Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?

The following article has been emailed to almost everyone there is on earth (it's rather old, the last time I saw it was about 4-5 years ago). Somehow, it made its way back to my mailbox today and I still think it's funny...

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different Religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you", and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct, leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God".

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

Forward this or...

I bet that at some point in time, each and everyone of us have received and forwarded this sort of mail.

So, what's the deal with chain mail? Do people actually believe that if one did not forward a chain mail, he/she will be doomed for life? (No wonder I've not struck the motherload! I don't believe in such nonsense, hence, hardly forwarded any).

Although there are no laws currently banning such chain mail, they are viewed as a general nuisance. They come in all forms, snail mail, email, sms, Facebook postings (those things you guys keep forwarding on my wall) etc. Some are harmless and purely meant for fun with no consequences whatsoever (eg: Forward this mail to all your friends to brighten their day) while some goes to the extend of threaten the recipient with bad luck, physical violance or death if he/she "breaks the chain" and refuse to adhere to the conditions set out in the letter (you know which ones i mean).

At the end of the day, it is actually up to us, the recipient, to deal with such mail. Yes, we can't control chain mails from coming to us but we can sure decide whether we want to clog the mailbox of our friends. To me, I don't get angry when friends forwarded chain mails but I try not to do so. Each time I receive a chain mail, I'll just delete and in my heart be grateful that my friends still remember me (eventhough they send me junk!).

The 90/10 Rule

As Monday is the start of the week for majority of us, I've decided that Mondays should be "Chicken Soup" day (well, at least until I ran out of forwarded emails by friends that I can reproduce... :)). Here's one that was sent by one of my big brothers... An extract from Stephen Covey's popular self-help writings...

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).

What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How?....... By your reaction.

You cannot control a red light, but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you, YOU can control how you react.

Let's use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughther knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened.

What happens next will be determined by how you react.

You curse.

You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 mph in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home.

When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why?... Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is "D". You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say "It's ok honey, you just have to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see you daughter getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrives 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same but both ended differently.

Why? Because of how YOU reacted.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction. React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it. It CAN change your life!!!

P/S: As with all "chicken soup" stories, articles etc, it should be taken with a pinch of salt. Have a great week ahead... :)

What a Lovely Day...

(After complaints from several people that my font are too difficult to read, I've decided to make the font larger... Here's to you Adi...)

Got together with a couple of girlfriends over lunch for a picnic in the park. Yes, you read it correctly, a picnic, at KLCC park, overlooking the fountain. Of late, it has been such a lovely day so we decided to have a picnic. I brought spaghetti bolognese and Nut brought friend bihun. True to her words, Lin bought drinks.

It was a nice break from the daily routine of eating at various different food courts or expensive restaurants (sure beat the hassle of thinking "where shall we go today?"). Apart from enjoying the view, we could do with the fresh air and at the same time feed the ants (must do our bit in balancing out the circle of life). And I'm sure if I were to have this picnic with my guy friends, their eye balls will pop out from gazing at all the hot chicks around KLCC... Not to mention drooling themselves silly...

Interestingly enough, one of the topic that came out while we were enjoying our picnic is about changing oneself as a new year's resolution. Frankly speaking, I don't have any specific resolution. I am the type of person whereby if I feel that a change is needed for my own betterment, I'll do it. It doesn't have to be a sudden divine intervention, a mere observation of my daily life can make me change.

People say change is good but I rather say that it's kinda subjective. What if a person change into a monster, is it still good? An alcoholic turned saint is good.. but a saint becoming satan, I don't think so! People change for a whole lot of reason. Some of them went through a near death experience, some of them just have a change of heart. For whatever reason, I believe that we should change for the better... Let it be channging one's habit or changing one's view, we should all strive to be a better person than what we already are. Not only would this has good consequences on one's soul and mind, it would also create the same effect to one's surrondings.

If Only...

The Govt declared yesterday as a public holiday for the citizens of KL and Putrajaya. Note to self: must clean house. But as usual, ended up doing totally different things. Ok la, manage to do a bit of ironing (if you call 2 hours of ironing a bit) and manage to organize clothes in cupboard. And of course, watched TV and played PSP until the cows come home. As the day draws to an end (and reality kicks in that I have to work the next day) I suddenly remembered my so called discussion with my officemates on daily routines and how I should changed and spiced up my life a bit.

Side track: I always look forward to lunches with my few merry officemates. We blather about almost everything under the sun, from day to day stuff up to imaginary stuff...

