Tuesday 17 September 2013

Scientists Add One More Element To The Periodic Table!





To imagine that we are still battling to memorise the names and atomic weights of 117 elements in the periodic table, scientists have now confirmed the addition of a new one yet again. This is very relevant to all chemistry students, intending students or anyone that will do a subject/course that has to do with memorising the periodic table. In case you’ve forgotten, the periodic table is that table of all the chemical elements arranged on the basis of their atomic numbers, electron configurations and recurring chemical properties. I remember as a chemistry student in secondary school having challenges memorising this table. If you flip through the popular (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) IUPAC Chemistry textbook; who remembers this text book?... You will see a copy of the periodic table on one of the back pages of the book. It is very obvious that the number of elements seen there no longer corresponds with what actually exists as at today. Three new elements were approved to be added to the Periodic Table with the atomic numbers 110, 111 and 112; these were named Darmstadtium (Ds), Roentgenium (Rg) and Copernicium (Cn) respectively in 2011. New elements such as Flevorium (114) and Livermorium (116) were also added on the periodic table in 2012. Scientists have said that new elements discovered are birthed and isolated in laboratories and their existence can only be proven because there are detectors that have evidence for them unlike the typically ones you can see and hold like gold or iron
Now again, a new element has been discovered! This will be the 115 element on the periodic table. A team of Swedish researchers from the Lund University in Sweden, Germany announced that they had evidence of detection of this new element. There had been a previous discovery of this element by a Dubna Russian team but their claims had to be validated before the element could be officially discovered. Element 115 was discovered after americium film was bombarded with calcium ions and the particles emitted from the reaction were measured. It was discovered that the newly formed element vanished quickly in a flash of radiation that scientists could measure. That flash, or "fingerprint," confirmed the existence of an element with 115 protons at its center. The new element is one of the heaviest chemical elements ever detected.
Although the discovery waits approval by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, but for now element 115, which has an atomic number of 115, bears the placeholder name Ununpentium simply translated to 115 in Latin and Greek.  According to the Chair of IUPAC’s Joint Working Party for the Discovery of New Elements, Paul Karol, he said this approval may take a long time because a number of publications have to be studied with intense concentration and more experiments may be conducted.  After the research has been validated then the new element can be named, but till then let’s keep memorising!

You can click here to read up some useful Q&As on the new element




Friday 30 August 2013

This May be One Reason I cannot Date Him


I just could not help but talk about this because I realized there has been an increase lately in the number of persons found guilty of this, although the men/guys are most  guilty. It is mind blowing and unimaginable when persons are unable to perceive an unpleasant smell emanating from their body. 




Body Odor nicknamed B.O. is that “unpleasant smell” that our bodies give off especially when we perspire through the sweat glands (Apocrine glands). Sweat helps us to maintain our body temperature, hydrates the skin and balances the body fluids, electrolytes and chemicals in the body. Sweat forms on the body as a result of high activity or perspiration and it is usually very high in protein. Bacteria are usually found on the skin and these breaks down the protein into acids, these acids emit an unpleasant smell or odor which is perceived as a body odor. Although sweat is odorless, but a rapid multiplication of these bacteria found on the skin leads to an unpleasant smell. This unpleasant smell can be perceived in various parts of the human body too, in the armpits, feet, pubic hair, groin, hair, behind the ears, belly button, etc. It is worthy of note that not all body odors are unpleasant; sometimes an individual can have a nice and specific smell which is peculiar 
to him or her.  Some animals like dogs are able to identify people with their body smell. Body odor can be influenced or caused by one or more of the following aside uncleanliness; diet, medication, health or gender, illness, discharge, hormones, skin bacteria etc


How can I stop the smell?


1. Keep your body clean. Have a regular shower if you realize you perspire frequently. Use a good body cleansing agents such as soap or a shower gel. Wash every part of your body thoroughly.

2. Wear clothes/inner wears that allow your skin to breathe freely.  Natural-made fibers which 
includes wool, silk and cotton are the best.  This can aid evaporation of sweat faster.

3. Shave! Shave!! Shave!!!  I cannot help but almost scream this because I think some people probably want to plait their armpit hairs. Keep your armpits clean, shaven and dry always because 80% of the time it gives out an unpleasant smell if not well taken care of. Wash them regularly with an anti-bacterial soap and use a deodorant or antiperspirant. Guys please take note of this as you seem to be the highest culprit.

