For a week, I thought I had lost my USB Flash Disk. Some of you call it a "Thumb Drive", but "Thumb Drive" is registered trademark of Trek, and I am not using theirs.
Found it in my pants pocket. It survived a whole soap-wash-rinse-spin cycle in the washing macine, and hours under the sun, and hours in the wardrobe.
Plugged in, it still works, with my data all intact.
Wow ! Time for me to wash my dirty keyboard and mouse in the washing machine. Heck, I think my CD-ROM is dirty, can't play some of my CDs. Maybe I should wash that too...
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Friday, December 03, 2004
Bet with a Friend
Had a bet with a friend. And I am just documenting this.
Today, Chartered stock price is $1.07.
My friend's bet is, from now to 31st May 2004, Chartered stock price will reach $1.24.
The value of the bet is simply a McDonald's Extra Value Meal.
My bet is that it will NOT rise so much in that time.
Today, Chartered stock price is $1.07.
My friend's bet is, from now to 31st May 2004, Chartered stock price will reach $1.24.
The value of the bet is simply a McDonald's Extra Value Meal.
My bet is that it will NOT rise so much in that time.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
I am "Opiniated"
My manager said that I have changed (in front of everyone). That I am more "opiniated" (he pronounced it as oh-pee-nee-ay-turd) than before. That I have to "watch out" and not to be too extreme. In fact, he did say that I was a little extremely "opiniated".
First of all, it is opinionated. Pronounced as "AH P IH N Y AH N EY T IH D"
I tend to disagree that I am opinionated. Just because I usually let him win in most discussions, that I show "respect" to his opinions ? Nowadays, I am more daring at challenging his concepts. I am now more opinionated ? It should be that I am more vocal. My opinions are still there, and still the same.
After a quick check with Oxford's dictionary, seems like he is right (though I am sure it is coincidental) :
opinionated
dogmatic
First of all, it is opinionated. Pronounced as "AH P IH N Y AH N EY T IH D"
I tend to disagree that I am opinionated. Just because I usually let him win in most discussions, that I show "respect" to his opinions ? Nowadays, I am more daring at challenging his concepts. I am now more opinionated ? It should be that I am more vocal. My opinions are still there, and still the same.
After a quick check with Oxford's dictionary, seems like he is right (though I am sure it is coincidental) :
opinionated
• adjective assertively dogmatic in one’s views.
dogmatic
• adjective inclined to impose dogma; firmly asserting personal opinions as true.
So, in theory, simply by being more assertive instead of being "Yes, sir, you are right", I am being more opinionated. Wow ! I so hate it when he is right, again.
I am sure if I ask him the meaning of opinionated, I am willing to be $5 that he will say "A person who has opinions".
Oh well, like an obsure saying I heard somewhere "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one." I usually do not impose my "asshole" onto others.
And if I want to hear an asshole speak, I would have farted...
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Owww. My poor eyes
Spent 1 hour reading someone's block. White words on black background.
All I can say is owww...
Try it sometimes. Getting the blurry vision of excitement without the hangover.
On other news, I resolve to get more emotionally detached to my workplace politics, and just view it like I would a TV program minus the emotions.
Let's see if I can stick with my resolution.
All I can say is owww...
Try it sometimes. Getting the blurry vision of excitement without the hangover.
On other news, I resolve to get more emotionally detached to my workplace politics, and just view it like I would a TV program minus the emotions.
Let's see if I can stick with my resolution.
Sadistic Me
I discovered something in me today.
Today is 1st Dec 2004. A day that someone in my company is supposed to be classified as a failure and kicked out of my dept and transferred to another. Considered a "demotion".
I realized I was a little happier today. No, don't ask me why.
Yes, it was the same guy that I consoled in West Coast McDonalds.
Yes, I was a little pissed off at him. (Not as much as some of my other colleagues were, who kenna "saboed" because of him.)
No, I didn't know why I am so happy..Maybe the fact that I do not like his attitude is one thing.. Maybe the speculation that he doesn't see it coming yet, is another.
Ooooo.. the joy of seeing his face when he receives the news....
Ooooo.. I am such as sadist.
Today is 1st Dec 2004. A day that someone in my company is supposed to be classified as a failure and kicked out of my dept and transferred to another. Considered a "demotion".
I realized I was a little happier today. No, don't ask me why.
Yes, it was the same guy that I consoled in West Coast McDonalds.
Yes, I was a little pissed off at him. (Not as much as some of my other colleagues were, who kenna "saboed" because of him.)
No, I didn't know why I am so happy..Maybe the fact that I do not like his attitude is one thing.. Maybe the speculation that he doesn't see it coming yet, is another.
Ooooo.. the joy of seeing his face when he receives the news....
Ooooo.. I am such as sadist.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Day of Peace and Fun
Yesterday was a very enjoyable day, even though I didn't really do much.
I guess it is not about what I do, but rather who I was with and really enjoying company. Even though the things we did were rather common and nothing really exciting or unsual, it was a day of peace and satisfaction.
But, I have to say it was really tough looking for a cookie-monster. Yes, the blue furry guy in Sesame Street. I just can't find the one that I wanted. The one with longer fur. All the ones I found were from Fisher-Price. They don't look like the actual thing. Either they don't have fur, or it is the velvety-type.
Damn, have to look harder this week.
On the working front, it looks like another series of time-wasting presentations in the coming weeks. Also, I am getting irritated by my manager's habit of trying to argue with almost every statement that I said. I guess one of these days, my irritated face is going to get me into trouble...
I guess it is not about what I do, but rather who I was with and really enjoying company. Even though the things we did were rather common and nothing really exciting or unsual, it was a day of peace and satisfaction.
But, I have to say it was really tough looking for a cookie-monster. Yes, the blue furry guy in Sesame Street. I just can't find the one that I wanted. The one with longer fur. All the ones I found were from Fisher-Price. They don't look like the actual thing. Either they don't have fur, or it is the velvety-type.
