Atypical Singaporean

News in Brief

2011-05-19T13:37:00.004+08:00

Maid's death: Curb on access to tanks [link]

Only town council staff can access water tanks now; cleaner charged with murder

How nice, but how would it prevent Town Council staff from committing murder and dumping bodies in the water tanks?

Better allow only MPs access to the water tanks, except those pesky Workers Party MPs.

Radical Change [link]

So the so called 'Radical Change' is to get rid of some deadwood (who are past their prime), remove some under-achievers, and get some people to work double hard (double portfolio)

Employers all over Singapore have already been doing the same. Get rid of old workers, make existing workers work doubly hard for the same pay.

Although its a very different thing to be paid millions and do the job of 2 men, and being paid $1200 and doing the job of 2 men.

Maybe after next election, PM Lee can go really 'radical' will follow what employers do, employ some foreign MP.

Singapore's latest invention

2007-10-20T22:25:00.000+08:00

Singapore's Latest Invention:

The stupid people counter!

Currently, counter stands at 9731...... http://keep377a.com/Signatures.aspx

Non-Sense of Proportion

2007-04-06T18:20:00.000+08:00

From parliamentary secretaries to ministers, the top level in the civil service is paid a total of S$46 million annually.

That is 0.13 percent of the total government expenditure or 0.022 percent of GDP.

He said: "If you are going to quarrel about S$46 million – up or down another S$10 to S$20 million – I say you don't have a sense of proportion." [link]

---

On the topic of 'sense of proportion', there are 2772 (based on latest statistics here [pdf file] ) people on social assistance.

They get paid $290 a month. The government's total expenditure on these people is $9,646,560 a year, roughly $10 Million.

That is 0.02% of the total government expenditure, and 0.0047% of the GDP.

Even if the government double the amount to $580 , or award social assistance to double the amount of people (thats another 10 million extra), its only 0.04% of the total government expenditure/0.009% of the GDP.

But even raising it by $30 seems to be an ordeal,almost like raising the amount more more will bankrupt the goverment [link]

Is it not a government's task to bring closer the income gap, instead of widening it?

So Singaporeans, how's that for proportion?

Clap Clap Clap! You win oreadi lor!

2006-12-03T22:03:00.000+08:00

Another page from the thick book titled : "Failed policies in Singapore: How we fucked things up"

This is so tragically funny:

"Right now, PRs enjoy the same subsidies as Singaporeans for education and healthcare, and in fact in healthcare, foreign workers also receive subsidised treatment. I think we should make a clear difference – PRs should pay more than Singaporeans but less than other foreigners, there is a distinction. " [link]

Duh! Isn't this what Singaporeans has been complaining about since god-knows when? Now then they realise? WTF?

Halimah Yacob, Chairman of the GPC for Health : "We got feedback from many Singaporeans and even from my own constituents that since everything's equal for Singaporeans, foreigners and PRs, what's so special about being Singaporean? To some extent, short of being nationalistic, PM's message of 'citizens first' is well overdue."

Long overdue? Still got the cheek to say. Clap Clap Clap! Ms Halimah , You win oreadi lor !

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Papering over the cracks

2006-12-03T21:32:00.000+08:00

Citizens, look at this big, shiny statue we built to distract you people from the
real problems we are facing in our country!

".....The leaders did not believe in glorifying their place in history. They did not name streets, MRT stations, buildings, stadiums and parks after their colleagues who have died.

I think we should do so from now on so that Singaporeans can remember .... who had made a difference to the lives of Singaporeans. " [link]

If streets are renamed, wouldn't road signs, maps, official documents need to be amended? Would that be a waste of money?

You know a country has jumped the shark , run out of idea , if monuments are erected ; streets and buildings are named to glorify its leaders.

ie:

Saigon ---- during communist rule ----> Ho Chi Minh City
Saint Petersburg ---- during communist rule ----> Leningrad

could this happen.....

Singapore -----> PAPLand?

I somehow think that Mr Wee Kim Wee have a higher chance of getting a *insert street/building/stadium* named after him, than Mr Ong Teng Cheong.

Despite the fact that the latter has (argubly) had more contribution to Singapore.... I'll wait and see.

Ministry of Information & Arts loses to the Interweb.

2006-08-03T23:44:00.000+08:00

FEER required to comply with conditions for offshore newspaper: govt

The Ministry of Communications, Information and the Arts says the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act serves to reinforce the government's consistent position that it is a privilege and not a right for foreign newspapers to circulate in Singapore.

The internet pretty much nullifies any antiquated censorship laws we have here.

Click here for FEER's website. [click]

Login required. But no fear, there's always bugmenot [click] for free passwords to access.

Guess what's on the front page? An interview with Chee Soon Juan

So what is this thing about restricting access to foreign newspapers?

Welcome to the 21st Century, MICA.

Only in Singapore, where civil servants can talk about 'Creativity' like they are experts.

2006-07-06T02:16:00.001+08:00

32 projects get funding under Creative Community Singapore

SINGAPORE : Singapore's efforts to support and nurture creativity within the community are off to good start.

In the first year since the Creative Community Singapore, or CCS, was launched, more than 200 proposals have been submitted for evaluation, and 32 creative enterprises have got off the ground with S$4 million in funding support.

.... Details of projects supported by CCS are available online at www.creativecommunity.sg

[read more]

This blog recommends that you actually take a real walk, instead of just talking about it.

Wow. Singapore is funding creative/media startups to create a more 'creative' economy. My interest was immediately piqued and I visited the project site : www.creativecommunity.sg

After getting lost in the flash website, finally succumbing to using the sitemap [link], I came across this page: Expert Talk [link]

On this 'Expert Talk' page, one might envision a page where interviews with experts from the field of creativity, or experienced entrepreneurs are posted.

But no..... We have 3 'experts' working in National Parks Board, Ministry of Manpower and Productivity and Innovation Board giving us pearls of wisdom on 'Creativity'.

How can career civil servants, lecture people on how to be creative and entreprenurial?

Typical boring-ass/safe/10 year series type answers from the interview

Q: What would it take to be a creative?
A : Passion and Drive.

Q: What do you see in the future of Singapore’s Creative Industries?
A: More vibrant hubs of the different areas of arts, lifestyle and community.

Q: Is there a place you would go to get creative?
A: Talk a walk through the Tree-Top Trail at MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

Look at the last question.

Can't even be bothered to do a grammar check on their own interview. Talk a walk indeed. So do they walk the talk, or do they talk the walk?

I feel sad for the project.

Only in Singapore, where civil servants can talk about 'Creativity' like they are experts.

--------------------------------------------
Rehash:

Lately there was news that Singapore are going to get 'native' speakers to teach English. See what I had to say about a similar topic one year ago: [click here]

And instead of spending your weekend vegetating in front of the interweb, you might consider taking a real walk in the treetop walk.

If so, please get prepared by reading my post about it. [click here]

Always read the fine print when taking up a job

2006-07-03T13:29:00.000+08:00

Always read the fine print when taking up a job:

More than 250 temp staff sought for IMF, World Bank meetings [link]

Said Ms Laletha, "We have to pay market rate, and we want to do that mainly because they're going to be stretched. We expect them to work long hours, to go the extra mile out there and show that Singapore workers are really good quality, service-oriented."

In other words,we pay market rate, but we want you to work harder, and longer than a normal job requires.

Thanks! But no thanks.

When you criticise a one party government, you are a partisan critic

2006-07-03T08:19:00.000+08:00

When a columnist becomes a 'partisan player' in politics [link]

"If a columist presents himself as a non-political observer, while explioting his access to the mass media to undermine the Government's standing with the electorate, then he is no longer a constructive critic, but a partisan player in politics"

Wait a minute, I read the article [link] . Where in the article was any political party mentioned?

Oh yeah. I guess when you criticise a one party government, you are a partisan critic. Since there is only one party.

Other funny shite from the letter:

K BHAVANI writes: mr brown must also know that price increases in electricity tariffs and taxi fares are the inevitable result of higher oil prices.

Right.... this reminded me of the golden words of Minister Ng Eng Hen in his election speech:

.... Dr Ng called the WP a wayang party. "Do they have solutions? Can they bring the price of oil down?.... [link]

Question Time!

2006-04-27T22:29:00.000+08:00

Question Time: Where are all the opposition parties' photos on Channel News Asia?

Well at least there's two..... out of a dozen over articles.

Given Permission to Oppose

2006-03-26T18:41:00.000+08:00

Mr Goh says: "You have a choice - if having opposition is more important, then vote opposition - but if there is a way to get my views put to parliament to somebody, then vote for your interests, vote for upgrading - and your views can be put across in Parliament and if you vote for Eric Low, I can tell PM to let him be the opposition in Parliament." [link]

If an MP needs permission before he can voice an alternative view, do you think his views will be any good?

Is this supposed to be a joke? Or does he think Hougang voters are daft?

Link of the Day

We have a serious problem in Sg [link]

"To link the voters' votes to a local municipal issue such as upgrading belittles the vote - not to mention the discrimination to singaporeans who do not vote the ruling party. A person's vote should be cast on national issues."

So Important

2006-03-25T02:27:00.000+08:00

Friends, ~~Romans~~ Foreign Talent and Countrymen! Lend me your ears.

Important news to announce :

Our election candidate has resumed grassroots works.

PAP's new candidate Lim Wee Kiak resumes grassroots work in Marsiling [link]

Scared you don't know, that's why we devote a page just for this news!

Please stay tuned for more such 'important' news like this leading up to the elections!

Proof that Singapore media is not biased

2006-03-07T16:23:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE: Media 'too timid' in election coverage

With Mr James Gomez of the Workers' Party looking on, Mr Viswa accused the media of having a habit of making opposition politicians look bad by taking photographs of them from a low angle and in dim light.

[link]

Singapore Press where got biased? Singapore Press where got only print ugly photographs of the opposition?

Don't Believe? Here's the proof.

There are days when you wish that the press take pictures of you in dim lighting.

Scoring Points?

2006-03-05T23:40:00.000+08:00

MP, grassroots leaders rally round family of murdered girl Nonoi

To help the family cope, their MP and grassroots leaders arranged for counsellors and also sent them new mattresses.

Police, volunteers and family members had mounted a wide-scale search for the toddler in the area after she disappeared from her step-grandparents' flat at Block 62 Circuit Road at about 7pm on March 1.

Question I have:

Where were the MP and the grassroots leaders during the wide-scale search? Were they even involved?

I hope they were, if not, it seems like a obvious 'point scoring' move.

I'm no economist, but...

2006-02-18T14:18:00.000+08:00

I'm not a numbers-man, or an economist, but.....

I wonder amidst the jubliation over having free-bies, has anyone noticed this -

Dr Ng Eng Hen On WP's idea of using reserves to help the needy and poor

Dr Ng said the PAP government believes in giving only what they can afford, like the workfare bonus which will come from surpluses.

[link]

Singapore to post Budget surplus of S$430m: PM Lee [link]

$2.6b Progress Package for lower-income groups, elderly, NSmen [link]

But wait, if you have $430m surplus, how can you spend $2.6b in freebies?

I thought they said all freebies must come from surpluses?

Singaporean Adults need to be protected from themselves

2006-02-15T00:43:00.000+08:00

He was responding to a query in Parliament on whether foreign maids would be charged the S$100 required for Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents entering the casinos.

Mr Wong said as adults, foreign domestic workers would be responsible for themselves.

Other foreigners working in Singapore would also not be required to pay this entry fee.
[link]

What? Singaporeans Adults are not responsible for themselves, but foreigners and maids are?

Are we even citizens of our own country?

Being foreigner better than Singaporean?

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Only in Singapore:

Dissatisfied with the quality of an online slang dictionary? What should you do?

Comprain to the press of course! [link]

I don't get it

2006-02-08T23:58:00.000+08:00

Minister Lim Swee Say confident Dr Balakrishnan ready to lead GRC

Adding to it are speculations of which ministers are likely to helm the group representation constituencies.

