My favorite hobby since childhood days remains scale modelling; making scale models of tanks, cars, and ships. Later on when the purse strings permitted, I branched out into radio control airplanes.
I was never a top notch modeller capable of producing show pieces that win competitions. Neither was I a proficient flyer of model planes; I guess my brain-to-hand coordination was just plain lousy. But these pursuits satisfied an urge inside me of things mechanical. I am always happy to see youngsters indulge in this healthy hobby rather than spend their time hanging around shopping complexes and video gaming centres.
It is a bit sad to see that the modelling hobby does not seem to have permeated a larger portion of youngsters and those young at heart. Part of the reason is probably the existence of other forms of entertainment such as video gaming and of course handphone texting. However I feel that the major reason is one of cost. Model kits and supplies remain among the highest in the region. When I used to reside in JB, I made regular trips to Singapore to get my modelling stuff. Even with present exchange rates, it is still worthwhile to buy them in Singapore. There is wide disparity between prices in Singapore and Malaysia. When I asked a Malaysian dealer why prices are so much higher here, he replied it was because of higher taxes. This is all BS to me! I did some checking and found that plastic scale model kits attract only 5% import duty and 10% sales tax; yet prices can often be 50-60% higher here. Radio control model kits and equipment are not taxed at all but prices are at least 50% higher than in Singapore. It is common practice for modellers in KL to make occasional trips to Singapore for all their supplies. Still worthwhile even after incurring the travel expenses and road tolls. They also get to see the latest kits and equipment there. Some even make online orders from established internet outlets like Tower Hobbies; I did and found their pricing and service second to none.
So what is happening here? It would seem that local dealers are making excessive profits and in the process discouraging new entrants to this absorbing hobby. Perhaps they need to make more to cover operating expenses due to lower sales volume. There are also not many dealers here who compete among themselves. It is certainly not due to higher rentals when compared to Singapore. When modelling supplies are priced high, less people are inclined to take up the hobby. With low volume import orders, local dealers cannot command bulk discounts from oversea distributors so they pass the higher cost to local customers. The vicious circle goes on; both dealers and hobbyists lose out. The government has done its part by levying zero or minimal taxes on the imported supplies.
Perhaps local dealers should try lowering prices to encourage loyal hobbyists to support them. It is indeed short sighted to make high profits per sale and end up with an overall low sales turnover. Far better to make less per item and make far more on higher sales volume.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
What sprouts?
The humble taugeh of course, what else.
I just learnt to grow my own taugeh; into my umpteen batch now. I can now enjoy fresh crunchy taugeh any time I want without having to go to the supermarket or wet market. Taugeh does not keep well in the fridge too.
Why on earth for? Taugeh is cheap enough at around rm2 per kilo at most. Besides the convenience factor, the main consideration is safety. Heaven only knows what growth stimulants the commercial growers saturate the mung beans for them to grow fast and thick as well as last long on the shelf. Too bad I can't raise my own fish, chickens, goats and cows in my apartment
Google 'bean sprouts' and you'd get hundreds of sites teaching you how to grow sprouts. Not just bean sprouts, practically all kinds of sprouts. Maybe I will try those others later.
The process is practically idiot proof, even for those who are all thumbs. All you need are mung beans; a few plastic jars with mesh covers, water and patience. Plastic jars that are about 6 inches in diameter and 8 inches height are ideal for a start. The mesh covers I used were recycled from a plastic mesh bag which held garlic bulbs. The mesh size was just small enough to prevent the beans from falling through. Anything will do, even your wife's stockings – just use a new one, with her permission of course. Use rubber bands to hold the mesh in place.
Cleaniness is of utmost importance here. First sort and discard foreign matter from the beans, then wash each batch thoroughly until the water runs clear. Beans that float are bad, chuck those out. Place enough beans to cover the bottom of the jar. Fill with water – rule of thumb is thrice the height of the beans. Secure jar mouth with mesh & rubber bands. Leave in a fairly dark place for 8 hrs, then pour out the water and rinse the beans; leaving mesh in place. If an unpleasant odour is detected, identify and discard the bad beans, wash again and replace in jar, then seal with mesh and refill water. Do this for 2 days, on the third day, pour out all the water – make sure you drain it well.Then replace jar in dark place; repeat rinsing and draining every 12 hrs. Watch the transformation. The beans will begin to sprout and can be harvested at 2inch lengths about 2-3 days later.
