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I've always been drawn to the wilderness. It's perhaps a sense of adventure, but perhaps also an understandable response to growing up in our painstakingly curated and unyieldingly artificed Singapore. The wilderness represents an otherness, a mystery, a case of what-could-be. I've also been fortunate enough to have had opportunities to spend time in various remote landscapes, far away from the vicious machine of modern civilization. It's never truly wild, but it's a stark contrast to the glass-and-concrete jungles we walk daily. Recently, I've somehow fallen into something of a 'rewilding' Youtube rabbit hole. To oversimplify, rewilding is a form of ecological restoration that tries to increase biodiversity in areas to support and accelerate natural processes. To think about it a different way, it's effectively to give the land back to itself. Now, I will immediately raise my hand to concede that I am no eco-warrior. I have not given up meat, I still very much partake in consumerist behaviour, I don't do the greatest job in recycling, I still ride a large-capacity petrol-burning motorbike. I have in recent years tried to be a little bit more mindful about my general carbon/waste-footprint, but I will also admit that my using a dabao box when eating lunch at the office is perhaps equally about saving the 30 cents each meal as it is reducing the use of waste and single-use plastics. Call it selfish (a fair assessment, potentially), but I've also never really spared much actionable thought about conversation and like. I support it and acknowledge the value and importance of sustainability and green-focused action, but I also have never volunteered or donated to green initiatives. Never really done anything about it, basically. So, I have been thinking about why is it that over the past days, these rewilding videos have suddenly dominated my screen time. I suppose part of it is that some of these projects are equal parts surprising and inspiring - delivering seemingly simple and obvious solutions to complex and long-standing problems. Whoever thought that digging a bunch of holes in the ground would be the solution to regreening areas of Africa undergoing rapid desertification, with the additional impact of increasing food security and guarding against the expansion of the Sahara. (The high production value and beautiful scenic shots are a nice plus.) There are admittedly some rather hyperbolised and clickbaity titles (well, I clicked, so it worked), but at the heart of the effort of these organisations is a sense of drive and purpose that I find quite heroic. It is, in my eyes, quite an ethical and moral endeavour, but ultimately made more heroic because of how they are trying to push back against the sheer and unceasing exploitative and consuming nature of modern industrial society. There's a 'goodness' about these people and these efforts that feel like a refreshing and welcome break from the bleakness that seems to perpetually swirl about our lives (I almost don't dare to read the news these days, nothing good seems to happen). And the fact that these efforts work, that solutions are possible, is certainly a cause of celebration. And, I've also found it plenty educational. For example, learning about monocultures, and how actually perhaps a lot of the 'nature' that we see is actually unnatural. That some of the beautiful tree-covered scenery that we covet on holidays are in fact plantations sucking life out of the places. For example, I remember being wowed by the Scottish scenery when I holidayed there some years ago, but have just that a majority of woodland in Scotland is planted, non-native trees. Plantations, not forests. Really makes you wonder. There is, however, a cognitive dissonance. While I wholeheartedly support and admire what these organisations are doing, I cannot help but wonder about the futility of it all. For so long, humans have been exploiting and consuming our surroundings, accelerated by industrialisation and our pursuit of more. For all the non-climate change deniers out there, we should be plenty familiar with the science already out there. The world is burning, suffering, dying, and that's mostly because of our species. And the cynic in me cannot help but ponder if we're already too far gone - is this all too little too late? Have we already done so much damage that recovery, in spite of small triages here and there, is fundamentally unachievable? Furthermore, how effective can these efforts be, when the giant foot of capitalism continues its metronomic march? Do we even dare to believe that the Musks and Zuckerbergs and Bezos' of the world will trade shooting themselves into the sky in spaceships to instead plant trees and support communities in remote, poor regions? It's certainly easy to feel hopeless and futile - and perhaps also why many people (possibly myself included) thus tend towards apathy. Ahh, what can even be done ~shrug~. It is, at its core, another story of David vs Goliath. The earnest, well-meaning, hopeful Davids of the world vs the numerous Goliaths of corporations, power-hungry politicians, and bureaucratic stasis. I reckon what speaks to me is that struggle, that fight against overwhelming odds - the underdog story. And perhaps it is also the successes that are a flickering light of hope - of what is possible if people try. It's a reminder about small wins. Many of the problems we face are so grand in scale, but there are no grand solutions and magic wands. (Heck, just considering one particular area I'm more familiar with, EVs, is plenty telling.) And it is perhaps also because recent times have felt increasingly bleak that I want to believe in hopeful people, even if I may not be one myself. I'm not one for making new year resolutions. But as the calendar soon flips over, I am thinking about what I can do. As Michael Jackson famously sang: "Heal the world, make it a better place." I have no grand ambitions about saving the world, but perhaps making it better is something worth at least thinking about. These little Davids remain steadfast in their fight, taking small steps and yielding small wins, and maybe so can I. Small steps, then. I guess the first is this, just to talk about it and hopefully have just one more person start thinking more about it. And I guess I could drink on or two fewer beers each month and instead support one of these organisations with that money. And sure, that's not going to surely make the world a better place. But if any effort I can make can make my world feel just a little bit better, those small wins must surely count for something.

Check this video out. This is the first I've seen a flash flood. The speed and force is really amazing. Unfortunately, the family were just meters from safety.

