Yesterday we had dinner at Hooters to celebrate my good friend's bachelor's party. Hooters, as we all know, is the great american sports restaurant well known for its chicken wings. I had a choice of medium, hot or 3-mile. I picked hot, since I figured this is Singapore, so hot should be pretty hot, for me at least. Turns out that hot is really only "mild" by my standards. Sheesh..... No kick at all! That got me wondering: why is the last category called 3-mile? It was only a few minutes ago that I recalled what 3-mile is. 3-mile island is the large nuclear reactor in North America, where there was some nuclear accident some years back. Ah, it must have been pretty hot in there!
That just gets me thinking about another chicken wing place, University Chicken in Santa Clara. University Chicken, also known as UC (not to be confused with the real UC) serves chicken wings coated in spicy habenero sauce. There are multiple grades of spicyness (10 i think?) with the hottest called "global thermonuclear". I tried the second hottest, thermonuclear, and it was so hot i couldnt get past the first one! Wonder how anybody can finish a plate of the hottest one....
Habenero just reminds me of the time when JM and Rory challenged me to finish that Habenero in the ASCE office. That just cracks me up! Ines totally freaked out man....
Saturday, August 27, 2005
flash set
Hmm. My friend says that flash setting could be the reason for the concrete not setting. Flash setting due to excessive gypsum that is. Something to consider....
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Concrete setting
I attended a course last week on contract management. The speaker started talking about concrete, which happens to be something I am quite passionate about (read the blog description). So Calcium Chloride is an accelerator while sugar is a retarder. And if you know your concrete, Calcium Chloride is not that good for concrete, because Chloride attack causes corrosion of steel rebar, and Calcium encourages alkali-silicate reaction (if you have reactive aggregate) which deteriorates your concrete in the long run.
So what's the point anyway? Well, the speaker, some expert, said that there was a lawsuit involving some contractor whose concrete could not set during construction. And after checking the site log, it appears that during casting it started raining and the workers ran away. So according to him it's the contractors fault cos anything could have fallen into the concrete, e.g. soft drinks with sugar, when they ran away, causing the concrete to not be able to set.
So what's the big deal anyway? Well firstly, if its just a couple of soft drinks, only a small area would not be able to set, not the whole slab. Secondly, sugar is a retarder, but unless u put a whole lot in, I think the concrete will still set if you just wait it out yah? I don't know the facts of the matter, but seems to me like the guy missed the point entirely. I don't think it was contaminants that caused the concrete not to set at all. In fact I think it's most likely a combination of poor concreting and mix proportioning that caused the concrete to HEAT UP too much during casting. I think what happened was "Delayed Ettringite Formation" also known ask "Internal Sulfate Attack" which occurs quite rarely because the concrete has to heat up till over 70 degrees celcius during casting. And yes, concrete can get that hot in Singapore, you'll be surprised. That's why we usually cast in the morning.
So, what's the point again? It just baffles me that the expert won the court case without having to actually find out the actual cause of the concrete not setting. He just pointed to the site log that the site was unattended. Which means there might have been some undesirable practices that were not discovered and corrected....
Interestingly enough, I wonder how many of you civil engineers out there even know what "Delayed Ettringite Formation" is? First time you heard of it? Even in a place where setting concrete can potentially reach 70 degrees celcius?
So what's the point anyway? Well, the speaker, some expert, said that there was a lawsuit involving some contractor whose concrete could not set during construction. And after checking the site log, it appears that during casting it started raining and the workers ran away. So according to him it's the contractors fault cos anything could have fallen into the concrete, e.g. soft drinks with sugar, when they ran away, causing the concrete to not be able to set.
So what's the big deal anyway? Well firstly, if its just a couple of soft drinks, only a small area would not be able to set, not the whole slab. Secondly, sugar is a retarder, but unless u put a whole lot in, I think the concrete will still set if you just wait it out yah? I don't know the facts of the matter, but seems to me like the guy missed the point entirely. I don't think it was contaminants that caused the concrete not to set at all. In fact I think it's most likely a combination of poor concreting and mix proportioning that caused the concrete to HEAT UP too much during casting. I think what happened was "Delayed Ettringite Formation" also known ask "Internal Sulfate Attack" which occurs quite rarely because the concrete has to heat up till over 70 degrees celcius during casting. And yes, concrete can get that hot in Singapore, you'll be surprised. That's why we usually cast in the morning.
