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Blood Type Diet – Type AB

2010-07-28T15:18:00.002+08:00

Multiple antigens make Type ABs sometimes A-like with weak stomach acid, and sometimes B-like with genetically programmed for the consumption of meats.

Type AB do best when their muscle tissues are slightly alkaline. Type ABs can’t metabolize meat efficientlywatch the portion size and frequency. because of low stomach acid, so it is important to

Chicken has lectin that irritates the blood and digestive tracts of Type ABs also. Tofu is a good protein supplements for Type ABs.

Nuts, seeds, beans and legumes present a mixed picture for Type ABs. Eat nuts and seeds in small amounts and with caution.

Type ABs can tolerate dairy foods fairly well. But watch out for excessive mucus production.

Generally Type ABs do well on grains, even wheat, but keep in mind that the inner kernel of the wheat grain is highly acid forming in the muscle for Type ABs. Type AB benefits from a diet rich in rice rather than pasta.

Type ABs has a weaker immune system, so you will benefit from the vegetables, which are high in phytocheicals and the more alkaline fruits, which can help to balance the grains that are acid forming in the muscle tissues.

Tomatoes do not impose any ill effects on Type ABs.

Type AB should begin each day by drinking a glass of warm water with the freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon to cleanse the system of mucus accumulated while sleeping.

Blood Type Diet – Type B

2010-07-28T15:17:00.002+08:00

The sturdy and alert Type Bs are usually able to resist many of the most severe diseases common to modern life, such as heart disease and cancer.

In fact, a Type B who carefully follows the recommended diet can often bypass severe disease and live a long and healthy life.

Type Bs are more prone to immune-system disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Type B Diet is balance and wholesome, including a wide variety of foods.

For Type Bs, the biggest factors in weight gain are corn, buckwheat, lentils, peanuts and sesame seeds.

These foods have different lectin that affect the efficiency of the metabolic process, resulting in fatigue, fluid retention, and hypoglycemia.

The gluten lectin in wheat germ and whole wheat products also adds to the problems cause by other metabolism-slowing foods.

It is important to leave off chicken for Type Bs. Chicken contains a Blood Type B agglutinating lectin in its muscle tissue, which attack the bloodstream and potentially lead to strokes and immune disorders.

Type Bs thrive on deep-ocean fish, but should avoid all shellfish. The shellfish contain lectins that are disruptive to the Type B system.

Type B is the only blood type that can fully enjoy a variety of dairy foods. Most nuts and seedsare not advised for Type Bs., they contain lectins that interfere with Type B insulin production. (especially peanuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds)

Wheat is not tolerated well by most Type Bs. They contain a lectin that reuce insulin efficiency and failure to stimulate fat “burning”. Rye contains a lectin that settles in the vascular system, causing blood disorders and potentially strokes.

Corn and buckwheat are major factors in Type B weight gain, they contribute to a sluggish metabolism, insulin irregularity, fluid retention, and fatigue.

Eliminate tomatoes completely from Type B diet. It has lectins that irritate the stomach lining. Fruits and vegetables are generally well tolerated and should be taken generously.

Blood Type Diet – Type A

2010-07-28T15:16:00.001+08:00

Type As flourish on vegetarian diets Type As are predisposed to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It is particularly important for sensitive Type As to get their foods in as natural a state as possible: fresh, pure, and organic.

When you get on the Type A Diet, you will naturally be thinner. If you are accustomed to eating meat, you’ll lose weight rather rapidly in the beginning as you eliminate the toxic foods from your diet.

And when you follow the Type diet, you can supercharge your immune system and potentially short-circuit the development of life-threatening diseases.

When Type As eat meat, they experience sluggishness. Type As have low stomach-acid content, therefore they have a hard time digesting meat. Since Type As eat very little animal protein, nuts and seeds supply an important protein component.

Type As also thrive on the vegetable proteins found in beans and legumes, except those mentioned for the “Avoid” list. These beans can cause a decrease in insulin production, which may cause obesity and diabetes. Tofu should be a staple in the Type A Diet.

Dairy foods are also poorly digested by Type As, and can cause metabolic slowdown. Type As can tolerate small amounts of fermented dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, nonfat sour cream, and cultured dairy products.

