Oh, behaze!

My poor car is covered in ashes! It reminds me of the aftermath of a volcanic eruption I saw on TV once. This haze is almost as bad as an ash cloud. No, I think it is worse. This is an ash bath!

Look at my car and imagine people who sleep with their windows open and without air conditioning at night! They are breathing in all the ashes! This is terrible.

PSI: 323. 9am this morning.

PSI is at hazardous level again today after a brief respite last evening. Things look bad.

We need to do more seeding in the clouds!
Oh, behave! No, not that type of seeding!

Related post:
Best (funny) idea ever to combat haze!

Best (funny) idea ever to combat the haze!

I couldn't stop laughing! This is really funny!

Good one!

Source:
http://technology.xin.msn.com/home-entertainment/funniest-haze-memes-and-pictures#image=5

Related post:
Haze in the air and haze in PM's tweet.

Buy N95 masks at Unity Healthcare, Bukit Panjang Plaza.

I visited Bukit Panjang Plaza this evening and found that Watsons and Guardian were both sold out of the N95 respirator masks (still).

Then, I saw a long queue outside Unity. The queue was VERY long and stretched to cover the shop fronts of the neighbouring 4 shops at least.

Apparently, Unity was rationing the N95 respirator masks so that no one customer could buy up the entire stock.

Hopefully, the supply situation will improve very soon islandwide.

Related post:
Buy 3M N95 respirator masks for less!

Buy 3M N95 respirator masks for less!

I need to get some good respirator masks to filter out particulate matter which are very small. These are particles that will enter the lungs and can affect the heart too, causing serious health problems.

I am asthmatic and I am beginning to feel the effects of this extreme air pollution although I am indoors in air conditioned environments most of the time. My eyes feel gritty, my nose is runny and I wheeze when I breathe. It is just terrible.

"Small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problems, because they can get deep into your lungs, and some may even get into your bloodstream.

"Exposure to such particles can affect both your lungs and your heart. Small particles of concern include "inhalable coarse particles" (such as those found near roadways and dusty industries), which are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter; and "fine particles" (such as those found in smoke and haze), which are 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller.

"Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including:

• premature death in people with heart or lung disease,
• nonfatal heart attacks,
• irregular heartbeat,
• aggravated asthma,
• decreased lung function, and
• increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing."

Source: http://www.epa.gov/pm/health.html

Things do not look like they are going to improve anytime soon. In fact, it is getting worse! We must take action to protect our health and wearing an N95 mask is going to help.

An N95 mask is able to filter out particulates as tiny as 0.03 micrometer and it filters out at least 95% of airborne particles. However, I heard prices of these masks have doubled in Singapore! Profiteers!

So, I set out on a mission to find a source of cheap N95 respirator masks!

Click on the photo below and check it out:
Click on "OTHER OPTIONS" in the website and you will find an option for a box of 20 for only US$14.99!

Say "NO" to profiteers!

Related posts:
1. Protect ourselves from the haze.
2. Buy N95 masks at Unity Healthcare.

Haze in the air and haze in PM's tweet.

PM Lee tweeted for "Singaporeans to remain calm and look out for one another. I'm confident we can manage this if we stay united n work together."

OK, this sounds very nice but AK71 is maybe a bit slow or plain stupid. How is looking out for one another, staying united and working together going to manage the haze situation?

Do I sound negative? I do? Oh, dear. OK, I shall try to be more positive.

Looking out for one another:
"Hey, you there! Look out! You are walking through very bad haze! Try walking around it!"

Staying united:
"Listen up, we must not let some KNS Indonesian minister say that we behave like children. We must let our indignation unite us! KNN!"

Working together:
"Everyone, position your electric fans at home to face south west and switch them on to the maximum speed! We will blow the haze back to Sumatra! Show the world that when Singaporeans work together, we can be fantastic!"

Details, PM Lee, details.

Related post:
Singaporean are kicking up a fuss about a little haze!

Singaporeans are kicking up a fuss about a little haze!

Is this Indonesia's brand of diplomacy?

A senior Indonesian minister has hit out at Singapore on the haze, saying: "Singapore shouldn't be like children, in such a tizzy."

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono, who is coordinating his country's relief and response efforts, told a press conference on Thursday.

Earlier, he told reporters that Singapore said nothing when there was fresh air, but complained about the occasional haze.

"Singapore is like that. The border issue hasn't been settled, neither has extradition, corruption."
Asked about offers of assistance, he said: "If it's just half a million (dollars), better we use our own budget."

Source: Singapore behaving like a small child.

Imagine 2 people sharing a room having a conversation:

Si: "Aiyoh, you have been farting non-stop for days. It is affecting my quality of life!"

In: "You are behaving like a child! You say nothing when I didn't fart but complain about the occasional fart!"

Si: "Why don't I give you some money to see a good Gastroenterologist?"

In: "You think I have no money? If it is just $500, better I use my own budget." (But if you are offering $5,000, I will accept.)

Related post:
Protect ourselves from the haze.

Let your child have fun and a head start in life.

Sometimes, I pity primary school kids these days as they struggle through tons of school work and it is not just the amount of work either.

School work is more demanding these days in terms of the level of difficulty and anyone who has tried to do primary school math recently would know this.

For anyone with very young children, preparing them for the jungle that is the current day primary school is a prudent thing to do. It is important that children enjoy their childhood as well.

Therefore, if they can have fun and receive an early education at the same time, that is an efficient use of time. However, most of us are too busy with our work and too tired after work to do much else.

Enter ABCmouse Early Learning Academy!

These good people offer a full online curriculum from pre-school to kindergarten at very reasonable prices!

I have given their introduction the once over and it looks like something young kids would enjoy and learn from.

