Privacy

Privacy

We end the year 2006 with a picture of Miechelle. This photo as taken over at an open carpark space in Chinatown. She was doing a kind of "do not shoot me" post similar to the previous entry on "Shy" by Joshua. The image was processed to give a soft glow to the image.



Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves. Privacy is sometimes related to anonymity although it is often most highly valued by people who are publicly known. Privacy can be seen as an aspect of security—one in which trade-offs between the interests of one group and another can become particularly clear.

Bodily privacy

Privacy may include preserving modesty and preventing embarrassment by preventing a person seeing someone else while naked or in underwear, or while using a toilet or urinal, having sex, etc. For that purpose a person, a couple, or a larger group of people, may seek temporary seclusion.

Genetic privacy

The concept of “genetic discrimination” and the associated need for confidentiality of genetic information, or "genetic privacy," have only recently entered our vocabulary. In numerous cases around the world, individuals and family members have been barred from employment or lost their health and life insurance based on an apparent or perceived genetic abnormality.^{[citation needed]} Many of those who have suffered discrimination are clinically healthy and exhibit none of the symptoms of a genetic disorder. Often, genetic testing results in uncertain probabilities rather than clear-cut predictions of disease. Even in the most definitive genetic conditions, which are few in number, there remains a wide variability in the timing of onset and severity of clinical symptoms. Employers have access to medical/genetic information, which may be used to discriminate against their employees.

Internet privacy

Main article: Internet privacy

Using the Internet leaves a trail of information about one's activity if privacy software, careful clean-up or a proxy server is not used. A user's computer can reveal, for example, a web browser's history, cache or logs to reveal what the user has done. Websites will also have their own logs showing the IP address and other demographic data from each computer to which it provides access.

An additional Internet privacy concern involves the erosion of “security through obscurity” as web search engines provide increased access to personal information online, such as public records, social networking profiles, biographical webpages or online resumes.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Shy

Shy

This is Joshua from Malaysia. This picture was taken in Trinity College, Swanston Building. He straight away take up that defensive position and making a large "X" sign. The typical me still snapped the shot of course.

In humans, shyness is a feeling of insecurity or awkwardness that certain people experience while being among others, talking with others, asking favors of others, etc. In zoology, shy generally means "tends to avoid human beings"; see cryptic.

Shyness is most likely to occur during unfamiliar situations. Since many shy people thus avoid these situations in order to avoid feeling uncomfortable and inept, the situation remains unfamiliar and the shyness perpetuates itself. Shyness may also fade with time. A child who is shy toward strangers, for instance, may eventually come to lose this trait when older.

The problem of shyness can either involve having trouble thinking of what to say in social situations or involve crippling physical manifestations of uneasiness. Shyness usually involves a combination of both symptoms. For a shy person, these effects can be quite devastating.

Behavioural traits in social situations, such as smiling, thinking of suitable conversational topics, assuming a relaxed posture and making good eye-contact, which come spontaneously for the average person, may be relatively absent for a shy person.

People experience shyness to different degrees. For example, an actor may be loud and bold on stage, but shy in an interview. In addition, people may feel shy around certain people and not others. For instance, one may be outgoing with friends, but experience love-shyness toward potential partners.

Shy people tend to perceive their own shyness as a negative trait and many people are uneasy with shyness, especially in cultures that value individuality and taking charge. On the other hand, many shy people are perceived to be good listeners and are more likely to think before they speak. Furthermore, boldness, the opposite of shyness, may cause its own problems, such as impertinence or inappropriate behavior.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Broken Antique

Broken Antique

Well, that is my previous frame less spectacles which had served me well for the last 4 to 5 years. Yes, a long time but I love it. It finally broke and to some of my friends, a real relieve. The spectacles was made from component of titanium and it can bend well without breaking. The fashion at the time I bought it was to have a very slim and thin arms while now, the fashion is to have the frame thick and bold. The photo was added with noise blended with colour burn in photoshop.

Modern glasses are typically supported by pads on the bridge of the nose and by temples placed over the ears. Historical types include the pince-nez, monocle, and lorgnette.

Glasses frames are commonly made from metal, horn or plastic. Lenses were originally made from glass, but many are now made from various types of plastic, including CR-39 or polycarbonate. These materials reduce the danger of breakage and weigh less than glass lenses. Some plastics also have more advantageous optical properties than glass, such as better transmission of visible light and greater absorption of ultraviolet light. Some plastics have a greater index of refraction than most types of glass; this is useful in the making of corrective lenses shaped to correct vision abnormalities such as myopia, allowing thinner lenses for a given prescription. Scratch-resistant coatings can be applied to most plastic lenses giving them similar scratch resistance to glass. Hydrophobic coatings designed to ease cleaning are also available, as are anti-reflective coatings intended to improve night vision and make the wearer's eyes more visible.

