Mumbai Taxi-Drivers reject Singapore Style Taxi Rentals

Both, A. L. Quadros, Secretary, Bombay Taximen’s Union and Prem Singh, Secretary of the Bombay Taxi Association spent four days (September 19 to 21) in Singapore attempting to understand how their technology could be utilised locally, but have come to the conclusion that it is next to impossible.

He spoke of Comport, the largest taxi company in Singapore that has a fleet of 17,000 taxis. There, added Quadros, the system is different.

Each driver has to pay the owner of the taxi $90 (Singapore dollars) for every 24 hours of usage. The cost for diesel is borne by the driver and any money exceeding the ninety dollars is his.

Terming the work pattern of the cabbies as ‘slavery’, Quadros said that cabbies in Mumbai would never be in a position to work like this.

[read more]

Singapore improves ties with China with Bull Semen.

Singapore: Bull Semen Improved China Ties

Singapore said Tuesday that relations with the Chinese province of Shandong grew after it presented officials there with a "unique" gift: quality bull semen.

[read more]

Needless to say, I am struck speechless by this news.

Civil disobedience: a government on the defensive

Civil disobedience: a government on the defensive

If the Prime Minister acknowledges a desire for more political space, it's his job to look at how that space can be provided, not to make silly comments about how any and every political video must necessarily trivialise or glamourise politics, nor equate our system of qualifying presidential candidates through a committee of 3 civil servants whose high-paying jobs depend on the favour of the Prime Minister with the openly democratic primary contests of American political parties.

[link]

The Best Failure

South East CDC addresses dengue problem with early intervention [link]

Mr Matthias Yao, Mayor of South East CDC, said: "Overall in Singapore, compared to the same period last year, dengue cases more than doubled. In our district the numbers went up only 43 percent - that's less than half the rate."

I'm sure South East CDC did a great job at tacking dengue in their area, but i still think that having 43% more dengue cases in the CDC, compared to last year is scary enough.

What we should be aiming for is 0 cases. And any number >0 is bad.

Its like saying :

"I failed my exam. I got 40/100 marks. Compared to the rest of the class, who also failed and got average 20/100. I am the best failure in the class! "

Using a Nuclear Bomb To Kill Two Ants

With so much written about this, I was just thinking:

1--------------
I am certain these two guys really did post racist material online that insulted alot of people and if found guilty, they deserve to be punished.

But does jailing them, for a possible maximum of 3 years, serve any good?

Sure, as a result of this, most bloggers in Singapore will be cowed into self-censorship.

Because you might never know someone somewhere might take offense on what you wrote. Even you only write about infantile stuff.

What if you wrote about hello-kitty collectors and a horde of teenage girls clad in pink come howling at your door in cold blood?

Or What if you wrote in your blog you hate the taste of kimchee, and the Korean Embassy sends a complaint letter to your house.

There is no knowing the sensibilities of people. Because somewhere, someone's is going to disagree with you, no matter what your are talking about.

But of course there are some certainties. Religion and race are no-no.

But looking at how the law was written, I'm no legal-eagle, but I think almost anything blogged can be open to intepretation by the law.

At the end of the day, everyone and their mother, after reading the news, are scared because they think blogging might be dangerous, but few understand the big picture, that advocating racist views is dangerous on any medium.

The ultimate aim is to let these two guys understand the error of their ways, to know they are wrong and stupid. Not to appease everyone they offended by jailing them.

And what better way than to throw them together with other criminals who did 'real' crimes, like robbery, murder, manslaughter? So that they can exchange notes on breaking laws and get all chummy?

No!

The worst thing you can do to a person who say and write the wrong things, is to jail them.End of the day, when they get out of jail, the same repugnant opinions still remain in their head. Nothing is changed.

Some re-education is in order, not in the Communist China/ Russian Gulag kind of way, but alot of conselling should/needs be done.

Instead of putting these two racists into the slammer, why not ask them to write public apology (as some has suggested) and also go for some mandatory counselling.

