If you’re looking for an evening full of belly laughs, eye candy, and a break for your full-day working brain, then catching Baywatch is an ideal option.
The 117-minute film was surprisingly hilarious when I caught the preview last week. While I grew up watching Baywatch, I don’t ever recall it being so funny. A lot of the jokes had Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s stamp on it – which it should since he’s one of the executive producers.
While some jokes were rather slapstick in the beginning, the rest were funny one-liners and comebacks between Dwayne’s character, Mitch Buchannon, and Zan Efrons’ character, Matt Brody. They were delivered in believable banter and smoothly transitioned leaving you continuously laughing out loud.
Plot lines are not important in this movie, I mean, come on, it’s Baywatch. But it’s nice to note that the eye candy for both men and women were during the scenes where trainees try-out to be lifeguards. There’s a lot of muscle and strength on show which makes for great appreciation.
Zan Efron’s what-seems-like 16 abs and Dwayne’s massive shoulders are enough for any woman to swoon over and man to strive for. The ladies – Kelly Rohrbach playing CJ Parker (the Pamela Anderson equivalent), Alexandra Daddario playing Summer Quinn, and Illfenesh Hadera playing Stephanie Holden (the Alexandra Paul equivalent) – are in their signature skimpy red swimsuits that show off their lean, healthy bodies – beautiful to admire for both sexes.
I was especially excited about seeing Priyanka Chopra who plays the villain in this movie. It’s probably my first time seeing her as a baddie. While not thoroughly convincing, she did come across a tad irritating which should mean she nailed her role.
Dwayne and Zac have the usual plot of mentor versus reluctant mentee. The story line is nothing much to write about – there’s some blowing up and action scenes, the working-as-a-team theme, lessons learnt and some pretty scenes where the characters dress to the nines. But it’s all entertaining throughout.
My only wish was for Pamela Anderson’s cameo to have some lines especially since David Hasselhoff (the original Mitch Buchannon) got a few. No fair. But it was a delight to see her again in Baywatch.
Rating: 4/5
Baywatch is rated M18 as there’s quite a lot of swearing and a scene involving a dead man’s private body parts on display. It opens on June 1 in all cinemas in Singapore.
From Thursday (June 1), users of SingTel, M1 and StarHub lines will see the number ‘995’ displayed on their phones’ caller ID should they be called by the SCDF.
Currently, when SCDF staff try to contact callers after emergency personnel have been dispatched to an incident, the number ‘995’ is not reflected on mobile phones and landlines with caller ID.
“Some callers may not respond to telephone calls when there is no recognisable number,” said the SCDF in a press release. “As the number “995” is distinct to the SCDF, callers would more likely respond to such calls.”
Upon receiving a call from ‘995’, the SCDF advises that members of the public immediately answer the call or return it as soon as possible if they miss it.
However, international numbers used in Singapore will not receive the caller ID on their phones. The SCDF also emphasised that numbers with the prefix ‘+995’ are not from the SCDF.
SINGAPORE: Stringent standards and checks are in place to lower the risks from consuming sashimi and sushi, and consumers should only buy such products from credible sources, advised Singapore-based suppliers and supermarkets selling raw seafood products.
Earlier in May, Japanese and Western authorities issued warnings about the rising number of infections by the parasitic Anisakis worm, caused by eating raw seafood. In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, Singapore’s Ministry of Health noted that there are risks involved in consuming raw fish as “harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites may be present”.
“Vulnerable groups, such as young children, pregnant women, elderly persons, or those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, should exercise caution by avoiding the consumption of raw fish,” said a spokesperson.
This was echoed by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), which emphasised that ready-to-eat (RTE) raw fish is considered a “high-risk” food due to the lack of heat treatment to destroy microbial pathogens and parasites, and that cooking raw food thoroughly is still the most effective way to kill them.
For uncooked fish, however, preventive measures to kill parasitic larvae include deep freezing at temperatures ranging from minus 35 to minus 20 degrees, according to various countries’ administrations.
Singapore grocer and restaurant Fish Mart Sakuraya follows the guidelines of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, said assistant general manager Maeda Yujiro.
“For avoiding the risk of parasitic worms, some types of fish such as salmon are kept frozen in less than minus 20 degrees Celsius for 24 hours before sale.”
SUPPLY STREAM
In general, fish can be imported into Singapore from any country, subject to AVA’s import requirements, surveillance, inspection and sampling programme, said a spokesperson for the agency.