Polycarbonate lenses are the lightest and most shatterproof, making them the best for impact protection. Polycarbonate lenses offer poor optics because of a low Abbe number of 31. CR-39 lenses are the most common plastic lenses, due to their low weight, high scratch resistance and low transparency for ultra violet and infared radiation.

Rimless

Rimless and semi-rimless glasses are common variations that differ from regular glasses in that their frames do not completely encircle the lenses. Rimless glasses have no frame around the lenses; the bridge and arms are mounted directly onto the lenses. Semi-rimless (or half-rimless) glasses have a frame that only partially encircles the lenses (commonly the top portion).^[2]

Glazing

Spectacle lenses are edged into the frame's rim using glazing machines operated by ophthalmic technicians. The edgeing process begins with a trace being taken of the frame's eye shape. In earlier days the trace was replicated onto a plastic pattern called a Former. Nowadays the process is patternless and the shape is sent to the edger electronically.

The lens, in the form of a round uncut, is positioned in the correct manner to match the prescription and a block is stuck to the lens and that block fits into a chuck in the edgeing machine. A diamond coated wheel spins and the edger replicates the frame's eye-shape to the uncut. A 'v' bevel is applied to allow the edge of the lens to fit into the frames rim.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Pulled Tongues

Pulled Tongues

I took this picture down at my house compound. I actually took tens of this photo to try and pick the best from them. I used the zoom technique. Basically, zooming while the picture is taken. Asking one of the resident what is the name of the flower did not return any answer. The title was given due to the curly tips of the petals and with the zoom technique, it made it look stretched.



The tongue is the large bundle of skeletal muscles on the floor of the mouth that manipulates food for chewing and swallowing, (deglutition). It is the primary organ of taste. Much of the surface of the tongue is covered in taste buds. The tongue with its wide variety of possible movements assists in forming the sounds of speech. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels to help it be moved.

The act of tongue rolling describes one's ability to roll the tongue into a "hollow tube". The ability to roll the tongue has been generally believed to depend on genetic inheritance. Tongue rolling was believed to be a dominant trait with simple Mendelian inheritance, and is still commonly taught in high school and introductory biology courses. It provided a simple experiment to demonstrate inheritance.

There is little laboratory evidence, though, for the common belief that tongue rolling is heritable and dominant. A 1975 twin study found that identical twins (who share all of their genes) were no more likely than fraternal twins (who share an average of half) to both have the same phenotype for tongue rolling.

• Tung was also the original Webster spelling of tongue
• Stephen Taylor holds the world record for the world's longest tongue. It measures 9.5 centimeters from the tip to the center of his closed top lip. Annika Irmler holds the record for longest female tongue, at 7 centimeters.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Shining Torches

Shining Torches

These two girls are Tashia and Tiffany. This shot was taken during the Hollywood Trinity Ball 2006 over at the Hyatt Ballroom. The two flowers they held were taken from the decorations on the center of the table. This photo was taken slightly from a higher than eye level to escape from the usual angle of a picture. I also won the "Mr Paparazzi" award during the ball.

Friendships

Friendships

The last Physics lecture! Well, we Indonesians finally turned up. The camera was placed on the floor on top of a tissue paper. Flash was needed as lamps are placed on the ceiling and not on the floor. A 10 second timer was also used. I asked someone to place a hand, head height and on the center of the camera. I then half press the shutter button to let the camera focuses and set it to manual. The picture was processed into black and white and followed by the sepia photo filter.

Utilising Time

Utilising Time

Merry Christmas! This is Ineke's friend in the picture. She was busy writing on the card for Carla's personal farewell party. I took this photo from the passenger side window. One look of the photo gives anyone the thought that she was actually driving or stopping at the traffic light and filling up the card. The photo was edited in photoshop to stamp out a hanging ornament in the picture which had overlap parts of the steering wheel.

It has been argued that the distraction caused by using mobile phones while driving is responsible for many road traffic accidents. Several studies have shown that motorists have a much higher risk of collisions and losing control of the vehicle while talking on the mobile telephone simultaneously with driving, even when using "hands-free" systems.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2005 about 10% of all vehicles on the road at any given daylight hour were using a cell phone, up from about 8% the previous year.^[1].

Accidents involving a driver being distracted by talking on a mobile phone have begun to be prosecuted as negligence similar to driving while intoxicated.

At least 28 countries restrict or prohibit cell and other wireless technology while driving:

• Israel, Japan, Portugal and Singapore all prohibit mobile phone use while driving.
• Australia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, the Philippines, Romania, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates prohibit the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
• Drivers in the Czech Republic, France, and the Netherlands may use cell phones but can be fined if they are involved in crashes while using such a device.

