Reusable Straws Anyone?

REUSABLE STRAWS, ANYONE?

“Since when did you begin to use reusable straws?” asked my friend. “When I saw that video of that poor turtle.” I was referring to the video in 2015 that went viral thanks to Christine Figgener (A&M University, Texas). A video of an olive ridley turtle. It was excruciating and bloody. I could feel the pain as the straw was slowly extracted from its nostril. On March 16 2019 researches pulled nearly 90 pounds of plastic waste out of the stomach of a young curvier beaked whale that died in the Davo Gulf of the Philippines (National Geographic March 18 2019). Terence Corcoran wrote; Instead of responding to turtle videos, it would be more useful to zero in on the real sources of floating waste {Financial Post: How green activists manipulated us into a pointless war on plastic (April 25 2018)}.

Whatever it is, there are hundreds of videos and articles highlighting plastic pollution. How did we get here? The ocean floors are 200 million years old. In total the oceans account for approximately 97% of water on Earth. 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans every year. Half of the world’s plastic are made in Asia- the lion’s share of that 29% is made in China. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an environmentalist or animal lover. Besides, by the time our planet chokes and turns into plastic I’ll be dead and gone.

Plastic is an incredible and an amazing invention. It’s wonderful and ubiquitous. We all need, and use it. However, in 2018 a survey by the Global Oceanic Environmental Survey (GOES) Foundation found that the ecosystem in the seas and oceans may collapse in the next 25 years potentially causing failure of terrestrial ecosystem and “very possible the end of life on Earth as we know it”. I believe it to be true because every day as I go about my business, plastic is everywhere. Whether it’s pointless to respond to turtle videos or being manipulated by activists it’s a fact and it might be too late to reverse the impact of plastic pollution. After all, plastic has been around for more than a century, and revolutionized the way live.

It’s only a dream, but humanity is quite resilient and determined. Some scientist might come up with an idea of an eco-friendly material to replace plastic. For now, it’s up to the mighty governments, corporations and worlds’ population to handle the situation.

Sources: softschools.com, National Geographic 2018 and Wikipedia

THE FRENCH OPEN 2015 (PRE-TOURNAMENT)

Is it over for the “King of Clay”?.  I’m referring to Rafael Nadal, a tennis legend, who has bagged nine French Open titles to date. The critics and naysayers seem to have written him off. Headlines such as – “Rafael Nadal has hit rock bottom, Rafael Nadal slips on clay again, crashes out of Italian Open , Rafael Nadal drops in ATP rankings”  tend to reinforce their belief.  

Based on stats, Rafa’s performance has dropped significantly (Source: ATP):

Out of 10 tournaments (Clay : 6, Hard court: 4)  since January 2015, he has only won one i.e. the Argentina Open, Buenos Aires (defeated Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-1).

Rank (May 2015): Number 7 (4990 points).

French Open champion: 2005-2008, 2010-2014.

It’s an arduous task, with so much negativity surrounding him, and it would be a disappointment to see him lose his mojo at this point in his career.  As in all sports, “It ain’t over til the fat lady sings”.

THE FRENCH OPEN 2014 (POST)

I was wrong. Nadal came out smelling like a rose. Novak's prowess dissipated after the first set. Last year, Nadal took down Novak in a gruelling 4 hours 30 minutes (5 sets) semi-final. This time around, in the final it was only 3 hours 31 minutes (36,75,62,64) making it his 9th Roland Garros victory. During the course of the game, he did show signs of injury on his back, but his relentless forehand and stamina panned out.


As for me, two out of three predictions aren't that bad.It goes to show that stats are just stats, and other factors such as mental preparation, physical state and even weather conditions matter. Both men are young and have a few more years to battle. The question is can Novak make it?. It is the only Grand Slam trophy missing on his mantel piece. I must say that I'm glad to be able to watch these wonderful matches and many more to come.  

