Quote of the Month

" If you're active, although you may be a little bit sick, but you're active you're up and about reading, writing, debating, making speeches and all that, all this time you use your brain. The brain remains active, like the muscles."

                                                                                                   ............. Dr Mahathir Mohamad

Astrophysics / Blackholes / Light - Gravity Hypothesis

Recently due to the pandemic, I was watching Youtube videos on Astrophysics.

Blackholes are massive stars that have collapsed towards its end of life. When they collapsed into smaller and smaller size, the gravity of the stars still remain as enormous. There comes a point when the gravity is so greatly concentrated into a small area that light fails to escape, forming blackholes.

However, we know that light can be "bent" or refracted. When light passed through a medium, such as water or glass, the light is refracted. At certain angle when light passes from a denser to a lighter density medium, the light actually bends inward. This phenomenon is called, Total Internal Reflection. Light is not refracted out of the medium

We also know that light can be "bent" when it passed through an object with huge gravitational pull, such as the Sun. Light from distance stars has been observed to be bent by the gravity of the Sun.

Without any evidence or mathematical derivation, I would like to hypothesize that because of the great gravity in a blackhole, the light from the star is being "refracted" internally or inwards, such that no light can be seen from a blackhole. It is not the current belief that light cannot escape from the gravity. But light is being reflected due to gravity, similar to the observation in Total Internal Reflection.

This is just my hypothesis. Blackholes being very far away, I will have challenges in proving such a theory. Perhaps it will take more than a hundred years to determine if it is true. Of course, the hypothesis could be wrong and there are other reasons why light cannot 'escape' in a blackhole. 

Hypothesized in August 2020. 

My Thoughts on Malaysia GE14

It is indeed a shocking win by Parkatan Harapan in Malaysia Election on 9 May 2018. It is a significant historical event for Malaysia and may affect politics in Singapore.  This is similar to the US election 2016 where the media and political expert failed miserably in predicting the outcome of who will be the winner. This is due to flaw survey methodology and inability to predict human behavior prior to the actual election. There are signs though.

The DAP (Democratic Action Party) is finally able to govern together with other political parties forming the Parkatan Harapan. Historically, the DAP was formed by members of PAP and the principle of meritocracy, equality and fairness should prevail, although the deeply rooted corruption may be entrenched and would take immense political will to change. Look at China.  Parti Keadilan Rakyat is however famous for its 'reformasi' (reform) slogan.

I hope Malaysia will not be another Singapore. It will loose its character if it focuses on economical excellence.

Of course Tun Mahathir is not a simple person, historically. From Anwar imprisonment, his handling of Asian financial crisis, pulling the plug on CLOB, attitude towards Singapore etc. A leopard can't change its spots.

Recent days have seen the Finance Minister Mr Lim announcing that Malaysia is in debt by 1 Trillion Ringgit. That is not a small sum. It is a 1 with 12 zeros behind. He knows that he should avoid printing money as a means of solving the debt issue. Fortunately, Malaysia is blessed with oil and palm resources. He should consider attracting investor to invest in Malaysia, something which Mr Lim is familiar from managing Penang.

Every means of attracting foreign monies should be considered. Malaysia neighbor is Singapore. Singaporean are known to spend their economic wealth across the causeway. The present government should seriously consider means of increasing such inflow of a strong currency. Every dollar spent has its multiplying effect. Policy change may include making it easier at the custom for Singaporeans to clear immigration. Reduction in tax on entry. Allowing Singaporeans VISA entry to Malaysia to be extended to say 3 months, especially for retirees. Facilitating purchase of property and vehicle. Improving security for foreigners. Protecting foreigner interest (removing the fear from the hard hand solution implemented during Asian financial crisis). Over long term, such expenditure in Malaysia would create employment. A win-win situation.

Singapore and Malaysia was once a single country.

Quote of the Month

 

"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its component fails. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

 

Stephen Hawking, 1942 - 2018

Author of A Brief History of Time, which I read in the late 1980s

Yamaha A-S501 and Monitor Audio Bronze 2

Yamaha A-S501 Amplifier Rear

I finally bought my amplifier and speakers. Initially I had ordered a Denon PMA-510AE for the price of S$511 but the shop had no stock at hand and was only able to deliver 2 months later. So I cancelled the order. The Denon amplifier has a 50W per channel power rating and I wanted to find out if quality could last long. I knew electronics product like amplifier would probably not last long.

