River processes and river features

I used to find teaching this topic river rather challenging. River processes are so dynamic yet I've no way but to use static pictures to illustrate. With improvement in technology and the sharing of animation clips, this topic is a lot more interesting. Check out these animation clips and have a better understanding of the work of river.

River Transportation processes

Meanders 1

Ox-bow lake

Waterfall

Gorge

Sustainable Cities?

'Fat bomb' ticking away in Australia

SYDNEY - FOR a nation that prides itself on sporting achievement and muscular good looks, Australia must surely be shocked that it now has a higher proportion of obese people than the United States.
Forget those pictures of muscular surfers and slim supermodels such as Elle Macpherson.
Today's typical Australian is more likely to be a middle-aged bloke with a big beer belly and a super-sized wife to boot.
According to an alarming study entitled Australia's Future Fat Bomb, nine million adults in the country are now rated as overweight.
And four million of them have been officially declared obese.
That is 26 per cent of the adult population, one per cent more than the Americans.
As the author of the study pointed out, Australia would clearly win a gold medal if there was a 'most-fat' event in the Olympics.

roger@aimsmedia.com

Where have I been?

I went away to Kashmir and Ladakh for a week and a half. My first stop is Srinagar in Kashmir which is famous for its Dal Lake. Stayed in a boat house and visited a number of historical royal garden, Mughal gardens of Nishat (Garden of Pleasure) and Shalimar (Garden of love). I went to Gulmarg to see the glaciers and had a pony ride.

After that I travelled to Sonamarg, famous for its mountain range comparable to the Swiss Alps.

Then we drove through the Himalayan range, cross the Zojila pass, stay overnight at Kargil and finally reached Leh, town of Ladakh. Leh is famous for its many Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries. These are the places I disappeared to.

The map below will show you my route and I've some pictures for your consumption.

View Larger Map

I'll be away...

To those who come to my blog, I'll be away... need to be recharged. It has been very hectic for all of us. Sec 4s, please study hard. This is your last lap!

Stub it out

Today was 'World No Tobacco Day'. This year's focus is making youth more aware of the dangers of smoking. Designated by the World Health Organisation, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) has been observed on May 31 every year since 1988.

While Singapore has one of the lowest youth smoking rates in the region, with only 9 per cent of youths smoking at least one day in the last 30 days, a significant portion of the campaign will still be targeted at young smokers.

Lisabel Ting

I'm aware some of you are smokers and you find it difficult to kick the habit. You've to make an effort and it's really in the mind. Cigarettes are expensive and smoking is detrimental to your health. Maybe the next article will convince you further.

Smoking can lead to early balding
The claim: Smoking can cause the loss of hair. The facts: If an increased risk of respiratory illness, cancer and heart disease are not reason enough for many smokers to consider quitting, than perhaps a message focused on hair instead of health may do the trick.

Scientists have long speculated cigarette smoke may accelerate hair loss and premature greying. The association was largely attributed to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones. According to epidemiological studies, that appears to be the case. A report in the journal BMJ looked at more than 600 men and women, half of them smokers.

After controlling for variables, the researchers found a 'significant' and 'consistent' link between smoking and early greying. Last year, another team studied the link in a group of 740 men in Taiwan, aged 40 to 91 years, notable because Asian men generally have low rates of hereditary baldness. After controlling for age and family histories, the researchers found a greater rate of hair loss among the smokers, a risk that grew with increasing smoking.

One question is whether the link is a result of tobacco toxins directly affecting the scalp, or if smoking is causing severe disease that speeds ageing.

The bottom line: Several studies suggest smoking can lead to premature greying and hair loss. The New York Times