4. Eat healthy. An unhealthy eating lifestyle can affect your digestion which in turn will give out unpleasant smell. Some foods have the tendency to make sweat more unpleasant.

5. Change your sleeping sheets frequently.

6. Undergarments and should be washed after each use. Clothes should also be changed and washed after each use or when they get dirty, sweaty or do not smell clean. You can smell your clothing after you take them off.

7. Keep your clothes in a well ventilated area. Ensure all clothes are well dried before you package them.

8. Be sure to treat your feet nicely, remove all patches of dead skin with a pumice stone (a light rock full of air spaces). This can be easily bought.  Also buy a foot deodorant and carry out a pedicure frequently.

9. Always carry around a clean handkerchief if you sweat frequently, this would help you wipe away all sweat before you get an opportunity to take a shower. 

10. Shoes and socks should be well aerated.  Also socks from natural made fibers are better. Trainers or shoes with plastic linings should not be worn for so long. If you have sweaty feet, do not wear the same pair of shoes in a row because the sweat accumulated from the previous day do not completely dry overnight. The feet thus absorbs so much sweat giving the bacteria room to break down into unpleasant smells which is noticed when you take off your shoes or socks.

11. Ensure you see a doctor if you have any medical issues/illness which may cause frequent perspiration or emit a body odor.

12. Watch videos on YouTube or read up articles for easy methods/ways/things you can use to combat body odor.

13. Consult your doctor if it still persists despite all cleanliness measures taken. 

It is very important for you to take care of your body once you attain puberty (14-16 years for females and 15-17 years for males). Please don’t chase people; friends away as a result of this, a lot of them may not be bold enough to draw your attention to your body smell. Be conscious of the smell that hovers around you. Please guys, help the save the condition of babes who are dying from the smell emanating from your…God knows were! Ladies we are not left out though, some of us are very guilty too.

Goodluck!


Friday 5 July 2013

"Maga" don pay. My FirstBank Experience.







Scams are a type of fraud, a confidence trick used to deceive people and dispose them of their money or goods in exchange of services or promises which are never delivered. Scam actually dates back as far as the late 19th century. Some of the more commonly seen variants involve employment scams, lottery scams, request for passwords (Mostly banking details) online sales and rentals, and romance scams. The scam has been used with fax and traditional mail, and is now used with the internet. Online scams from the past few years to present have gone from bad to worse because the means used to perpetrate this act has increased incredibly. In Nigeria, scams are also called 419. The number "419" actually refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code (part of Chapter 38: "Obtaining property by false pretences; Cheating") dealing with fraud. Scam is not limited to Nigeria alone, the nation has become associated with this fraud and it has earned a reputation for being a center of email scam crimes. According to Wikipedia, other nations known to have a high incidence of advance fee fraud include Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, South Africa, Russia, India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Scammers (people who defraud) have devised all possible means which includes but not limited to fake cheques, Western Union/MoneyGram wire transfers, Anonymous communication, Web-based email, Email hijacking/friend scams, Fax transmissions, SMS messages, Telecommunications relay services. They refer to their targets as magas – a slang that developed from a Yoruba word meaning "fool. I personally find it difficult to believe why people would fall cheaply for these scams. 

I recently got an email which was supposedly from “FirstBank” but one look at the content of the mail; I just knew it was not from FirstBank. This was because firstly, it had no FirstBank Logo or contact details. Secondly, the email had as its subject “Stay secure online” Sender’s email was “FirstBank@firstbanknigeria.com” but when I placed the cursor on the sender’s email, I found out that the original email address used to send the e-mail was “onlinebanking@yy.com”. Really smart guys you will say. Any unsuspecting victim will simply assume the email was from FirstBank and send a response.   I have also gotten chains of emails from friends whose accounts have been hacked into supposedly claiming to be stranded somewhere and needing financial assistance, which is annoyingly embarrassing. Even text messages and emails claiming you won a certain amount of money and that you should send some money to claim it.
Do not be so gullible. People can do all sorts to make money.



             





A picture of the supposed mail I got from FirstBank.



