The_King

one of my earliest memories is of sitting around a makeshift communal table with my mother and sister, past our bedtime, in front of the car park at the public housing estate we lived in in Singapore. It was sometime in the mid-1980s, long after hygiene regulations had confined vendors to dedicated hawker centers. This pushcart stall, likely illegal, was probably one of the last of Singapore’s itinerant hawkers. We sat on low stools, tucking into our piping-hot fishball soup and noodles served dry. Singaporeans are obsessed with food. We can expound ceaselessly on where to find the best bak chor mee (minced meat noodles) and will queue for hours for a good yong tau foo (surimi-stuffed tofu and vegetables). Perhaps because most of us are descendants of immigrants thrust into an artificial construct of a nation, or maybe because we live in a country that is constantly renewing and rebuilding, one of the few tangible things that connects us to the past and our cultural identity is food. There are many facets of Singaporean cuisine: Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian (a fusion of European and Asian dishes and ingredients) Peranakan (combining Chinese and Malay food traditions), and catch-all Western, which usually means old-school Hainanese-style British food—a local version of Western food adapted by chefs from the southern Chinese province of Hainan, who worked in British restaurants or households. FENG Singapore was a trading city going as early as the 14th century. Some early settlers were the Orang Laut (sea nomads) and Chinese merchants, and various Indonesian empires lay claim to the territory before it became part of the Malay Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. In 1511, Portugal captured Malacca, then the world’s largest spice market, in a bid to take control of the lucrative maritime Southeast Asia trade route. The Sultan of Malacca fled south and his son founded the Johor Sultanate, which encompassed Singapore. In 1613, the Portuguese came to Singapore on a punitive expedition and burned Singapore to the ground. It was abandoned until the 19th century, when Sir Stamford Raffles, representing the British East India Company, arrived. Unlike other Europeans who later sailed into the region to try and divide up territories, the Portuguese intermarried with locals. Some of their descendants, also known as the Kristang, eventually migrated to Singapore when Malacca was seized by the Dutch in 1641. Feng is a spicy, tangy Portuguese-Eurasian stew of diced pig offal. Damian D’Silva, executive chef at Eurasian-Peranakan restaurant Folklore, says a good fengrequires “a good spice mix, fresh innards that are properly cleaned, and patience”—cleaning and preparing the offal, which includes letting it simmer for hours and sit overnight, can take days. Despite its longstanding roots in Singapore, Eurasian cuisine is notoriously hard to find at restaurants, but some chefs like D’Silva are working to change that. EPOK-EPOK Singapore became a British trading colony in 1819. The British, whose rule lasted until 1963, left a legacy of left-hand traffic, English as the lingua franca, and the common-law system. Some say epok-epok, a popular snack, is an Indian samosaadapted to the British palate, while others say it was inspired by the Cornish pasty. (Still others say it comes from the Portuguese empada, which would imply that epok-epok predates the British.) While some purists insist that the similar curry puff—a popular snack in Malaysia and Singapore—and epok-epok are not the same thing, Madam Halimah, who runs Yang’s Epok-epok with her sister, says epok-epok is simply the Malay version of the curry puff, with a thinner crust and finger-pinched edges. Their epok-epok, available in two flavors (sardine or curried potato), are probably among the cheapest in Singapore, priced at just S$0.50 ($0.37) each and make a perfect tea-time snack or a quick meal on the go. BAK KUT TEH By the late 19th century, Singapore had emerged as an important regional entrepôt, given its strategic location and deep-water harbor. Laborers from southeastern China toiled along the Singapore River, unloading goods from flat-bottomed wooden boats. The origins of bak kut teh, or pork rib soup, are unclear. It may have been invented locally for these laborers as a much-needed morning energy boost, perhaps by Teochew hawkers—Chinese immigrants from the Chaoshan region in China’s Guangdong province. Others claim the recipe was brought over from China’s Fujian province. Whether you prefer the peppery and light Teochew bak kut teh, or the more robust and herbal Hokkien variant, the soup is typically eaten with a side of steamed rice, chopped red chili in dark soy sauce and, to a lesser extent, strong oolong tea to cut through the grease. As a child, I used to pay early morning visits to the bak kut teh stall with my grandfather; we would sip hot tea together while we waited for our order. Head to Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh’s main outlet on Rangoon Road for an old-school experience, complete with oolong tea from Singapore’s oldest tea merchant, Pek Sin Choon. LAKSA By the 20th century, with Singapore flying the free-port flag high, trade had burgeoned and attracted shiploads of immigrants. Singapore’s population jumped from about 1,000 in 1819 to over 200,000 at the turn of the century, according to a 1901 census. Chinese immigrants made up the lion’s share (72 percent) of the population, followed by Malays, Indians, Europeans, and Eurasians of mixed Asian and European descent. Laksa, a dish of thick rice vermicelli with prawns, fishcake, tau pok (tofu puff), and see hum (blood cockles) in a rich, spicy coconut-based broth, garnished with roughly-chopped daun kesum (laksa leaves), is said to have originated from intermarriages between local Malay women and the Chinese traders and sailors who arrived in the British- and Dutch-controlled port cities along the spice route. At Sungei Road Laksa, the broth simmers over a charcoal fire and the soup is dished out with production-line efficiency. Second-generation owner Wong Ai Tin says her father, who opened his pushcart stall in 1956, popularized eating laksa with a spoon instead of chopsticks paired with a spoon. This was perhaps out of necessity, as customers then huddled around the pushcart and ate laksa standing by the roadside. KAYA TOAST Chinese immigrants from Hainan province are said to have created kaya toast—toast served with a custardy coconut jam and butter—in the 1930s. According to legend, Hainan cooks aboard British ships were attempting to replicate fruit jam, but made do with limited ingredients, including coconut, eggs, and pandan leaves. The economic slowdown brought on by the Great Depression offered new opportunities for these Hainanese immigrants, who took over low-rent, vacant buildings and opened kopi tiams (coffee shops). Heap Seng Leong is a blink-and-you-miss-it relic in a nondescript public housing estate in central Singapore. Shi