Damn, have to look harder this week.
On the working front, it looks like another series of time-wasting presentations in the coming weeks. Also, I am getting irritated by my manager's habit of trying to argue with almost every statement that I said. I guess one of these days, my irritated face is going to get me into trouble...
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Life of a Porn Clerk
Hey, boring Saturday. Found this to be amusing. Enjoy !
1. Beth's First Law of Tag Replenishment:
Of any ten tags you need to put away, nine of them will be in front of the big creepy guy who won't move.
Ali's Corollary:
Of these nine, at least five will require you to bend or crouch in such a way that your head is right in front of his groin.
.... (snipped) ....
There are way more bisexuals in the world than you think. I know there are way more than you think, because there are way more than I thought, and I'm bisexual. People who've finally gotten rid of all their inhibitions in that regard rent all over the Kinsey scale - there are a few 50/50 renters, but more people just seem to throw in what suits them. It still freaks out many of my fellow clerks when people do that. "Weird. That guy rented three gay videos and two straight," comes up a lot. I usually gently mention that there are more than two options in the world, but they tend to just give me blank looks. Oh, well - most of them are still in college. They'll learn.
.... (snipped) ....
But I digress. We actually hardly ever turn people gay or even bi. The clerks at our all-porn branch have noticed a fairly strict progression, because their porn is broken up by far more than gay and straight. According to them, the most likely Porn Drift path for a straight male goes from all lesbian to straight sex (some guys are so freaked out about seeing another guy's penis that straight sex videos are called "gay male" in some circles) to she-male. We keep the she-male stuff in the straight section - straight guys don't want to go to the gay section for their chicks with dicks videos, and for the most part gay men don't rent them.
(I have been given two interesting explanations as to why straight guys like women with penises. The first is that men don't believe that women like or want sex as much as they do. A chick with a penis, then, is a woman who has a full, hearty, male sex drive and must want sex as much as he does. The second one is almost touching to me: Vaginas are mysterious, and penises are by comparison fairly straightforward and easy to satisfy. A guy knows what to do with a penis, so if a woman has one he can be sure he knows how to satisfy her.)
I am actually sort of heartened by Porn Drift. I like seeing concrete evidence that sexuality is a more fluid thing than people like to admit, and I like seeing people stop worrying about what they're supposed to be turned on by and just go with what they like. I feel like the more people stop trying to fit themselves into rigid little boxes, the more they'll be able to cut people slack when they fit into a different box, or don't fit into a box at all.
So depending on your point of view, we're either helping people to open up to a new understanding of themselves and others, or we're helping to turn previously normal people into depraved freakos.
What else is new?
1. Beth's First Law of Tag Replenishment:
Of any ten tags you need to put away, nine of them will be in front of the big creepy guy who won't move.
Ali's Corollary:
Of these nine, at least five will require you to bend or crouch in such a way that your head is right in front of his groin.
.... (snipped) ....
There are way more bisexuals in the world than you think. I know there are way more than you think, because there are way more than I thought, and I'm bisexual. People who've finally gotten rid of all their inhibitions in that regard rent all over the Kinsey scale - there are a few 50/50 renters, but more people just seem to throw in what suits them. It still freaks out many of my fellow clerks when people do that. "Weird. That guy rented three gay videos and two straight," comes up a lot. I usually gently mention that there are more than two options in the world, but they tend to just give me blank looks. Oh, well - most of them are still in college. They'll learn.
.... (snipped) ....
But I digress. We actually hardly ever turn people gay or even bi. The clerks at our all-porn branch have noticed a fairly strict progression, because their porn is broken up by far more than gay and straight. According to them, the most likely Porn Drift path for a straight male goes from all lesbian to straight sex (some guys are so freaked out about seeing another guy's penis that straight sex videos are called "gay male" in some circles) to she-male. We keep the she-male stuff in the straight section - straight guys don't want to go to the gay section for their chicks with dicks videos, and for the most part gay men don't rent them.
(I have been given two interesting explanations as to why straight guys like women with penises. The first is that men don't believe that women like or want sex as much as they do. A chick with a penis, then, is a woman who has a full, hearty, male sex drive and must want sex as much as he does. The second one is almost touching to me: Vaginas are mysterious, and penises are by comparison fairly straightforward and easy to satisfy. A guy knows what to do with a penis, so if a woman has one he can be sure he knows how to satisfy her.)
I am actually sort of heartened by Porn Drift. I like seeing concrete evidence that sexuality is a more fluid thing than people like to admit, and I like seeing people stop worrying about what they're supposed to be turned on by and just go with what they like. I feel like the more people stop trying to fit themselves into rigid little boxes, the more they'll be able to cut people slack when they fit into a different box, or don't fit into a box at all.
So depending on your point of view, we're either helping people to open up to a new understanding of themselves and others, or we're helping to turn previously normal people into depraved freakos.
What else is new?
Our Wonderful Transport System
Singapore has a world class public transport system. We also have a world class fleece-money-from-people system.
We must be one of the top users of "pre-paid" systems in the world. I mean, almost everything.
Granted, you have some systems that are pre-paid in many countries. Like mobile phone calling cards. That is because you actually save some money when using pre-paid services.
But here, nooooo....
Hmm. Lets see. HDB and URA parking are done by a coupon system. You pay before you use. And I don't mean it is similar to those parking meters in other countries. In those system, you actually park your car first, then you pay for how long you intend to leave it there. Or those parking in shopping centres, where you collect a ticket upon entry, and pay the appropriate amount when you leave. Now that is a reasonable transaction.
Our parking coupons are bought days, weeks or even months ahead. If you lose it, its your own fault. If it is destroy, it is your own fault. If you tear the tabs wrongly, its is your own fault. What kind of "savings" are we talking about ? Nothing. What benefits for paying in advance ? Nothing.
And yet, when they decided to raise the parking rates from 90 cents per hour to $1 per hour. What happens to the pre-paid 90-cents coupons ? You can't use it. You have to "top-up" and buy new coupons ! I mean, the SALE has already taken place. It is a done deal.