Try to avoid absolutely dark places like closets or cupboards, air circulation is important. You will need at least three batches to ensure continous supply of home grown taugeh.
Adjust bean quantity to cater for your consumption rate.
The sprouts you get won't be as long and fat as those available in the market because commercial growers use chemicals and gases to promote accelerated growth. One difference is the greenish hull of the homegrown sprouts; market bought sprouts are black in colour.
Won't save you much cash, but it is fun and safe to eat too.
Bynote : Ipoh taugeh being well known for their crunchiness and fat stalks are widely attributed to the use of well water in sprouting them. I don't really believe this; probably just a smokescreen propagated by the producers to hide widespread use of chemicals and gases.
I just learnt to grow my own taugeh; into my umpteen batch now. I can now enjoy fresh crunchy taugeh any time I want without having to go to the supermarket or wet market. Taugeh does not keep well in the fridge too.
Why on earth for? Taugeh is cheap enough at around rm2 per kilo at most. Besides the convenience factor, the main consideration is safety. Heaven only knows what growth stimulants the commercial growers saturate the mung beans for them to grow fast and thick as well as last long on the shelf. Too bad I can't raise my own fish, chickens, goats and cows in my apartment
Google 'bean sprouts' and you'd get hundreds of sites teaching you how to grow sprouts. Not just bean sprouts, practically all kinds of sprouts. Maybe I will try those others later.
The process is practically idiot proof, even for those who are all thumbs. All you need are mung beans; a few plastic jars with mesh covers, water and patience. Plastic jars that are about 6 inches in diameter and 8 inches height are ideal for a start. The mesh covers I used were recycled from a plastic mesh bag which held garlic bulbs. The mesh size was just small enough to prevent the beans from falling through. Anything will do, even your wife's stockings – just use a new one, with her permission of course. Use rubber bands to hold the mesh in place.
Cleaniness is of utmost importance here. First sort and discard foreign matter from the beans, then wash each batch thoroughly until the water runs clear. Beans that float are bad, chuck those out. Place enough beans to cover the bottom of the jar. Fill with water – rule of thumb is thrice the height of the beans. Secure jar mouth with mesh & rubber bands. Leave in a fairly dark place for 8 hrs, then pour out the water and rinse the beans; leaving mesh in place. If an unpleasant odour is detected, identify and discard the bad beans, wash again and replace in jar, then seal with mesh and refill water. Do this for 2 days, on the third day, pour out all the water – make sure you drain it well.Then replace jar in dark place; repeat rinsing and draining every 12 hrs. Watch the transformation. The beans will begin to sprout and can be harvested at 2inch lengths about 2-3 days later.
Try to avoid absolutely dark places like closets or cupboards, air circulation is important. You will need at least three batches to ensure continous supply of home grown taugeh.
Adjust bean quantity to cater for your consumption rate.
The sprouts you get won't be as long and fat as those available in the market because commercial growers use chemicals and gases to promote accelerated growth. One difference is the greenish hull of the homegrown sprouts; market bought sprouts are black in colour.
Won't save you much cash, but it is fun and safe to eat too.
Bynote : Ipoh taugeh being well known for their crunchiness and fat stalks are widely attributed to the use of well water in sprouting them. I don't really believe this; probably just a smokescreen propagated by the producers to hide widespread use of chemicals and gases.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Fast to eat, good to cook...... duhh
The instant noodle noodle business must be horrendously profitable; this is evident in the numerous companies in Malaysia making and marketing them. Aside from the usual stalwarts such as Maggi , Cintan & Mamee, little known names have also emerged from the woodwork. Even firms known for their packaged spices are making them to say nothing of hypermarkets hustling them under their house brands.