So, what's the point again? It just baffles me that the expert won the court case without having to actually find out the actual cause of the concrete not setting. He just pointed to the site log that the site was unattended. Which means there might have been some undesirable practices that were not discovered and corrected....
Interestingly enough, I wonder how many of you civil engineers out there even know what "Delayed Ettringite Formation" is? First time you heard of it? Even in a place where setting concrete can potentially reach 70 degrees celcius?
It's the little things
It's the little things that we share
The sound of joy that's in the air
Children's laughter everywhere
and all our favorite things....
The sound of joy that's in the air
Children's laughter everywhere
and all our favorite things....
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Berkeley Bunch 2000
Berkeley Bunch 2000. It's been 5 years since the day we stepped into Berkeley, and life has never been the same again. Thanks for the last 5 years of happy memories!
Friday, August 19, 2005
Bird
I met a bird.
A small small small small bird.
It wanted to fly but it couldnt fly high enough.
And the tears flowed....
Flowed like a river.....
I looked out my window and I saw a red figure
And then it was blue, and then it was yellow
And the yellow turned green
Green with the grass on the Glade
The chain was gone
The circle moved to the third
And the cold wind blew
On that lonely road to Bowles
Oh that lonely road to Bowles
Was it really that lonely?
For my brothers await
And together we drink till tonight
And we drink till tomorrow
For I met a bird
And it taught me to fly
A small small small small bird.
It wanted to fly but it couldnt fly high enough.
And the tears flowed....
Flowed like a river.....
I looked out my window and I saw a red figure
And then it was blue, and then it was yellow
And the yellow turned green
Green with the grass on the Glade
The chain was gone
The circle moved to the third
And the cold wind blew
On that lonely road to Bowles
Oh that lonely road to Bowles
Was it really that lonely?
For my brothers await
And together we drink till tonight
And we drink till tomorrow
For I met a bird
And it taught me to fly
Monday, August 15, 2005
Cal Drinking Song (Full)
Ohhh we...... had a little party down in Newport
There was Harry, there was Mary, there was Grace
Oh we had a little party down in Newport
And we had to carry Harry from the place
Oh we had to carry Harry to the ferry (to the ferry)
Oh we had to carry Harry to the shore (to the shore)
And the reason that we had to carry Harry to the ferry
Was that Harry couldn't carry anymore!
California! California!
The hills send back the cry
We're out to do or die!
California! California!
We'll win the game and know the reason why!
And when the game is over we will have a keg of booze
And drink to california till we waddle in our shoes
So drink, tralala
Drink, tralala
Drink, drank, drunk last night
Drunk the night before
Gonna get drunk tonight like I never was drunk before
Cos when I'm drunk, I'm happy as can be
Cos I am a member of the Souse family
And the Souse family is the best family
That ever came over from old Germany
There's the highland Dutch and the lowland Dutch
The Rotterdam Dutch and the Irish!
Sing glorious, victorious
One keg of beer for the four of us
Sing glory be to God that there are no more of us
Cos one of us could drink it all alone, damn near!
Here's to the Irish, dead drunk!
The lucky stiffs.....
They had four fifths....
A keg or two....
Of homemade brew....
And there was grandma
Sitting on the outhouse door
Without her nightie......
And there was grandpa
Wishing he could get some more
But he was eighty....
Don't you know you gotta GO BEARS!!!
There was Harry, there was Mary, there was Grace
Oh we had a little party down in Newport
And we had to carry Harry from the place
Oh we had to carry Harry to the ferry (to the ferry)
Oh we had to carry Harry to the shore (to the shore)
And the reason that we had to carry Harry to the ferry
Was that Harry couldn't carry anymore!
California! California!
The hills send back the cry
We're out to do or die!
California! California!
We'll win the game and know the reason why!
And when the game is over we will have a keg of booze
And drink to california till we waddle in our shoes
So drink, tralala
Drink, tralala
Drink, drank, drunk last night
Drunk the night before
Gonna get drunk tonight like I never was drunk before
Cos when I'm drunk, I'm happy as can be
Cos I am a member of the Souse family
And the Souse family is the best family
That ever came over from old Germany
There's the highland Dutch and the lowland Dutch
The Rotterdam Dutch and the Irish!
Sing glorious, victorious
One keg of beer for the four of us
Sing glory be to God that there are no more of us
Cos one of us could drink it all alone, damn near!
