tiny digit

Life after Death

2009-08-28T09:38:00.000+08:00

It is the 7th lunar month of the year again. It is a time when the so called the gates of heaven, hell and realm of the living are opened and the inhabitants of the nether world come out to visit relatives and roam the human world. Also known as the 7th month, the month is observed by many Chinese and is a major part of Chinese Culture. Also known as the Ghost Festival, the month is in fact observed, and even celebrated by many chinese.

See here for more details about the 7th month:- the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival.

When a person comes to live, they come naked and when they go, they leave naked, leaving all clothes, monetary, physical possessions and relations behind. It is the same for whichever religion one may belong to. That is a fact. It is also a fact that one comes to be born to go through the passages of life, age, sickness and death.

There is a popular saying that if one does not goes through these four phases in life, one would not be reborn.

I don't believe in being reborn, but I do believe that after I pass on, my spirit goes somewhere, either up or down. It is always interesting to know that in some beliefs, the spirit may not go up and down, but rather stay in the world of humans where they roam the world. Honestly, I do believe that there are spirits, no. I can't see them but rather I do feel them at times. The moments of sudden chillness when one enters a strange room is indescrible.

Sometimes and most times, I rather believe than not when we are talking about a world or paradigm of existence where I can't see or for the better of fact, most people can't too.

Some people do say, that they can see such stuff, greyish matter that floats everywhere around us, especially during this period or when they are in hospitals and cemeteries. Hospitals are the worse they say as these floating matters very open have holes in their bodies due to whatever reasons that they were there in the first place. Come to know a secret too, these people wheo can see such things, have green veins that connect their eyes to the visory cabailities. Believe or not?

Now back to the 7th month.

Buring of incense, placing of food for these wandering spirits to savour and the burning of "paper" clothes, ATM machines, cars and other stuff are common sights during this period. Of course, the "send to" gifts are all just paper made and modelled after their real and practical counterparts.

Honestly, I think sometimes, that they have better lift than the living...

I always hope for money that would drop from Heaven or the sky. ......

The Conflicts of History

2009-01-13T15:20:00.009+08:00

People have died and homeless have been made.

Who is at fault? Who should be held accountable for the many made homeless and for all the families who lost their love ones?

We see many communities criticising, condemning and even proposing wiping out the aggressor.

Looking back at history...

The feud was a century old one. One that came about becasue of the survival for the right of existence and survival. One that came about because of a need for equality and impartial division of land.

Who is right and who is wrong...I don't know as I do not live and have live durong the time when the animosity started.

We are all chosen people, depending on whose side you are on. Is it a war of religion or should I rightfully say a contest and not war of civilisation?

Several wars have been fought on this front- all if not mostly conventional ones. The victor have all emerged clearly or perhaps not when we talk about losses to mankind. Perhaps mankind is not that important after all when faced with land, riches and power.

I don't know, i thought man is only second to GOD.

Circumstances creates heros who in turn are judged by the many who look back upon history.

History is not so simple a subject after all....

A rocket fired and a missle is returned
A stone threw and a bullet is returned
A person seized and a hectre of land is seized in return
A person died and a village is flattened
A war starts and the Union of Nations is startled.

A war ends, but what has been lost is gone forever and ever
A building can be rebuilt, but the soul of the building cannot never be recovered
An army can be rebuilt but never the sons of a family
A call for peace can be made but never can the peace of times returned for a long time after...

May Peace comes soon to the people in Gaza, Israel and people in was war zones.

Falun Gong and the Epoch Times

2009-01-09T12:26:00.007+08:00

Wonder how many of you read or know anything about the Falun Gong
Epoch Times is a newspaper publication by them.

Note that I am not a follower or as their members call a practitoner of this way of life. I just though it interesting to blog about them since I was led to read about them from a user's request.

Who are they?

Falun Gong (法輪功) is a spiritual discipline founded in China by Li Hongzhi (李洪志) in 1992.It has five sets of meditation exercises and seeks to develop practitioners' hearts and character according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance (真，善，忍), articulated in the main books Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun (轉法輪). The teachings deal with issues such as "cultivation of virtue and character", "moral standards for different levels", and "salvation of all sentient beings." The books, lectures, and exercise materials have been translated into over 40 languages and are available on the Internet free of charge.

In April 1999 over ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners gathered at Chinese Communist Party headquarters, Zhongnanhai, in a silent protest against beatings and arrests in Tianjin. Two months later the Chinese government, led by Jiang Zemin, banned the practice, began a crackdown, and started a "massive propaganda campaign." Since 1999, reports of torture, illegal imprisonment, beatings, forced labor, and psychiatric abuses have been widespread. 66% of all reported torture cases in China concern Falun Gong practitioners, who are also estimated to comprise at least half of China's labor camp population, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, and the US Department of State respectively.

I read about all the tortures on their website (http://www.clearwisdom.net/), and was pretty taken aback by the descriptions with pictures of all the tortures exacted on them. Well, real or not, I don't know but what I know is this group has a massive following of people.

In case you didn't know, they even had a run in with Singapore authorities too and hmm...not sure if they have been banned in Singapore. I guess not.

Source- wikipedia.

New Year

2009-01-06T14:16:00.004+08:00

It has been some time since my lasting posting..(as usual, it has been a long time)

A New Year is here and as I look back at 2008, I guess the year had gone by so quickly. Seems like only yesterday that it was 2000 (remember the year of the Millenium and all the fuss about PCs breaking down due to the 2000?).

Looking forward, hope the New Year would be a happier one for everyone.

Wishing all a Happy New Year indeed!

Maple Story Guide to Getting More Mesos

2008-09-03T16:53:00.005+08:00

My earlier post indicated that I have been playing games of late. So, after some playing on the Maple Story platform, came to the conclusion that there are some simple ways to earn money (mesos) in the game.

One can do Party Quest...

Party Questing is a great way to earn money. The prizes such as scrolls and weapons can easily sell for thousands even millions at Ludibrium pq. Quests plays a major part on earning money in Maplestory. Some quests like the Jane and the Wild Boar can give you a scroll worth a million and not forgetting that Subani's Legacy Discovery will make you rich with its glove attack scroll worth easily two million.

Can also try Scrolling...

Scrolling a risk it all for millions of coins. You should scroll with a 10% first. If it works, scroll the rest of the slots with 60%'s. If it doesn't work, sell the item and get another one. This makes the scrolled item the best stats without taking that much chances. The best things to scroll are white work gloves with attack scrolls and your class's weapon; if its pretty well scrolled, it can sell for millions(9 attack -11 attack work glove and a +10 attack - 17 attack weapon)

Be a Merchant...

Being a merchant is an awesome way to make coins. Buy low and sell high. Scrolls and stars are great merchant items because many people don't know the real price of those items. Just check here for the prices of items.

Not forgetting TRAINING...

Training. This is the most common way to earn money. You first look up monsters that are around your level and that drop good scrolls/ equips or lots of money. You train on that monster till you get drops. Always keep an empty space in your inventory to avoid being looted by others.

Now some may wonder why I post this out of the blue...hhmmm. I think I almost went bankrupt with a almost dying character in the game. Needs portions and lots of rest....However, I thought if I have a big bag of mesos, needn't have rest, just buy the portions...so...this post to help fellow mapler beginners start off...

Games

2008-06-26T16:41:00.007+08:00

These days playing online games (eg. Maple Story and Imperiaonline.org). Also catching up with some old games Medal and Honour (Allied Assault). Not to be forgotten: PSP: Fifa 2008.

Don't really fancy Maple Story as takes a long time to level up the character and really is endless fighting and fighting. However, quite shiok lah, to see character level up. No choice but to play this, as my kids play this. One good thing though, from the game, my kids vocab has somewhat improved and so has their typing skills.

Imperiaonline is an excellent game, in my opinion at least. Real time resource development, and fighting and pit yourself and army with all the other players in the world. You can be attacked when you are offline, so what it takes is a good economic base and strong army. Simple game interface with little complications in terms of technology development and the like.

Medal and honour, the typical 1st person shooting game. Think should hook this up with another laptop and play with my kid.

PSP- mobile and portable. endless possibility in Fifa 2008. Looking for some good RPG games for this platform. Surprising I bought this for the kids but none of them got hooked on this- instead now I am the one playing.

Woman of Steel and Courage: Elizabeth Choy

2008-05-20T13:56:00.003+08:00

Besides the usual war heros who don arms and carry shields, today's spotlight is on a lady who smuggled medical supplies, radios, food and other necessities for POWs captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore during the Second World War.

Elizabeth Choy was caught by the Japanese after her husband and her were foudn to be smuggling medical supplies, radios, food and other necessities for POWs at the then Mental Hospital (Miyako Hospital). Captured on 15 November 1943, she endured 200 days of starvation and torture before the Japs released her.

After the War, celebrated as a survivor of the Japanese Occupation, she was invited to England and had an audience with Queen Elizabeth.

Fantasy Island

2008-04-29T16:49:00.005+08:00

Standing outside, I looked at the architecture, first world, first class design indeed.
I stepped forward, the doors opened automatically and I was greeted by a sign that says "Singaporeans step this way to the left, Non Singaporean this way to the right please."
I moved to join the queue on the left.

The queue was orderly and the queue moved pretty quickly, so much for efficiency and technology in processing entries into the inner rooms.

Its my turn next.
"IC please?"
I passed my IC to the lady behind the counter and passed her the necessary $100 to gain admission into the inner circle.
"Thank you, you may proceed through middle chamber please."

I walked towards the middle chamber and there, right there at the entrance stood two males in smart suit. Hands behind their backs like a ever ready soldier to take orders from his superiors. The doors swung opened.

I couldn't see a thing clearly, its so smoky. Wait, I smell the scent of the Marlboro deodorants, I think there is the Dunhill one too. Whoosh! too many deodorants makes the place so poignant.
Never mind, I shall watch my steps and hold my nose.

The place is crowded indeed, with people of many shapes, sizes, colours and age. There are the usual ringing bells and the normal clatter and banging of the tables. The usual shouts of joy and the screams of disbelief. Really a metropolis of sounds, smells and sights.

Somehow a corner caught my attention. On the sign it says " Budget hotels bookings available at special rates ". Now that makes sense for all these counters that we normally find in hotels.
Right next to the sign, there is another directional signage that says "Companions to the hotels can be found at the back lane of this building, with an accompanying arrow that points straight towards the door next to a roll of toilets.

Hmm. interesting, companions? what companions? I moved in the direction and walked past the toilets, opening the door to the back lane.

This sign greeted me " Singaporeans are not available at the back lane. For PRCs, Thais, Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians please turn right. For Russians and others from the Baltic Region please turn left. Indians and others, please move on in a straight line. For Japanese, Koreans, Americans and other Europeans, please check with the hotel reservation desks for information.

Oh.. companions!

I turned back. not towards the hotel reservation desk but towards the many tables situated in front of me. However, another sign caught my attention.
"Beer can be found at Level one, Liquor at Level 2"

Not bad at all. There are companions, drinks and even smokes available here, unlike the rest of Singapore. This surely must be a special privileged place where even though the law exists, the law can be side stepped for the few who are here. Just hope this place don't get overly crowded and that people who comes here will keep quiet.

This is one place (though not the only place) where surveillance cameras can see you having smokes, talking prices with your companion, having a beer after a game or two all in the name of having fun and seeking excitement. Nothing wrong at all, just that this entire place is AIR CON!!!

Surely if you doubt that the laws prohibiting smoking in public and air-conditioned spaces were enacted to prevent people who pay taxes and live here from dying from second hand smoke, first hand inhaled tobacco and other chemicals, from dying too early for their good, then surely the new casino smoking laws will silence those questions in your head from now and ever more.

(Liquor+ women+ gambling + smokes) all in one place = Sin City ???
Lives < importance than experience and fun?

""Ring""" I wake up. RUBBING my eyes, phew! So glad that it is a dream.

Did you know that people can smoke in the CASINOS that are upcoming in the next 2 -3 years? Casinos in many countries ban smoking in their game halls too why not Singapore? Why the inconsistency?

Experience?!!! my foot!

War Hero: Lieutenant Adnan Saidi

2008-04-25T10:01:00.004+08:00

"Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata" - death before dishonour

That's what this man exemplify!

Lt. Adnan was born in Selangor, Malaysia in 1915. He was trained as a teacher but who felt that the life of a soldier was more appealing to him. he left the teaching profession and joined the army.

In the late 1941, Lt. Adnan was posted to Singapore to lead the 1st.Malay Regiment. Entrusted with the defence of Pasir Panjang Ridge. Pasir Panjang Ridge then was a important and strategic location to be held at all cost as this location paves the way to the Alexandra where much of British's ammunition and supplies, military hospital and other key installations were located.

The loss of this ridge to the Japanese would have been catastrophic for the British.

At the "Battle of Opium Hill" (as this battle was more famously known), The 1st Malay Regiment was both outnumber and under supplied, yet the Regiment managed to hold on to this Ridge for about 2 days (13-14 Feb 1941) causing a slight hiccup in the advance of the Japanese.

Lt Adnan personal qualities of bravery and courage motivated his troops to the extent when even in retreat and with no ammunition, they fought hand to hand with the Japaneses. His personal qualities and effective leadership in the height of the battle, causing the many Japanese casualties at this battle made Lt Adnan a hated man of the Japanese. The capture of Lt. Adnan, he was given a gruel some death where he was bayoneted many a times and the silting of his throat. His family was not spared too as the Japanese seek out his family after the capture of Singapore.

