Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As 2009 comes to an end - and what a year it has been for me - I came to realize that despite all the challenges, every year has always been better than the last. There's always just so much to be thankful for that all grievances are insignificant. And I do hope that it I'll always have this mentality for the many years I still have left.

A very Merry Christmas to all of you and a very Happy 2010 ahead!

Wire-gra™

My tomato plants were growing up very well on its own until it started doing this.

Before Wire-gra™

Normally a male will be well beyond his fifties before something like this happens. I guess in tomato years, my plant is an old man.

After doing some research and discovering that tomato plants need support, I decided to build something to help it. I also made a mistake when I sowed the seeds, shouldn't have dumped it all in one place. It may look fine now but it will hinder the growth of the plant eventually.

The tricky bit was separating them. The saplings are really fragile and flaccid. Half of them died in the transplantation.

Tomato on Wire-gra™

Ta-daaa! I admit it looks hideous now but I'll do something about it once it grows more substantially.

Kena Tipu -.-"

Two weekends ago at my in-law's place, I noticed on their coffee table a DVD for the movie 2012. Having heard a lot of positive reviews from everyone regarding this blockbuster, my wife and I decided to borrow it.

Now I didn't do much reading up or research on the movie because I was told there was a surprise of some sort. All I knew was that the world was supposed to meet its end soon. So minutes into the movie and encountering some very mediocre CG, we were very accomodating initially (the barber that cut my hair a few days before told me that some of the special effects were quite fake. So..er...this must be the fake parts he was talking about).

Then we started noticing the horrendous acting abilities of the actors. More fake visual effects. Visible studio equipment. I guess the final straw was during a rapture scene.

After some checking, we realized that we'd been duped! Its not the movie we had in mind! Sure, it was still titled 2012 but with an additional 'doomsday' at its back. It seems we were not the only people to have suffered through this movie according to the reviews.

The very offending movie

I guess from now I will check every single movie or read it up before I watch. At least if I had been aware of the director's name this could be avoided in the future.

This feeling of being cheated is worse because it does not involve money. More importantly, that was 1 hour plus of my life totally wasted watching such a terrible movie. My time would have been put to better use had I spent that 1 hour being repeatedly kicked in the nuts by every single member of the New Zealand All Blacks.

Oh it hurts so good

I've learnt my lesson... You know I really wonder which version of the movie my barber watched.

Not Quite Right

Appeton is phasing out their boy mascot... If you walk into any pharmacies you should be able to see a new picture instead of this one.

About time I say... I can't really put my finger on it but I think there's something not quite right with the position of his nipples. Hmm...

Kimchi!

Those who know me will know that I am not a big fan of kimchi. Its like Cristiano Ronaldo - you either love or hate him. Fortunately during our Korea trip, we were sent for some brain washing sessions.

The KimChi School

Different varieties of kimchi

We were told that kimchi had just been named as one of the Top 5 World's Healthiest Foods. Well we never take anything our guide says at face value so we made a note to check it out when we came back. She was right!

My wife, always the good student

Making the kimchi

The result - after 3 weeks of fermentation in our fridge. Kimchi on right, seaweed left.

The kimchi sat in our fridge in an airtight box for 3 weeks and when we had it for dinner last week, it really tastes like we were back in a restaurant in Seoul. There is no doubt that kimchi is very healthy. However there are reports that the overconsumption of certain types of kimchi was a possible link to cancer, possibly due to the high sodium content and nitrates produced during fermentation in certain types of kimchi. South Korea has the highest rates of gastric cancer in the world after all.

Well that should not stop you from appreciating this dish once in a while. A little of everything in moderation always benefits you. Oh, and I like kimchi now. Heheh.

Would You Sell Below Cost?

There is huge price war out there over Dan Brown's latest book 'The Lost Symbol.' Retail prices start at £18.99 but here is a list of how much it is actually going for.

Amazon £9.49

Waterstone £9.49

Morrisons £9.00

Sainsbury's £8.00

Tesco £7.00

WH Smith £5.99 (with conditions or else £9.49)

Asda £5.00

Apparently Asda will make a loss of £4 for every one of this book that they sell. I don't know about you but I think that that is a lot of money. Their competitors may be calling them crazy for making a loss on such a transaction but if you actually look carefully, their parent company is none other than Wal-mart. So what do you expect?

This gambit also seems to be paying off for Asda as recent reports boasts strong overall sales growth for them. How can you argue with results like this? What do you make of a situation like this?

1) Buy!