Imported brands from Asean nations such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have also made substantial inroads into the local scene. Having tried them, I must say they are better than the local ones – I guess they must be giving the local boys a tough fight. What I find mind boggling are that these imported brands often sell for less than the locally made ones, despite the logistical costs involved in bringing them over. Imported stuff from Asean nations are eligible for preferential import tariffs, such being the benefit of belonging to Asean. Which brings to mind a point - local firms are making obscene profits from this humble product. I wonder how much it costs to set up a production line to make the noodle cakes and a lab/packaging shop to pack the 'chemical soup powder' for the various msg laden flavours.
Many brands proudly trumpet 'no added msg' on the labels thus giving the consumer the false impression that it is better and his hair loss will probably lessen. Look closer into the ingredient list and you will see compounds like sodium inosinate & glutamate instead; these being alternative flavour enhancers. Wonder whether these new replacement chemicals are better or worse for health. Or is it msg has increased in price thereby warranting substitutes. Whatever it is, whether monosodium or disodium we really need to cut down drastically on sodium intake if we want to live longer.
Another caution is the anti-oxidants used to prolong shelf life of the noodles. As most of the noodle cakes are oil fried , anti-oxidants are essential to prevent the product going rancid. One such anti-oxidant is BHA (go look it up on the Net) - a waxy substance derived from the petro-chemical process. Seems we can't digest BHA and the gastro-intestinal tract have problems expelling it out thru our rear ends. Recommended measure is to drain away the hot water after cooking it, then refill with fresh hot water plus whatever flavoring the noodle came with. I read that this gets rid of most of the BHA. It may also be best not to use the plastic cup to cook noodles; use a large porcelain mug. No telling if the plastic cup will not react with the boiling hot water poured into it. For that matter, forget about cup noodles as they are much more costly than the normal soft packs, go figure out the maths to find out how much more you are shelling out for them.
Most brands include a smidgen of freeze dried vegetables such as carrot, spring onion, etc. Really just a smidgen cos they are niggardly in this, are freeze dried veges really that costly to produce? Some Asean brands even include dried fake chicken bits made from flour gluten in the bid to make the final product more appealing. This is all well and good but where are our local brands in this? These are actually available in their premium lines but let's face it, who wants to spend RM2 upwards for a lousy bowl of instant noodles when you can get decent hawker or foodcourt fare for just RM3-5 in Malaysia?
I have observed that the major buyers of instant noodles are students, foreign workers and people with foreign maids; the poor maids must be fretting over their hair loss and wondering how much a hairpiece will cost when their contracts run out and they go home to hubby and kids. Before the Indonesian brands penetrated the market, workers from that nation showed a marked preference for one of the local brands. The firm concerned will worry whenever there was a proposed crackdown on these foreign workers cos sales will plummet in their absence. I suppose such headaches no longer occur as the foreigners are now loyal to their own homegrown brands and no longer buy the local 'premium brand'.
I keep a small stock of instant noodles in my larder for emergencies such as tsunamis; nyuk nyuk. Hey, I live in PJ- just joking there. It is for those times when hunger gnaws at my vitals during the wee hours with sleep being elusive and I am too damn lazy to drive out to the 24hr mamak joint. I'd tell myself to just eat the noodles and avoid drinking the potent soup if I want to keep my head of hair. Which brings me to mention my buddy's young son in nursery school- this kiddo slurps up every drop of soup while leaving the noodles. I really cringe at this.
Imported brands from Asean nations such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam have also made substantial inroads into the local scene. Having tried them, I must say they are better than the local ones – I guess they must be giving the local boys a tough fight. What I find mind boggling are that these imported brands often sell for less than the locally made ones, despite the logistical costs involved in bringing them over. Imported stuff from Asean nations are eligible for preferential import tariffs, such being the benefit of belonging to Asean. Which brings to mind a point - local firms are making obscene profits from this humble product. I wonder how much it costs to set up a production line to make the noodle cakes and a lab/packaging shop to pack the 'chemical soup powder' for the various msg laden flavours.
