A Rare Visitor

This small bird is a rare visitor and is caught, on camera that is.





Have no idea what kind of bird it is though. But thanks to the internet, it has been identified as the yellow bellied female Sunbird which is about 4 inches in length.





Originally from mangrove habitat, the Olive-backed sunbird has adapted well to humans, and is now common even in fairly densely populated areas, even building their nests in human dwellings. They seem to exploit the fact that most predatory species avoid humans and by building their nests near areas with high activity they gain some form of protection. Although primarily a nectar feeder, Sunbirds feed their young on insects.

The Cuppa

Twenty years ago almost every home, coffee shop in Costa Rica was equipped with a coffee making device called Chorreador de café. The coffee simply tastes better than modern percolators, coffee makers and Mr. Coffee machines.





Singapore heartland kopitiams use the cloth filter bag too.
Any NS soldiers will tell you horror stories of disgruntled cooks using real sweaty socks to release pent up anger when they brew a pot of kopi O for night training supper.





Malaysia uses the same cloth filter but the local Indian coffee stall operators added the "tarik" or pulled action on tea or coffee to bring out the x flavour of the addictive beverages.

Moving House

Moving into a new house, either brand new or resale is not simply carrying the luggages there.


Chinese have a list of must-do before stepping into the new abode. Many now practise the ritual when they open the door for the first time. Some may even insert the key into the main door and wait for the auspicious hour, 8.28am or 9.28am.


Throwing the pineapple. Ong Lye as it is known is thrown or rather roll into the house symbolising rolling in the wealth. It will be great if the fruit lands in the middle of the home where wealth will be spread all over the house. And yes remember to give a throaty war cry "huat ah" the same kind that is presently resonating inside the new casino in Sentosa.





Rice and green beans are mixed and scattered to every corners of every room. Toilets included. For the feng shui die hards, before they take the first step into the house they have to mutter "I am the new owner and will be living here from now onward, whoever that is staying inside please move out now, thank you"




Coins should preferably be placed at every corners of the house too.


For the actual move in day, a charcoal stove wrapped in red paper will be lighted up outside the house and the people staying there will step over the stove, then enter the house. The fire should be used to boil water and drank for luck.


For the harder than die hards, praying and burning of joss sticks and gold silver paper at all corners of the living room will complete the ritual.


There will be no need for all these hassles if you do it the American way.


Or the Indonesian way.

The Tiger Zodiac

The Tiger year is here once again after leaving a trail of upheavals in the political arena in 1998. Casualties include Suharto, Anwar Ibrahim.


Then it was the earth tiger. This year is the metal tiger. Will it be a mild cat this time ?


The poor tiger is the most hunted animal for its medicinal parts. The bone has been used for at least 1,000 years to treat painful conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism.

Penis

The tail of the tiger is sometimes ground and mixed with soap to create an ointment for use in treating skin cancer, while he tiger's penis is said to be an aphrodisiac.


If urgent and proper measures are not taken, there is a risk that wild tigers will no longer be found on Chinese territory. In the whole of vast China the country now has only about 50 wild tigers.


In India poaching is widespread because of the value of tiger skin. A dead tiger is not worth much so tiger parts are being smuggled out to China.


Medan Sumatra Indonesia , is the main hub for the trade of tiger parts. Tiger body parts are openly sold in towns across Sumatra.


Singapore has ban trading of tiger parts but is known as a main market for tiger parts smuggled in from Indonesia. But like branded Italy goods tiger penis also come in fake versions.

TIGER business is lucrative business.

A Good Heart

For years, doctors' obsession with lowering cholesterol to prevent heart disease is causing more harm than good.


The fact is, your high cholesterol may be protecting you from cancer.


A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology revealed that driving down cholesterol levels actually increases the risk of cancer.


Researchers at the Tufts University School of Medicine found that among people taking "statin" drugs - like Lipitor and Zocor - there was a higher rate of cancer. Although the link between the drugs and cancer wasn't clear, there was no doubt that drastically low cholesterol levels correlated to cancer risk.


The big drug makers continue to sell the notion that the best way to fight heart disease is to lower LDL levels, the so-called "bad" cholesterol.


Yet 75 percent of people who suffer heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels.


It makes sense that low cholesterol levels are linked to cancer because cholesterol is one of your body's basic building blocks. You need it to produce testosterone, to build and repair cell membranes, and to preserve your nerve cells through the formation of the protective "sheaths" that cover them.


As long as you have a high HDL count - 75 to 80, for example - it doesn't matter whether your total cholesterol is 150 or 350. A high HDL will always keep your risk of heart disease extremely low.


Consume natural fats. Avoid processed or fast foods containing "trans" fats - these man-made substances were never meant for consumption, and your body doesn't know what to do with them. They wind up clogging your arteries and putting you on the fast track to heart disease.

Words of Wisdom

All men are created equal, declared Thomas Jefferson in 1776.
In today's high rolling, money talk world the only time man are equal is when they are dead.



Birth, Old age, Sickness, and Death are four events of suffering which humans cannot escape and cannot control.
Venerable Thich Thanh Tu asked "are you afraid of dying ?"
Dying is not frightening because when one dies, one leaves old age and sickness behind – that means one should be happy for one is finally free from them.



A wise man learns by the mistakes of others, a fool by his own.
Wise men are extinct in today's corrupted dog eat dog world. With money they believe they are God.



The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.



God helps those who help themselves.
They certainly did. To the money of course. Nothing but money is sweeter than honey.



Allah will not give mercy to anyone, except those who give mercy to other creatures.
Wonder if the terrorists hear this one.

Economy Watch

Non Oil Domestic Export - Year on Year

-20.8 percent in December 2008 - S$10.47 billion
-34.8 percent in January 2009 - S$10.04 billion
-23.8 percent in February 2009 - S$12.87 billion
-17.3 percent in March 2009 - S$11.88 billion
-19.2 per cent in April 2009 - S$11.32 billion
-12.1 per cent in May 2009 - S$10.94 billion
-11.0 per cent in June 2009 - S$11.38 billion
- 8.5 per cent in July 2009 - S$12.08 billion
- 7.1 per cent in August 2009 - S$12.1 billion
- 7.2 per cent in September 2009 - S$12.81 billion
- 6.1 per cent in October 2009 - S$12.50 billion
+8.7 per cent in November 2009 - S$13.1 billion
+26.1 per cent in December 2009 - S$13.2 billion
+20.8 per cent in January 2010 - S$12.04 billion