my Nipa Hut

Growing by Pots in Singapore Part 2

2025-11-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

Tropical Gardening in Singapore: Complete Guide for Vegetables, Fruits, and Berries

Introduction

Singapore’s tropical climate can make gardening tricky, but with the right plant selection, pots, soil, and care, you can enjoy year-round vegetables and fruits. This guide covers:

Tomatoes
Chili
Lime / Citrus
Ginger
Melons
Strawberries
Blueberries

Recommended Plants & Varieties

Plant	Best Varieties	Notes
Tomato	Cherry, Roma, Indeterminate	Morning sun, stakes required
Chili	Small–medium tropical	Bushy varieties, pest-prone
Lime / Citrus	Calamansi, Kaffir lime	Full sun, well-drained soil
Ginger	Common ginger	Partial shade, shallow roots
Melons	Sun melon, Green melon, Cantaloupe	Requires trellis & large pot
Strawberries	Albion, San Andreas, Seascape	Tropical-adapted, morning sun
Blueberries	Sunshine Blue, Misty, Jewel	Low-chill Southern Highbush, acidic soil

Pot & Soil Guidelines

Pot Sizes

Plant	Minimum Pot	Ideal Pot
Tomato	20 L	30–35 L
Chili	10 L	15 L
Lime	20 L	30 L
Ginger	15 L	20 L
Melons	25 L	50 L
Strawberries	1 L	2 L (hanging/trough)
Blueberries	8 L	25–35 L

Soil Mixes

Vegetables & Fruits (except blueberries):

40% cocopeat
30% perlite
20% compost/worm castings
10% rice hulls/pumice

Blueberries:

70% peat moss
20% perlite
10% pine bark
Soil pH 4.5–5.5 (adjust with elemental sulfur)
Water with rainwater or distilled water

💡 Tip: Double-pot strawberries or blueberries to keep roots cool.

Sunlight Requirements

Plant	Sunlight	Notes
Tomato	6–8 h	Morning sun ideal; afternoon shade if hot
Chili	5–7 h	Full sun for flowering & fruiting
Lime	6+ h	Full sun, avoid waterlogging
Ginger	3–5 h	Partial shade preferred
Melons	6–8 h	Trellis, support fruits
Strawberries	4–6 h	Morning sun; shade midday
Blueberries	4–6 h	Morning sun; shade midday

Watering Guidelines

Plant	Frequency	Notes
Tomato	Daily	Deep watering; moist soil
Chili	Every 1–2 days	Allow slight drying
Lime	Every 2–3 days	Deep watering; avoid wet feet
Ginger	2–3×/week	Keep soil slightly moist
Melons	Daily, twice in heat	Constant moisture during fruiting
Strawberries	Daily	Avoid wet leaves; shade midday sun
Blueberries	Every 1–2 days	Consistently moist, acid water

Fertilizing Guidelines

Plant	Fertilizer	Notes
Tomato/Chili	High N → Bloom booster	Weekly; low N during fruiting
Lime	Balanced NPK + Mg	Monthly
Ginger	Mild N	Every 2–3 weeks
Melons	High N → High K	Weekly; adjust during fruiting
Strawberries	Balanced → High K	Biweekly; remove runners
Blueberries	Acid fertilizer	Monthly; maintain pH 4.5–5.5

Pruning & Plant Management

Tomato: Remove suckers, keep 1–2 stems, stake support
Chili: Top at 20–25 cm, remove yellow leaves
Melons: Trellis, hand-pollinate, limit fruits to 2–3 per vine
Ginger: Remove dead leaves, partial shade
Lime: Monitor for pests, leaf miners
Strawberries: Remove runners, keep roots cool
Blueberries: Prune old/dead wood, check pH, protect roots

Pest & Disease Control

Common Pests: Aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, thrips, leaf miners, powdery mildew, mealybugs, scale
Neem Oil: 1 tsp neem + 1 tsp dish soap + 1 L water, spray weekly
Soap Spray: 1 tsp dish soap + 1 L water for aphids/mites
Hydrogen Peroxide: 1:4 ratio for soil pests
Physical: Remove infected leaves, sticky traps, maintain airflow

Care Calendar

Weekly Tasks

Mon: Check soil moisture, water all plants
Tue: Fertilize vegetables & melons
Wed: Inspect for pests, spray neem oil if needed
Thu: Mulch ginger, melons, chili
Fri: Prune tomato, chili, remove yellow leaves
Sat: Hand-pollinate melons, check strawberries & blueberries
Sun: Clean leaves, remove debris, inspect drainage & sun exposure

Monthly Tasks

Rotate pots for sunlight balance
Apply slow-release or seasonal fertilizers
Prune dead or old growth
Monitor fruiting & flowering

Small Space / Balcony Layout

[Sun-facing side]
-------------------------------------------------
| Tomato (stakes)    | Chili | Lime (pot)      |
|-------------------|-------|----------------|
| Ginger (partial shade) | Melon (trellis) | Strawberry trough |
| Blueberries (acid soil pots)               |
-------------------------------------------------
[Water near plants; keep drainage trays]

💡 Tip: Use vertical trellises for melons & tomato. Keep blueberry & strawberry roots cool with shade cloth or double-pot.

Thinking of Growing by Pots in Singapore?

2025-11-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

Tropical Gardening in Singapore: Complete Guide for Vegetables, Fruits, and Berries

Introduction

Singapore’s tropical climate can make gardening tricky, but with the right plant selection, pots, soil, and care, you can enjoy year-round vegetables and fruits. This guide covers:

Tomatoes
Chili
Lime / Citrus
Ginger
Melons
Strawberries
Blueberries

Recommended Plants & Varieties

Plant	Best Varieties	Notes
Tomato	Cherry, Roma, Indeterminate	Morning sun, stakes required
Chili	Small–medium tropical	Bushy varieties, pest-prone
Lime / Citrus	Calamansi, Kaffir lime	Full sun, well-drained soil
Ginger	Common ginger	Partial shade, shallow roots
Melons	Sun melon, Green melon, Cantaloupe	Requires trellis & large pot
Strawberries	Albion, San Andreas, Seascape	Tropical-adapted, morning sun
Blueberries	Sunshine Blue, Misty, Jewel	Low-chill Southern Highbush, acidic soil

Pot & Soil Guidelines

Pot Sizes

Plant	Minimum Pot	Ideal Pot
Tomato	20 L	30–35 L
Chili	10 L	15 L
Lime	20 L	30 L
Ginger	15 L	20 L
Melons	25 L	50 L
Strawberries	1 L	2 L (hanging/trough)
Blueberries	8 L	25–35 L

Soil Mixes

Vegetables & Fruits (except blueberries):

40% cocopeat
30% perlite
20% compost/worm castings
10% rice hulls/pumice

Blueberries:

70% peat moss
20% perlite
10% pine bark
Soil pH 4.5–5.5 (adjust with elemental sulfur)
Water with rainwater or distilled water

💡 Tip: Double-pot strawberries or blueberries to keep roots cool.

