Li Lian

  • 90,000 Traditional Fishermen to Benefit

    From the News Straits Times, Thursday, Oct. 18 2007.

    KUALA LUMPUR: Imagine a fisherman waking up in the morning to a telephone call, text message, an email or fax telling him exactly where the fish is going to be that day.

    For more:
    http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Frontpage/2062212/Article/index_html

    Because, SERIOUSLY?!

    Could this possibly be an inaccurate potrayal of a TRADITIONAL fisherman’s life?

    Morning call! “Good morning Mr. Fisherman, we’ll be sending you an SMS soon. Have a nice day!”. Beep! SMS Alert – informing him where to go fishing today for the best catch. This is followed by a fax with more details of the weather forecast and sea patterns. Then he gets a reminder email with an attached detailed location map to head for the ocean.

    The perfect catch of the day!

    SERIOUSLY?

  • Tissue Galore

    Tissue products are just not simply tissue products. Tissue products is used in every facet of my daily life! And I am sure the day will come when everyone else will feel the same way.

    Did you know that we use up to 23.9mio tonnes of tissue per year? This is despite some countries in Africa not knowing what tissue products are.

    It’s for hygiene purposes.

    Toilet tissue – For wiping the toilet seat (public toilets only), and you know where else (where the sun don’t shine, of course!).
    Facial tissue – In the event there is no toilet tissue. For cleaning your mouth after a meal (Ladies, dab-dab gently). In the event there is no other type of tissue product. It’s nice and handy to carry around those dainty little packs.
    Napkins – At restaurants, brightly coloured patterned ones for parties and barbecues. It’s so much easier than providing cloth napkins that needs washing and bleaching. Use and throw! How convenient.
    Towels – Just for the kitchen. To soak up the oil from deep fried foods, to wipe oily-anything, to wipe anything wet. I repeat, use and throw!
    Tissue paper – Or wrapping tissue. Don’t you think it gives that extra little special and thoughtful touch when you receive a gift wrapped in tissue paper, in a box? Or when you go to a shop, buy something, and they wrap it in tissue before putting it in a bag? I adore this! I re-use this wrapping tissue; to stuff my shoes and handbags so they maintain their shape because they don’t stain, unlike newspaper.

    My ideal characteristics of a tissue product – it must be strong! Yet maintains that silky softness. And NO LINT! please.

    I am sure there are a lot of environmentalists out there who would like to tell me how many trees are lost to making tissue products. And I know so too that tissue product companies are doing their share in making their products more environmental friendly (Well, at least those with a conscience). We just can’t win.

    And I don’t think anybody wants re-usable toilet tissue, or recycled toilet tissue.

    Lastly, toilet paper is not something anyone thinks about till it’s ALL GONE!

  • Passing Thoughts (The Beginning): Month 2

    It’s been two months now since I’ve started this website. And as I am typing this, I am smiling to myself and thinking that THIS! is not something that I would normally get up to. This sharing of what I think, my experiences, anything about me and everything else. But, HEY! I did it!

    I plan for Passing Thoughts to be a series of my thoughts, feelings and emotions – of this very moment, or this month, or maybe two months – as I navigate throughout my existence on this planet.

    14 August to 17 October 2007:
    This part of me that wants to identify with the world!
    I have just been introduced to the concept of blogging (by Jax) and the first thing that comes into my mind is that I am just like anybody and everybody else. So, here I am, wanting to be a little bit more, a part of this world.

    18 October to Current:
    I think I am starting to identify with the world!

    I am definitely a little bit more of this world now. I have signed up in facebook, and found friends way way way back from school. Less surprisingly, my universe of friends is still small. I am also now on MyBlogLog – where I am in 2 communities! I am learning to be cool! Ice-Ice-Bambino!

  • Now My Dog Has Cataracts?!

    Boo Boo is home from his dental procedure. Karen Kow went to pick him up. He was whining away when she got there, and later refused to look at her. Karen thinks he is upset with her. But he must be all right now because he immediately responded to a treat. The dental procedure went very well, and there appears to be no after effects from the anesthetics.

    And this morning, when my sister dropped him off, the vet told my sister that Boo Boo may possibly be developing cataracts! It appears that he is 7 years of age, going on 100!

    My friend once had a silky terrier with cataracts, and it just kept falling down the stairs because it couldn’t see! It later developed into glaucoma. This is really quite saddening.

    Cataracts are an opacity of the eye (the lense gets cloudy, either bluish-gray or milky-white) causing vision impairment. Could this possibly be why Boo Boo looks like he is squinting all the time? Or is that just his ‘i-am-einstein-look’?

    Cataract formation is actually a common eye disease in dogs either caused by old age, or it could be hereditary. I just found out that breeds with the highest cataract prevalence are as follows – Smooth Fox Terrier, Havanese, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, all Poodles, Silky Terrier, American Cocker Spaniel, and (would you believe it?!) MINIATURE SCHNAUZERS!

    This obviously has put me in a frenzy, and I am now researching prevention methods for cataracts in dogs.

    Apparently, nutrition plays an important role in preventing or delaying cataracts. Foods that are high in natural anti oxidants should help. Some of the vitamins, botanicals or nutrients that may be helpful include vitamins ACE, bilberry (my sister and I take this for our eyes, and it’s really good for dry eyes!), zinc, lutein, selenium, quercetin, ALA, carotenoids and grape seed extract. (Info source: http://www.holisticpetinfo.com/Conditions/eyes_cataracts.htm). I also read that lots of vitamin C would be helpful too, and the easiest way to administer vitamin C would be to give one cup of tomato juice to the pooch, daily.

    Since bilberry is working for me and my favourite sister, I think I will start Boo Boo on bilberry too. He’s quite tiny, only 6.7kgs, so I will give him one capsule, every other day. And if I am eating tomatoes, he will get some too.