When asked, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and MP for Holland-Bukit Panjang Lim Swee Say said he was confident cabinet team-mate Dr Vivian Balakrishnan is ready to lead a GRC in the next election, if tasked to.

[link]

I don't get it. Help me out.

Why does people speculate if a minister is 'confident' in helming four other MPs in a GRC, when they should be thinking of the big picture:

If he is not confident of leading 4 people in a GRC, how can he lead hundreds in his own ministry?

How does guessing which Minister leading a GRC matter, when we should be evaluating whether the candidate can run a ministry in the first place?

Promote Understanding between Religions = Draw Cartoons?

2006-02-06T00:09:00.000+08:00

I know I can't convince you. But I guess putting a humorous and rude picuture will surely help my argument.

With reference to the Danish cartoon controversy.

What's wrong with you people?

Yes. Free speech is great. Religion, like many other things should be under criticism. I'm sure people can write entire tomes writing what is wrong with religion.

You know what? I might have best idea.

The situation in the Mid-east, the tension between Muslims and other religon is not strained enough. Let's worsen it!

Lets let loose a barrage of cartoons depicting Mohammad. And let them let loose a barrage of cartoons on Jesus Christ.

Let the whole thing worsen when both sides don't even bother about drawing, and decide that fists are mightier than the pen.

Come on. It's not about free speech. It's not about freedom to criticise.

It's about being sensible and respectful to others.

Drawing cartoons making fun of people's religion is the last thing that would promote understanding between different religions.

Of course, unless the aim of the cartoonists are not that.

Think about it.

If you are pro-evolution, and I am pro-creationism. I want do win the argument. Do i draw your mother fucking a camel, just to win?

Do I draw your parents as apes just to prove that - Yes, you are pro-evolution and therefore the love-child of two chimps?

What does that further my argument?

Addendum:

In Austria, it is against the law to make any statements denying the occurrence of the Holocaust. But one can say anything about Islam and get away with it. Aren't Muslims right when they take the position that there is an open season against their religion, and that the exercise of freedom of expression is used only as a "civilized" excuse for insulting them?

Having an open discussion regarding the Islamic faith is perfectly acceptable. Insulting Islam is not. That old adage about disagreeing without being disagreeable (or offensive) is fully applicable here. [link]

Shit Statistics

2006-02-01T21:18:00.000+08:00

Another reason why Statistics reported in the news is shit.

Compare:

Employment in Singapore rose to an all-time high last year, with about 2.3 million people employed.
The unemployment rate fell to 2.5 percent, the lowest rate recorded in more than four years.

[link] Channel New Asia

Vs

The government decided last year to revise the measurement of unemployment to include foreign workers who have temporary work permits, including construction workers living on site and those who commute to Singapore from Malaysia.

[link] Financial Times

Do you think there's no Google? Do you think the citizens are stupid?

Come on. If you count foreign construction workers and maids, of course the numbers will improve!

So what if its the lowest in the last four years, if you change the basis of measument?

So what if you win the match, if you shift the goalpost midway through?

2006-01-24T20:37:00.001+08:00

First. You have to control the media.

Media Control. This is very hard to attain. But when you get it, its very hard to lose.

If you can't control the hearts of your people, at least control their minds.

Make use of the media.

With the media in control, publish very little on the opponent party's manifesto details, while publishing alot on why your party disagree with it.

News Article(s) on WP's manifesto - Grand total of 2. [link1] [link2]
News Article(s) on PAP's rebuttal of WP's manifeso - 6. [links] (As of now)

Make more use of the media.

When the opponent party rebuts your arguments, make sure that the news articles prints your party's rebuttal of your their rebuttal, and but very little on the original rebuttal itself (Yes, its confusing). [link]

Use simple but powerful words to lambaste your opponent's manifesto.

In your rebuttal to their manifesto, use easy to relate man-on-the-street language, like 'time-bombs', or 'poison', to describe their manifesto.

Because people easily respond to powerful words, but rarely people stop and think critically on your arguments.

People are simple creatures. No one remembers any long drawn replies, but words like 'poison' and 'time-bombs' stay on people's mind.

Positioning your argument - Use Sacred Cows.

Make it very hard for anyone to argue against your position, by declaring that it is against a 'sacred cow' like racial harmony and terrorism.

Even when some sacred cows are not perfect and need improvements.

Because, Anyone who argue against sacred cows rarely win.

Make use of your ~~followers~~ members

Any campaign will fail if it does not appear to have the people's support.

Your members don't just just to sing karaoke at the void deck or line dance at the neighbourhood mall, do they?

If they are of any use, they should write letters to the press to argue for you. You don't even need to lift a finger to destroy the opponent.

Get some political science experts to give the neutral opinion. Whatever that means.

Put the opponent party in a difficult position. Demand them to change their manifesto.

If they change, declare that they lack political will and courage.

If they don't change, declare that they are heading to a dangerous position that will put the entire country in jeopardy.

Declare that most of your countrymen are behind you and against your opponent -without citing numbers.

"Dr Ng concluded that it is not just the PAP but the majority of Singaporeans who are not satisfied with the WP's response so far. " [link]

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Its not that hard right?

Misleading Title

2006-01-23T09:10:00.000+08:00

On Today newsaper, I read the following headline:

The Workers' Party on those four 'time bombs' . [link]

With that headline, one might think that the article is on WP's reponse right? One would expect to read WP's point by point defense of their manifesto.

Instead, its more like a point by point rebuttal of WP's defense.

I took the trouble to count the number of words in the article that are connected to WP's defense, and filtered out govt's reubuttal of their defense (which made the bulk of the article)

Turns out. (I used Word's wordcount )

Total number of words in article = 708.
Actual content related to WP's defense = 304

I pasted the entire article below. Red bolded words are what I considered 'Actual content'

So tell me. Is the article on WP's defense or the rebuttal of WP's defense? Couldn't the rest be put into a seperate article?
---------------------------------------------------------

The opposition Workers' Party (WP) is standing firmly by its manifesto despite the strong criticism it has received from the Government, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself.

In a one-page statement released to the media yesterday evening, WP chairman Sylvia Lim responded to each of the four "time bombs" highlighted by Manpower Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen on Saturday, which includes removing the quota for public housing and the elected presidency.

In its 52-page manifesto released on Jan 14, the WP had also proposed that Residents' Committees (RC) and Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCC) be abolished, but in response, Dr Ng said these grassroots organisations were necessary to bring racial and religious communities together.

Ms Lim, however, challenged his remarks: "To say that (RCs and CCCs) are the only ones who can play a role in the community and serve a useful role during crises such as Sars is to underestimate the community's ability to respond to such crises."

She added that the Government seemed to perceive Singaporeans as a "docile lot with no initiative" who need to depend on RCs and CCCs, "which is an insult to Singaporeans."

To which MP Charles Chong (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) wondered: "Have they got a better alternative to put forward? I'm willing to listen to it if they do."

Mr Chong said this particular proposal was an "irresponsible" one.

"Are they saying everybody should be left alone and just fend for themselves, survival of the fittest? To suggest we just dismantle existing organisations is not practical and reasonable. There will always be a need for citizens to go above and beyond just taking care of themselves," he told Today.

Most of those involved in RCs and CCCs are "unpaid volunteers that come forward to articulate the concerns of the people", so he urged the WP to "look at the bigger picture" instead.

Bedok CCC secretary Patrick Tay said the importance of the groups was to serve as a "bridge between the people and the Government," but stressed this was just one of their many roles in the community.

"We are here to provide an additional channel for residents to give feedback. That's how we can improve the neighbourhood. I see us as one big family working together," he said.

In the statement by the WP, Ms Lim said one reason why her party had strongly recommended that the ethnic quota for housing be scrapped was that it imposed "hardship on people wanting to buy and sell homes".

Having this quota helps ensure an even spread of races in public estates by restricting the proportion of flats that can be owned by different races in a single neighbourhood or block. Chinese residents, for instance, can comprise no more than 84 per cent of units in a neighbourhood and Malays, 22 per cent.

Mr Chong said having such a criteria was "a small price to pay" if Singapore were to avoid reverting back to the ethnic enclaves of yesteryear.

The WP also continued its push for more subsidies to be given to the elderly and unemployed for areas such as education and healthcare.

Dr Ng responded by acknowledging that it was the Government's duty to help the less fortunate, but only out of Budget surpluses.

Ms Lim shot back that the Government should help the lower-income group at all times and not only address their concerns when such surpluses arose.

Like Dr Ng and Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan before him, PM Lee urged the WP and its chief Low Thia Khiang to revise their manifesto, claiming that their proposals destroyed the fundamental principles Singapore had built and thrived on.

Speaking at a community event yesterday, Mr Lee said: "Where do they stand? Either you rethink your position and publish a revised manifesto — version 1.2, there is still time — or if they want to stand by that, explain what they mean, justify, defend and we will join issues and fight the elections on these issues."

In a comment directed at Mr Low: "This is not just a matter of you talking casually at the coffee shop after drinks. It's a manifesto for the General Election and he is offering himself as an alternative, (so) it has to be scrutinised."

Weird News - How to escape caning in Singapore

2006-01-22T23:11:00.000+08:00

How do you escape caning in Singapore?

A Thai prostitute escaped caning for drug dealing in Singapore after a doctor established that the accused, who was identified in a passport as a man, had undergone a sex change.

[link]

I wonder was it really worth it.

Bullshit Minute

2006-01-22T13:46:00.000+08:00

Workers' Party manifesto threatens social harmony: Dr Ng Eng Hen

Speaking to constituents on Saturday, Dr Ng had a point-for-point rebuttal for the Workers' Party manifesto.

The Worker's Party wants to abolish all Resident Committees and Citizen Consultative Committees, because it feels communities would have progressed further without them.

But Dr Ng defended these grassroots organisations, which are the social glue.

Seriously, I have never seen those RC and CC people in the decades I live in my estate. What do they do actually?

Organise Square Dancing events for pudgy middle-aged aunties? A social club for retirees? Seat fillers for National Day dinners? A compliants department for aggrieved residents to ask for their covered walkway, or to ask a longer grace period to pay their ultiliy bill ?

Come on. You guys are over-stating their importance.

The Workers' Party also wants to remove policies that have fostered Singapore's multiracial society, like the ethnic quota for housing.

This Dr Ng felt was a recipe for disaster.

How does making quotas on flats foster multiracial harmony? Why flats only?

How does private condos and estates not under this rule? Does that mean that there are no rich racists?

Why not go all the way? Maintain this qutoa on the working places like offices? You send half of your day at work right? Extend the quota to every aspect of Singapore life.

Get Married? Follow the quota for this year.

Have children? You cannot have more children if it skews the quota for your race.

Mixed marriges? Which race do categorise your children? It will be an administrative disaster

Why not go even further. Look at the big picture.

Make the entire Singapore island under this quota. Make sure you have 80% chinese 20% other races strictly. Make sure people leaving Singapore is replaced by an emigrant of the same race.

My point. Why restrict it to only flats if your're serious about racial integration? I don't think the solution to racial integration is as superficial as maintaining a quota on flats.

About maintaining the GRC representitive system to ensure racial harmony. -

Does that mean that before the GRC system, Singapore was a place of racial disharmony?
Did the GRC system even ensure a big significant improvement in racial harmony anyway?

On another suggestion by the Workers' Party to abolish the Elected Presidency, he says the Elected Presidency is an important added check to maintain a corrupt-free Government.

The former President - Mr Ong Teng Cheong tried to question. And see what happened to him.

I don't think this check, however effective, is not worth spending $2m of wages a year to maintain. There are better ways to ultilise the $2m a year.

Finally, the Workers' Party called for more subsidies for the needy.

Dr Ng said the PAP government believes in giving only what they can afford, like the workfare bonus which will come from surpluses.