Noting that the risk of Anisakis in wild-caught seafood was not dependent on the source country, AVA outlined its “more stringent” requirements for RTE raw fish: “Imports are subject to a higher frequency of inspection and ‘hold-and-test’ sampling, which means that the consignment is only released for sale upon successful completion of laboratory tests.”
Said the spokesperson. “These tests include chemical contaminants (e.g. drug residues), microbial pathogens (e.g. E. coli) and presence of parasites (e.g. Anisakis). Consignments that fail our inspection or tests are not allowed to be sold.”
Amanda Tan, founder of Japanese online supplier Zairyo, said AVA officials are usually on hand to double-check food products arriving in Singapore.
“If it doesn’t pass AVA, we won’t be able to get it,” she said.
Most of Zairyo’s products are purchased directly from the famed Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, Japan, where the seafood is flash-frozen before being immediately flown over, Ms Tan explained.
“The process kills the bacteria but maintains the quality,” she said. “We do bring in fresh seafood, which is chilled but not frozen, in which case we apply even more stringent checks.”
“Unlike supermarkets, we don’t fly products in and keep them on the shelf. We order from Japan only when someone orders it, so it’s as fresh as it gets.”
A spokesperson for iMei, a supplier of Japanese food and beverage products to Singapore supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, said the company rejects items which arrive not fresh or at the wrong temperature.
“Our fresh items only come twice a week by air so we don’t keep any stock in our warehouse,” he added.
File picture of sashimi in a chirashi bento meal
STRICT STANDARDS
AVA said it works with the National Environment Agency (NEA) to jointly evaluate applications from food retail establishments required to obtain permission to sell RTE raw fish dishes using saltwater fish.
“These include assessing that the raw fish is imported and obtained from approved sources and is handled hygienically, and that proper cold chain management is implemented through the supply chain,” it added.
“Both the retailers’ and suppliers’ premises will also be inspected to ensure that they comply with the necessary hygiene requirements for separate processing, handling and storage of RTE raw fish from other raw foods intended for cooking.”
Aside from sourcing its sushi sold at ready-to-eat counters from AVA-licensed suppliers, the NTUC Fairprice supermarket chain conducts independent tests periodically to ensure such products are free from pathogens, said a spokesperson.
FairPrice has an “extensive” food safety and quality assurance programme in compliance with the ISO 22000:2005 international standard, which is more stringent than current standards required by local authorities, she added.
“Food safety and quality are of paramount concern for us,” said the spokesperson. “And we also have a system of stringent checks and audits on a regular basis to ensure the safety of food products that go out to consumers.”
Fish Mart Sakuraya imports most of its raw fish from a Japanese source, said Mr Yujiro.
Their safety standards for sushi and sashimi include ensuring cleanliness of food, instruments, kitchen and people; as well as swift processing of food to prevent germ growth.
“Our chefs check the freshness of fish one by one, and process them – wash, unscale and take out guts and gills – before keeping them in the chiller or freezer quickly,” said Mr Yujiro.
“All outlets’ chiller and freezer temperatures are strictly kept on a standard and checked twice a day,” he noted. “Raw fish products are checked again when they are sliced and prepared as sashimi or sushi, before being served to the customer.”
File photo of customers enjoying sushi at a restaurant (Photo: AFP/Toshifumi Kitamura)
RANDOM CHECKS
RE&S, a company behind Japanese restaurants such as Ichiban Boshi and Kuishin Bo as well as the Kuriya Market, said that all its outlets serve farm-bred Norwegian salmon, which is certified by the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research to be “unconditionally fit for consumption in a raw, semi-raw or smoked state”.
A spokesperson detailed the process of preparation for its RTE raw fish products, explaining: “Salmon received at our central kitchen is supported by a Certificate of Analysis and goes through a stringent check list upon arrival, with microbial analysis conducted on every batch.”
“The whole salmon is then cut and filleted at our central kitchen which is fully ISO 22,000 certified and fitted with air shower sanitising zones and have a fully controlled internal environment to ensure the highest levels of food safety and hygiene.”
She added: “At the outlets, we work with an external NEA-approved laboratory to conduct checks on bacteria count of selected sushi, sashimi and cooked food products. These checks are regularly conducted.”
“To ensure the integrity of these tests, the list of items to be collected and checked as well as the date and time for the collection of test samples are unknown to outlets. On top of that, NEA also conducts unannounced random checks at outlets by purchasing the food and testing for pathogens in accredited laboratories.”
