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Have you ever found yourself obsessing over a fad or an object that you grow tired of after a few months, or even just after a few weeks? You feel as if you're entering one passing phase after another. When one ends, you feel tired and empty at the same time, yet you can't help but seek the next thing to occupy your mind. Is this a product of our connection/addiction to social media, in our endless bid to find the next entertaining or educational reel? Is it all just an attempt to find the next dopamine hit we constantly crave? (Disclaimer: I am not a psychiatrist.) About three years ago, a colleague of mine told me about how he, along with a few other guys in the office, went through this phase where they all got into the same hobbies at the same time. One such hobby was folding bicycles. Once one of them tried it, the rest of the group decided they should also buy foldies, so they could go on group rides after work. It's all about team bonding, after all. Photo: Dimon Blr, Unsplash However, if you don't make this part of your lifestyle, the novelty soon wears off. By this point, one of them had purchased more than two foldies, which are currently residing in his bomb shelter. Dissatisfied with the weight and performance of the folding bikes, my colleagues then acquired road bikes so they could clock faster average speeds. Cycling, however, takes up time. Time to gear up, time to ride, and time to put the bicycles on racks so you can ride in new places. So, another hobby was needed. Enter in-line skating. Why bother transporting bicycles when you can literally strap wheels onto your feet? Easier, right? Right. Photo: Naomi Tamar, Unsplash Next, someone suggested that apart from outdoor activities, they should also have a relaxing activity they can do at home. Hence, the obsession with aquariums. Water, filters, PH testing, air pumps, tank decorations, fish and fish food... they got into it all. Maintaining an aquarium is complicated (duh) and unless you learn how to maintain this ecosystem, the inevitable will happen. The poor fish slowly died out as the passion for the hobby fizzled. Mea culpa I'm just as guilty of getting into things and tiring of them quickly. When I bought my first full-frame DSLR, I was obsessed with a 50mm f1.4 lens, thinking it was all the kit I needed. It was – for a while. But I have my limitations, and soon found myself wanting a longer focal length for better 'compression'. Also, it's not always possible to get close to a speaker at an event. Or so I told myself. The 50mm lens fell out of favour once my 24-70mm lens arrived. Sure, call me lazy for preferring the 'softer' zoom in place of a 'crisper' prime. My 50mm entered a state of semi-retirement. The writer's passion for photography still continues to this day. Photo: Chuttersnap, Unsplash Next, I became obsessed with Nikon's 135mm f2.0. Purpose-built for portraits, creamy bokeh is its calling card. I had to have one. After fawning over it (while saving the moolah needed), I took the plunge. To justify its cost, I also used it to shoot cars. It didn't matter if my teammates said it was inconvenient because of how far away I'd have to walk to get a car in frame. I loved using this solidly built lens and its metal body. But reality hit home. It was not very practical unless I'm shooting portraits, which is... once in a blue moon. The 24-70mm lens was still the most used because of its convenience, so like the 50mm, my dream 135mm lens sits idly at home. Since then, I have learnt to obsess 'sensibly', which means looking intently, but not buying. This saves money, but not necessarily time. For instance, I was once obsessed with acquiring a scooter, for no other reason except I hadn't really tried one. "Bro you should get one! Just twist and go, it's super-easy to ride in traffic! You won't regret it!" "Buy, buy, buy!" Hearing stuff like this made me want one even more. So, to the irritation of my better half, I spent weeks trawling online ads, often even while she was trying to tell me something important. I considered everything from a Honda PCX150 to a Suzuki Burgman to a Sym GTS. My scooter phase ended when the missus told me that my scooter would only sit in the carpark gathering dust. Since I only get to ride my bike twice a week, getting second two-wheeler would have been foolhardy indeed. The writer is unlikely to own a scooter, as he still enjoys the engagement a motorcycle requires. Photo: Pedro Pereira, Unsplash Another thing I stopped myself from buying is a gaming laptop. My last one is over 10 years old and no longer works. With a library of games on Steam and my work laptop not having the hardware to run them, a $4,000 gaming machine must be the solution. Fortunately, I had the sense to pause before spending so much money. After spending the entire day at work (in front of a computer), I realised the last thing I wanted to do on weeknights was sit in front of another computer. That means I'd only use a gaming laptop on weekends, presuming there were no plans to meet with friends. It also dawned on me that a gaming laptop would contribute to a sedentary lifestyle. So, I should be spending money on a gym membership instead. And a nicer bicycle that could lead to improved fitness. Right? Right? Oh crap, it's happening again. – Jeremy

