Oldies but Goodies

Matured, aged but still the classic performers.

As General Macarthur said, old soldiers never die, they just fade away.

And riding into the sunset...

After the Rain

During the dought at the beginning of 2014.

The dried leafless trees.

The straw-brown drought-stressed grass.

After two months of dry rainless days.

The trees bloom. The grass turn a lush green.

The Trumpet Tree, scientific name Tabebuia Rosea, bloom gloriously making up for lost time.

This tree is known for its impressive flowering display, where the entire tree is spectacularly covered in blossoms.

This takes place in April and August, usually after a dry spell.

Exhaust In The Sky

The contrail from the jet plane occurs above 8,000 metre.

Some contrails stop and start. This is due to the plane flying into a layer of low humidity.

In view of the downing of Malaysia Airline MH17 which was cruising at 9,000 metre, attention has been directed to the BUK Missile System which can hit aircrafts flying at over 15,000 metre.

The system cannot tell the difference between civilian and military aircrafts. As the MH17 disaster proves, the weapon in the hands of "thuggish militants" should send chills down the spine of air travellers.

4 Letter Word

This message is angry, circumventing the offensive word.

 Using the global swear language is an offence in many countries.

Sky Terrace Bridged

Terraces connecting the 5 towers are installed.

It won't be long when new residents call Queenstown home.

Good Food Gone Bad

Honey was discovered in ancient Egypt way before religions were created.

Honey is a natural food that never goes bad. Archaeologists found 2000 year old jars of honey in Egyptian tombs and they are still edible.

The chemical composition of low water content and high acidic level in honey creates a low pH environment that makes it unfavourable for bacteria to grow.

Modern day honey production could be contaminated from different pesticides used for crop protection.

In India, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reported antibiotic residues above the regulatory standards in honey samples.

Antibiotics are found in honey because they are used in apiculture treatment of bacterial diseases. Antibiotic residues originate mostly from the environment and improper beekeeping practices.

The majority of honey samples analyzed from major honey producers around the world contained residues of pesticides and antibiotics.

Long-term effects on humans by antibiotic residues in honey is a concern.

Stop The Sin

China banned shark fins from all official banquets in 2013.

The ban comes after the chinese new found wealth allow them unimpeded access to the luxury soup earning China the largest consumer of shark fin soup in the world title.

Short of an outright ban, will the consumption stop ?

It must be remembered that there is a hugh market for shark fin in China.

When price for the delicacy drop, the soup becomes affordable for ordinary chinese.

And there is uncountable ordinary chinese in the world.