Today, the fiery spirit of Adnan and his men is remembered by a war memorial plaque in Kent Ridge Park erected in their honour, and the etching on the main memorial column wall of the Kranji War Cemetery No. 385 bearing the words "Lt. Adnan Saidi"

Source:
1) http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_456_2005-01-18.html
2)http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/heritage/pasirpanjang/articles/adnan_saidi_infantry_officer_war_hero-liza_sahid1999.html
3) http://schools.moe.edu.sg/phpps/ebulletin2006/students_work/wang%20zi%20yangki4/WAR%20HEROS.htm
4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lt_Adnan

Choosing the Right Running Shoe, the DIY way

2008-04-22T12:22:00.003+08:00

I like to run since young and have been running ever since, no thanks to the my annual IPPT and In Camp training.

In the past, I would just go out there and buy the cheapest pair of running shoes and more often than not, the shoes either don't last a while or would give get my feet painful and uncomfortable.
Well, as my family situation improves, what comes next were shoes that were slightly more expensive but nontheless still gives me uncomfortable feet and painful soles.

The lesson learnt then was not the price of the shoes that matter, but rather the right fit and the right shoes for the right occasion.

In order to get the right pair of running shoes, no matter how well you understand how your feet lands, the shape of your feet, the most inportant one factor is how comfortable your feet is in them when you try them on and walk. Do you feel that your feet is pressed against the sides of the shoes? Do you feel that your shoes is tight at the toes and/ or too loose? All these plays a very important part in keeping your running feet in good condition.

Basically, there are a few things that you need to know before you even get down to buying a new pair of running shoes.

1) Understand how your feet lands- or Pronation in jargon. The feet should land with the outside heel and subsequently landing up to the ball of your foot evenly. Any other way of landing gives rise to over or under pronation.

2) Understand what your foot type is via the wet test.

A better study of how shoes can be better chosen can be found here.

This is also where I learnt how to run and breathe properly.

The One Critical Factor

2008-04-21T16:23:00.005+08:00

The Committee of Inquiry report on the escape of Mas Selamat was released today.

The following 3 critical factors were named for the successful escape of Singapore's most infamous terrorist:-

1) ungrilled toilet ventilation window;
2) guards allowed a Selamat to completely close the cubicle door when Selamat needs to use the toilet;
3) weak perimeter fence

Honestly, I think the whole episode boils down to ONE key weakness...the ungrilled toilet ventilation window.

How in the world can a toilet window of a detention facility be without grilles?

The other two factors don't come into play, had the window grilles be in place.

and one more thing, I assume, the CCTVs were all not working (or perhaps pointing in a different direction), the 7 rolls of toilet paper were easily obtainable from within the cubicle to break his fall and the 7 toilet rolls would do wonders in breaking fall, and that Selamat had done a proper recce of the detention preimeter wall and fencing, including which pipe leads where and so on to mount this successful escape!

Selamat definitely wasn't complacent.

I am truly amazed and yes, this really boils down to complacency on the detention centre's top brass.

The World of Model Soldiers

2008-04-18T11:09:00.004+08:00

I wonder how many boys (or even) the girls out there remember the hobby or just even playing with model soldiers.

I sure do. I remember I have a good collection of the British, the Americans, Germans and even the Gurkha, not forgetting the cowboys and the Indians too.

Come to think of it, they brought me many hours of fun and wild imagination and fantasy.

As I grew older, I did some searches and study here and there on model soldiers and one of my favourite site to go for info is John Tunstill's World of Model Soldiers.

Read about the early history of model soldiers and also the later collection of such soldiers.

Perhaps I should start to seriously look at this hobby once again....but first, let me get my fish tank up first.

Why I become a Librarian?

2008-04-11T17:35:00.007+08:00

Recently, someone asked me why did I become a librarian, and get stuck in a low pay job when I could jolly well move out and seek greener pasture elsewhere in the private sector?

Hmm.. my answer was that librarians are cool with passionate interiors, smart, have high standards of achievements and have great potential to be famous.

Why do I say that?

Librarians always look damn cool when they sit at the information counter, when a person approaches with a question to anything under the sun. The librarian cannot panic but rather have to dissect the question and strip the person down to his/ her inner most core to find out the real question. Aren't the Librarian passionate?

Librarians are smart as they hold the key to understanding the library, and how the library is to be used. The key to understanding the world of information. Librarians are smart as they have to dissect each and every other seemingly confused user who seemly seems to know what they are asking. Librarians are smart as they have to find an answer to every question, be it where is the bus stop to what do you think is the colour of my underwear!!!

High standards of achievement as for starters every book have to be arranged neatly by the classification and their book call numbers. High standards of achievement as they cannot afford to give you wrong information (as if they do, they do themselves and the profession a great injustice.) It is a occupational hazard, we don't have a choice for risk of censure by the God of Information and being referred to the Disciplinary committee of Accuracy and Negligence.

Famous...my favourite. Do your home work and find out how many famous political leaders, actors and actresses, have a background or has worked as a librarian before? (Hint, try Google)

So you see, my seemingly simple answer confused my friend and that is the beginning of my job as a librarian.

Olympic Touch/ Flame. The Significance...

2008-04-11T16:39:00.003+08:00

Everyone is talking about it, the papers carry news on it, political leaders talk about it, people feel angry about it, people feel sad about it.

I am talking about the Olympic Flame.

Fights, quarrels and violence surround it amidst the peace, togetherness and unity that the Games symbolises.

Do you know that the Olympic Touch/ flame is actually to commemorate the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics.

Now, the Olympic touch/ flame is used mainly as a marketing promotion as the symbol of the Olympic Games.

At one time, even Adolf Hitler used the touch a the Berlin Olympic Games as a tool to propagate Nazi ideology.

So what does the Olympic Games really mean?

According to Wiki, the Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event subdivided into summer and winter sporting events. The original Olympic Games were first recorded in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and were celebrated until AD 393. Greek poet and newspaper editor Panagiotis Soutsos in his poem "Dialogue of the Dead" in 1833. Evangelos Zappas sponsored the first modern international Olympic Games in 1859. In 1894, the International Olympic Committee was set up and the first Olympic Games under their banner was in 1896, in Athens ,Greece.

The Games have also been embroiled in many countries calling for boycott of the games due to one reason or another such as in 1972, 1976 by the African countries, 1976 by China, 1980 because of Soviet's invasion of Afghanistan and even the current 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Olympic represents officially the unity of five inhabited continents, as presented by the 5 intertwined coloured rings known as the Olympic Rings (one colour representing one continent).

The Olympic Motto ""Citius, Altius, Fortius", meaning in Latin "Swifter, Stronger and Higher"

Perhaps most imperatively in the message of the Games is contained in the Olympic Creed

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

...the fighting spirit of the Human Race.

SMRT wins an award and more train trips

2008-04-10T14:47:00.004+08:00

At the Inaugural Metro awards, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) won an award for providing users with the "Best Passenger Experience".

Just recently, SMRT was slapped with a $300k plus fine for lapses in service.

More recently, SMRT announced that they are going to provide an additional 700 train trips per week.

Whats with all this SMRT news? I take the train daily and any news on more train trains is definitely a good news, and I think those judges at the Metro awards must have not had on ground knowledge to award SMRT that award.

How could SMRT have won? I really wonder....

For starters, try taking a train during the peak hours of each day, if you can find enough room to move around, I would say, well done!

Honestly, even the 700 train trips per week, is really no big deal if you are to break down frequency of it all. 700 train trips per week means essentially 100 per day. Each day, say, the trains operate approximately 19 hours (5.30 am to 12 pm), that works out to 5.2 additional trips per hour. Not forgetting that we have E-W Line and the N-S line that is run by SMRT, that works out to only 2.6 additional trip per hour. Each train at full capacity can take 1,800 passengers. That's the maths, so 2.6 additional trip is equivalent to about 4,000 passengers.

I am not too sure how this would help even though SMRT says that the additional cost of 4 million won't be passed onto passengers...

Honestly, and definitely, when I have foreign guests here, the trains are not something that I would take during the peak hours less they suffer the experience of being packed like sardines, humid+ people= stuffy trains, no standing space and so on.

myhometown.sg

2008-04-08T11:20:00.005+08:00

Just discovered this http://www.myhometown.sg, this morning.

I signed up as a member.

Pretty cool site, with the entire Singapore looked at by districts and once you signed up, you automatically become a member of your residential district...

Lots of forum topics but traffic a little slow. (as just started out mah in 2008).

Oh, did I mentioned the section on Member Recommended Blogs. neat.

First Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore

2008-04-08T09:43:00.005+08:00

Read this over CNA this morning.

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSI-SG) was developed by the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU to look at the satisfaction level across eight key economic sectors. It takes into account elements such as customer expectations and the quality of products or services, influence customer satisfaction.Tourists takes up close to 18% of total surveyed.

The aim of this index is for companies to use their gradings or scores in this index as a benchmark against their competitors and subsequently to improve services and/or business.

Singapore scored 68.7% on the national satisfaction index. Coming out tops for individual mention is the SIA while those singled out in the report as having less than satisfactory grades include the SBS Transit and the 2 National health care clusters.

In terms of sector ranking, tourism (as usual) came out first with Education and Transport sectors coming in next, the telecommunications sector came out last.

What was more interesting were the followings parts of the report:-

while housewife Ms Cynthia Sin, 47, felt the scoring for public buses was harsh. "I depend on public transport, and I think it is quite efficient," she said.

That Singaporeans could have higher expectations was also a "possibility". Even so, only 6.3 per cent of respondents had complained to a company at least once in the last three or six months — compared with the US' 14 per cent.

While Singapore's national average is healthy, there is some catching up to do, said Ises director Caroline Lim. South Korea and the United States, which use the same model, scored 72 and 75 respectively

Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 10,229 households and 2,159 tourists between May 1 and July 23 last year

Why do I feel like the first statement was planted? a deliberate statement to tell of more hikes to come?

Singaporeans will complain when they feel that it is convenient for them to do so. Not complaining doesn't mean that they are happy with things. The silent majority in another sense.

I have not been to the States but to know that Singapore is not even there on par with the States in this index is somewhat quite alarming. Thought I remembered friends telling me that US is not really good at Customer Service, maybe I am wrong.

Should really do a new survey now and see what impact has the price increases on basic items, and the like on the survey.

Blogs Can Kill!

2008-04-08T08:49:00.003+08:00

Haha, pick this up on a lazy Tuesday morning.

article on New York Times.

Essentially a good post on blogging and the hazards of blogging.

"They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home"

It is interesting though to see how the process of deduction can be drawn so easily from commonality found in the exhibits (no offence meant), or in this case the fatalities.

The process of deduction is a age long theory that hinges on the elimination and discovering of probabilities. Deduction is used as a possible referencing point to things that have yet to be proven. There is still a need to proof that the outcome derived from deduction/ or deducing is correct and accurate.

Eg. A and B are bloggers and both died blogging, can we then deduce that blogging caused their deaths? Possible but we would still have to prove that blogging actually and really caused their deaths. Can we say deduce blogging caused inert forces in their bodies to react and as such causd them to have strokes, heart attacks, arteries blockage, etc? Possible but we would still need to prove that too.

A and B, I don't think live similar lives for us to quickly derive at the conclusion without the need for more tests and examinations.

I personally feel that that headlines in the New Yong Times can be better placed to reflect this.

While the hazards of blogging are there, one cannot deny that these are hazards of a sedentary lifestyle that are faced by many all over the world.

You may want to look at Relax, Chill and Maybe Blog in reference to the article above for starking reminder on why blog!

Tips to Having a DIY Water Feature at Home

2008-04-07T17:06:00.006+08:00

With my moving house something like 4 weeks back, I acquired a water feature for the house.

I needed a water feature that is something like 4 m by 4 m big, not too sure whether to rear fish inside at that time, so went round water feature hunting.

Introducing the parts of a water feature:
1) The water tank that holds the water and in which your pump, lights would sit.
2) the surrounding wall that is made of man made bricks, or some would call them stones.
3) the pump that pumps water so that you have a water feature that is alive and some pumps filter the "dirty" stuff too.
4) the light to beautify your water feature especially at night.
5) the PVC pipes through which the water would flow and out from the spout.
6) the pebbles to fill your tank with, so that it looks nice.

In any case, just hope to pen some learning points from it all.

My wife and I went to a couple of landscaping shops and they include:-
1) Nature Landscapes;
2) Hawaii Landscapes;
3) Fast East Flora;
4) Ji Mei Flower Pte Ltd;
5) Tropical Environment Pte Ltd;
6) Bargain Garden

Starting off, we have 2 choices, either to buy one off the rack but customised the bits and pieces or to DIY everything from the tank, pump, "stones" and even the light.

Well, the price difference varies on the choice of water feature and also from where we get it from, and the price difference can be as much as two to three thousands dollars. Needlessly to say if you DIY, things are cheaper but aesthetically wise, there MAY be a compromise and that sometimes, the items you choose say the spout may not be suitable with the overall design and look of the water feature.

Some things to look out for when you want to have a water feature:-

1) What is the maximum space you have? Proximity to a power point and a water supply?

You need to know exactly where to place the water feature and imagine, or draw on the floor where it would supposedly stand. Get a feel of it. Electrical point is essential for the water pump and light while water supply is essential unless you want to keep carrying buckets of water to do refilling when the water in it evaporates. Do also consider what is the preferred height that you want your water feature to be, I have seen very high ones.

2) Indoor or outdoor?

Outdoor water feature would supposedly be larger in space and also should feature some trees or plants around it to give it the aesthetic look. Indoor features should look gracious and comfortable in the "already confined" housing space.

3) Intend to rear fish? and if Yes, what type of fish?