Did the Worker's Party even propose to spend more that the surpluses? This needs more study, obviously, and Minister Ng needs to rebut this with concrete numbers rather than dismiss it entirely.

National Service Dilemma

2006-01-19T23:41:00.000+08:00

Wang Kai Yuen: (On National Service, April 2002)

"I am prepared to send all my sons to fight for Singapore, to die, if necessary"

[link]

Wang Kai Yuen: (On punishing defaulters, Jan 2005)

"In seeking a jail sentence, we will in effect deter anyone in similar situation from returning to Singapore. In fact, none will return. Thus we are sending a message, 'Defaulters, thou shall not return to Singapore.' Is that a correct message to send?"

[link]

How noble. You would want your sons to die for your country, but at the same time, protect the right of other people's sons to flee Singapore to escape NS.

Does anyone think this two views is contradictory? Not Mr Wang, apparently.

Would anyone sane fight for the country, when countless have shirked this responsiblity?

What do they have to do with NS?

2006-01-18T22:42:00.001+08:00

From the New Paper,Quoting MP Sin Boon Ann

(On the Parliament Debate on NS Defaulters):

CONSIDER this, if Albert Einstein (considered the greatest scientist of the 20th century), Stephen Hawking (celebrated physicist and author of A Brief History Of Time) and Bill Gates (Microsoft chief and currently the world's richest man) were to come to Singapore, would we put them in jail?

[link]

This is perhaps the most asinine argument I've read on the papers this week so far. This sort of argument is bandied around so much, its getting really tired.

From entrepreneurship, to education, to NS, this shite arugment is usually used.

Consider this:
----------------------------------------------------------
Albert Einstein did not even pass the entrance exams to qualify him to study for a diploma. (He eventually did later) .

If he is alive in Singapore now, the education system would probably have caused him quit school and work in Mcdonalds. He's obviously not the EDB scholar type.

So what if he's called for NS? He has no talent in Singapore's eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Bill Gates did not even have a degree. He dropped out. He would probably be selling pirated software in Sim Lim if he were in Singapore.

So what if he's called for NS? No big loss. He's just another ah-beng computer tout.
----------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Hawking, he's wheelchair bound, so the NS argument is totally in-appropriate.
----------------------------------------------------------

Talk about using the wrong arugment.

What do they have to do with NS? Good Question, New Paper!
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Thought of the Day:

What's with people and them queing up at the bank for brand new notes for the new year?

What's wrong with using old notes?

Our Reservist OC...

2006-01-13T00:28:00.000+08:00

Posts will be sparse this few days/weeks.

Some stuff in the news amuse me much, but what I would have written, is already written by some other blogs. I guess, ~~Fools seldom differ.~~ Great minds think alike.

So I will mostly be posting interesting funny shite from other sites.

From SammyBoy's Alfresco Coffee Shop:

Leading By Example, Obviously

"ey, what happened to our OC? how change to a new one?"

"the previous OC CPT XXX migrated to australia already. won't be seeing him anymore for all your future in-camp training.."

what the?!?! OC migrate?!?!

Windows a ripoff of Mac OSX?

2006-01-10T23:48:00.000+08:00

Obligatory Macworld post:

Ever wondered how closely the upcoming Windows Vista are copying of features found in Mac OS X Tiger?

See here

Someone took the trouble to remix the recent CES demo of Windows Vista. Super Hilarious!

Thought of the Day

2006-01-10T18:08:00.000+08:00

I was wondering:

Why did the govt take so long for resident numbers to grow, before deciding to open Buangkok MRT station.

But took so fast to open the Budget Terminal, when there is only one customer (Tiger Airways) willing to use it?

[Buangkok Station opens]
[Budget Terminal opens]

edit: i fucked up the old post. Re-writtened it. Old comments gone

How Creative Define Podcast

2006-01-06T08:22:00.000+08:00

Creative's new podcast service defines "podcast" as "Personal On Demand broadCast"

Since Creative say so, despite the fact that New Oxford American Dictionary defines it otherwise, it must be true. Very creative.

[link to the Creative's Definition]
[link to New Oxford American Definition]

For the record, Podcast is defined as:

A digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar programme made on the internet for downloading to a personal audio player.

There's no Devil...

2005-12-28T19:23:00.000+08:00

Kerry Packer on being clinically dead for 8 mins after suffering a heart attack:

"The good news is there's no devil. The bad news is there's no heaven. There's nothing"

[link]

This somehow pleases my heathen heart.

--------------------------------------------------
Link of the Day

Mitigating Tsunami Damage with Mangroves

Unemployment or Fear of the Sea? Pick one.

2005-12-27T17:34:00.000+08:00

Tsunami survivor recalls ordeal, still fears the sea

Jason's life was never the same again. His fear of the sea still haunts him, and the tsunami wiped out his career in Thailand. So the Malaysian came to Singapore to look for a job and to be with his family.

[link]

You are scared of the sea, and come to -of all places- Singapore, an island surrounded by the sea, to look for work.

I suppose he's more afraid of being poor and being near the sea.

Thought of the Day:

Why NKF's history page not updated with the newly uncovered info?

For this Holiday Season, Merv hopes that:

2005-12-24T23:15:00.000+08:00

For this Holiday Season, Merv hopes:

That you have spent as little money as possible.

That you spent money on things that make you happy, not because you had to.

That you did not have to jostle with the crowd to get some gifts just because your colleagues are 'exchanging gifts'.

That you have spent money on gifts for people whom mean something to you, not just because you're obligated to.

That you have spent time with people you love, not because they invited you to their party.

That you had some practical use for the multi-lighted santa cap you bought from a street vendor on Orchard road - after christmas.

That you did not go to Orchard road to see the lights, just because everyone is doing it. Why you did it, when the lights is the same every year? You don't know.

That you got drunk at some celebration, and when sobered up, did not know why the hell you got drunk in the first place.

That you celebrated because you are really happy, and not because its a way to forget your problems.

(If you are a christian) That You went to church to remember why J.Christ died for you, not because you'have been doing it for years, it became a routine.

(If you are a heathen like me) That you didn't pretend that Christmas meant anything to you, in front of friends, just because its the 'social' thing to do.

That you said 'Merry Christmas' to someone and really meant it.

When you sent countless 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year' sms-es to friends, they still had your your number stored in their phone book.

That you remember that last christmas, a lot of people had a really shite day because of the tsunami.

-----------------------

see also beautifuk's Christmas Rant.

Sometimes 'Consulting' is better than 'Doing'

2005-12-23T00:42:00.000+08:00

"~HELLO I AM TR20 CET RETAILCOM. COMING TO AN ESTATE NEAR YOU!"

Marine Parade Promenade sets up management company to improve businesses

It will spend tens of thousands of dollars in the next three years, not on the physical infrastructure, but the 'software'.

Wong Kai Hong, a consultant at TR21 CET Centre Retailcom Pte Ltd, said: "The management company will initially look into upgrading the skills of the people, organise business clinics whereby when the shops have any problems, they will have someone to look to to get advice and help them improve their sales."

[link]

Sometimes, you can make money giving advice to people wanting to do business, with them taking all the risk, while you provide the 'services' like giving advice, organising lessons.

I suppose they have abandoned all hope in generating new businesses, and see more money in the business of 'consulting'

I.e creating courses/workshop to persude people (other than themselves) in putting their money into their high-rent shops starting no-hope businesses.

The shopkeepers don't need advice, they need low rent. With lower rent, they'll be more willing to take risks like bringing different products/ideas to their shops, and no the usual handphone/provision/bakery shop shite you see everywhere.

There is also a need to create buzz. Organise occasional lucky draws, get some B-list celebrity to grace the occasion. etc etc.

And sometimes, not having a gigantic NTUC FairPrice competing right at their doorstep; Helps.

Also what the fuck's with the name - TR21 CET Center Retailcom Pte Ltd. Quite a mouthful eh?

What a joke. Sounds like something out of Star Wars or Terminator movie character.

Would you want to take advice from a company that can't think of a better name than this?

Creativity has left the building and died on the way out.

----------------------------------------------------
In other news: Two Dollar notes in plastic introduced. [link]

In other news: A Two Dollar note still not enough buy you a decent meal at a food court.

Funny Shite link of the day: I hate Man Utd Scum

Individuals of Impeccable Character

2005-12-22T16:46:00.000+08:00

Saw this linked on JusticeForNKFDonors

A letter written in 2004 by NKF former treasurer - Loo Say San, to a forum letter writer:

Excerpt:

Our utilisation of every donated cent is subject to an exacting internal and external audit mechanism headed by some of the world's keenest minds in corporate audit, including PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The NKF's governing board comprises individuals of impeccable character, integrity, standing and commitment. The board is collectively responsible for deciding not just salaries but also the NKF's plans and strategies, which are then seen through by people of proven operational acumen.

[link]

What a fucking disgrace. You make me laugh, Mr Loo. You're a fecking impeccable comedian.

On the same topic about impeccable characters in Singapore:

Many working adults are not very interested in science

SOME Singaporeans may think the world of themselves, and a few actually believe the sun revolves around the earth.

What? Some people cannot answer if the earth revolve around the sun, or vice versa? Or you think the world is saddled on a cosmic turtle's back?

Comes no surprise to me that most working adults in Singapore are complete idiots. It probably explains why some people believe in shite like intelligent design.

There is no hope for Singapore with people like this.

On the topic of the hope or the lack thereof :

Ren Ci Charity Show 2006 confident of reaching target despite NKF saga

The annual Ren Ci charity show will be staged next month and organisers say they'll have a special segment explaining how funds are used by the charity.

[link]

All the best to the show, but I think I'll share some ideas-

Put Durai and gang on a ~~show trial~~ trial . Televise it live.

Durai and gang will get a progressively heavier and heavier sentence as long as the money keep coming in. Every $100k equals 1 year in jail.

There will be no shite like condos, cars as prizes. If the donation don't hit a specified target, Durai and friends will be set free.

If we do that, Ren-Ci can get enough money to save not only Singapore but the whole world's aged and sick. - For 10 years.

DURAI = I N N O C E N T

2005-12-21T18:25:00.000+08:00

Funny Shite From Sammyboy Alfresco Coffee Hub

DURAI = I N N O C E N T

I... am not aware of anything.
N...KF pays me peanuts.
N...KF pays all my expenses.
O...ften take 1st class on SIA.
C...ocky is my middle name.
E...ach $ only 10c go to patients.
N...KF backdates my leave and bonus.
T...ap must be golden.

[link]

The Legal Way

2005-12-20T14:52:00.000+08:00

"Although KPMG found no evidence to suggest that money in NKF was being siphoned away, Mr Ee pointed out that such matters came under the purview of the authorities, such as the Commercial Affairs Department.." [link]

Just one observation:

Of course, with so many 'legal' ways to boost your pay (thru the Exec Committee) - is there really a need to 'illegally' siphon money away?

No... only common thieves get rich through illegal means.

Direct link to the 400page report [PDF Download link] - Better than watching King Kong.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Now I know how some letters in the ST forum come about:

From page 150 of the NKF report:

"NKF staff drafted letters stating essentially that there is no need for more measures to be put in place to ensure that IPCs are more transparent and accountable.... The NKF then requested its donors, patients, supporters and corporate sponsors to sign these letters to be sent to the media"

All a load of crap eh? Forum letters. Even Charities in Singapore have a propaganda department.

----------------------------------------------------------------

On the same topic, lets remember some famous last words - And laugh

TT Durai's Daughter's email to the PM: [link]

"After the review by the new board, you will help him to restore his reputation and honour (if no wrongdoing is found)?"

Brings a tear in your eye eh? Reading this?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Funny how Singaporeans are, during the holiday season - They think they will get what they wish for:

Stop walkovers so all can vote

How about wishing you could see Santa and Jack Frost? Almost the same chances of that happening.