Legislation to restrict cell phone use has been proposed in 40 states in the US; California, New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC have passed such a law.^[1] The state of Arkansas is voting on passing a law that prohibits talking on a cell phone while driving. The voting will take place in the last week of January 2007.^{[citation needed]} In the United States, such laws were first passed by individual cities and towns, until state legislatures began to pass similar laws. The first American town to pass such a law was Marlboro Township, New Jersey.

In the United Kingdom, from 27 February 2007, motorists who are caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving will have three penalty points added to their licence and face a maximum fine of £60.^[9] This increase has been introduced to try to stem the increase in drivers ignoring the law. ^[10]

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Attitude

Attitude

This is my good friend, Chandra. This picture was taken in Trinity's Library discussion room. It had blinds facing the Melbourne University's soccer field. I zoomed through my lens while the picture was taken to create the seemingly "sucking" effect. The picture had been tilted to brings out the extreme in the "attitudeness" and also to straighten the overall picture (blinds). I must mention that this is his normal behavior when he does not get enough sleep.

Attitude is a concept in psychology. Attitudes are positive, negative or neutral views of an "attitude object": i.e. a person, behaviour or event. People can also be "ambivalent" towards a target, meaning that they simultaneously possess a positive and a negative bias towards the attitude in question.

Attitudes can be changed through persuasion. The celebrated work of Carl Hovland, at Yale University in the 1950s and 1960s, helped to advance knowledge of persuasion. In Hovland's view, we should understand attitude change as a response to communication. He and his colleagues did experimental research into the factors that can affect the persuasiveness of a message:

1. Target Characteristics: These are characteristics that refer to the person who receives and processes a message. One such is intelligence - it seems that more intelligent people are less easily persuaded by one-sided messages. Another variable that has been studied in this category is self esteem. Although it is sometimes thought that those higher in self-esteem are less easily persuaded, there is some evidence that the relationship between self-esteem and persuasibility is actually curvilinear, with people of moderate self-esteem being more easily persuaded than both those of high and low self-esteem levels (Rhodes & Woods, 1992). The mind frame and mood of the target also plays a role in this process.
2. Source Characteristics: The major source characteristics are expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness. The credibility of a perceived message has been found to be a key variable here (Hovland & Weiss, 1951); if one reads a report on health and believes it comes from a professional medical journal, one may be more easily persuaded than if one believes it is from a popular newspaper. Some psychologists have debated whether this is a long-lasting effect and Hovland and Weiss (1951) found the effect of telling people that a message came from a credible source disappeared after several weeks (the so-called "sleeper effect"). Whether there is a sleeper effect is controversial. Received wisdom is that if people are informed of the source of a message before hearing it, there is less likelihood of a sleeper effect than if they are told a message and then told its source.
3. Message Characteristics: The nature of the message plays a role in persuasion. Sometimes presenting both sides of a story is useful to help change attitudes.
4. Cognitive Routes: A message can appeal to an individual's cognitive evaluation to help change an attitude. In the central route to persuasion the individual is presented with the data and motivated to evaluate the data and arrive at an attitude changing conclusion. In the peripheral route to attitude change, the individual is encouraged to not look at the content but at the source. This is commonly seen in modern advertisements that feature celebrities. In some cases, doctors and experts are used. In other cases film stars are used for their attractiveness.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Ineke's Smile

Ineke's Smile

This is my cousin Ineke Ng. She had just finished her undergraduate studies in commerce and is now continuing her studies in Beijing. Good luck for her studies in China. This photo was taken in my room beside my standing lamp. The photo was processed to give a glow to the whole scene and an additional blur to both ends of the picture.

M&Mymss

M&Mymss

This picture was taken on my study desk at home. I had my white study lamp on at the time of shooting. The colourful M&Ms create a pleasing colours to the eyes and of course gives the tendency to lick your monitor. The M&Ms packaging give even light to the chocolate inside. I was eating lots of this before my final year exam.

M&M's are small, sugar-coated, milk chocolate candy pieces popular in many countries around the world. They are produced by Mars, Incorporated.

The candies were originally made in six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, brown, and violet. (Peanut candies were made in the same colors, except violet.) In 1949, Violet was taken out of the mix and was replaced by tan. Red was eliminated in 1976^[1] because of health concerns about the red dye amaranth (FD&C Red #2), a suspected carcinogen. Despite the fact that M&M's did not contain the dye, red M&M's were removed to satisfy worried consumers. By 1987, the public had forgotten the scare, and the red candies were reintroduced. They currently contain Allura red AC (FD&C Red #40). In 1995, tan was replaced by blue.