If keeping fish, need to note fish waste and also the water chemical level. Type of fish as in big jumpy fish would require a higher level of surrounding bricks/ stones and also a deeper tank.
Point to note though, fast growing fish would eventually outsize the tank.

4) Intend to have aquatic plant or just have plants surrounding the water feature?

This is pretty self explanatory, choose plants that would fit the overall look of the water feature.

5) Want to hear water sounds when you are a few metres away from the water feature or just ok with just having the water feature running silently?

This is very much dependent on the spout of the water feature. Trust me it is very therapeutic to hear the "music of water"

6) Safety- any children around who would accidentally be drowned in it?

Though pretty safe, but the older folks would advise getting a water feature if you have young children around less they play with the water. Well, higher stones/ bricks and a not so deep water tank should help here.

7) What materials or how would you roughly want your water feature to look like?

There are bamboos, lava stones, glass material amongst others, water features. Do research and run to a few places with actual sets of water feature displayed to have a good feel of what you want.

8) Potential mosquito breeding ground.

Some people say running water so no problem with mosquito, but then if you want to play conservative and safe here, can add chlorine, bleach and even baby bottle sterilising tablets. You can also keep some fishes here.

9) The water pump

The pump is of various types, from those with a bio filter to the more ordinary ones that just pump water. Of course, the price difference is great too. If you are keeping fish and don't intend to change water so quickly, can try a bio filter. Advise though, if newbie and just want to see how things go, go for the ordinary ones.

Other Tips..
10) Go around a few shops and see the actual set on display

11) There is no problem with buying the stones/ bricks/ walls from one shop and buying the water tank, pump, and so on from another. What is more important is making sure your water tank and the stones/ bricks (as they surround the tank) can fit nicely.

12) Some bricks change colour on touching water and after prolong usage

13) Some off the shelf water features can be constructed yourself at even less than half the price if you decide to go DIY.

14) a good control valve to regulate the flow of water.

For those, who think too much a hassle but still want some water thing in the house, consider the following:-
1) fish tank;
2) table top water fountains;
3) a pond;
4) water wall curtain

Oh well, got to go...listen to the sound of water...

Your Online Reputation, Does it matter?

2008-04-04T17:55:00.006+08:00

Well more often than not, we would say YES!

If you say NO!, then ask yourself this, does it matter if someone you know puts up a page blasting you of everything that you have not done online?

How about having all your dirty laundry published on the web?

Found this article (How to Defend Your Online Reputation: Five Tips) on CIO.com.

The 5 Tips:-

1) Goggle Yourself and see if there is anything out there that can lead you to sue them (pun intended). Goggle is a reputation engine besides just being a search engine

2) Comb the web like a carpet for pages on the web that even Goggle cannot access eg. Facebook pages. What then should we do to comb these pages?

3) Opt out early and often- reduce your online exposure through junk mail and the like.

4) Do your own background check that people can easily retrieved from the web.

5) Defend your reputation when all else fails and that mosquito falls through the net of four above.

Interesting article, go read it!

PSP

2008-04-03T13:09:00.004+08:00

Bought a PSP about a month ago, when I was on leave and moving house.

Was debating internally whether to get a NDS or a PSP for a while after my kids had a several go"s" on PSP during a family gathering.

NDS: small screen, not so attractive graphics, game and watch type, easier to play "ahem and/or homebrew" games and cheaper price, warranty.

PSP: nicer graphics, larger screen, warranty gone once modified to play "ahem/ homebrew" games, better sounds, easier to go wifi, MORE expensive.

After doing extensive "research!" and asking of prices around and coupled with finding a good deal on a PSP, decided to get one.

That's how I BECOME the proud owner of a black PSP with 4gb mem card and 10 games thrown in. Proud lah, because I think so long long time did not buy any stuff for myself to play with already!

So far, playing FIFA 2008 while Mrs and kids playing Spongebob Square Pants and Brave World Traveller.

Seems like haven't played my computer games for a while....but the thing about me is I still prefer the older generation computer games as compared to the now better graphics, sounds, storyline stuff.

Maybe I getting old. (self talk again)

Games are my way of relaxing and unwinding...

Oh anyway, history, info and specs of PSP can be found here

Virtual E Business: $1197 in Just 1 One Sale!!!

2008-04-03T09:54:00.014+08:00

Are you into ebusiness?

I am. I have explored with various ways of making money through the Internet and of course have been scammed too several times! All part of the learning lesson, I guess.
Nonetheless I am still into it and still very interested in online marketing, online sales, online businesses. (must supplement my miserable income mah!)

The below is one of several items I would be letting go at a remarkably low price. Not that these are no more useful to me or anything, but it is because I have the resale rights to these stuff. In addition, if the item is not good or have not prove useful for me, then I would also not sell them here. (sia suay mah!!!)

Oh, I don't promise you the world, as there is no such thing as free lunch and no effort, but with this, you have another perspective and another chance/ opportunity...

Interested please let me know...

Title: Virtual eBiz
Format: eBook
Price: $10 SGD
Delivery Mechanism: Email
Payment mode: Bank Transfer

Earn $72,506.42 a year without any product.

It's amazing! These days everyone wants their own online business, everyone wants to be a millionaire or earn a six figure income right out of their own homes. Does this feel familiar? Are you chasing the dream, getting involved in one get rich quick scam after another, "downlines" or "up-lines".

How would you like...No Office - No Phones - No Staff - No Business Meetings - No Forms To Fill Out - Just Cold Hard Cash In The Mail Everyday?

That's exactly what less than 1% of affiliates are doing online to make a comfortable six figure income, right out of their own homes, without ever having to worry about developing new products, taking on a merchant account, taking orders, processing deliveries or customer service.

And, If you study how they do this here's what you'll discover.

They all have their own web sites.
They all offer valuable content for their visitors.
They all build their own "list" right off their website.
They all run their own newsletters to stay in touch and make new offers.

You can be like them too, churning the money without sweat though not without some work.

For more details, drop me a email or leave a comment.

President Steps in !

2008-04-03T09:28:00.007+08:00

[Picture Courtesy of Reuters]

Geeze!

WHEN South Korea's police reacted slowly to the brutal assault of a 10-year-old girl, the country's top leader stepped in.

Not only did President Lee Myung-bak take time off his duties to go to the police station, he also rebuked them in person, an almost unheard of rap on the knuckles.
'Use your common sense,' Mr Lee told the police, reported Joong Ang Daily.
'Handling a case involving a young girl as a misdemeanour assault is nothing more than an effort to close it without making any effort.'

The provincial police chief, Mr Kim Do-sik, issued a public apology on Monday in a hastily called news conference and about 170 police officers were later assigned to the case.
A 41-year-old suspect was nabbed in a sauna in southern Seoul that same evening. He is a rapist who was released from prison two years ago after being convicted of repeat

offences, police said.

He allegedly punched and kicked a third-grade girl last Wednesday, and tried to drag her out of the lift of her apartment building. He reportedly fled only when a neighbour arrived. Although the girl's father reported the case 10 minutes later, the local police branch only informed higher authorities the next day. Although witnesses and the surveillance footage showed the man was holding a weapon, the initial police report left out that information, police said.

The case was initially categorised as misbehaviour towards a child by a drunken man.

Police also obtained a fingerprint believed to belong to the suspect, but waited two days to send the evidence to the crime lab. They didn't get a positive identification, so they told the girl's parents there was nothing they could do. Five days after the incident and with little progress made in the investigation, the girl's parents and neighbours distributed fliers with the suspect's image, as captured by the surveillance camera. They also informed the local TV network, which first reported the alleged police blunders on Sunday.

Scams!!!

2008-04-02T11:37:00.004+08:00

These days, it seems like more and more Singaporeans are being cheated. Be it a phone, lottery winning scam or a "kidnap" scam. Almost every other day, through forums and papers, I would hear of someone being cheated or nicely put it, SCAMM-ed!

Oh well, what seems to be too good to be true would likely not be true.

Imagine, scams involving allegations of phone calls by Police, the Courts and other government agencies to people and asking them to deposit money into specific bank accounts to resolve "police" cases, etc. Grief! Any person with a good tint of common sense would know that this is not the way, government agencies work. Come to think of it, if they work like that, won't that be corruption?!!!!

As the Police says...

Cheating scams may take different forms but these scams are all designed to cheat victims into parting with their money. When in doubt, the public is advised to verify the caller's identity with the agency or organisation the caller claims to be from, even if the caller ID appears to belong to the agency or organisation. Members of the public are advised to remain calm and call the Police immediately if they are approached in a similar manner.

Either scammers are more clever now, or people are getting a little complacent!

My House

2007-10-12T15:34:00.001+08:00

I have a house that I hold dear to.
For 2 years, I develop how I want the house to be, planned the furniture, submit to landlord, the land developer and the authorities to approve and even planned and got a name change for my house!

There were also several small to medium wars that I have to fight when the authorities and neighbours disapproved to my concept of keeping things simple and yet a little controversial.
Eventually when the renovation works ended and was time to put in the soul of the place, THE SOUL purchaser tells me that there are not enough souls to be given to me. It is then a big struggle to push and shove and beg for all the souls to come in on time.

Time passed very quickly, a couple of years down the road, my landlord suddenly suggested to put in a different strain of souls, WHICH I have declined since conception stage and that on which my house was built.

A change of my house concept so that the landlord can collect more rent? I am really speechless and really wanted to say go fly a kite as with the additional strain of souls, my house would no more be a house that is different and focused.

Really go fly a kite!!!!

Are you Happy ? Really Happy?

2007-10-12T15:16:00.000+08:00

Read a very insightful post on the lesson of God's Grace and a Christian's walk with God.

http://stressed-teacher.blogspot.com/2007/10/are-you-happy.html

It has been long while since I read a post as insightful as this on my walk with God.
It has both been a refreshing and yet stark reminder as to how my walk with God has been all this years.

I subscribe to the "Mega Church of Grace" too.

Similarly, was thinking through some career options and offers. It came as a shocked to many that I reverse my decision to move and many asked why?

I could only say here that well, it has got to do with finding joy in what you do and that doesn't really mean doing more and going out to find that joy.

oh well....

Cars and more Cars

2007-09-24T13:17:00.000+08:00

SIMPLE Maths:
1 apple - 1 apple = no apples
1 apple + 2 apple - 2 apple = 1 apple
1 apple - 2 apple = -1 apple (theoretically)

There once was a time when COE was supposed to curb car growth, saying Singapore only has xx km of roads and if not curbed, would have massive traffic jams.

There once was a time when Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) was in place and our friendly police women would be standing at the gantry with her eagle eyes looking for 4 people in a car and the ALS decal. Any car entering the restricted zones during the restricted hours with any of the above, you are liable for a good fine. The cost for the decal: $60 per month or single day entry is $2 only.

Now, with COE and ERP in place, I take a train to work from Jurong, takes about the same time as I take a cab (not withstanding the cab provides me with more time to sleep in real air con comfort) AND almost 152 times the price. Often I think the comfort I get from the cab costs me $20.56 each trip.

It would have been much cheaper if not for the $2 peak hour, ERP charges (2 gantries) and the slow moving traffic on the AYE.

I don't see less cars, less congested roads, less accidents and less temper on the roads.

No doubt since COE, I see more roads, more highways, more tunnels but I also see MORE accidents, more cars, more congestions and more tempers on the roads. I also see my pocket getting lighter from using the car, taking a cab and so on.

If I allow 100 COEs to be issued, and I only scrapped 50 cars, whats the balance I have? 150 cars on the roads! COE as was proclaimed is based on market supply and demand, what who says, cannot determine minimum price from which the bidding wars is to start? Also, if the number of cars to be scrapped are always more than the number of COEs to be issued, according to market rules, you think the prices of COE won't go up? This was never about satisfying the individual pursuit of a car, at least not when COE comes in the picture.

ERP seems redundant isn't it?

ERP to me is making people leave the house earlier (deprive sleep so potential productivity affected), come home later (this one, I really don't understand, go to work, pay ERP ok! I understand, people go home also charge ERP?).

Stretch it a little, I think ERP causes birth rates to fall too...

maybe thats the trick....higher per capita income for all Singaporeans statistically !!! The revenue from the ERP would definitely contribute a large chunk of this! No say I no say, cannot don't like ERP ok, since make us global on higher per capita income.

Think about it, say 50cents (cheap cheap) per car, highway got 4 lanes and jam packed. each second, 4 cars passes on all the 4 lanes =$2.00. Multiply this by 1 hour, you get $7,200. Say 4 hours of operation, ie. $28,800. 30 days, we get $864,000 and finally 1 year we have $10,368,000. Not forgetting, this is only 1 gantry, 4 hours of operation and the cheap cheap 50 cents per passing only.

Imagine the sums when we have so many gantries, som many hours of operation and so many tiers of charges (definitely more than 50 cents!)

Blogs?

2007-09-12T12:14:00.000+08:00

Was reading an article over the weekend on blogs (aka. new media).
Now there is new media and old media (some people call it old media or mainstream media), the question I always ask is what is old and what is new?

Some say new media is via web, others say new media has got to do with publishing without editorial control (in the traditional sense), others say the key difference lie in the right of the poster/ publisher to say what he or she want to say via the web/ or non web.

I always find it very amazing that people can and will be complicated. Perhaps, one may say I no have thinking skills, not analytical enough, blah blah.

All media are the same, as ultimately, all want to reach out to someone to read (else why bother put on the web), publish in some printable format (eg. newspapers, magazines, etc) and each also want to inform someone of some thing (to educate, is a higher level of informing lah!). SO!

all forms of media essentially are the same.