Recent trip to Malaysia showed that our neighbour has definitely caught on very fast to our efficient government in collecting money. They took down parking meters and now sell parking coupons, just like Singapore. Wow. I think pretty soon, having a holiday trip into Malaysia will be very much just like Singapore.
Now, "top-up" is something that is very common to Singaporeans. I mean, if we have to pay for goods/services AFTER we use them, we find it amusing. We tan-dio (earned).
And how about Cashcard ? Since when is CASH itself not acceptable ? Ask our dear National Library. Cashcard is supposed to be treated like cash. You have to take care of it. Make sure it doesn't get stolen, etc ,etc. If you lose it, it is as good as losing cash.
Yeah, sure. So where is the "Choice" ? ERP uses cash cards. Many parking uses cash cards. Without it, you are just inconvenienced. Look at other road users abroad. Even our neighbouring malaysia, has lanes for "pre-paid" and "cash only" users. No doubt the pre-paid "Touch-n-Go" has no discount, but it provides convenience for users who choose to use them, providing a faster lane, without having to wait too long in queue. There is choice.
I recently drove through an ERP gantry without a cashcard. Why ? Because I don't usually drive through the PIE towards Changi at the peak hour. When I see that it was in operation, I had no time to slot in my cash card. Results ? $10 admin charge, and $1 for the fare.
Everything is about penalty. We prepay way before we use the services, forgoing bank interests (even if it is pathetic) and other benefits, yet we suffer heavy penalty for not being smart enough to use the system in their weird way.
Take the EZ-Link card on Buses. How many people have innocently forgot to tap at the exit and thus had full-fare being deducted ? I mean, excuse me for spending my whole life getting used to not need to tap at the exit. Now, you change the system and it suddenly becomes my fault ?
Oh, you can claim the fare back if you forgot. Yeah, spend more money writing in, going to their office to fill in forms, wait for hours to get a refund of 60-cents ? It just makes it not economical to appeal. So smart. What is the results ? People can't be bothered to seek refund.
So who wins ? It is never about the consumer or the good of the people. It is always about making it easier to fleece money off us.
Welcome to our wonderful world of Singapore.
We must be one of the top users of "pre-paid" systems in the world. I mean, almost everything.
Granted, you have some systems that are pre-paid in many countries. Like mobile phone calling cards. That is because you actually save some money when using pre-paid services.
But here, nooooo....
Hmm. Lets see. HDB and URA parking are done by a coupon system. You pay before you use. And I don't mean it is similar to those parking meters in other countries. In those system, you actually park your car first, then you pay for how long you intend to leave it there. Or those parking in shopping centres, where you collect a ticket upon entry, and pay the appropriate amount when you leave. Now that is a reasonable transaction.
Our parking coupons are bought days, weeks or even months ahead. If you lose it, its your own fault. If it is destroy, it is your own fault. If you tear the tabs wrongly, its is your own fault. What kind of "savings" are we talking about ? Nothing. What benefits for paying in advance ? Nothing.
And yet, when they decided to raise the parking rates from 90 cents per hour to $1 per hour. What happens to the pre-paid 90-cents coupons ? You can't use it. You have to "top-up" and buy new coupons ! I mean, the SALE has already taken place. It is a done deal.
Recent trip to Malaysia showed that our neighbour has definitely caught on very fast to our efficient government in collecting money. They took down parking meters and now sell parking coupons, just like Singapore. Wow. I think pretty soon, having a holiday trip into Malaysia will be very much just like Singapore.
Now, "top-up" is something that is very common to Singaporeans. I mean, if we have to pay for goods/services AFTER we use them, we find it amusing. We tan-dio (earned).
And how about Cashcard ? Since when is CASH itself not acceptable ? Ask our dear National Library. Cashcard is supposed to be treated like cash. You have to take care of it. Make sure it doesn't get stolen, etc ,etc. If you lose it, it is as good as losing cash.
Yeah, sure. So where is the "Choice" ? ERP uses cash cards. Many parking uses cash cards. Without it, you are just inconvenienced. Look at other road users abroad. Even our neighbouring malaysia, has lanes for "pre-paid" and "cash only" users. No doubt the pre-paid "Touch-n-Go" has no discount, but it provides convenience for users who choose to use them, providing a faster lane, without having to wait too long in queue. There is choice.
I recently drove through an ERP gantry without a cashcard. Why ? Because I don't usually drive through the PIE towards Changi at the peak hour. When I see that it was in operation, I had no time to slot in my cash card. Results ? $10 admin charge, and $1 for the fare.
Everything is about penalty. We prepay way before we use the services, forgoing bank interests (even if it is pathetic) and other benefits, yet we suffer heavy penalty for not being smart enough to use the system in their weird way.
Take the EZ-Link card on Buses. How many people have innocently forgot to tap at the exit and thus had full-fare being deducted ? I mean, excuse me for spending my whole life getting used to not need to tap at the exit. Now, you change the system and it suddenly becomes my fault ?
Oh, you can claim the fare back if you forgot. Yeah, spend more money writing in, going to their office to fill in forms, wait for hours to get a refund of 60-cents ? It just makes it not economical to appeal. So smart. What is the results ? People can't be bothered to seek refund.
So who wins ? It is never about the consumer or the good of the people. It is always about making it easier to fleece money off us.
Welcome to our wonderful world of Singapore.
Freedom of Press, or lack there-of
When recently, Rapporteurs Sans Frontieres published their 2004 Press Freedom Index, Singapore ranked #147 out of 167 countries. Well, that is hardly surprising.
What is surprising is the "defence" that our ministers made.
When questioned by opposition MP Steve Chia, our dear minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lee Boon Yang mentioned :
[Straits Times, Nov 18, 2004]
Singapore was ranked the second most global country in the 2004 A.T. Kearney Globalisation Index, which ranks countries on economic integration, technological connectivity, personal contact and political engagement.