Pong Hsu, the 82-year-old proprietor and coffee master, has been running the show since 1974. His 55-year-old son, Shi Ting Chow, says little has changed since then: They’ve only just raised the price of kaya toast, by S$0.20 ($0.15) to S$1.20 ($0.87). They are Hokchew, meaning their ancestors came from the Fuzhou region of Fujian province; the Hokchews were also known for opening kopi tiams. The elder Shi toasted the bread on a charcoal grill and served it alongside kopi gu you(coffee with melted butter), a Hainanese specialty KUEH UBI KAYU British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese in February 1942, in what Sir Winston Churchill described as “the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history.” It was renamed Syonan-to (Light of the South Island). The Japanese occupation of Singapore lasted from 1942 to 1945, and was marked by hardship and scarcity. Kueh ubi kayu, or steamed tapioca cake, is a bite-sized dessert, consisting of steamed tapioca, a starch made from cassava root, which is then coated with grated coconut. It is widely believed to have its origins in the occupation, when many locals were forced to survive on cassava, which grows easily and can be harvested every three months. Ang Tiong Guan has been making kueh ubi kayu for the last 30 years at Heng Heng Ondeh-ondeh and Tapioca Cake, the stall he took over from his mother after her death. It’s a laborious process: He and his wife, Ng Gek Hoe, typically spend more than 12 hours each day making the chewy kueh and manning the stall. “We sell more tapioca cakes than my mother-in-law [did], even though the recipe is the same. Maybe during those post-war days, the stigma of eating tapioca cake was too strong,” Ng says. Their stall opens at 7 a.m. and they usually sell out by midday. FISH-HEAD CURRY Fish-head curry was invented in Singapore in 1949, when Marian Jacob Gomez, an Indian restaurateur from Kerala, wanted to create a South Indian-style dish to cater to Chinese customers who considered fish head a delicacy. Around this time, Singapore witnessed the first wave of Indian goldsmiths arriving from Tamil Nadu, who followed in the footsteps of earlier Indian immigrants, most of them ethnic Tamils from South India who worked as laborers, money-lenders, and traders. There were even some convicts who decided to settle down in Singapore after serving their sentences. “Today, tourists from India come to our restaurant and some of them are shocked to see that fish-head curry is on the menu, as the dish does not exist in India,” says Nagajyothi Mahendran, the third-generation owner of Samy’s Curry. Mahendran says her grandfather, M Veerasamy, started cooking the dish in a shophouse—a mixed-use building—in the 1960s. Samy’s Curry, now housed in a 5,000-square-feet colonial house, serves about 50 claypots of the dish each day. Opt for biryani rice and don’t forget to fold your banana leaf in half, inward towards yourself, kept in place by your cutlery, when you are done eating—basic banana-leaf etiquette. SAMBAL STINGRAY Singapore’s relationship with Malaysia is complicated, to say the least. The postwar years were a time of social unrest, unemployment, and anti-colonial sentiments in Singapore, which eventually culminated in the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963—uniting Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, and North Borneo under one flag. The union was not to last—Singapore left a mere 23 months later. As with many local dishes in Malaysia and Singapore, there is ongoing debate regarding the origin of sambal stingray. Depending on who you ask, it could be a Malaysian dish that gained popularity in Singapore, or a Singaporean Malay creation that is commonly sold by Chinese hawkers. What we do agree on is that this dish single-handedly changed the fate of stingray, once an unpopular fish. Despite being classified as an overfished species by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), it is still a relatively inexpensive fish in Singapore today. Typically slathered with spicy, aromatic sambal chili paste, wrapped in banana leaf, and grilled, this dish is a hawker center mainstay—Chomp Chomp BBQ at Fengshan Market & Food Centre does a pretty decent version, best enjoyed with a squeeze of calamansi lime before serving. Chinchalok, a spicy and pungent fermented shrimp sauce dip, is optional. KACANG PUTEH Before television sets became commonplace in Singapore, cinema was the main source of entertainment for many Singaporeans, its appeal wide-ranging with screenings of American, British, Chinese, Malay, Hindi, and Tamil films. Kacang puteh, Malay for “white beans,” is a selection of nuts, crackers, and grain legumes. The mix was traditionally packed in cones made from newspaper and sold by pushcart vendors outside cinemas. These pushcarts usually contained a range of snacks, including roasted cashew nuts, steamed chickpeas, sugar-coated peanuts, and murukku, a crunchy and savory Indian snack. The local cinema industry managed to survive the Japanese occupation during World War II, but it took a hit in the 1980s with the emergence of video-cassette recorders and rampant video piracy. Lower cinema attendances meant fewer customers, with the arrival of cineplexes eventually sounding the death knell for kacang puteh vendors. These modern cineplexes often come with adjoining food and beverage stands and strict rules on the consumption of snacks bought elsewhere. Amirthaalangaram Moorthy is a third-generation kacang puteh vendor whose stall is near a bus stop on Selegie Road right outside Peace Centre—a far cry from the now-demolished Hoover Theatre in Balestier, where his father used to set up his stall. He still painstakingly makes most of the snacks from scratch, but in the face of inexpensive, shiny packs of factory-produced party snacks stocked at convenience stores and supermarkets, he has stiff competition. MALA XIANG GUO In the 1990s, facing an aging population and declining fertility rates, Singapore opened up to immigrants and foreign workers. Between 1990 and 2015, Singapore’s population increased by 82 percent, among which citizens grew by 29 percent, permanent residents by 371 percent, and non-residents by 424 percent, according to government statistics, with most new immigrants hailing from Malaysia, China, and India. The influx of new immigrants has contributed to the continued evolution of the Singaporean foodscape. Mala xiang guo, a fiery, mouth-numbing stir-fry of vegetables from southwestern China, has become popular in Singapore in recent years. Stall owners Mao Congfang and Wu Zhansheng, who migrated from China’s Henan province in 2005, opened Ri Ri Hong Mala Xiang Guo, and are widely credited with popularizing the dish in Singapore. “We’ve tweaked the dish to be less greasy and less salty to accommodate local preferences,” Mao said, adding that in the beginning, most of their clientele were recent immigrants from China. “Today, half our customers are locally born Singaporeans.”

