Teflon non-stick frying pans are safe for use

A check on the word 'Teflon' yielded some interesting information.

Did you know that Teflon is a nickname given to persons, particularly in politics, to whom criticism does not seem to stick. The term comes from Teflon, the brand name by DuPont of a "non-stick" chemical used on cookware. That comes from Wikipedia.

Some "Teflon" personalities include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who was often referred to in the press as Teflon Tony; and Russian President and later Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who has been referred to as a "Teflon leader", although the 2008 Russian financial crisis has begun to affect his image among the public. (Wikipedia)

Teflon is actually a generic name trademarked by DuPont for Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE for short.

PTFE is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. PTFE is used as a non-stick coating for pans and other cookware having a melting point of 327 °C (621 °F), though its mechanical properties degrade above 260 °C (500 °F) according to DuPont. (Wikipedia) In case you are wondering on the safety of non-stick pans, various food safety and environment protection agencies in the U.S. and Europe have affirmed their positions that these nonstick coatings are safe for intended use in cookware.

PTFE is often used in containers and pipework for reactive and corrosive chemicals such as in a Delafield teflon hose. PTFE is also used as a lubricant as it reduces friction, wear and energy consumption of machinery.

Now you know..


Image source: Wikipedia

H&M's David Beckham Bodywear line ad at the Super Bowl

One of the ads that will run at the Super Bowl this year will be H&M's David Beckham Bodywear Super Bowl ad. Set to The Animals’ Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, the commercial will make its debut during the second quarter of the NFL championship final.

Only a 30-second run but is enough to tease(?).. The focus of this black and white ad is so much on the man himself, you might be wondering what exactly the ad is promoting. The man is no other than David Beckham, the 36-year-old LA Galaxy player who has just renewed his second term with the (US) football or rather soccer club. Here's the ad that will make its debut at the Super Bowl.



His bod, tattoos and briefs aside, now check out his skill. Indeed, unbelievable David Beckham!



Oh, by the way, the David Beckham Bodywear line will go on sale on Thursday, and just in time for Valentine's Day.

Year of the Dragon babies

Two colleagues of mine are expecting their first-born this year. They are good friends and coincidentally will be having their babies in the same month. Talk about good friends!

They even go shopping for baby clothes and items together as well as for maternity clothes, though one has to settle for maternity clothes plus size. Yeah, moms can look this great too.

Like all dragon years past, this lunar Year of the Dragon will see an increase in the birth of babies in China and other places around the world with ethnic Chinese populations such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. The Year of the Dragon will run until Feb 9, 2013.

The general belief is that babies born in the Year of the Dragon are blessed with courage, intelligence and good fortune as the dragon is the only celestial animal sign in the Chinese Zodiac. Even the non-Chinese are timing their child's birth to this twelve-year cycle Year of the Dragon from a newspaper article I read the other day.

Getting a good night's sleep

Back in the days when firecrackers were allowed to be fired during Chinese New Year, firecracker noise would be the order of the day any time of the day and night! It certainly had its downside!

Nowadays, Chinese New Year is a lot peaceful and quieter without all that din and excitement. Families with young children and babies would have a hard time ensuring they were not given to shocks. Now that those days are gone, the nights are certainly more conducive for sleep and rest after a hard day of entertaining and visiting.

Festival or not, a restful sleep is what everyone needs be it on a bed from log bedroom furniture or from a waterbed collection. I wonder if it's true about getting rheumatism from prolonged sleep on a waterbed, you know the belief that too much exposure to the dampness of water is bad for the body and that sort of thing..

Any idea?

Man U out of FA Cup beaten by Liverpool

I hate this..Reds kick out Red Devils, but oh well!

Being out of the FA Cup means Manchester United would be able to concentrate on the English Premier League (EPL). Man U is the defending champion and is currently in second placing trailing Manchester City by three points.

Manchester United lost to Liverpool 1-2 in last night's game. Ouch!


Image source: The Star

Back to work on the fifth day of Chinese New Year

Yesterday, my first day at work after the Chinese New Year holiday. It was tough getting back into the work rhythm just as getting back to blogging is.

The office was mostly a flood of red from the mini-decorations at some of the workstations to ladies wearing red dresses and guys in red flannel shirts. Red baju kurung (traditional Malay lady two-piece outfit) also contributed to the festive energy in the office. The Year of the Dragon is going to be one great year!

The above is a paper-cutting design of a dragon since the new year is the Year of the Dragon. This image was shot at a shopping complex where it was displaying Chinese New Year artwork such as these papercuttings and couplets for the new year. From the 7th to 13th century, paper cutting became popular especially during Chinese holiday festivals. Today, papercuttings are mainly used for decoration although they used to be used as patterns, especially for embroidery and lacquer work. (Wikipedia)

Friday Frolics - Are You a Hardcover Book or a Paperback Book?

Reading is a good pastime and you don't need company to do it. Anyone who enjoys reading has no qualms about spending time alone or will never be short of a meaningful activity. However, with all that merry-making during this Chinese New Year holiday, this is one holiday certainly not meant for reading but more for interaction and catching up with friends and family.

It is a good change, at least for one occasion in a year. This first personality quiz of the new lunar Year of the Dragon is about reading, or rather whether you are a Hardcover Book or a Paperback Book. There is no right or wrong answer, just different. Enjoy the quiz..

You Are a Hardcover Book

When it comes to reading, you tend to stick to old and modern classics. You are picky about what you read. You probably anticipate certain books' releases, and you snatch them up the moment they're available. You have been building a library of books that mean a lot to you. You carefully consider every book before deciding to add it to your collection. You believe that if a book is worth reading, it's worth paying more to have it in hardcover.

Are You a Hardcover Book or a Paperback Book?

Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Rio de Janeiro three buildings collapsed in downtown

Oh dear! Looks like the Year of the Dragon is not starting well for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just when they are gearing up for the soccer World Cup finals this year and the 2016 Olympics Games.

(The Guardian) - Three buildings collapsed on Wednesday night in the Brazilian city, killing at least two people with as many as 20 still missing. The buildings are thought to be commercial, and are located near the city's historic Teatro Municipal. One man described the incident as like watching the twin towers collapse on 9/11. More on The Guardian..Rio de Janeiro buildings collapse, leaving at least two dead
Source: Guardian.co.uk

(Reuters) - Two buildings collapsed in downtown Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, in the latest incident highlighting the failure of authorities to improve the city's infrastructure amid preparations to host soccer's World Cup and the Olympics.

Rescue crews pulled four people alive from the debris, with no dead bodies found by midnight, City Mayor Eduardo Paes told reporters at the site. More on Reuters..Two buildings collapse in Rio de Janeiro
Source: Reuters.com

(Wall Street Journal) - SÃO PAULO, Brazil—Brazilian investigators searched for clues Thursday to explain the deadly collapse of three buildings in downtown Rio de Janeiro the night before, which killed at least three people and left piles of rubble at the heart of a city preparing to host soccer's 2014 World Cup finals and the 2016 Olympic Games.

With plumes of dust still rising over the disaster scene, rescuers with dogs searched for some 18 people authorities say may be still trapped among the debris. Bulldozers scooped chunks of concrete to be carried away by dump trucks.

The collapse occurred after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the city center, adjacent to the Municipal Theater—the nearly century-old beaux-art-styled building where U.S. President Barack Obama addressed Brazil's elites during a visit last year. More on Wall Street Journal..Buildings Collapse in Rio de Janeiro, Killing Three
Source: WSJ.com