"To err is human. To forgive divine." - Alexander Pope To take on a career in photography is to commit yourself to a lifetime of struggle against light and GAS. And recently I've been getting quite a severe bout of the latter. No, I'm not talking about the flatulence that Julian is prone to letting fly in the office, but rather about Gear Acquisition Syndrome - the dangerous compulsion to get more equipment and better lenses in the (usually misplaced) assumption that they will make your photos better. For those interested, I'm planning to write about how one can manage this strange phenomenon in the coming months, but for now, let's just say recently I gave in to this horrible affliction and committed myself to some rather hefty (in the context of what pittance a writer/photographer can afford) purchases. One of these is this rather lovely piece of glass you see in the picture above (the body, unfortunately, belongs entirely to Sgcarmart). It's a Zeiss Touit 32mm F1.8, and it's admired for the fact that it delivers images full of specular highlights, otherwise known as soap bubble bokeh. For those interested to know more about the lens, may I recommend this short film on the lens by GxAce? But surviving on that aforementioned wafer-thin budget requires prudence, so some homework was necessary before I swung down with what little was left in my bank account to make this purchase. And along the way, I stumbled across this other rather interesting video: In the video, YouTube channel Overexposed highlights (excuse the pun) the role which Zeiss played in supporting the German war machine in the Second World War, as well its use of forced labour during the war to support its operations. I'm sure the many automotive enthusiasts gathered here are also familiar with the fact that many of our beloved brands, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, alongside Renault, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were also all involved (with varying degrees and levels of culpability) in the conflict. Which brings me into today's topic of discussion: Should we be concerned about what our favourite brands do or have done? Opioids available for purchase - Let's remember that the standards of the past differ greatly from those of today I'm sure many of you have heard about the McDonalds boycott currently ongoing in Malaysia. And I think it's not hard to see why there has been so much support for it. The spectacular rise of global MNCs and the increasing embrace of neoliberal policies by many states in the last decades has, I'm certain, shifted the perceived perception of the global balance of power in favour of these global corporations at the expense of the state. So, the common man, even if he/she may not articulate it as such, feels that his/her dollar has, more than ever, the ability to change the direction of current affairs more so than the cross he/she marks out at the voting booth. Carl Zeiss would eventually get split as either side of the Iron Curtain were eager to get their hands on the optical know-how that supported the German war machine (The half that ended in East Germany adopted this Carl Zeiss Jena name) But an ongoing conflict is entirely different from one that has happened in the past. And this, I think, is an important distinction that needs to be made. I'm all for putting an end to the bloodshed in Palestine (even though the realist in me would like to borrow from that famous line from Arthur Koestler to say that just as the beating of war drums have reverberated all through the history of mankind, this is likely one of those conflicts that was stay with us for the foreseeable future), but the idea that we should abstain from a firm's products because of its involvement in atrocities of the past looks, frankly, a little absurd. Let's get real. A business is out there to make a profit - whether it be to fatten a greedy owner, or to tease the pockets of its diligent employees - and it will make decisions that are in its own best interests, even if they may be morally questionable. And yes, you can argue that we should expect more out of the corporations that now play such a huge role in global affairs. But I retort with this: Let’s not act as if we are, as individuals, are such great arbiters of right or wrong to begin with. Perhaps a bit of reading about the Milgram experiment will convince those unpersuaded by my point here. That may be a Beetle in the diagram, but Ferdinand Porsche (pictured, lower left) was also responsible for the development of some of the tanks of the German war machine The reality is, Man can be compelled to do silly and even reprehensible things whether it be in in the name of duty, patriotism, or perhaps even by sheer simple greed (and hence Koestler's observation that conflict has followed through all the history of mankind). And like it or not, it's these same everyday men and women that lead businesses. So expect corporations to make mistakes, to err, and to falter. And expect them to continue to make embarrassing decisions. But don't get yourself too caught up with what any firm has done in the past, or abstain from any product just because of the mistakes of a few past business leaders. Life is short, and the threat of conflict is never non-existent, so you might as well go out there and enjoy the moment. Go out there and buy that Mercedes-Benz or BMW, or that Zeiss or Hugo Boss that you've been eyeing. But if you want to afford many nice things, don't take on a job with any firm as a writer or a photographer. - Clarence Images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons, Porsche Newsroom

hi everyone. i want to know more about making/wearing contact lenses. i have glasses for the past few years and only wear them sometimes. during the past few years, i think my eyesight degree has increased, so i cant see really well anymore even with my glasses. i'm thinking of making contact lenses, but have no idea where to start off with. i understand there's the daily/weekly/monthly diposable lenses and want to know more about the cost too. i would want to make contact lenses from a reputable and reliable optometrist or whatever u call it, and do u guys have any recommendations or advice? so far i've only gone to nanyang optical to ask about it, and was told that the daily disposable ones would cost about more than $50/month. thanks in advance.