The most popular (and the most common) M&M's are milk chocolate and peanut (with a layer of chocolate between the peanut and the candy shell). Several variations exist, but are harder to find: mint chocolate, dulce de leche, toffee, crispy, almond, peanut butter, white chocolate (with and without peanuts), and dark chocolate.

M&M's, one of the most popular candies in the United States, are based on the older British product, Smarties. Forrest Mars Sr. saw soldiers during the Spanish Civil War eating chocolate pellets that were coated in sugar to prevent chocolate from sticking to their fingers. After the rights were purchased by Americans Forrest Mars Sr. and R. Bruce Murrie in 1939, they had to reintroduce them to the domestic market with a different name because there was already a candy product sold in the U.S. under the name Smarties. To identify their new brand, they combined the first initials of their last names: M & M. M&M's were first sold in the United States in 1941. By World War II, American soldiers were given the candy by the United States Army because they were a convenient snack that traveled well in any climate; soon after this it was marketed to the public. M&M's soon became a hit because, in those times when air conditioning was not usually found in stores, homes, or the automobile, melting chocolate candy bars were a problem; but with M&M's, the candy coating kept the chocolate from getting messy.

In 1954, Peanut Chocolate Candies were introduced, while the M&M's brand characters and the famous slogan "The milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand" were both trademarked.

In 1993, Mars ran a promotion in which consumers were invited to vote on which of blue, pink, or purple would be introduced. Blue was the winner, and with the removal of tan, it was added in early 1995.

In 1996, Mars introduced a new M&M candy: the "M&M's Minis." These candies are very small and are usually sold in small plastic tubes instead of bags. A video game, M&M's Minis Madness, was also eventually released, based on this candy.

In 1998, the "Crispy M&M's" were released. These are slightly larger than the milk chocolate variety and feature a crispy rice center.

In 2002, Mars ran another vote to add a new color from 3 choices. Once again, the general public were the voters. The 3 choices were turquoise, pink and purple. This time, purple won.^[2]

In June 2004, M&M's were spotlighted in the media when Mike Melvill, who flew a weightless suborbital arc in SpaceShipOne the world's first private piloted space flight, opened up a package of the chocolate brand when he reached the border of space (100km) in order to demonstrate weightlessness as the candy floated in the cabin. Melvill chose the candies because they were both colorful, therefore showing up well on camera, and because once the g-level increased, if they fell into any of the controls they could be easily crushed and not interfere with the mechanisms (and maybe M&M refers also to his own initials). The stunt was totally unauthorized. Melvill stated that he never told his bosses that he was planning this.

In April of 2005, M&M's ran the "mPire" promotion to tie in with the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith movie release. M&M's were offered in a dark variety for the first time.

In the summer of 2005, Mars added "Mega M&M's" to the lineup. These candies are 55% larger than the traditional M&M's and are available in milk chocolate and peanut varieties. Most of the colors for Mega M&M's were also changed to less-bright colors—teal (replacing green), beige (orange), maroon (red), gold (yellow), brown (same as regular M&M's) and blue-gray (blue)—to appeal more to adults. In the fall of 2005, the mPire promotion ran again to coincide with the DVD release of the Star Wars movie.

In 2006, Mars offered eight new flavors of M&M's via online sales. The flavors were All That Razz; Eat, Drink, & Be Cherry; A Day at the Peach; Orange-U-Glad; Mint Condition; AlmonDeeLicious; Nut What You Think; and Cookie Minster. The first five have a white chocolate and milk chocolate center with a flavored shell. The two nut flavors have an almond or peanut center with white chocolate and candy shell. Cookie Minster has a crispy center with dark chocolate and a mint flavored shell. The company also released a Crispy Mint variety in Australia. Also in July 2006, the dark chocolate M&Ms reappeared in a purple package with the Green female M&M (see trivia section, below, as aphrodisiac urban legend) as the mascot. In 2006, the company also trialed white chocolate M&Ms as a tie-in with their Pirates of the Caribbean promotion.

In 2006, M&M's could be ordered and purchased online with custom phrases, replacing the traditional "M" on each M&M, excluding the Special Edition Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean designs. Released around Christmas, these phrase M&M's were meant for holiday greetings. Also, the M&M's could be chosen from 17 custom colours.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Cendle Glow

Cendle Glow

This photo was taken at the pepper and salt restaurant in Melbourne. I had purposely underexposed the photo to just get the glow of the candle through the red glass. The scratches of the wax on the inner side of the glass can also be seen and it reflects the flame. This image is subjective to the viewer's monitor. This is because if your monitor is brighter than mine, you will see more details in the dark area and vice versa.