We’ve all had the odd kitchen fail over the years, right? I remember once making Spaghetti Bolognese for my now-husband after I first moved out of home too many years ago to disclose. It took me an eternity to cook and when we sat down to eat it, we both paused. It was revolting. Both of us tipped it all into the bin, I cried, and my husband raced out for take-away. I’ll never forget that feeling of deflation as having spent so much time and effort on something for it to just not go to plan. One Victoria-based husband recently cooked a meal that surprisingly did work out … until his wife noticed a suspect measuring cup inside the bag of rice THE NEXT DAY! “My husband is BAD in the kitchen and I should have never trusted him,” Cindy Hobbs told Kidspot. “He can’t cook AT ALL, he burns toast, makes lumpy gravy, butchers fried eggs … he’s hopeless.” “I used it to measure the rice last night, it said three cups of rice” Cindy, who has her own business making stunning pieces of jewellery to celebrate all life ‘from breastfeeding, birth to passing’, posted images of text messages between her and her husband when she noticed a familiar ‘friend’ inside the bag of rice that he had used to prepare dinner the night before. “What is this doing in the rice?” she asked. After her husband explained that he had used the offending item to measure rice for dinner the night before, Cindy responded with a simple nauseated face emoji. She then explained what the small silicone cup actually was and he still didn’t get it, mistaking her response for a misspelling of Minestrone Soup, which was the meal they had eaten on that fateful evening. After a suggestion to google ‘menstrual cup’ he then gets it with a simple expletive that we all think is quite fitting in the situation: ‘F**K’. People on the Breastmilk Jewellery Facebook page found it equally hilarious, with 360 shares and even more comments, mostly tagging friends for a laugh. “Oh sweet god hahahahahahah.” “Dick pod! That’s the best! ??” When you hear just how it happened, it will all make sense One person asked why the menstrual cup was in the kitchen in the first place, but many will agree that those babies are mighty sterile at the best of times. Cindy did explain that things were hectic in the kitchen at the time, with soup on the stove and two young children getting into things around the house. Since the kids, aged eight and three, were unlikely to eat soup, she was also preparing a second meal of fried rice in an attempt to make dinner time pleasant (we’ve all been there, right?). She said, “I got too distracted to finish the rice so hubby took over, I asked him to add a cup of rice to the soup and put some on for the fried rice. My toddler came running out of the bathroom with my menstrual cup, I took it off her and placed it on the kitchen sink right next to the rice. My husband assumed this was the measuring cup and as I walked off to deal with the kids he took over in the kitchen and committed the crime.” “He’s a walking disaster really” Cindy was able to laugh at her husband’s mistake, and she explained that they have a wonderful relationship where they share many laughs, often at each other’s expense, but his history of these type of things mostly end in injury to himself. They range from, “ripping his nipple ring clean out at work, fracturing his tail bone on a slippery dig, falling on his head after attempting a backflip on a kids’ swing [and] splitting his head open on a tilt door at work, just to name a few.” Cindy said that above all else, her husband is constantly making her laugh, and she wouldn’t have him any other way. “I can see women scrambling for their cups to hide them right now” We think the above commenter is right. Ladies, run now! It’s almost lunch time, and nobody needs a repeat of this mealtime fail! This article has been republished with permission from Kidspot.

Singapore will no longer hear “hi, welcome to Chili’s” as of this week, because the American casual restaurant chain breathed its last on March 24. In what appeared to be an abrupt announcement yesterday, the brand put up a Facebook post informing customers it had shuttered all its outlets on the island the day before. The short online farewell thanked guests for “all the great moments and memories” over the past 10 years, eliciting sad reacts from netizens who seemed to really enjoy the burgers, steak, and enchiladas there. If you’re a fickle foodie, you probably haven’t stepped into a Chili’s in years, seeing as how we’ve got plenty of other (dare we say, better) options in Singapore. But unfortunately for loyal fans of the eatery, if you didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to its Tanglin Mall, Resorts World Sentosa, and Clarke Quay Central branches, it’s too late now. At least it lasted an entire decade, which is more than we can say for other international F&B concepts that’ve tried and failed to make their mark on the tough dining scene in Singapore.

No interest in the character at all the only marvel movies i watch are: iron man 1, 2 and 3, avenger, cap america civil war (because of iron man). and i watch thor a bit when get his power or lose power, and of course most marvel end credit. the rest of the marvel i never watch, even if you give me $1000 to name the story or part of the movies, i want that money also can tell.

Marvel endgame will be the last marvel i will watch as the character i am interested in hulk, iron man and thor, will no longer be around.

Marvel promises a “grand conclusion” as “the remaining Avengers take one final stand.” The one-month countdown to Avengers: Endgame is on, and Disney continues to tantalize us with drips and drabs about the film that brings to a close the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began with 2008’s Iron Man. Today, we got the official synopsis for the hugely anticipated film, which, as expected, is light on details. The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios’ grand conclusion to 22 films, “Avengers: Endgame.” Meanwhile, AMC Theatres’s website has been updated to note that the film will run three hours and two minutes — the longest for any MCU entry yet — although Disney still lists the runtime as “TBD” on its press site. Release date The film is slated to hit theaters at 12:01 a.m. on April 26, 2019. Tickets are expected to go on sale within the next few days. Trailers So far Marvel has released three trailers for Endgame. The first dropped on Dec. 7, revealing that Iron Man and Nebula were adrift in space and running low on options, while the rest of the surviving Avengers were back at HQ assessing the toll of the Snapture (not Shuri!), Thanos was ready to retire from the bad-guy business, Hawkeye was back in action (in a new guise) and Ant-Man had managed to escape the Quantum Realm to inject a bit of humor in the otherwise dark two-minute, 22-second preview. The clip quickly set a record with 289 million views in 24 hours. Get our complete breakdown of the first trailer and watch it below: Next up was a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, with a clean-shaven Captain America, Black Widow, Ant-Man, War Machine, the Hulk-less Bruce Banner and Rocket trying to figure out how to avenge the universe. Watch the Super Bowl spot: The most recent full-length trailer dropped March 14, interweaving footage from the past 22 MCU films along with new footage that included action sequences, shots of the reassembled Avengers (including Tony Stark and Nebula) in matching uniforms that resemble Ant-Man’s Quantum Realm suit, Hawkeye’s fresh (and meme-able) hairdo and the introduction of Captain Marvel to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Get our full recap of the second trailer and watch it below: On March 21, another TV spot came. Titled “Honor,” the 30-second clip shows all the casualties of the Snap and Captain America rallying the remaining troops. https://sg.yahoo.com/news/avengers-endgame-official-synopsis-runtime-revealed-223405259.html