Let them tell Singapore: "We screwed up. We were extremely stupid to write racist material. We realise our mistake. Sorry." And make them do some mandatory Community Service.

Ultimately, laws should not put the fear of punishment into everyone, but to allow everyone to understand why the action is harmful to the society and why not to do it.

(I may be too naive about this. I know. One can only hope)

2--------------------
Why are the two racists called 'bloggers'? Sure one of them blogged about racist stuff, but another posted racist material in a forum. And with that,

CNA decided to called them bloggers? So being 50% accurate is good enough for CNA?

Why not calling a them racists, or internet users?

If a person pirates some MP3s on bittorrent and kena caught, but and also happen to blog, would he/she be labelled 'Blogger caught pirating Mp3s Online?"

What a way of spreading FUD!

*Re-edited

White Elephants Lay A Big Turd for Punggol Residents

Police looking into complaint about 'White Elephants' incident [link]

Police say they have received a 999 call about the August 28 "White Elephants" incident.

They are looking into every report they have received to see if any offence has been committed. It adds that it must be fair and transparent, and not investigate selectively.

See?

We treat our own voters (who do innovative protests) the same as the people who protest outside the CPF building.

Both kena investigate!

So don't anyhow say we bias and only investigate opposition members.

What showing creativity? Bullshit.

Creativity is only to shore up the economy and earn $ for Singapore.

Not to show creativity in fucking Protesting OK? Geddit? What is wrong with you Singaporeans and your silly protests.

Just get on with your work and maintain our 3-5% GDP growth.

Singapore is a country with laws. You fail to uphold it, people will consequently fail to respect the law. Do the Crime? Do the Time.

It's a slippery slope from here? Who knows?

Today, Paper Elephants. Tomorrow?

Violent Protests that escalate to violence that will put our high standing of peace and stability in front of foreign investors in jeopardy.

We cannot risk it. No more such infractions, however minor.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway I personally feel that the people who placed the white elepants should be punished by the full weight of the law. No buts and ifs.

Why? Only then will these heartlanders realise that, doing a protest, is not the sole domain of misfits like Chee Soon Juan or JB Jeyaretnam, who rail for a strange concept called democracy and free speech, or whatever these crazy radicals call it.

They will very soon realise that, even if its for something that is very important you, like your means of transport, you have no right to even place innocuous paper cut-outs of elephants on the side of the road.

Until when they realise they cannot use it, will they realise how important having a 'voice' is.

Then they will regret.

Be Still My Heart

Apple announces iPod Nano [clicky]

Anyone want to buy a slightly used ipod Mini 4GB (2nd Gen mini)?

Email me.

An Entire Industry can be spawned selling the old model castaways by mad Apple Users.

Improving NSmens' lives = Bring Family into ICT?

Someone tell me if I am the only one that does not understand this.

RECORD panel meets to consider suggestions on improving lives of NSmen

Chaired by Manpower Minister and Second Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, one bold idea proposed by this 18-member panel is to include family members during the NSmen's In-Camp Training, or ICT.

I was reading it when suddenly it occured to me that there is no logical sense in this article.

They want to improve the lives of NSmen, and the biggest idea they came out with - is to bring family members into the ICT. What leap of logic is this?

How is the lives of NSmen improved by this?

By bringing family into ICT to stay, I venture that the families' lives would be much worse, during the times they stay-in with their father/husband. Think of the lousy food. Think of the ulu places they will live in.

Why would anyone forsake the comforts of home for an army base? Voluntarily?

Think of all the extra wayang the camp has to undergo, to accomodate the families and to make their experience a pleasant one. With the families in-camp. There will be more work for everyone.

Better food has to be cooked for the period. Extra area cleaning must be done to keep place clean. Swearing must be toned down. Best behavior has to be put on.

Reservists will have to march/parade in one big wayang show to impress everyone in the audience. Tie the whole performance with a heartfelt story on how important is homeland security.

Top it all off with free goodie bags/New-water for every family. Just like National Day Parade.

So that families will think their father enjoy ICT like Sentosa.