Sunlight Requirements

Plant	Sunlight	Notes
Tomato	6–8 h	Morning sun ideal; afternoon shade if hot
Chili	5–7 h	Full sun for flowering & fruiting
Lime	6+ h	Full sun, avoid waterlogging
Ginger	3–5 h	Partial shade preferred
Melons	6–8 h	Trellis, support fruits
Strawberries	4–6 h	Morning sun; shade midday
Blueberries	4–6 h	Morning sun; shade midday

Watering Guidelines

Plant	Frequency	Notes
Tomato	Daily	Deep watering; moist soil
Chili	Every 1–2 days	Allow slight drying
Lime	Every 2–3 days	Deep watering; avoid wet feet
Ginger	2–3×/week	Keep soil slightly moist
Melons	Daily, twice in heat	Constant moisture during fruiting
Strawberries	Daily	Avoid wet leaves; shade midday sun
Blueberries	Every 1–2 days	Consistently moist, acid water

Fertilizing Guidelines

Plant	Fertilizer	Notes
Tomato/Chili	High N → Bloom booster	Weekly; low N during fruiting
Lime	Balanced NPK + Mg	Monthly
Ginger	Mild N	Every 2–3 weeks
Melons	High N → High K	Weekly; adjust during fruiting
Strawberries	Balanced → High K	Biweekly; remove runners
Blueberries	Acid fertilizer	Monthly; maintain pH 4.5–5.5

Pruning & Plant Management

Tomato: Remove suckers, keep 1–2 stems, stake support
Chili: Top at 20–25 cm, remove yellow leaves
Melons: Trellis, hand-pollinate, limit fruits to 2–3 per vine
Ginger: Remove dead leaves, partial shade
Lime: Monitor for pests, leaf miners
Strawberries: Remove runners, keep roots cool
Blueberries: Prune old/dead wood, check pH, protect roots

Pest & Disease Control

Common Pests: Aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, thrips, leaf miners, powdery mildew, mealybugs, scale
Neem Oil: 1 tsp neem + 1 tsp dish soap + 1 L water, spray weekly
Soap Spray: 1 tsp dish soap + 1 L water for aphids/mites
Hydrogen Peroxide: 1:4 ratio for soil pests
Physical: Remove infected leaves, sticky traps, maintain airflow

Care Calendar

Weekly Tasks

Mon: Check soil moisture, water all plants
Tue: Fertilize vegetables & melons
Wed: Inspect for pests, spray neem oil if needed
Thu: Mulch ginger, melons, chili
Fri: Prune tomato, chili, remove yellow leaves
Sat: Hand-pollinate melons, check strawberries & blueberries
Sun: Clean leaves, remove debris, inspect drainage & sun exposure

Monthly Tasks

Rotate pots for sunlight balance
Apply slow-release or seasonal fertilizers
Prune dead or old growth
Monitor fruiting & flowering

Small Space / Balcony Layout

[Sun-facing side]
-------------------------------------------------
| Tomato (stakes)    | Chili | Lime (pot)      |
|-------------------|-------|----------------|
| Ginger (partial shade) | Melon (trellis) | Strawberry trough |
| Blueberries (acid soil pots)               |
-------------------------------------------------
[Water near plants; keep drainage trays]

💡 Tip: Use vertical trellises for melons & tomato. Keep blueberry & strawberry roots cool with shade cloth or double-pot.

Health Supplements That Work!

2015-07-01T07:53:00.003-07:00

If you are looking for health supplements that work, stop!

You have found it!

You want to make money online? Why not do it with health and beauty products? How about longevity pills? No, not the hype, but the real thing?

Watch this, and be in the know.

See you in the club!

Hand pollination works!

2011-06-06T22:06:00.001-07:00

The very simple technique of hand pollination works!

Taken last 19-May-2011, see the picture. I will take care of my chili plants, then do hand polination, so I get the pods.

Till then!

No chili pods yet, but have sweet potato shoots!

2011-05-15T17:32:00.001-07:00

While I am waiting for the chili pods to come out, if ever my hand-pollination technique using a round paintbrush is ever successful, what I see coming out from the potted soil are a number of shoots from my chopped-off end of sweet potato root crops buried beneath were alive - and growing!

I resorted to this method because the leaves they sell don't include the stems where new shoots could grow, and also since I like very much the Japanese sweet potato variety, I decided to chop off some ends every time my wife buys some. And if I am the one doing the marketing chore, I would pick up some loose ends, broken ends of these sweet potatoes, and would simply just show them to the clerk at the check-out counter, and she would smile and let me go off this 3 or 4 of these.

That's only twice, if I recall correctly. Just the few pieces that I need to start off my sweet potato farm.

So while I'm waiting for the pods to come out, I'm seeing purple stems and leaves shoot up.

So now I see some colors other than green and white. And I am looking forward to some boiled sweet potato shoots dipped in vinegar and anchovies. Yum!

Till then!

Hand pollination

2011-05-08T20:42:00.001-07:00

Image via WikipediaI have come across several articles in the web for doing manual pollination. Some suggested paint brush use, just the size enough for the flowers to be inter-pollinated, and some others suggested the use of cotton buds.

I chose the paint brush, as I always have these within my reach, and I don't have to throw them away after use.

Now, all I have to do is wait. I hope to be successful in my manual pollination technique!

Till then.

No pollinators

2011-05-04T22:54:00.001-07:00

Image by cskk via FlickrThe chili plants that brought me high hopes as my provider for leaves and pods - they all grew well. But it is just so disappointing, in that living up high in the flats among an almost concreted area will not have even a single pollinator!

The flowers come, sprout, spread, then wither and die. No pods.

And the leaves are almost always having some aphids sticking underneath them. I wouldn't have minded that for all I care, but then, there are no fertilized flowers that will show me some colors other than green and white, so I would be on the lookout on how to perform artificial pollination.

I hope to make this work - many flowers are waiting!

Till then!

One of my phals

2011-04-02T04:05:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of my yellow phal. I really thought that it was very difficult to take care of this mysterious orchid, but I was wrong. It is even easier to take care of than a dendrobium. Just bright light and a continuous breeze whole day, and the watering can go from weekly to bi-weekly. And they will thrive.

Here goes!

Good books on Orchids

2011-03-02T21:43:00.001-08:00

I borrowed some books from the library, and there are three that I can recommend to anyone who is just beginning, or is already an expert, on orchid cultivation.

it can serve the purpose of clearing doubts, or correcting assumptions, or gleaning new nuggets of wisdom. There are always new things (if we can call them new) every now and then.

So here goes:

Orchid Basics
A comprehensive guide to care and cultivation
by Brian & Sara Rittershausen

very simple and easy to grasp explanation on how to go about with orchids
shows by photograph how to perform hybridization (first book that I "see" how to hybridize), and believe me, it is very, very complicated (if you now what I mean)!

Orchids to Know and Grow
by Thomas J. Sheesan and Robert J. Black

details the growth habit, growth pattern, light requirement, growing temperature and what container/mount to use
scientific names are explained
what one variety hybridizes with another

Growing Orchids in your garden
by Robert G. M. Friend

emphasizes growing orchids in their natural habitat
tells where each variety is originating, where found

I intended to supply only a few words on the books, as I want you to know the good merits from these books - firsthand.

Will you share when you're done reading?