Ultimately, I purchased the Yamaha A-S501 amplifier for several reasons (1) power rating of 85W per channel, (2) the availability of bass and treble control which I like (3) reasonable price at S$610 for 85W of power (4) loudness control which reminded me of my old Pioneer amplifier (5) the ability to connect a subwoofer to the amplifier. It has A and B speaker setting which means 2 pairs of speakers could be connected although this would reduce the power rating of the amplifier. Currently connected to the amplifier is my Philips CD/DVD player bought more than 15 years ago and still working. My only worry on the Yamaha amplifier is how long it would last. I had a Yamaha DSP(Digital Sound Processor) purchased at a relative high price in the early 90s. It did not last very long, Less than a decade and the Yamaha DSP was not working.

I had tested the Onkyo 9010 amplifier which was given a 5 stars rating by What Hifi magazine. The price of S$475 was attractive. The only problem was that it didn't sound as good as the Yamaha amplifier even though What Hifi had rated the A-S501 as 4 stars. The bass and treble controls were not responsive. It just doesn't sound as good.

I love bass and treble control as they allow me to slightly change the music to my likings. I told the salesman of my pair speaker that I love bass. Even in my car which I had said was one of the best listening environment, has its base adjusted higher. Of course audiophile would consider altering the original intent of musician as not advisable. If music equipment manufacturer would produce sound equalizer nowadays, I would definitely consider purchasing it. The focus now is theatrical sound and sound processor for consumer grade music/movie entertainment system.

I am still trying to run-in the Monitor Audio Bronze 2 speaker. Current assessment is that the pair of speaker is clear in its mid to high frequency sound production. The bass is not as strong as Dynaudio Emit M20 speaker. But Bronze 2 has the advantage of clarity and a lower price than the Dynaudio. The Bronze 2 is made in China which could explain the price difference. The bass can be enhanced via my amplifier.

I have a very antique pair of speaker from the 80s, the American Acoustics D5550E which I have earlier discussed in my blog. Comparing the American Acoustics and Bronze 2, I would say that the former has a smooth and simple sound which a listener could listen for a long period of time with little ear fatigue. This is after all a pair of more than 25 years old speaker. The Bronze 2 has a impactful sound which is well driven by the amplifier. But the focus on mid to high frequency may lead to fatique after long hours of listening. In the meantime, I am enjoying this amplifier and speakers.

I have tried the SVS SB2000 subwoofer which was paired with a SVS SB1000 in the sales office. With the paired speakers, the sound was balanced and good. But the price of the pair was more than S$2000. This pair is played in a calibrated acoustic controlled room which makes the sound fantastic. But this may not be so in a non-acoustic treated room. When the SVS SB1000 was played in a single unit, the balance was diminished and it didn't sound as good. This makes me reluctant to purchase the subwoofer. I may reconsider it again. A well balanced subwoofer creates a sound environment in which the presence of the subwoofer would not be detected.

Quote of the Month

Lily : "How much does this thing(Star Trek Enterprise) costs?"

Capt Picard: " The economics of the future is somewhat different. You see, money doesn't exist in the 24th century."

Lily : "No money? You mean you don't get paid?"

Capt Picard: "The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanities...."

..... Star Trek First Contact, 1996, conversation between Captain Picard and Lily

 

Sounds like communism

Yan Ji Seafood Soup



Jan Ji Seafood Soup and Rice

 

The famous Yan Ji ( 炎记  )Seafood Soup and Rice in Marsiling Mall at Woodlands Street 12.

The seafood soup costs me $8.50 and $0.50 for the white rice.

The soup is thick and tasty but quantity is limited (see photo). I believe it has anchovies(ikan bilis) as soup base.  Meatballs are big and very well cooked.  Fish is fresh and taste good.

Quality is in the soup and its ingredients.  The only issue is whether it is worth $9. I think it is a little expensive but do not mind having it once in a while.

Star Wars : The Last Jedi

Star Wars - The Last Jedi

Just watched this movie today. Overall, I find this trilogy set of Star Wars gives viewers questions. It uses viewers expectation and produce a some how unexpected experience.