Vegetables are vital to the Type A Diet, providing minerals, enzymes and antioxidants. Type A are very sensitive to the lectins in potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cabbage, tomatoes and peppers.

They aggravate the delicate stomach of Type A. Type A should eat more fruits that are alkaline, avoid mangoes, papaya and oranges for they are not good for your digestive tract.

Unbalanced Diet

2010-07-28T15:14:00.001+08:00

Human are classified as omnivores, partaking both classes of food ie. meet and vegetables.

Having the right diet is important for humans especially a diet that provides the 7 essential food groups comprising carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre. The following chart illustrates the need for taking lots of food from the lower base of the pyramid and consuming a smaller amount of foods listed at the top.

FOOD PYRAMID

Many among us unknowingly practise unhealthy dietary habit by consuming tasty food that we like and not food which are beneficial or which are needed by our bodies.
At the same time eating excessively or not having proper meal times has become a part of our modern lifestyle today.

The result from such a lifestyle is that we have been taking too much food which contain toxins, high unsaturated fat, high cholesterol, high protein, excessive salt and also food which contains artificial colouring and harmful preservatives.

Thus, toxins tend to accumulate in our body causing chronic diseases.

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

2010-07-28T15:13:00.001+08:00

Habit 1: Be Proactive
Being proactive is more than taking initiative. It is accepting responsibility for our own behavior (past, present and future) and making choices based on principles and values rather than on moods or circumstances. Proactive people are agents of change and choose not to be victims, to be reactive, or to blame others. They do this by developing and using four unique human gifts – self awareness, conscience, imagination and independent will – and by taking an Inside-Out Approach to creating change. They resolve to be the creative force in their own lives, which is the most fundamental decision anyone ever makes.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
All things are created twice-first mentally, second physically. Individuals, families, teams, and organizations shape their own future by creating a mental vision and purpose for any project. They don’t just live day to day without a clear purpose in mind. They mentally identify and commit themselves to the principles, value, relationships, and purposes that matter most to them. A mission statement is the highest form of mental creation for an individual, a family, or an organization. It is the primary decision because it governs all other decisions. Creating a culture behind a shared mission, vision, and values is the essence of leadership.

Habit 3: Put First Things First
Putting first things first is the second or physical creation. It is organizing and executing around the mental creation (your purpose, vision, values, and the most important priorities). Second things do not come first. First things do not come second. Individuals and organizations focus on what matters most, urgent or not. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Thinking win-win is a frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit and is based on mutual respect in all interactions. It’s about thinking in term of abundance – and ever-expanding “pie”, a cornucopia of opportunity, wealth and resources – rather than scarcity and adversarial competition. It’s not thinking selfishly (win-lose) or like a martyr (lose-win). In our work and family life, members think interdependently – in terms of “we”, not “me”. Thinking win-win encourages conflict resolution and helps individuals seek mutually beneficial solutions. It’s sharing information, power, recognition, and rewards.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
When we listen with the intent to understand others, rather than with the intent to reply, we begin true communication and relationship building. When others feel understood first, they feel affirmed and valued, defenses are lowered, and opportunities to speak openly and to be understood come much more naturally and easily. Seeking to understand takes kindness; seeking to be understood takes courage. Effectiveness lies is balancing the two.

Habit 6: Synergize
Synergy is about producing a third alternative–not my way, not your way, but a third way that is better than either of us would come up with individually. It’s the fruit of mutual respect – of understanding and even celebrating one another’s differences in solving problems, seizing opportunities. Synergistic teams and families thrive on individual strengths so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Such relationships and teams renounce defensive adversarialism (1 + 1 = ½). They don’t settle on compromise (1 + 1 = 1 ½) or merely cooperation (1 + 1 = 2). They go for creative cooperation (1 + 1 = 3 or more).

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Sharpening the saw is about constantly renewing ourselves in the four basic areas of life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. It’s the habit that increases our capacity to live all other habits of effectiveness. For an organization, habit 7 promotes vision, renewal, continuous improvement, safeguards against burnout and entropy, and puts the organization on a new upward growth part. For a family, it increases effectiveness through regular personal and family activities such as establishing traditions that nurture the spirit of family renewal.