Till then!

New terms, new skills

2011-01-25T00:54:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaI am coming across many words that I do not use every day, or, to say it more accurately, I have been away from for so long. I have stopped doing gardening, and the technical terms to correctly describe this and that, and all things about plants and their care is, well, they’ve been away from me, too.

But after reading some books, and going through a lot of articles in the web, I am slowly but steadily gaining back the knowledge needed to get me through.

Terms:

Here are some terminologies that I’m sure are common to those who do and describe them every day.

Heft – to carry with the purpose of weighing: Heft the pot to see if it is heavy with water or not.

Leach – filter through, pass through: Leach the pot to get rid of extra water or fertilizer.

Adventitious – by chance and not an integral part: Orchids not at the right flowering environment may come up with adventitious growths rather than flowers.

Incipient – only partly in existence; imperfectly formed: If an orchid isn’t given the proper treatment during the period of rest, incipient flower buds will undergo a drastic change.

Pseudobulbs and Canes – Specifically applied to orchids, a cane is like a slender stick, while a pseudobulb is like a hand pump, flattened at the ends. Both are for storing water, but the pseudobulb acts like a reservoir. Therefore, use this to determine if you will water your orchids twice a week, or only once. Of course, this is the general guide.

Skills:

Here are also some skills that you would sure make use of, if you aren’t doing already.

Misting using a spray – Instead of using a shallow bowl or a separate pot serving the same use to induce humidity by filling up with pebbles and water around or below the orchid pots, induce humidity by misting the leaves and roots 2x daily.

Under the sun, out of the sun – growing orchids are placed under the sun, or given their dappled light, or whatever is suitable to your variety of orchid, but when the flowers are out, they only need the bright light, and not the sunlight. Again, this is the general rule.

Growth and rest periods – orchids in general are following a seasonal cycle. When growing, they are provided with the necessary sunlight or bright light, humidity, fertilizer, etc, most of which are cut back when the leaves fall (as in the case of dendrobiums) and the plants go to rest.

A leafless cane is not a useless cane – part of their growth (how can dropping leaves be called ‘growth’?) is to shed old leaves and become dormant for a time. This is to process the remaining nutrients they have stored, in order to use up for new flower buds or new growths. So don’t throw away that orchid simply because all the leaves have fallen. Like the Resident Evil phrase, it may talk back: “Hey! I’m not dead yet!”

Recipe for death for a hard cane Dendrobium – If we are all looking for ways and means to be able to care and make our dendros grow and flower well, one article indicated the recipe to kill a hard cane dendro: Wet and cold. Dendros can take a momentary wetness, or a momentary coldness. But both happening at the same time, being wet and cold, well, that will kill the dendro.

I will continue to read a lot of articles and books, so long as I have the time. I am enjoying both the amassing of knowledge and skills and the real-life experience from hands-on activities.

A major rearrangement

2011-01-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

Image by hbl via FlickrYesterday, Sunday, my wife got an eyesore with some of the leafy plants at home. She would usually be thrilled with the flowers (orchids, cyclamens, begonias), but she would be irked by some inconsistencies in the sceneries sporting leaves, purely leaves.

An emergency move was done, and I was set to repotting (which was planned for some time already when the flowering plants were seen to be overgrowing their small pots. And of course, I was 'experimenting' with some of the leafy varieties, cutting some and planting those cut stems. Most wilted, I could say, due to the non-mature age. I know, because at least one of them I saw to be shooting out roots. I guess that is what she saw, the wilted plants!

And the orchids, especially the phalaenopsis and dendrobiums, are directly under the sun. I am trying to see if these can tolerate the midday sun right at our front door. We get the morning sun, midday sun, and the afternoon sun. Our balcony is more of the bright light, but not the sun directly, only at the later part of the day, evening time, then some sunlight peeks at the balcony; I think about 3 days, and the sunburn at the leaves of the phalaenopsis is becoming more and more evident, so I told my best half about it, and we were off to the major rearrangement!

The begonias and cyclamens that were in the balcony before, at the opposite side where the sunlight doesn't shine, were brought out and put right in front of the main door - as if to make you be greeted by flowers when you open the doors! And the orchids were transferred to their original place: from the midday sun, the orchids would still be receiving bright light and good breeze, without the scorching midday sun. Boy, isn't that a lot of heat to take?

As I've come to refresh and add to my knowledge about orchids, I am hoping that my collection now will start to grow, both biologically and numerically.

The balsams, planted from seeds, were a fiasco. I think these packets of seeds are a no-good way to start with. I've tried it back then, and the results are consistent: nothing grew, not even one. I was in need of more soil, and I have several pots big and small (I think 4 of them) with soil and the supposedly seedlings that were being grown. I tried to spade off the soil in the pot with the Anaheim chili seeds, and knowing where I've situated the lot, I dig on the soil around that area. Primary goal is to use the soil, and second is to check on the seeds. I was happy that they are actually growing; the roots are starting to come out, measuring about 5mm already! A month and a half ago, I was able to grow Cayenne chili from seeds, and about a week ago, the capsicum seeds were also sowed, and they grew! The Anaheim chili seeds are my second batch to be sown, the first batch, about 3 weeks ago, failed. These were from dried seeds. I guess I haven't learned that skill yet, sowing from dried seeds. The Cayenne chili seeds were from mature pods that were not dried, simply taken out from almost-decaying pods, specifically set aside for the seeds for sowing. The capsicum and the Anaheim, having learned from the failed batch from dried seeds, were both sown from seeds of pods while they are fresh - can be used in seasoning. I did that because I saw in one of the books that we have at home (I wasn't using my resources properly, you see) stated it in one of the methods of propagation, using other fruit as example, of course. Then I learned from my primary school kids that competition among plants and trees happen when their root systems are adjacent and crossing bounds - one's roots would tend to 'grab' the soil nutrients faster than the other - and that makes them healthy (or should I say, healthier?) Using that updated knowledge, I put the seeds about 3 inches away from each other in a rectangular pot, and there they are growing nicely.

The capsicums are doing the same, as if they are trying to catch up with the cayennes, and the leaves are just starting to come out. With the Anaheim seeds already germinating, 2 to 3 more months, I should be seeing those pods soon, very soon!

I have to say that I enjoy watching the pods change color as they go through the stages of maturity from the flower, to the ripened pods. And what way to enjoy them more when the leaves and pods are used in savory dishes?

So hopefully, we will have our own backyard in pots, providing greens, flowers and fruits (pods), adding beauty and spicing up dishes.

My orchids: Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis

2011-01-20T00:07:00.001-08:00

Image via WikipediaI have finally settled for 2 orchids: dendrobium and phalaenopsis.

Dendrobium, I would call it freely this way, is like the 'grass' in the orchid genera: hardy, easy to grow, and almost always flowering. That doesn't say it cannot die. But it is to say that if you are a beginner trying your hand on orchids, dendrobium should be a good choice.

I'm not a beginner when it comes to orchids, having taken care of many plants and trees before, for leaves and fruits, and also orchids. I actually don't find the vanda that I had before back in the Philippines. Just fortunate that I had a picture of it when it bloomed with at least 5 flowers.