How to stay Safe Online:
  •   Be cautious when signing up for / installing / agreeing to anything, read the instructions carefully.
  •   Use difficult passwords. It is also advisable to check the "Never remember password" box when it pops up on a web page.
  • When sending out emails to more than one person, kindly use “Bcc”. If not, people’s email addresses will be picked up this way and sent unwarranted newsletters, marketing documents or scam mails.
  • Configuring your browsers to help filter out or block inappropriate content can also help.
  • When downloading, make sure they are only files or software from sites that have been rated/verified by trusted sources.
  •  Please do not give out your contact details (name, address, or mobile number) unknown persons.
  • Be alert and aware of online scams. These guys are very smart techies that can hack heaven if they could.
  • Never open e-mail attachments or click links in e-mails from strangers unless you can trust them and have security settings on your computer. 
  • Install a very good antivirus program, an anti-spyware program, and a firewall. Also constantly update it.
  •  Be careful when using a public wireless network; make sure to turn off file sharing and network discovery. Always check for secure transaction info. 
  • Be careful in the use of the different social media platforms. They are a great way to stay connected with others, but you should be wary about how much personal information you post.
  • When shopping online, take accurate steps to protect yourself especially your banking details. Only use trusted sites.
  • Ensure you are signed out completely from visited sites.

If you get suspected cases of fraudulent activities by anyone, you can visit to report them they help to fight against online scams.

Thanks for taking out time to read my blog.

I appreciate you.

Thursday 4 July 2013

How To Lose Weight in....!


There is so much fuss about weight loss all around me especially amongst the women folks. I am made to feel like I love food when I see the quantity of food on some people's plate and also when I tell them I can eat at any time of the day "covers face with palm". Don't blame me na, no be my fault. I have placed myself fattening diets to no avail, but truth be told, I was not serious with them. I recently wrote an article for passnownow.com which I think I should share with you all that are embarking on a weight loss program and also my highly esteemed readers and followers. Dancing is a major program I would gladly recommend for you, no pills, no herbs to chew, no "concoctions" to drink etc.

Here is a link to the article: https://passnownow.com/pnnblog/why-you-should-get-dancing/ I highlighted the benefits of dance there which will be very useful to you.

Also, here's a short video on the May Edition of Wajo Lagos which is just a tip of the iceberg.  Please pardon the  unsteadiness of the video, I am still a learner :D



Don't just nod your head and dance along to the beats, make it a date at Freedom Park on the last Thursday of every month for Wajo Lagos.

Need a dance partner? Just holla at your girl *winks*

Please feel free to share and leave your comments as usual.

Cheers!


Friday 21 June 2013

Splendid Literature and Cultural Foundation announces writing competition for young Nigerian Writers


Splendid Literature and Cultural Foundation has started accepting entries for its 2013 annual competition usually organized to select and publish the best six (6) unpublished stories by Nigerian writers (aged between 11-21 years) of children’s literature who are resident in Nigeria.

According to the foundation, entries are invited from all over the country. “Submitted stories should entertain and enlighten, with strong Nigerian/African content. The Foundation’s judges will assess each entry on the depth, originality and quality of the writing and the story’s appeal to its intended audience.These stories should stimulate the imagination of the readers to think and problem-solve in novel ways”, says Damola Olofinlua, the foundation’s Coordinator.

The rules and regulations of the competition.

All entries must be original; unpublished stories in English Language, plays and poems would not be accepted.
The two categories being considered are:
  • Junior: An original unpublished story in English Language for children between the ages of 8 – 12. Length: Up to 3,000 words
  • Senior: An original unpublished story in English Language for young adults between the ages of 13 and 17. Length: Up to 6,000 words
The best three stories from each category will be selected for publication by the Foundation’s Panel of Judges.
Submission Procedure
1.  Submissions should be typewritten or legibly handwritten, double spaced on numbered pages. Entries submitted online should be in clear and legible fonts. Illegible entries will be disqualified.
2.  Include a passport photograph, name, residential address, phone number and email address on the title page of the manuscript, with only the full name of entrant on each numbered page of the submission.
3.  Entries must be submitted under the entrant’s real name. Pseudonyms are not permitted.
4.  Not more than one entry per entrant will be accepted.
5.  For online submission, ensure that you attach your entry and e-mail it toentries@splendidfoundation.com. OR Submit six (6) copies of the entry manuscript to Splendid Literature & Culture Foundation:
31, Alhaji Tokan Street, Alaka Estate, Surulere, Lagos or P.O Box 7328, GPO, Lagos.
6.  Submissions should be accompanied by evidence of Nigerian citizenship (photocopied/scanned copy of birth certificate, Nigerian passport or Nigerian ID Card).
7.  The closing date for all entries is August, 31 2013.
For more details, visit www.splendidfoundation.com

Thursday 20 June 2013

My Name na...