It is ultimately, how much control is built into verifying sources, correcting sources and also limiting how people choose to respond to the information.

Eg. newspapers can choose not to carry replies, but with the web, newspapers can choose not to reply but I can still publish my reply anyway and yet at the same time, reach a (possibly wider audience).

On audience reach, both print and non print have essentially the capacity to reach a wide audience. Essentially?

People can go to blogs and leave straight away without reading, similarly, people can choose not to buy newspapers and magazines. People can also choose what they want to read in printed forms just as it applies to blogs and Internet forums.

The key difference is this, one can respond and see their response printed immediately (if web publisher chooses not to control this "comment" or right to reply, while newspapers/ magazines can choose indefinitely not to publish at all.

So! this debate as to which is better, reliable or whatsoever, depends very much on what you want to get out of where ones chooses to publish.

If one is for the thing about telling others about their personal expressions towards things, right to publish- it is web for them anytime. In any case, who says the printed media don't sensationalise things anyway, or for that matter play down things that are essentially in the heart of people for both political or non political reasons?

Balance! For that matter of fact, I don't read the Straits Times very much.

To illustrate this balance further, I don't take my meals with only salt, but rather I add all the other taste peppering ingredients (eg. vinegar, sugar, etc) as well- that way I get a variety of taste. Oh. I like my chickens naturally flavoured too, that is without any prior seasoning, that way, I get to taste the good natural chicken taste.

Life is very much extended in the way we eat.

Now think about it, there are GM food (would I call that the new food)?

I would, but still food after all....

Update!

2007-09-04T17:04:00.001+08:00

to the concerned parties as to why I haven't been updating my blog...I was terribly busy for the month of Aug with looking for new place to stay in, selling off old place, going for reservist training and catching up on mails.

Yes. plan to sell off my exisiting place and get a new place to stay in to take advantage of the current property prices. Also intend to save some money so that when the time comes, wife can quit job:)

reservist was for 1 week, during which was fun, exciting, dangerous and very very wet. As some of you would know, I do night ops out at sea and during the 1 week at sea, rained almost every day, and with my ill equipped vessel (no radar, etc unlike our modern Navy vessels), almost colldied with another vessel, so almost dropped into sea in the pitch black darkness. Raining and that doesn't help visibility at all. We depend on "light sticks"

oh. I like cycling not in indoor stadiums or any stadiums for that matter, I like the ... :)

Life Reordering

2007-08-01T09:26:00.000+08:00

Have not posted any entries here for a long time (seem long anyway..) as too many distractions from penning my thoughts and also getting my life back in sync with thoughts.

So every often, thoughts and actions don't match. sigh.

These days conversations with friends would lead to karma, religion, life and also retribution besides the normal social and political topics. It is as if suddenly we all become enlightened and became professors of all these topics.

Just heard over radio, that SMRT is considering increasing fares again to the tune of not more than 1.8%, wonder if all these fare and price increase give rise to all these sudden enlightenment.

Was at the Speak Good English Movement yesterday, was pretty impressed by the speech of the GOH, MOS Lui Tuck Yew. Was also impressed by his choosing of the words from a Song by John Lennon for use in the launch mechanism. Looking at it from a objective view, the words pennned during the Cold War is still so much relevant today.

Sometimes the wall can be a physical one or psychological one, other times a political and social one.

I tell you... You can do more...

2007-07-03T14:00:00.000+08:00

Performance evaluation exercises are conducted in every (most) organisation, and very often, staff get to meet their supervisors formally in a setting to discuss performance at least three times a year (at least for my organisation).

Very often than not (myself included) I hear, supervisors saying "you show lots of potential, and you can do more (period)." or so and so can definitely do more and take on more responsibilities.

Question is, how do you know I have so much more potential to do more? Perhaps I am already at saturation point. Can you name me some examples that you think I can do more in that given situation? It is also strange to only tell the job holder at the peformance exercise that he or she can do more, too late right? On second thoughts, maybe they planning to do a schedule for you to do job performance peak the following year.

this is machiam like saying

"le ai sai lah, can do, can do...but you not doing leh, why?"

then I ask......"do what huh?"

The Family of Geeks

2007-06-29T11:08:00.000+08:00

A poem I came out with, putting myself in the shoes of a Geek

I am a Geek, a known geek
Like many of my fellow geeks, I have a wife
My wife is a TV geek
TV reigns supreme and computers come in second
I am a Geek, a known geek

I am a Geek, a known geek
my computer and her TV doesn't make the best of friends
but they get by, cos' they sit at different places
I sure hope my wife and I don't end up like them, siting in different places all through the day
I am a Geek, a known geek

I am a Geek, a known geek
my wife and I stood in front of the altar many years ago, now
didn't know but sure do feel like it was the computer and the TV that exchanged vows then
I am a Geek, a known geek

I am a Geek, a known geek
I tried talking, but got scolding.
now, I have a son, called music.
I am a Geek, a known geek

I am a Geek, a known geek
life sure is strange, but then love hurts,
when denial takes place and no actions are forthcoming. love hurts
I am a Geek, a known geek

I am a Geek, a known geek

There once was a time....

2007-06-22T11:10:00.000+08:00

There once was a time when retirement age was 55.

Now we are looking at 62 or even 65.

CPF or Retirment Funds for many is not going to be within the reach of the retired, at least not immediately.

First, minimum sum goes up, then now withdrawal age also goes up. "Zap" "Zap" !!

I must be so dense as I completely fail to understand and appreciate that CPF is actually pension in the above article. CPF is pension meh?

and to rub insult to our being bullied into accepting this, is the fact that sometime back , a key Japanese minister resigned after admitting he failed to pay into the national pension scheme.

Also KEY to raising withdrawal age, is also the ability of all our Seniors to be employed, that isn't too easy leh!

Else they eat what? Hong is it? Lau liao, bor kang zuo, bor lui, jiak hong!

Remember this. Pension is State Funding for the old. CPF is our money!!!!

I thought it is bad enough to have a minimum sum that keeps going up and can only take out 50% of whats balance fom minimum sum at withdrawal age.

Thinking Public Servants

2007-06-08T16:05:00.000+08:00

Came across this posting at Sammyboy's coffeeshop.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sammyboymod/messages/?msg=134886

The one who posted the above said that the below statements triggered a thinking process on whether Public Employees are thinking and their role in society.

The statements are:
1. A friend said to me, "Wow, you are very anti-establishment". It was in response to the post where I shouldn't have blogged about (or so the title went).
2. I also shared the same post with folks in Gahmen Bloggers (GB). One of the GBers suggested I start a blog called "RebellingLibrarian".
3. Another GBer wrote, as part of the discussion, that unlike the academics, public servants aren't academics so we're not paid to think or say otherwise (to policies, I presume).
4. As part of an interview for an upcoming article (the magazine shall remain unnamed), I was asked how a public service employee was to tell if what he/she blogs about is sensitive information.

Goes on further to talk about what he can or cannot about.
Lastly, using an analogy of being ordered to carry our execution of a Prisoner, knowing that it defies the Geneva Convention, whether should do or not do.

I find this an interesting post, as sometimes my view does not agree to with what the organisation does and/or what the government say or do, and I do wonder whether if I should blog or post.

WELL. If you notice, I do not blog about work stuff in specifics, I blog in general and with a conscience to the impact that should anyone read, the implications on me and the reader.
(like I write so power like that!).

I blog also on topics that are in the public domain, those not in public domain, nah nah, no thanks. I not newspaper gunning for ratings, so need not have exclusives all the time!

Reducing WASTE through less packaging and Cost of Living

2007-06-06T10:21:00.000+08:00

Over 500 industry partners (companies from five industries) will cut down on the amount of packaging waste produced as part of a new initiative by National Environment Agency to reduce waste/ wastage.

Looks like a good move in the sense that with high wastage then indirectly the high cost of , which is also not helped by increasing freight and logistic costs. As mentioned in the article, it was also hoped that more eco-friendly types of packaging, that can be more easily recycled, would come about as a result of this initiative. Have to mention that this is a voluntary scheme.

Hopefully this will lead to cost savings which then translates into savings (after the GST Hike!!!!)for the consumer.

Now, everything also expensive- all increase 2% then in the end, consumer buy many many 2 percent at the least.

Just hope that at the end of 1 year, I see more elderly getting more benefits through the hike and that these elderly can now afford to choose what and where to eat their 3 meals.

The Endangered Singaporean!!! (The Malaysian Paper's Perspective)

2007-05-28T15:26:00.000+08:00

Strained by fast-paced growth
INSIGHT DOWN SOUTH By SEAH CHIANG NEE

I extracted the below

" People are feeling the pinch of insufficient hospital beds and doctors, delayed buses and cramped trains, which runs counter to the city’s traditional image of efficiency.
Some public services are facing stresses in the wake of a 60% surge in the population in the past 16 years. "

> Hospitals. A serious shortage of beds led to a decision to build two more hospitals. This followed complaints about sick patients having to wait months before they got a specialist appointment or a bed.

> Public transport. More cases of late buses or overcrowded trains at peak periods. The bus company responded by setting up a website to inform passengers how long they would have to wait for their next bus.

> Energy. The government reported it was seeking alternative energy sources and amended the Gas Act to guarantee all players open access to the gas pipeline network here.

> Imported sand. A 300-foot barge arrived with 7,000 tonnes of sand from Cambodia, to replace banned imports from Indonesia.

geeeze...

Honestly hor!, I also find Singapore many many people, go anyway and everywhere also many people. I always wonder how Singapore going to squeeze in more and more people by the millions. Also if Singaporeans don't pro create and the Govt. gives out more citizenship, PR, then Singapore gonna change name to become Talented-pore ?

OR we have name change every couple of years depending on which country citizens have the most proportion of residents here...

Really....geeze....

Think I should also look at migration to Malaysia too....at least good to be in a country on the upwards trend then to be somewhere where the growth has plateau-ed.

Tornados in Singapore ???

2007-05-25T15:58:00.000+08:00

Someone sent these pictures on the left to me...

spotted off the east coast of Sentosa...

An omen of sorts?

hmm...

What are Tornados? -

A tornado is a violently rotating column of air which is in contact with both a cumulonimbus (or, in rare cases, a cumulus) cloud base and the surface of the earth. Tornadoes come in many sizes, but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, with the narrow end touching the earth. Often, a cloud of debris encircles the lower portion of the funnel.

Most tornadoes have wind speeds of 110 mph (175 km/h) or less, are approximately 250 feet (75 m) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. However, some tornadoes attain wind speeds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h), stretch more than a mile (1.6 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km).

(Source: Wikipedia. last accessed 25-05-07)

Food that Binds?

2007-05-25T11:20:00.000+08:00

I reproduced an article in TODAY! which I thought is a good piece of "journalism".

TODAY!, I find offers and publishes views that you do not normally find in "The Straits Times", of course the only other time I was a bit peeved was when Mr Brown was taken off.

I supposed, if I am a American, I would find the occasion of nothing more than an attempt to kindle the "patriotic" fire in each and every Singaporean who was there. An attempt to tell Singaporeans that this is Home, where your favourite Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice, Chwee Kueh, Satay is. Nonetheless, to eat, you need to register first hor...

Guess a good thing that came out of this was the food and the opportunity for Singaporean overseas to connect and network with other Singaporeans there.

"lai lai lai, Sing-Ka-Pore-an come come here, talk cock, sing song and makan!"

Singapore always Singapore!!!!

Not a recipe to win hearts over More intrinsic appeal needed to woo overseas locals back

Siew Kum Hong

I WENT to Singapore Day in New York a couple of weeks back. I was there for work, was with a Singaporean friend living in the city who wanted to go, and eventually found myself in Central Park on a bright, sunny Saturday.

The event was undoubtedly a success. The hawkers were a big hit, with some queues taking up to two hours. Still, some Singaporeans I spoke to had reservations, even as they enjoyed the food.

Some queried the registration requirement and amount of information requested, and wondered if the Government is using the event as an excuse to gather data on overseas Singaporeans. Others found the tone of the event — which included National Day songs belted out by homegrown entertainers — off-putting, as it reminded them why they had left Singapore in the first place.

While I applaud the idea of Singapore Day, I think these views are nevertheless valuable and interesting. There was a certain fuzziness around what the event sought to do, but I doubt it was a sinister effort to track overseas Singaporeans, a theory I find borders on paranoia.

Was it a disguised attempt at getting Singaporeans to come home? If so, it needs to be more sophisticated in its approach. The performance of the National Day songs came across as being over-the-top and contrived.

A Singaporean who liked the idea of re-connecting with her country was turned off by the hardsell and rolled her eyes at the brochures on integrating returning Singaporeans' kids into our education system. I also met more than one gay Singaporean, who, regardless of however much he or she enjoyed the event, were all convinced that they would never return home.

I prefer to take the Government at face value and think that the event served to refresh connections with overseas Singaporeans, to remind and update them about Singapore.

However, I also noticed certain unflattering aspects. There were no activities for kids. The American husband of another Singaporean noted the irony of flying in Singaporean bands that sounded exactly like many other bands in New York. (The highlight for me was the getai skit from Royston Tan's upcoming film 881.) There was a lack of recycling bins despite the number of Yeo's-sponsored canned drinks being guzzled down.

And, as pointed out by another Singaporean, it was a "typically Singaporean" event, with a singular emphasis on food.

I was bothered by this display of food as the overarching — and apparently sole — factor that unifies Singaporeans. (And I am at least as greedy as the next food-loving Singaporean.) The identification of eatables as being at the core of "Singaporeanness" betrays a certain pragmatic consumerism and materialism. If being Singaporean is so intimately tied to something extrinsic, what will happen when it is gone?

