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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Online Information Asia-Pacific Conference

I am delighted to attend the Online Information Asia-Pacific Conference taking place in Hong Kong from 23 – 24 March.

All LAS members are entitled to an LAS Member discount of over 10%.

Online Information Conference programme

Sessions include:

Ensuring knowledge workers are ”knowledgeable”: Information literacy as an organisational asset

Dianne Cmor, Head, Information Services, Hong Kong Baptist University Library, Hong Kong

The value of information management in Asia
Louise Pemberton, Director of Information Resources and Training, Kroll Asia,
Hong Kong

Maximising ROI on research
Matt McCoy, Area Sales Manager, RefWorks-COS, West Asia-Pacific, ProQuest

Knowledge Exchange: Mutual benefits realised
David Palmer, Scholarly Communications Team Leader, The University of Hong Kong Libraries, Hong Kong

I spent a total of two weeks in Hong Kong and with the company of friend(s), I attended the Conference, tour mainland China, experience the Express/High Speed Train and visited Macau and experience the 7 emotions in 'The House of Dancing Water', the HK$2 billion production. It is the world's spectacular extravaganza and that left a great imprint in my mind.

I may forget the details of Online Conference, yet, the impact and impression of "The House of Dancing Water" is very vivid as I think it touches my heart!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Nuclear power in Japan etc ...

The sites come in handy from today's RefDesk (http://www.refdesk.com/)

Primer: Japan's Nuclear Crisis
by NPR Staff
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/14/134516475/primer-japans-nuclear-crisis

For those who are interested to learn more about the Nuclear Crisis in Japan now, visit the site and read the full text.

Here is one Q & A from the article I like to share with readers of my blog:

"What exactly is a partial meltdown?"

"Meltdown isn't a technical term, and nuclear science agencies don't have a strict definition. But a meltdown typically occurs when the core of a nuclear reactor severely overheats, damaging the nuclear fuel rods. Normally, the rods are kept covered in water to keep them cooled. But if water levels drop so that the rods are exposed, they will heat up. The more area of the rods gets exposed, and the longer they are out of water, the hotter they grow — and they can melt."
"A partial meltdown can mean a wide range of things. Just a small portion of the nuclear rods could get exposed, limiting the heat produced. But if enough of the nuclear material melts, it could generate so much heat that the material burns through the containment structure, escaping into the outside world."

Source of information:
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/14/134516475/primer-japans-nuclear-crisis


Nuclear power in Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Japan

"Following a major earthquake, tsunami, and the failure of cooling systems at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant on March 11, 2011, a nuclear emergency was declared. This was the first time a nuclear emergency had been declared in Japan, and 140,000 residents within 20km of the plant were evacuated. The amount of radiation released is unclear, and the crisis is still ongoing."

For more details, read the full text at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Japan



Nuclear power plants in Japan
(view the map at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Japan_nuke_plant_map2)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Life is partly made by the friends we chose

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”

Tennessee Williams (American playwright. 1911-1983)

I enjoy outings with like-minded friends. A simple lunch with a group of friends we chose to be with makes for a great day! And, the great day was today!

It is nice to know that I am not the only person who thinks that way!

====
Saturday, 12 March 2011 19:55:03

Dear Soo Miang,

Thank you for such a fruitful day out! (and in!) Your way of doing things is more efficient! (and can get results on the spot!)

Cheers!

Signed by a friend who enjoyed the lunch outing and hosting the tea at home!


====
Being a driver most of the time, I am glad to be driven for the afternoon outing and enjoyed a great tea under the light of medieval torches illuminating the staircase.

The torch also lighted my way into the apartment!

Cheers!

Dexterine Ho