Some comments :

(1) How could Supreme Leader Stoke be so easily killed off?  This was even worse than that Emperor Palpatine. As least Palpatine fought with Skywalker.

(2) The trailer leading to the movie had set me thinking that Princess Leia would be killed off by her son. I was wrong.

(3) Kylo Ren - Director made viewers feel that Kylo might be a good guy after all. But we were wrong.

(4) Rey - Viewer was thinking that her parents would be related to some Jedi given her Jedi strength and skill. Some how I was disappointed to find out that her parents were not great jedi after much anticipation. Perhaps it was similar to Anakin.

(5) You know that it is a Disney film by the cute Porg (the bird like creature) and the presence of children and the ending scene where a child character holds a boom and looks at the night sky.

(6) New Skill - Luke Skywalker ability to teleport himself to another planet and fights like a normal jedi master. Never have such skill shown in other Star Wars movies.

(7) The inability to destroy the rebel vessel - I find it unbelievable. The First Order could just send in their Tie fighters in great numbers to get close to it and destroy the vessel.

(8) The island in which Rey trained is so earth looking.

(9) Luke Skywalker - Like Kylo, the Director has made viewers wonder that he might be bad at one point (by trying to kill Kylo). But we were wrong. I think the last scene where Luke fights off Kylo quite beautiful against the backdrop of AT-AT Walker.

I find the viewing experience for The Last Jedi better than The Force Awakens, but Rogue One is better than The Last Jedi.

Fisher Astronaut Space Pen

Fisher Astronaut Space Pen Specifications

I bought this pen because of its unique feature of pressurized sealed ink cartridge. It means that it can write on an inverted surface with its anti gravity technology. There are many myth and stories about this pen and how the Soviets had used a pencil to overcome weightless condition in space which prevented conventional ball point pen ink from flowing. It comes with a chrome finishes and it has a push mechanism for the cartridge to be pressed down for writing.

I purchased the pen from Amazon at a cost of USD$35.67 + USD$2.56 for import tax. Total: USD$38.23.

The pen writes very smoothly and it is one of the smoothest ball point pen I have written. According to the specification, it has ultra hard tungsten carbide ball. Impressive.

I just hope its chrome finishing will not tarnish over time.

Parker Sonnet Cisele Fountain Pen

Parker Sonnet Cisele

Parker Sonnet Cisele

I bought this Parker fountain pen from Amazon at a cost of USD $269.67 + USD$19.35 for import tax. Total: USD$289.02. In New York, this would cost USD$376, probably excluding city tax. I was planning to buy this in New York but when I saw the price over at Amazon, I stopped.  There are so much saving from purchasing over the Internet. This is the reason why retails shops are dying in US. The only thing is that a buyer can't feel and decide before purchase when it is bought over Internet. I have no issue given that I am familiar with fountain pen.

The Parker Sonnet Cisele has a medium gold plated nib. The body has also other gold plating parts. I was expecting the body to be heavy, but I am wrong. The body is slightly lighter than my China made Jinhao 163.  I am guessing that the body of the Parker pen is made from some resin that makes it light. The Jinhao 163 however has a metal core. The Parker writes just like any ordinary fountain pen. It is interesting to note that the pen is made in France. The gold finishing does looks good.  Being Parker premium pen, the Sonnet does come with a nicely designed box. The ink can be through the pump filler provided on purchase or through independent parker ink cartridge.

I bought this pen because the design reminds me of a mechanical ball point Pilot pen which I had when I was a Primary School boy.

Note: Mustafa Shopping in Singapore is selling the same pen at S$475 (equivalent of US$339.3) as at June 2017.

Messerschmitt Me 262 Plastic Model

Me262 Plastic Model

Real Life Me262 from Deutsche Museum

Painted in accordance to the colours found in the real Me 262 at Munich Deutsche Museum. The colours could be off due to poor recognition of colours from Tamiya paint palette.  The plastic model is from Revell which I bought it from a souvenir shop in Deutsches Museum Flugwerft Schleissheim in 2015. However, it has one defect, the box does not enclose a decal of the German airplane. The other issue is that the plastic is not balance on its wheels, it is more heavy and rotate about its rear. I like the design of this plane which is so unique of its era and even from today perspective. It looks like a shark.