The Bleeding Disease

2010-07-28T15:12:00.003+08:00

Most of us don’t worry too much about small injuries like bump pad paper cuts.

Our bodies have a self-repair system that controls bleeding. Proteins in blood called factors to do this job. But haemophiliacs have to few or even no factor at all.

Haemophiliacs have to apply special lotions to seal cuts in order to stop bleeding. Larger cuts can cause severe blood loss, which can only stopped with a transfusion.

Even a small bump can be a big problem to them. A bump usually causes blood vessels under the skin to break and results in a bruise. For haemophiliacs, a little bump can cause a haemorrphage.

Haemophilia is a sex-linked inherited condition, which affects mostly males, while females usually transmit it.

A haemophilic man and a normal woman give birth to normal sons, and daughters who are carriers.

But when a normal man and a carrier woman have children, half of their sons will be normal while half of them affected. Also, half of their daughters will be carriers, and the other half normal.

Queen Victoria of Britain was a carrier. Her husband Albert was not. Since nine of their children had it, the condition was spread to many European royal houses.

It is thus nicknamed The Royal Disease.

In the 19th century, most victims died when they were babies as doctors were unable to cure them.

Today, we understand the human body better. Thus, life expectancy for haemophiliacs has increased from 11 years in the 1960s to 50-60 years in the 1980s.

Hopefully, we’ll find a cure soon.

One Minutes Manager

2010-07-28T15:12:00.002+08:00

One Minute Goal Setting is simply;
1. Agree on your goals.
2. See what good behavior looks like.
3. Write out each of your goals on a single sheet of paper using less than 250 words.
4. Read and re-read each goal, which requires only a minute or so each time you do it.
5. Take a minutes every once in a while out of your day look at your performances.
6. See whether or not your behavior matches your goal.

The One Minute Praising works well when you;
1. Tell people up front that you are going to let them know how they are doing.
2. Praise people immediately.
3. Tell people what they did right – Be specific.
4. Tell people how good you feel about what they did right, and how it helps the organization and other people who working there.
5. Stop for a moment of silence to let them “feel” how good you feel.
6. Encourage them to do more of the same.
7. Shake hands or touch people in a way that makes it clear that you support their success in the organization.

The One Minute Reprimand works well when you;
1. Tell people beforehand that you are going to let them know how they are doing and in no uncertain terms.
The first half of the reprimand
2. Reprimand people immediately
3. Tell people what they did wrong – Be specific.
4. Tell people how you feel about what they did wrong – and in no uncertain terms.
5. Stop for a few seconds of uncomfortable silence to let them feel how you feel.
The second half of the reprimand
6. Shake hands, or touch them in a way that lets them know you are honestly on their side.
7. Remind them how much you value them.
8. Reaffirm that you think well of them but not of their performance in this situation.
9. Realize that when the reprimand is over, its over.

Soap – Cleaning Concoction

2010-07-28T15:10:00.001+08:00

Soap is a mixture of salts of fatty acids.

Eg: Natural soaps are sodium or potassium salts or fatty acids, which are originally sourced by boiling lard or other animal fat together with lye or potash (potassium hydroxide). (Note that fat is an acid, lye or potash is a base, and soap is a salt).

Like all salts, soap contain a positive ion, usually Na⁺ or K⁺, and a negative ion.

How is Soap Produced?

Soap is produced through a chemical reaction between an acid and a base. This process is known as saponification. A myriad of products, ranging from bar soap and toothpaste to shaving cream is made through method. The only difference is the type of fat and the type of base that the product is made from.

The following are the descriptions of five different types of soap.

Deodorant soaps
Soaps that have been added with antibacterial agents to reduce odour-causing bacteria.
Cream soaps
Soaps that contain cold cream materials, moisturisers and emollients; particularly good for dry and delicate skin.
Medicated soaps
Soaps that contain antibacterial ingredients to treat acne and other skin disorders; require thorough rinsing and are not recommended for sensitive skin.
Oatmeal soaps
A rough-textured soap that has been added with oatmeals as a mild abrasive and lather; good for oily, dry, and normal skin.
Floating soaps
Soaps that have air bubles in them to lower their density, thus causing them to float.