A candle is a light source usually consisting of an internal wick that rises through the center of a column of solid fuel. Prior to the mid 19th century, the majority of candles were tallow (a byproduct of beef fat rendering). The fuel now is nearly always some form of wax, with paraffin wax being the most common. Gel, soy, beeswax, and vegetable-based candles are also available. A candle manufacturer is usually known as a chandler.

Prior to the candle being ignited, the wick is saturated with the fuel in its solid form. The heat of the match or other flame being used to light the candle first melts and then vaporizes a small amount of the fuel. Once vaporized, the fuel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a flame. This flame then provides sufficient heat to keep the candle burning via a self-sustaining chain of events: the heat of the flame melts the top of the mass of solid fuel, the liquified fuel then moves upward through the wick via capillary action, and the liquified fuel is then vaporized to burn within the candle's flame.

The burning of the fuel takes place in several distinct regions (as evidenced by the various colors that can be seen within the candle's flame). Within the bluer, hotter regions, hydrogen is being separated from the fuel and burned to form water vapor. The brighter, yellower part of the flame is the remaining carbon soot being oxidized to form carbon dioxide.

As the mass of the solid fuel is melted and consumed, the candle grows shorter. Portions of the wick that are not evaporating the liquid fuel are, ideally, consumed in the flame, limiting the exposed length of the wick and keeping the temperature and rate of fuel consumption even. Some wicks require manual trimming with scissors or a wick trimmer for even burning.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Megapus

Megapus

This flower was once again taken in Trinity College. It is the same flower which I took with my reversed lens in the Melbourne Royal Botanical Garden. The photo was processed to change its hue to become something exotic. The colour add to the emotion of fear due to the "clutching" center portion of the flower. The title was thought from the word "octopus". In this case, mega (millions) instead of octa (8) to describe the hands of the flower.

Wrinkled

Wrinkled

This was taken in Trinity College. I'm guessing that this flower was withering due to the strong sunlight as summer arrived. A few shots of the flower was taken. The part where the flower rolls up was replaced by another picture as the other shot has got that part sharper. I prefer to have this photo in black and white as it will enhance the wrinkly texture of the flower. The strong sunlight gives a little overexposure but having it only falling on the upper side of the flower bring out the composition.



A wrinkle is a ridge or crease of a surface. It usually refers to folds on fabric or clothes, or on the skin of an organism; the folds are generally random and do not exhibit any repeating pattern.

Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of aging processes such as glycation or, temporarily, as the result of prolonged (more than a few minutes) immersion in water. Wrinkling in skin is caused by habitual facial expressions, aging, sun damage, smoking, poor hydration, and various other factors. ^[1]

The wrinkles that occurr in skin after prolonged exposure to water are sometimes referred to as prune fingers. This is a temporary skin condition where the skin on the palms of the hand or feet becomes wrinkly. It is caused when the keratin-laden epithelial skin is immersed in water[1]. The skin expands and the resultant larger surface area forces it to wrinkle. Usually the tips of the fingers and toes are the first to wrinkle because of a thicker layer of keratin and an absence of hairs which secret the protective oil called sebum. Wrinkled fingers often occur after taking a shower or bath and lasts up to fifteen minutes afterwards, until the water has evaporated or is absorbed into the body.

Prune fingers is named for the skins' resemblance to the wrinkled, rough surface of a Prune.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Poppin Poppy

Poppin Poppy

I took this picture in Trinity College. I was actually late for my class and had to stay outside for about 10 mins so as not to disturb a presentation going on inside. This poppy plant is doing to spring open. I took this picture from several angle and I prefer from this view as it is a unique angle. The long stalk with the shallow depth of field make it looks very tall and formidable. I failed when I tried to look for a poppy plant in this state for the next few days.

A poppy is any of a number of showy flowers, born one per stem, belonging to the poppy family. These can be enjoyed in the wild, but are also grown for ornament.

There are white, pink, yellow, orange, red and blue poppies; some have a dark centre. The centre has a whorl of stamens. Poppies have 4–6 petals. Prior to blooming, the petals are crumpled in bud.

The poppy of wartime remembrance is the red corn poppy, Papaver rhoeas. This poppy is a common weed in Europe and is found in many locations, including Flanders Field. In many Commonwealth countries, artificial, paper versions of this poppy are worn to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in World War I and other wars, during the weeks preceding Remembrance Day on November 11. It has been adopted as a symbol by The Royal British Legion in their Poppy Appeal.

Poppies are used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep.

The golden poppy, Eschscholzia californica, is the state flower of California.

Although the drug opium is produced by "milking" latex from the unripe fruits ("seed pods") rather than from the seeds, all parts of the plant can contain or carry the opium alkaloids, especially morphine and codeine. This means that eating foods (e.g., muffins) that contain poppy seeds can result in a false positive for opiates in a drug test.