Singapore Day hinted at the troubling answer. The crowds thinned considerably as the stalls ran out of food. Few stayed for the entertainment flown in from home. Fewer paid any attention to the displays and booths touting the developments at home and that of overseas Singaporeans. In fact, there was a lack of interest in anything other than the food — and when the food was gone, there was little interest in anything at the event at all.

Food can be replicated, even if it is difficult to do so authentically. New York-based movie director and foodie Colin Goh said all the local fare at Singapore Day was available in New York except for the chwee kueh. That was the first item to run out.

The sad truth is that while food is the easiest and surest way to tie Singaporeans' minds to Singapore, it is a tie that does not bind tightly, if at all. We would do well to develop and emphasise other ties that are far more intangible and emotional — and hence tighter and less easily displaced and replaced.

This will require greater subtlety, creativity and resources. Perhaps Singapore could be "recreated" through miniature replicas of familiar landmarks. Instead of including rubber bands in goodie bags with instructions on how to play "zero point", a zero-point competition could be held for children and adults. Another suggestion I heard was to have people register for a Friendster-type social networking service, to tease out connections between people.

The aim of events such as Singapore Day should be to engage people's hearts and minds, not just their stomachs. Otherwise, overseas Singaporeans may flock to future Singapore Days, but the events will not deepen or strengthen their links with Singapore.

The writer is a Nominated Member of Parliament and corporate counsel, commenting in his personal capacity.

War Hero Lim Bo Seng is a MG not a Major! Don't demote him

2007-05-20T07:45:00.001+08:00

Recently, someone wrote to the press to comment about the INACCURATE information on the storyboard erected near the Lim Bo Seng Memorial.

The story board reads: 'The memorial was built in 1954 in memory of Major Lim Bo Seng who led Force 136, an anti-Japanese resistance movement.'

The reply from NHB was: "When war hero Lim Bo Seng led Force 136, he was then a major in rank. It was only posthumously that he was accorded the rank of major-general by the nationalist government in China in 1946. Seen in this context, the statement is factually accurate"

It is a practice that we addressed a person based on their final rank unless we are addressing specific instances when he was holding a lower rank. Once a person is given a posthumous promotion, all references to him/her anywhere, be they on memorial boards, simi boards, etc are scribed with the last rank that he/she holds.

If the above reply from NHB holds true, then many of our posthumously promoted people from the Army and Police , would also be demoted when we talk about their achievements and all. People who are still living and carry the title of BG, Col, MG, etc should also not carry them, as they refer to only specific instances and not applicable to their current living instance.

tio?

Skill Set

2007-05-20T07:31:00.000+08:00

Increasingly I feel that as a librarian, our skill set make us pretty difficult to seek greener pasture elsewhere. In a way, to say that our skill set is narrow also don't seems like it, but then our relevant or how applicable is our set of skills "pounced" upon by people in the various industries outside.

Also not helped when everyone and anyone think they also know how to search for things.

Adding value- think we all should have learnt that after some years of working if the earlier years didn't help.

hmm....if people continue to become lazy and/or continue to seek cost reduction as people see that as non core to their organisation, then maybe our "librarian industry" would do well....but then hor got profssional research organisation loh...

sigh. dark days? I also not sure... but now not so bright lah...at least thats what I think.

Seemingly No Title!

2007-05-14T16:29:00.000+08:00

Well, I have no title for this post, not that I don't have but seemingly not appropriate one.

OK, many days no come here to "refresh" this blog liao, so here I am.

People asked, where me go, and so here I say...

children sick one after another, and when recovered, another round of all 3 of them going sick happen again. now that took 2 weeks for 3 kids 2 times fever, cough and running nose altogether.

then after that, me sick!!! high fever and see doctor. best part, see doctor, colleague tell me must attend meeting no matter what, as she would attend if she "is" me too. you know hor, that moment! I want to say, knn! That weekend, I so pissed, me no reply and pick up handphone for the entire weekend, seems like such achievement hor!

Anyway, me along have this fever on and off for 2 weeks plus liao, guess the "flashpoint" was the kids and so me kenna triggered with the high fever. Just as well, me ok now.

Now! drum roll... I want to ....

announce my roll of thanks to the following people for having showed me much concern over me and my kids illness... now.... thank you all!

Ok. now talk about other things.

Today I heard about this Hwa Chong Institution boy who "hood-ed" a bus captain (bus driver lah) , who had retained the boy's girlfriend's Ezylink Card (OR my generation call the "bus card"). After that damn drama, the boy brought the kid to the bus interchange and the FATHER kneeled to beg for forgivenesss!

So I kapoh kapoh go find out more from newpapers and all lah.

You know, I very admire this FATHER! His love for the kid goes many wonders and the father knows this is already a criminal offence and the type that can go to jail one! So Father go begging for forgiveness!. I don't want to say father's action right or not right or whether this boy so pampered to such aggravation that his violent hormones all want to pick a fight.

I can only say hor, in my "kee-na" days. if I do something like that, me would be whacked either by 1) the bus captain, 2) the people around me when I do something like that or 3) my father will whack me first, then go to the bus interchange and say " Send this boy to jail, punish him hard hard!"

Guess those kind of teaching do me alright as I can say I quite lah, law abiding citizen and who would at least give up me seat and space to more deserving unfortunate people.

Bus Captain punched for doing HIS job!!!!

What is the world coming to?

And you know what? after that the young man still can say misunderstanding!!!

Guess HE THE ONLY one who misunderstood, as everyone else's story is very coherent...

This incident requires the Bus Company to take a heavy handed approach and pursue all avenues of justice! This one if let go easily, sure got many other places, got dominino effect one!
here punch and there punch everyone who is doing their job, as long as they are not civil servants (so lesser offence!).

WE NEED A DETERENT SENTENCE HERE!!!!

No joke! should send this chap to be tied on a tree and "hood" him hard hard by all bus captains in Singapore, for insulting their profession.

The Straits Times

2007-04-26T14:50:00.000+08:00

Reported in the Straits Times that Singapore's SM Goh alerted Beijing to negative vibes from US towards China

I think the headline could be SM Goh talked to Beijing about negative vibes from US towards China. This I think is a more appropriate headline as Beijing probably already knows all these negative vibes already.

The positioning and the use of appropriate words would definitely reflect a more neutral and objective position in journalism.

Lie to a job

2007-04-26T14:44:00.000+08:00

Lie to a job, a degree and what's nots. Moral decadence of the people....

Imagine that it took a renown bank 6 months to discover the lie, and by then damage has already been done to the bank's reputation, not to say the $$.

You know, there's a difference between oversell and lying.....

Also within the article, an opportunity to promote SHR product :)
this is what I called, selling at an appropriate platform.

Plastic Bags

2007-04-19T17:12:00.000+08:00

Singapore is now on a go GREEN drive, every month, first wednesday, you go shopping at places like NTUC, Sheng Siong, etc, plastic bags would not be given to you automatically. Want a plastic bag, donate 10 cents.

If I donate 10 dollars, can have 100 or is it 1000 plastic bags or not?

Some say good start, others say no.

Now lets see:-

1) don't have a start, people say Sing no save trees.
2) have a start, some say why only 1 day, shoudl be more days
3) some others also say, if 1 day, then this day no go shopping, other days than go. WED is now known as ladies night and save plastic day and also no shopping day

In acutal fact, these measures already very common in many overseas countries (must benchmark mah!) and so actually no big deal lah....

conservation and preservation brings about some alternative usage of things naturally.

From 3rd World to 1ST

2007-04-19T17:10:00.000+08:00

I don't believe I am reading this book by LKY.

Had several glances and flipped through this book many times before, suddenly want to read it after all the pay hike.

These days, everywhere else have died down on commenting on the pay hike too much already, led by our very own The Straits Times. Perhaps for the bad, as long as ST shuts up, the rest also would shut up.

Not a link, but a comparsion.

2007-04-13T10:01:00.000+08:00

Interesting comment made by a Minister.

Isn't money mutually exclusive as in I give you a dollar from this pool, so I can't give this same dollar I give you to another person.

"Ministers' pay revisions and increased aid for the poor are two separate matters which have "no logical linkage", he said on the sidelines of the official opening of the Singapore Girls' Home's new premises yesterday"

2 seperate matters but from 1 common pool of money! ok!

"Money is not the issue. The issue is outreach, the issue is coming up with innovative schemes and making sure we do the right thing and making sure that help reaches the right people. So, that's what I want to focus on and I want to get people to go beyond just dollars and cents,"

Dr Balakrishnan argued. "Are people all alone, abandoned? If there are people who are short of food, why haven't the schemes — all the help schemes that we have — reached those people?"

Yeah right! try telling that to people who live hand to mouth, try telling that to the so called middle income people, who are neither here nor there that money no issue

(Maybe Jack Neo can do another movie, I think good title too, Money no Issue)

If I may call you bro, I would say this

"Bro, it is your job to think how to reach these people, not mine. I tell you that there are all these people who need this and that, and you come back and ask me how to reach them. I don't run CIA and FBI also can tell you for starters, look at your very efficient grassroots to reach them. If they can't do it, and immediately you know whether they doing their job already lor. How come only during election, know where to find them huh, and know where to give bread, and food, and this and that! If can't reach them, then your net got holes loh, net? si mi net? "

Defence Minister and Minister-in-charge of the civil service Teo Chee Hean also touched on the debate over ministers' pay hikes at a separate event yesterday. "In the end, the important thing is to build trust, whether people see the Government is working sincerely for their interest," he said. "I believe that they have and they think that over a period of time, they will understand that such a policy is really, as the Prime Minister has said, to make sure that we continue to have a good Government not tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but 10, 15 years' time … to be able to serve their children."

Honestly, hor, I only "lan lan" cannot migrate because money no enough. However, I would encourage my kids to work hard and study hard to become at least A MP in Singapore.

Do you know what is called, after becoming a MP, the person can still go out and do lots of things with the many leverages that was connected and found during his/her tensure of service.

What nonsense about hardwork and sacrifice.

When these folks, sign up for the government, they should already know what to expect and what is involved. The amount of pay and what nots should already be factored in. The amount of time needed each day should already have been considered. If they have not, and they agreed to politics and all, and eventually now say, money not good and all...then go bull the cow and the cow will bull you back man!

Didn't these people already have grassroots experience, and are suppsoed to be visionaries and good planners?

Simple thing about before getting into a job, find out more about the job and what pay, and can connect to previous job experiences or not, are all factors in accepting a job.

You mean to say, these sacrifical people didn't have such skills that our schools are teaching meh? Sacrifice? Oh Really!

Public versus Private

2007-04-12T17:17:00.000+08:00

You know what is PUBLIC sector and what is PRIVATE sector or not??

S'pore governed by extraordinary men willing to make sacrifices: MP

Financial sacrifice in public service needed

I quote from the above 2 articles from MP Irene Ng and PM Lee

Singapore is governed by extraordinary men willing to make personal sacrifices

They cannot expect wages comparable to the private sector because public service is selfless and requires one to make sacrifices

The traits that separate a leader from the crowd are his ability to care, improve people's lives, and the motivation to serve others while not enriching himself.

Still, Mr Lee feels that a leader's pay must not be too far from what someone with similar ability is paid.

I really speechless "sacrifice, extradordinary men, ability to care" ....enough said!

"CARE" is not a NATO word, need action one.

I can CARE for you too, if you give me x dollar, but if you take away x dollar and I still CARE for you, then it is different level of CARE already.

Our standards really very different.

2007-04-12T17:05:00.000+08:00

I have never had a bonus of more than 2 months, granted my responsbilities are so much lesser than the Ministers and Permanent Secretaries.

However, reading CNA make me really boil.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/269866/1/.html

Disclosing details of their latest performance bonuses, he noted that only two out of the 21 ministers and senior ministers of state received between eight and 10 months' bonus last year. Another 11 got between 5.5 and seven months' bonus, while eight others got five months' bonus or less. Mr Lee himself got a fixed bonus of five months last year.

Piang! ONLY 2 got 8-10 months, cheap cheap give you their 1 month is 10k, 8-10 months is 80k -100k, 5.5 months is 55 k.

My eyes must be seeing numbers.

Sometimes I wonder, leaders supposed to take care of the ka kia right? How come I get less than 2 and they get so many months huh?

Warning how easy it was for any leader to fall prey to corruption because he was not properly paid, Mr Lee cited the recent tender exercise for the two Integrated Resort projects, worth more than $10 billion in total. "How much would it have cost to adjust half a mark and half a point there, to come up with different outcomes?" he said.

As he says it is PROPERLY PAID, not ridiculously paid!!!!

Many rich folks also get into trouble with the law because of money. Greed no matter how well disguise it is, knows no end.

Yeah man, I, the ground people work with passion, so that others enjoy the passion and the many money that comes with the job.

really shit

New National Stadium or whatever name you call it.

2007-04-11T19:25:00.000+08:00

The other day had a memory shot of the time when I was a Kin-na cheering for my school at the National Stadium, so fast forward and wondered how the new design for the stadium would look like.

Did a Google!

and viola....got this http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/267210/1/.html

and know what, I thought maybe CNA gave wrong image, that thing there look like Toilet seat leh, especially with the brown brown thingy in the middle there....

so I did a refresh, and same image came up.

piang! like that call design? Later I realised this is call "Horse Shoe" design.

So if one day, pigs and birds wear shoes, we haev that kind of design too lah? Image "birds feet" or even a "human feet" design

Retractable roof and can fill with water for water sports....wah!

but the design from the side sucks....don't even say IF I take helicopter up and look down....piang, a toilet with water....and perhaps other stuff that is brown in colour...