It Takes Two to Tango

2005-12-17T01:24:00.000+08:00

Most Singapore men satisfied with their sex life - survey

84 percent of Singapore men are generally satisfied with their sex life, rating it a healthy 7.5 out of 10 on average.

[link]

The million dollar question left un-answered:

Are the sex partners of the men surveyed, similary satisfied?

Not Enough Pictures

2005-12-17T01:19:00.000+08:00

Editor... editor...We have one picture of Singaporeans working leh.. how?

In Singapore, we double the good news just for you!

Food Pet Peeve - Pre Cooked Hor Fun

2005-12-13T23:42:00.000+08:00

Fancy beef hor-fun made by pouring hot beef over cold pre-cooked hor-fun?

What is wrong with Zi Char places in Singapore?

Almost all places I've went to, from the small hawker Zi Char, to respectable places like Zi Yean, their hor fun is utter crap. Vomit inducing shite.

You might ask me, why?

If you don't know already, usually they pre-cook their hor-fun earlier in the day (just stir fry the hor-fun dry in a wok, pour soy sauce) and keep it in a warmer.

When the customer order, ie seafood horfun, they simply cook the ingredients + sauce in the wok, and pour over the hot sauce over the cold/lukewarm pre-cooked hor fun.

The simple fact to this is that, in the name of efficiency, many places has compromised on their standards.

Sure, it saves time, you remove the tedious procedure of cooking the hor-fun, then cooking the sauce with the hor-fun.

Now you just pre-cook the hor-fun hours before, and later cook the sauce and pour it over when an order arrives.

Until you've eaten a real piping hot beef hor-fun made lovingly from scratch, you'll always accept this lazy method of cooking as normal, and pay good money for it. This is the ultimate tragedy.

It may be acceptable to most patrons, but it is not good enough for me.

Please tell me I'm not alone.

~This post can also be found in my food blog

The Missing 8%

2005-12-13T20:30:00.000+08:00

12% of Singapore employers to increase hiring

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey of 641 employers across all sectors shows 12 percent saying they will be hiring more people.

Three percent expect decreases in their workforces, while 77 percent do not expect changes in their staffing level. [link]

This means a net employment outlook of +9 percent.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hold on.

100%-77%-3%-12%= 8%

What happened to the 8% remaining? Going out of business?

Isn't it weird that they write 77% and 12% in numbers and 3% in alphabets?

Is it standard practise in journalism school?

Related Old Posts: More Rubbish Statistics

----------------------------------------------------------------
Since we're on the topic of English writing styles, I've found the rule to writing numbers:

Biased Observer is right:

"Never begin a sentence with a numeral: either spell out the number."

Wandie is partially correct, it depends on the rules of the company the writer is writing:

".....rule about spelling out numbers less than one hundred (some say ten; it's a question of house style)"

Click here [link] for the complete rules on numbers.

See.. you learn something new everyday.

How Money Can Make a World of difference

2005-12-05T14:22:00.000+08:00

Addendum to my other post- Crazy Horse

I found the prices for Crazy Horse (Singapore):

-----------------------------------------------------------------

VIP (right in front of the stage): S$500 for 2 with half bottle of Champagne

Private Box: S$600 for 4 with one bottle of Champagne or S$750 for 5 with two glasses of Champagne per person

Premiere: S$125 with one standard drink or S$300 for 2 with half a bottle of Champagne

Deluxe: S$85 with a standard drink

Bar: S$85 with a standard drink

[source] (Be warned, some NSFW images in the link)

-----------------------------------------------------------------
So this is how it goes:

If I pay $10+ in Bangkok for a strip tease, I'm a pervert and dirty old man.

But If I pay $125* (or more) for a nude show, I'm a 'Art and Dance connoisseur'.
Maybe there are not rich perverts in Singapore, only poor ones.

Strange huh, how money can make a world of difference.

*Bar and Deluxe prices does not get you the performance

Toilet Behavior

2005-12-05T08:19:00.000+08:00

What's the bin for, when there's no toilet paper?

When in the toilet:

1. do you only use a stall if every stall is unoccupied?
2. Lay a thick wad of toilet paper before sitting down on the toilet bowl?
3. 'Hover' over the porcelain, rather than sitting down?
4. Use your shoe instead of your hands to press the flush?

And other assorted weird germaphobic behavior?

Then this Mefi thread is for you: (You can only post if you're a paid member)

Laboratories of Human Behavior

Geisha = Ang Mo?

2005-12-03T17:38:00.000+08:00

Thought Of the Day -

On the Memoirs of A Geisha poster, Why the hell are Zhang Zi Yi's eyes blue?

[link to full poster]

Thought Answered -

"It's actually blue/grey as written in the book, and is what sets Sayuri apart from the other geishas." ~ Biased Observer

This happens when you don't RTFA when you write a blog post.

Not Sleazy? What's the point then?

2005-12-02T20:15:00.000+08:00

The 'Crazy Donkey' Girls from Thailand. Smart Casual optional for patrons.

"Singapore Crazy Horse says topless show not sleazy"

The Singapore Crazy Horse, which will bring the famous French topless dance act to the city-state, is not just another nude show, but a classy act, its owner said.

[link]

I just don't get it. If I ever want to see topless ladies, why the hell would I go to a topless show that proudly proclaims - 'We're not sleazy!'. What's the point?

Want to see naked ladies perform? Then say you're going to see naked ladies perform. Don't elevate it as art please.

Just because its ang-mo, and do some well-cheoragraphed moves = Art?

Or is it that, if you put the same act in a nice place, force a smart casual dress code for customers (to seive out the riff-raff), and charge a high price = Art?

But if you put the same act in some nameless dive in Bangkok, at $10/pax, we call it porn and exploitation of women.

Seriously, think about it. If we import a troupe of Thai Bartop girls and make a show out of it. Would it be allowed? But Paris Naked girls? Ok.

"just another nude show, but a classy act, its owner said"

Nude Show is nude show. Even if you put some dry ice effects, some fancy lighting is still nude show. If I wrap shit in gold, its still shit right?

WaitAMinute..I'm inspired. I think I've come up with a great business idea:

I'll sell freshly laid dung, served on the finest Wedgewood Bone China. In a superbly restored Shophouse in Chinatown. All patrons must wear formal clothing. And minimum bill is $100 per pax. (Because people think expensive = good)

All waiters/waitresses in my establishment are all trained, and Angmo. (Because some people think Angmo = high class)

No.. of course I won't say I'm selling shit.

I'm calling it 'Le Crap du Provence', and say it's imported from France. You know how Singaporeans get taken in by fancy foreign sounding names and imported goods.

Good idea? Same idea as Crazy Horse, just different products.

Why I Support Melvyn Tan's $5000 fine

2005-11-28T10:26:00.000+08:00

Give the piano guy a break, will ya! He don't deserve it! (Photo: Newpaper)

Renowned Musician, Melvyn Tan was fined $5000 for evading conscription by living in Britain for 30years. He wanted to pursue his musical education in Britain instead of serving national service.

link

I think the fine is fair, why?

Because in light of national security, bringing a roast geese into Singapore is almost as important than skipping NS. (Roast Geese = $3000 fine, Skip NS = $5000).We gotta have our piorities right. [link]

Because Music can make the world a better place, but guns and fighting will only ruin it.

Because its not fair to punish Melvyn for a decision he made when he was 18. Tell this to those teenaged inmates at the boy's and girl's home will ya?

Because National Service is respected in Singapore. Where respect = a maximum of $5000.

Because going for NS then AWOL is a bigger crime than not reporting for NS in the first place. (AWOL = Detention Barracks. Not reporting? = $5000).

Because fining a poor cow-rancher $7500 (who went to live in India) for evading NS is just as fair as fining a rich, renowned musician $5000 for doing the same thing. [link]

Because some people in Singapore, like Melvyn's aged parents do not deserve a Armed Forces to defend them.

Because $5000 is a just right a price in exchange for avoiding the possiblity of being dunked into water, getting injured and death. Less than $5000 and we risk insulting the contributions of past NS men. More than $5000, some people cannot afford the fine leh...

Because everyone have aged parents. But somehow Melvyn's parents is more important that other people's aged parents.

Because think about it. Melvyn really really needs to see his aged parents, nevermind that some aged parents have had children returing from NS with severe injuries or worse not returning at all

Because what's the big deal if you lose a limb in an accident in NS? You pick your nose with it. Him? He use them play piano leh.

Because too bad cowardice is not a valid enough reason to be extempt from NS.

Because although being born a Singaporean, but now a British subject, Melvyn Tan "has helped Singapore to gain recognition on the global piano scene". Same logic applies to calling China born table-tennis players (with Singapore Citizenship) representing Singapore, bringing glory to China.

Because coming to judge a music competition, visiting parents and performing in the Esplanade is justification enough to come to Singapore , but training to defend Sg? Get real.

Because the money from the Esplanade performance will rake in more money for Singapore. Enough for us to forgive Melvyn's digressions.

Because the majority of Singaporeans, especially heartland aunties, taxi-men, jobless people will really lose alot and will break their collective hearts, if this piano-playing guy do not perform in the Esplanade.

Because it has set a precedent. In the future, if you renounce your citizenship, and run NS, you're sure you'll only kena $5000 or less. So start saving up your pennies now. We all know that $5000 is a very hefty fine.

Because only Melyvn Tan music career is the most important, that he has to skip NS to further it. Other Singaporeans' career? Not important enough.

Because strangely, even if you are super talented. Taking a 2 year break by doing NS will make you a unsuccessful musician forever.

Because God is fair. Some people are born with the instinct to defend their country at war, while others, just play piano. There is rarely a Rambo-like person in real life who is both adept at fighting and classical piano music.

Because we all know the pain of losing Singapore citizenship and its attendant comforts, like the privilege of buying a large 950sqm flat at $300K+, and buying a small car + COE at $120K+, and having part of your salary saved for you until you're 60 years old .Really... I'm weeping at the very thought of it.

Because which sane person will leave Singapore? With its world class transport system [link], the quality administration, press freedom [link]. This guy must have suffered alot in Britain. Heap pity on him, citizens, not scorn.

Because if the respected newspapers like NewPaper says its fair, it must be right?

Because all of us can finally see what's the big deal about Melvyn Tan, cos his concert, NSF and NS men got discount leh! Is this Irony or what? "(Concession for students at $15, $27.50; NSF men and senior citizens at $21, $38.50)" [link]

Because, think about it. If you are fighting deep in the trenches, would you trust your life with a piano-playing guy watching your back for enemy fire? Would you ??

Because everyone really gives a fuck about Classical Music. Really.

*added new reasons.

Not Interfering With Their Politics

2005-11-26T21:36:00.000+08:00

Japan's embassy protests to Singapore daily over Yasukuni editorials

The Japanese Embassy in Singapore has sent a rare letter of protest to Singapore's main Chinese-language Lianhe Zaobao newspaper over two editorials criticizing Japan that were published in the wake of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine last month.

--------------------------------------------------------------

As much as I find the Japan PM's visit odious, i find this even more odious:

Publishing editorials about other countries' govt = not interfering with their politics.

Foreign papers publishing editorials about our govt = interfering with Singapore politics.

Specialization is for insects

2005-11-24T10:21:00.000+08:00

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
-- Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

Singapore to review death method?

2005-11-19T15:10:00.000+08:00

AUSTRALIAN drug-smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van is likely to be one of the last people to face the hangman in Singapore after a review of execution methods by prison officials.

The review of execution methods was also prompted by technical glitches in a new execution chamber installed in Changi prison during renovations last year.

A mechanical lever that used to operate the trapdoor has been replaced with a semi-automated electric switch.
Mr Singh, a veteran of more than 850 hangings, is understood to be unhappy with the new machinery, which is prone to malfunction.

[link]

To those anti-hanging protesters! We'll end hanging soon........ and start letal injections!

Never mind the plague! The business must go on!