Many brands proudly trumpet 'no added msg' on the labels thus giving the consumer the false impression that it is better and his hair loss will probably lessen. Look closer into the ingredient list and you will see compounds like sodium inosinate & glutamate instead; these being alternative flavour enhancers. Wonder whether these new replacement chemicals are better or worse for health. Or is it msg has increased in price thereby warranting substitutes. Whatever it is, whether monosodium or disodium we really need to cut down drastically on sodium intake if we want to live longer.
Another caution is the anti-oxidants used to prolong shelf life of the noodles. As most of the noodle cakes are oil fried , anti-oxidants are essential to prevent the product going rancid. One such anti-oxidant is BHA (go look it up on the Net) - a waxy substance derived from the petro-chemical process. Seems we can't digest BHA and the gastro-intestinal tract have problems expelling it out thru our rear ends. Recommended measure is to drain away the hot water after cooking it, then refill with fresh hot water plus whatever flavoring the noodle came with. I read that this gets rid of most of the BHA. It may also be best not to use the plastic cup to cook noodles; use a large porcelain mug. No telling if the plastic cup will not react with the boiling hot water poured into it. For that matter, forget about cup noodles as they are much more costly than the normal soft packs, go figure out the maths to find out how much more you are shelling out for them.
Most brands include a smidgen of freeze dried vegetables such as carrot, spring onion, etc. Really just a smidgen cos they are niggardly in this, are freeze dried veges really that costly to produce? Some Asean brands even include dried fake chicken bits made from flour gluten in the bid to make the final product more appealing. This is all well and good but where are our local brands in this? These are actually available in their premium lines but let's face it, who wants to spend RM2 upwards for a lousy bowl of instant noodles when you can get decent hawker or foodcourt fare for just RM3-5 in Malaysia?
I have observed that the major buyers of instant noodles are students, foreign workers and people with foreign maids; the poor maids must be fretting over their hair loss and wondering how much a hairpiece will cost when their contracts run out and they go home to hubby and kids. Before the Indonesian brands penetrated the market, workers from that nation showed a marked preference for one of the local brands. The firm concerned will worry whenever there was a proposed crackdown on these foreign workers cos sales will plummet in their absence. I suppose such headaches no longer occur as the foreigners are now loyal to their own homegrown brands and no longer buy the local 'premium brand'.
I keep a small stock of instant noodles in my larder for emergencies such as tsunamis; nyuk nyuk. Hey, I live in PJ- just joking there. It is for those times when hunger gnaws at my vitals during the wee hours with sleep being elusive and I am too damn lazy to drive out to the 24hr mamak joint. I'd tell myself to just eat the noodles and avoid drinking the potent soup if I want to keep my head of hair. Which brings me to mention my buddy's young son in nursery school- this kiddo slurps up every drop of soup while leaving the noodles. I really cringe at this.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Do you signal?
Do vehicle turn signals serves any purpose? You know, the stalk on the left or right of the steering column – you flick it up or down so that the slobs driving behind you can see which way you are turning.
Prescribed uses for the turn signals are when you change lanes on the highway, turn at a junction, exit into a ramp off the highway or when you are stopped by the road side. Yet hardly anyone uses them, as far as I can see.
There are instances where drivers turn at a junction without signalling, making the following vehicle perform an emergency stop to avoid rear-ending the offending one. There are also jokers who flick on their turn indicators just 20ft before turning and expect the vehicle behind to react in time. Might as well signal after the turn, sheesh.
Some of the worst offenders I have seen are those driving high end continental marques; they don't seem to know the turn indicator stalk exist in their cars. Perhaps it's more a matter of arrogance on the drivers' part - after all, they are driving better cars than the riff-raff behind them. Or perhaps they are actually trying to prevent wear and tear to the stalk switches – yes, I have actually heard of this measure. Similar to what some drivers do to prolong life spans of their headlight bulbs; they switch on the lights only when it gets so dark that only a bat can see its way around. Case of being penny wise and pound foolish – what does a stalk switch or bulb cost compared to a read end collision or accident?