Normally I will never buy a book which is very recently released. If you wait, prices will surely drop as stores try to clear off copies of the book that are no longer in demand. Or wait for the paperback edition which is sure to be a lot cheaper. However in times like this where the hardcover edition is as cheap (or even cheaper maybe) as the paperback version, why not? I'll definitely buy it.

2) Buy!

If I own a bookstore or am doing a biz related to books, I'll buy bulks of it and resell. You can definitely not get this kind of price from any supplier at the moment I believe and even if you sell at half price (which is around £9), you will still have a good margin. Heheh...

Your Food May Be Causing You Problems?

Diet Rich in Processed Food Linked to Increased Risk for Depression

November 10, 2009 — Patients who consume a diet rich in high-fat dairy products and fried, refined, and sugary foods are at increased risk of developing depression, whereas those whose diet is rich in fish, fruit, and vegetables are at lower risk of developing depression, a new study shows.

The results suggest that diet should be considered a potential target for the prevention of depressive disorders, said the study's lead author, Tasnime N. Akbaraly, PhD, who completed the study while at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College, London, United Kingdom.

Potential Mechanisms

There are several possible mechanisms that might explain the association between a processed food diet and depression, said Dr. Akbaraly. There is some evidence of a correlation between sugar consumption and the rate of depression.

In addition, the Western diet has been associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease and inflammation, both of which have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression.

"Many processes such as oxidative stress processes, or insulin resistance processes, could be involved," said Dr. Akbaraly, adding that further research is needed to determine exactly how refined foods might affect risk for depression.

As for how a "whole" food diet might protect against depression, such a diet includes fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants — nutrients that have been shown to reduce risk for depression.

In addition, the diet includes many foods including cruciferous vegetables, leafy vegetables, and other vegetables and dried legumes that are a rich source of folate. Previous research has shown that low levels of folate may affect levels of neurotransmitters that may be involved in depression. This diet also includes lots of fish, a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids that might also reduce the incidence of depression.

--------------------

It seems every other day some new study pops up and tells us something we more or less already know - watch what you eat! Or eat more vege and fruits and cut down on fast food and all that processed food like chips or keropok and soft drinks.

Being a fan of fast food myself, I can assure you that there is a way to get around this situation amicably. I believe that if you watch what you eat 80% of the time (as in eat plenty of greens, fruits and healthy lean meat and yes, avoid taking too much refined carbs), then you can let loose 20% of the time.

I once had a dinner with a professional rugby player, and he mentions that 6 days a week he maintains a strict nutritional regiment and 1 day a week he eats to his heart's desire. So assuming you eat 3 meals a day, that's 3/21 x 100 = roughly 15%. So for him its more like 85/15. Obviously we are not athletes and we have no need to follow their strict discipline, so I think we can cut some slack and allow ourselves 75/25. So based on this simple mathematical equation, if I eat KFC 5 times per week, that will mean 5/21 x 100 = 24% only and I still can have some extra wedges on top of that!

Colonel : Come dine with me 5 times a week! Heheheh!

This is something like the Pareto Principle, more popularly known as the 80-20 rule, which states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. An example is 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. Or 80% of your illnesses is caused by....errr....hmmm....errrr....never mind. I don't think we need to dwell too much on that.

Crisis?

One year ago, I wrote a post about how Liverpool will not win the league and I was right, just barely. They went on to finish second and almost had the title in their grasp. This season leh...(sighs)

5 league defeats in 11 games, everyone is asking, how can Rafa still be the manager?

Rafa: Torres has baby faced skin? You OBVIOUSLY haven't seen my thighs

First of all, Rafa has attained some what of a legendary status at Anfield. He delivered the Champions League trophy in his very first season and the FA cup the following year. So Liverpool fans will always have a soft spot in their hearts for this man. However the past is past and I think we will get no where if we always cling on to it.

The second point in Rafa's defence is stability. Think about it, the most successful football clubs are those who have long serving managers - Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger comes to mind. Changing managers frequently will bring about instability as each manager will choose to run things in a very different way.

Things could turn dirty for Rafa in coming weeks as an article appeared in Soccernet accusing Rafa of neglecting the league and prioritising European performances to secure another job. Well, tomorrow's clash with Lyon could be Rafa's Waterloo. Champions League football has always been his specialty but if he loses that golden touch in the CL, he may just lose his job.

Beautiful Korea

For our (belated) honeymoon, the missus wanted to go to South Korea. When I asked a few of my friends who had been there, the general consensus was 'Its ok, so so, at least go once in your lifetime.' I wasn't expecting much when I left for Korea last week, but the tour guide said during the beginning of the trip 'Korea has more to offer than you think.' After having spent 1 week there, I agree.