SINGAPORE: Singtel announced a tie-up with Amazon Prime on Monday (Mar 25), as well as a new all-digital mobile plan priced at S$20 a month. Under the partnership, eligible Singtel customers can receive one-year free Amazon Prime membership, which is valued at S$2.99 a month. Customers who qualify are those that sign up for a new 1Gbps fibre broadband plan, fibre broadband customers who sign up for a new Combo mobile plan or 12-month SIM Only plan, as well as customers with both mobile and fibre services who re-contract either plan. The offer will run from Mar 26 to Jun 30, said Singtel. “We are delighted to offer Amazon Prime for customers to stream, play and shop right at their fingertips, and we look forward to introducing more complementary services to enhance their digital experiences,” said Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO of Consumer Singapore at Singtel. Amazon Prime offers free international shipping in seven to nine business days on orders above S$60, as well as other shopping and entertainment benefits. Prime membership also grants access to video-streaming services Amazon Prime Video and Twitch Prime. “We think customers in Singapore will love Prime’s many shopping and entertainment benefits, including ultra-fast delivery on tens of thousands of items with Prime Now, unlimited streaming of binge-worthy TV shows, movies and award-winning Prime Original series, free benefits for gamers and more,” said Mr Jamil Ghani, vice-president of Amazon Prime International. Singtel also announced a new all-digital mobile plan. Priced at S$20 per month, the GOMO Mobile plan includes 20GB of data, 200 minutes of talktime, 200 SMSes and free Caller ID. Customers who sign up for GOMO, which stands for Get Out More Often, will get dining offers such as 1-for-1 discounts at selected cafes and restaurants. The lifestyle rewards will be expanded to include ride-hailing, entertainment events and activities, and travel-related promotions, said Singtel. The plan is available to everyone in Singapore with no additional charges or deposits required for Work Permit or S Pass holders. Source: CNA/ec(hs)

Singapore is a country that was always interested in video games. As of now, Singaporeans spend 7.4 hours on average playing games every day. This means they are the most gamer country in the Asia Pacific region! So, it’s natural that Esports is a big thing, and Singapore Esports is watched daily. In terms of consecutive hours played, they are the first in the world. This is according to the State of Online Gaming report done by Limelight Networks. This consumers’ gaming behaviors report says that they spend consecutively an average of 1.56 hours gaming. The report says that more than 66% of gamers in Indonesia watched others play online every week. Around 9% of these people say that they watched for more than seven hours in total. This means that they spend more time watching Esports than they spend watching traditional sports on TV, or on online traditional sports programs! Jaheer Abbas, the regional director for India and South East Asia of Limelight Networks said: “Online gaming has taken off exponentially in recent years, be it playing themselves or watching other gamers. As this raises expectations for performance and security, it is of utmost importance that gaming platforms not only focus on creating engaging content but also ensure they deliver highest-quality online experiences that keep gamers playing longer and coming back for more.” The report also said that Singaporean gamers are considering video games as their professional career. 38% said that they would quit their jobs and start gaming if they could support themselves doing so. If there is demand, there is supply! The Singapore Sports club recently started plans on building an Esports training facility, teaming with Team Flash to build it. Now, the local emerging talents should really have a way to present and improve themselves. You can take a look at the survey here. This survey included a total of 4500 consumers from various countries. They surveyed people aged 18 and older who played video games at least once a week – Germany, France, India, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. https://gaming4.cash/esports-watched-more-than-tv-singapore

20GB for $20 comes with 200 mins + 200 SMSes + Free caller ID Get a FREE GOMO Travel SIM worth $20 with every GOMO Mobile sign-up before 30 April! https://www.gomo.sg/mobile