2005-11-19T14:44:00.000+08:00

Koh Peng Keng, Senior Director, Operations, Health Ministry, said, "They should look into cutting down congregation of people within the workplace; if it is possible, to segregate the workforce into separate work units, so if one unit is affected, the other unit can operate.

[link]

Shouldn't the Health Ministry be exploring possible scenarios to might occur on an outbreak, so that as many people can live and NOT DIE?

Nah. We must make money till the last dying minutes, till the last worker ant dies.

Lets think of ways to segregate the workforce, so that it goes down unit, by unit. Until there is none left.

Link Time

2005-11-13T04:16:00.000+08:00

Petition/I suffered Grave Injustice - Site of the Day

Zouk Bouncers attacked me.

"On the 29th of October my fiancee and I were assaulted and beaten up by bouncers at Zouk, Kuala Lumpur....."

[link]

Long Boring Story short:

Couple goes clubbing. Guy falls sick in the toilet. Girl rushes into male toilet cubicle to help guy. Locks the cubicle door, to "avoid someone pushing the cubicle door open thinking its vacant".

Gets mistaken for shagging in the toilet.

Get hit by bouncers.

Singapore. The Good Samaritan Country

2005-11-12T12:55:00.000+08:00

No more subsidies for foreigners at polyclinics from Jan 2006

The Health Ministry will stop providing subsidies to foreigners at the polyclinics from January next year.

It will also reduce the subsidies given to Permanent Residents.

Currently, foreigners are subsidised like citizens, paying only $8 for basic consultation fees.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Singapore. The Good Samaritan Country. Where foreign visitors have treated as well as citizens.

May I suggest Singapore to open subsidied clinics all over the world for citizens of other countries, so that the world will be a better place.

A Funny Commentary on National Press - for once.

2005-11-11T22:04:00.000+08:00

Quit the whining, (signed) Famous Blogger

"I have an idea. What about a blog for responses to letters in the forum pages that we really want to read?

Say somebody writes in to complain about traffic jams caused by a major Bollywood film project.

The real reply could be: 'Dude, we're trying to give Singapore a leg up in the international movie-making stakes here. You want these guys to take their cameras elsewhere? You didn't raise a peep when we closed the roads for consecutive weekends in the run-up to the National Day Parade. So you lost 40 minutes on the way to work. ......"

[link]

The page is borked. Taken away because BT is paid. Too bad.

Breaking News from NTUC - Jobs For Singaporeans is Top Priority.

2005-11-09T13:04:00.001+08:00

NTUC's priority to focus on jobs for Singaporeans

Singapore's labour movement has identified "Jobs for Singaporeans" as its priority over the next few years.

Jobless Citizens! Do not be so despondent !
We are letting you know that it is our priority to get jobs for you! Yes. Singaporeans!

------------------------------------------------

Is it me, or that shouldn't this be NTUC's top priority in the first place?

Leads me to think: What was NTUC's priority before this announcement?

Funny Shite Links:

The Taxi Man Says

Low Wealth in Singapore Citizens may derail Singapore's Industry

2005-11-08T21:31:00.000+08:00

High costs may derail Singapore's wealth management industry: PwC

But as the industry continues to power ahead, PricewaterhouseCoopers has highlighted escalating costs as a challenge.

According to PwC, personnel costs can account for as much as 55 percent of the costs in various sectors of the industry.

[link]

Oh the bitter irony of it all, the rich complaining of the high costs of living.

Come on. If high costs is so large a factor for these 'wealth management' bozos, then I should see low cost centres like Nigera, Zimbabwe to be world centres of commerce, and not high cost places like New York or London.

If costs is so substantial that it could deters these 'wealth managers', what do you think is the outlook for the small SMEs or your neighbourhood shops?

Not good.

Maybe these 'wealth managers' are complaining because there isn't much wealth left in Singapore.

I'm Convinced! Let's us aim for lowest rank in Press Freedom!

2005-11-07T16:26:00.000+08:00

Singapore's press freedom ranking is ultimately less important than 'bread and butter' concerns

As a small country, our Government's primary task will be the "bread and butter" concerns of the people. Investors will always settle for a country that can guarantee a stable operating environment and efficient system, rather than a country ranked top of the press-freedom index but with precious little else to offer.

I want to continue to see my fellow Singaporeans live in a stable, secure and prosperous environment. To this end, I will gladly accept a top ranking for choice of location by investors, than to see us sit atop the press freedom index any day.
Singapore's press freedom ranking is ultimately less important than 'bread and butter' concerns

Letter from Siow Jia Rui

Ok after reading this super-duper letter by Siow Jia Rui, I'm inclined to believe that press freedom is rubbish.

I believe that Singaporeans are too stupid, too naive that they could not think for themselves and believe any lies, if the're are printed on the newspapers. Print "Singaporeans: Please jump off the cliff" and they will duly do so, like lemmings!

Why? Because Freedom of Press is the freedom to print lies! Not the freedom to print truth!

I believe that having a liberal press will lead Singapore into a bloody mess of anarchy and riots. Because Singapore journalists cannot be trusted to write the truth on the newspapers.

I believe that a liberal press will make Singaporeans ask for things like freedom of speech, make them question their pre-concieved notions, allow them to see two sides of an issue. These are dangerous things!

You know these people, give them an inch, and they want a foot. Today Press freedom, tomorrow? Who knows? Something bad.

I believe that having a liberal press will get all sorts of forum letters and opinion pieces that can sully our minds with evil thoughts. Thoughts that will lower our productivity and hence lower our standing in front of investors.

How can Singaporeans be productive if they spend their day reading the papers, and grasp... thinking about real issues?

Where got space to print serious news, when we have news like "Ministers mark Tree Planting Day islandwide" to do?

I believe that attracting investors is paramount to Singapore, and a liberal press will undermine it. What the hell, lets do without a press, and the internet while we're at it.

Oh yeah, and Art too? Who knows what those crazy beret-wearing, chain-smoking 'Artists' are up to? Creating paintings and plays with their potentially subversive thoughts?

Do away with them, unless these 'Art' can be imported overseas to make us money, or 'Art' that fill up the Esplanade with pretentious rich wankers sipping champagne who'll pay over $200 per seat to watch some insipid, 'G' rated, censored performance.

Productivity, Foreign Exchange inflows, Jobs - thats what we're aiming for! We want citizens who work like mindless automatons from 8am to 9pm, then to bed and work again! Who wants them to think?

Singaporeans? Who wants them to discuss issues? No such thing, We print what we want them to think.

Press Freedom ? Bah! Can you eat Press Freedom? Does Press Freedom bring in the bacon?

I believe that having a controlled press, will make Singapore stable, and make us attractive for investors.

How does having a controlled press, lead to stablity? I'm too dumb to know, but I guess the guys at North Korea seems to be doing such a great job, their newspapers print nothing but good news, and their country is super stable. The citizens love their leader. It would do us good to out-do them.

I know, I know.. North Korea has no economy to speak of. But don't let this deter you from believing in us. Remember this: We always use facts to our advantage and convieniently forget those that run counter to our arguments.

And to think that we go through all the trouble to do this: For your benefit and safety of your rice bowl. You should thank us! Have you forgotten to extend your subscription to our mouthpiece?

What? You copy and paste our articles on the web - For free ? You ingrate!

Yes. We Singaporeans are concerned about 'Bread and Butter' issues only! Give me a comfortable life, feed me well, and I'll be glad to be in eternal servitude and subservience to the state.

And We Singaporeans need protection from their thoughts.

Wow. This letter has changed my outlook. Press Freedom = bad.

No Press, better! If we have no press, we wouldn't even be in the rankings!

Like this, we don't even need to debate on this non-issue!

--edited..

I'm No Economist But....

2005-11-01T01:12:00.000+08:00

28,700 new jobs were created in the third quarter of this year, compared to 14,100 in the same period last year.

Of all the major sectors, growth in the services sector was the healthiest - from 7,100 jobs in the third quarter of 2004 to 18,400 in the third quarter of this year.

The construction industry also provided some 2,300 jobs in the third quarter

[link]

I'm no Economist, but..

I don't want to be the rain on the parade, be a wet blanket, that kind of shite.

But, yes. Before you go do a victory dance in honor of the improving job situation, stop.

There may be more jobs, in the services sector, and construction industry, or in simplified, layman language, more waiter and construction worker jobs.

Wow, that's an achivement eh? Give those people responsible a roaring standing ovation, for these waiter and construction jobs.

Taking in account this, should't the improvment in job creation numbers include the wages?

Think about it:

If four persons previously earning $2000/mth are retrenched, and they took up the 'newly created' waiter jobs, paying $1000/mth each.

Don't you think that instead of 4 new jobs created, taking in account the wages, it would be only a net gain of 2 new jobs.

So what if high paying jobs (>$2000) are lost, and replaced by many $500 shit jobs?

link:

A real sucess story of upgrading - from a street busker to an ice-cream hawker.

I'm No Lawyer, But....

2005-10-28T13:44:00.000+08:00

Two former employees of Citiraya Industries have been fined and jailed after pleading guilty to bribery charges

Charles Sebastin Anthony Charles, a former mechanical crushing plant supervisor with the waste recycler, was given five months' jail and fined S$11,000.

This is for taking a total of S$11,000 in bribes from former Citiraya assistant general manager Ng Teck Boon to help divert e-waste material meant for crushing.

Seetoh Kwok Weng, who was a materials supervisor with Citiraya, was sentenced to 8 months' jail and fined S$18,000

He took S$18,000 in bribes from Ng.

[link]

--------------------------------------------------------

Marc Singleton, the ex-managing director of Performance Motors, has been fined almost S$300,000 for taking bribes. Another 10 charges of accepting watches, handphones, and S$3,000 as gifts were taken into consideration.

On September 21, Singleton was convicted on one charge of accepting bribes of S$78,000 from car distributor Teo Tian Seng to reappoint the company as a BMW dealer.

[link]

---------------------------------------------------------

WaitAMinute... I'm no lawyer, but...

5-8 mths of jail + fine for accepting $11,000-$18,000 in bribes, and only fine for accepting $78,000 in bribes.

Ok. I don't get it, the more bribes you take, the lesser your punishment? WTF?

Maybe if you get fined more, you get no jail time.

Man-Made Diamond is not Diamond

2005-10-27T14:55:00.000+08:00

News from around the Singapore Blogosphere:

Giving a real diamond ring is ok, but giving a man-made diamond ring is lying.

Interesting views from a female perspective. [link]

The question one have to ask oneself, am I buying into the hype or buying something tangible, by paying alot more for a real diamond. As opposed to a man-made one.

Does paying a lot more for a real diamond gives you the satisfaction that "Hmm, I paid a gazillion bucks for this, It sure makes my girlfriend/wife love me more, and makes me feel good about myself."

If so, then a fool and his gold is easily parted.

Fundamentally, does a man-made diamond even differ, in its chemical structure as a natural diamond?

No.

read one of my old posts :

Ten Reasons Why You Should Never Accept a Diamond Ring from Anyone

The Dreaded Feeling of Inevitability

2005-10-24T10:42:00.000+08:00

Electricity prices same as in 2000

"..according to the Energy Market Authority's (EMA) latest annual report, which stated that, had oil prices not skyrocketed, competition in the electricity market would have led the price of electricity to fall by about 10 per cent. Even so, with oil prices up threefold, the price of electricity is still about the same as it was five years ago due to greater efficiency. "

Why do i have this feeling of inevitablity, when I read these kind of " Prices of X has not been increased for N years in Singapore." When I read this, I cringe.

So in other words, Singaporeans, please expect electricity prices to increase soon, because it hasn't been, for five years.

Waste of Time

2005-10-23T01:20:00.001+08:00

The lack of sleep leads to mental fatigue and can affect how soldiers perform in the field.

So Defence Science Organisation (DSO) National Laboratories are working on solutions to help SAF soldiers better manage the lack of sleep and their combat duties. [link]

Give DSO a nobel prize, surely this wins the most obvious discovery of the year.