Autumn leaves on Nami Island

First of all, autumn in Korea is really very beautiful. There is a 2 week window in which the leaves turn color to prepare for the coming winter and this is Korea at its best (in my opinion). I've always preferred fall/winter to spring/summer...but hey, to each his own.

Small clay figures found on Nami Island

Perhaps the one thing that has made Korea very unique is its neighbor, North Korea. The North and South are still theoretically at war with each other, held apart by a ceasefire agreement signed in 1953.

A South Korean military outpost at Imjingak

Prayers and wishes for the unification of Korea

Binoculars granting you a view into North Korea

Very enterprising Koreans.. DMZ chocolates!

A destroyer at the Gangneung Unification Park where the North Korean spies infiltrated the South

A typical street in Korea lined with ginkgo trees

You can see many of these structures in Korea, be it temples or palaces

A closeup of the roof

Our time in Korea not only taught us about the history and culture behind Korea's past, but also brought us to experience the modern and urban city life of Seoul.

At the Drawing Show, a combo of painting and performance

T-Express, the hair changing experience which is the worlds steepest 'wooden' rollercoaster

Walker-Hill Casino

Skyscrapers in Seoul

A view from my hotel room in Seoul *heheheh*

BMW police bikes

Will I return to Korea again? Definitely, but maybe after 15 years or so. If anything, this tour has made me want to go to Japan instead, because in almost all of Korea's undertakings in Asia, they are second only to Japan. To anyone who is considering going to Korea for a holiday, I highly recommend it! Or at least go to Korea before you go to Japan... those who have gone to Japan before going to Korea expressed that it was like taking a step backwards...a very small step though. With the way Korea is advancing now, it may catch up to Japan sometime later...maybe, just maybe.

I'm Turning Green

Don't make me angry... you wouldn't like me when I'm angry! I'll feed you with cili padi till your skin melts. Yes I'm really turning green. Or red... Last weekend I decided that I've had enough of looking at weeds/grass only every time I look out of my window.

Honestly I don't know why I got this chili plant. My wife and I aren't chili masochists and we don't eat chilis on a regular basis. I do know that my mom loves them though and she will probably get lots from us in the near future.

We also got ourselves a mini christmas tree... heheh. Small in size but has the potential to be a giant one day. This little fella will provide our garage with shade from the morning sun...oh well, in a few years time.

For those of you who are familiar with where I live, please be informed that there is enough space under that christmas tree for a PS3 or a Wii gaming console should you decide to be generous this coming..oh I don't know, say the night of 24th December? *winks*

And some good news, my two-faced plant is doing very well and even sprouting new flowers! There was a drastic change when we replanted the pot in a more nutrient rich soil and a bigger pot (since it was outgrowing the old one).

Next on the list will be to get a fruit bearing tree... I'm thinking maybe a papaya tree and a durian tree. I was told to look for a hybrid durian tree that doesn't need 10 years to bear fruit and will come with easy plucking abilities... anybody can shed some light on this?

Forsaken Ones

Customer : Do you have any creams that can make me grow a beard or a moustache at least?

I looked upon the customer with the boyish looks devoid of any ruggedness in his face and I instantly empathised with him... Some people are just blessed with such good facial hair and some of us seem to have pissed off the God of Facial Hair at some point in our lives. After my encounter with this particular customer, I told my wife that I'm trying to grow a goatee. She didn't even bat an eyelid and went back to whatever she was doing. Fast forward 2 weeks and the grass in the garden is outgrowing the hair on my chin. There are a few stubbles, but nothing remotely close to what Johnny Depp has on his chin.

Its honestly depressing. There is something about having a well groomed goatee or moustache that kind of adds to your character. You can shave it clean and then you have your boyish looks back. Its an option thats nice to have. Then again there are some people who are pushing the definition of 'well groomed'...like this fella here.

There are some who recommend taking testosterone and many internet searches will tell you to use testosterone cream (which is not available here) but having a higher level of testosterone doesn't guarantee that the hair will grow on your face specifically. It could be an Amazon in some places and still a Sahara in others...if you know what I mean.

Some also mention that facial hair may come later in life, something that I am really hoping for. I may just be a late bloomer after all you know...heheh. Hopefully...

My Two -Faced Plant

I bought a plant some time back in an attempt to make my house look a bit more 'organic.' After a week, I bet the plant was regretting that it ever met me...

Argh... someone please put me out of my misery!