......
What is surprising is the "defence" that our ministers made.
When questioned by opposition MP Steve Chia, our dear minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lee Boon Yang mentioned :
[Straits Times, Nov 18, 2004]
Singapore was ranked the second most global country in the 2004 A.T. Kearney Globalisation Index, which ranks countries on economic integration, technological connectivity, personal contact and political engagement.
......
Singapore also emerged as the best governed city in another survey of 33 major cities, by Jones Lang LaSalle, based on aspects of governance such as integrity, stability and efficiency, he added.
'These two surveys reflect high international regard for Singapore as a cosmopolitan city on the global stage,' Dr Lee said.
So, in effect, Press freedom doesn't matter, because we rank high in other surveys. But somewhere at the end of the article, I read this :
'Our media has a tremendously important role in this national effort by rallying Singaporeans to do the things which matter most to Singapore.
This is certainly more important than... to gain the favours of international ranking associations.'
Erm, so ? If rankings given by others are not important, why use them as defence in the first place ? Isn't that hypocritical ?
Also, the mention that our press operates in a different model :
Singapore's media model was different, he said.
'Our model is that of a free and responsible press whose role is to report news accurately and objectively to Singaporeans.'
The media here also served as a platform for diverse views and to reflect the debate on national issues.
Ermm.. You mean press in other countries, specifically those in countries that rank higher than us, are operating in a different model ? One that is aimed at inaccuracy and non-objectivity ?
Also, other countries do not have racial, terrorism, disease and morality issues ??? :
The model had evolved out of Singapore's special circumstances, he said.
It had enabled the media here to strengthen the resilience of Singaporeans in the face of intense economic competition, terrorism threats, infectious diseases and social ills.
What a whole load of rubbish. We are the only country in the world that has different races ? We are the only country in the world that faces terrorism ? Only Singaporeans ahve infectious diseases ? On, and only Singaporeans are immoral. Only Singaporeans are affected by Casinos and gambling. Only Singaporeans are affected by AIDS, or homosexuality, and pornography.
Then today, in Today, an article that says we are ranked higher than Malaysia in another press freedom survey, this time by a think-tank in Washington :
S’pore above M’sia in media ranking
Singapore's media is "somewhat freer" than it was before, according to Freedom House, a Washington-based independent think-tank. The city-state was ranked 135 out of 193 countries in the annual global Press Freedom Index. "Singapore's press is somewhat freer than in past years … Although editorials and news coverage generally reflect Government policies, newspapers are increasingly carrying letters, columns and editorials critical of Government policies," said the survey, without indicating Singapore's ranking the year before. Singapore ranked above Malaysia (154), Laos and Vietnam (both 179), and Myanmar (190). The Philippines led the South-east Asian nations at 75th place, followed by Thailand (88), Indonesia (117) and Cambodia (127). North Korea was deemed to have the world's worst press freedom. The Freedom House survey comes in the wake of a similar index by Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres, which placed Singapore at 147th out of 167 countries.
Why this highlight ? Because we were ranked behind Malaysia in the RSF report ? And we cannot lose out to our neighbour, Malaysia. And we are not concerned about rankings ?
That is the most ironic thing to say. We are most concern with rankings, from food to children's results, from cleanest toilets to best value-added schools.
Hmm.. we are slaves, we have no brains on our own. Everything that our holy leaders say is gospel. They must be true.
An Ex Lawyer-wannabe
When I was very young, I had wanted to be a lawyer. I don't know why, but probably watching Hong Kong drama serials gave me the idea. Watching scenes of lawyers cross-examining witnesses, asking formidable questions.
Also, the fact that I like to argue contributed. Sometimes, I just like to play devil's advocate and argue for the sake of arguing, even if I do not agree with it myself. This helps me in being to see from other points of views. I am sure this is useful in many areas of my life in future.
Dream shattered when my father told me that being a lawyer in Singapore is useless. Can't win any case against the government, or any case that is likely to affect policies. Not much class-action cases. Not much sensational criminal-trials here. There is going to be only 1 David Marshall. That I will most probably end up handling divorce cases or property transactions.
Just happened to bump into a blog of a Lawyer Wannabe. What can I say, humourous and observant young man. All the best to him.
Also, the fact that I like to argue contributed. Sometimes, I just like to play devil's advocate and argue for the sake of arguing, even if I do not agree with it myself. This helps me in being to see from other points of views. I am sure this is useful in many areas of my life in future.
Dream shattered when my father told me that being a lawyer in Singapore is useless. Can't win any case against the government, or any case that is likely to affect policies. Not much class-action cases. Not much sensational criminal-trials here. There is going to be only 1 David Marshall. That I will most probably end up handling divorce cases or property transactions.
Just happened to bump into a blog of a Lawyer Wannabe. What can I say, humourous and observant young man. All the best to him.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Casino Revisited
Just read on our esteemed Straits Times forum pages about people lobbying against having casino.
Mainly 2 groups of people : (1) Religious , (2) Conservatives Pro Family
I can, kind of, understand the conservative part. That people will get addicted to gambling, and tend to beat wife and children more often, etc, etc. Like drug addicts, who can't control themselves. So let's not give them an additional avenue of addiction.
The religious groups (usually Christian and Catholic) will hijack many issues. This is is not spared. That gambling is sinful, thus Singapore should not do it.
Before there is a chance to see whether :
(1) Is the casino really going to help our economy ?
(2) Are there going to be more family problems ?
(3) Can the government make good use of the Casino without the much problems ?
We have the voices of "idealism" lobbying against it.
I mean, this issue is not as simple as "allowing murder to be legal". There are cases of Casino being successful, and there are cases where they failed.
So why impose your religious views onto others ? If you are that great, and gambling is a sin, just tell your followers not to go ! Why not start lobbying against 4D and Toto !