Think later the air space on top would be banned, because bad press.

Pilot: Why cannot fly over huh?

Air Control: sorry, cannot, if you fly over and look down, you may decide to take a leak or even bomb....

really pai-kwah!

personal opinion, worse than the durian...at least durian means something to some people as in favourite fruit, but Toilet? favourite toilet? maybe favourite public toilet.

Finland, Switzerland and Denmark

2007-04-10T13:58:00.000+08:00

Strange, didn't know these three countries have mediocre governments.

No doubt they have broader base, but can afford mediocre government?
Gosh, mean to say we cannot, but they can.

Then US, UK, and practically all other countries also loh...can afford a mediocre government since all have a broader base than us both in terms of size, people and also economy.

"Does he realise that Singapore's GDP is only one-third of its external trade? Our external trade is 3 1/2 times that of our GDP, higher than Hong Kong. And if this economy ever falters, that's the end of Singapore and its First World status. Denmark, Switzerland and Finland are part of Europe. You can fail and you're still caught in the European situation. If you fail here, you go back to a Southeast Asian situation. Just look around you," said MM Lee.

I cannot fathom the gravity of such a statement. Really very serious statements made.

Southeast Asian Situation? piang!

loss of words...

A refresher....a reminder.

2007-04-07T13:10:00.000+08:00

Went blog surfing and read some of the older post posted at other places.

http://kaffein-nated.blogspot.com/2006/07/its-one-of-those-times.html.

...when you can't wait for the end of the day. I just wanna pack up and go. Call it a day. But alas, meetings are holding me back. Not to say the least, I have tons of items to follow-up in my 'To-Do' list.Wince.

I kinda remembered an article (actually taken from The Straits Times but I can't find it anymore) I've read quite sometime ago. Made me re-think about what/who really matters.I'm sure the world still remembers Eugene O'Kelly. He passed away on Sept 10, 2005, and that's just ~1 year ago from my blog entry. He was the CEO of KPMG at 53, one of the largest US accounting firms. Only had lunch twice with his wife in his 12 years there.He died.

Ka-put.And the world moved on.

Give it another 5 years and I doubt people even bothered if a CEO named Eugene O'Kelly ever existed. That's the sad side of life - each passing day is a fleeting moment.

We are bustling ourselves with things that don't really matter, and spending most of our time with people who don't really care.Sad. Very sad.His memories will be treasured by his loved ones. People who really matter to him.

He became wise towards his final moments. Can I?Life. Memories. Loved ones. Treasures

This is a good post. Good reminder to me.

Thanks.

Of Ministerial Pay and Bad GovtWhy S'pore women won't have to be maids

2007-04-07T10:58:00.000+08:00

I reproduce a Forum letter published in the Straits Time...

Of Ministerial Pay and Bad GovtWhy S'pore women won't have to be maids
ST Forum7th April 2007

I refer to the recent statements to the press by Lee Kuan Yew in which he described the scenario which would happen if S'pore were to lose the PAP government leadership and be led by less capable leaders.

I particularly take offence at the suggestion that Singaporean women would have to become maids in other countries, as this puts us in a bad light.Much as I do not deny that we need to pay our ministers what they are worth, which is altogether another topic, I strongly suggest that this scenario does not paint a true picture of the S'pore I know.

I believe S'poreans are made of sterner stuff than what LKY suggested and have the courage to overcome adversity with or without the PAP.If the entire Govt were to resign for pay reasons, I'm certain many S'poreans with heart and talent would step forward to take the mantle. LKY can be assured of this.

The main reason S'poreans do not want to step into politics is the negative culture & image created by the many lawsuits as well as obstacles put in the way of opposition parties.Without a truly creative and competitive environment, the PAP will have to use other ways & means to persuade quality people to join the Government. That may be a problem created by the Government itself.

Madam Tng Kok Khim.

Power hor?!

WAH sah with or without PAP!!! bold statement to make in the press.

Nowadays people dare to speak and challenge liao. Really pai-tan for many people.

I shrug to think man exported overseas as coolies helping some countries to carry concrete, sand and marble to lay roads and build buildings...hey! come to think of it, maybe then can call ourselves foreign talent too.

What irony!

WE know who you are...WE know what you did last weekend...

2007-04-05T12:52:00.000+08:00

whether you ordered pirated copies of DVDs and CDs of movies and soundtracks...that is.

S'pore students first to receive anti-piracy brochures

I draw your attention to:-

A recent raid in Malaysia raked in more than one million illegal copies.

"They found computers and databases of customers from all over the world and I'm afraid to say that a lot of those customers are here in Singapore. The gangs that are involved in this are organised crime groups, unquestionably organised crime groups," says Michael Ellis, Senior VP & Regional Director (Asia Pacific), Motion Picture Association – International.

"And Singapore customers who are dialling or emailing their orders to Malaysia and asking for the products to be delivered here are involved and supporting organised crime. And I have to tell you, we know who you are and we're providing that information to the authorities in Singapore. If you think that by buying one disc or one pirated DVD, you're not involved in this, it doesn't affect you, you're wrong, it does," says Mr Ellis.

hey! no play play ok. ORGANISED CRIME OK! You know mafia, Secret Societies, 369, Hong Hung? Respect. Organised Crime ok!!!!

Police: I got information you called "So true Company" in Malaysia to order 10 discs and have them delivered to your place.
Commoner: No lah, I only called this guy named Peter on his phone leh, to bring me 10 discs.

Police: Peter is from where?
Commoner: dun know leh, he said he from "So false Company" that deals with video movies and stuff, say cheap cheap and fast fast can deliver to me.

Police: Peter from where, we would check, but your phone record and our raids revealled that you a regular of "So true" and ordered many things loh. You also on their loyalty programme tio or not?"
Commoner: Good deal mah, buy 10 get 3 free, buy 3 get 1 free. Singapore cannot find deals like that one, somemore hor, delivery FREE leh, piang offer like that must cheong mah!

Police: You would be charged with supporting organised crime in both Singapore and Malaysia, everything you say or don't say would be sued against you in the court of law. We shall now begin our kopi drinking...

Commoner:.....

Move of Great Reluctance

2007-04-05T12:41:00.000+08:00

I was online browsing through CNA today and read the following article
Move of Great Reluctance (By Sheralyn Tay, TODAY Posted: 04 April 2007 1224 hrs ).

I think my English must be not power enough...

" Yesterday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan expressed surprise that the SMA's fee guide, started 20 years ago to make transparent private medical charges, should be seen by lawyers as contravening the year-old Competition Act. The good news is that his ministry is now planning to publish doctors' fees online to help patients make comparisons. "

If lawyers see fee guide as contavening Competition Act, then why MOH wants to publish doctors' fee online for people to make comparsion? SMA's is a fee guide, while MOH publishes fees online to inform people where more ex and where less, so in the long run, there is still a range of prices to choose from----not much difference from a guide tio?, just that the way is is done is different.

After reading this, gosh, check the law also so expensive!!!!

Slice of Singapore on Wikipedia (1st April 2007)

2007-04-04T12:56:00.000+08:00

I read in the Straits Times, "Slice of Singapore on Wikipedia", by Jocelyn Lee (1 April 2007).

It is perhaps very interesting to note that Wiki has all the inherent flaws and dangers stated in the news piece, it is still one of the more popular places that people refer to for their work and entertainment.

It was stated at Wikipedia that is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project. Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers; its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the web site. The name is a portmanteau of the words wiki (a type of collaborative website) and encyclopedia. Its primary servers are in Tampa, Florida, with additional servers in Amsterdam and Seoul.

Wikipedia also added that Critics have questioned Wikipedia's reliability and accuracy.[9] The site has also been criticized for its susceptibility to vandalism,[10] uneven quality, systemic bias and inconsistencies,[11] and for favoring consensus over credentials in its editorial process.[12] Wikipedia's content policies[13] and sub-projects set up by contributors seek to address these concerns.[14] Two scholarly studies have concluded that vandalism is generally short-lived[15] and that Wikipedia is roughly as accurate as other encyclopedias.[16].

I interpreted the above as machiam like

I tell you hor, you want to read my blog, can loh, but got people say my blog, no email address, no nice fonts, no colour, no content, content expressed why only personal views, etc. so you see, you want to read, is your problem loh. You want to quote from me, can lah! but hor, please tell me and if wrong, don't scold me hor!.

in more decent English....

Wikipedia says...You have been warned that using me as a source of info gives you the potential of this and that a problem, so what i am telling you is, you can use, but please please verify the facts that people use here. It is always a good exercise to verify and cross verify things you find on the net and don't suka suka just use. Remember even books have facts that are correct at one point in history and wrong if placed at another point in time, not to mention that even books have infactual data too.

Come to think of it, newspapers too make mistakes and while newspapers are corrected internally, Wiki can be corrected by a worldwide audience and the good part of it, no apologies needed.

Always a disclaimer to all information sources...always there.

In my Ah Beng language I would say

"my guarantee to you hor for using Wikipedia is, if people see already and know it is wrong, will change one, very fast, no need to call press centre and say this and that wrong, and wait for next day then change. Also hor, FREE one, no need pay and pay!"

SMiled in Shock !?

2007-04-03T17:25:00.000+08:00

Singapore swimmers in hot water

I find it very difficult to believe that the above boys are not mocking at their US competitors.

Why?

Do you smile in shock???

The saying is that there would be investigation, I wonder how to..

Investigator: why did you smile?
The boys: I shocked that my friends were disqualified, so I smiled.

Investigator: You mean, shocked until smile?
The boys: Yeah, cannot control. sorry but it really did happen. I won't smile if not shocked plus they are my friends mah

Investigator:oh. ok. so why were you shocked?
The boys: because they the best of the best and they are our friends

Investigator: so why you were shocked since both are you ar also sportsman and know even the best can make mistakes? Our sources tell us that you pointed at the time board and then smiled. Did you smile when the US folks touched the finishing line?

The boys: no. didn't smile, maybe I did....cannot remember lah. It's all a BIG mistake and misunderstanding lah. We smiled because we were shocked and not unhappy that US was disqualified.

Investigator: That I understand, this shocking business and the report should also should ask you boys first before going to print them. Oh. btw. I am here to do an investigation....

Smoother traffic for Passengers...but for buses ONLY

2007-04-03T17:11:00.001+08:00

I have never been for the idea of bus lanes....

Full day bus lanes mean smoother travel for passengers

What we should have are public transport lanes. Lanes on the road that caters to all forms of public transport. This would also be a good move to encourage people to take public transport.
Public transport includes both the Buses and TAXIs.

How about us, drivers of private cars then? We do have appointments and need to get around quicker too. Agreed. but you have the luxury of a car and you have the remaining few lanes to get around too.

"You got "ka", I don't have- I take ba-s and taxi only"

Good for you, and good for me too.

2007-04-02T14:55:00.000+08:00

Bangladeshi workers in S'pore watch World Cup action for free

I am always very sceptical when I read things like this. I wonder if the nearby grocery shop that he owns, provides the Bangladeshi workers there free food and drinks too.

Well, I have to say that this is a very good business move:-
1) I set up tv here, you sit here and buy food and drinks from me ok?
2) You know I take care of you folks, so bring more friends here ok, for the period of the world cup and after that too.
3) overhear a worker say in the future "you know that xyz shop that showed us free cricket match the other time huh, the field there we meet dae, and then can buy food and beer from there somethere"
4) The basic investment of $8,500 especially the cost of the projector is definitely recoverable.

The effects of this publicity stunt has really long lasting effects.....

btw. I am just being sceptical, if the owner is of a pure heart and offered this screening in the goodness of looking after his brothers working in Singapore. I salute.

Understand meh? Inside coffeeshops, like many don't leh!

2007-04-02T14:29:00.001+08:00

I must have been so blur to not realise that coffeeshops are not patronised by workers ...

Workers understand need for civil service, ministerial pay review: NTUC Chief

I must be missing something here as if workers understand then:-
1) most people objecting the pay review are either not workers and are students, self made bosses and/or politicians!

Also

I quote:-
" Mr Lim says unionists have continued to reach out to the ground to explain the issue, that having the right talent in government, could help strengthen tripartism. Mr Lim said, "I think looking ahead into the future as workers as union leaders, we are fully aware of the kind of competition that we will be facing in the future. So in other words we have to run very fast and running very fast means that we must have leaders both in the government, in the civil service, in the business community as well as in the labour movement. So from that regard, I would say that progressively more and more union leaders and workers will accept and realise that actually it is to the interest of the workers, to the interest of the labour movement to ensure that the government will do whatever necessary to attract the fair share of talent. "

Leaders both in the govt (and civil service) and business community? I scratched my head and think this means more MPs, and govt appointed people holding directorship in both private and public companies.

Like that if assuming this person is all out for the companies that he is in to make money, then mana have time to jaga the country? MPs holding many directorship cna take care of constituency meh? If not executive ones and yet still get director pay, then this company really is..... (censored).

Again I quote..

"Basically we hope the government will succeed in attracting Singaporeans, not only people with a good knowledge in their head but more importantly, a strong passion in their heart, because what we need is political leaders as well as civil servants, people who really care about the ground, who understand their anxiety, who understand their aspiration. "

This one really the champion statement! You know, I ALSO care and I also anxious for your well being and I seek to understand your aspiration too, think can spare me some of the increment? I would care more and be more anxious for you, fi you do...

You can call me "lui bin" or money faced but isn't that so true for the above statement?

Money to retain and buy passion and a sense of care for the people?