Seems Southern China is now going through a bad flood season. Really suay after suffering Covid-19 for the first 6 months of this. Various videos kept claiming cover ups as it seems there is very limited coverage by the official news media. What is worrying is the situation at the Three gorges () which had previously been reported to be stressed with visible deformation and reportedly not able to take any serious flooding from its upper reaches. Seems worse is yet to come. https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/world/five-dead-in-latest-flooding-in-southern-china-rainstorms/ar-BB15q9hG?ocid=spartanntp

Recently there are many threads created that are controversial and created tension among members. Today let me share something more light-hearted and hopefully will pull some of us away from the internet/forum for a few hours haha. Have been watching those seaside scavenging videos for awhile, be it from angmo countries or china. Always intrigued by what can be picked up along the beaches in other countries. But over here is not like hopeless, though we should not be too hopeful unless you have a yacht and could sail to southern islands all the time. With keen eyes, still possible to have some fun while spending an hour or two looking for something along local beaches, especially good for young kids. To be specific, I have recently have been picking up scallops along 2 beaches along East Coast Park when the tide is at its lowest in late afternoon, about 0.3m according to myENV app for those keen to do it. The tide would have receded to expose a long stretch of sandy/muddy land, and you will be surprised by the amount of dead shells that can be found there. Yesterday managed to bring home 10 pieces of bigger than palm-size scallops within 20min of look look see see. You will not need sharp eyes as they are practically everywhere if you know how to spot them, would have taken back more if not for the concept of sustainable fishing. Pro-tip - look for those sitting upright that are slightly opened. Those alive ones would be anchored to a base through some fibers, would need some efforts to twist them out if located in sandy areas. The shells would be clammed shut when you try to putt it out from its base. Those lying flat are definitely dead so do not bother. After reached home spent some time and hard efforts taking out the meat. Do not actually need to put the scallops overnight to spit out sands as we are only interested in the coin-size meat that is the muscle and not the internal organs of the shellfish. After that I let my helper did some stir fry to let the family enjoy. Should have baked it like previous time as tasted much better. More common way to enjoy them would be to bbq with some sauce concocted from garlic and ginger and onion and chili. Anyway this is just some sharing for those keen on spending quality time with kids or just personal time to relax. Just be mindful to wear proper shoes or slippers as the place could be muddy. 20200111_175424.mp4

Read about the rich R.R Park today ( To be completed in 2020 ) Eager to check out after years of walks and trekking in Venus Drive, Treetops trail along MacRitchie Reservoir Link, Bt Timah, Diary Farm, Lower Pierce / Upp Pierce, Hort Park, Mt. Faber, Yishun Dam and Coney Island etc, kinda wanting to explore new terrain. 67 hectare of hiking trail and less disturbance to wildlife and surrounding greenery with elevated walkway plus a host of wildlife such as Malayan Colugo - a glider from tree to tree, Flying squirrel, pangolin- endangered animal, Palm civet cats also known as " Musang ", Coral snake, a venomous snake, Species of malayan butterflies and other migratory birds can be sighted only from Sept-Novenber annually, not forgetting Fireflies. Yes fireflies . . . i'm ready to explore more

The unspoil beautiful nature of Vietnam village, Vietnamese are living their lives relaxing and blend into nature harmony.

from Yahoo : 'Storm Chasers' star Tim Samaras, son die chasing Oklahoma tornado By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout

Local distributor Nature's Farm recalls health supplement for men SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Monday issued a health advisory, alerting members of the public against consumption of male performance enhancement drug "VIA.X For Men". Nature’s Farm Pte Ltd, the local distributor of the product, has recalled the product from the market. HSA said in a press statement that it had found "undeclared potent ingredients in the product" and is advising all consumers who may have the product to stop consuming it immediately. "VIA.X For Men" claims to contain only natural ingredients, including Red Algae Peptide Hydrolysate, Pycnogenol, L-Arginine and Zinc Gluconate. However, samples of the product were tested and found to be adulterated, containing undeclared potent ingredients of sildenafil and propoxyphenyl sildenafil. "Sildenafil is used to treat erectile dysfunction and should only be used when prescribed by a doctor. Its usage without proper medical advice and close supervision can cause serious adverse reactions such as decreased or loss of vision and hearing, low blood pressure and other cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction," HSA said in the statement. "In addition, sildenafil is not suitable for patients with some medical conditions including certain heart problems or patients who are taking heart medications such as nitrates." Propoxyphenyl sildenafil is a chemically related compound of sildenafil. It is not approved for use as a medicinal ingredient and could cause adverse effects which are similar to those of sildenafil. HSA said that they have not received any reports of adverse reactions associated with the product. Consumers who have taken the product should seek medical attention if they are feeling unwell or concerned about their health. Members of the public can contact Nature's Farm at 6744 1865 if they have any questions regarding the voluntary recall. - See more at: http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/local-distributor-natures-farm-recalls-health-supplement-men#sthash.AcyO9pEk.dpuf Source: Asiaone.

Any bro or sis signed up for naughty by nature photo shooting package? Pls pm me for discussion. Tks!

I happened to found this link when I was doing my tutorial research on suicide in Singapore. We'll talk about that another day. This one is really funny on some of the replies. I will paste the article and you can look at the reply via the link below. http://www.p65.sg/2008/04/07/perfect-leade...rture/#comments Perfect Leaders - Nature or Nurture? April 7th, 2008 What exactly are the desired qualities of a perfect or ideal leader? Are good leaders borned or are they groomed to possess the necessary traits to lead effectively? What is more important - intelligent quotient (IQ) or emotional quotient (EQ)? Are grades really that critical in identifying potential leaders? PM Lee in today

The owner must have gotten access to Chobam armor plating!