Heck, why don't our Islamic friends lobby against having Alcohol served in Singapore. Afterall, it is proven to have so much problems. And Islam prohibits, so please, start lobbying about the bad things of Wine and Alcohol and ban them from Singapore. Help the rest of the non-Islamic people.
Sorry you have to read all these hateful messages. Not a good day in the office. Getting more sick of some people. I don't know why I can't just look the otherway and pretend I don't know anything about it.
I mean, it is like pretending not to notice that there is a screaming child in the National Library. You can chosee not to do anything to the kid, but the ear-piercing scream still physically damages your ear-drums and it still irritates you.
Mainly 2 groups of people : (1) Religious , (2) Conservatives Pro Family
I can, kind of, understand the conservative part. That people will get addicted to gambling, and tend to beat wife and children more often, etc, etc. Like drug addicts, who can't control themselves. So let's not give them an additional avenue of addiction.
The religious groups (usually Christian and Catholic) will hijack many issues. This is is not spared. That gambling is sinful, thus Singapore should not do it.
Before there is a chance to see whether :
(1) Is the casino really going to help our economy ?
(2) Are there going to be more family problems ?
(3) Can the government make good use of the Casino without the much problems ?
We have the voices of "idealism" lobbying against it.
I mean, this issue is not as simple as "allowing murder to be legal". There are cases of Casino being successful, and there are cases where they failed.
So why impose your religious views onto others ? If you are that great, and gambling is a sin, just tell your followers not to go ! Why not start lobbying against 4D and Toto !
Heck, why don't our Islamic friends lobby against having Alcohol served in Singapore. Afterall, it is proven to have so much problems. And Islam prohibits, so please, start lobbying about the bad things of Wine and Alcohol and ban them from Singapore. Help the rest of the non-Islamic people.
Sorry you have to read all these hateful messages. Not a good day in the office. Getting more sick of some people. I don't know why I can't just look the otherway and pretend I don't know anything about it.
I mean, it is like pretending not to notice that there is a screaming child in the National Library. You can chosee not to do anything to the kid, but the ear-piercing scream still physically damages your ear-drums and it still irritates you.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
The Moon is bigger in other countries
This started out as a cynical comment to people who always praises things abroad.
Then I pulled this as a joke to a couple of friends. My reasoning is that Singapore is near the equator, and other countries further will see the moon larger.
They almost bought it..
But I was only slightly wrong.
You see, it is a well known illusion that the moon appears larger near the horizon.
But since you can't see the horizon at all in Singapore, you always see the "smaller" moon.
When you are overseas, away from a city, and look from a mountain or from the beach, you can most probably catch the moon when it is at its "largest", near the horizon.
Then I pulled this as a joke to a couple of friends. My reasoning is that Singapore is near the equator, and other countries further will see the moon larger.
They almost bought it..
But I was only slightly wrong.
You see, it is a well known illusion that the moon appears larger near the horizon.
But since you can't see the horizon at all in Singapore, you always see the "smaller" moon.
When you are overseas, away from a city, and look from a mountain or from the beach, you can most probably catch the moon when it is at its "largest", near the horizon.
You have done well for PSLE. Here is $1,000
Just heard, that my manager promised his daughter $1,000 if she get good grades in her PSLE.
Wow.. I mean, $1,000 (yes, I didn't type wrongly. One Thousand Singapore Dollars).
Then he said he spent $1,400 to get a puppy for the daughter as a present.
A few things crossed my mind :
(1) Wow. That is a lot of money
(2) What kind of values he is putting to his daughters ?
I shall not talk about how much money it is, and how envious other kids will be when they hear this.
What I want to talk about is what values or impression it inculcates in his daughters.
The message I get is that doing well in your studies is worth $xxx. What about the basic value of knowledge itself ? How do you measure it in dollars and cents ? How about the basic attitude of learning. Now it is for the sake of getting rewards, nothing to do with learning being a enjoyable process of self improvement ? (Think of the recent government compaign to get older workers to "relearn".)
So what will she learn at this young age ?
That next time, if daddy cannot afford to give me $10,000 as reward for doing well in my A-Levels, I should not do it ?
That if daddy cannot afford to give me pocket money anymore, even though I am 21 years old and working now, I do not need to take care of daddy and mummy anymore, because it is a negative cash flow to me ?
If my friend give me expensive birthday presents, he/she is my good friend. Otherwise, not worth keeping ?
What the parents value, they will translate it down to their children. I know without money, it is almost impossible to live. But, do you have to use money as a lure everytime ? Is everything about reward and punishment, just like Singapore?
How about "You should treat others nicely because you should." and not "because it might pay dividend in the future." ?
Sad world I am in ...
Oh, and her score of 251 points, was 3 points higher than mine. Wow. She is a genius.
And judging by how his daughters treat their hamsters, I will bet that in 6 months' time, the puppy will be another "child" for their maid to take care of. Especially after they have to clear the shit for a few days.
Wow.. I mean, $1,000 (yes, I didn't type wrongly. One Thousand Singapore Dollars).
Then he said he spent $1,400 to get a puppy for the daughter as a present.
A few things crossed my mind :
(1) Wow. That is a lot of money
(2) What kind of values he is putting to his daughters ?
I shall not talk about how much money it is, and how envious other kids will be when they hear this.
What I want to talk about is what values or impression it inculcates in his daughters.
The message I get is that doing well in your studies is worth $xxx. What about the basic value of knowledge itself ? How do you measure it in dollars and cents ? How about the basic attitude of learning. Now it is for the sake of getting rewards, nothing to do with learning being a enjoyable process of self improvement ? (Think of the recent government compaign to get older workers to "relearn".)
So what will she learn at this young age ?
That next time, if daddy cannot afford to give me $10,000 as reward for doing well in my A-Levels, I should not do it ?
That if daddy cannot afford to give me pocket money anymore, even though I am 21 years old and working now, I do not need to take care of daddy and mummy anymore, because it is a negative cash flow to me ?
If my friend give me expensive birthday presents, he/she is my good friend. Otherwise, not worth keeping ?
