HTNet - A Notepad of Tech, Business, Science and Self Improvement

I never thought this was possible, but you can die from drinking too much water.

Jennifer Strange, 28, was a contestant on the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest on KDND 107.9 where the winner will get to take home a Nintendo Wii.

Could this also be the first death (co-)attributed to the game console?

In the age where power is everything and who you’re allied with means a lot, I’m beginning to feel that there are some world organisations (probably clique would be a more suitable word) are getting more and more irrelevant by the day.

NAM is an obvious example. Who or what is it that they are not aligned with? And this makes them what… chaotic neutral?

According to the Wikipedia page on NAM, the five principles that form the basis of NAM are:

1. Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
2. Mutual non-aggression
3. Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs
4. Equality and mutual benefit
5. Peaceful co-existence

Wow… no wonder NAM remains nothing more than a talking shop since its inception. Virtually all of its “five principles” are impossible to implement or simply reeks of being bad rules altogether. Come on, seriously now… Malaysia and Singapore would be a very easy to digest example. Malaysia complains to no end about Singapore’s land reclamation activities and Singapore reciprocated by fussing about Malaysia’s proposed “scenic bridge”.

Iraq had invaded Kuwait. Both are members of NAM. So much for “mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”, eh? I’m especially intrigued by the “mutual non-interference in domestic affairs” principle. How much is going to be too much to prove that such a principle is stupid at best, and ignores serious flaws in the affairs of your “family members” at worst. Gee, I just can’t find enough examples to illustrate this point.

And these countries are complaining about partiality of other countries, especially the US. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

What we’ve learned and observed so far:

The Good

• There’s been no other attack in the USA since 9/11.
• There’s been more exposure on terror cells.
• There has been more open discussion on religious extremism.

The Bad

• Iraq was invaded eventhough it had nothing to do with Al-Qaeda.
• The Afghanistan situation is getting worse than pre-invasion days.
• Osama bin Laden, the alleged perpetrator of 9/11, is still at large.
• George W. Bush, the other actor in this saga, is still in office.
• Saddam Hussein, who’s country was invaded due to alleged links to al-Qaeda (which has been proven untrue) was put on trial on reasons totally unrelated to the reasons in which his country was invaded in the first place.
• It’s becoming a bad time for those who are devouts of a religion, especially if it’s Islam, Christian or Judaisim.

Just my 2 cents. My prayers go to the victims of 9/11 and the events resulting from it.

I’ll be honest, I’m not really a fan of The Crocodile Hunter. This does not mean however, that I don’t appreciate the work of Steve Irwin. To me, he is the pioneer of close-contact wildlife documentary. His work has spawned numerous production of which the concepts are similar to his.

What I respect most about the late Steve Irwin is the fact that he educates by demonstration. Regardless of the cuts, bruises and wounds inflicted upon him by the subjects of his documentaries, Steve has tremendous respect for the reptiles and other dangerous animals he’s showcasing. Although I don’t know him personally, his enthusiasm shone through his glittering eyes everytime he’s wrestling with a crocodile, getting tangled with a python or just explaining the eating habits of some exotic large lizard.

What saddens me the most is not the way he passed away. Not many people get to say that they died doing something they love. I’m very sad though, thinking of his immediate family, especially his very young children of ages eight and three. My sincerest condolences to the Irwins. And Steve, my prayers go to you and the knowledge you’ve imparted upon me and millions others around the world.

Thank you, Crocodile Hunter. You are a gem in the wildlife documentary world and will be missed.

Fans of reality series The Apprentice, may be all to familiar with the closing phrase by Donald Trump, “You’re fired”. However, I bet many of you wouldn’t expect it to be aimed at Carolyn Kepcher, one of the most vocal executives on the show.

Nevetheless, this was what had happened. Carolyn was sacked for allegedly letting TV stardom from “The Apprentice” appearances go to her head to the point that it interfered with her job. More details on The Journal News.

A shame though, Carolyn was definitely my favourite among Trump’s execs regularly featured on the show.