size 10. Ironically laziness breeds hard work, so I have gone to explore Excel to find out where I can change the default font. You can change font settings easily on Microsoft Word; on Excel it's easy as ABC too, just that the right place for doing the tweaks is hidden in some obscure nook in the software...
Changing Default Font in Microsoft Excel (version 2002)
1. Tools > Options
2. In the 'Options' window, click on the 'General' tab.
3. Under 'Standard font', choose the font style and size that you desire as your default, which means this font will be the one that shows up every time you open a new Excel spreadsheet.
4. Click OK.Excel will tell you that the changes will only take effect when you restart your computer.
So you can now have your spreadsheet welcome you with your favourite font, and you can get cracking with the important stuff!
¶ 9/26/2008 11:06:00 pm 0 comments
Changing Default Font in Microsoft Excel (version 2002)
1. Tools > Options
2. In the 'Options' window, click on the 'General' tab.
3. Under 'Standard font', choose the font style and size that you desire as your default, which means this font will be the one that shows up every time you open a new Excel spreadsheet.
4. Click OK.Excel will tell you that the changes will only take effect when you restart your computer.
So you can now have your spreadsheet welcome you with your favourite font, and you can get cracking with the important stuff!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The real difference between liberals and conservatives (Jonathan Haidt, TEDtalks)
¶ 9/24/2008 02:08:00 pm 1 comments
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
SMS warning from several friends about dairy-based products currently under scrutiny:
'For your information, the following items are recalled due to China's milk situation:
1. M&M's
2. Snickers
3. Mento's yoghurt bottle,
4. Dove Chocolates
5. Oreo Wafersticks
6. Monmilk
7. Dutch Lady Sterilised Milk
8. Wall's all-natural mango
9. Mini Poppers Ice Cream
10. Magnum Ice Cream
11. Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
12. Mini Cornetto
13. Youcan Ice Cream
If you have any of these in your house, don't eat them.' ¶ 9/23/2008 12:59:00 pm 0 comments
'For your information, the following items are recalled due to China's milk situation:
1. M&M's
2. Snickers
3. Mento's yoghurt bottle,
4. Dove Chocolates
5. Oreo Wafersticks
6. Monmilk
7. Dutch Lady Sterilised Milk
8. Wall's all-natural mango
9. Mini Poppers Ice Cream
10. Magnum Ice Cream
11. Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
12. Mini Cornetto
13. Youcan Ice Cream
If you have any of these in your house, don't eat them.' ¶ 9/23/2008 12:59:00 pm 0 comments
别再等候了... 答案已出现!
No. 1
哪一个动物一直跌倒？
狐狸，因为它狡猾。
No. 2
Ba4 Zhang3 (肉粽)掉进河里，谁拾起来？
降龍 。
No. 3
Superman, Batman, 与小叮当：哪一个最伟大？
小叮当。因为它伸出圆手。
No. 4
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包去看电影，叉烧包哭了，但Kong4 Ba4 包却没有哭。 为什么？
因为Kong4 Ba4 包没有filling.
No. 5
莲蓉包跟豆沙包去看电影，莲蓉包哭了，豆沙包却笑了。为什么？
因为莲蓉包和豆沙包有不同的filling.
No. 6
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包结了婚，过后就分手了。为什么？
因为Kong4 Ba4 包不够 filling. ¶ 9/23/2008 12:37:00 am 0 comments
No. 1
哪一个动物一直跌倒？
狐狸，因为它狡猾。
No. 2
Ba4 Zhang3 (肉粽)掉进河里，谁拾起来？
降龍 。
No. 3
Superman, Batman, 与小叮当：哪一个最伟大？
小叮当。因为它伸出圆手。
No. 4
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包去看电影，叉烧包哭了，但Kong4 Ba4 包却没有哭。 为什么？
因为Kong4 Ba4 包没有filling.
No. 5
莲蓉包跟豆沙包去看电影，莲蓉包哭了，豆沙包却笑了。为什么？
因为莲蓉包和豆沙包有不同的filling.
No. 6
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包结了婚，过后就分手了。为什么？
因为Kong4 Ba4 包不够 filling. ¶ 9/23/2008 12:37:00 am 0 comments
Thursday, September 18, 2008
*This post contains text in Mandarin; if hollowed boxes appear where the text ought to be, your computer might be unable to read East-Asian texts.