A sea urchin sushi dish (Photo: AFP/Yoshikazu Tsuno)
COMMON SENSE
The FairPrice spokesperson’s advice to customers was to either consume ready-to-eat raw seafood immediately upon purchase, or store in an insulated bag for transport home before consuming within two hours. If needed, FairPrice supermarkets can provide ice packs for customers.
“For sashimi, I don’t recommend keeping it for more than two days once you receive it,” said Ms Tan.
As for eating in restaurants, the iMei spokesperson offered: “For fresh items, please see the colour – if it is bright, it is fresh. If it’s dark, we advise not to eat or buy.”
Ultimately, raw fish is safe to be consumed when it is processed and handled in a proper way, Mr Yujiro stressed. “It is important to buy and eat sushi and sashimi from a reliable shop with knowledge and experience for every type of fish they sell.”
“Always buy your sushi and sashimi from established, safe, reliable sources,” said the RE&S spokesperson.
“This is not the first time people are freaking out over this sort of news,” said Ms Tan. “Buy from a credible source. Don’t go to a cheap restaurant to eat sushi or sashimi. If you do, then you’re running a higher risk.”
SINGAPORE – A ferocious battle between a king cobra and a python at MacRitchie Reservoir Park was caught on video by one brave soul last weekend.
In the 36-second clip, the king cobra can be seen preparing to launch a bite on the python, which wouldn’t have survived its predator’s venom.
But the initially slow-moving python suddenly sprang out at the king cobra, which seems to have startled the enemy and sent it slithering back into the bushes.
The video was taken by a resident in the area who was exercising at the park. It was posted on Facebook by his neighbour, Sheldon Trollope yesterday (May 30), and has since garnered over 294,000 views and more than 2,500 shares.
Mr Trollope told AsiaOne that according to those who were at the scene, the python died subsequently – which would mean that the king cobra had managed to inject its deadly venom.
This is not the first sighting of a fight between the two species.
In 2015, a similar incident happened at the Nanyang Technological University campus. A python had wrapped itself around a king cobra, which then broke free and fled. The python was later taken away by pest control.
Is Fergie leaving The Black Eyed Peas to focus on her solo career?
This is the question on fans’ minds following the pop star’s resignation from Interscope Records, the company handling the American hip-hop group. She has partnered with music company BMG to create her own record label “Dutchess Music,” which will release her sophomore solo album entitled “Double Dutchess” this year, Variety reported.
Apparently, Fergie’s shift to full-fledged solo career didn’t sit well with the group’s remaining members Taboo (Jaime Luis Gomez), apl.de.ap (Allan Pineda Lindo Jr.) and will.i.am (William James Adams).
On Tuesday, Taboo tweeted a vintage photo of the original members of The Black Eyed Peas: him, will.i.am and Filipino-American apl.de.ap.
Netizens also noticed that Taboo had unfollowed Fergie but followed her again on the social networking site.
Meanwhile, wil.li.am posted cryptic images of the original Black Eyed Peas trio on Instagram, creating speculation that Fergie might have left the band for good.
His captions, such as “All that we are. All that we’re made of,” “Go back. Throwback. Future Cast” and “Hear no evil. See no evil. Speak no evil,” raised eyebrows among their longtime fans.
A post shared by Apl.de.ap (@apldeap) on May 24, 2017 at 5:42pm PDT
Apl.de.ap, wil.i.am and Taboo formed The Black Eyed Peas until Fergie joined the band as its muse in 2003.
When The Black Eyed Peas went on a hiatus, Fergie released her debut solo album, “The Dutchess,” in 2006, which spawned chart-topping hits such as “Fergalicious,” “Clumsy” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
SINGAPORE: Applications for the 2017 Presidential Election certificates will open on Thursday (Jun 1), the Elections Department (ELD) announced on Wednesday.
They will close five days after the writ of election is issued in August, ahead of the elections in September.
Application forms can be obtained from the ELD website and office from Thursday.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome before Nomination Day. Incumbent President Tony Tan Keng Yam will complete his term of office on Aug 31. In the interim period from Sep 1 to when the new President takes office, an acting President can perform the role of the President under the law. Application forms of candidates who are successfully nominated will be made public after the close of nomination proceedings, in line with recommendations of the Constitutional Commission.
APPLICATION FOR MALAY COMMUNITY CERTIFICATE NEEDED
As this year’s Presidential Election is reserved for Malay candidates, prospective candidates must apply to the Community Committee for a Malay community certificate. The Malay community sub-committee, chaired by former Nominated Member of Parliament Imram Mohamed, will then assess the application.
