DUNKIRK and life update

I've always wanted to watch movies about the history of World War II (WWII). As with most of the people my age, we are generally more receptive to videos than written words, so history class with videos is more effective than reading mere words on paper.

Nonetheless, one thing I don't like about movies is that they often dramatize or exaggerate the real event to achieve the desired plot.

Image: youtube.com

Dunkirk, however, is no such movie. Sure, it has its fair share of dramatization and fictionalization, but director Christopher Nolan has done a great job in minimizing the fictionalizations of history, using different names as proxies to the real characters in history.

I'm not about to do a spoiler here so please go to your nearest cinema to watch it. My verdict for the movie is that the it is definitely worth your time.

These are a few thoughts after watching Dunkirk:
1) Heroes don't always survive. Cowards don't always die.
2) When facing death, your sworn brothers could easily turn you in to the enemies.
3) Why don't politicians go to war themselves? War is where the decision by the 1% brings death and sufferings to the 99%.

4) Fun trivia: 
a) the narrowest part of the English Channel is about 20.7 miles, or 33km from Dover to Calais (which is near to Dunkirk by the way). That's about an hour's ride by boat or 5 minutes (at 372 mph) by Spitfire fighter plane.
b) The average depth of the Channel is only about 65 meters, while the shallowest part only 45 meters. In comparison, all six of the British destroyers lost in Operation Dynamo were over 90 meters in length. Had all the destroyers sunk hull-first, the stern of the ship could still remain on the surface and could at least sustain the crews for several hours. Heck we need ship designs that allow ships to sink hull/stern first, not sideways.   

Image: wikipedia.org

Lastly, in light of some recent comments dropped on my Facebook, I see the need to clarify that I'm currently single. I'd appreciate no further questions nor comments on this subject especially on Facebook. Thanks.

Malcolm

Which Animal Murders The Most?

We hear news of people killing one another every other day. 
Have you ever wondered why are we so violent towards one another? Comparing ourselves to other animals in the animal kingdom, are we, Homo sapiens, any more murderous than say, dogs, rats, or lions?

The answer may surprise you.

How Does Hair Dye Work?

To understand how hair dye works, we must first understand the anatomy of the human hair.

Gympie Gympie: The World's Most Venomous Plant

Recently I came across an interesting question on Quora, asking what kind of pain makes death look like a blessing? Most of the answers that followed talked about animal bites and terminal ailments. One answer, however, detailed the sting of a rather obscure and unknown plant: the Dendrocnide moroides, otherwise known as gympie-gympie, or suicide plant.

Awwwww, look at that heart-shaped leaf. Let me get one for you, darling. Image: ratmaja.com

When I browsed the online science library for literature, I found only three papers on the subject; one of which was unfortunately locked behind the paywall. Further investigation revealed more, but the number is still considered relatively small, which explains why when typed into google search, you don't get to see a lot of useful articles on the plant.

2017 大摇

一年一度的大摇又来啦！

对今年大摇非常非常期待。Screening 的时候已经发现歌手乐手比往年不同了，所以非常期待。

首先，要道歉。

Mulu National Park Traveling Tips

The Mulu National Park is one of the most magnificent national parks in the world. It's a world UNESCO site--on par with the Great Barrier Reef, Rome, Venice, and Taj Mahal--and hosts four of the most beautiful caves on Earth. 
I have the photos to illustrate my point.

The caves are not the only attraction here--birding and hiking are also popular among tourists. There are several hardcore hiking packages that take several days to complete--so yes you need to stay several nights in the forest. The park is therefore a suitable recreational place for people of all ages and fitness levels.

There's a human in this photo, can you spot him?

The Mulu National Park is located in Mulu, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. The place is so remote that the only way to get to the park is by air--operated by a subsidiary of MAS--the MASwings. Phone coverage is very limited, WiFi and drinking water are a luxury and the Mulu airport is so small it doesn't even have a luggage conveyor belt--everything is done manually here.

Transportation, accommodation and tour packages are easy to come by so you don't have to prebook everything before going to Mulu.

When you arrive at the airport, just walk out the arrival hall and ask around for transportation to the national park. A single trip costs RM5.00 and takes less than 3 minutes, or you could walk to the park itself, located only 1.6 km away from the airport. Don't worry about getting lost--there's only one road in Mulu and the road signs are clear and accurate.