Amoebas devour girl's cornea after contact lenses stay in for 6 months File photo depicting a case of Acanthamoeba Keratitis. Acanthamoeba keratitis, first recognized in 1973, is a rare, vision threatening, parasitic infection seen most often in contact lens wearers. Thursday, Jul 03, 2014The China Post/Asia News Network By Lin-Yi Shen TAIPEI, Taiwan - A college girl was found to have had both the corneas of her eyes devoured by amoeba after wearing disposable contact lenses for over half a year without taking them out. The girl bought a pair of disposable contact lenses that were supposed to be used for one month and wore them for more than six months, even while she was sleeping. After feeling acute pain in her eyes, she went to hospital and was diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by a protozoon called an amoeba. The infection was brought on by dirty water that she used to clean her face, doctors said. Acanthamoeba keratitis, commonly referred to as amoeba keratitis, usually afflicts contact lens wearers or people whose eyes come into contact with dirty water. Director of ophthalmology at Wan Fang Hospital Wu Jian-liang indicated that contact lens wearers are a high-risk group that can easily be exposed to eye diseases. A shortage of oxygen can destroy the surface of the epithelial tissue, creating wounds in the eyes and cultivating an environment suitable for amoebas to survive. Wu said that the college girl did not follow the correct procedure in maintaining the hygiene of her contact lenses and her overuse of the lenses gradually damaged her corneas. After half a year of wearing them, her corneas were devoured by amoeba and shrank to half their normal size. Unfortunately, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) or chlorhexidine, which are considered to be effective medicines in eliminating such amoebas, haven't yet been introduced to Taiwan, said Wu. Director of ophthalmology at Tri-Service General Hospital Lu Da-wen warned that no matter whether they are soft or hard, contact lenses should not directly come into contact with water, as this will increase their chances of becoming infected by other viruses and protozoon. Lu also stated that cases of acanthamoeba keratitis usually increase markedly during summer, and people should therefore pay more attention to proper hygiene at this time. - See more at: http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/amoebas-devour-girls-cornea-after-contact-lenses-stay-6-months#sthash.90qOvv55.dpuf

Any recommendation for Crizal Advanced lenses? It market itself as lense that are resistant to smudges, water, dust and reflection...how true? which optical shop to recommend? TIA.

CNA Counterfeit coloured contact lenses being sold in local optical shops By Sharon See | Posted: 20 July 2011 1316 hrs SINGAPORE: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it found counterfeit coloured contact lenses being sold in local optical shops in June. The counterfeits are imitations of "FreshLook ColorBlends" by CIBA Vision and have been found to be "unsafe and of poor quality". This is the first known case of counterfeit health products found in legitimate suppliers. HSA said it has seized more than 100 boxes from at least five optical shops islandwide. The counterfeits look almost authentic, apart from typographical errors on the packaging. It is difficult to differentiate between the authentic and counterfeit lenses with the naked eye. HSA said lab tests found colour pigments deposited on the interior surface of the lens - rather than the exterior - which causes the pigments to be in direct contact with the eye. It also found Pseudomonas aeruginosa - a harmful bacteria that causes serious eye infection - in the storage liquid of the lenses. So far, HSA has only received feedback from one consumer about adverse effects, like eye irritation, caused by the counterfeit lenses. HSA said it was notified of the counterfeits by CIBA Vision in mid-June. The company had received stocks of "FreshLook ColorBlends" contact lenses for exchange from several optical shops. Upon investigation, CIBA Vision confirmed the products were counterfeits as they were not manufactured by them. HSA said previous cases of counterfeit health products were largely confined to the black market or internet, and they mostly involved imitations of "lifestyle" drugs like erectile dysfunction medicines such as Viagra and Cialis. HSA said the case is still under investigation, and so far, some 10 people have been questioned. Anyone found guilty of supplying counterfeit medical devices faces a fine of $100,000 or three years' jail. - CNA/fa

mi usual optical shop told mi mi Bolle interchangeable lenses is now v hard to find as agent bo liao. Pls advice where mi can find Bolle swiftkick lenses w/o frame. thks

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2010/01...-1/index.2.html So are we fortunate?

These videos show the process from beginning to end. Very informative. http://web.canon.jp/camera-museum/tech/l_plant/index.html

Got some tips to share with u guys..... chk it out ! http://www.toyotagtturbo.com/showthread.php?t=86

anyone using coloured contacts with high astigmatism? issit possible? how high is ur degree? thinking of changing my soft lenes to coloured but have pretty high astigmatism