本人上星期在车内听朋友讲了几道欠匾问答题，不得不分享。
答案下回再登！
No. 1
哪一只动物总是跌倒？
No. 2
Ba4 Zhang3 (肉粽)掉进河里，谁拾起来？
No. 3
Superman, Batman, 与小叮当：哪一个最伟大？
No. 4
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包去看电影，叉烧包哭了，但Kong4 Ba4 包却没有哭。 为什么？
No. 5
莲蓉包跟豆沙包去看电影，莲蓉包哭了，豆沙包却笑了。为什么？
No. 6
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包结了婚，过后就分手了。为什么？
¶ 9/18/2008 01:00:00 am 0 comments
本人上星期在车内听朋友讲了几道欠匾问答题，不得不分享。
答案下回再登！
No. 1
哪一只动物总是跌倒？
No. 2
Ba4 Zhang3 (肉粽)掉进河里，谁拾起来？
No. 3
Superman, Batman, 与小叮当：哪一个最伟大？
No. 4
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包去看电影，叉烧包哭了，但Kong4 Ba4 包却没有哭。 为什么？
No. 5
莲蓉包跟豆沙包去看电影，莲蓉包哭了，豆沙包却笑了。为什么？
No. 6
叉烧包跟 Kong4 Ba4 包结了婚，过后就分手了。为什么？
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Europe is a country and everyone speaks french here
¶ 9/11/2008 05:55:00 pm 0 comments
Another pre-lecture video before Military History class today
Monday, September 08, 2008
Presto (Pixar Short)
¶ 9/08/2008 08:29:00 pm 0 comments
This is a terrific animation in the tradition of the great Warner Brothers Loony Tunes gags. Beautifully done and very, very clever!! :D
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Proko sent me this over email: an updated take on the good-old ‘Why did the chicken cross the road.’
Why did the chicken cross the road?
BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN MCCAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......
GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% .......... reboot.
BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!
LEE KUAN YEW:
We have installed crossing lights at all traffic junctions. All chickens should be able to cross safely to the other side.
LEE HSIEN LOONG:
Gantry points have been set up. All chickens wanting to cross the road are advised to top up their cash cards first.
ABDULLAH BADAWI:
We have to be fair to all chickens. Some want to cross over the road, some do not. ........ Zzzzzz .......zzzzzz ....... Now what were we talking about? Ah yes, chickens. We will form a Royal Commission to decide whether it is right for them to cross the road.
MAHATHIR:
Now even the non-bumi chickens want to cross the road? How can they disrespect and disregard the bumi chickens? We must be allowed to cross over first. It is our right!
ANWAR:
We have enough chickens waiting to cross over in September.
SHAHRIR:
All foreign chickens are welcome in Malaysia but they must not cross over the road within 50km of the border.
Wong Kan Seng:
I am sorry that the chicken was allowed to cross the road. It was an HONEST MISTAKE. Let’s move on.
¶ 9/03/2008 09:30:00 pm 0 comments
Why did the chicken cross the road?
BARACK OBAMA:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!
JOHN MCCAIN:
My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
HILLARY CLINTON:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......
GEORGE W. BUSH:
We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
JOHN LENNON:
Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
BILL GATES:
I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of the Chicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^(C% .......... reboot.
BILL CLINTON:
I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?
AL GORE:
I invented the chicken!
LEE KUAN YEW:
We have installed crossing lights at all traffic junctions. All chickens should be able to cross safely to the other side.
LEE HSIEN LOONG:
Gantry points have been set up. All chickens wanting to cross the road are advised to top up their cash cards first.
ABDULLAH BADAWI:
We have to be fair to all chickens. Some want to cross over the road, some do not. ........ Zzzzzz .......zzzzzz ....... Now what were we talking about? Ah yes, chickens. We will form a Royal Commission to decide whether it is right for them to cross the road.
MAHATHIR:
Now even the non-bumi chickens want to cross the road? How can they disrespect and disregard the bumi chickens? We must be allowed to cross over first. It is our right!
ANWAR:
We have enough chickens waiting to cross over in September.
SHAHRIR:
All foreign chickens are welcome in Malaysia but they must not cross over the road within 50km of the border.
Wong Kan Seng:
I am sorry that the chicken was allowed to cross the road. It was an HONEST MISTAKE. Let’s move on.
Budget Airlines
¶ 9/03/2008 09:00:00 pm 0 comments
While sending Thow off, the topic suddenly shifts to one about budget airlines. Jia Shun tells us of this funny video, which you're about to click and watch.. (that is, if you haven't actually clicked and watch before viewing this message)