Freons & CFCs – From Wonder Chemical To Super Danger

2010-07-28T15:08:00.002+08:00

CFCs seemed safe at first. But 40 years after they had been developed, scientists discovered the terrible truth.

CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCs) are covalent compounds whose chlorine, fluorine and carbon atoms are bounded by covalent bonds.

During the 1930s, E.I. duPont de Nemours & Company trademarked varies CFCs under the name Freon.

Initially, everyone thought Freons were fantastic. Freons are colourless, odourless, non-flammable and non-corrosive. It is a non-toxic to breathe in small amounts of Freon too.

As they have a low boiling point, Freons are ideal for systems that require cooling. Thus, Freons became widely used in fridges, air conditioning units and other chilling appliances.

When manufactures learnt that Freons were excellent aerosol-spray propellents, a myriad of products, from hair spray to oven cleaners, ensued. Freons were also used in fire estinguishers since they were great foamblowing agents, as well.

It was in the 1970s that scientists discovered Freons were not as safe as everyone had thought. They found that once let into open air, Freons reacted with the ozone in the atmosphere.

The earth’s ozone layer is band of air with a high ozone content, which lies 32km to 48km above the planet’s surface. It is very important part of the atmosphere because it protects us from solar ultraviolet radiation, which can cause skin cancer.

At the time, companies refused to believe that Freons were destroying the ozone layer. However, when more and more studied proved freons were dangerous, laws were made to ban their use.

By 1996, most countries had banned the use of Freons and other CFCs.

Facts:

Thomas Midgley Jr and Charles Kettering were the American scientists who invented Freons.
We can tell which chemical compounds Freons are made of by their number. For example, Freon-11 is trichlorofluoromethane.
In 1986, the global consumption of CFCs was about 1.1 million tonnes. In 1997, it dropped to about 146,000 tonnes.

N-H Coordination

2010-07-28T15:07:00.002+08:00

Body coordination is important to help us avoid injuries as well as adapt to changes around us. As the parts of our body communicate in unison with each other, a series of movements occurs in response to a stimulus.

There are two types of body coordination; nervous coordination and hormonal coordination.

The nervous system generates fast responses while the hormonal system generates slow and long responses.

Nervous Coordination
The centrel nervous sytem is the control centre of the body, where impulses are received and interpreted, and response impulses are sent to the relevant parts of the body for the appropriate responses.

The central nervous system communicates through electrical impulses, which are transmitted through interconnecting nerve cells.

Hormonal Coordination
The hormonal system consists of the endocrine glands, which secrete hormones. The blood system is involved in ensuring that hormones reach the target areas. The responses are usually projected in the form of growth, which is a slow response.

Variety Means Life

2010-07-28T15:06:00.001+08:00

When you look at the world around you, have you ever wondered why there is so much diversity?

Studies suggest that there are between five and 100 million living species today. It sounds like a really big number but the truth is it is only a tiny fraction of all the species that have ever lived.

Species become extinct if they can’t adapt quickly enough to circumstances or when competitor species dominate the present resources.

Ginkgo tree, Coelacanth fish and crocodiles have remained unchanged for millions of years that they are nicknamed ‘living fossils’.

However, scientists believe most species exist for some 10 million years and then become extinct. This means just one in a thousand ever to exist remains living today.

Diversity is important for many reasons. In the short term, biodiversity is important because the bigger the range of living species, the more food, medicines, and natural resources we have.

High biodiversity also controls the spread of certain disease because viruses have to adapt to infect different species. Monoculture, growing just one species in one area, had led to many disasters.

For example, when Asia’s rice farmers crops were destroyed by the Rice Grassy Stunt Virus in 1970s, scientists discovered only one out of 6,373 species of wild rice was resistant.

If there hadn’t been so many alternatives available, rice crops may have suffered for decades. More importantly, as all lives on Earth are interconnected, biodiversity ensures we have fresh air, clean water and productive soils.

