| Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Sterile aedes mosquitoes are to take off - not so soon though. |
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| | Buzz buzz.......Did your hear that?? Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in our environment!!!?? Franken Mozzies flying around us??? Oh NO!!! | | | Don't be frightened by the recent scientific development in Malaysia. Yes, there was such news. Just search/gOOgle/yahoo any 7th July 2008 news of GM mosquito in Malaysia. You will be served with news of sterile (genetically modified) mosquitoes that are said to be one day freely fly in Malaysia's airspace. But NOT just yet! | | | Yes, it is NOT going to happen - for the time being at least! "Phew, that's close!" was my reaction..though quite a mixed one, hahaha. Yeah, there are studies conducted now on GM aedes mosquitoes, with the hope to control/eradicate Dengue fever (and other host of mosquito-borne diseases). But the scientists involved and fellows from the Ministry of Health said that the GM mozzies produced cannot be released to the wild population yet because more wide-scope ecological risk assessments are needed. | | | Since they got 'bitten' by 'anti-dengue fever', scientists from Insitute of Medical Research and a US-based biotech company have been 'feverishly' researching on rendering aedes mosquitoes sterile, in order to halt the spread of dengue. What the smart guys did was they inserted a modified gene in male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. | | | So, when those mosquitoes are at their 'ready-to-mate' stage with their female counterparts of course (non GM and normal free-flying female mozzies), they will mate. However, the resulting larvae (the eggs) will neither have a single chance of seeing their mums, dads nor have they have opportunity to suck my blood and bless me with dengue fever. | | | | Sounds good. Dengue fever could one day be eliminated for good! But how come the many concerns? Why the neverending skepticisms? (Try reading this forum http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080521/full/453435a.html | | | | The main argument is definitely the ecological impact such as the possible natural creation of super-mozzie and extinction of other species due to accidental incorporation of the GM genes when the other species prey on the mozzie eggs! | | | | I will leave the argument of WHAT and WHO'S RIGHT, WHAT' and WHOWS WRONG to the professionals. As for you folks out there, keep your house clean..free of things (bottles, tyres, metal drums, flower pots, etc) that can hold stagnant water. So that you can eliminate places which aedes could breed happily. | | | | Meanwhile, I am gonna go trim my soon-to-be-jungle front porch garden. The weeds are beginning to look like mini Petronas Twin TowerS!!!! | |
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| Friday, July 18, 2008 Banning Fast Food TV advertisements |
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| I tried searching for info regarding the ban on fast food ads in Ministry's of Health website yesterday. Yet, I merely got unrelated search results. Wonder why. That aside, what I was trying to do was to find the latest efforts of fast-food ads ban on TV. Anyways, the ministry way back in June last year has announced the call for banning fast food companies from advertising their food products on TV. So, I'm just curious on the progress of that announcement by the ministry. | | A 22nd April 2008 news on TheEdgeDaily website stated that major fast food companies (you know who) have agrred with the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents (4As) The to adhere by the ministry's ruling. Based on the 4As’ guidelines, fast-food advertisements will not broadcast during children’s TV programmes that have a TV rating of 4% and above. (Oh no, this is sounding like a news feed. Sorry about that.). But only during TV shows catering 10-12 years old kids. | | Hmmm...so, only McD's, KFC and Burger King are affected? What about those ads showing sweet chocolate wafer-pops that come with cheapskate plastic toys? What about those colourful sweets ads that shows children entering (or rather being fooled) into a sweet fantasy land? Aren't they the same; i.e.: Fast food? You open the packaging and immediately "Here I go" pop in those mostly-air-filled choc wafer-pops. Do that, and you will be rewarded with - not McD's Happy Meal toys but tiny stickers, some tiny-and-crooked-shaped plastic toys. I bet that the toys will surely be doomed into Rubbush-land the next day. | | | So what? Will the mere ban can do enough to stop obesity problems? Now we have McD's 24-hours! Just spot on - right on time when some dudes in the ministry want to ban fast-food makers from advertising on TV. Smart moves you Ronnie. Oh, not to be left out...KFC 24 hours! = Calories 24-hours !! Hahaha..