This was considered "confirmed" by the presenters of the television programme MythBusters. One participant, Adam Savage, who ate an entire loaf of poppy seed cake tested positive for opiates just half an hour later. A second participant, Jamie Hyneman, who ate three poppy seed bagels, first tested positive two hours after eating. Both tested positive for the remainder of the day, but were clean 18 hours later.

The results of this experiment are inconclusive by current standards, because a test was used with an opiate cutoff level of 300 ng/mL instead of the current SAMHSA recommended cutoff level used in the NIDA 5 test, which was raised from 300 ng/mL to 2,000 ng/mL in 1998 in order to avoid false positives from poppy seeds [1]. However, according to an article published in the Medical Science Law Journal, after ingesting "a curry meal or two containing various amounts of washed seeds" where total morphine levels were in the range 58.4 to 62.2 µg/g seeds, the urinary morphine levels were found to range as high as 1.27 µg/mL (1,270 ng/mL) urine [2]. Another article in the Journal of Forensic Science reports that concentration of mophine in some batches of seeds may be as high as 251 µg/g [3]. In both studies codeine was also present in the seeds in smaller concentrations. Therefore it is possible to cross the current standard 2,000 ng/mL limit of detection, depending on seed potency and quantity ingested. Some toxicology labs still continue to use a cuttoff level of 300 ng/mL [4].

• In an episode of Seinfeld, the character Elaine tested positive for opioids in a round of tests mandated by her workplace. She eventually found out that this was coming from her poppy-seed muffin habit.
• The sale of poppy seeds from Papaver somniferum is banned in Singapore due to the morphine content.
• Poppy is widely consumed in many parts of central and eastern Europe. The sugared, milled mature seeds are eaten with pasta or they are boiled with milk and used as filling or topping on various kinds of sweet pastry. Some consider this cuisine tradition has Pagan roots.
• Poppy seeds are widely used in Bengali cuisine.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Exaggerated Bow

Exaggerated Bow

This photo is from a poppy plant. The extra long stalk and the large bud at the end caused this to bent over. The bow reminded me of a Japanese bow. Gaussian blur was applied for this picture. However, the bud was left sharp and the stalk gradually blur towards the top of the picture.

Pearly Drops

Pearly Drops

I took this picture in Trinity College after a heavy rain. The sun was out not long after the rain even though there are still some clouds hanging in the sky. This caused a slightly stronger shades on the shadow of the flower. I focused mainly on the rain droplets and not on the center of the flower. If I had done the opposite, the droplets will still cause a distracting blur due to the depth of field.



Woke up one morning half asleep
With all my blankets in a heap
And yellow roses gathered all around me;
The time was still approaching four
I couldnt stand it anymore
Saw marigolds upon my eider down.

Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow,
Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me cool.

So I lay upon my side with all the windows opened wide
Couldnt pressurize my head from speaking
Hoping not to make a sound I pushed my bed into the grounds
In time to catch the sight that I was seeking.

Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow,
Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me cool.

If this perfect pleasure has the key
Then this is how it has to be
If my pillows getting wet
I dont see that it matters much to me.

I heard the flowers in the breeze make conversation with the trees
Believed to leave reality behind me
With my commitments in a mess my sleep has gone away depressed
In a world of fantasy youll find me.

Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow,
Im just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me cool.

(courtesy of lyricsfreak.com)

Flowers In The Rain by The Move

	Album:	The Move
	Date:	1967

This was the first ever song to be played on BBC Radio 1. (thanks, Adam - Wrexham, Wales) Members of The Move formed The Electric Light Orchestra in 1971.

(courtesy of songfacts.com)

The Affair

The Affair

This photo was taken during Erisca's birthday. In the photo, from the left, Lius, Erisca and Meriana. They were showing a TV commercial which the man was holding another woman's hand over the back of his own woman. The photo was processed to make it Black and White and added some Gaussion blur while leaving the palm totally clear and a graduating blur towards the shoulder.

Notes

Notes

This was the hand of Felicia from Indonesia. She was playing at the Spring Concert Festival. I was having my 50mm f/1.8 attached to my camera. The picture was taken at 1/25s & f/2.8. I must say that I'm quite luck to get such a sharp image at such a shutter speed. I had pre-focused my lens to roughly that distance as I noticed that her right hand makes a frequent visit there. I snapped the photo when her hand landed in that special area. The two blurred whitish spots on the black piano was caused by the reflection of the light. A dark line running across the photo in the background was removed in photoshop so keep the picture simple and focused.

For the arrangement of the keys on a piano keyboard, see Musical keyboard. This arrangement was inherited from the harpsichord without change, with the trivial exception of the colour scheme (white for notes in the C major scale and black for other notes) which became standard for pianos in the late 18th century.