Improving NSmens' lives = Bring Family into ICT? Is that the best idea they could think of?

Just shorten the damn ICT lah. Problem solved. Everyone happy.

Funny Forum Letter of the Day

There are times when writing to the ST forum will make everyone laugh at you and think what an idiot you are.

Scenes at SGH: Oh! but for our long suffering nurses...

Everyone was trying not to look. The whole time I was seating at one corner reading my novel, being my usual good boy :) and I watched this happening.

You know what? That pretty (petty) lady's boyfriend was just standing beside her doing nothing. Ha ha, my goodness.

Finally, it was my turn to see my doctor. Nice doctor, really friendly and the staff nurses too. I didn't feel like I was just a patient, but felt like I had known them a long time. Anyway, that's not my story here. Ha ha.

Even if you are sick, that doesn't give you the right to be rude to anybody. You get angry so easily, I think you will get sick more easily, ha ha.

What the fuck is with those fucking smileys and "ha ha" peppered in the letter? KNN please go back to school a few more years and learn to write a proper letter.

What's next? Will words like "LOL" and "IMHO" come next in future letters?

I console myself by thinking that its not ST who wrote these letters. Its their readers. But strangely, the thought that some ST readers are of this standard, scares me even more.

The problem with online newspapers is that, you can't bloody physically rip it into shreds.

ST Forum Letters Now Free to Read - Yay!

ST Forum Letters now free online. With more letters.

FROM tomorrow, Straits Times readers will have another avenue to air their views with the introduction of the ST Online Forum.

Readers who write to The Straits Times Forum Editor and do not see their letters in print could well see them in the Online Forum instead.

ST Online Forum Editor Lee Kim Chew said: 'The criteria for selection of letters in Online Forum remain as vigorous as the printed version's. Though editorial space is not a constraint on the Internet, readers are encouraged to be clear and concise in their letters.

Before you leap up in joy at such a charitable act by ST, allowing access to the forum letters free of charge. Go read the letters first. [link]

Here are some choice selections:

Skydiving is too risky for S'poreans

The lost art of eating with chopsticks

How dare you claim laksa is Singapore fare?

I read these letters with a tinge of nostalgia, of the old days when they only print selective letters online and on the newspapers.

If these issues are what Singaporeans deem important enough to write a letter to the newspapers, I fear for the country.

I guess ST cannot claim responsibility for such lousy letters. Because its their readers who wrote them.

Link time:

Ego trumps equity

For example, strong though Kanwaljit Soin's arguments were, no PAP MP stood up to echo them. Instead Tarmugi and Chen only revealed their subjective, elitist and male-chauvinist sides, while other members of the House twice voiced their approval with cries of "hear, hear!"

SunFlower Chong replies

In the spirit of equal airtime to air other viewpoints:

Ms Sunflower Chong gave a kind (and long) reply to my previous blog entry in the comments section.

For the benefit of those with a short-attention span (like me), here's the executive summary:

Why create the site? (HappyBirthDayMMLee.com)

Writes Sunflower Chong:

The MM website can also help me achieve my end objective and that is to bring across the understanding that Lee Kuan Yew whole life is (sic) about fostering a harmonious society.

We are a free country and as you have notice a lot of other forums had said many unkind things about him, so this website is for people who want to say some good words to him....

With all your support I am confident that we could compile a small book of good wishes to present it on his birthday.

So what are you waiting for? If you have any nice things to write, then go write them in her site's guestbook!

End Transmission. Normal Programming (and Rants) will continue from the next post. Thank Kew for the kind patience.

Obligatory Fawning Letter Of the Day

With the swearing-in of Mr Nathan as president, here is the obligatory "He's a jolly good fellow" type letter written by a person below voting age, printed today on our national press.

I owe the President a debt of gratitude for helping me to maintain a positive outlook on life. That's my President — humble, compassionate and thoughtful, not to mention competent, experienced and honest.

[link]

While the elites gather at the Istana to witness the swearing in, meanwhile, the entire nation collectively yawn and continues with their daily life and problems.