Braised Duck Rice at Zion Riverside Food Centre

Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap and Braised Duck

Big Bowl of Rice Flat

Zion Road Hawker Centre

There are 3 stalls at Zion Riverside Food Centre selling duck and kway chap specialties. The stall with the longest queue is usually Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap and Braised Duck ( 文通记 ). The queue will include foreigners who are attracted usually to braised duck rice or noodle.

I ordered the duck and kway chap mix for 2 persons which cost S$9 + S$1.50 (3 bowls of rice flat at 50 cents each). The bowl is bigger than many other kway chap stalls that I have eaten. The gravy that was poured over the duck and kway chap mix was generous and tasty.  Many of other stalls gravy tasted salty but this stall gravy has an unique taste which I like. The duck meat was also cut in thin pieces which made it easier to chew and blend well with the gravy.  Overall, I would consider Boon Tong Kee Kway Chap very good.

There are 2 downsides. Firstly, the tau pok was not that good as it was not soaked in the gravy for too long which made the texture harder than those soft ones commonly available. But some patrons may like it that way. Secondly, the gravy has MSG which I could feel the thirst in my mouth after consumption.

Zion Riverside Food Centre is a nicely located hawker centre next to a beautiful river located in a prime location. The only problem is its difficulty to find a parking lot during peak hours.

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice

Claypot Rice at Smith Street Hawker Cetnre

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot 联合本记 is located at Smith Street Hawker Centre in Chinatown. It occupies 2 stalls #02-198 and #02-19. It opens from 4:30pm to 10:00pm daily (except Thurs - not verified).

I had ordered a S$20 mixed claypot rice with $3 vegetables. The S$20 pot was meant for 4 persons and it had a mixture of chicken meat, chinese sausages, salted fish and rice seasoned in black soy sauce. The claypot could be ordered for $5, $8, $10, $15, $20 and $25.  The stall had a few stoves to cook the claypot rice and it was quite famous locally.

My view is that the claypot rice is better in taste than the one at Blk 729 Ang Mo Kio Central Hawker Centre. However, it was not the best I have eaten. It could be better if the rice was cooked slightly dryer and more crispier. It was still soft when served. Secondly, the salted fish pieces were better to be cut to smaller pieces. I have eaten more fragrance salted fish. The chef had added MSG as I could feel thirsty after eating it.

The best claypot rice I had eaten was in XinHui, Guangzhou, China. That claypot rice tasted  authentic and reminded me of what I had eaten when I was a young child. The review could be seen here:-

http://e21s.blogspot.sg/2016/07/guangzhou-part-1-food-in-xin-hui.html

Jinhao 163

Jinhao 163

In July 2016, I bought this Jinhao 163 fountain pen in Guangzhou for RMB60 (equivalent to about SGD$12.60). The shop sells mainly roller ball and ball point pens but it has only 1 fountain pen which is the one I bought. It has a medium nib which is suitable for my style of writing.

It is smooth in writing and I can feel the ink flow without much difficult. The pen uses a ink pump system similar to my workhorse pen, the Waterman Expert II Dune.

The body has a rather nice finishes and I hope it doesn't tarnish over time.

I am generally satisfied with the quality in relation to the price paid and this is the third cheapest fountain pen after my Hero 336 and Hero 441 pens.

KZ ZS3

KZ ZS3

I have also bought the KZ ZS3, an in-ear headphone for S$20. The main reason of purchase was the reasonable price of the headphone. It is convenient for travelling although in-ear headphone can be quite uncomfortable as there is no noise connection with the world outside which is unnatural. The headphone is biased towards low frequency. Music lovers who prefer base will enjoy it. It is a made in China headphone.

Audio Technica ATH AD700X

Audio Technica ATH AD700X

I bought this Headphone over at Comex 2016. Prior to purchasing this headphone, I tested several headphones which include the Sony MDR 1A, Sony XB750AP, Sony MDR Z7, Seinnheiser (not sure the model), Bose QC25, Armaggeddon Molotov 3 and Audio Technica (a few models).

I would say the Sony MDR 1A is impressive and it has a 40mm dynamic driver unit. The price at S$399 is quite expensive. The MDR Z7 has a price tag of more than S$800 in Singapore but performance wise, I would think it is comparable to MDR 1A. The Bose QC25 is also quite good but it is another expensive unit at S$429 with noise cancelling function. The QC25 is also light and suitable for travelling. The Armaggeddon Molotov 3 is impressive in its base sound and more importantly the price is only S$29. I almost bought this if not because of its colour (bright yellow, bright red and camouflage). This is meant to target the young. My test song was consistently Debbie Gibson "Out of the Blue" which has a good balance of bass, mid range vocal and treble.