And I don't have ample space now so I settled with a dendro and a phal. Actually my dear wife already cautioned me not to be over indulging on these lovely creation. Not that she doesn't like them. She just knows how I can get lost in it, especially the financial side. Of course, that would upset so many things in the family. Doesn't that prove again that our best half are our greatest blessing?

She did say that each month, get one. A plant for its leaf. Another for its scent. The next month, for its flowers, and so on. If that is not wisdom in order, what would you call it?

Enough of being philosophical!

I picked a very simple dendrobium so I don't have to be so meticulous (once again) with my plants. I already have pots lining up our balcony side and at the entrance side: cyclamen, begonia, mosaic, palm, hibiscus, corn plant, poor man's orchid, ferns, flaming katy, euphorbia, and some spices: short chili, long chili and capsicum. There is also the pineapple - too bad for this one - some kids at our block like this very much, and go on to picking out the growing leaves at the center when we're not around! Last night I just planted some seeds of balsam plants, for the flowers. And this is not the first time that I attempt to grow from seeds. Some grew, some didn't. Mind you the chilis and capsicums are grown from seeds, and they're quite cooperative somehow, a shoot, a green stem, and now a couple of leaves, with each day trying to show off by enlarging those leaves while extending the stems up.

And the phalaenopsis I picked, again, is not a complex one. I'm not that expert when it comes to phalaenopsis, but as far as I have read from many articles over the web, both the dendro and the phal are moisture-loving plants. I did come across one article that hit the point right at home. How can you remember just how much watering should you be doing for this and that orchid, aside from all the other intricacies required by each and every kind of an orchid, even though they belong to the same kind, different only by some characteristic due to its hybridization? Then I read that pseudobulbs are for storing water, just like a camel's humps. And so it goes this way: an orchids having pseudobulbs can store water, and therefore - should not be water as much as one that doesn't sport pseudobulbs! Dendros and Phals don't have pseudobulbs, so you should water them more. They like moisture. Their natural habitat in the rainforests (and jungles; I should say, 'the wild') are usually wet with rain and moist afterwards, be it the sun evaporating the water, or the moon cooling the air. But don't water the flower! That is killing the flowers that you've waiter for so long to come. Did you ever hear of the story of the fireman team that saved an old lady's cat from her burning apartment, and she threw a tea party, wherein when they're done and leaving, they run over the it? The cat, not the old lady! It's like that. You do everything conceivable just to make the plants flower, and when the flowers are coming, you nip them at the bud. So don't do that by watering the flowers. It's simple as this. You water the plant to make it flower. You don't expect the flower to flower by watering them, do you?

So I'm down with a dendrobium and a phalaenopsis. I should say, I'm starting with a dendrobium and a phalaenopsis. Hopefully the balsams give me the expected flowers (if they ever grow). My wife is already suggesting that I repot the begonias and cyclamens - they seem to be growing bigger that they will overgrow their current pot size. I'm hesitating because they are at their flowering peak. I'll wait and see. I hope to make good with my present collection, and make good at future additions.

Tilll then. Enjoy!

Orchid care

2011-01-11T18:36:00.001-08:00

Image via WikipediaI've been going back to gathering plants for our new flat, and I've already got some flowers in: hibiscus, begonia and cyclamen. The other one I think is poor man's orchids. I have also gotten a young euphorbia, and it is just furiously growing, shooting out new stems and leaves ever since it was repotted, to a larger container. For the non-flowering plants, I have a cactus, some red and green mosaics, ferns and one that I haven't identified yet, but it is more of a palm species, having read and green foliage. The only other plant I have is a big one already, and is taller than me. It is a palm plant, and is most suited to the windy and sunny place, either at the balcony, or in front of the house. We put it at the balcony for now, and should I be getting a smaller one in the future, it will be at the front where it will get the most sun and wind and rain - the right environment for it to grow nicely.

I still have to choose which orchid I will get: a phalaenopsis, a dendrobium or a vandaceous. Watering isn't the concern, nor the sun. Bright but not sunny isn't either. What I am looking it is how to take care of the plant when it is flowering, to get more flowers, or how to care for it when the flowering period is over.

I've been looking and looking, searching and searching, and I've come across many web pages that has given me valuable info, provided data, but so far, there is one that has mentioned something that I can use, and will use, as a basis to know when it comes to watering needs: pseudobulds is a water container. That's the info that breaks the levels.

And with that, any orchid that doesn't have pseudobulds should not be left too dry. Of course, that will be the general rule, but it is half the battle between simply remembering, and understanding why.

That website, before I forget it, is here: My Orchid Care. I kow, I should give credit. Someway, somehow, they hit the right spot for givingg just the kind of info that will help me with my orchid growing.

May it help you as well.

Enjoy!

The bane that is Internet: Drugs online

2010-06-23T22:11:00.001-07:00

Perhaps another one technology that has become both a blessing and a curse is internet: being a mine for online marketers, legally, that is, the internet is now a big mine of gold for illegal online marketers - they not only take your money away from you with both eyes wide open - they do so with your "willingness and open participation"!

And with parents not at home, the supposedly 'safe abode' is easily penetrated and invaded by predators - all through the thin wire (literally) of internet.

Parents, beware.

With the internet wide open through our computers portal, no home is safe.

Read on...
-----

Keeping Your Child from Internet Drugs

James D. Zirin,Forbes.com

The drug culture of the fabled 1960s has now assumed a stark, contemporary reality. At the top of The New York Times Best-Sellers List this week is Beautiful Boy by David Sheff, a sadly typical tale of a father's "struggles with his son's meth addiction."

Nic Sheff's drug problems began at age 12, when his father found a bag of marijuana in his backpack. In high school, Nic, who has also just published a book about his addiction, learned to shoot up by studying a diagram on the Internet. By age 17, Nic was hooked on crystal meth; he fell into a decade-long boiling cauldron of substance abuse where he almost died. The account is sobering.

Slideshow: Keeping Your Child from Internet Drugs
Slideshow: The Dark Side of the Internet
Slideshow: Tips for Keeping Kids Safe Online
Slideshow: The Latest Surveillance Techniques
Slideshow: Top 10 Solutions for Educating Our Children

Although data shows the use of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin has trailed off in recent years, the abuse of prescription drugs, particularly by children, and many freely available online, has soared. According to the National Institute of Health, 20% of Americans have used prescription drugs for recreational purposes.

The number of Americans involved in abuse of controlled prescription substances has more than doubled over the past decade or so, to nearly 17 million. Teenagers abusing prescription drugs number around 2.7 million, according to the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA).

CASA reports that more than half the nation's 12-to-17 year olds are at greater risk of substance abuse because of high stress, frequent boredom, too much spending money, or some catastrophic combination thereof.Abuse among college students is estimated at 20%, and not much is being done about it.

"It's time to get the 'high' out of higher education," declares CASA Chairman and Founder Joseph A. Califano Jr.

The trend toward early substance abuse is a cause for special concern. Young teens often start off with prescription drugs such as pain killers, tranquilizers and sedatives to relax, cope with stress or reduce inhibitions. They then graduate to alcohol abuse and even illicit drugs. It is beyond controversy that early abuse of any addictive substance spikes the chances of long-term dependence.