YORK, England: I recently found myself in the surreal world of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas discussing the next generation of pollution sensors that one day you might find inside your phone. The exhibits I saw suggested the next big thing in home technology could be anything from intelligent cat litters to internet-enabled teapots, with everything powered by mysterious machine learning and the unfathomable blockchain. But there was no escaping that air quality and air purification is now a seriously big thing in the consumer products world. Most major white goods manufacturers have a range of products. There are also plenty of start-ups offering new variants – including purifying robots that wander forlornly around your home and bizarre bio-inspired devices that blow air over the leaves of poor unsuspecting houseplants. If you live in Europe it could be easy to dismiss these as tech gadgets that may never catch on, but that would be badly misjudging the ever-expanding user base for home air filtration that already exists in Asia and beyond. These devices are for sale because people want them, and the market could be worth in excess of US$30 billion per year by 2023. INDOOR AIR In some regards, indoor air purification is an individually empowering technology. In a well-sealed home, filtration-based purifiers clearly make a difference and can noticeably reduce concentrations of tiny harmful particles, particularly if the home is somewhere with lots of pollution outdoors, such as central Beijing or Delhi. The evidence for the removal of harmful gases indoors, including volatile organic compounds from paints and glues, is sketchier. Some systems get the gases to stick to a charcoal-based filter, but there is little independent data that shows these actually work. In other types of purifiers, UV radiation is used to accelerate a chemical reaction that turns those gases into carbon dioxide and water. However, manufacturers have not yet published data to show that this process doesn’t actually end up converting relatively benign compounds into something more harmful. Outdoor air filtration demonstrators have so far proved ineffective, simply because the atmosphere is so huge relative to the size of the filtering system. However, indoors, the balance shifts. Homes have internal volumes measured in the hundreds to maybe several thousands of cubic metres and, simply due to natural drafts and leaks, the indoor air is swapped with outdoor air perhaps once per hour. That is still a lot of cubic metres of air to clean, but the maths begins to stack up. Yet the costs of filtration are possibly larger than they first appear. Most air purifiers use cellulose or polymer membranes that are replaced every month or so, often as part of a regular service contract. The air is pushed through the filters with fans and pumps which use energy, perhaps anywhere between 100 watts (equivalent to a bright lightbulb) and 1,000 watts (a microwave), depending on the size of the air cleaner and home. Poor air quality in this sense then impacts on climate by increasing energy demand in the home and the city, and of course it adds directly to the user’s electricity bill. The power demands of air filtration are not as great as air cooling, but would potentially run 365 days a year, not just in the summer months. If you add 500 watts of continuous demand to millions of homes, this becomes a big deal. CONCENTRATING CHEMICALS Then there is the elephant in the room. What happens to all those millions of microfibre particle filters or traps full of activated carbon? I asked that question more than 20 times in Las Vegas and the answer was always the same – you put them in the bin. Should we care? Possibly, yes. Filters in the home that collect particles end up concentrating some rather unpleasant toxic chemicals gathered from air outside – heavy metals from brake wear, polycyclic aromatic compounds from wood and coal fires, nitrosamines from cigarette smoke, the list goes on. A filter may end up holding milligrams (and maybe more) of individual chemicals that were initially found in air at very diluted concentrations, and whose previous fate was probably to deposit as a very thin layer over huge areas of land. If hundreds of millions of filters from millions of homes are then all dumped in the same few city landfills, we double the concentration process. Are we simply shifting a problem from the air into a problem of those same chemicals now leaching out into the soil and water? It’s unclear how much thinking has gone into this, or the energy demand consequences should hundreds of millions of people start purifying their own air at home. There are some obvious conclusions to be drawn, the most striking being that there is a financial opportunity for someone in every crisis. But this particular solution comes with costs that we haven’t yet well quantified. Air filtration adds electricity demand for sure, it needs raw materials and resources to build, maintain and support and it is possibly creating chemical disposal problems we haven’t yet evaluated. It does however reinforce the well-trodden scientific principle that it’s always more efficient to stop pollution at source than try to clean up afterwards. Alastair Lewis is Science Director at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science in the University of York. This commentary first appeared in The Conversation. Read it here. Source: CNA/nr

Jade Almond, 16, was hospitalised in July after falling back off a chair and hitting her head, leaving her unable to walk unaided. Doctors diagnosed her with functional neurological disorder, leaving the former Wigan Athletic Ladies goalkeeper needing intensive privately-funded physio. After seven months of £14,500 crowd-funded sessions (shown left with sister Jodie, halfway through her course of treatment), the teenager was finally able to walk, run and dance and was discharged on February 21 (shown excitedly climbing stairs unaided after being discharged, inset). But in a cruel twist of fate, Jade, along with mother Michelle Almond, sister Josie and two friends, were hit by another car on the M60 on their way home hours later. The impact of the crash has now left Jade bed bound with 'the strength of a newborn baby', partially paralysed and unable to sit up unaided (shown being helped by her mother, right).

No feel too

https://www.facebook.com/edwinedl/videos/10214731626624298/

https://www.facebook.com/edwinedl/videos/10214730093865980/ https://www.facebook.com/edwinedl/videos/10214731626544296/

WASHINGTON/JAKARTA (Reuters) - A U.S. lawmaker on Friday urged current or former Boeing Co and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees to come forward with any information about the certification programme for the 737 MAX, which has suffered two fatal crashes in five months. Boeing and the FAA are under global regulatory scrutiny over software and training on the signature aircraft. Boeing risked losing a $6 billion order for the jet on Friday, its first since the world's entire fleet was grounded last week. Indonesian airline Garuda said it plans to scrap its order because some passengers are afraid to board the plane, although industry analysts said the deal was already in doubt. In the United States, the chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Peter DeFazio urged people to use the committee's whistleblower web page. "It is imperative we continue to ensure we have the highest level of safety for the travelling public," DeFazio said. American Airlines pilots were preparing to test Boeing's planned software upgrade for an anti-stall system on MAX simulators this weekend, saying they want their own safety guarantees on the software fix. The 737 MAX was Boeing's fastest selling jet before an Ethiopian Airlines crash near Addis Ababa on March 10, which followed a Lion Air crash in Indonesia on Oct. 29. Ethiopian and French investigators have pointed to "clear similarities" between the two crashes, which killed 346 people, putting pressure on Boeing and U.S. regulators to come up with an adequate fix. No direct link has been proven between the crashes but attention has focussed on whether pilots had the correct information about the "angle of attack" at which the wing slices through the air. Ethiopia has shared limited information with foreign investigators, Reuters reported on Thursday, and an industry source said Boeing had not yet received any black box and voice recorder data. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, on Friday raised concerns in a letter to the FAA about regulations that allow aircraft manufacturers to effectively self-certify the safety of their planes and "left the fox guarding the henhouse." The FAA declined to comment. The U.S. Justice Department opened a separate investigation this week. The FBI has declined comment. Garuda CEO Ari Askhara told Reuters on Friday: "Many passengers told us they were afraid to get on a MAX 8." However, the airline had been reconsidering its order for 49 of the narrowbody jets before the Ethiopian crash, including potentially swapping some for widebody Boeing models. Southeast Asia faces a glut of narrowbody aircraft like the 737 MAX and rival Airbus A320neo at a time of slowing global economic growth and high fuel costs. "They have been re-looking at their fleet plan anyway so this is an opportunity to make some changes that otherwise may be difficult to do," CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said. Indonesia's Lion Air has also said it might cancel 737 MAX aircraft, though industry sources say it is also struggling to absorb the number of planes on order. RETROFITS Boeing now plans to make compulsory a light to alert pilots when sensor readings of the angle of attack do not match - meaning at least one must be wrong -, according to two officials briefed on the matter. Investigators suspect a faulty angle-of-attack reading led the doomed Lion Air jet's computer to believe it had stalled, prompting its anti-stall system, called MCAS, repeatedly to push the plane's nose down. Norwegian Air played down the significance of the compulsory light, saying that, according to Boeing, it would not have been able to prevent erroneous signals that Lion Air pilots received before their new 737 MAX plane crashed in October. Boeing must be cautious with how it characterizes the safety alert, risking legal claims by saying it could have made a difference in the crash while not wanting to suggest that the retrofit is meaningless, legal experts said. The Lion Air plane did not have the warning light installed, and Ethiopian Airlines did not immediately comment on whether its crashed plane had the alert. But the Ethiopian carrier, whose reputation along with Boeing's is at stake, issued a statement on Friday emphasizing the modernity of its safety and training systems, with more than $500 million invested in infrastructure in the past five years. The Ethiopian crash has set off one of the widest inquiries in aviation history and cast a shadow over the Boeing 737 MAX model intended to be a standard for decades. Boeing did not comment on the plan to make the safety feature standard, but separately said it was moving quickly to make software changes and expected the upgrade to be approved by the FAA in coming weeks. Experts said the change needs regulatory approval and could take weeks or months. Regulators in Europe and Canada have said they will conduct their own reviews of any new systems. Boeing shares have fallen 14 percent since the Ethiopian crash. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/news/boeing-mandate-safety-feature-max-software-upgrade-sources-065237660--finance.html