Come on.

More Duties, Less Sleep -> Tired Soldier
Less Duties, More Sleep -> Happy Soldier

Problem Solved. What is wrong with these researchers?

Welcome to The Internet

2005-10-19T22:32:00.000+08:00

Quote of the day:

Welcome to the internet. Where anyone can complain about stuff in real life on their blog, but don't have enough balls to do something there and then.

from tomorrow.sg commenting on this site.

茶葉蛋

2005-10-19T11:37:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, something as prosaic as tea egg can be a revelation to the taste buds.

When one thinks about tea eggs, almost inevitably, we think of crowded pasar malams where spring rolls drenched in oil are placed side by side with sweet corn, and maybe a hotpot cooking tea eggs.

And then you decide to try the tea eggs, out of whim.

You take a bite, and the awful tasting sauce, together with the overcooked, powdery egg yolk is unforgettable, for the wrong reasons.

You always tell yourself to swear from buying tea eggs from pasar malams again. Until you visit the pasar malam the next time, and promptly forgot the promise, and buy one again.

The tea egg I tasted in Tea Bone Zen Mind (Yes, they don't only serve tea), is nothing like that.

How amazing can a tea egg be? You ask? An egg is an egg right?

If its done right, very good. I took one bite into it, half-expecting the powdery egg yolk to assualt my tongue.

No. I was so wrong. In it, was the soft, moist, custard-ly goodness of a half boiled egg yolk. With the jelly-like egg white and the warm gooey egg yolk, you finally realise how wonderful a tea egg, cooked well, can be.

And after you eat it, you will always remember your promise never to eat pasar malam tea eggs again.

Yes, they do have quality control over here, where they make sure every egg yolk is not fully cooked;

like when they make sure (perhaps by turning the eggs time-to-time when boiling) that every egg yolk is at the centre of the egg, and not at its side,

or that they make sure the sauce is done right, or else they throw way the whole batch (which they did when they initially experimented with the recipie, i'm told)

For $3, its a bargain, considering the effort to make sure every egg, its yolk, its sauce, is done to perfection.

Singapore becomes Dengue Hub. Jobs Created.

2005-10-14T15:35:00.000+08:00

Job vacancies for technicians, workers in dengue control

The recent dengue increase has spawned some 115 job vacancies waiting to be filled.

The Workforce Development Agency is working with pest control companies to recruit full-time technicians and workers.

Singaporeans, are you proud? We have jobs created leh, because we created this fucked up problem with no one else to blame.

I wonder which is more tragic, having the dengue problem in the first place, or having to create jobs to solve this problem we created.

Do Not Piss In The Pool

2005-10-14T00:38:00.000+08:00

Meritus Negara Hotel offers mineral water swimming pool

The hotel, at Claymore Road, uses an ionisation technology to convert the original chlorine water into mineral water.

Swimmers may not suffer from dry skin or reek of chlorine when they get out of the water.

"A fool and his money are easily parted" come to mind when I read that the hotel spent $15,000 on this ionisation system.

Ok, somehow, they add chlorine into the water, and by some ionisation voodoo, it removes the chlorine and adds minerals into the water. Wow.

Problem is, ionisation does not do either of that.

My limited science knowledge tells me ionisation does not add minerals to water. Ever. (it just gives the electrons a charge)

By the way, chlorine is added to the pool to prevent waterborne diseases caused by people who take a piss in the pool.

"Too little chlorine results in algae and bacterial growth, waterborne illnesses, cloudy water and insufficient sanitation of the water."

[link]

I call bullshit on this. And good luck to whoever that swims in it.

Hungry Passengers have their rights too

2005-10-11T17:31:00.000+08:00

Breastfeeding: The more often mothers do it in public, the more acceptable it becomes

Finally, to suggest that a mother should leave the train and feed the baby discreetly at the MRT platform, then continue the journey is not only inconsiderate but also rude.

Come on.

If you can breastfeed on the train, adults sure as hell should be allowed to eat on the train.

Its not about people not wanting to see your tits. Its doing the right thing at the right time.

If you want to eat, feed your baby, go somewhere else, not on an MRT train.

In order to allow breastfeeding mothers more privacy and discreet nursing, perhaps SMRT Corporation can consider designating special seats on the trains that are wider and more private (at the end of the cabin) which nursing mothers can use.

If thats the case, can we have a special MRT carriage selling nasi lemak? Hungry Adults have rights too!

Its not that we are preventing anyone to breastfeed in the mall, in a park anywhere else where eating is not prohibited.

No. Want to breastfeed?

Simple, get off the train, and do it on the train platform. Finish up. Get on the train. How hard is that?

So how is breastfeeding on a train ok? While a grown-up, drinking a soda isn't?

Mumbai Taxi-Drivers reject Singapore Style Taxi Rentals

2005-09-28T13:51:00.000+08:00

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.

2005-09-28T09:03:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-24T10:52:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-17T01:15:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-13T22:01:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-08T03:28:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-08T02:11:00.000+08:00

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?

2005-09-06T00:08:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-05T14:46:00.000+08:00

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!

2005-09-04T01:17:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-01T16:47:00.000+08:00

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

2005-09-01T13:59:00.000+08:00

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.

Creative MP3 players so good....

2005-08-30T00:55:00.000+08:00

Creative MP3 players so good.... They come with virus -free of charge!

This must be the first time I've ever heard this happen on a MP3 player.

....about 3,700 5GB Zen Neeons shipped since July might have possibly been packing a W32.Wullik.B@mm payload...

[link]

and read the original Japanese (translated) news article [link]

Made in Singapore?

Creative, next time, if you are using shitty WinXP machines to run your plant, make sure you at least have firewall turned on, install anti-virus ok?

Or just change to Linux or Mac.

Marching in the Rain = Very Tough?

2005-08-28T13:52:00.000+08:00

I would not have written it better:

Culled from the Sammyboy forums:

What a freakin Joke..... Parades carry on in the rain all over the world on a regular basis. So do football matches, motor racing, funeral processions etc etc. After all, it's nothing more than a bit of water.
Only in Singapore could a mountain be made out of the molehill of a small tropical shower.

[link]

But along the way was an unexpected sight -- eight white cardboard elephants in various poses lined the road that leads to Buangkok MRT station.

[link]

In the spirit of building a "rugged society" that can walk/march in the rain, do sychronized dance in the mud, I implore the government not to open the Buangkok station for an indefinite time.

Let them walk.

What The?

2005-08-25T00:18:00.000+08:00

What the?

HappyBirthDayMMLee.com

....The pain and struggle in him
Has made Lion City a special place to stay
Nothing we can offer
Except our words of praise

What more can you ask from any man today?
I have great admiration him
For this man is magic
He had made my dream stay...

~Singapore Pride by - Sunflower Chong

Opposition NMP Guy, Steve Chia also wrote an entry on the guestbook. [link]

But then again, the same person who wrote the above poem, also wrote something similar about Dr Mahathir

Where in the world, can you witness such genuine love of a leader?
God is with him; the light is shining bright on this great leader.

Many leaders of the world have many dreams,
But it is PM Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who just rides on dreams.
- He is the chosen one - Sunflower Chong

[link]

Yeah, tell this to Anwar Ibrahim. Ask if he shares the same sentiment.

Both by persons of the same name. Unless I am wrong, its probably the same person. If you bother to do a whois on the domain name (like me), its registered to a "Sunflower Chong" also.

Maybe if Kim Jong il is looking for a poet-laureate for his country, he can look no further.

Edit: Maybe I'm a tad harsh, But poetry about political leaders scares the shit out of me.

Anyway she's the organizer of some feel-good organisation [link].

So she may be doing something good. Draw your own conclusions.

Thank Kew for the Video Clip and Understanding Us

2005-08-24T09:09:00.000+08:00

What a way to start another shitty Wednesday. I turn to the "Voices" page in Today and see this shite.

Fawning Letter of the Day:

Leaders close to people's heart [link]

The two video clips the PM showed, "Taugeh not Enough" and "Taugeh never Enough", were not only highly engaging, they also showed he knows what is happening in our daily lives.

PM Lee also said Singapore should go beyond having world-class universities and start having first-class polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs).

I was surprised that he was able to list the different strengths of different institutions.

I have also come to know that PM Lee has managed to gain everyone's respect by really knowing Singaporeans at the microscopic level.

What is wrong with newspapers nowadays, why are they printing letters from Secondary School students?

The last time any of my secondary school letters got printed, it was in my School Magazine, but even my School Magazine maintain some editorial standards.

Ok. Let's get this out of the way. It is the job of PM Lee and any leader of a country to "know what is happening in the people's lives" and to know details of different institution in the country inside out.

We all don't need to act surprised. IT IS HIS JOB TO DO IT. OK.? Don't need to "tripod" any leader just because they do their job well. Its their job because we voted them (their party) in.

Don't need to act all "thank you for understanding the citizen's plight" shite. To do his job, he must understand the people he is leading. I think thats the very bare minimum.

Play one or two videos during the rally and so easily win over you. Its just a freakin video played during a speech ok?

Last time I've checked, Videos have been played in speeches and presentations for a long time. Wow. And you think the rally was a big step forward because of two videos.

One more thing. There was more shite on the newspapers remarking that PM Lee was holding back his tears as he recounted his experience performing in the rain in the 1968 National Day.

Newsflash people. PM is also human. So don't make a big hoo-haa just because he cried. Ok, don't "Woo, the PM cried. He showed his human side". He IS human. OK?

Ho Hum - Filler Post

2005-08-23T23:52:00.000+08:00

Nothing better to do.

For those who access this through RSS. Please use the new feedburner link located on the sidebar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Anyway:

There is so much positive media spin in the newspapers that I have a headache.

Consultants welcome PM's challenge to improve Singapore's service culture [link]

"Good customers elicit good service. What goes around comes around as well, like the boomerang effect," said Dr Andrew Goh from Achievement Growth Consultancy.

Of course. Improving service culture means these "consultants" will make more money training people. This fact they seem oblivious to. No wonder they support.

Seriously, am I the only one who is wiling to suffer worse service as long as I pay less? Just give me my food and leave me alone. Thank you very much.

Jobs redesign will enable more older workers to be employed: HR analysts [link]

The good news: You get a job. The bad news: You get lower pay, shitter job and flexible (longer) hours. Happy?

This might come as news for some Singaporeans. Newsflash : TCS are just actors, not celebrites ok?

And I refuse to call these TCS people "stars" and "celebrities" even when I speak directly to their PR. They're just actors and artistes-- and a far, far cry from even remotely being referred to as a celebrity (who celebrates them anyway??)

[link]

All The Hoo-Ha

2005-08-22T20:28:00.000+08:00

Note: This post does not pretend to have any deep analysis on the National Day Rally.

Today's paper, as expected, was chock-full of articles on PM Lee's National Day Rally speech. I spent an admittedly short time watching the live telecast on TV.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me, is that all free-to-air channels in Singapore are showing it. Talk about having a captive audience. And thank god for cable. Nothing says "State Sponsored Television" more than simultaneous broadcasting of the same program.

Another that that amazes me, is how many times can the audience nod their head in "aggreement" whenever the camera pans in their direction. I don't know if their neck is strained after the whole shebang, but my patience sure was wore thin.

I mean, you don't need to nod you head on camera so that everyone on TV know you agree with whatever's being said. I don't think I'll ever see people like JBJ or some opposition misfit getting invited to such an event.

So If you are invited to the speech, you probably is part of the establishment. Nothing wrong with that, by the way.

But I sympathise with the audience. Come on. You can't take a nap, it'll probably be very rude to stand up mid-speech to go for a shite. And when you kena TV camera, you must show that you are very attentive and not yawn. And to sustain this, for 3hr plus.

Back to the main point. There is no point to this post. Why?