Here's to the Irish, dead drunk!
The lucky stiffs.....
They had four fifths....
A keg or two....
Of homemade brew....
And there was grandma
Sitting on the outhouse door
Without her nightie......
And there was grandpa
Wishing he could get some more
But he was eighty....
Don't you know you gotta GO BEARS!!!
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Run on skates?
I tried something new today. Tried to "run" while skating. Yeah, run run, like legs stretched out, back leg pushing out, knees bent and all. And guess what? I found out I could..... FLY! Weehoo! I was going so fast, its almost like downhill skiing! Better keep that helmet on tight....
Colors
Red and yellow and, pink and green.... Purple and, orange and blue.... I can sing a rainbow! Sing a rainbow! Sing a rainbow too....
Saturday, August 13, 2005
The Team of '03
Alright now u got me started. This is the team, right here! #3 in Nationals, Best Paper, 2nd Presentation, 5th Races, Tony P Chrest Innovation Award. Summer of '03. Now that's what I'm talking about! Go, Big Blue, Show 'em what you can do!
Drunk Girl
This is the crazy girl drunk on race day back in '03. Sorry I forgot you were in the car screaming when I almost got us crashed while watching the high speed car chase.... Alright, I'm sorry, there're no car chases in Singapore and it was my first time!
Rocky
Burgers remind me of Philly Cheese Steak at Pat/Geno's (the origninal). This is where Rocky stood while eating a Philly Cheese Steak. Was it Pat's or Geno's?
Burgers
Had Carl's Junior today. The burger was SO HUGE but..... it was COLD! Nothing is a bigger turnoff than a cold burger man.... The beef chilli cheese fries were good (and hot) though. Now this is starting to remind me of In-N-Out.
In-N-Out burgers are so good! The fries are so salty and the shakes are so thick! Name your favorite In-N-Out outlet. It's gotta be the last one on the 80 as you head east towards Lake Tahoe. Nothing beats an In-N-Out burger just before you head up the Sierra Nevada (or when you're coming back from a disappointing canoe showing at Reno...)! It makes that long drive worth it!
So is it faster to drive through or to get "to go" at the counter? I've never really figured out the answer to that question. I guess the line at the drive through seems longer.... Oh 2nd best In-N-Out is the Hilltop one in Pinole. Right next to Krispy Kreme hell yeah! Double-Double no onions, fries and chocolate shake then head over to the 'ol Krispy Kreme for a free sample or 2! I remember that one time, my last day with a car, where I had this chocolate doughnut filled with custard and almost squirted it all over myself in front of Mary, JM and gang. Was Rory there? Well how was I know there's only one way to eat a doughnut with filling? No, now I remember, Rory wasn't there, neither was JM. It was me Mary and Aviva. That was the very last time I saw Aviva. And I almost crashed the car on my last day in it, because there was a high speed chase on the freeway and I was watching the chase rather than the road hahaha!
OMG, I miss you guys, can you come over and get me some good 'ol In-N-Out to go? Canoeicks rock!
In-N-Out burgers are so good! The fries are so salty and the shakes are so thick! Name your favorite In-N-Out outlet. It's gotta be the last one on the 80 as you head east towards Lake Tahoe. Nothing beats an In-N-Out burger just before you head up the Sierra Nevada (or when you're coming back from a disappointing canoe showing at Reno...)! It makes that long drive worth it!
So is it faster to drive through or to get "to go" at the counter? I've never really figured out the answer to that question. I guess the line at the drive through seems longer.... Oh 2nd best In-N-Out is the Hilltop one in Pinole. Right next to Krispy Kreme hell yeah! Double-Double no onions, fries and chocolate shake then head over to the 'ol Krispy Kreme for a free sample or 2! I remember that one time, my last day with a car, where I had this chocolate doughnut filled with custard and almost squirted it all over myself in front of Mary, JM and gang. Was Rory there? Well how was I know there's only one way to eat a doughnut with filling? No, now I remember, Rory wasn't there, neither was JM. It was me Mary and Aviva. That was the very last time I saw Aviva. And I almost crashed the car on my last day in it, because there was a high speed chase on the freeway and I was watching the chase rather than the road hahaha!
OMG, I miss you guys, can you come over and get me some good 'ol In-N-Out to go? Canoeicks rock!
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