The leaves were drooping, the flowers didn't look like flowers anymore and if you listen closely I think it was trying to commit suicide. A discussion with the Mrs led to us watering it more, changing its soil and moving it to a different location (cause we thought that maybe...just maybe...the conditions were to harsh in that particular spot) but it still looked the same. And no, I was not about to start talking to the plant in a last ditch attempt to show some TLC.

Now normally I don't notice the plant much in the morning as I normally rush to get to work but a while back, I noticed that it seems to be looking better in the morning.

Morning

Night

Hmmmmm....so its just circadian rhythm at work after all. However, the flowers are still non-existent. Any suggestions? Fertilisers?

Is Usain Bolt cheating?

As Usain Bolt crossed the finishing line at the 2009 IAAF Berlin World Championships and set a stunning 9.58s new world record in the 100m event, he left everyone in awe and disbelief - awed by his fearsome prowess on the track, disbelief that he did it on his own steam.

Yes you heard me right! His stellar performance left a big impression in many of the audience. In fact its almost too good to be true...setting the world record at 9.69s (Aug 16, 2008) last year in Beijing, then shaving off quite a considerable amount from that time the following year. Before the Olympics he had set the record at 9.72s (May 31, 2008) beating Asafa Powell's 9.74s. Some are saying that his antics of celebrating before reaching the finishing line in the Olympics last year are done so deliberately to prevent any suspicions had the margin of victory been too big (9.5+s vs previous record of 9.72s).

Ran so fast that he messed up his hair

So did he really cheat? Can anyone really run that fast? He has never failed any drug tests so far though the same can't be said about his compatriots, who later were cleared. We all have our doubts as to this issue, knowing how Marion Jones had never tested positive though she admitted to using banned substances.

Unfortunately, this doping issue is really taking the thunder away from athletes who deserve the glory of victory.Though many offer congratulations and praise to the victor, there are suspicions lingering in the air.

I suggest to the IAAF then to legalise doping. Its a logical solution. You go on with your normal athletics event, then you hold another one on the side and call it the Specially Enhanced Olympics or something...like the ones the disabled have. There are many benefits to this.

1. Your athletes can be free of suspicions and champions can really declare that they did it all by themselves.
2. On the other hand, dopers can have their own stage...meaning you are drawing more people into the sport.
3. Savannah Sanitoa can finish the 100m in under 10seconds (LINK)

4. You can patent and market the products that dopers use - IAAF approved stimulant pills, Rectal Turbo Booster, etc...
5. 100m dash in under 5 seconds!!!

Personally I will give Bolt the benefit of the doubt. I always used to think that the 9.86s set by Carl Lewis in the 90s was unbeatable but as they say records are meant to be broken. Congratulations to you Mr Bolt...for now.

Previous articles on Usain - Bolt: Breakfast of Champions

Hillary Billary: Lost in translation

On Hillary Clinton's recent trip to Congo, a male student asked her through a translator what President Obama thought of Chinese financial contracts in Congo. The funny thing is the translator asked Hillary what Bill Clinton (her husband and former President of the US) would think.

Clinton looked surprised when she first heard the translation in the headset, and then sharply replied, "You want me to tell you what my husband thinks? My husband is not the secretary of state, I am. You ask my opinion. I will tell you my opinion; I'm not going to channel my husband."

Lots of political commentators have pounced on her remarks and have even questioned her emotional capacity to handle the job as secretary of state. In fact when she decided to run for public office, I'm sure her advisors would have told her that the biggest challenge that she has to face is to step out of Bill's enormous shadow. After all her husband had been the most powerful man in the world for 8 years... so when she the translator accidentally mentioned her husbands name, I guess she snapped.

No, I don't think she should have burst out like that, but I can understand why she did...

Kim Jong-il: Your wife asked me to kidnap you in place of the other two girls

And he returned him... kesian you Hillary.

Can't beat this guy

And some of you cringed when you heard that I put the phrase 'You'll Never Walk Alone' in my wedding vow to my wife...

---------------

July 19, 2009 (LINK)

MARRIED TO LIVERPOOL

Singapore's craziest Reds fan loves the club more than his wife - and she doesn't mind

By Jeanette Wang

FOR the past 21 years, Vikinisvaran Suppiah has kept a passionate relationship burning strong.

His wife, Bawani Arumoh, knows about it, but does not mind.

In fact, their lives revolve around this third party, whose presence dominates the couple's flat and whose name is proudly etched on his gold wedding ring.