Now that so many species are threatened, we need to maintain as many different types of habitat as possible (ecological biodiversity), as many individual species as possible (genetic diversity) and as many kingdoms, phyla, and species (organismal diversity) as possible.

Father of Mathematics

2010-07-28T15:01:00.001+08:00

Archimedes was the world’s greatest mathematician but for centuries few people realised his talents. Archemedes was born around 287BC in Syracuse on the island of Sicily.

Althogh Sicily is now a part of Italy, it was at that time a part of Greece. The Greeks and their neighbours, the Romans of Italy, were fighting for dominance.
As Archimedes was a friend of King Hieron II, the ruler of Syracuse, he took part in the wars against the Romans.
The young Archimedes showed exceptional skills as a mathematician and engineer. Not only did he prove that the surface area of any sphere is four times that of its greatest circle, he also worked out the steps to calculate the volume of a sphere.
When King Hieron was presented with a crown, Archimedes was able to determine the gold content in it by weighing it in water. His other contributions included the Archimedes’ claw, a weapon that could sink ships, and the Archimedes’ screw, a machine that could pump up water without using electricity.

Archimedes was such a genius that when the Romans invaded Syracuse, their general gave orders that the mathematician should not be harmed.
However, Archimedes killed by a Roman soldier in one of the battles. He was buried in a tomb decorated with his favourite mathematical proofs.
Althogh Archimedes’ formulae were popular, much of his work was forgotten until his books were translated. Arabic versions in the 8th century inspired scientists in the Middle East whereas Latin translations in the 16th century inspired European scientists.
Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes and Pierre de Fermat were among the influential scientists inspired by Archimedes.
Hence, it is no wonder that Archimedes is now called the father of mathematics.

A sphere has 2/3 the volume and surface area of its circumscribing cylinder.
A sphere and cylinder were placed on the tomb of Archimedes at his request.

Archimedes may have used his principle of buoyancy to determine whether
the golden crown was less dense than solid gold.

The Archimedes screw can raise water efficiently.

Archimedes may have used mirrors acting collectively as a
parabolic reflector to burn ships attacking Syracuse.

Archimedes used the method of exhaustion
to approximate the value of ?.

As proven by Archimedes, the area of the parabolic segment in the upper figure
is equal to 4/3 that of the inscribed triangle in the lower figure.

Archimedes is said to have remarked about the lever:
Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth.

Merdeka & The Formation of Malaysia

2010-07-28T14:54:00.004+08:00

The effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, who led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya in negotiations with the British in London for Merdeka, or independence along with the first president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V.T. Sambanthan.

Once it became increasingly clear that the Communist threat posed during the Malayan Emergency was petering out, agreement was reached on February 8, 1956, for Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire. However, for a number of logistical and administrative reasons, it was decided that the official proclamation of independence would only be made the next year, on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur.

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj announced the independence of Malaya from
the British on August 31, 1957 at Stadium Merdeka.

The Federation of Malaysia, comprising the States of Malaya, North Borneo (later renamed Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore was to be officially declared on the date August 31, 1963, on the 6th anniversary of Malayan independence.

However, it was postponed to September 16, 1963, mainly due to Indonesian and the Philippines’ opposition to the formation of Malaysia. Nevertheless, North Borneo and Singapore declared sovereignty on August 31, 1963.

Indonesian opposition later escalated to a military conflict. Indonesia considered Malaysia as a new form of colonization on the provinces of Sarawak and Sabah in the island of Borneo (bordering Kalimantan, Indonesia), which they laid claim on.

To assure Indonesia that Malaysia was not a form of neo-colonialism, a referendum, organized by the United Nations, and the Cobbold Commission, led by Lord Cobbold, were formed to determine whether the people of Sabah and Sarawak wished to join Malaysia. Their eventual findings which indicated substantial support for Malaysia among the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak, cleared the way for the final proclamation of Malaysia.

The formation of the Federation of Malaysia was then announced on September 16, 1963 as Malaysia Day. The Independence Day celebration is still held on August 31, the original independence date of Malaya. However, this has caused some minor discontent among East Malaysians in particular since it has been argued that celebrating the national day on August 31 is too Malaya-centric.