(mind you, we Malaysians still have other 'day-and-night fast-foods' like nasi lemak and roti canai (flour dough fried flat on a greasy pan - deliciously sinful). | | | Seeing a blaming pattern going on here? ("Shh...I gotta agree myself too"). You are what you eat. Why blame fast food? You have the choice to eat the right things. You know, all those too-often-but-true health advice like reducing your trips into the 'World of the Yellow Arch (or Golden perhaps?)...McDonalds that is - Hint: the universally-known yellow 'M' symbol). | | | | Shove in more greens and fruits. Stay away from juicy-crispy-fatty deep fried chicken skin. Heard of the word E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E? Yes? Then what are you waiting for. Start sweating off, in the gym or playground (no excuses). | | | I think I have been typing too much and sitting too long in front the computer. Time to go roller-blading! Till my next post, live healthily! |
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| Wednesday, July 16, 2008 2008 is THE Year for Potato |
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1) Taken from: www.coppola.rsmart.com 2) Taken from: www.asia.ru | | | Remember the 'Mr. Potato Head' cartoon that started way back in 1998 (by Fox Children's Network)? He must be proud this time around. Why is that so? | | Because, 2008 is 'International Year of The Potato', declared all the way back in 2005, during a United Nations general assembly. Potato is quite a cheap crop and is a major food entry in many countries. Providing a host of nutrients and cheaply available, the UN dudes want to promote its cultivation for food security purposes. |
| | These are some good stuffs about tuber vegetable: |
| - Carbohydrate is the chief nutrient in potatoes.
- Highest in Potassium - potatoes is number one in potassium level among the other 19 raw vegetables in contest.
- A cup of baked potato contains 21.0% of the daily value of vitamin B6 - a cell buliding vitamin
- They have the highest protein content (around 2.1 percent on a fresh weight basis) in the family of root and tuber crops.
- Vitamin C - a single medium-sized potato contains about half the recommended daily intake.
| Who doesn't love some yummy bites of potato crisps, potato fries (think french fries, duh...) and Kentucky Fried Chicken's mashed potato ('meltingly' good huh). Do eat moderation guys and girls. Or why not boil them or steam them? Or even go RAW! You don't wanna put on extra pounds of weight do you? | | Sit back (but don't be a couch potato) and enjoy browsing the website dedicated for POTATOES around the world. Click on this link: http://www.potato2008.org/en/index.html . They have some weird but unique-looking pictures of various potato varieties around the world. OH! They even have a WORLDWIDE PHOTO CONTEST that you may wanna join. All the best. |
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| Wednesday, July 09, 2008 G8 Nations see 'Cutting of Greenhouse Emission' as a half empty glass. |
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| HEWOOO!! |
| | I just wanna share this latest development about global warming issue. | | | Note: Yesterday, 8th July 2008 (in Japan), 8 wealthy (in terms of economy) countries in the world sat in a table (not for a meal) to discuss some issues, and one of it being global warming. It was the 8.07.08 G8 Summit. (what a mouthful of the number EIGHT). | | | Main: After some talk over tea (coffee perhaps?) and biscuits (or should it collectively be; sushi and sake, since the summit is in Japan), they have agreed to HALVE total world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. | | | | Boom! Aha! The keyword is 'TOTAL WORLD' - that means the HALVING effort is not specific to the wealthy nations, but rather all countries worldwide. Sad sad sad..for a second, I thought they would actually stop asking people to do the things that they have always reluctant to do (this is in my personal opinion, the same with the rest of my postings!! Hehehe..) |
| Green critiques have criticized (obviously) this commitment, saying the 50% target falls short from their expectation. Also, they call for short-term goals, eg.:By 2020 | | | I just hope they would look into Earth's deteriorating condition as a critical issue worth their time, effort and petrol (think private planes used to charter the ministers and their escorts). |
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| Wednesday, July 02, 2008 Nuisance-free Kitchen Mission |
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| Want to make your kitchen a better place that is free from nuisance? Ah, you are reading the right thing now..some info I get personally from my contacts. Whether it works or not, I will not hold responsible to that. Wahahaha!!!! (Evil grin  ) | | | | | | | So, good luck guys and girls in your mission top have a nuisance-free kitchen. | | |
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| Tuesday, July 01, 2008 You can expect the best from a bunch of old scientists |
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