Pet Shop Haven

Japanese Sharp Corporation releases a press statement on 27 August 2008 that did not grab any headlines. But one day, it may be on Page One of every newspaper on earth! Incorporated in its ionic air purifier, the Plasmacluster Ion Technology (more on this in a later post) has just been scientifically proven to be 99.9% effective in destroying the bird flu virus known as H5N1.

With increasing regularity, the press reminds us that bird flu is the prime suspect to cause mankind's next pandemic. Pandemic sounds terrifying. It is. That’s when a deadly virus turns totally global, in a very negative sense. In 1918, an invisible bug is believed to have wiped out 50 million people during the Spanish Flu pandemic! World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on 5 October 2005 that the 1918 Spanish flu was caused by H1N1, a bird flu virus.

Red Alert! Time to PANIC?

Not now. Statistically, as recorded by WHO as at 10 Sep 2008, "only" 245 people have died from the H5N1 virus. This is since 1996 when the virus first surfaced in China. So what’s the fuss? A bird flu virus that attains human-to-human transmission capability is the ultimate horror of the scientific community. To the knowledge of WHO, there has been only one probable case of human-to-human transmission recorded in Thailand in September 2004. Without a doubt, there will be global pandemonium if the dreaded virus mutation happens.

As the threat grows day by day, countries around the globe are conscientiously preparing for the worse (more on this in a later post). At our individual level, we should start doing some homework too.

Ok, so what has the Sharp ionic air purifier to do with all this. Is it not just another ordinary ionic air purifier? Yes, it's ordinary in that it takes care of the usual stuff that we look for in an air purifier – dust, dirt, smoke, dander, pollen, cuisine and pet odours, pollutants, allergens etc. If there is really a tested defence shield against a deadly virus, why not? That's what Sharp is saying, get the all-in-one air purifier with their Plasmacluster Ion Air Purifier.

Obviously, for the value-conscious, the next logical question would be “yes, that makes a whole lot of sense but at what cost”? According to Sharp, none at all! Sharp contends that over a 5-year period, it is cheaper than any other competing ionic air purifier. Great value for our hard-earned money! But, how is this possible in this nothing-is-for-free world?

Sharp says that its definitely possible. Using the Plasmacluster Ionic Air Purifier Model FP-N40CX as the basis, Sharp contends that it is great value for money as there is no filter replacement costs for the first 5 years. Upfront costs at US$399 for the Sharp model is higher than the typical competitor's US$160. But the latter requires annual filter replacement costs of US$100, adding to a total cost of US$560 over 5 years.

Since I have only started on this study, I would greatly appreciate any feedback on the numbers quoted by Sharp. Just email me if you have actual data.

Meanwhile, I'm going to scrutinise intently the Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology. Now is the time to research, while bird flu is still not quite at pandemic proportions.

Its never too soon to get ready. I know. Recall the last disaster movie when you saw people with terror in their eyes, many with the famed N95 face mask covering their noses as they commute to work. But it was no movie but real life in motion in many Asian cities. Those who could not find the scarce N95 face mask could only pray that they were not the next victim of the near-pandemic scenario that swept across Asia. SARS! Four letters that struck terror in Asia. The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus started spreading from Asia, infected 8,096 people around the world, resulting in 774 fatalities. Being well prepared is half the battle won.

Watch this space as we track exciting developments in our pursuit of safe, pure and clean air with nothing more than an ionic air purifier.

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Keeping your dog safe is always a priority. This is why many responsible dog owners purchase an Invisible Fence system.

Invisible Fence is an electronic pet containment system. An electrical wire is laid underground along the outside of an area. A special electronic collar is placed on the dog. When the dog approaches the boundary, a warning beep sounds. This gives the dog the opportunity to back away from the perimeter. If the dog ignores the beeping, a mild electric shock is delivered via the electronic collar to the dog's neck.

Some people feel this containment technique is cruel, but it's not. The shock is very mild, as the power comes from batteries in the dog's collar, not from the buried wire. It's the surprise that gets a reaction. And the shock level is adjusted according to the size of the dog — smaller dogs get a much smaller shock.

Note that Invisible Fence, like all pet fences, doesn't work its magic by itself. The dog must be conditioned to run away from the boundary when the warning beep occurs. Little flags are placed along the boundary to act as visual cues during the training, which initially occurs with a leashed dog. The collar is also placed into training (no shock) mode.

To perform the conditioning, the owner approaches the boundary with the dog. As soon as the dog passes the flags that mark the perimeter, the collar will start beeping. The owner immediately tugs on the leash and walks quickly away from the perimeter, calling the dog's name. With lots of praise, the owner makes it a fun game for the dog.

When done over several training sessions, the dog learns to immediately leave the boundary area as soon as the beeping occurs. Eventually the training is done without a leash and with the collar in its normal mode. If the dog ignores the beeping, the first shock it receives is usually enough to cause it to heed the collar's warning the next time it approaches the perimeter.

All dogs do not need containment with an Invisible Fence system. But it works surprisingly well for those that do.