Because remember, this is a Rally. You know who gets rallied?

Troops going to war (to die) and Citizens who get motivated by a politician making promises in a 3 hr speech.

So don't get all hyped up over some initiatives that are yet to be implemented. Yes, the policies/intiatives all look promising, but execution of the plan is very important.

Remember this. What policies we have now (some that are bad) were probably announced amid roaring clapping some years ago in a National Day Rally.

What we have now, (depending of your point of view, whether we are in a good or bad state) was probably the result of policies announced in some Rallies some years ago.

So we should critique the present, and not praise what is yet to be implemented. No point really. Talk is cheap. Lets see the results in this coming year(s).

Related:

Rethoric Vs Reality

Power Reporting

2005-08-22T00:16:00.000+08:00

From the last post:

Every Year, before the National Day Rally, there will be news article on "Singaporeans' hopes for PM's National Day Rally".

Every Year, after the National Day Rally, there will be news article on "Singaporeans support PM's initiatives announced in National Day Rally."

I saw it coming, but not that fast.

Wow. At 2320pm, 1 hr + after the speech. CNA has already concluded that Singaporeans are inspired by Mr Lee's vision. [link] See the date/time the news was posted.

They even interviewed some Singaporean dude all the way in Portugal about the rally.

I must say I am impressed by CNA efficiency and speed of their reporting. So fast sia. 1hr can come up with such a conclusion.

Related: See the full text of the National Day Rally 2005 here (English Speech) [link]

Edit:

Ok the dude is actually a female teacher from Portugal who was present at the rally.

The fact that 2 persons agree with PM Lee != Ordinary Singaporeans are inspired by the Rally. Btw, from the article, they are not really "ordinary" Singaporeans. One is a "quitter" who went to Portugal, another is the child of a MP.

Can a real Ordinary Singaporean please stand up (and be interviewed) please?

As Regular as Your Bowel Movements

2005-08-20T22:14:00.000+08:00

Like Death and Taxes, here are some additional things that occur with strange and alarming regularity in Singapore:

Every Six Years, a new President is chosen for us.
Every Four Years or so, Parliamental Elections are held, but chances are you surely kena walkover.
Every Four Years or so, you find out you the estate you lived in for decades, suddenly belong to another constituency.
And after living in Singapore for so long, you finally realise that there is a mayor for Central Singapore.
Every Four Years or so, you get alot of goodies from the government just to make you vote for them.
Every Year, before the National Day Rally, there will be news article on "Singaporeans' hopes for PM's National Day Rally".
Every Year, after the National Day Rally, there will be news article on "Singaporeans support PM's initiatives announced in National Day Rally."
Every time there is an election, a member of the opposing team will kena "flamed" by his ex-employer, his primary school teacher etc.
Every Year or so, bus fares and train fares will rise.
Every Year or so, there will be a craze on certain foods, last time, it was bubble tea, this time on Coffee Bread.
Because of the craze, may entreprenurial Singaporeans will open shops. And close them down very soon.
Every Year, the National Day parade will almost have the same programme: Jet Plane Flyover, Marching. Entrance of Ministers, Clap Clap. Entrance of President. Clap Clap. Fireworks. Many Dance items.
Every Year, confirm got some movie about Singaporeans by Jack Neo. Confirm.
Every other month, there will be organisations or individuals that attempt to break some silly record, just because they can.
Every time there is good economy, The papers will praise the government on their good job in guiding our economy.
Every time there is a slump, the papers will blame the US economy bad, falling currency, SARS, anything but the government on the economy.
Every once in awhile, you look forward to retirement, but the age to claim back your CPF money seems to be further and further away, when they raise the age limit.

There should be more. Might add to this list.

WTF News of the Day:

Escalator safety programme launched at MRT stations along NEL

Singaporeans actually need training to ride escalators safely.

You know why there are so many accidents? Because there are so many passengers vs the amount of escalators in a station. Either you reduce the number of passengers (by increasing train frequency) or adding more escalators. If not, accidents will continue no matter what, because Singaporeans like to rush and cram up the escalator.

Great link of the Day:

The problem is that PAP tends to politicize the things they do for the people... It is not about “election promises” or political capital that one should consider when it comes to the REAL NEED of the people. When there is a REAL NEED, then regardless of who voted for PAP, the government should provide the services to ALL SINGAPOREANS that need such services.

[link]

I guess I was wrong and CNA was right

2005-08-17T16:57:00.000+08:00

I was reading the CNA when I read this line.

The incumbent has since garnered such strong support from Singaporeans that he proved to be hard to beat, becoming the only eligible candidate for Elected President on Nomination Day. [link]

I had a "WTF?" moment for a second. Didn't Mr Nathan win as he was the only candidate because PEC only approved him?

What is this about being "hard to beat because having garnered strong support from Singaporeans". There was no race, where got chance for people to beat you?

I guess I am wrong. If its reported by Singapore news, it must be right. Right?

In other news,

Mr Nathan: "I have also read in some learned articles...some felt my election would have been better if there had been a contest"

The definition of election: "The act of selecting someone or something" might be changed to:

"The act of selecting someone or something (or not). Terms and Conditions apply. Sometimes, the choice is made for you"

Link 'o' the day:

If you look Chinese, You must speak Chinese (and Listen to FM93.3)

Nothing to See Here.. Move Along...

2005-08-14T02:02:00.000+08:00

No contest for Singapore's Presidential poll, only SR Nathan eligible [link]

Singapore won't get a contest for the Elected Presidency, after the Presidential Elections Committee issued only one Certificate of Eligibility to contest the poll -- to incumbent President SR Nathan.

Ok. Mr Nathan wins.

If this is the eventual outcome, I suggest that we just cut out all the bullshit and time wasted and just award the presidency to whoever the Govt deems the best.

No one really cares anymore. So tired of this shite, all the false hopes of exercising my right as a citizen, and of course, the mirage of a Saturday free from work.

I can only hope the Presidential Elections committee never make the same mistake like JTC in judging a candidate's character, like when they realised that their CFO's performance is "unstatisfactory" after 3 years. 3 freakin years.

In other news:

Many Singaporeans welcome Presidential Elections Committee's decision [link]

A large number of supporters mobilised by Mr Nathan's election committee are expected to turn up at the nomination centre at the People's Association's premises in Stadium Link when Mr Nathan arrives on Wednesday morning.

Every time a government policy is foisted (popular or otherwise) onto us, there is always an accompanying "Singaporeans welcome Govt's decision/policy" news article.

Expect a full blown coverage on Wednesday TV news and Thursday Straits Times, with colour photos of supporters waving flags, and "He is a jolly good fellow" type articles thrown in.

Don't these people have real jobs to do? What kind of people actually take leave (assuming they are not retirees) to do such a thing on a Wednesday?

Come on, going to the People's Assoc to wave flag, as if they are *surprised* at Mr Nathan winning? People, please get a life.

I'm Wondering...

2005-08-11T22:44:00.000+08:00

I'm wondering:

If Andrew Kuan is so incapable, who "job-hopped between five jobs in eight years in the 1980s", how did he get hired as CFO of JTC in the first place?

If Andrew Kuan is so incapable, how did he manage to serve 5 terms as a Town Councillor and Chairman (Finance Committee) of Pasir Ris Town Council?

If the management of JTC is so capable, how on earth can they allow a CFO who did "unsatisfactory" work to continue working, with high pay for 3 years?

[link]

All these does not reflect well on the president-hopeful. And it sure as hell reflects much worse on the organisations that hired him.

A very logical question comes to mind: Are there more so called "Andrew Kuans" working in JTC, GLCs and Town Councils?

How can I trust the government to put in the right people to manage GLCs? When they admittedly allow a "incapable" (as alleged by them) person like Andrew Kuan to work there for 3 year as a CFO (in charge of $)?

In other shitty news:

Be prepared for different job opportunities says Manpower Minister [link]

If "different" means having worse job opportunites, shittier jobs, longer hours, lower pay, then I agree whole-heartedly. "Different" now takes a whole new meaning.

12 burly Riot police break up 4 people protest [link]

How nice to know that 12 Riot police is used to break up 4 people protest, two of which, are women.

Singaporeans, do you feel safe?

Putting Two and Two Together

2005-08-09T00:20:00.000+08:00

Sometimes you get alot of insight when reading two totally seperate news articles side by side.

Don't know about you, but I get a headache sometimes trying to discipher what is the Govt is trying to tell you, with so many contradictory messages.

Racial ignorance has led to job discrimination for some: labour chief

He said non-Chinese job seekers say they have been asked if they can speak Mandarin during their job interviews. [link]

President Nathan may deliver his first Mandarin speech on Nomination Day

Said Dr Chua, "He wanted to learn Mandarin to better communicate with his Chinese countrymen ....." [link ]

Possibly the first Singaporean Political Podcast

2005-08-05T00:05:00.000+08:00

Listening to podcasts has been a daily fixture for me for the past few months. I subscribe to over 10 podcasts (downloaded via iTunes).

Its a good alternative to the mindless crud that is fed through our local radio nowadays, although the content is US-centric. But beggars can't be choosers, Singapore has very few podcasters.

Today's entry is not about what I listen daily (maybe on another post)

I came across this today: RadioSDP (via the Sammyboy Forums)

[link] (right side of the main page)

You need download the recording (mp3 format) and play it on your media-player of choice.

In this 10mins+ recording, Chee Soon Juan talks about what his platform for the coming election. (Same old stuff like more freedom of speech, more transparency etc).

The production quality is rather high, maybe clarity can be improved with a better microphone.
On the podcast, Chee Soon Juan dosen't suffer from the dull "reading straight from a script" feeling you often get, when you listen to political speeches.

What is lacking now, perhaps, is a RSS feed, and registering the podcast with iTunes.

There is possibly zero chance for Opposition Parties to be heard on local radio and TV, and Podcasting (and Blogging) is possibly the best way for any person/organization wanting to be heard.

But one thing though, the desire to publish is one thing ,finding an audience is, another issue entirely.

Will the government move to stop it? I hope not. Think about it, podcasting is blogging, with sound.

Whether to Stop/Ban SDP's podcast will be the litmus test on the Singapore Government's openess (or lack thereof) to citizen "journalism" (for lack of a better word).

For the XiaXues to the Mr Wangs of the Singapore Blogosphere, infantile to politcal, the last thing everyone would want, is the stopping of SDP's podcast on the "political recordings" charge.

Update: [link: TodayOnline]

The Media Development Authority confirmed that podcasting does come under the current regulatory framework. It is still studying developments in this area, it told Today.

Update 2:

Of course the podcast does not have the high production quality of Local Radio. For a first effort, it is ok, the basics are met. The speech is clear etc. Just don't expect it to be super-duper good
quality.

Those complaing about the lack of RSS feeds totally miss the point about podcasting.

Podcasting is essentially one guy/girl speaking to a microphone on the PC in his basement and releasing it to the world.

RSS feed? These stuff are there to 'help' the transmission of the material. What is most important, is the content. Not the delivery mechanism. That said, the content might need some reworking. (less rehash of old topics)

But give credit where it is due, it is the first podcast by any politician (or politician wannabe) in S'pore.

ShortTakes

2005-08-01T01:12:00.000+08:00

I was watching the ending minutes of the President's Star Charity, and I clearly remembered that the donations was less than $500,000. (Less than a peanut), so I was very very surprised with this news report that:

The President's Star Charity show has so far raised S$3.8 million, outperforming last year's figures. [link]

It is a good thing to see that there is no backlash from donors. It will be, if you are someone who don't question anything you read, and take every number given to you at face value.

To confirm that there is no backlash, we need to delve deeper.

Is there a breakdown of this $3.8 million, between call-in donors and corporate donors? I can't find it. Maybe we'll never know.

Edit: Now We know

"Since phone lines were opened last week, individuals called in $480,990 worth of donations, less than last year's $693,800. " [TodayOnline]

In other news, Sunday's Straits Times and New Paper both had an extravaganza of Blog related news. Blog Blog Blog. I'm so tired by this shite.