Shocking it may seem!

I went searching for the meaning of my one of my names, the one that is mostly referred to as "English name" or 'Saint name" as commonly associated with in the Catholic church; and got a pretty load of information from the websites I visited. A deeper reflection on the meaning of my name as projected by various websites showed that the meanings of our names may not be far fetched from who we really are. The meanings may not all fit as a round peg fits in a round hole, but there will be that minutest link in relation to who we reallare as a person, our personalities/character.

Here's what I found as the meaning of my name from different websites with their links attached too!

Teutonic Meaning: 

The name Harriet is a Teutonic baby name. In Teutonic the meaning of the name Harriet is: Keeper of the hearth. Rules her household. From Henriette, the French feminine form of Henry.

American Meaning: 
The name Harriet is an American baby name. In American the meaning of the name Harriet is: Ruler of the home.

French Meaning: 
The name Harriet is a French baby name. In French the meaning of the name Harriet is: Ruler of the home.

English Meaning: 
The name Harriet is an English baby name. In English the meaning of the name Harriet is: Rules the Home. Feminine form of Harry (from Henry). Famous Bearer: Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1811). 



People with this name have a deep inner desire for a stable, loving family or community, and a need to work with others and to be appreciated.Expression Number: 7

People with this name are excellent at analyzing, understanding, and learning. They tend to be mystics, philosophers, scholars, and teachers. Because they live so much in the mind, they tend to be quiet and introspective, and are usually introverts. When presented with issues, they will see the larger picture. Their solitary thoughtfulness and analysis of people and world events may make them seem aloof, and sometimes even melancholy. http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/harriet

I quiet agree with the "Introvert" part but this can be also environment based because I can be quite extroverted too in certain gatherings or amongst pretty close ties.

Another website had the following meaning:

  1. Your first name of Harriet gives you an independent, serious, reticent, and studious nature.
  2. An intellectual, you have a deep appreciation for art, music, literature, and all the phenomena of nature.
  3. You express your thoughts and feelings best through writing rather than verbally.
  4. In fact, others find it challenging to understand you as you do not reveal your innermost thoughts unless you are completely comfortable in your friendships.
  5. For that reason, despite having good business abilities, you like to work alone or where you are making your own decisions.
  6. It has created separateness from others and loneliness in your life.
  7. Physically, any weaknesses in your health would centre in the heart, lungs, or bronchial organs.     http://www.kabalarians.com/f/harriet.htm
With respect to the above descriptions of the personality of  persons called "Harriet" I do not think I quite agree with some of the analysis made because this is not rocket science and may have few exceptions.





Like I said earlier, these names tie around WHO we really are, so we all have to be careful of the names we give our children or even choose to bear. 




I am happy my name is Harriet because it bequeaths who I am. :D :D :D

This is my opinion and I stand to be corrected though. 

Please feel free to read and leave your comments.

Hugs!

Wednesday 19 June 2013

The "Over Efficiency of Some" Online Ads














“Over the past 60 years, marketing has moved from being product-centric (Marketing 1.0) to being consumer-centric (Marketing 2.0). Today we see marketing as transforming once again in response to the new dynamics in the environment. We see companies expanding their focus from products to consumers to humankind issues. Marketing 3.0 is the stage when companies shift from consumer-centricity to human-centricity and where profitability is balanced with corporate responsibility.” ― Phillip Kotler

Social media marketing which is also called Internet or online marketing/advertising, is a process of driving traffic to various platforms/social media sites for the purpose of publicity/brand awareness, customer service management, sharing information or promoting various goods and services. Also companies join the social channels and consumers can interact with them, this interaction feels personal to users because of their previous experiences with social networking site interactions.  The internet is accessible to anyone via a mobile or smartphone and other various gadgets; it also allow individuals to interact with one another and build relationships via these social media sites.