Not that I'm ungrateful with what I have today but of late I'm wishing my life was some what different. Went through a lot the last couple of years but alhamdulliah, manage to find myself in time, thanks to my wonderful and ever helpful friends. (Honestly, wouldn't know where I'd be without you guys...). If only I had more money, if only I could afford a new cribb, if only I had the extra cash to pick up diving... If only... If only... Of late, my thoughts are filled with "IF ONLY"... A dear friend got married recently and can't help feeling jealous for the bride. I've known this friend of mine for about 10 years and he's a very lovely person, not so romantic but very responsible and will always go out of his way to help friends (knight in shining armour less the romantic side of things).. Can't help thinking that the girl is set out for life... And can't help talking about it to one of my dearest friend too.... After being a shoulder to cry on, he said that I shouldn't think too much about it... It is easier said than done, but maybe changing my routines and habits might help... Hence, the IF ONLY thoughts...

People say you shouldn't dwell on your past or have regrets over what you've done...Things happen for a reason and God the Almighty knows what he's doing... I guess, at the end of the day, we should have faith and pray that God shows us the silver lining behind the clouds...

Did I Marry the Right Person

Over the weekend, Hootie and I attended Hootie's long lost friend's wedding. It was a simple, small wedding... A gathering of family and friends to celebrate the happy couple... On my way home, I remembered an email which was sent by one of my dearest friend... Here it goes...

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said,"How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... Because it's happening TO YOU. People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU. Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, church, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the Labor of Love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work. Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage. Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Being a lovely husband as he is, Hootie took me to the cinema to catch this movie (after much persuasion and bribery)... I've been wanting to watch this movie for the last 1 month (it's a musical hence Hootie wasn't really eager to watch). The RottenTomatoes gave it a 86% rating and I have to agree (for details of the review pls go to www.rottentomatoes.com). I enjoyed the movie even with much filtering by the Censorship Board... The story is full of blood, dark and depp (pardon my pun, but the issues brought forward in the movie is rather deep and as with all Tim Burton movies, the setting is rather dark and gloomy)...

Synopsis of the movie: Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is a barber who is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. After his release years later (he was sent to prison for 15 years if I'm not mistaken), he change his identity to Sweeney Todd, opens up a new shop and plots revenge against the judge (Alan Rickman) who sent him behind bars. But, before he does, he practices his knife skills on unsuspecting customers who have their necks cut along with their hair. The bodies of his victims then fall into the possession of Sweeney's girlfriend, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who carves them into delicious meat pies that become the talk of the town.

Why was he put away in prison? Todd had a very beautiful wife which the Judge took fancy. The Judge was a pervert (pardon my language), that feeds on beautiful women. This was further iterate in the movie whereby the Judge kept Todd's daughter for himself. Upon being release from prison, Todd came back to London and went looking for his family, only to find that his wife had poisoned herself (she was raped by the Judge soon after Todd was sent to prison) and his daughter, now all grown up and kept by the Judge. With the help from Mrs Lovett (she was the landlord where Todd and family used to live), Todd finally got his revenge...

At the end of the movie, there was a twist to the plot. *Sorry, have to spoil the movie for you guys who haven't watched ST*. Yes, Todd's wife did try to kill herself but she was saved by Mrs Lovett. However, Mrs Lovett had other ulterior motives. Capital gain was incidental but Mrs Lovett was in love with Todd (so now you understand why she never told Todd about his wife). A few minutes before the story ends, Todd's supposedly dead wife came to his shop. Scared that his secret will be made known, he killed her. He later realised that it was his wife. He got so upset so he killed Mrs Lovett. And as he was holding his dead wife, his eyes filled with regret and he was slaughtered by his own razor knife.

When I came out from the movie, I kept thinking to myself... I could understand why Todd acted the way he did... Revenge is sweet... Never forgive, never forget... But like everything else in life, there is always a classic twist to our fate... Imagine if Todd took a step back, he would have found out that his wife is still alive and he wouldn't turned into the demon that he was... As for the supporting casts, take Mrs Lovett for instance, she didn't tell Todd that his wife is still alive because she was in love with Todd and she wanted Todd for herself...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that all of us will always have ulterior motives, something that we secretly want, need it be good or bad... What separates us all is the way we achieve them... One might argue that it is immorale to take advantage of others for your own good but the fact still remains, we are all guilty of such sin, one way or another...

The time has come...

This is the result of reading a lot of friends' blogs/fotopages entries... Kept thinking whether or not I should take up the challenge of blogging myself (well, a lot of friends said that I should start blogging since I talk a lot... )
So, here it is, the world premier of my attempt at blogging and sharing my life, views, likes, dislikes and everything else that I feel is worth sharing with all my friends out there... HAPPY BLOGGING ZED!!!