Don’t have a cow, man - unless it's at Petco. A man and woman from Texas couldn’t help but laugh as they recently walked their leashed steer into a Houston-area Petco to really see if “all leashed pets are welcome” at the store. To Shelly Lumpkin and Vincent Browning’s surprise, the African Watusi was welcomed “with open arms,” Browning wrote on his Facebook page on Monday. “The staff members here are always super friendly and courteous to us. We really enjoy coming to this location...our favorite Petco BY FAR!!” The post has since earned more than 400,000 views. https://www.facebook.com/vincent.browning/videos/828088067528164/ Oliver is owned and trained by Browning for rodeos and other shows, and although it’s not clear exactly how much he weighs, African Watusi bulls can reach 1,600 pounds, according to the Livestock Conservancy. https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-man-brings-steer-to-petco-to-test-all-leashed-pets-are-welcome-policy

Question 1: TACKLE YOUR OUTSTANDING DEBT Agreed, and done Question 2: STAY HEALTHY, GET INSURED stay healthy agree get insured disagree happy retirement start at prefer age around 35. at 65 who guarantee you will still be healthy enough to life and tons of money to pay vermin? it not cheap as you get older to pay vermin . how many people say 100 people born on same day and how many still healthy enough and still alive at age 65 to enjoy life. do the math please Question 3: KEEP YOUR FINANCES IN CHECK 50% 50% ensuring your expenditures are kept in check will only get you there halfway, the other half is self substantial (how? for me to know, for you to find out) Question 4: HAVING A STEADY STREAM OF INCOME 50% 50% self substantial is the key, blue collar know nuts about Diversifying portfolio. if blue collar know that would be blue collar anymore Question 5: RETIRE FROM WORK NOT LIFE what have retire fomr work got to do with your life? if your life is work that, work is life then i agree else it a stupid question. life is not just about work

