Having fun with the queue number at Karls Jr.

Recently, there are a lot of things happening around me.  I have no idea what I have been busy with but it pretty much occupying most of my time.

Oh..a bit about Bearbear (AKA Vicky the schnauzer).  She is doing well now.  We remain adamant about not cutting her up just to test what is the spots on her ultrasound.  The week and a half away from the Old Dog Home did good for her.  She is quiet to have around that you will hardly notice her, but I really missed her.

There are a number of rumors and verbal sparring going on by some people.  Good thing I wasnt involved in any of them.  However, it quiet down recently.  Can it be due to the fact that someone is traveling and not around to add salt and pepper to situations?  Well, we will know soon enough when they come back next month.

Saw this article where a man decided to stop using the 2 year old Range Rover he bought because he decided to be environmental friendly and not use a gas guzzling SUV. He has set up a website to let the public decide what shall become of his car.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/blowing-up-a-60.html?npu=1&mbid=yhp

I am not sure about his environmental efforts.  He decided to be environmental only when his car no longer suit his lifestyle needs.

Also, to let a potentially crazy public to possibly ‘burn down’ the car.  Its just trying to be attention grabbing.  Thats so stupid that I am still frowning while typing this out.

The recent craze that catches the bunch that I hang around with is paintball.

Did you know that paintball started out as an agricultural practice of marking cattles?  Paintball on humans was taken up in the early 80s when a group of guys wanted to ‘hunt’ each other in a safe manner.

Technology and game rules have since came a long way.  Like all games, this one require lots of stamina, both physical and monetary.

Here’s a pic from yesterday.  Simon with his mask and camera.

I found this article online.  Its very disturbing.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/playstation-2-component-incites-african-war/1231745

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Playstation 2 component incites African war

Console war reaches past the couch and into the Congo, claims report.

By Ben Silverman

Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?

According to a report by activist site Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony’s Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.

Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country’s coltan mines.

“Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms,” said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.

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So where’s the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.

Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.

But according to researcher David Barouski, they’re hardly off the hook.

“SONY’s PlayStation 2 launch…was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999,” he explained. “SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don’t care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan.”

Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.

We went shopping for prams today.  It is also known as baby buggy, stroller, etc etc.

There are many consideration.  Looking around the shopping mall at Marina Square, we found that prams these days come in many variety.  Cost aside.

Here we have a very simple stroller.  Nothing complicated.  Foldable into a really compact size for carrying around when the child is not in it.  Its good for paved floor as anything rough, like normal roads, will be a bumpy ride.

Then we have a more heavy duty type of pram with bigger wheels to make it a smoother ride even on rougher road.  But its heavier and cumbersome even when folded.  Not for those driving a starlet.

And of course, if you want to maneuverability, there is the 3 wheel version.  And its from Ferrari.

We even found another F1 team, Maclaren, with its version of the pram.  But the way it fold is very complex even though the design look innocently simple.  And not very friendly to handle when folded.

The cost of the prams ranged in the S$300-400.  Lucky there is no COE required.

My consideration is not weight as anything that bulky will be cumbersome.  As long as the bulk can fit into my car boot, thats alright.  Of course, for Yvonne, it will be a challenged.  For me, it will be important that the pram be able to be convenient to move around in crowded situations like shopping malls.

Of course, its not me.  Medically, I can’t get pregnant.

The baby is getting bigger for sure.  Yvonne is still looking good even though she doesnt think so.

I am looking around now and I find that we are totally lacking of understanding and facilities for the mobility challenged people.  We have handicapped parking and so on because the law required it.

Take yesterday for example, we went for a movie at Vivo city.  There was a gala premier and it was crowded.  As Yvonne is pregnant, I refused to exit through the normal exit which has a number of steep flights of steps.  The staff was totally confused as to what to do when I refused their instructions and decide to get out through the main entrance.  One of the supervisors had enough brains to get one of the staff to escort us out.  But that feel more to make sure we get out rather than we were given way.

The staff are just shocked by my request.  They have no idea what to do.  Even the supervising staff took a while to react.  They have no plan to help those who needs to move out from the main entrance especially since they have a gala event.

I wonder what will happen if there is a calamity, such as fire.  Are those staff even train to handle any type of emergency scenario?  I am deeply disappointed with the reaction.

‘My boss used force to kiss me.’

I read this headline on the newspaper today.  Something is wrong with this…I wonder if the boss is a Jedi or a Sith.  He knows the Force!!

I would like cheer for Kang Yee Cher.

Here’s an article about him.

There are many critics of this boy.  Simply because he is taller than most boys his age.  Parents of other boys are seeing green that someone bigger and better is beating the crap out of their kids.

Kang Yee Cher should be nurtured.  He is well developed in his physique.  He should be encouraged.  He should be given support.  He deserves to the best for his training.

His option is overseas.  Sg is simply not a place for such outstanding talent.

Privacy – The parents and principal of his school has restricted materials that will give proof to his age.  Many cried foul.  Where is the decency of giving the chap some privacy?  The parents and principal did the right thing last year.  They do not have to disclose it to the public.  Only the relevant authorities have privilege to that kind of disclosure.

Competition organizers – This is a knock to our ‘upgraded’ system to nurture talents.  This is such bull****.  The organizers should already push him to the next category of competition.  Look at his physique…well defined arms.  Its even better than mine during my teens.  The people involved should have taken him out and give him a more competitive platform to horn his skills.

Then again, maybe they already are giving him special training…but only to throw him back to the little league competition because his talent is limited by the age eligibility.  This is SG afterall.  Everything must be followed to the letter.  And special talent needs to be sent overseas for training coz our local authories would not know what to do, parents of other kids will jeer and boo and the kid will be stressed out by such issues.

In any case, I cheer for you, kid!  Keep up the good work.  Work hard and hope you will bring more glory to your track & field adventures.  Dun believe in what some will say to do it for your country.  Do it for yourself!

You can read more about it here.

A 22 year old was drown.  A very sad incident.

The family is deciding if they should hold SMU liable for allowing the 22-year-old, who does not know how to swim, to join their sailing team.  This 22-year-old worked extra hard because he wanted to be a skipper.

The man decided to join sailing, despite the fact that he cannot swim.  He was 22-year-old.  He was in university.  He may or may not understood the risk, but he made his choice.  Why is his family taking it out on the club?  Do we need to have regulation on everything now?