Studies conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America show that 40% of American adults believe it is safe to take prescription drugs without a prescription. Why else would doctors prescribe them?

The problem is intensified by the widespread availability of drugs on the Internet. As every Web surfer knows, rogue Web sites are proliferating, along with their offerings of opiates, stimulants, downers, uppers and performance enhancers carefully crafted to appeal to the youngest and most vulnerable.

"The easy availability of addictive opioids, depressants and stimulants on the net has, for many children, made the Internet a greater threat than the illegal street drug dealer," says Califano.

One need not actively surf the Web to find these sites. Many of them solicit, via spam e-mails that invite the consumer to buy prescription drugs without a prescription. If you didn't get an e-mail, a Google search for "opiates but no prescription" produces over a million hits for sites, many of them offshore, offering controlled substances delivered to your door in a plain wrapper. All you need is a credit card.

The dangers of Internet-transmitted substance abuse are not limited to Web sites selling the substances. Recipes and "how-to" instructions abound. A savvy teenager can readily find on the net manuals for how to grow marijuana, get high on household goods and mix dangerous drinks such as Purple Haze, a potent alcoholic concoction named after a song written by Jimi Hendrix and performed by Britney Spears. Hendrix died in London of a drug overdose. And we don't need to tell you about Britney Spears.

The problem illustrates the dangers lurking within a free Internet. While normally, our preference is for less, rather than more, government regulation, some legislation may be necessary in this case. First, we need laws requiring all ISPs--any organization that provides Internet access--to screen out illegal content, or content soliciting an illegal transaction, once they are notified of its existence.

Google routinely removes specified pages from its search results, mainly because of claimed trademark or copyright infringement. Why can't it remove rogue drug Web sites? Or at least provide stern and familiar warnings as to the consequences of illegal abuse?

This effort will also require the cooperation of financial intermediaries such as PayPal and credit card companies. Without access to credit card payment, illegal drug dealers are out of business.

Of course, neither legislation and regulation nor more vigorous law enforcement provide the complete answer. The most effective approach is to stamp out demand--it is far more effective to kill the message than the messenger or the intermediary. Parents are key here. Warning ads at sites where drugs are purchased could also be quite effective. Nothing could be more important than talking to children early and often about drugs and how dangerous substance abuse is.

And nothing could be more poignant than a parent's story of a child who lost his or her life to drugs. The recent tragic deaths of Daniel Smith, the 20-year-old son of Anna Nicole Smith (herself the victim of an overdose), and Academy Award winner Heath Ledger, at age 28, are but two examples of the horrific consequences of substance abuse. Nic Sheff is one of the lucky ones--he is still alive.

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:Keeping Your Child from Internet Drugs
-----

When Help How To results in Help How Not To

2010-05-27T02:03:00.001-07:00

I love this one!

I remember years ago when my instructor in assembly language pointed out that one article on how to detect and combat computer viruses produced a contrary result: it instead taught how to create viruses - the very thing that it attempted to destroy.

However, this one thing that is freely available in the web - I kinda endorse sites like this: a would-be suicidal person looks for 'how-to' on carrying out the suicide, but finds help instead. Now that's something!

Read on...
-----

'Suicide' Internet search turns up 'how to' advice: study

PARIS - People searching the Internet for information about suicide methods are more likely to find sites encouraging suicide than those offering help or support, according to a study released Friday.

Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and Manchester found that nearly half of websites showing up in queries of the four top search engines gave "how to" advice on taking one's own life.

Only 13 percent, by contrast, focused on suicide prevention or offered support, while another 12 percent actively discouraged suicide.

Previous studies have shown that media reporting of suicide and its portrayal on television influence suicidal behaviour, particularly the choice of method used, but little is known about the impact of the Internet.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, replicated a typical search that might be undertaken by a person looking for instructions and information about methods of suicide.

The same set of search terms were fed into Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.

The researchers then analysed the first ten sites from each search, giving a total of 480 hits.

Just under half of the sites provided some information about methods of suicide, while almost a fifth were for dedicated suicide sites, half of them actively encouraging, promoting, or facilitating the taking of one's life.

Overall, Google and Yahoo retrieved the highest number of dedicated suicide sites, whereas MSN had the highest number of prevention or support sites and academic or policy sites.

In addition, the three most frequently occurring sites were all pro-suicide, while the information site Wikipedia was fourth.

"How to" sites are not illegal in most countries, and are not often caught by search engine filters. - AFP/fa

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; source article is below:'Suicide' Internet search turns up 'how to' advice: study
-----

Save Money By Your Arts And Crafts Style

2010-05-11T01:47:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Talking about arts and crafts, kids are a natural. Why? Because they feel no shame in doing what they want to do, and in expressing themselves.

Why do we lose this reckless abandon as we grow older?

It's a shame, I think. Anyway, here's some tips to keep that 'child in you' alive, especially if you are now a parent and have real kids to 'play with'.

Read on...
-----

Figure Out Your Arts And Crafts Style To Save Money!
By Melissa Hash

When you are trying to live a more frugal life and you enjoy being creative then it is important to set up a craft budget. Crafts and supplies can be very expensive but by learning your personal arts and crafts style you can better distribute your craft allowance.

Craft or Art?

Many who do crafts believe that they are an art form and some who produce art call it their craft. Generally, a work is considered a craft when there is a set of rules you follow and when others follow those rules they end up with a similar product. Art is more distinctive. If you give a group of people each a lump of clay the end products may look nothing alike.

This may not help you know where to place your money but it will help narrow down what your arts and crafts style is. Also, do not be surprised if you enjoy doing a little (or a lot!) of both crafts and art.

One style or multiple styles?

Some people only do one arts and crafts. They may only cross-stitch or only draw. Most people who are creative have many outlets in which they enjoy creating things. If you have only one creative interest then it is very easy to decide what craft to put your money towards but what if you quilt, paint, knit, decoupage, cross-stitch and whatever else you come across?

If you have multiple craft and art interests then you have to be even more cognizant of how much money you are spending. What arts and crafts style do you enjoy doing the most? Can you narrow your interests down to one or two that you do more often than the others? Your craft budget can be allocated to allow more for that one craft you enjoy the most. You can then allocate a portion of your craft budget to projects that you complete only when you can find cheap craft supplies.

How much do the arts and crafts supplies cost?

If you do not have a large arts and crafts budget then you may have to choose your creative outlet based on how much cash you have to work with while you save for bigger purchases. If you cannot afford a sewing machine then instead of hand sewing large quilts perhaps you could make some pillows instead and while it may not be as comfortable as painting on a sturdy easel you can spread an old sheet on the floor and paint away.

Selling your work

If you believe that others would like to buy what you are making then you may be looking into ways to sell your work. This can be very expensive, such as the costs associated with producing a large quantity of work and renting a booth at an arts and crafts fair, or hard to break into, such as selling your work in an art gallery. It is also important to realize your arts and crafts style so that you know where to try and sell your work. A contemporary painter or sculptor may not do very well at an arts and crafts fair while you do not tend to find crocheted afghans in galleries.