I am also sure we have seen motorists turning on the hazard lights when driving in heavy rain. These poor misguided souls have no inkling that hazard lights are meant to be used only when your vehicle has broken down and is stationary on the road. Using them when the vehicle is moving can lead to other drivers misjudging your actions. The consequences can only be imagined only too vividly.
I suppose it takes all kinds to make up this world. It just happens you get to meet the worst examples on the road. It is not the car that kills; it is the nut behind the wheel.Be careful, what more can I say.
Prescribed uses for the turn signals are when you change lanes on the highway, turn at a junction, exit into a ramp off the highway or when you are stopped by the road side. Yet hardly anyone uses them, as far as I can see.
There are instances where drivers turn at a junction without signalling, making the following vehicle perform an emergency stop to avoid rear-ending the offending one. There are also jokers who flick on their turn indicators just 20ft before turning and expect the vehicle behind to react in time. Might as well signal after the turn, sheesh.
Some of the worst offenders I have seen are those driving high end continental marques; they don't seem to know the turn indicator stalk exist in their cars. Perhaps it's more a matter of arrogance on the drivers' part - after all, they are driving better cars than the riff-raff behind them. Or perhaps they are actually trying to prevent wear and tear to the stalk switches – yes, I have actually heard of this measure. Similar to what some drivers do to prolong life spans of their headlight bulbs; they switch on the lights only when it gets so dark that only a bat can see its way around. Case of being penny wise and pound foolish – what does a stalk switch or bulb cost compared to a read end collision or accident?
I am also sure we have seen motorists turning on the hazard lights when driving in heavy rain. These poor misguided souls have no inkling that hazard lights are meant to be used only when your vehicle has broken down and is stationary on the road. Using them when the vehicle is moving can lead to other drivers misjudging your actions. The consequences can only be imagined only too vividly.
I suppose it takes all kinds to make up this world. It just happens you get to meet the worst examples on the road. It is not the car that kills; it is the nut behind the wheel.Be careful, what more can I say.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy rears it ugly head every which way we turn. More often than not, we see it most often in religion. Yup, religion – a most sensitive subject.
A holier than thou attitude seems to pervade a lot of Christians. I am a Christian myself, so I am not commenting from an outside perspective. I see a lot of so called Christians who are nothing more than charlatans and hypocrites, tragically among my circle of acquaintances. They put on a pious facade when in congregation, reciting and singing lustily. But once the session is over and they have left the premises they fall back to their wayward lifestyles. Lie to friends and business associates, cheat on spouses, etc. These misguided souls invariably belong to small 'churches' or what is commonly known as shophouse churches. These churches are actually run much like any other business, requiring members to pay tithes and donate till it hurts. I have heard some actually require members to submit their tax returns as well. How the money is then utilised is anybody's guess; the 'pastor' often beyond query. To me, these are nothing more than a scam. A good example can be seen in a 'church' in Singapore; holding services in a public auditorium because it has no church building of its own. The pastor drives a top of the range continental car while receiving a 6-figure 'stipend' each month. Another pastor drives a hot Italian sports car. Kind of makes you think that a career change for yourself is in order here.
There are so many mainstream churches here – Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, etc etc. So why do people flock to the smaller churches which are neither here nor there?
I suppose the reason is because people tend to find the mainstream denomination churches boring and un-inspiring. Humans nowadays like to look for novelty and stimuli not to mention some excitement as well. The small churches tender or rather pander to this demand with flowery and moving sermons; when people are moved their purse strings move in tandem. Perhaps it is considered more hip to attend these churches, I don't know. I am not tempted to try them as I remain steadfast to my church which I joined since I was 4 years old. Decades ago.