Almost every modern piano has 88 keys (seven octaves plus a minor third, from A0 to C8). Many older pianos only have 85 keys (seven octaves from A0 to A7), while some manufacturers extend the range further in one or both directions. The most notable example of an extended range can be found on Bösendorfer pianos, one model which extends the normal range downwards to F0, with one other model going as far as a bottom C0, making a full eight octave range. Sometimes, these extra keys are hidden under a small hinged lid, which can be flipped down to cover the keys and avoid visual disorientation in a pianist unfamiliar with the extended keyboard; on others, the colours of the extra white keys are reversed (black instead of white). The extra keys are added primarily for increased resonance from the associated strings; that is, they vibrate sympathetically with other strings whenever the damper pedal is depressed and thus give a fuller tone. Only a very small number of works composed for piano actually use these notes. More recently, the Stuart and Sons company has also manufactured extended-range pianos. On their instruments, the range is extended both down the bass to F0 and up the treble to F8 for a full eight octaves. The extra keys are the same as the other keys in appearance.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Caught on Web

Caught on Web

Not sure of what you are looking at? Click on the picture. It was taken at the Federation Hall at the Victorian College of Arts. It had a bug which had itself caught on spider web. I use my tripod which had one og the leg shortened and lying on the corner of the wall to get as near to the subject as possible. The picture was then processed into a black and white with an additional sepia colour filter.



A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb (from the obsolete word "coppe", meaning "spider" [1]) is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets. Not all spiders build webs to catch prey, and some do not build webs at all.

The spider, after spinning its web, will then wait on, or near, the web for a prey animal to become trapped. The spider can sense the impact and struggle of a prey animal by vibrations transmitted along the web lines.

Spiders do not usually adhere to their own webs. However, they are not immune to their own glue. Some of the strands of the web are sticky, and others are not. For example, if a spider has chosen to wait along the outer edges of its web, it may spin a non-sticky prey or signal line to the web hub to monitor web movement. Spiders have to be careful to only climb on the non-sticky strands of their webs.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Freeze

Freeze

Jonathan standing very still over at Lonsdale and Swanston Street. This was taken using a ten seconds shot with me constantly chanting the phrase "do not move". The blur or shadow in the background is created by the by passers crossing the roads and the tram zooming across the Swanston street. The photo was later processed in photoshop to sharpen the model as far as possible while keeping the noise level low.

Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is the main street of Melbourne.

It is part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district, which was laid out in 1837 by Robert Hoddle. It is named after Captain Charles Swanston, a Tasmanian banker and prominent member of the Port Phillip Association. Swanston Street runs roughly north to south, between Elizabeth and Russell streets, just to the east of the centre of the rectangular Hoddle Grid. After crossing the Princes Bridge over the Yarra River at its southern extremity, it becomes St Kilda Road. As it runs north and leaves the CBD, it passes the University of Melbourne, and ends at the Melbourne General Cemetery. This section was originally named Madeline Street.

Swanston Street was a major thoroughfare, funnelling traffic from the northern suburbs onto St Kilda Road, but as of the 1990's it was closed to daytime private through traffic between Flinders and La Trobe Streets, roughly half its length. This section is known as Swanston Walk. 9 tram routes run along the street, and the frequency of trams is the highest in Melbourne. It has two railway stations - Flinders Street Station at its southern end, which is the hub of the suburban railway network; and Melbourne Central station, an underground station beneath the Melbourne Central shopping centre, at La Trobe Street. Swanston Street is also a major route for commuting cyclists from the University of Melbourne and the northern suburbs, through the city, joining up to the bike lanes on St Kilda Road, and the Capital City Trail on the Southbank of the Yarra River.

Swanston Street passes a number of Melbourne landmarks, including St Paul's Cathedral, Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, the Melbourne Town Hall, the State Library of Victoria, the City Square, the Melbourne Central and QV Village shopping centres, the pub Young and Jacksons as well as the Hi-Fi Bar, which is a prominent live music venue. Both the University of Melbourne and RMIT University are on Swanston Street.

Swanston Street has historically not had the best of reputations, due to problems with homelessness and loitering, and a plethora of discount stores, fast food outlets, and sex shops. However, in recent years, after lobbying from local traders, the Melbourne City Council has begun to turn the street's image around, enticing many new shops to move in, and driving several major developments.

Many protests involve the use of Swanston Street, and every so often, it will be closed due to people advocating one cause or another. It is also used for the annual Anzac Day parade, which passes through much of the city centre, but uses Swanston Street as a centrepiece on its way to the Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda Road.

Swanston Street was also the shooting location for the 1976 video for AC/DC's song "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)".