The flag of Malaysia, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (“Stripes of Glory”).

Wonderful Salt

2010-07-28T14:54:00.002+08:00

Life without salt would be more than bland.Salt either comes from evaporating seawater or is mined.

Most salt fields (spots of very salty water) are near the ocean. Nearby salt fields include those in Kampot, Cambodia an Nha Trang, Vietnam.

There are salt mines all over the world where people mine for rock salt. These mines are dried-up lakes and oceans. As the salty waters become enclosed or buried, the salt in the water turns into solid layers.

In the past, salt was so precious that salt roads were made, mostly to enable the transportation of salt to cities where there were no salt lakes or nearby seashores.

In certain cultures, salt was sacrificed to the gods. It was considered to have magical powers, too. Doctors would sprinkle wounds with salt in the hope of fighting off infection.

Today, say is sold in every shop and supermarket, and is more than a seasoning. Salt is used to make leather, roads, soap, glass, chlorine and paper.

It is also used to preserve hay and food, purify and soften water, refine metals, melt snow and ice, and freeze ice cream.

Salt is useful stuff, indeed!

Battery Biohazard

2010-07-28T14:53:00.001+08:00

Throwing your batteries in the dustbin can harm the environment.

You’ve probably got a dozen things that are powered by batteries. Just check your mobile phone, calculator, television remote control, camera and torchlight.

Batteries are incredibly useful but they run on poisonous chemicals and metals like mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel. That is why you mustn’t throw old and damaged batteries in the dustbin.

When batteries are thrown into a rubbish heap or a landfill, the chemicals they run on leak into the soil and groundwater. Nobody wants that in their food or water!

If you throw a battery into incinerator, heavy metals like mercury can vapourise and be released into the air.

When it rains, they fall back to the earth, poisoning soil, rivers and oceans.

Burning batteries leave ashes with concentrated cadmium and lead. When these are dumped, the poison leaks into the environment.

You can reduce the amount of batteries you use by buying rechargeable products. They cost a little more, but you can use them many times.

You can also buy batteries with fewer dangerous chemicals. Modern alkaline batteries have up to 90% less mercury than those used 20 years ago. Some are completely mercury free. Just read the label!

When your batteries dies, take it to a recycle centre. The recycle centre disposes of any leftover chemicals in such a way that they can’t harm the environment.

Info:

Batteries are electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy to electrical energy.
The modern battery was invented by Italian physicist Alessandro Volta in 1800.
A typical lead-acid car battery today is now made up of about 70% recycled lead and plastic.
Malaysians produce enough rubbish every day to fill up the Petronas Twin Towers in less than 10 days.

Difference Of Acids & Alkalis

2010-07-28T14:46:00.002+08:00

Scientists use something called the pH scale to measure the strength of an acidic or alkaline liquid. Although there may be many types of ions in a solution, the pH focuses on the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-). The scale goes from values very close to 0 through 14.

Distilled water is 7. Acids can have a pH of between 0 and a number very close to below 7, while alkalis have a pH of between a number very close to above 7 and 14.

Most of the liquids we find every day have a pH near 7. They are either a little below or above that mark. If we go into a chemistry lab, we could find solutions with a pH of 1 and others with a pH of 14.

There are also very strong acids with pH values of below 1, such as battery acid. Alkalis with pH values of near 14 include drain cleaners and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). These chemicals are corrosive and very dangerous.
Also you can easily tell if a substance is an acid or not by its effect on litmus paper. Blue litmus paper is used for testing acids. If wet blue litmus paper turns red, the substance is acidic. Wet red litmus paper is used to test alkalis, which will turn the paper blue.

Properties of acids and alkalis that distinguish them from other substances

Acids

    * have a sour taste and feel like water.
    * turn litmus solution red, as well as turn blue litmus paper red.
    * have pH numbers less than 7.
    * react with metals, forming hydrogen and a salt.
    * react with carbonates, forming a salt, water and carbon dioxide.
    * react with alkalis, forming a salt and water.