If you are looking to see if there is a market for your work then you might try starting on a smaller scale. Ebay.com or etsy.com are excellent ways for you to sell your product. You can produce only one or two items and try to sell them before spending the money to make large quantities.

By asking yourself these questions you can get a better idea of your arts and crafts style which can help you when you make up your arts and crafts budget.

Article Supplied By: M. Kaye Hash, Co-owner and photographer of the nature photography and Eco-friendly gifts and family living articles website www.naturesthumbprint.com She is a contributing editor and co-webmaster at www.mccallsfloormart.com Melissa has a degree in Art History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has been writing and taking pictures since she was young. Melissa is also an avid animal lover and she raises four dogs of her own while being creative in as many ways as possible.

Article Directory: EzineArticles

Lifted from Ezine article directoy with the same title:
Figure Out Your Arts And Crafts Style To Save Money!
-----

Poor driving or poor manners?

2010-05-06T22:25:00.001-07:00

This is one of those areas where the difference in the sexes is highlighted or played down. Man or woman, anger is a problem. And road rage? Even more a deadly expression... errhh... I won't say that again. It is something that shouldn't be expressed while on ramming machine speeding at 100kmph.

Time for some diversion.

Read on...

-----

Women are calmer drivers? Not when I'm behind the wheel

Road rage is just as much a problem for mums as it is for dads

by Erin Baker
The Daily Telegraph

"Calm down," I mutter, as I ease my car between the bus lane and the fat SUV that's trying to force me into it.

"Calm down," I repeat, as the traffic light turns green but I can't move because there's an idiot in a van blocking the junction.

"Calm down!" I shriek, as another idiot in a BMW, who knows he's in the wrong lane but reckons he can carve me up, edges forward.

Invariably, the mantra wears a bit thin about half an hour into my morning commute.

By the time I arrive at work, my blood is fairly fizzing. You see, I'm not very good at handling road rage.

Just ask my mother - she's still sweating from the time we had to drive at speed around the supermarket car park, slaloming through the trolleys to escape a large and surprisingly fleet-footed man whom I had called a "bloody idiot" for honking at her when she tried to reverse into a space.

So, I find it hard to believe that women are statistically less likely to succumb to road rage than men.

However, a survey this week of children aged between five and 16 found more than half think they have a calmer, safer journey when their mother is driving.

Fathers are accused of being more aggressive and driving too fast.

This, despite the fact that seven out of 10 children said their mothers were more likely to stall the car when pulling away from a junction, and 64 per cent claimed that reverse parking was beyond Mummy's capabilities. Ouch.

Most of the children questioned about road rage won't realise that low speed doesn't always equate to safety (few adults seem to get this point, either).

It might feel safer to have Mummy sing a song with you while pottering down the road at 40kmh in a 60kmh zone, but Daddy's more aggressive progress could be more appropriate for the road conditions. That's why it's female drivers who incite my road rage more than male ones.

At least men know they're carving you up. Women, generally, have no idea of the chaos they're leaving behind.

It's not that we're less intelligent than men - and we're certainly more capable of multi-tasking. It seems we just can't be bothered.

Take that puerile "Baby on Board" sticker, for example.

You know the one: It makes you want to jump out at the lights, knock on the window and say: "I was about to ram your car from behind, but thank goodness I saw the sticker."

How many men would display that sign?

There's a difference, too, when it comes to how we exhibit our road rage.

Mothers aren't any calmer behind the wheel than fathers - they're simply more subtle. Instead of shouting and swearing, we silently seethe, and enact our revenge in more elegant ways (unless you're my friend Jo, whose child's first words, picked up after months of her driving, were "****ing moron").

Instead of shouting at Mr Carve-You-Up, a canny woman will beat him away from the lights, thus forcing him to drop in behind, then briefly slow down to make her point.

She will inch up alongside the SUV that is hogging her space because the driver has no lane discipline, thus alarming him/her into shifting back into the right lane.

Far more satisfying than a list of expletives.

Given that road rage affects both sexes - but in rather different ways - the real cause for concern should be the behaviour that incites it.

As a spokesman from the breakdown coverage company that carried out the survey said: "Kids exposed to poor driving could ... copy this action when they start to drive themselves."

That's "poor driving", not "poor manners".

Road hogs take note.

Lifted from TODAY, Commentary - Friday, 30-April-2010
Women are calmer drivers? Not when I'm behind the wheel
-----

Ready to be a Parent?

2010-04-27T19:03:00.001-07:00

Well, here is one article from one of the dailies that tells, or rather, narrates, what it is to be a parent. We went through an ordeal of raising a family about 8 years ago, when my wife gave birth to our third daughter, while the eldest was yet a mere 3-year old girl, and our second girl was just a 2-year old baby.

Admittedly, those past 8 years were tough times for us, my wife especially. We can only look back now.

And I am writing this post today, which means WE SURVIVED! WE MADE IT!

Are you ready to be a parent?

It's not quite the same as having kids, you know

by Christopher Toh

RECENTLY, my son has been bugging my wife for a baby sister. And a kitten. I won't go into detail, suffice it to say that he has read Peter Mayle's Where Did I Come From and realised that daddy and mummy can produce one if they put their bodies together. A baby sister, that is - not the kitten.

When my wife told me about it, I had a look that said, "Oh no, not again!" Followed by nervous tick, hyperventilation and subsequent passing out. Just kidding.

It's not that I don't like children, I do. But it takes time to adjust. And I was just getting used to having kids around the house. I still get surprised when I come home and see two kids running around.

I jest, of course. There's no way you can live in my house and not know that there are two other guys living there. For one thing, their playroom always resembles a scene from 2012, complete with carnage.

Anyway, back to parenthood: Some people take to it like a duck to water, some people just ... duck. It's understandable. Having a child is easy: Impregnate wife, wait 40 weeks or so and, voila, a child is born.

But when you become a parent, life really isn't the same any more. For instance, there's no staying out late or sleeping in (unless you count waking up at 7am as "sleeping in"), there's no swearing whenever the kids are within earshot, and I can't even take a dump without one of them kicking on the toilet door going: "Daddy, what are you doing? What? What? Are you passing motion? What, daddy, what? Tell me!"

Of course, you can prepare for parenthood. Before my first son was born, I actually borrowed books from the library on the subject - okay, my wife borrowed those books - but I realised that those books left out some pertinent information.

Gina Ford, for example recommended having a routine for your child: When to wake, eat, sleep, etc. She didn't say how one should deal with the screaming match when they refused to sleep on cue.

Dr Ferber said let your child cry themselves to sleep. Didn't add "only if you want your house to resemble Guantanamo Bay's prison cells during torture time - and you're the prisoner".

But here's the funny thing: I can tell you that being a parent is one of the best things to happen to me. I'm probably looking at life through rose-coloured glasses, but nothing can describe that melt-your-heart feeling when your child smiles at you - heck, just looks at you - for the first time.

Nothing compares to the joy you feel when you see the proud satisfaction in his face as he completes a shapes puzzle for the first time. And when he hugs you and says: "Daddy, I love you." It's indescribable.