Why are they playing up blogs like Sandralicious and Xiaxue and not Serious Blogs like Commentary Singapore and Singapore Ink? Even Sumiko Tan joined in the fray by writing that blogs are not serious, spread unsubstianted rumors etc etc.

Enough of this shite already, I mean, it is sad that there are so many bloggers that write much better than Sumiko Tan and not paid a single cent for writing, and I am actually wasting 5 mins of my life reading Sumiko Tan's article when I'm on the crapper.

If I'm a techno-phobic parent reading ST, I might conclude that blogs will make your children waste their time online, don't study hard, pose naked/sexy pics of herself, enter a life of crime, things like that.

One thing comes to mind:

Traditional Media has woken up to the fact that fact that blogs can be a powerful tool to shape opinion, it might be a good time to start dis-crediting and downplay blogs.

Y'know with so many big upcoming events lined up, like Presidential Election, General Election etc etc. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Not that it'll work either.

In other news, some Singaporean Swimmer guy attempts to swim across the English Channel. I wonder why do some people do this, another pointless attempt at record making?

Please, unless it's for a good cause like raising money for charities. (which I don't see that in the article), don't bother. It's just boliao doing it.

Is it for publicity? Money? To write a self-help book? To Challenge one's physical limits? Who gives a shite?

Edit: Ok I was wrong. He is swimming for charity. [link] Helpful Reader TakChek provided the following info [see the comments].

Isn't Blogging wonderful? When is the last time you complained directly to Sumiko Tan about her wonderful articles? Here in this blog, we allow you to do just that.

Singapore Food Blog

2005-07-29T22:26:00.000+08:00

I thought I might start writing a new blog about food, since I eat out all the time. (All my meals actually).

One of my pet peeves when reading Singapore food blogs, is either the reviews are not detailed enough, or that there are no friggin pictures, which totally defeats the purpose. Furthermore, there is very few 'bad restaurant' reviews.

All reviews will (try to) contain pictures. So do expect reviews to come sporadically, when I remember to bring a camera.

I will consider it a public service to eat at bad places and warn everyone about my experience.

It will contain reviews of little known places, as well as well known ones. There will be good reviews, and I will rip on absolutely horrendus places.

Vist: The Singapore Food Blog

The Guards will protect us, but who will guard the Guards?

2005-07-24T20:18:00.000+08:00

Who will guard the guards themselves?

(quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)

Juvenal, Satires

Roman poet & satirist (55 AD - 127 AD)

High ethical standards cannot be legislated

.....Ms Koh suggested that ministers and MPs make annual public declarations of their interests. In theory this is more transparent, but in practice countries have not always found this an effective way to prevent corruption. We considered introducing such a requirement in Singapore but decided that, for the present, it is better to have ministers and MPs continue to make declarations to the Prime Minister.

In today's ST forum, the Press Secretary of the Prime Minister, wrote a letter in response to the some suggestions with regard to the updated Code of Conduct for Ministers.

What is interesting about the reply, is that despite its length, it still offered no good reason why MPs should not make public their business interests. The best the letter could come up with, is that making the declarations to the Prime Minister, is enough to prevent corruption.

I may be wrong, but didn't the public declaration of Durai's (NKF) pay to the public cause so much outroar that they had to change the whole board and their pay system?

Sure, it is not corruption (because the CEO's exorbitant pay was approved by the board), but didn't the public declaration do a whole lot of good for NKF?

Didn't the declaration provke a whole lot of discussion on charity work in Singapore? A discussion that will do all charities a whole lot of good?

If the business interests are legitimate, I don't see why the public will cry foul. Most of these information is in public domain anyway, you just have to look through the board members of public listed companies to see which ministers are on the board.

You think about it, Durai's pay package was approved by the NKF board. The board should be the ones providing good governance to NKF and serve as a check to the CEO. And look what happened. Not very effective right?

On one hand, we are advocating full transparency of Charities, and on the other, non-disclosure of the ministers' business interests.

Why are disclosing these information important? As a citizen, who is directly affected by the government's policy, I want my country's ministers to be fully committed to his task. Every person has only 24 hrs a day, and I don't want most of my ministers time to be going to board meetings or AGMs. And not to mention the possible conflict of interest between government policies and the minister's company.

I am sure the Prime Minister will do a good job policing the ministers for us. But, let me put it this way: The guards are there to protect us, but who's guarding the guards? I doesn't do us any good if there is weak check and balances in this regard.

That is why, unless it's a matter of national security, I don't understand why the business interests of ministers should not be made public.

Isn't honestly the best policy?

Microsoft Vista

2005-07-24T12:00:00.000+08:00

Microsoft upcoming OS is renamed from Longhorn to Vista

What does Vista mean?

Vista = Viruses. Infections.Spyware. Trojans. Adware.

[link]

A Big Turd of Obvious News

2005-07-23T02:12:00.000+08:00

Exam and work stress, money biggest problems facing youths: survey

Exam and work stress, and money issues are the two biggest difficulties youths say they face.

One youth said, "Money issues is very important to me...because we have to spend a lot of money."

Another added, "Studying is the only job we have now - like every job, there's a certain stress to it."

One interesting finding thrown up by the survey is what the youths did not find important and these were mostly issues of social awareness.

I was browsing the ChannelNewsAsia website for laughs when I saw this Big Turd of Obvious news.

An extensive study of 300 over Sigaporean youths, has revealed that ----- Their biggest problems is money and work stress. Wow. Please clap your hands. Bravo.

Ok. I neither had the aspiration, nor the ability to be an academic. Maybe that is why I never understand what is the point of some surveys done on Singaporeans by Singapore learning institutes.

Money and Work Stress - The biggest problems facing youth today. Do you need a survey to find this out?

I ask myself this:

Do I lack money? (Ans: Yes. Money is never enough)

Do I hate my job? (Ans: I'd rather be at the beach than working).

There you have it, the one-man survey. It would probably apply to all Singaporeans, except those earning $600,000 bonuses, or those researchers perched so high up in their ivory towers they forgot what life is for ordinary folks.

One of the many problems in Singapore, is that we need to justify everything with an 'official' study. Yes, this is good in many ways, like having intensive research to make sure our new-water is shit-free, or to make sure NKF is not buying gold taps with our cash.

These kind of research, I want it to be vetted by Nobel Prize winners, then redone again to make sure the result is right. I don't want to drink poo-water out of my gold taps.

But, come on. You are going too far if you need to survey 384 youths to find out - that their problem is lack of money and stress, or that consultation before implementing Govt policies are effective.

Eh researchers, Aids, Global Warming, SARS, Overpopulation, Terrorism, our diminishing water supply, and many other problems are still not solved.

Can you guys take some time look into it? Stop wasting our money and your time to conduct rubbish surveys ok?

NTU have World Record - Largest Number of Blind Dates. Proud?

2005-07-20T21:16:00.000+08:00

Life in Singapore is never complete without another pointless attempt in breaking a world record.

NTU undergrads break world record for largest number of blind dates

As part of Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) 50th Anniversary celebrations, 536 first-year undergraduates got together and broke the world record for the largest number of blind dates.

According to the regulations, they had to interact with each other for at least an hour within a 12-hour period.

Singaporeans, are you proud? One can only ask why.

Blind Dates? Bah. Wimps. At least Annabel Chong had sex with 251 men [SFW link] and having record number of blind dates is considered an achievement?

Maybe if you kena paired up with a "William Hung", or you have to endure 12 hours of mindless boring conversation with an airhead.

It also reinforces in me, the notion that education in Singapore is just one big social experiment. Everything is so artificial and arranged. What the hell, want a date also need the University to arrange for you. Eat, Procreate, Obey.

There are thousand and one things more dignified to do to mark the University's 50th Aniversary, and NTU chose to do this. The founders of Nantah must be collectively rolling in their graves.

Maybe this whole shindig is sponsored by SDU. Probably. I won't be the least bit surprised.

For something done with much more creativity, why not go to Google Moon.

Finally, a map for the moon. Free, together with Google Earth. Free Also.

And why is our own Singapore Map website, www.streetdirectory.com is not free? (free to view. not free to copy the map and use it on your website)

Chinese Babies are so Ugly

2005-07-17T23:48:00.000+08:00

A Chinese Girl says:

" I hate ugly babies. I don't understand why Chinese babies are just so ugly. ..... although I always get the same "non-Chinese-looking" remark, I was hardly half as pretty as Ally but instead very Chinese-looking when I was a baby!"

and ends off with:

" I'm no racist, certainly not against my own kind, but those Chinese babies are ugly. Really really ugly."

[link]

Draw your own conclusions on this one. I'm won't even try to comment on this.

Suffice to say, I find it very funny that posts like this often end or start with, "I'm no ____, but I really dislike/hate ____."

Wait a Freakin Minute

2005-07-16T23:45:00.000+08:00

I don't want to be a whiner, but very few of us realised this point.

Initally, I was rather pleased when I saw this news.

TT Durai to pay legal costs after withdrawing defamation suits

It was like wow, wasn't that very magnaminous of TT Durai and the NKF board to pay the legal costs themselves, from their own pockets.

But, wait a freakin minute. Doesn't the money from their own pockets come from NKF Donors? Isn't it the same as paying the legal costs using NKF money?

It was NKF which overpaid Durai in the first place. Asking his to pay legal fees, to use a familiar quote Mrs Goh, is peanuts.

What a lose-lose situation. No wonder Durai accepted to pay the legal cost so willingly.

What kind of "punishment" is this? You want to know what is think is the best "punishment" for the NKF board + Durai?

Tell them to work for free for the interim board.

Public Service Announcement

2005-07-12T22:44:00.000+08:00

With all the hoo-ha over the defamation suit, NKF vs SPH, here's very relevant information for some readers.

This news make me so happy that the truth is finally out, so happy that I feel like subscribing to the Straits Times.

Ok, Maybe not happy to that extent. Forget what I wrote about ST.

Taken from MAS website:

What should I do if I want to stop paying a bill by GIRO permanently?
You should write in to notify your bank, with a copy sent simultaneously to your BO to inform them of the termination of a GIRO authorisation. Some BOs may also accept telephone-call instructions to terminate the GIRO arrangement.

Is there a much faster way to do this?

more information here

And maybe go here - Kidney Dialysis Foundation

I'm no finanacial wizard, but I don't see business-class flights in the KDF's financial reports.

And between 2003-2004, KDF has a grand total of 15 staff, incurring $572,969 in employee costs.

Tea Bone Zen Mind

2005-07-03T00:10:00.000+08:00

I had the pleasure to spend two consecutive Saturdays in this delightful little teashop cloistered in the corner of City Hall.

It is not your typical Chinese Tea shop with a dated Chinese decor with dragon/phoenix motifs and ink paintings.

Situated right above a korean restaurant, on the second storey of a pre-war shophouse, the decor is modern, very much like the living rooms you see in Wallpaper Magazine, with fresh blooms in handmade vases on every table.

They serve a selected range of fine teas, from Single Estate Darjeelings teas to high-end Chinese Teas. They made alot of effort in presenting the tea for you, as the pictures below attest. Effort was made to match the color of the tea with the serving vessel.

When you are in this place, you feel very at ease, a perfect place to have a nice chat with a friend, or just have a nice cup of pu'er alone.

The service is impeccable, and unobtrusive.

They serve you and leave you alone to enjoy your tea, not like generic places like Starbucks, where rubbish jazz is used as a sorry excuse for background noise, where teenage busboys howl out orders at the top of their voice, and where you always feel hurried to drink up and vacate your seat, and leave.

No. I don't work for Tea Bone Zen Mind, and I really recommend this place just to get away from the mad hustle bustle of the city.

also see umami's review of the place

Lace Curtains and Pre-War Windows

Pomelo Tea and Pu'er