Alkalis

    * feel soapy to touch and taste bitter.
    * turn litmus solution blue, as well as turn red litmus paper blue.
    * have pH numbers greater than 7.
    * react with ammonium compounds to give off ammonia gas (except for ammonia).
    * react with acids, forming a salt and water.
    * do not react with metals and carbonates.

Experiments On Air Pressure At Home

2010-07-28T14:24:00.001+08:00

Experiment!

Have you ever tried carrying out experiments on air pressure at home? Let’s see how we can inflate a balloon inside a bottle.

Inflate a balloon inside a bottle? Is that possible?
All you need is a bottle, a bowl, some hot water, some ice-cold water and a balloon.
Now, let’s start the experiment.

Fill the bottle with hot water.
Fill the bowl with the ice-cold water.
Let both sit for one minute.
Empty out the bottle.
Stretch the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.
Set the bottle in the bowl of cold water.

This is what you would observe… an inverted inflated balloon in the bottle!
How do we explain this phenomena?
First of all, air contracts and takes up less room when cooled. Similarly, it expands when it gets hot. The hot water heats the bottle. When the bottle is poured out, the heated bottle then heats the air in it. When the bottle is placed in the bowl of cold water, the air inside the bottle cools and contracts, causing the air pressure inside the bottle to decrease. When this happens, the higher air pressure outside the bottle causes the air outside to be drawn in, pulling the balloon in and inflating it inside the bottle.

Mixed views over abolition of exams after 2 roundtable sessions

2010-07-28T14:00:00.002+08:00

2010/07/28
By Rozanna Latiff
news@nst.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: Retain the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) but review the way students are assessed in the two examinations.

This was what participants at the second and final roundtable discussions on the UPSR and PMR examinations concluded yesterday.

Retired and serving academics, representatives from non-governmental organisations, parent teacher associations and other interest groups, and politicians from both sides of the divide agreed that UPSR and PMR should not be abolished but instead reviewed so that there is less emphasis on rote learning.
The general consensus at the closed-door session was that students should be tested on their understanding of a subject, not their memorisation skills. As such, the way students are currently tested in the two exams needed to be relooked to produce students who can think critically and analytically.

This was in marked contrast to what participants at the first roundtable session on July 19 had concluded. They had then largely agreed that the two exams be scrapped.

The participants yesterday expressed strong reservations over the proposal to abolish these Year Six and Form Three exams.

Some queried whether teachers, who would be the main drivers, were ready for such a drastic policy change.

Others wanted to know the basis for this proposal to abolish what was essentially sound. They said there was nothing wrong with the exams — only the attitudes of schools, teachers and the public at large.

The emphasis on scoring a string of As — “now there is even A+”, interjected a participant — is why the exams are perceived regard, the exams are not to blame, but the obsession with feting and celebrating top scorers.

Several million students have sat for the two exams and are doing well, was the other argument brought up.

Former education director-general Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad,

when approached at the end of the four-hour session, said that while the majority of the 100 participants agreed that a change was needed, they also believed the examinations should be retained.

“Amendments should be implemented to improve the current system and produce a more effective and balanced form of assessment,” the University College Sedaya International chancellor said.

Thirty-three participants were given an opportunity to speak for five minutes each during the roundtable.

The others offered their views in a form distributed.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk S.K. Devamany said the government should find a way to combine the national assessment system with “a more holistic approach”.

He said long-term, periodic studies should be conducted to ensure the feasibility of school-based assessments, proposed to replace the UPSR and PMR exams.

“Teachers, students and parents must be adequately prepared before any change is implemented. Abrupt withdrawal of the exams, without giving time for adjustments and detailed research, is risky.”

MIC Education Bureau chairman Datuk Dr T. Marimuthu said the UPSR should be retained as a method to assess the effectiveness of the primary school syllabus.

“The first five years lay the foundation for our national education. There is a need to keep track of our students’ ability to read, write, count and think.”

He felt school-based assessments may be open to manipulation and abuse, without proper supervision.

“We are concerned about the potential for bias and the additional burden placed on teachers in formulating their own tests.”

Parent Action Group for Education (Page) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim agreed, saying the independent and regulated nature of national examinations gave a more accurate picture of students’ progress.

However, she said the format of both examinations needed adjustments to improve students’ critical thinking skills.