Finally, I bought the Audio Technica ATH AD700X at S$158.

The good points of the AD700X :- 53mm driver unit (even bigger than the Sony MDR 1A). Frequency response is 5 to 30000 Hz. I find this a gimmick as the human hearing is only 20 to 20000 Hz and hearing deteriorates with age. The Price is fantastic. Good at mid to high pitch sound. Good Clarity. The earpads are in cotton fabric which is comfortable over time, but it could get hot with prolong listening. It has a 3m long cable.  Personally, I do not like PVC earpads that cover the whole ear.

The bad points of the AD700X:- Heavy (at 265g, it is heavier than MDR 1A) and big size. Not suitable for travelling. Not very strong at low frequency level. Plastic components.

Other features:- Open Air Feature. (See photo). The box says designed and engineered in Japan.

Brie Cheese from France

Brie Cheese

Brie Cheese with mold

I wanted to taste what a Brie Cheese is like and bought this Ile De France brand cheese. It tastes salty and resemble cheddar but is not so tasty. It has also a slight mushroom taste. The Brie cheese has the penicillium roqueforti mold which makes it unique. On the surface of the cheese is a white layer of mold and within the cheese, there are black spots.

It costs S$7.95 for 125 gram and it was produced in France.

Soon Heng Rojak

For those who lived and are living in Toa Payoh will know Soon Heng Rojak. Soon Heng was first located at Silver Stream Coffee Shop 银川, next to the existing Blk 175 Toa Payoh Lorong 2. The Coffee Shop was demolished due to the construction of HDB Hub in the late 1990s. Soon Heng Rojak was then moved to a corner coffee shop at Blk 177 Toa Payoh Central. It is currently located at the basement food court of HDB Hub. At any one time during its operating hours, it would have a patron line formed.

After many years of missing this rojak due to long queue, I have the opportunity to eat Soon Heng rojak today. Still as good although it was not prepared by the boss himself. The queue was about 20 minutes. It is good because of the fine sugar and the prawn paste. For the 'youtiao' (fritters), I remember that the boss would toast the 'youtiao' in a small oven to make it crispy. Now, the 'youtiao' was probably toasted (didn't see it done), but was not as crispy as before as time has lapsed when the rojak was mixed. Due to its popularity, all ingredients are prepared in bulk, from pineapple, peanut, 'youtiao', tao pok, jicama etc. It is still good. Many critics have said this is one of the best Chinese rojak in Singapore. It is currently available at $3, $4, $5 and $6 portion.

Talking Tom Cat Game Level 100

Talking Tom Cat Game Level 100

I finally reached Level 100 on 18 Apr 2016. This is after daily opening the App, even when I was in Germany for holiday. The game involves a few simple tasks, feeding the cat, bathing it, making sure it goes to the toilet, giving it tender loving care and of course making the cat sleep. Other than that, the room can be decorated, the cat can have new clothes etc. It is almost like  Tamagotchi, the Japanese game popular in the late 1990s.

At Level 100, shown above, the cat has a free soldier hat. The game is suitable for people who love routine business with a high degree of discipline, even though it can be boring at times. I played it on my Samsung Galaxy Tab first generation. It is the only app that I continue to use on this Samsung tablet.

Jiu Jiang Shao La

The stall (九江烧腊）is famous for its roasted meat and roasted duck. As it is a Saturday, the queue was long and I had to be in the line for close to 1 hour to purchase the 3 different types of meat (烧肉，烧鸭， 叉烧）. People were just buying in packets.

The quality of the roasted duck and meat is good. It is one of the famous cooked food stalls at Ghim Moh Market which was recently renovated. I would say that the meat was over burned in thick marinating sauce in order to create the roasted aroma. Hence the skins of both pork and duck are crispy and people like them.  It is slightly expensive, but quality comes with a price. The sauces given was ordinary.

The approach in preparing and cooking the meat is quite similar to Fei Fei Shao La at Jurong East.

Would I queue for another 1 hour to enjoy this? Probably not.