Members of the sub-committee are Madam Fatimah Azimullah, advisor to Singapore Muslim Women’s Association, Mr Mohammad Alami Musa, president of MUIS Council (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore), Mr Yatiman Yusof, former senior parliamentary secretary and Mr Zulkifli Baharudin, executive chairman of Indo-Trans Corporation, a logistics and supply chain company across Indo-china.
AMENDMENTS TO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
Amendments to subsidiary legislation will be made following amendments to the Constitution in November 2016 and the Presidential Elections Act in February this year. These come into effect on Thursday.
Under the amendments, in deciding whether a potential presidential candidate belongs to the Malay community, the sub-committee may interview him, ask him to provide more information and consult any person. The decision of the sub-committee will be final, ELD said on Wednesday.
Other legislative amendments include the revision of the nomination paper to include a statutory declaration that prospective candidates have read the explanatory material of the President and understand the role of the President under the Constitution.
“This is so that candidates will not be drawn to making statements or promises which exceed the constitutionally prescribed role of the President,” ELD said in a news release.
Under the changes, applicants will have to provide their public or private sector service experience in the certificate of eligibility application form.
In addition, there will be a new form for candidates to voluntarily undertake that they will campaign for election as President in a manner that is “dignified, decorous and consistent with the President’s position as the Head of State and the symbol of national unity”.
Signed undertakings will be put up on the notice board together with the nomination paper on Nomination Day, according to ELD.
CHANGES TO IMPROVE ELECTION PROCESS
The ELD said there would be three amendments to improve the Presidential Election process.
First, the overseas elector registration form will be revised to remove the need for applicants to fill in the periods they lived in Singapore in the three years before the cut-off date of the registers of electors. However, they will still need to declare that they meet the minimum residency period.
Second, there will be a new ballot paper format with clearly demarcated areas for voters to mark an “X” for their choices of candidate. Only markings made within these areas will be considered as valid votes.
Third, the prohibition zone for the display of posters and banners has been reduced in radius from 200m to 50m to allow for wider areas for the “legitimate display” of posters and banners by candidates, ELD said.
Singer Nathan Hartono will be one of the performers at this year’s Pink Dot event, held annually in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Hartono is also one of the ambassadors of the event, joining two others – Singapore paralympian Theresa Goh and singer/actor Ebi Shankara.
This will be the ninth year that Pink Dot will be returning to Singapore, where it will be held at Hong Lim Park on July 1.
Nathan Hartono (right) with Ebi Shankara and Theresa Goh Photo: Pink Dot
Its message this year is “Freedom to Love”, with the campaign video co-directed by acclaimed local filmmakers Boo Junfeng and Mak Chun Kit. The video features “a series of authentic conversations between LGBT Singaporeans and their fellow citizens”, said a statement from organisers.
Adhering to the new event format, barricades will be set up around Speakers’ Corner within Hong Lim Park, of which those keen to attend will be required to show photo ID to volunteers and security personnel before being admitted into the park.
“Pink Dot SG acknowledges that this greatly impacts individuals with partners, friends and family who might not be Singapore Citizens or PRs; couples and families wanting to commemorate Pink Dot with us may be separated because of this. But we have faith in Singapore. And Singaporeans will eventually come through as they always had in the past 8 years,” said Pink Dot spokesperson, Paerin Choa.
Ads for a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs parody are leaving a bad taste worse than any poisonous apple.
Model and body positivity advocate Tess Holliday posted a photo Tuesday of what looks like a blatant fat-shaming poster for the spoof movie Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs. Her tweet came in from Los Angeles, but it’s not clear where the poster was spotted.
The animated movie is in post-production, according to IMDB, and its producers were seeking distribution earlier this month at Cannes Film Festival.
The poster shows a tall, slender Snow White with big, doe eyes, makeup, and high heels next to a shorter, plain-faced version of the character carrying the magical red shoes in her hands. “What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 Dwarfs not so short?” the poster asks. So the plus-size version of the cartoon character is “no longer beautiful?”
Yikes.
Holliday was quick to point out that this tells young people “being fat = ugly.” The model was behind the #effyourbeautystandards campaign and went on to land a contract with a major modeling agency.
The model subtly called out actor Chloë Grace Moretz, who is attached to the project as the voice of Snow White, according to production company Finecut. No response yet from the Kick-Ass actress or her representatives. The studio behind the movie, Locus Animation, has also not responded to a request for comment. Locus is a South Korean studio, but Red Shoes is an English-language film.
Others agreed the movie’s concept and marketing was all kinds of wrong.