Cool Library Videos

2007-03-30T11:51:00.001+08:00

Pay Up and Up!

2007-03-29T14:15:00.000+08:00

Ministers pay and civil servants pay are in the spotlight again, though the minister's pay more people talk about.

In summary, Singapore Ministers get good pay and that I mean very good pay as compared to "we or maybe me, the peasant(s)". As a comparsion, GB from US only don't earn anywhere near in terms of US dollars as compared to my PM in Singapore. WE are talking about many peanuts here....

Also the increment SEEMS only for Civil SERVANTS of a certain pay scale and above namely superscale and above loh.

This post shall not go into the details of how Singapore Ministers pay are pegged and the various other justifications that goes into saying"Agree" to the pay increment.

Generally, in me limited "research", there re a few schools of thoughts:-
1) pay increase ok, but why increase so much?
2) what you mean by civil servant? servant of the people or servant of some other things tangible and/or intangible?
3) pay increase not ok at all, GST increase also not ok, everything also not ok!!!
4) everything also ok, but please increase my pay too ok?

In the course of the debate on the money, Soros, Mother Teresa, GB and many other country leaders were mentioned, so how to say our money opps sorry (I meant) Ministers not power and that our Singapore residents not politically, socially and economically astue and aware???

Also from a posting I read... need to pay and retain so they don't jump ship and later come back and sink our own ship. Also got say, time and talent all kenna sacrificed because in government serving the people. Wah....then talk talk talk...talk until got people say the 66.7 people very stupid/ blind, etc. also ask this one is a mandate meh? The whole whole election thingy again.

Think of it, mana boleh? I really don't understand!!!

Best one was this question I came across "Ministers do what one huh? shake hand and carry baby only is it?" --- Clever answer is "no lah, more than that lah, also have to sit in meetings and then think how to make Singapore Changi Airport number ONE every year loh"

Now now hor, this one I understand....make Singapore competitive lah. To this one, honestly I believe should increase pay lah, but don't increase so much can? leave some for me lah.

The whole thing now all very complicated, because got agents from many side all want to tell their story loh. machiam, information, mis-information and counter information like that....sibeh war, man!!!

Someone recently asked "what my thinking" on the whole ministers, talent, pay and GST" machiam like doing CNA interview like this.

I only have the following few comments to make:-
1) My pay got increase or not?
2) My pay got pegged to the MIDDLE 10-20 top professions in Singapore or not? No? but then I peasant lah...
3) Singapore's kampung must be so messy thats why US kampung's headman less pay than ours loh. Anyway, cannot compare kampung lah!!!
4) Cannot compare the"sim" (in hokkien- as in the heart) of old guards and new guards of the government loh, time different already!!!--> maybe more headaches = more money

Ultimately hor after "laaaaah" coffee sometime, the interviewer also blur, so whats my stand?
I say "piang! I say so much you still don't know meh?---> my pay got up or not?

And no. I not some politically blur sotong who don't know how much one peanut costs and what it means to lose me job due to foreign talent, I just hope that day doesn't come.

We the citizens of Singapore
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society,
based on justice and equality,
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.

I not copy and paste one, I write from what I memorise many many years of my existence in Singapore. Like that got pay increase or not???

Additions added to this post on 30/3/2007 (3.20 pm)

Wah, just read a very very power article here http://www.insanepoly.com/blog/?p=317
This author very can, can mix mix idealism and pragmatism together and come up with the Singapore brand of politics!!!! this one real power, very very Can ah!

When a cab is not to be (Part 2)

2007-03-27T14:08:00.000+08:00

An update to the above...

LTA referred my case to Comfort.
Comfort contacted me via email and say that taxi driver was there but I not there, so driver pressed "no show" to their operator, Operator goes on to give him permission to go off.

I then reply to say the driver was telling a blatant Lie! I was waiting at the spot and I can see all taxis that come into my estate. Taxis have this feature where the passenger gets contacted when the driver cannot locate them. I wasn't contacted at all!

All in all, I told comfort, their operator and driver did not do their due diligence- did not attempt to locate me and that the driver must have stopped somewhere else and then just pressed the "no show" button without coming to my estate.

You know what! Comfort later send me another email asking me to describe the date, time and cab number all over again. The CSO who sent me the email did not scroll through to the bottom of the email.

Later on, a CSO called (not email) me and apologised. Said that they have investigated the case, and found driver to be lying and have penalised the driver.

OK loh, you say, then I believe lah.

Case closed.

My Blog

2007-03-27T13:49:00.000+08:00

Somebody commented to me that my blog has no return email address (if thats the way I should put it) and so not "user friendly".

You know... I think left and I think right then in the end, the Ah Beng in me says " Think so much for what!".

DECISION is status quo loh. want to contact me, then leave comment in my blog loh.

My blog need not be user friendly lah, just reader (literally read-er) friendly can already. In a way, thats why here don't have many pictures (if any), blah blah...

Another comment I got from a friend was "WHY I so afraid to put my company name in the blog?" My reply was this "ok loh but so far nobody ask, and so if people ask me, then I tell them loh"

work and play

2007-03-26T10:22:00.001+08:00

Question: which is more important, work or play?
hmm...perhaps a better question is which one of the two gives you more stress---normally.

In recent months (Especially!), I have encounters with people who are all work and no play or should I put it as, work dominates so much of their lives, they have no time for any other thing but work only. If work becomes so stressful perhaps time to rethink of many things.

Don't wait wait wait until all else that is important have left then you remember them.

well someONE may say, but the people needs the job to bring back the bread mah! so need to chiong and chiong! OK. granted. eat the bread alone net time ok!

It's been a week of ups and downs.

2007-03-14T11:26:00.000+08:00

It's been slightly more than a week since I last posted.

Over the past 1 week, many things happened.

I see both a birth of a new born to a colleague and also the hospitalisation of my old man.
Thats the thing about life isn't it, one day happy and another day not so.
One day see life coming on and another see life being threatened.
Also I moment, I get many pat for a job well done in my work unit and another moment, I get the "I not hungry enough at work" comment. sigh.

HONESTLY, with days like this, I also don't know how to beng in this post.

sibeh sian!

Comments not welcome.

Run for your life!

2007-03-07T00:21:00.000+08:00

Today Indonesia got earthquake and Singapore was affected with some (think is 2 figuratively) tremors here and there. Large scale evacuation, schools were affected and many offices were closed in some of the 300 over buildings that decided to shake here and there a little over the late morning and early afternoon.

Over at my work place, a strange email came from one of those who is a PR in the building, asking the Landlord, what should be done now that the person feels the "yo yo". This person even said that the building next door ordered evacuation and so how about us? The person then went on to say, in the light of "tolong tolong, please help help help as I don't know what to do and when to run if the building "yo" again."

I only have this to say....if you can ask a question like this and expect the Landlord to reply you with all decency, then I think it time for you to go.

If you sense danger, you can run, no one will fault you! If you find that you are the only one running, then perhaps at the end of it all, everyone would say you treasure your life and you are smart. If you ask people via EMAIL whether you should run or not, then perhaps you just made your point that you are not worth saving after all! You can send email so how urgent can it be???

Sometimes, don't be too well educated if you can't cope with the education :)

On a positive note however, I think the earth quake did shake many people up as they suddenly realise that there are such a thing as earthquakes after all. Many Singaporeans also had the first hand experience of tremors unlike previous occasions where the very lucky and privilege residential areas like Toa Payoh get to have them.

I think sooner or later (in jest) Singapore gonna have earthquake tremor drills liao...

"Yo ah Yo!
tremor lai liao!
fast fast hide under table if you can't get to a door
that is the drill loh.
Yo ah Yo!"

Walking the Banana??

2007-03-06T00:32:00.000+08:00

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

The first secret I learnt in 2007 from where I work is to laugh. I learnt that laughing can also be a forum topic to talk about at an organisation get together event.

The speaker gave a very good example of "the" banana went strolling at a park, complete with lash and an owner. The speaker used this example to basically tell us that in my "beng" language..."you think people cannot remember you one lah!" and the subsequent "Why you worry so much...people so free think of you meh?"

Gist is this guy brought the banana walking one day, and even though that very day, the walk brought about many stares from the ah peh and ah soh, all was forgotten by the time this guy walked past the same spot the very next day.

However, I picked up another two lessons.

If this same fellow brings the banana back to the same spot the very next day, I am sure the same ah peh and ah soh would remember him immediately and stare further. If this walking the banana happens again and again for a period of time, everyone would have got tired of talking about him and see this "walking the banana" as everyday occurence.

Now, points from the above is this...
1) You want people to forget, then don't do it again lah. Also don't help people do a "refresh" by doing the same thing again.
2) If you have to do it again, and have super thick skin, then it ok anyway, as people will be "sian" of talking about you anyway after some time...

So its ok to laugh after all... and don't be so serious about do sah-lah ok! ....

"as do sah-lah also nevermind, just don't do it again unless you are the super thick skin type."

Comparsion of Profession?

2007-03-01T12:27:00.001+08:00

some time ago, I read this, comparing the profession of the librarian and that of the medical doctors. The paper goes that as doctors, they up their expertise by attending conference, writing papers, blah blah blah and so by uping their expertise, they up their pay as well. Goes on to talk about librarians should also do the same, peg their promotions to their professional development, if no development then no promotion.

point is this.....doctors earn 10k a month, librarians don't (at least most don't)

doctors from the onset need to be go for many years of education, internship and then housemanship, and within them more exams. Librarians don't have that many years of formal librarianship training, housemanship for that matter and professional tests.

One is a specialists, librarianship in a way is a generalist of sorts. Try asking a librarian to be a doctor and vice versa, ask their customer who they want to be served by (ie. a librarian pretending to be a doctor or a doctor pretending to be a librarianship).

The Singapore Medical council (vis a vis medical board) is recognised as the body to censure doctors and can strike doctors off their tonnes of money payroll. In Singapore, censure and strike librarians off their payroll (think me union is stronger?!)

Not "like" doctors then cannot pretend to be like "doctors", not playing masak masak when talking about people's lives , careers and families here.

want to compare, compare teachers and librarians....sounds more like apple to apple.

both are generalist of sorts, both cannot take over the jobs of doctors, both also cannot be censure by their respective associations and taken off payroll, both deal with making sense of information and knowledge...you get my drift?

so back to professional development, teachers not doing that and they are still better paid than us, need I say more?

To me, librarianship is not about how power you are in terms of knowledge, etc. but how you use that to touch lives. Perhaps have a touch live barometer, touch 1 life = 1 point. 100 points can get promoted.

opps...I let out I am a librarian liao....but let me keep me association secret, I scare I tio sack and be the martyr of this scheme.

ok?

btw. if this is read by anyone for that matter who is for the scheme, then good for you for having a stand but just don't pretend to be the doctor...

Book Review 1: Why we want you to be Rich by Donald Trump and Robert T Kiyosaki

2007-02-23T10:12:00.000+08:00

A joint effort by two financial and investing gurus! The books start off with a very impactful and ivniting start but tapers off towards the end. By the time, I was at chapter 5, I was a little bored and can't wait to stop reading.

A book that offers both perspective in many issues and poverty. A central line to the book is that the middle class is vanishing, with corresponding increases in the lower and upper classes of society.

Honestly, with much cross references to their other titles, this book comes across much like a last ditch publicity stance to jack up sales of their other books!

Book medal award: 3 medals out of 5 (On a scale of 5, 1 is can forget about it and 5 is very good, must have and die die must read!)

BooK Review 4: Seals by Jack Terral

2007-02-23T08:55:00.000+08:00

Ok, this books talks about the SEALS who went on a mission to uncover a Saudi Prince funded band of terrorists cum profiteers. The whole book glorifies the superior capability of the US SEALS and their technology with the usual branch of good guys going after the bad.

Read about some romance between 2 officers in the book too

Not worth a read. a 2 medal book.

Book Review 3: Raptor Force By Bill Yenne

2007-02-23T08:41:00.000+08:00

In this fiction title, the US president formed a motley group of man to go after a band of Islamic extremist after suffering a major first attack on US soil. Similar to 911, a plane flew traight into a Denever Skyscraper and killed tonnes of people. Without the formal authorisation of the United Nations, read how the USA comes about forming this motley group of loners, misfits and forgottens to bring about vengenace. The book brings into the picture the binding powers of treaties, the corruptible nature of man and also the "I have it but don't treasure it mentality of man".

Overall, this book is a simple read, at least to my taste, not thrilling enough to make me read it day and night. On a scale of 5 medals (with 1 being forget about it and 5 being must read, then this is a 2 medals book to me:)

Book Review 2:Handbook for Stock Investors by Goh Kheng Chuan

2007-02-23T08:36:00.000+08:00

A good book to grab if you are just starting out to further diversify the use of your available money. Handy (not those thick thick Fundamental Analysis) type of book, this book provides both the season and beginner witht he baby steps to investing. Range of topics goes from opening a CDP account, how to choose good stocks, investment timing and also Technical analysis. Definitely a good book to read in simple English.

On a scale of 5 medals, this book deserves a 4 for its simplicity in bringing about concepts and I would say have definitely achieve the objective of making the investing game easier for the reader.

Education Series 1:Internet Fraud

2007-02-22T18:12:00.000+08:00

Be Aware and Be Smart...

What Are the Major Types of Internet Fraud?
In general, the same types of fraud schemes that have victimized consumers and investors for many years before the creation of the Internet are now appearing online (sometimes with particular refinements that are unique to Internet technology). With the explosive growth of the Internet, and e-commerce in particular, online criminals try to present fraudulent schemes in ways that look, as much as possible, like the goods and services that the vast majority of legitimate e-commerce merchants offer. In the process, they not only cause harm to consumers and investors, but also undermine consumer confidence in legitimate e-commerce and the Internet.