“The questions posed should be more open-ended. They should test a student’s ability to solve problems, rather than their ability to memorise facts.”

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom, who chaired yesterday’s session, had said on July 5 that the results of the two sessions would be compiled in a report to be submitted to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin early next month.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, announced last month that the decision on whether to abolish or retain the UPSR and PMR would be made by September.

The government is reviewing the two examinations in an effort to restructure the learning system which is seen to be too examination-oriented.

The existing system is also seen as being unsuccessful in providing a holistic education or encouraging teachers and students to improve their creativity, co-curricular activities and involvement in sports.

Meanwhile, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek proposed that UPSR be retained and PMR be abolished.

Speaking after chairing the party presidential council meeting, he said the UPSR should be less exam-oriented. He suggested that 70 percent of the exam be the school’s assessment of a student.

“The government should have a more holistic education system which allows for sportsmanship, creativity and innovativeness to be developed. ”

Dr Chua said the party had sent a memorandum on the matter to Muhyiddin.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Mixedviewsoverabolitionofexamsafter2roundtablesessions/Article/

Examinations: UPSR, PMR Still Under Review

2010-07-28T13:56:00.002+08:00

2010/07/12

NST

THE Education Ministry refers to the letters from J.T.M.F. of Malacca and M.G.D. of Kuala Lumpur in the New Straits Times on June 9.
They wrote about the need for these exams or a common test before the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. This issue is being widely debated in the mainstream and online media as well as by the public.

Public feedback is most welcome in this matter as Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has said that the ministry will not act in haste.

The proposal is part of the ministry's effort to restructure the learning system which has been branded as being too exam-oriented and failing to provide a holistic education.

The minister is also on record as suggesting that the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) be rebranded as school-based assessments instead of public examinations. However, the ministry has not set any deadline for the review.

In the meantime, the ministry will continuously and actively seek input from educators, the public and student leaders.

MOHD SOLIHAN BADRI
Corporate Communications Unit
Ministry of Education
Kuala Lumpur

Source: http://nst.com.my/nst/articles/19me/Article/

School-Based Assessment System May Replace Exams

2010-07-28T13:21:00.002+08:00

2010/06/23 :
NST

KUALA LUMPUR: A school-based assessment system may be used to replace an exam-oriented education system in the country, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said the Examination Board would determine the type of questions that can be used by teachers for such assessment in schools.

"We will replace exams with an assessment system. It has not been finalised but a study has been done and found to be acceptable because such a system is used in many countries.

"The system might not be very different from other countries, provided the education system - how teachers teach and how students study - is not affected. The concern is how to evaluate achievement of students - through examinations or assessment," he told the Dewan Rakyat when winding up debate on the 10th Malaysia Plan, for his ministry, here today.

He added that the government would not make hasty decisions on policy matters like proposals to scrap the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) exams.

"Many experts have said that it should have been done long ago, why now? We have carried out a research and study since 2007 because we have a team to look into such issues," he said.

Muhyiddin said reducing public examinations would actually save the government money in aspects of management, human resource and the burden of teachers to carry out such examinations process.

As for revamping technical, vocational and skills education system to become part of the premier education system of the country, Muhyiddin said the government would increase the number of vocational schools and introduce new curriculums to cater for growing demands.

"I myself am going to chair the meeting at ministry level to look at the main changes involved in the revamp of vocational, curriculum, infrastructure, facilities and training," he said.

He added that the Education Ministry would also take over the implementation of the Permata Negara programme from 2012.

The Permata programme, a model for the national childcare and early childhood education curriculum, is an effort by the government to educate children below the age of five and the system had been expanded to 457 centres nationwide, benefiting 17,565 children so far.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said overall RM26.093 billion was allocated to the Education Ministry as a whole, to carry out 15,324 projects, including an additional 808 projects under the Economic Stimulus Package.

"Until June 15, 8,870 project have been successfully completed, 5,312 projects are in various stages of implementation and 942 will be carried forward to 10MP," he said.

Muhyiddin said as of May 31, 2010 the ministry had spent RM16.668 billion or 85.12 per cent of the overall allocation. -- BERNAMA