Just the other day, my son broke a glass bottle on the kitchen floor. Of course, I was grumbling as I cleaned up the mess, but then I looked at my son who, teary-eyed and lips quivering said: "Daddy, I'm sorry, please don't be angry." And all that grumbling just dissipated.

I have never known the likes of this before. It's like every little thing they do is magic and it's a kind of magic that leaves you with the feeling that everything is beautiful in its own way. And what a feeling it is.

It makes you want to have another child immediately. Just kidding, wifey.

The writer is a senior reporter at TODAY.

Taken from TODAY, Kids - Monday, 26-April-2010
-----

All that junk you can't dump

2010-04-12T18:44:00.001-07:00

The story as told below almost applies to me, and I was simply collecting things, and while doing it, I would always muse to myself that 'this thing' has some use in the future.

Well, almost always, about 1% - 5% really is having some use afterwards. And what better way to be able to throw out what isn't needed than to have a spouse who is always on the lookout for 'keeping and throwing' things?

We have moved from a 3-room to a 5-room flat, and I'm always thinking when she goes on to her 'spring-cleaning' spree, we already have 'some space' to spare, so what's all the fuss now?

Turned out that our 'extra space' is really some extra space, and is not intended to be a storage for junk. So now, I'm also on the lookout now and then, so I don't 'contribute' to the trash build up.

Not to say that I don't have any 'collectibles' in the store room, but it is now down to minimum. Anytime you want to go in the storage, you can. And what you would find are usable and functional items.

I remember what one manager told about last time. A spare can of paint, if you want to store, you mark with a date. Put in a 'date of expiry'. The next time you visit the storage, check it out. If still not used by that time, then, though painful from the idea of 'separation and wastage', as is usually the internal battle that ensues in the mind, get on with it.

The satisfaction and freedom from doing so will have more beneficial effects later on.

For the news article, read the story below.

Feel free to leave a comment.

TODAYonline | Health | All that junk you can't dump

Blogged with the Flock Browser

'FEROCIOUS ATTACK' LEAVES M'SIAN CONSULAR WORKER DEAD

2010-02-26T00:38:00.000-08:00

-----------------------------------------------------

SYDNEY - A Malaysian consular employee was stabbed to death in a "ferocious attack" outside his Sydney home in a suspected road rage incident, officials said yesterday.

The 43-year-old man, who worked as a driver for the Malaysian consul-general, was beaten and stabbed in inner-city Leichhardt by two men late on Sunday despite an attempted intervention by a female passer-by.

"It was a ferocious attack, there's no doubt about that," said Detective Inspector Shane Woolbank.

The authorities said they were examining whether the attack stemmed from a road rage incident moments earlier involving a dark-coloured sedan, the police said.

Malaysian Consul-General Mohd Nasir Abu Hassan said the victim, a Malaysian who had recently become an Australian citizen, had worked as a driver for the consulate for three years.

"This is a very stressful time for all of us at the consulate," he told reporters.

"We got on very well with him and we were shocked when we heard this tragic news." AFP

From TODAY, Tuesday, 23-Feb-2010

----------

DIGGING IN THE MUD FOR THE MISSING

2010-02-26T00:36:00.000-08:00

----------------------------------

FUNCHAL (Madeira) - Portugal was expected to announce three days of mourning after flash flooding on the island of Madeira killed at least 42 people.

Troops and other rescue workers on Sunday continued to dig through mud-filled houses to find those missing. "It is very probable that we will find more bodies," said Mayor Miguel Albuquerque.

A shopping centre in Funchal was also completely destroyed and firefighters feared there were people trapped in an underground parking lot which was still under water. The government rushed medical and rescue teams including divers and sniffer dogs and relief supplies to the Atlantic island.

A special Cabinet meeting was to be held yesterday to discuss the period for mourning as well as financial aid to rebuild Madeira's destroyed roads and bridges. The regional government says it has no estimate yet of its financial needs.

Madeira's social issues affairs secretary Francisco Ramos told reporters the disruption to phone lines had made it difficult to establish how many people needed to be rescued because many of them just could not be contacted.

A morgue has been set up at the airport, where local official said they had not yet been able to identify all the bodies.

Football star Cristiano Ronaldo, Madeira's most famous native, expressed shock and promised help for relief efforts. "It is a huge catastrophe," said the world's most expensive footballer, who was born in a poor district of Funchal.

Britain said a British national was among those who died on Saturday when torrents of muddy water swamped buildings and streets on the island. It was the first confirmed death of a foreign national in the disaster. AFP

From TODAY, Tuesday, 23-Feb-2010

----------

REFUGEES MAY BE ALLOWED TO WORK

2010-02-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

-------------------------------

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is considering allowing refugees to work while awaiting resettlement abroad, a report said yesterday, after an industry group said the measure could help ease a labour shortage.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told The Star newspaper he would discuss the proposal with the foreign ministry and foreign embassies. "The suggestion might work but we need to look at it from all angles," he said.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman agreed, saying: "We have to study this in detail. It will benefit the country if refugees with certain expertise are allowed to work while they are here."

The United Nations refugee agency said there are almost 80,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia, most of whom fled persecution in Myanmar. Its spokesperson told AFP the agency was ready to support the initiative: "We believe that this is in the long-term humanitarian, economic and security interest of Malaysia, and consistent with Malaysia's own humanitarian tradition in helping those in need."

Ms Florida Sandanasamy, an official with local refugee rights group Tenaganita, also welcomed the work proposal as a first "small step".

Several groups, including the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, have called on the government to allow refugees to work, particularly in labour-strapped sectors, instead of importing more foreign workers. The country depends heavily on foreign labour in industries such as construction, manufacturing and farming.

Earlier this month, Malaysia announced it planned to issue ID cards to refugees - in a first move toward recognising them and sparing them from being arrested with other illegals. Agencies

From TODAY, Tuesday, 23-Feb-2010

----------

WORKER LEVIES UP FROM JULY

2010-02-25T23:57:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

--------------------------

SINGAPORE - With the overall dependency for all categories of foreign workers unchanged - employers can continue hiring the same number of foreign workers, but they will be paying more.

From July, foreign worker levies will be increased gradually over the next three years, starting with a "modest increase", said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday.

Levy rates will first be raised by $10 to $30 for most Work Permit holders. Further increases will be phased in until it reaches a total increase of about $100 on average per worker in manufacturing and services.

However, there will be a "larger increase" in the construction sector, where there is "much scope for productivity improvements," said Mr Shanmugaratnam.

The current levy for Work Permit holders ranges from $150 to $470.

S Pass workers will see the biggest jump in their levy rates. From the single $50 rate now, there will be two levy tiers introduced, with rates at $100 and $120. By July 2012, the rates will reach $150 and $250.

These changes will "provide clear incentives for businesses to restructure and upgrade their operations so as to rely less on low-skilled foreign workers", said Mr Shanmugaratnam. However, he assured businesses they will get financial support to invest in productivity and develop higher-skilled workers, especially Singaporeans.

Explaining the need to manage Singapore's dependence on foreign workers, the Finance Minister said they already comprise one-third of the total workforce, and there are limits to the numbers Singapore can absorb.

Having the levies will allow employers to continue hiring foreign workers, rather than be "constrained by fixed quotas", he said.