What the parents value, they will translate it down to their children. I know without money, it is almost impossible to live. But, do you have to use money as a lure everytime ? Is everything about reward and punishment, just like Singapore?
How about "You should treat others nicely because you should." and not "because it might pay dividend in the future." ?
Sad world I am in ...
Oh, and her score of 251 points, was 3 points higher than mine. Wow. She is a genius.
And judging by how his daughters treat their hamsters, I will bet that in 6 months' time, the puppy will be another "child" for their maid to take care of. Especially after they have to clear the shit for a few days.
It's my birthday, spend money on me
After reading an article from Yawning Bread entitled It's my birthday, spend money on me.
I sort of agree. It is not that I am stingy, but I feel many times, many people simply "forget" the others with either lower income, or more commitments, or those who simply do not want to spend money to socialize and get to know friends better.
I mean, you throw birthday parties for your kids, or a house warming party, and sooner or later, you will hear some gossips about the "Mr. Tan so ngeow one, give such cheap presents" , or that "Mrs. Lee, aiyoh recycle her unwanted presents"...
Just one of the reasons why nowadays, an invitation to someone's wedding is called "Red Bomb". Why ? I mean, a wedding is supposed to be a happy occassion for everyone. But it has become some sort of economic measure. "I have to give ang bao proportionately to the price of the restaurant." And wedding couples count money they collect from ang baos to see if they recouped their losses or not.
Whatever happened to a simple wedding to pronouce your love, if you do not have the money to splurge on a big party ?
I am not pointing fingers only at materialistic-capitalistic culture. The Chinese, Indians, all have elaborate weddings and parent's talk about "face", about making it grandier than any of their relatives' wedding.
All these kind of turned me off festivals like Christmas and functions like weddings.
Maybe because I know that I will not be having any weddings, thus I will not "earn back" whatever I spent on my friends. All the jokes of "if give only $50 ang bao, put him at the table near the toilet" are not helping.
And I remembered an episode in "Sex and the City". One of Carrie's friend refused to pay Carrie for a pair of expensive shoes that was lost at her house, saying she will not pay for Carrie's extravagent lifestyle. Carrie than complaint about Singles paying for the lifestyle of the Married. Other people "pay" for the wedding, other people pay for children's baby shower, birthday, graduation, etc etc.
So the question becomes, why do we have to pay for your decisions to have many children, when I am trying to avoid having children of my own ?
And how do I avoid spending all these money that I am not willing to spend, and yet maintain a sincere friendship with you ? Do I have to buy these friendship with money ?
Call me a dolt, but I still can't figure out how one's birthday is meaningful to anyone but oneself, and why anybody else should "celebrate" this day. But obviously, if someone takes the day off on account of "celebrating his birthday", some kind of party must be in the works. After all, it's difficult to imagine him spending the day in solitary meditation.
I sort of agree. It is not that I am stingy, but I feel many times, many people simply "forget" the others with either lower income, or more commitments, or those who simply do not want to spend money to socialize and get to know friends better.
I mean, you throw birthday parties for your kids, or a house warming party, and sooner or later, you will hear some gossips about the "Mr. Tan so ngeow one, give such cheap presents" , or that "Mrs. Lee, aiyoh recycle her unwanted presents"...
Just one of the reasons why nowadays, an invitation to someone's wedding is called "Red Bomb". Why ? I mean, a wedding is supposed to be a happy occassion for everyone. But it has become some sort of economic measure. "I have to give ang bao proportionately to the price of the restaurant." And wedding couples count money they collect from ang baos to see if they recouped their losses or not.
Whatever happened to a simple wedding to pronouce your love, if you do not have the money to splurge on a big party ?
I am not pointing fingers only at materialistic-capitalistic culture. The Chinese, Indians, all have elaborate weddings and parent's talk about "face", about making it grandier than any of their relatives' wedding.
All these kind of turned me off festivals like Christmas and functions like weddings.
Maybe because I know that I will not be having any weddings, thus I will not "earn back" whatever I spent on my friends. All the jokes of "if give only $50 ang bao, put him at the table near the toilet" are not helping.
And I remembered an episode in "Sex and the City". One of Carrie's friend refused to pay Carrie for a pair of expensive shoes that was lost at her house, saying she will not pay for Carrie's extravagent lifestyle. Carrie than complaint about Singles paying for the lifestyle of the Married. Other people "pay" for the wedding, other people pay for children's baby shower, birthday, graduation, etc etc.
So the question becomes, why do we have to pay for your decisions to have many children, when I am trying to avoid having children of my own ?
And how do I avoid spending all these money that I am not willing to spend, and yet maintain a sincere friendship with you ? Do I have to buy these friendship with money ?
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
OCP - The Future is here
Remember Robocop ? The company that built it , OCP. The corporation that is present in almost all walks of life, controlling even some government functions.
Well, since I was doing some car research, below is a list of who owns what in the global car industry :
Brands under General Motors :
GMC - 100%
Chevrolet - 100%
Opel - 100%
Holden - 100%
Saab - 100%
Cadillac - 100%
Buick - 100%
Pontiac - 100%
Vauxhall - 100%
Daewoo - 45%
Hummber - 100%
Saturn - 100%
Affiliates of GM :
GM-Fiat - 50%
Fuji Heavy Industries - 20%
Suzuki - 20%
Other Services :
Finances
-------
Brands Under Ford Motors :
Ford
Lincoln
Mercury
Mazda
Aston Martin
Jaguar
Volvo
Land Rover
Other Services :
Ford Credit
Hertz
-------
Brands Under Volkswagen Group :
VolksWagen (VW Group)
Skoda
Bentley
Bugatti
Audi (Audi Group)
Lamborghini
Seat
-------
Brands Under Toyota Motors :
Toyota
Lexus
Daihatsu
Hino (Look at our SBS buses)
Collaborations with :
PSA Peugeot Citroen
Other Business :
Housing
Marine
Biotechnology & Afforestation
-------
Other "Alliances", "Startegic Partners" and Mergers
DaimlerChrysler + Mitsubishi
Kia = Hyundai
Mini = BMW
Peugeot + Citroen
A friend of mine also point out that Mitsubishi is more like OCP than any of the car companies. They have "subsidiaries" handling everything from mechanical components to Patriot missles, traditional steel industry to nuclear technology, home consumer products to industrial robots and machines.