'I love Liverpool more than my wife,' Vikinisvaran, 31, declared on Saturday of his romance with the English football club.

Bawani, 29, remains nonchalant about her husband's shared affection, calling it a 'healthy obsession'.

The Sunday Times calls him Singapore's craziest Liverpool fan, after receiving more than 700 contest entries in the past two weeks. Vikinisvaran clinched the grand prize of two training passes and four match tickets for Liverpool's visit here this week with his insanity.

The couple, who met 15 years ago as schoolmates at St Thomas Secondary, had a Liverpool-themed engagement in 2005. Against the backdrop of the club crest, Vikinisvaran recited his wedding vows, ending with an echo of the promise of the 18-time league champions: 'We'll Never Walk Alone.'

Then came their traditional wedding ceremony in 2006, which saw a whole page of the invitation card plastered with Liverpool's crest. White wedding garlands were passed among relatives to be blessed, but not before a bright red stamp of approval from the club's acronym 'LFC'.

Home is in Toh Guan, but you would be forgiven if you thought it was Anfield. Flags, coasters, clocks, posters, placemats, mugs, rugs, pillows, bedsheets, curtains... you name it, and they have got it as official Liverpool merchandise.

Decked out head-to-toe in official Liverpool clothing - a daily ritual, even under his work uniform - Vikinisvaran on Saturday shared his desire to have two sons. 'One called Gerrard,' said the container handling specialist, 'and the other Torres.'

-----------

Mr Suppiah, I'm not worthy...

I declare war

Ted has a House
The House has a Garden
Therefore, Ted has a Garden!

Well in an ideal world maybe...but not in reality. The last time I checked I could not recognize my backyard anymore. Weeds were sprouting everywhere, especially those that came from neighboring plots of land. There are a few options available to settle this problem. 1) Hire someone to cut everything (but this won't solve the weed problem) 2) Spray weedkillers and kill off everything 3) Just tell everyone that, yes, a weed garden is exactly what I was aiming for. Option 3 looks good...

Until it hurts to walk around...

Yea, no joke. It hurts to do the laundry outside and it hurts to just walk around. There are many types of weeds, but the two most annoying ones both come from the Mimosa family - the ones with the leaves that close whenever you touch them. One of it is the normal mimosa plant you see everywhere, but apparently this one brought its mother along.

Above is the pic of the 'Momma-sa'...the leaves are in a different shape from the ones we normally see and they are also sensitive to touch. I've enlarged the area in the red circle below.

It has also grown so tall that it was getting dangerous to walk around - if you know what I mean. If somehow you decide to walk through my backyard without your pants and underwear on, it'll be like trying to shave your pubes with a broken wine bottle.

I guess the only way to get rid of this properly is to uproot it and destroy every thing. May have to consider another type of fence that is not so porous too...

Its gonna be a long war

So anyone free this Sunday for some gardening? Heheh...

Small changes make big differences

Customer: I feel the medication I am eating is not effective anymore...Did they change the place of manufacture to China? The new pack looks really suspicious!

Me: Well, it actually still says that it is made in Germany.

Customer: If I am China biz man sure I put made in Germany also mah!

-----------------------

He did have a point though. The medicine is question was Micardis 40mg. The customer had just bought it somewhere else and he feels its not the real deal coz it looked 'funny'. I thought it was funny - not bwahahah funny but chuckle funny. There is something to this though...

Thanks Boehringer, for taking up more space on my shelf...

The new packing is a lot bigger as seen from the pic above ( I don't have the old Micardis 40 pack anymore, but the 80mg is the same size as the older one). Inside the strip is also bigger as seen in the pic below.

Stevie Wonder can probably read this too now

This is not the first time that a change in medication packaging has caused some confusion and doubt as to the efficacy of the medication. I had a customer who complained that her Norvasc 5mg from the 100's packing was also not as effective as the one she had from the 30's packing, even though the strips and design of the box were identical to every respect except for the size.

Perhaps one of the most recent problems in this area were when there was a drastic change in the packaging for Dalacin T Solution. Both the outside and inside were very different and many regular customers actually avoided buying the new stocks for a while as it really looked so flimsy and cheap when compared to the old glass bottle that they used to be in. This was definitely to cut costs...plastic cheaper than glass.

This is something that I do not really understand well. There are obviously some changes in medicine packaging that can help patients (for eg. incorporating a calender pack on the pack of the blister) but does the aesthetics of the packaging contribute anything? If it doesn't then why not stick to what everyone is familiar with. It'll be like coming home one day and discovering that my wife suddenly has grown a beard overnight. Omg...