Head of SIM University's Business Analytics programme Randolph Tan noted that the Government had taken "a paradigm shift" to distinguish between productive workers, and those who were not.

However Mr Tan noted that for an S-Pass holder earning $3,000 - and engaging in higher-skilled work - the higher $150 levy would be just 5 per cent, "way too low to influence employers to favour local workers", he said.

Some employers were surprised at the steep overall increase in levies, but vice- chairman for the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association Hong Poh Hin felt it was better than tightening the quota as it gives businesses more "flexibility" in hiring decisions.

Lucky Joint Construction managing director Yeow Kian Seng said that without locals being interested in construction jobs, "we still have to "face the music" in order to keep projects going". But the company will move from labour-intensive projects to those involving cabling work that still attract locals.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Government to "monitor its adverse impact" on local businesses - saying there is a need to be "more flexible and accommodating" in addressing manpower shortages in specific industries.

More details of the changes to the foreign levy will be released later this week.

From TODAY, Tuesday, 23-Feb-2010

----------

Haiti in need...

2010-02-24T23:57:00.000-08:00

CRIES FOR HELP VIA TEXT MESSAGES ARE USED TO DIRECT AID TO HAITI

----------------------------------------------------------------

MIAMI - From his makeshift workstation, Mr Ryan Bank spends hours sifting through thousands of electronic cries for help from Haitian earthquake victims, many detailing the horrors of dead family members, hunger and homelessness.

"I'm hungry and I have no one," says one text message from a Haitian man living in a tent city with thousands of others whose homes were destroyed in the quake. "People are unable to breathe due to the smell of the dead," says another.

Mr Bank, a Coast Guard volunteer who runs his own technology company in Chicago, said he had received more than 18,000 messages.

"Most of them are utterly heartbreaking," he said while staring at a list of messages sent to him through a new emergency relief effort that relies on text messages and social networking websites to help coordinate humanitarian aid in Haiti.

Along with the United States State Department, the Pentagon and aid groups, as well as Haiti's leading mobile phone carrier and countless volunteers, the Coast Guard is part of an emergency contact network for Haitians to send text messages requesting aid. Those involved in the effort also monitor Facebook and Twitter postings for information indicating where supplies are needed.

To get the word out about the new program, the distress code number - 4636 - was sent to every mobile phone on the Haitian network. Word of the programme also went out on local Haitian radio stations.

Text messages from Haitians saying that they needed food and water helped identify a tent city that the American military and relief workers were previously unaware of, Mr Bank said.

And more Haitians are using the service every day, he said, noting the increase in volunteers needed to translate the messages from Haitian Creole into English.

Once the messages make it to his computer screen, Mr Bank passes the information along to military personnel at the United States Southern Command in South Florida, which in turn coordinates with American military personnel in Haiti to help them locate those in need.

The choice to base the emergency network on text messaging was because of the damage Haiti's telecommunications system suffered in the quake. Fallen cell towers and overloaded networks made telephone calls nearly impossible.

However, text messaging was still available and widely used among Haitians trying to locate friends and loved ones among the rubble. Even the least sophisticated of cellphones has a text-messaging option, noted Mr Josh Nesbit, co-founder of FrontlineSMS:Medic, an aid group that provides free open-source software communication for medical workers in developing countries. He helped set up the Haiti emergency program.

Since its conception just hours after the Jan 12 earthquake, the joint programme has expanded to include regular news and information updates to those who have reached out through the emergency line, telling them where to find food relief and seek medical attention. The New York Times

From TODAY, Monday, 22-Feb-2010

----------

Whaling Banned, but not Diplomatic Ties...

2010-02-24T23:41:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

'UNFORTUNATE, BUT OUR TIES ARE FINE'

------------------------------------

PERTH - Japan's Foreign Minister yesterday described Australia's threat of legal action against its controversial whaling activities as "unfortunate" but said he did not believe it would hurt ties.

"Should court action become a reality, then Japan will seek to represent its case to the IWC (International Whaling Commission) supporting the fact that its activities are legal and within the convention," said Mr Katsuya Okada on the second and final day of a visit to Australia.

Mr Okada, the first official from the new Japanese government to visit Australia, said however that the dispute should not affect relations between the two major trading partners.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last Friday bluntly warned Japan that it had until November to reduce its whale catch to zero, or face action in the International Court of Justice.

Australia, along with New Zealand, has consistently opposed Japan's killing of hundreds of whales each year, which it carries out via a loophole in an international moratorium that allows "lethal research".

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia remained hopeful of a diplomatic solution but he reiterated Mr Rudd's vow that Canberra would seek redress in the ICJ if talks failed.

Mr Smith said Canberra had decided to bring a proposal before the IWC to phase out whaling in the Great Southern Oceans over a reasonable period of time. The case would be taken to the IWC in the very near future as soon as today, he added.

Before Mr Okada left Tokyo, he had insisted that Japan's whaling activities were legal, carried out in public waters and in accordance with international conventions.

He and Mr Rudd had a "frank discussion on whaling" during their Saturday meeting in Sydney. AFP

From TODAY, Monday, 22-Feb-2010

----------

my Nipa Hut

Growing by Pots in Singapore Part 2

Tropical Gardening in Singapore: Complete Guide for Vegetables, Fruits, and Berries

Introduction

Recommended Plants & Varieties

Pot & Soil Guidelines

Pot Sizes

Soil Mixes

Sunlight Requirements

Watering Guidelines

Fertilizing Guidelines

Pruning & Plant Management

Pest & Disease Control

Care Calendar

Weekly Tasks

Monthly Tasks

Small Space / Balcony Layout

Thinking of Growing by Pots in Singapore?

Tropical Gardening in Singapore: Complete Guide for Vegetables, Fruits, and Berries

Introduction

Recommended Plants & Varieties

Pot & Soil Guidelines

Pot Sizes

Soil Mixes

Sunlight Requirements

Watering Guidelines

Fertilizing Guidelines

Pruning & Plant Management

Pest & Disease Control

Care Calendar

Weekly Tasks

Monthly Tasks

Small Space / Balcony Layout

Health Supplements That Work!

Hand pollination works!

Related articles

No chili pods yet, but have sweet potato shoots!

Related articles

Hand pollination

Related articles

No pollinators

Related articles

One of my phals

Related articles

Good books on Orchids

Related articles

New terms, new skills

Related articles

A major rearrangement

Related articles

My orchids: Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis

Related articles

Orchid care

Related articles

The bane that is Internet: Drugs online

Related articles by Zemanta

When Help How To results in Help How Not To

Related articles by Zemanta

Save Money By Your Arts And Crafts Style

Related articles by Zemanta

Poor driving or poor manners?

Related articles by Zemanta

Ready to be a Parent?

Related articles by Zemanta

All that junk you can't dump

Related articles by Zemanta

'FEROCIOUS ATTACK' LEAVES M'SIAN CONSULAR WORKER DEAD

DIGGING IN THE MUD FOR THE MISSING

REFUGEES MAY BE ALLOWED TO WORK

WORKER LEVIES UP FROM JULY

Haiti in need...

Whaling Banned, but not Diplomatic Ties...