SINGAPORE: Guess how many seniors are still paying off their housing loan? Hard to imagine isn’t it? But according to a Credit Bureau Singapore study in 2014, the number of Singaporeans aged 65 and above still servicing outstanding mortgage loans numbered over 15,000 – triple the figure in 2008. It’s harder to imagine how these seniors will achieve retirement adequacy. Nearly three in 10 Singaporeans expect a lot less income in retirement than they do today, according to a 2015 Global Ageing Institute study. The same survey found that a large number of Singaporean workers expect to receive benefits from the Central Provident Fund to fund their retirement expenses. So it is no wonder why most Singaporeans were anxious over news about the CPF payout age, when many were not sensitised to the opt-in nature of the scheme which allows recipients to receive payouts beginning at 65, or automatically receive payouts at 70. Manpower Minister Josephine Teo nonetheless acknowledged that workers appear to be more concerned about being able to work longer and save more in Parliament last month. More recently, she revealed that a survey done by the Manpower Ministry suggested that over half who withdraw their CPF accounts leave it in a bank account. This episode shone a spotlight on Singaporeans’ concerns over retirement, where some readers asked what more could be done to secure their retirement finances and maximise returns on their money, instead of fixating whether we get our CPF at 65 or 70 or somewhere in-between. 1.TACKLE YOUR OUTSTANDING DEBT How about ensuring you’re debt free first and foremost? Debt can exert a heavy burden and lead to emotional stress, affecting our well-being and straining family ties. It also represents a huge opportunity loss because the interest paid could have been put to good investment use. My advice would be to get rid of all outstanding debt, and prioritise those with the highest interest rates. At up to 26 per cent per annum, credit card bills can snowball into a huge debt. A simple calculation: S$10,000 on a credit card can be settled in 5 years with a S$300 monthly repayment, but this incurs almost S$8,000 of interest. It’s not just S$8,000 that you could have spent. If you had kept this $8,000 invested, with 4 per cent annualised returns, your money would have grown to nearly S$9,300 – meaning more money to spend each month or more retirement income to spread over a longer period. This principle should apply to all aspects of our finances. Even for those of us who might secretly congratulate ourselves for being thriftier, have we managed to pay off our housing loans? Eliminate your outstanding debt first because it will impact how much you have left over each month to spend. 2. STAY HEALTHY, GET INSURED How about ensuring your healthcare needs are taken care of? At age 65, we should have appropriate health insurance coverage. Falling sick can be very costly so it is no wonder Singaporeans see affordable, quality healthcare as a key concern, according to a survey by government feedback agency REACH in January. In recent years, the Government has rolled out national healthcare insurance schemes to pool risk. All Singaporeans will have Medishield Life to help with large hospitalisation bills and for those born after 1980 or have opted in, Careshield Life, which aids with disability needs. Part of your average hospitalisation bill for a public hospital, which ranges from S$970 to S$6,389 (according to data.gov.sg) depending on your stay, the procedure and ward you choose, can be suitably covered. But what about the pre- and post-hospitalisation follow-ups? You might want to upgrade to an integrated shield plan, which offers riders covering these expenses. Those of us more risk averse may also prefer riders that cover the full hospitalisation bill including deductibles (subject to a mandatory 5 per cent co-payment imposed just last year to avoid over-consumption of medical services). But having a hospital plan is not the end of the story. Even after getting out of the hospital, recovering from a critical illness may mean losing the capacity to work altogether. A critical illness policy assures you of a full sum to be paid out should you ever be diagnosed, not to be confused with a life insurance plan which pays out after the policyholder has passed on. These insurance plans help to lessen the financial burden for retirees and their family, while providing income support for your care needs and dependents during your recovery. As seniors are more prone to falls, which can debilitating at that age, a personal accident policy can also help to reduce out-of-pocket outpatient expenses. Getting the right insurance coverage can go a long way in ensuring a huge medical bill doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket and scuttle other life goals you may have. 3. KEEP YOUR FINANCES IN CHECK How about ensuring your expenditures are kept in check? Sometimes the most important advice is the simplest: Spend on needs and not wants. I cannot stress enough the importance of simple financial discipline. Categorise your expenses. Set a specific target or limit on each pot of money. Keep to that limit. For example, if you plan to spend 10 per cent of your allocated retirement fund on food each month, don’t splurge on more. The most difficult thing to do may be to differentiate between needs and wants. Do you really need your car? Do you really need a foreign domestic worker? The recent proliferation of affordable and on-demand cleaning, care and ride-hailing services may make getting such help on an ad hoc basis more financially sensible than owning a car or employing a full-time foreign domestic worker. And do you really need that huge house after all the children have left the nest? Downsizing to a smaller apartment not only means you have smaller maintenance bills and less cleaning-up to do, it also allows you to unlock the equity in your old home – which can go a long way to fund new expenses and comforts. 4. HAVING A STEADY STREAM OF INCOME How about having a diversified stream of income? One of the major concerns retirees have is outliving their savings. A Nielsen survey in 2015 found that almost seven in 10 feel that their savings will not last through retirement. Ensuring a consistent flow of income is crucial. Diversifying your portfolio to invest in different schemes can additionally augment your retirement income Sure, you play the stock market. But the key to successful investment is time. It is not about timing the market, but how much time you leave your money in the market. Reacting to market sentiments and making emotional investment decisions are both bad for investments, Warren Buffet once said, whereas investing in long-term funds can bring significant compounded returns. For someone preferring less risky investments and with more pay-out certainty, it’s worth considering getting a retirement income plan. This usually takes the form of an endowment policy sold by insurance companies, in which policyholders contribute either a regular amount for a designated time period or a lump sum. The pay-out age is timed to coincide very close to your retirement age, so that you can receive a guaranteed chosen amount, for up to 20 years. The guaranteed pay-out provides a source of savings for retirees and usually can be structured to take the form of one lump sum or monthly payouts. There is also a projected non-guaranteed terminal pay-out when the policy matures - a bonus. Your CPF Life fortunately pays out annuities for life, regardless of how long you live, providing a basic assured income. 5. RETIRE FROM WORK NOT LIFE The irony is that many of our rising concerns about retirement adequacy stems from a higher average life expectancy which will reach 85.4 in 2040 and possibly even longer after, with advances in nutrition, care and medicine. Retiring from work shouldn’t mean we retire from life. In the same vein, thinking about retirement adequacy must go beyond dollars and cents to consider what a life well lived entails. It can be an opportune time to seek out new purposes and fulfil longstanding passions, to serve the community in a fresh role or start a new hobby. It can mean time for ourselves and time for purposeful activities that give our days meaning, but the important thing is to exercise agency to chart a new, positive chapter in our lives. Studies have also shown that those who keep active and engaged in retirement are happier and enjoy better health and well-being. The last thing we want is for financial concerns to derail those plans. Planning early can give us the confidence to turn the page when we retire. Patrick Chang is a financial consultant and author of The A To Z Guide to Retirement Planning. Source: CNA/nr

SINGAPORE - A pipe gave way in the carpark of Yishun 10 Multiplex on Saturday evening (March 23), causing water to spray from the damaged pipe. Civil servant Darren Yong, 25, who parked his car there when he went to watch a movie at the mall's cinema, returned around 6pm to find the carpark floor wet and water spraying overhead like a fountain. A video of the scene he sent to The Straits Times showed that some sections of a series of pipes attached to the ceiling had fallen. A section of the pipes had also dropped onto a car. Mr Yong, who had parked about 10m away from the incident, said: "I'm not sure how it started, I just quickly got my car away." He was also worried that the carpark would flood. A spokesman from Yishun 10 Multiplex said the building's management is looking into the matter and that the issue was resolved at 9.30pm. The bolt nut of a pipe had given way, she said. She added: "It is unfortunate that this has happened and the building management will do the utmost to assist the affected ones." https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/water-pipe-gives-way-in-yishun-mall-carpark