However, over the past few years, advertising/marketing on social media platforms in Nigeria has a taken a different shape and has become irritable. You cannot visit any site now especially on the Google Platform without being bombarded with various clips from different companies/organizations/online stores advertising their products. For example, for every single YouTube video you click to watch, you find one advert and it reoccurs like that for each view. It is worthy of note that there is a "Skip Ad" icon which enables you to skip the Ad about to be shown but it still wears one out having to always do that. Also, you will notice that irritant adverts that pop-up when you visit any other site. The latest which I noticed, are Ads from different organizations/companies/online stores, StanbicIBTC Bank, MTN, Jumia, Konga, and even Ads telling me how I can make #41,000 daily now pop-up above my blog page and even on my blog dashboard. Urgghhh!  I get the impression that some of these online Ads are Scams following the frequency by which they pop up on my screen.

Why should my privacy be invaded with so much arrogance and disrespect? Is it a crime to be signed on to a free platform or have an existing account with a site? I am not against social media marketing because I also use these social media platforms for adverts/promotions too, but I believe in modesty and caution in exhibiting these Online Ads campaigns. 

“We don't have a choice on whether we do social media; the question is 
how well we do it?       Erik Qualman





Thanks for taking out time to read this, and please feel free to share and follow my blog too :) :) :)

I love you always, Hugs!!

Thursday 14 March 2013

Idle? Get busy, Use your fingers










You will be shocked at how creatively channelling idleness can help you achieve a lot more and even bringing out the positive *not negative* innate hidden abilities you possess.

My humble self got very idle and bored one Sunday afternoon after a long nap when I got back from church and guess what, I just picked up my sister's bead box(she started making beads a while ago but claims she does not have time anymore). I searched through the set of unused beads she had in the box and got my hands busy, in less than 3hours, I came up with some very nice beads some of which are presented in the pictures! 

Was proud of my achievement considering the fact that I had no formal bead training before now except from a friend of mine, Late Fatima Olayinka who I watched some years back while in school when she made  beads, and of course my sister when she was making a bead for our mum.

Surprisingly, barely 10mins after I used the pictures of the bead as display pictures on my BBM which I tagged "Fruits of idleness" I started getting loads of commendations and in-fact some people where wishing  for me to be idle so that I could come up with some more...lol . Some said that's an entrepreneurial spirit and encouraged me to think in that line. I wish I continued but my sister came snatching her beads according to her "I will spoil them" but did I actually do badly? you be the judge though...

Trust me to come up with a lot more soonest as I have been getting some funny idea lately and really been on the look out to try something new. I saw some very cute button designed interior decoration https://plus.google.com/u/0/112827054397386621787/posts https://plus.google.com/u/0/100859511220656941316/post
and I will try my fingers on them soon.

This drives home the fact that you can actually have some hidden innate abilities yet to be explored and sometimes idleness can bring them out. It may not necessarily be something to create, it could be poetry, music, drama etc. Yes you can write a script!


Just Get Busy!!!


Thanks for taking out time to read this, and please feel free to share and follow my blog too :-)  :-)  :-)

Hugs!


Wednesday 13 March 2013

Seeing into the future with the Google Glass

Here we go again!! 

You may be wondering why I love to talk about gadgets, well like a colleague of mine said "Oby you are just a gadget freak" yea! not denying that, lol. Its just that I want to be able to experiment and try out new things with the latest technology which makes life easier you know!!

Back to today's gist, seen so much wave about the Google glass and really decided to check it out. Here's what I got and thought to share too. Trust Google to always come up with one innovation or the other but the product reviews I see make them always worth the buy.

About the Google Glass
The prototype Google Glass Explorer Edition which was introduced at the Google I/O conference last June finally had developers get their first taste of what they could do with it in January and February of this year.  The Google Glass Explorer Edition, which has a camera, multiple radios for data communication, a speaker and a mic and a gyroscope is the first product to come out of the company's Project Glass. A Glass device is something that lets you see and interact with the world around you without disconnecting from it, now this is interesting!