And if you look at consumer products (Detergents, Shampoo), you will also find a few companies owning more than 80% of the brands in the market. Food and tidbit industries as well. Just go to their web sites to find out more. Companies like P&G, Nestle, Unilever, etc.
Oh well, I am waiting for the day of Robocop, where police forces are outsourced to OCP....
Well, since I was doing some car research, below is a list of who owns what in the global car industry :
Brands under General Motors :
GMC - 100%
Chevrolet - 100%
Opel - 100%
Holden - 100%
Saab - 100%
Cadillac - 100%
Buick - 100%
Pontiac - 100%
Vauxhall - 100%
Daewoo - 45%
Hummber - 100%
Saturn - 100%
Affiliates of GM :
GM-Fiat - 50%
Fuji Heavy Industries - 20%
Suzuki - 20%
Other Services :
Finances
-------
Brands Under Ford Motors :
Ford
Lincoln
Mercury
Mazda
Aston Martin
Jaguar
Volvo
Land Rover
Other Services :
Ford Credit
Hertz
-------
Brands Under Volkswagen Group :
VolksWagen (VW Group)
Skoda
Bentley
Bugatti
Audi (Audi Group)
Lamborghini
Seat
-------
Brands Under Toyota Motors :
Toyota
Lexus
Daihatsu
Hino (Look at our SBS buses)
Collaborations with :
PSA Peugeot Citroen
Other Business :
Housing
Marine
Biotechnology & Afforestation
-------
Other "Alliances", "Startegic Partners" and Mergers
DaimlerChrysler + Mitsubishi
Kia = Hyundai
Mini = BMW
Peugeot + Citroen
A friend of mine also point out that Mitsubishi is more like OCP than any of the car companies. They have "subsidiaries" handling everything from mechanical components to Patriot missles, traditional steel industry to nuclear technology, home consumer products to industrial robots and machines.
And if you look at consumer products (Detergents, Shampoo), you will also find a few companies owning more than 80% of the brands in the market. Food and tidbit industries as well. Just go to their web sites to find out more. Companies like P&G, Nestle, Unilever, etc.
Oh well, I am waiting for the day of Robocop, where police forces are outsourced to OCP....
Funny Army gribes
Hey, as a male Singapore Citizen, I have gone through the entire National Service and still serving the Reservist.
Just found a funny website full of humourous writers and Army stuff.
Excerpt :
The Verdict:
Well, I was like going to ORD already, but I heard that I was not guilty for losing the scabbard. DyS4 is nice enough to tell the RSM in charge of the guard room (I think was for CCO), and once the CCO RSM found out, he gave EVERY RP who were on duty that day (I think excluding the sergeant lah, but if he gana, too bad, I ORD LOH) 1-2 extras.
Yes, I have finally dealt justice to the deserving RPs. It's just suay you lose lim beh's scabbard - I am the Statement I/C plus lao jiao signaller - wahaha.
Ah no, you will not hear about my army stories.. Well, at least not now.. hahaha
Just found a funny website full of humourous writers and Army stuff.
Excerpt :
The Verdict:
Well, I was like going to ORD already, but I heard that I was not guilty for losing the scabbard. DyS4 is nice enough to tell the RSM in charge of the guard room (I think was for CCO), and once the CCO RSM found out, he gave EVERY RP who were on duty that day (I think excluding the sergeant lah, but if he gana, too bad, I ORD LOH) 1-2 extras.
Yes, I have finally dealt justice to the deserving RPs. It's just suay you lose lim beh's scabbard - I am the Statement I/C plus lao jiao signaller - wahaha.
Ah no, you will not hear about my army stories.. Well, at least not now.. hahaha
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Remove Resonator
On Sunday, went for a gathering of my "car club" to see how they perform a certain operation on their cars. Removing the resonator.
Resonator is a "little" box in your car that keeps the air intake silent. You know how noisy air travels through a tube when being sucked in ? The resonator takes care of that. Of course, it reduces the amount of air-flow at the same time, thus making your car engine less responsive.
So they organized a meeting in a carpark and proceeded to teach and help one another on how to take it out.
My car is just beside the green car.
And of course, the resonator :
I might do it one day, but for now, I would like my car to be as quiet as possible. I prefer comfort to power.
Resonator is a "little" box in your car that keeps the air intake silent. You know how noisy air travels through a tube when being sucked in ? The resonator takes care of that. Of course, it reduces the amount of air-flow at the same time, thus making your car engine less responsive.
So they organized a meeting in a carpark and proceeded to teach and help one another on how to take it out.
My car is just beside the green car.
And of course, the resonator :
I might do it one day, but for now, I would like my car to be as quiet as possible. I prefer comfort to power.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Customer Service in Singapore
Recent hot topic again in our ST Forums. Discussion about the poor service levels of our retail and front-line workers. There are 2 camps, basically :
(1) The ones that blame the service-staff for treating "amg-moh" better than locals.
(2) The ones that blame customers themselves for being "high and mighty", unfriendly and not being responsive to the greetings of service-staff and putting them off.
And today, I read another view, that due to cost cutting, employers are employing foreigners who cannot speak proper English, thus lowering the standard. Ok. Let me try to quote a few lines :
In their foolish attempt to cut costs, they employ foreigners who are cheap with no sense of connection to this country.
Huh ? So what has loyalty got to do with customer service ? They are here to do a job. So what if you employ a loyal Singaporean. Is he/she going do be a better service-oriented staff just because he is working in homeland ?