SINGAPORE - Four food caterers and a restaurant involved in a series of food poisoning cases last year that left more than 230 ill in total had their food hygiene grades lowered to a "C" on Thursday (March 21). In notices on the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website, the four food caterers were named as Foodtalks Caterer and Manufacturer in Bedok North Street 5, One Family Catering at Food Xchange @ Admiralty, and The Orange Lantern Gourmet Kitchen and Sin Yong Huat Catering in Aljunied Avenue 4. Foodtalks, One Family and Sin Yong Huat previously had a grade "B", while The Orange Lantern was an "A", according to information available on the NEA website. The only restaurant listed was Imperial Herbal at the Four Points by Sheraton, Riverview hotel located in Havelock Street. The restaurant's previous grade was an "A". NEA said that the food poisoning incidents occurred between July and November last year. The case involving Foodtalks saw the most number of victims among them, with 110 people reported having gastroenteritis symptoms after eating food provided by the caterer, which operates from industrial complex Shimei East Kitchen. The victims included Kindergarten 2 children and teachers who were attending a learning camp organised by Busy Bees Asia in November last year. None of them were hospitalised. The Ministry of Health, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and NEA had conducted a joint inspection of the caterer's premises after the cases were reported on Nov 26. Last year, 27 people fell ill after eating food from The Orange Lantern on Sept 24, 38 people ate food from Sin Yong Huat on Aug 28, and 35 had food from One Family Catering on July 27. There were 24 victims in the food poisoning case at Imperial Herbal on Nov 7. Mr Wang Jin Hui, the owner of Imperial Herbal, told The Straits Times that the 24 belonged to a tour group from China, who ate five dishes at the restaurant for lunch. Two vegetable dishes were found to have higher than usual levels of bacteria, said Mr Wang, 58. The restaurant has since looked at replacing a plastic basket used to contain the vegetables before the dish is served to patrons. It will be using aluminium or steel baskets instead, which can be cleaned in a high-temperature dishwasher, Mr Wang said. "We will also adopt a more thorough cleaning process, including disinfecting our premises every week," he said. The Orange Lantern director S. S. Lee said that the company had catered some meals for 350 Singapore Polytechnic foreign students over five days last year. They were told on the fourth day of the event that two students had fallen ill on the first day. Mr Lee said that the 27 students fell ill over the four-day period. However, MOH investigations found no evidence of cross contamination or bacteria in the food. The ministry also could not find the cause of the food poisoning, he said. Mr Lee added that he had earlier appealed NEA's decision, after the agency reported some lapses in hygiene during their inspection, such as flies in the kitchen and food scraps under the cooking wok. "We have already carried out more cleaning routines in our kitchen, and also installed plastic curtain strips at all entrances and increased number of flies traps, so that there will be no further hygiene lapses," he said. NEA said that it adjusted the caterers' and restaurant's food hygiene grade to "C" from March 21 after investigations. The grade will be reviewed in 12 months, and NEA will be keeping the premises under surveillance in the mean time. The public can view the revised grades after 12 months here, under "Search Track Records of Licensed Food Establishments". https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/4-caterers-1-restaurant-in-last-years-food-poisoning-spate-have-nea-hygiene-grades-cut-to

A man was caught on video performing a lewd act under a block of flats while wearing a bra and skirt. A Stomper shared the video with Stomp which has been circulating online. It is unclear where or when this happened. In the video recorded by someone in a unit at the block, the man is seen placing the women's wear down as he takes off his shirt. He then puts on the navy blue bra as he peeks around the corner to check if anyone is approaching. After adjusting the bra, he takes off his slippers and shorts followed by his underwear before donning a blue skirt. He is constantly seen checking for passers-by. After wearing the skirt, he peeks around a corner while he proceeds to masturbate. After about a minute, he takes off the skirt and bra and puts his own clothes on again. He stuffs the bra in his right pocket and grabs the skirt before walking off. The offence of Doing any Obscene Act in a Public Place carries a punishment of up to three months' jail and/or a fine upon conviction. Video here: https://stomp.straitstimes.com/singapore-seen/man-changes-into-bra-and-skirt-before-masturbating-under-block

SINGAPORE - Local gamers spent more time playing video games than their East Asian neighbours, a survey by US-based edge cloud services provider Limelight Networks has shown. Singaporean gamers spent 7.44 hours on average each week playing video games, compared with South Koreans (6.69 hours) and the Japanese (6.88 hours). The Germans spent the most time playing such games, spending an average of almost eight hours a week. They were followed closely by United States gamers (7.61 hours) and then by Singaporean gamers. The survey was based on responses from 4,500 consumers - aged 18 and above who played video games at least once a week - in nine countries including Singapore, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the US. Conducted between January and February this year, the survey polled respondents on a variety of topics, from the types of games they played to the devices they used. Local gamers had the longest average video-gaming duration in the world. They spent an average of 1.56 hours playing video games consecutively, edging out their counterparts in the US (1.54 hours) and South Korea (1.49 hours). Video producer Seow Yang Wei, 39, is a Singaporean gamer who plays up to eight hours straight sometimes. This happens especially when it is a new role-playing game, like the recently released Devil May Cry 5, he said. Such games usually let a gamer play a character with quests to finish. Often, these have an immersive storyline. "Role-playing games are like good Korean dramas. When I start playing, I just can't wait to find out the twists and the endings to the plot. So I will just keep on playing," said Mr Seow, who owns a Nintendo Switch and a PlayStation 4 Pro gaming console. Mr Seow reckoned that he spends around 20 hours a week on average playing video games. "I usually play during weekends. But if I am not so busy, I will play on weekday nights too," he said. Public relations intern Cassandra Choi, 23, plays games for at least an hour a day on her Apple iPhone 7. The mobile games she plays range from the SuperStar BTS music rhythm game to the Drive and Park car-parking simulation game. "I find these games addictive, as there is this sense of achievement when I unlock the next stage," said Ms Choi. Plus, her curiosity to see what happens on the next stage drives her on, she added. Mobile phones remained the most popular device for gaming in the world, according to the survey. Singaporean and Japanese gamers tied for second place among those using mobile phones most of the time to play games. South Korean gamers led the pack in this area. "It is much more convenient to play games on mobile phones, as I can play while commuting, waiting for the bus or whenever there are pockets of time," said Ms Choi. https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/games-apps/singaporeans-spent-more-time-playing-video-games-than-south-koreans-and-japanese