Take a look and decide for yourself with a free trial period of 30 days.

LIMITED TIME OFFER:
Celebrate Independence Day at ABCmouse.com!
 Take 53% Off an Annual-subscription. Our Best Offer for only $45!


Of course, being online, the school is portable! As long as you have an internet connection and a tablet PC, for example, your kid can go to school!

Give your kid a fun learning experience and a head start in life.

“Love the progressive activities! I don’t have to take the time to search for activities for my 3-year-old, and my 5-year-old just follows along when she’s playing by herself. So, I know everyone’s doing the right things for their ages!”

 

“My (2 year old) daughter loves this site! She has learned so much more than I thought she could learn at her age. ABC’s are her favourite things to do, and since I started her on this website she has learned to read words well above her age level."

Related post:
Teaching young children financial literacy.

Protect ourselves from the haze while in bed.

We spend 6 to 8 hours everyday in bed. While we can wear a surgical mask when we are up and about, it is more difficult to do so while sleeping. So, how do we protect ourselves from the haze while asleep?

Keep the windows closed and switch on the air conditioning, if available. Then, get ourselves a good air purifier and place it at the foot of our bed.

My Sharp air purifier at the foot of my bed.

It is positioned with the air intake panel facing the foot of my bed.
There is a HEPA filter on the inside.
HEPA filters are able to filter out smaller particles compared to traditional vacuum cleaner filters.

An entry level model like the one I bought costs a bit less than $200. I have had it for almost 2 years and I consider it money well spent since it protects my health.

This photo was taken while I was waiting at the traffic light earlier this evening.

This is not an advertorial.

Related post:
Singapore air pollution reading: PSI 170!

Singapore air pollution reading: PSI 170!

PSI at 170! OMG!

Last night, I went cycling. After half an hour, my eyes were feeling gritty and I was feeling the onset of throat irritation. It was terrible.

Thank goodness I never open the windows of my room!

My air con and air purifier are on whenever I am in my room. Otherwise, with my allergies, I think I would be hospitalised by now.

If you are interested in the latest PSI readings, follow this link:

Hourly updates of PSI readings (NEA).

This is definitely contributing to global warming.

Jetstar increased price by 33% in the last one year!

In recent years, when I flew budget, I would buy a drink which, although was relatively expensive, provided me with some comfort in the dry air of an airplane cabin.

Well, last week, I discovered that the drinks have gone up 33% in price compared to a year ago!

It was $3.00 before. Now, it is $4.00! Wow!
 

How many things in our lives have gone up 33% in price in the last one year?

Related posts:

1. Inflation hits fried bee hoon.

2. Inflation is not going away.

3. Inflation adjusted income plan.

When to be fully invested in the stock market?

I have been trying to catch up with many things after coming back from a working trip. One thing I have been trying to do is to get up to speed with reading The Business Times and reports from analysts.

It seems that 2,700 on the STI is something that many are touting as the level with strong support and some say that at that level the PER is very low which makes stocks a bargain. Some went as far as to say that if the STI should go to 2,700, they would be fully invested.

Personally, I do not know if the STI will go to 2,700 and although I will acknowledge that it is a level with strong technical support, I will also say that I do not know if the support will hold or break. So, does that mean that I will not be fully invested at 2,700 points? If I can help it, I won't be.

As prices fall, all else remaining equal, there is better value for money everywhere. If there is better value for money, why don't we buy? Simple, people expect prices to fall more. So, they will keep waiting. 

And if prices go up, they will tell themselves they should have bought but hope that prices would fall again so that they get to buy. If prices should fall again, they would most likely buy. This is why double bottoms are such powerful reversal patterns.

However, double bottoms do not always take place.

I am buying as prices retreat to supports but in smallish amounts. It is hard to say how much more and how long more prices would fall. So, unless we have an unlimited amount of cash, our own cash, we want to pace our purchases.

If our cash is very limited, it would make more sense to wait for the dust to settle and for sentiments to turn more positive before going back into the fray. 

Use charts to help in this respect. Look out for reversal patterns and positive divergences. Of course, bear in mind that charts are about probability and not certainty.

Having said this, if our investments are fundamentally sound and if we are not investing with money that we cannot afford to lose or money that is not ours, simply holding on and riding out the turbulence in the stock market isn't all that bad an idea now.

With central banks around the world bent on getting their economies back on their feet, the likelihood that things will improve is greater than otherwise. Businesses will benefit and stocks will reflect that. 

If I should be wrong and the whole world plunges back into recession or worse, things are pretty much hopeless then as the financial system as we know it would collapse and we could very well see a big reset that some gurus like Marc Faber have talked about.

So, am I being an optimist? 

No, I am being a pragmatist. 





Since chances are that the global economy will improve, given time, it pays to stay invested. 

However, recognising that things could take a bit more time to improve, it is not a good idea to be fully invested. Not now and not if the STI goes to 2,700.

When to be fully invested in the stock market? Probably never.

Related posts:
1. If we want peace, prepare for war.
2. AK71's simple strategy.
3. CPF or SGS?
4. Art of wealth accumulation.
5. Books for FA and TA.

After "After Earth"?

I just found out that "After Earth" is a box office flop. Is it that bad? I was thinking of watching it.

Apparently, Will Smith is quite affected and has decided to quit acting in blockbusters. This movie was his project and his son was the co-star.

I thought the movie trailers look quite good.



Not bad, right? I like the theme.

I have always enjoyed movies which are based on some kind of scientific theory. For example, a movie which I enjoyed a lot was "The Day After Tomorrow".

I feel that the extreme weather conditions we are seeing in the world today definitely has to do with climate change and the movie gave a glimpse of what could happen eventually. See: Just storms?

Related post:
A movie by M. Night Shyamalan: The Last Airbender.