Anyway, we are all the hype of "outsourcing". So what is wrong with employing foreigners with no connection to Singapore ?
On the other hand, Singaporeans do not like to be in the service industry. Why ? Because they will be looked down upon by fellow Singaporeans. And god-forbid I be seen as a waiter.. Ooooh. So mahlu !
My take on this matter ? Sinply the government's fault. No, don't laugh, really.
All the while, our focus is Productivity, Efficiency, Hardworking. No where is social gracefulness part of what we teach our young. So we become impatient with people who are slow and hinders our productivity. We do not waste time with courtesy. And every second is money to us.
Only in recent years, the government sees that social graces are important. That the arts and culture are just as complementary to social development as academic results and financial knowledge.
So what does our government do ? Spend millions of dollars on the "durian" and call it a day. It doesn't matter that their policies are contradicting. It doesn't matter that you can't put OB markers on "arts". And it doesn't matter that things do not get changed overnight.
So what are we to do about it ? (1) Wait for society to develop and change by themselves. (2) Wait for the government to do something about it. (3) Do our own part and try to perpetuate a more graceful society.
(1) The ones that blame the service-staff for treating "amg-moh" better than locals.
(2) The ones that blame customers themselves for being "high and mighty", unfriendly and not being responsive to the greetings of service-staff and putting them off.
And today, I read another view, that due to cost cutting, employers are employing foreigners who cannot speak proper English, thus lowering the standard. Ok. Let me try to quote a few lines :
In their foolish attempt to cut costs, they employ foreigners who are cheap with no sense of connection to this country.
Huh ? So what has loyalty got to do with customer service ? They are here to do a job. So what if you employ a loyal Singaporean. Is he/she going do be a better service-oriented staff just because he is working in homeland ?
Anyway, we are all the hype of "outsourcing". So what is wrong with employing foreigners with no connection to Singapore ?
If we are to be a tourist hub, I think visitors will come to Singapore from many countries besides China.
And English is an international language, not Mandarin.
Well, it is in the employer's interest to get staff who can communicate with customers. And if customers are put off by the poor English, I am sure they will feel the pinch in their revenue.On the other hand, Singaporeans do not like to be in the service industry. Why ? Because they will be looked down upon by fellow Singaporeans. And god-forbid I be seen as a waiter.. Ooooh. So mahlu !
My take on this matter ? Sinply the government's fault. No, don't laugh, really.
All the while, our focus is Productivity, Efficiency, Hardworking. No where is social gracefulness part of what we teach our young. So we become impatient with people who are slow and hinders our productivity. We do not waste time with courtesy. And every second is money to us.
Only in recent years, the government sees that social graces are important. That the arts and culture are just as complementary to social development as academic results and financial knowledge.
So what does our government do ? Spend millions of dollars on the "durian" and call it a day. It doesn't matter that their policies are contradicting. It doesn't matter that you can't put OB markers on "arts". And it doesn't matter that things do not get changed overnight.
So what are we to do about it ? (1) Wait for society to develop and change by themselves. (2) Wait for the government to do something about it. (3) Do our own part and try to perpetuate a more graceful society.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Down Memory Lane
Was having dinner with my family last night in a street food stall in Malaysia - Kulai, Johor. My grandparents used to own a shop and a house there. The land has now been developed into flatted shops and apartments. I am sure my family and relatives made some money out of the land.
But what I remembered was the row of shop house. It was about 10 meters in front of the front door of the main house. I can remember the house very well because I had stayed there many times in my childhood. But the shop house was only a distant memory. It was burnt down in 1981.
In 1981, I was only 9 years old. My family was living in a flat in Holland Village. One night, I received a phone call for my dad, from my 1st Aunt (who lives in that house). My dad then told us that there was a fire spread from one of the shops and is spreading.
My father and mother then took a few fire-extinguishers from our house, loaded it up the car and drove to Malaysia. I was left alone in the house with my baby brother.
What I heard was that they took about 45 minutes to reach 1 mile away from the fire. Main road was blocked by the police, and traffic piled up. So my parents walked 1 mile to reach the house. By then, the whole row of shops were in fire, with the firemen battling it. My parents ran to the house. With our relatives, they started to spray water all over the front yard, and the roof. Until the police evacuated the whole neighbourhood. They left. Returned the next day, and all the houses were intact. The row of shop houses then became a piece of wasteland, for about 10 years.
What I can remember about those shops, were very little. What I can remember about the house is still in my memories. This was where I spent many years having fun with fire-crackers during Chinese New Year. This was where I bathed with well-water in the open. This was were I learnt how to plant vegetables, and pluck papayas. This was where I used toilets that had no sewage system. This was where .....
But what I remembered was the row of shop house. It was about 10 meters in front of the front door of the main house. I can remember the house very well because I had stayed there many times in my childhood. But the shop house was only a distant memory. It was burnt down in 1981.
In 1981, I was only 9 years old. My family was living in a flat in Holland Village. One night, I received a phone call for my dad, from my 1st Aunt (who lives in that house). My dad then told us that there was a fire spread from one of the shops and is spreading.
My father and mother then took a few fire-extinguishers from our house, loaded it up the car and drove to Malaysia. I was left alone in the house with my baby brother.
What I heard was that they took about 45 minutes to reach 1 mile away from the fire. Main road was blocked by the police, and traffic piled up. So my parents walked 1 mile to reach the house. By then, the whole row of shops were in fire, with the firemen battling it. My parents ran to the house. With our relatives, they started to spray water all over the front yard, and the roof. Until the police evacuated the whole neighbourhood. They left. Returned the next day, and all the houses were intact. The row of shop houses then became a piece of wasteland, for about 10 years.
What I can remember about those shops, were very little. What I can remember about the house is still in my memories. This was where I spent many years having fun with fire-crackers during Chinese New Year. This was where I bathed with well-water in the open. This was were I learnt how to plant vegetables, and pluck papayas. This was where I used toilets that had no sewage system. This was where .....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)