Here are some of the major types of Internet fraud that law enforcement and regulatory authorities and consumer organizations are seeing:

Auction and Retail Schemes Online.
According to the Federal Trade Commission and Internet Fraud Watch, fraudulent schemes appearing on online auction sites are the most frequently reported form of Internet fraud. These schemes, and similar schemes for online retail goods, typically purport to offer high-value items - ranging from Cartier® watches to computers to collectibles such as Beanie Babies® - that are likely to attract many consumers. These schemes induce their victims to send money for the promised items, but then deliver nothing or only an item far less valuable than what was promised (e.g., counterfeit or altered goods).

Business Opportunity/"Work-at-Home" Schemes Online.
Fraudulent schemes often use the Internet to advertise purported business opportunities that will allow individuals to earn thousands of dollars a month in "work-at-home" ventures. These schemes typically require the individuals to pay anywhere from $35 to several hundred dollars or more, but fail to deliver the materials or information that would be needed to make the work-at-home opportunity a potentially viable business.

Identity Theft and Fraud.
Some Internet fraud schemes also involve identity theft - the wrongful obtaining and using of someone else's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. In one federal prosecution, the defendants allegedly obtained the names and Social Security numbers of U.S. military officers from a Web site, then used more than 100 of those names and numbers to apply via the Internet for credit cards with a Delaware bank.

In another federal prosecution, the defendant allegedly obtained personal data from a federal agency's Web site, then used the personal data to submit 14 car loan applications online to a Florida bank.

Investment Schemes Online
Market Manipulation Schemes. Enforcement actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission and criminal prosecutions indicate that criminals are using two basic methods for trying to manipulate securities markets for their personal profit. First, in so-called "pump-and-dump" schemes, they typically disseminate false and fraudulent information in an effort to cause dramatic price increases in thinly traded stocks or stocks of shell companies (the "pump"), then immediately sell off their holdings of those stocks (the "dump") to realize substantial profits before the stock price falls back to its usual low level. Any other buyers of the stock who are unaware of the falsity of the information become victims of the scheme once the price falls.

For example, in one federal prosecution in Los Angeles, the defendants allegedly purchased, directly and through another man, a total of 130,000 shares in a bankrupt company, NEI Webworld, Inc., whose assets had been liquidated several months earlier. The defendants then allegedly posted bogus e-mail messages on hundreds of Internet bulletin boards, falsely stating that NEI Webworld was going to be taken over by a wireless telecommunications company. At the time of the defendants' alleged purchases of NEI Webworld stock, the stock was priced between 9 cents and 13 cents a share. Ultimately, in a single morning of trading, NEI Webworld stock rose in 45 minutes from $8 per share to a high of $15 5/16, before falling, within a half-hour, to 25 cents per share. The defendants allegedly realized profits of $362,625.

In another federal prosecution in Los Angeles, a man who worked for a California company, PairGain Technologies, created a bogus Bloomberg news Web site which falsely reported that PairGain was about to be acquired by an Israeli company, and posted fraudulent e-mail messages, containing links to the counterfeit Bloomberg news site, on financial news bulletin boards. On the day that the bogus report was posted on the Internet, PairGain stock rose approximately 30 percent before PairGain issued its own press release stating that the report was false. Second, in short-selling or "scalping" schemes, the scheme takes a similar approach, by disseminating false or fraudulent information in an effort to cause price decreases in a particular company's stock.

For example, in one recent federal prosecution, a man who described himself as a "day trader" allegedly posted (more than 20 times) a bogus press release falsely stating that a major telecommunications- and Internet-related company, Lucent Technologies, Inc., would not meet its quarterly earnings estimates. The day trader allegedly traded approximately 6,000 shares of Lucent stock the same day that he posted the bogus press release. The false reports allegedly drove the stock's price down 3.6 percent and reduced Lucent's market value by more than $7 billion.

Other Investment Schemes Other types of fraudulent investment schemes may combine uses of the Internet with traditional mass-marketing technology such as telemarketing to reach large numbers of potential victims. In a federal prosecution in San Diego, a major fraudulent scheme used the Internet and telemarketing to solicit prospective investors for so-called "general partnerships" involving purported "high-tech" investments, such as an Internet shopping mall and Internet access providers. The scheme allegedly defrauded more than 3,000 victims nationwide of nearly $50 million.

Credit-Card Schemes.
Some Internet fraud schemes, which appear to be variations on the online auction schemes described earlier, involve the use of unlawfully obtained credit card numbers to order goods or services online.

One widely reported and intricate scheme, for example, involves offering consumers high-value consumer items, such as video cameras, at a very attractive price (i.e., below the price set at legitimate e-commerce Web sites). When a potential consumer contacts the "seller," the "seller" promises to ship the consumer the item before the consumer has to pay anything. If the consumer agrees, the "seller" (without the consumer's knowledge) uses that consumer's real name, along with an unlawfully obtained credit card number belonging to another person, to buy the item at a legitimate Web site. Once that Web site ships the item to the consumer, the consumer, believing that the transaction is legitimate, then authorizes his credit card to be billed in favor of the "seller" or sends payment directly to the "seller."
As a result, there are two victims of the scheme: the original e-commerce merchant who shipped the item based on the unlawfully used credit card; and the consumer who sent his money after receiving the item that the "seller" fraudulently ordered from the merchant. In the meantime, the "seller" may have transferred his fraudulent proceeds to bank accounts beyond the effective reach of either the merchant or the consumer.

Other Schemes.
Some Web sites on the Internet have purported to offer those who want a "quick divorce" an opportunity to obtain a divorce in the Dominican Republic or other foreign countries for $1,000 or more, without even having to leave the United States. These sites often contain false, misleading, or legally inaccurate information about the process for obtaining such divorces (e.g., that neither spouse has to visit the country in which the divorce is being sought). Typically, people who have sent money to one of these schemes eventually receive false assurances that they are legally divorced. In fact, victims of the scheme have neither received legitimate legal services nor obtained valid divorces. People who are interested in obtaining a divorce, whether in the United States or elsewhere, should seek a lawyer with whom they can speak personally, and not rely solely on e-mail exchanges or online information.

a reproduction from http://www.internetfraud.usdoj.gov/

geez...letter to Forum got rejected...

2007-02-21T15:24:00.000+08:00

In their exact words:-

Thank you for writing to us. We do appreciate your making the effort.
We receive up to 70 letters each day. Limited space means we can publish only about a dozen every weekday.
This means having to make often-difficult editorial judgments on which letters to publish.
We regret we are unable to publish your letter this time.

Yours sincerely

So disappointing...want to complain also cannot!!!

Think I would go to LTA next...

Reflections

2007-02-21T10:17:00.000+08:00

"Life is ok but just learning to cope with it..." speaks positive volume of the strength of the person who mutters these words.
Just hope that as life goes on, people who seemingly have already no hope continue to look at life in all other ways first before contemplating the ultimate physical end.

Honestly, those words mean alot to me as it causes me to think of the many times when life is not so pleasant and I tend to think negatively (not ending life) but demoralising thoughts.

Thanks to the "I know and she know"who gave me a good reminder.

Chinese New Year

2007-02-19T19:27:00.000+08:00

At last it is the CNY, this year round, we have 3 days of holidays (Monday- Wednesday) which to many people is a good break from work. Honestly, think for me, more tiring than work with all the need to think of things to entertain the kids and the visiting. Note however, that it was a good time to spend some "extra" time with the kids.

Next Step

2007-02-17T10:28:00.000+08:00

Now, that the blog is on the way, next step I guess is to pump in the content and to have the blog listed somehow on the world's major search engines "exchanges". Gosh got to go read up a little on this.
You know what! blogexplosion told me cannot list me yet as I have less than 10 posts and they cannot do proper evaluation, and asks me to try again after I achieved the incredible 10. :)

Budget 2007

2007-02-16T09:23:00.000+08:00

Seems like a good Singapore budget 2007 isn't it?
basically a budget for everyone(be you upper class, middle class, low class...oppps!) , just hope along the line and later in the year, don't take back more than what is given...:)

I think however, the most important is the 2% REDUCTION IN Corporate tax, hopfully this would make business here more competitive and spillover the benefits to common people like me...I hope.

When a cab is not to be....

2007-02-15T08:47:00.001+08:00

I used to have some faith in the booking system the local cab companies, but now....
I just shot off the below to ST Forum+ verbal complain to Comfort !!!

World class transport system plus internationally growing company like COMFORT can definitely do better than the below... cheh!

Dear Editor,
I seek your assistance to have the following published....

This morning, I called for a cab via Comfort'S 6552-1111 at 6.53 am and was duly given a cab (SHA 3298M) with an estimated time of arrival of between 5- 8 minutes.

As with the current system, any customer with a booking made via the automated system and who calls up the system again woudl be greeted with a "Would you like to cancel the booking...." message, but I was suprising amazed when this message did not come through, what greeted me was another message that asks me if I would like to make a booking.

I subsequently spoke to a operator, who on questioning of my cab, did not enquire further and decided to send another cab to me as a replacement.

I would appreciate if Comfort can answer the following questions:-
1) Since I was given a cab number and I did not cancel my booking, what happen to my booking? The taxi driver cancel the booking?

2) In any case, can the taxi driver do that? If there are circumstances that allow such a cancellation to be made, then why wasn't I informed?

3) I called for the cab at 6.53 am and if taxi driver arrived on time, then I could pay the much lesser booking fee of $1.50 and could even avoid paying the $2 peak
hour surcharge. For the above replacement cab, I paid $4 for booking and the $2 peak hour charge.

COMFORT state of the art booking system leaves much to be desired in terms of reliability as I have had occasions of the following in the past:-

1) 2 cabs coming to attend to my single booking;

2) system telling me a different cab number from the cab that attended to me;

3) the failure of the taxi booking system to register my cancellation of a cab, resulting in the cab driver calling me up to ask me where I was, etc? Driver did not get any notification of cancellation at all and that was more than 5 minutes from my point of cancellation.

Thanks

Linear Bus Stops?

2007-02-13T11:50:00.000+08:00

you know, this one make me laugh loud loud.
buses now have bus bays to drive into and when they cannot come out from their bus bays because of other motorists not giving way during peak periods, they have this cleaver thing of linear bus stops.

Mind you, busy peak periods all also cannot move or move very very slowly, so how to give way leh.

If have linear bustops, that would mean behind cars all cannot move liao once the bus stops to pick up passengers. Many vehicles jam 1 bus is better or 1 bus jam many vehicles

Some cars would also attempt to overtake thereby increasing risk of accident. Also some drivers see elephant in front also cannot stop one, also accident.

Now already have bus lane, should be good enough loh...only think of passengers, how about the motorists who pay the COE and PAY ROAD TAX???

ULTIMATELY, if people give way then ok loh, bus can come out and all passengers also happy. Motorist also happy as now no need these type of inconvenience....

but then hor....

Think should go on a nation wide "use the motorcyle" campaign, then no worries about congestion and slow moving vehicles for some time.... take car also jam, take bus also jam====> now time to increase MRT fares liao !!!! following that, say too many cars-====> increase ROAD TAX, ERP and radio and TV licence fee for cars following that say too many people take bus, until bus spoilt. say too many people take Taxi, so not enough taxis on road===> market logic and cost recovery so increase taxi fare and bus fare.

the buzzz word is increase... but why no one increase OUR pay?

Advertising

2007-02-13T11:20:00.000+08:00

met up with some advertising folks earlier, and indeed they have no time to talk cock and sing song. very busy, very straight and no time wasted in the initial discussions with them. they looked very stressful too, perhaps the stain of tight deadlines and their bosses. Also realised that if you don;t know and not firm in what you want to do, you would be pushed off the wall.

well, supoosed to find space for them to put up some adverts, much to the dislike of my conscience in doing so. Anyway, done what I need to do and now wait to see the FA.

tiny digit starts from 1 again!

2007-02-13T01:10:00.000+08:00

Well, this would be the blog that I told myself to start again after I deleted the old one last year. A mini victory to getting round to doing this after couldn't think of a more appropriate name for the blog (even thought of calling this sexy blog, but then not very "real" and don't want to project a porn site image. Interesting got to the digit thingy after I recall the "the little red dot"....hmmm...no no this one not some political piece and another one of those talking the left and the right of how lousy Singapore is, this blog also not going to give Singapore 4d numbers (singapore lottery), Singapore TOTO numbers (Singapore's version of the powerball), or even football betting tips!

Lets see...what to blog about if no blog about politics. People tell me to blog about work, family, interests as in hobby, people, innovations, etc....piang! seems like so many things to blog....think I cannot concentrate and am getting headache.. Think I talk about everythng that makes me happy, sad, angry, frustrated here loh...in short...everything that makes me headache!!!! Lets see how to make this blog sexy and yet down to earth at the same time...

Oh ANYway, this is first post and supposed to talk about what the mainstream this blog is about and also who "is" am I...

First thing first...don't come here expecting to read good or even normal English, with no grammatical mistakes. If English like that pisses you off, then please kindly excuse yourself from here....and no, I am no ah beng trying to blog (though sometimes I have a feeling that I may just be one someday)

I believe the little digit that is the foundation of all things, machiam like atom (no no... that not smallest denominator!!!) so thats why the blog named tiny digit. I hope whatever people read here would make them want to come back and read more....and perhaps go out and be "inspired" to be the digit....

hey! no see digit no up ok! 2 digits come together (pun intended) so you can become a digit too ok.