FOCUS AUDIO

FOCUS AUDIO FR6 (REFERENCE SERIES)

 

SPECIFICATIONS

Frequency Response:                          48Hz-22kHz +/- 3dB

Sensitivity:                                            85dB/1 Watt/1 metre

Impedance:                                          Nominal 8 Ohms

Recommended Power                         20-100 Watts per channel

Crossover Frequency:                         3 kHz

Crossover Design:                               Proprietary design using high purity

                                                            Copper coils and selected capacitors

Drivers:                                                One- 1” ferrofluid soft dome tweeter with

                                                            double chamber damping

                                                            One- 5” polypropylene cone driver

Termination:                                        Bi-wire gold plated binding posts

Size:                                                    13” x 7” x 8” (HxWxD)

Net Weight:                                         15 lbs each

 

 

It was difficult for me to find any literature on the FR6. My guess is it was probably one of Focus Audio’s first generation bookshelf speakers which have long been discontinued. However, I did find information on the FR6 MkII. All the specifications are identical right up to its dimensions. The only difference I could find was the power rating for the MkII is rated at 20-150 Watts per channel.

 

The pair I own was purchased circa 2000. It was highly recommended by the dealer to match the amp. When I first listened to the FR6 I found it to be more detailed compared with the Acoustic Energy speakers I had at that time. The FR6 is a bass reflex speaker(ported enclosure) which is essential in improving efficiency at low frequencies. The port is located at the rear, so it is important to have proper placement.

 

There is a sense of presence and transparency, especially for jazz and slow rock. The FR6 has excellent soundstage. Bass is tight, but lacks punch. An increase in volume (quite high) would result in muddy bass and severe distortion. This, I presume is that the manufacturers never intended it to be a rocker or for Home Theatre.

 

It is indeed a fine speaker and yes, I would have highly recommend it with musical tastes and pairing with gear taken into consideration.

THE FRENCH OPEN 2014 (PRE-TOURNAMENT PREDICTION)

For two years, since I started my blog on Roland Garros, Rafa has won the French Open. However, this year, it seems like the “King of Clay” has run out of steam. Looking back at the stats, he has only won two clay court events this year so far i.e. in Rio (February) and recently the Madrid Open(May).

He suffered losses in Monte Carlo to David Ferrer in the quarter final, Barcelona (lost to Almagro) and Rome to Djokovic.

In 2013, I mentioned that his most formidable opponent was Djokovic. No doubt, this year he(Djokovic) still is. This might just be it for the Serb and what a better time to take advantage of Rafa’s waning winning streak. May the best man win.

THE WILSON ENVY BLX 100

Specifications

Technology:             BLX

Head Size:               645cm2/100in2

Weight(unstrung)  :  267g/9.4oz

Length      :               685mm/27in

String Pattern        :  16/20

Swing Style Rating : L2

Grip           :              4.25

Year of Purchase :   March 2014         

 

I was looking for a lighter racket with other specs quite similar to my current Head Liquid metal Heat and chose the Wilson Envy BLX 100. The Envy BLX 100 is recommended for beginners and intermediate players by its manufacturer.

After using it for approximately 2 weeks, the BLX 100 seems to give me more control over my shots but lacks the power in comparison to the Head. Ground strokes, volleys and serves were more consistent. My annoying ‘golf elbow’ pain has been on the wane.

The BLX 100 is lighter by 13g. Other specs such as head size, length, swing style and string pattern are quite dismal in variance if not identical.

Overall, it was quite a good choice as I have achieved the desired results.

CCR

Recently, I happen to be listening to the radio and a familiar tune was playing, “Have you ever seen the rain?”. I was thinking to myself, I must document this because I used to be hooked on this song. Yes, it was a long time ago, and they were a short-lived band. Creedence Clearwater Revival or CCR barely survived 6 years actively, which is sad because they were really good. Most people from Generation Y may not have heard of CCR. The name CCR is quite catchy. According, to Stu Cook in an interview “Creedence is someone’s name, Clearwater is the new ecological attitude and Revival refers to personal revival”. However, amusingly, when I was listening to their songs, I thought Creedence came from the word creed meaning some kind of principle they live by, Clearwater a town in Texas where they came from and Revival signified their struggle to success. How wrong and naive I was.  

So, what’s so special about their songs?. For me, first and foremost, its simplicity. Most of the songs comprised of only a few chords and some only three. The lyrics are simple and easy to sing along. There’s a blend of blues and rock and roll which makes their tunes more lively and a presence of the deep South. 

I’ve been listening more to them these days from my old collection and hope more radio stations would continue to air their songs.