Independent Thinking - how to not be brainwashed.

This phrase is so important in today's world. We are bombarded daily with messaging from social media, newspapers and people around us that we can easily slip into a deranged syndrome without actually realizing that we are in a bubble or cocooned surrounded by like minded friends.

For example, racism is taught, subconsciously sometimes by our elders and the people in our community. We must always guard against subconscious messaging promoting hatred, evil, and moral superiority between races, religions and even between people between North and South. Subconscious casual racism surfaces everywhere including many social settings in Singapore. I will not go into detail because sometimes an aware person can actually distinguish what someone says to a person and what someone acts to that same person does not co-relate. 

It is a very subtle difference, and only those highly attuned to societal behavior can detect the anomaly. 

In today's world that line of doing what is right or wrong is being blurred by the continual messaging through so many social media platforms it is almost impossible to monitor all in real time.

I am by no means perfect, and I know I am fallible, and call be swung by smooth operators.

So I know my own intelligence has a limit and need outside stimuli to check and balance my world view.

Mental clarity is the way we use what we are taught, our life experiences and our exposures which will shape how we think and act.

Knowing the difference in what is a stated fact and what is assumed is crucial. However, not many people are blessed with this mind skill. 

 

 

The Foolish Run Today - November 20th 2012 - A Repost from this Blog.

 I will always remember this run today for a long long time. Today, as I was preparing for the 42km marathon in roughly 2 weeks' time, I decided to take a challenge and run with a new pair of Asics Kayanos (version 18). I decided to run the Sime Trail at the McRitchie Reservoir which is roughly 11km from start to end, 1 complete circle. 

       I am not a novice at running the trails at McRitchie, but as I finished the run, something so significant dawned upon me, that I decided to write this down for posterity. I finished work before 6pm and made a beeline for McRitchie reservoir hoping to catch the last rays of light. By the time I arrived and changed up, and started out, it was 6.30pm. I did the run which was in the jungle, and not uncommonly, I would see moneys, sometimes monitor lizards and the occasional snake. The first half went by quite smoothly. I covered 7km in about 42 minutes or so, at a decent pace of 6min per km. My new shoes were absorbing the shocks of the uneven ground made worse by the rains the past days. There are many exposed roots and its slippery,so one wrong move and you could end up with a twisted ankle or worse, a major leg or body injury. The trail is meant mainly for walkers and people with trail sticks frequent it.
Some weeks ago some trail runners were lost in the Reservoir for up to 9 hours, so its not without its risks.

         I made it to the 2/3 rd mark at about 7.05pm. The ranger station was closed and a sign said that the treetop walk was closed and not open to public after 5.30pm  I was left with 3 options a) use the Sime road, which was well lit and run the remainder 5 km back b) Head back the way I came, which was quite treacherous with the fading light or c) continue with the Sime Trail into the forest and reach the end by sheer foolishness and willpower. That meant running up 9 small hills in the trail which was pot holed, and had mud as well as broken stones placed over the places where it was too muddy. Tough choice. 

        I chose option c). Purely by 'gut feel' and not logic, when I could have chosen the easy way back and ran along the road to the start point.With the light fading, the trail I was quite familiar became a black or near black track, with the occasional light from the opening of the forest which let the moonlight in from the half moon. I was afraid, but chose to press on into the darkness. The trail had its ups and downs, and pot holes, which I had to FEEL MY WAY through. I was scared to be scared, not wanting to think of the consequences of a wrong footing or  going off the track. There were lights but I realised that they were fireflies in the forest. After about 15 minutes  of solitary running in the darkness, there was a torchlight and one runner came towards me, he greeted me, and passed into the night. I felt much more sure. There was another solitary runner about 5 minutes later who greeted me with a hearty "Hi" and I was so energised, I ran with all my might. It was going to be OK, although I had another good 15 minutes still in the black forest.

        At the end of the trail, the lights of the reservoir beckoned. My thoughts during the run were this :

1. I am a risk taker, that is why I decided to go into business. You are always thrust into the great abyss (black hole) of uncertain future but you must have the extreme confidence that you will overcome whatever comes my way.

2. Do not think too much about the what ifs, because, life is real short, and if you spend too much time thinking about things you will never ever achieve anything.

    My run finished rather unspectacularly by the reservoir's edge. I remember the words immortalised by the late Steve Jobs to the new Harvard Graduands.

   " Stay Foolish, Stay Hungry, Never Settle".

   Well, the first 2 I have achieved with 100% accuracy. That is why I am still making a living running my own business. I have never regretted a single day of it. Never settle means that I must aspire for better than what I have achieved today. That will only be known over time.