Its Design
The Google Glass headset is designed to be out of the way so it doesn't interfere with your activities. According to Google, it weighs less than most pairs of sunglasses. On the side is a touch pad for control, on top is a button for shooting photos and videos with the built in-camera, and there's a small information display positioned above the eye out of the line of sight. Some features includes a Broadcom 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi radio and Bluetooth 4.0 as well as bone-conduction speakers, which would keep your ears open to your surroundings. The Glass can also tell your position and orientation at all times. Check this link to really see what they are talking about: http://www.google.com/glass/start/how-it-feels

What can I do with Glass?
You can use the Google search, Google+Hangouts, live-stream video, read or listen to your mails, snap pictures or shoot some movies and share what you capture with little effort, but you'll have to inititate a voice command by saying "Ok,Glass" followed by whatever it is you want to do, such as "take a picture." The experience seems to be very similar for those who use Google Now on Android device with Jelly Bean.


Downsides
One downside of this is that the glasses have an audio output to the right ear only, and there's no earbud -- the sound just leaks into space, which means you will always have to cup your hand over your ear and the glasses' temple to amplify the sound, this will also let people around you know you are paying attention to your Glass device. 
Also, you may have to take off your prescription lenses to wear the Google Glasses, but Google designer Isabelle Olsson (a former eyewear designer) says they are working with glasses manufacturers to serve glasses-wearing users.  Another downside is there may be absolutely no privacy anymore, you could be sitting in a restaurant and another person wearing a Google Glass can be filming everything you do because the Glass has the potential to make those tasks far less overt and more surreptitious. 

Who may need this?
A major area of need I think this may be useful is in the Education sector which seems to be suffering. This maybe highly recommendable for Lecturers, teachers and students, not to encourage examination malpractices, but will increase intellectually abilities and access to information on the go following the ban of mobile phones in Government owned schools last year. Also Researchers, Journalists, Public relations specialists and Social media managers will find it very useful in carrying out their work effortlessly.

Well, we’ll have to wait to see the reception when the Google glass finally hits the market but trust my humble self to want one, it will just  me the hassle of carrying too many devices around, who knows we may be able to make cellular calls as well Lol.  I only fear the charges that will be accrued by Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Telecom operators. 

Thanks for taking out time to read and please feel free to follow my blog and share too :-) :-) :-)  

Love you plenty!!!



Sited: CNET reviews by Joshua Goldman, cnet.com, Google images

Tuesday 5 March 2013

His BBM Will Soon Become My Mobile Bank











Research In Motion now popularly know as Blackberry plans to launch a mobile money platform which will enable you transfer money via its Blackberry Messenger(BBM) chat app. Reports say them wan collect market from WhatsApp but wait oo, sey WhatsApp na mobile money enabled app? Indonesia has been used to kick off in partnership with PT Bank Permata, who will set up the mobile money accounts, process financial transactions and manage bank-grade security measures including passcode, encryption and monitoring

What is my Benefit?
According to them, the app should allow BBM users  to create and access accounts from their BlackBerry smartphone, transfer money to bank accounts and make real-time payments to other BBM contacts who also use BBM. Also app users can purchase mobile airtime or prepaid SIM cards for themselves, family and friends too.

How does it work? 
If you want to do a transaction just go into BBM money and transfer in a simple way as if you are chatting.










Now what does this mean for the ladies...

  • He must have a blackberry.
  • No excuses any more of I could not get to the bank to do the transaction.
  • No more *the Mallam selling recharge card in my street has closed* you can now transfer via BBM. 
  • Your BIS will not expire anymore.
  • Shop everywhere you go!
 (Don't mention my name oo, that's at your own risk, lolllllllllllllllllllllllllll) 

On a serious note now, I think this is a very good innovation coming from Blackberry. A lot of people choose not to download the BBM app, and according to them it causes a whole lot of distraction especially broadcast messages, which I agree also. But, if some other innovations like this can come up to create a lot of other uses of the app then maybe Apple may have a run for the market. 

We earnestly await its arrival to naija, hoping that it will be successful as most of the mobile money platforms have not been in time past, also putting into consideration our epileptic power supply and network problems. 

Thanks for taking out time to read and please feel free to follow my blog and share too :-) :-) :-)