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Lemon Zoom

Lemon Zoom

The "model" in this picture is Dewi, or often called Dew Dew. We were at the Pacific House in South Melbourne for Carla's farewell. The picture was taken with a zoom technique where the lens was rotated while the shutter was pressed. It was a real luck shot. The picture turns out interesting due to all the newspaper clips behind her which add the zooming effects. I noticed that this effect works well for a single subject framed with many complicated environment and lighting.



The lemon (Citrus × limon) is a hybrid citrus tree of cultivated origin. The fruit are used primarily for their juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used, primarily in cooking or mixing. Lemon juice is about 5% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste and a pH of 2 to 3. This acidity makes lemon juice a cheap, readily available acid for use in educational chemistry experiments.

A lemon tree can grow up to 10 meters (33 feet), but they are usually smaller. The branches are thorny, and form an open crown. On a lemon tree, flowers and ripe fruits can be found at the same time.^[1]

Lemons grow in tropical and sub-tropical climates and cannot withstand frosts and very cold temperatures. Their favored temperature is between 15–30 °C (60–85 °F) and they need ample quantities of sunlight. They thrive in fertile, well drained soils, but are notable for tolerating very poor, infertile soil, such as sand. ^[2] Lemons need plenty of water but should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Lemons are grown commercially in Spain, Portugal, Italy,Turkey, and other Mediterranean countries. They are also grown in Argentina, India, Brazil and the United States. They can be grown as plants in a garden as well as indoors in containers, if they are pruned to keep a small form.

Lemons and other citrus fruits contain amounts of different chemicals and are thought to have some health benefits. They contain a terpene called limonene which gives their characteristic lemon smell and taste. Lemons contain significant amounts of citric acid, this is why they have a low pH and a sour taste. They also famously contain Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) which is essential to human health. 100 milliliters of lemon juice contains approximately 50 milligrams of vitamin C (55% of the recommended daily value) and 5 grams of citric acid.

A common school experiment involving lemons is to attach electrodes and use them as a battery to power a light. The electricity generated may also be used to power a motor to move the lemons (on wheels) like a car or truck. These experiments also work with other fruit like apples and with potatoes.

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

Party Girl

Party Girl

The girl featured in this photo is Melissa. We were shooting for the Trinity Hollywood Ball 2006 DVD when I need some pictures to go along with. This was shot at the Union Law over at Melbourne University. There was this "stargate" looking structure on display permanently there. The structure was touched up in Photoshop to cover up the dirty bird faeces and huge rust marks.



Stargate refers to the science fiction media franchise that began in 1994 with the feature film Stargate, and the subsequent body of works that detail an elaborate fictional universe.Stargate productions all center on the premise of a "Stargate", a ring-shaped alien device that allows for personal teletransportation to complementary devices cosmic distances away.^[3] Most Stargate productions are set in the present day,^[4] with plots constructed so that there is no immediate contradiction between the depicted events and reality.^[5] The existence of the Stargate devices is described as a military secret.^[6]

Guiness World Records recognized Stargate SG-1 as the longest currently running consecutive sci-fi series in 2006. The show is second only to the Doctor Who series, which holds the title for longest running sci-fi show overall.

Stargate SG-1 is a television series that debuted on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci-Fi Channel after its fifth season.^[18] Created by Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright, it starred Richard Dean Anderson (as the respelled O'Neill), Michael Shanks (as Jackson), Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge and Don S. Davis.

The cast has remained fairly regular for most of SG-1's run but has experienced some changes. Michael Shanks left the show at the end of Season 5 and was replaced by Corin Nemec as Jonas Quinn. Shanks returned at the beginning of Season 7 and Nemec was written out. At the end of Season 7 Davis left the show and Anderson filled the gap he left in the story. Season 9 saw an unpopular departure of Anderson, but added new regulars Beau Bridges and Ben Browder. After a debut episode in Season 8, followed by appearances in eight episodes of Season 9, Claudia Black's popular reaction^[19] earned her a position in the regular cast in Season 10.

MGM put an average of $1,400,000 into each episode of the show, and regard it as one of their most important franchises.^[1] It has won the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated Television Series on numerous occasions, as well as its cast having won similar awards for their acting.^[20] More recently it has received acclaim for its visual effects which have increased in quality and realism as the show gained a larger budget.^[21]

(courtesy of wikipedia.com)

In Style

In Style

The person in the picture is called Nigel. This picture was taken in the later afternoon in Trinity College. The sky was cloudy and an even shadow can be achieved as shown in the picture. This picture was further processed in photoshop to lighten the background. A diffused look was also done but fine details on the eyes, lips, "Nike" logo and the cross necklace was preserved.