   Seize the Day my friends.   

Accelerated Aging and Shelf Life Testing by QRA International - Get your Products Tested Today

The video above shows the Lab (No. 1) in Singapore running 10 test chambers 24 hours 7 days a week for key biomedical customers from Singapore, USA and Thailand. Accelerated aging is a process in which finished biomedical products are aged in test cabinets called chambers for months for simulate the actual shelf life of the product in their client's storage facility. QRA has been operating its Labs for  over 15 years now, successfully serving many top MNC corporations from Japan, Singapore, Australia, Thailand and USA.

If after the aging tests (for every one year of aging test represents 8 years of shelf life in the storage area of hospitals or clinics) defects show up, it is infinitely better to rectify the products in factory rather than endanger the client's patients in the field. The cost of refining or reworking the products' reliability and long term efficacy has proven to save companies millions of dollars in brand reputation and perception.

This is many times the difference between success and failure.

Think of the damage to the brand's reputation if this batch of new (for example) contact lenses causes a major eye defect once the product is sold and distributed globally.

Screening = Accelerated Aging 

The calculation is simple. According to ASTM F 1980 - 16

For example, if you have a finished product (say daily contact lenses) stored in a box, which has a shelf life of 3 years or 36 months. The ASTM F 1980 - 16 states that for every 10 C increase in storage temperature is equivalent to halving the shelf life. So in essence, if your storage temperature for your box is 25 C,  you can send these box samples to a Laboratory like QRA, we will advise you to do accelerated aging for up to 30 C above the storage temperature (that is IF the products inside the boxes can withstand such high temperatures without melting or having immediate material characteristic change) for shorter durations.

The end result of these accelerated agings would be 

Shelf Life Temp           End of Life            Accelerated Aging Temp    Equivalent End of Life

25 C                             36 months                 35 C                                       18 months

                                                                       45 C                                        9 months

                                                                       55 C                                      4.5 months

It is NOT RECOMMENDED to stress test or accelerate age test above 60 C for polymer products due to rapid degradation due to melting. 

QRA performs BOTH Accelerated Aging and Shelf Life Testing 

Lab No. 1 and Lab No. 2

Shelf Life Testing

Storage                 RH                          Duration                      What is Simulates

25 C                      60%                         5 Years                         Real Time Storage 

5 C                        No.                           5  Years    Real Time Storage (Temperate Climate Countries)

Talk to the Professionals : We have over 15 Years Experience Globally in Accelerated Aging Tests (since 2009) 

Email 

Asia :   mark@qra.com.sg

             evalyn@qra.com.sg

USA   : tim@qra.com.sg

Europe : reypereira@qra.com.sg

Australia: clifford@qra.com.sg

Website : www.qra.com.sg

This is not 'ON' - A habit which needs changing.

 

Let me give my viewpoint on the issue of 'chopeing' of empty tables at food courts and hawker centres in Singapore. 

Look at this picture above, I am sure you are familiar with this scene. People in Singapore who work in downtown central CBD, or in town like Orchard have the habit of booking or reserving (called 'chopeing' in Singlish) the table for themselves first, and then they go and make an order of their chicken rice, hor fun (dry noodles), wanton mee or nasi bryani. 

I think this behavior while it is a solution, is not ideal. I have travelled to many countries in the West and East and I do not see this kind of behavior. Perhaps, in Singapore, we always 'MUST WIN' and having the table at our disposal when and wherever we want before we dine is a necessity.

On the one hand, I think the use of paper tissues wrapped in plastic packets is very unfriendly to the environment, and we have massive amounts of waste to dispose daily, that I will put up in a separate post another day.

On the other hand, maybe if we reduce our 'kiasuness' and stop fighting to 'win all the time' we can actually be a more gracious society in the overall scheme of things.

Let empty tables lie. At the very least, get one person to sit at the table and book the table for the others in that party of (say) 4 or 5. 

Secondly, bring back the handkerchief ! 

(I am hearing howls of protest from the Gen Z and even Millenials).

Carpe Diem ! 

QRA is ISO 9001 : 2015 Certified - 11 Years in a row !

 

Folks, its celebration time. QRA International is proud once again to be awarded the ISO 9001 : 2015 for the 11 - 13th year running !

The description reads, 

"Sales, Rentals, Testing Services, Preventive Maintenance and Calibration of Environmental Simulation Chambers Laboratory Ovens and Freezers." 

So ever Onwards and Upwards.

Carpe Diem