The teachings of the small churches are disturbing to say the least. They dispute a lot of the teachings in mainstream Christianity. Besides the rejection of the Virgin Mary, they also reject the cross as the symbol of Christianity, saying that thieves were also crucified on the cross. They also take exception to innocous exclamations with 'holy' in them such as holy cow. A friend's face colored when I mentioned charity and social work; this same person has been going around quoting from the bible and pretending to be a good Christian. Small minded and misguided hypocrites, that's what they are. I wonder what nonsense their 'pastors' have brainwashed them with. The bible's teachings has been interpreted and twisted in ways to move people insidiously and to differentiate from mainstream churches. A very dangerous trend has developed. False prophets are in our midst, evil is at work.
I have always believed that religion is a very private matter between God and myself. There is nothing to pretend, either you believe or not. As long as you have faith in God and live out your life with a clear conscience; I believe that God will always look out for you whatever your religion. What is the point in declaring yourself a good Christian to all and sundry but lie, cheat and connive at all opportunities. Might as well be an atheist and lie, cheat and connive to your heart's content. Don't waste any calories in pretending to be what you aren't. At least then, I may admit rather grudgingly that you are a man of your word.
Such hypocrisy is really just a manifestation of evil. Evil is at work when humans take something and twist it to suit their own purposes; religion is no exception nor spared.
False prophets are really in our midst. Tread softly and carry a big cross.
A holier than thou attitude seems to pervade a lot of Christians. I am a Christian myself, so I am not commenting from an outside perspective. I see a lot of so called Christians who are nothing more than charlatans and hypocrites, tragically among my circle of acquaintances. They put on a pious facade when in congregation, reciting and singing lustily. But once the session is over and they have left the premises they fall back to their wayward lifestyles. Lie to friends and business associates, cheat on spouses, etc. These misguided souls invariably belong to small 'churches' or what is commonly known as shophouse churches. These churches are actually run much like any other business, requiring members to pay tithes and donate till it hurts. I have heard some actually require members to submit their tax returns as well. How the money is then utilised is anybody's guess; the 'pastor' often beyond query. To me, these are nothing more than a scam. A good example can be seen in a 'church' in Singapore; holding services in a public auditorium because it has no church building of its own. The pastor drives a top of the range continental car while receiving a 6-figure 'stipend' each month. Another pastor drives a hot Italian sports car. Kind of makes you think that a career change for yourself is in order here.
There are so many mainstream churches here – Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, etc etc. So why do people flock to the smaller churches which are neither here nor there?
I suppose the reason is because people tend to find the mainstream denomination churches boring and un-inspiring. Humans nowadays like to look for novelty and stimuli not to mention some excitement as well. The small churches tender or rather pander to this demand with flowery and moving sermons; when people are moved their purse strings move in tandem. Perhaps it is considered more hip to attend these churches, I don't know. I am not tempted to try them as I remain steadfast to my church which I joined since I was 4 years old. Decades ago.
The teachings of the small churches are disturbing to say the least. They dispute a lot of the teachings in mainstream Christianity. Besides the rejection of the Virgin Mary, they also reject the cross as the symbol of Christianity, saying that thieves were also crucified on the cross. They also take exception to innocous exclamations with 'holy' in them such as holy cow. A friend's face colored when I mentioned charity and social work; this same person has been going around quoting from the bible and pretending to be a good Christian. Small minded and misguided hypocrites, that's what they are. I wonder what nonsense their 'pastors' have brainwashed them with. The bible's teachings has been interpreted and twisted in ways to move people insidiously and to differentiate from mainstream churches. A very dangerous trend has developed. False prophets are in our midst, evil is at work.
I have always believed that religion is a very private matter between God and myself. There is nothing to pretend, either you believe or not. As long as you have faith in God and live out your life with a clear conscience; I believe that God will always look out for you whatever your religion. What is the point in declaring yourself a good Christian to all and sundry but lie, cheat and connive at all opportunities. Might as well be an atheist and lie, cheat and connive to your heart's content. Don't waste any calories in pretending to be what you aren't. At least then, I may admit rather grudgingly that you are a man of your word.
Such hypocrisy is really just a manifestation of evil. Evil is at work when humans take something and twist it to suit their own purposes; religion is no exception nor spared.
False prophets are really in our midst. Tread softly and carry a big cross.
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