Wise of the Day

40 Inspirational messages in 2minutes

2008-12-16T12:55:00.003+08:00

For those who are struggling to their goals.

40 inspirational messages in 2 minutes.

TRANSCRIPT:
Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I'm not going home. We've come too far! And I'm going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails... but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I'm not saying it's going to be easy. You're going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that's fine, we'll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That's how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you've got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You're like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death... that's the Chicago Way! Who's with me? Clap! Clap! Don't let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let's fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our Independence Day!

Go go go!!

Great work by www.overthinkingit.com
(youtube link here)

To everyone: Go for your rainbow =)

Sun Tattoo

2008-12-12T20:22:00.003+08:00

Wanna get a tattoo but not sure if you will regret it?

How about a temporary one?

Tattoo by the sun!
kinda sexy if you ask me.

Designed by "Yu-Chiao, Wang" (or the chinese way of names - Wang Yu Chiao)
Link here.

Beware of Perverts

2008-12-11T02:00:00.000+08:00

You can buy this T-shirt here.
For our non-Japanese friends, it reads "Beware of Perverts" (Chikan chuui), with "Dangerous Persons are in this Area" below.

Kinda true if you watch enough Japanese AV.
Its got to be Japan!

Jay Chou - Beyond a thousand miles MV

2008-12-10T02:30:00.001+08:00

Jay Chou - Beyond a Thousand Miles (Qian Li Zhi Wai) 千里之外

The most interesting part about Jay Chou's songs are the lyrics.
They usually use meaningful words and phrases that non-chinese or people like who who has a weak understanding of chinese.
Pity.

This embedded youtube video comes with english translation, so a part of the chinese meaning manages to get through. Not as good as the richer chinese context, but I figured its easier than to go back to school.

屋簷如懸崖* 風鈴如滄海我等燕歸來
Wu yan ru xuan yai* / feng ling ru cang hai / wo deng yan gui lai
The roof is like a cliff, wind chimes like the ocean, and I am waiting for the swallow to return

時間被安排演一場意外你悄然走開
Shi jian bei an pai / yan yi chang yi wai / ni qiao ran zou kai
Time is scheduled to act out the accident of you leaving quietly

故事在城外濃霧散不開看不清對白
Gu shi zai cheng wai / nong wu shan bu kai / kan bu qing dui bai
The story occurred outside the city [where] there were thick fogs. [I] can’t see the dialogue clearly

你聽不出來風聲不存在是我在感慨
Ni ting bu chu lai / feng sheng bu cun zai / shi wo zai gan kai
You can't hear that， the sound of the wind never existed, it was the sound of me sighing

夢醒來是誰在窗臺把結局打開
Meng xing lai / shi shui zai chuang tai / ba jie ju da kai
Awakened [from my] dream, who stood by the window sill and opened the ending

那薄如蟬翼的未來經不起誰來拆
Na bo ru chan yi de wei lai / jing bu qi shui lai zhe
The future is as thin as the cicada’s wing and can’t withstand being torn by anyone

Chorus:

我送你離開千里之外你無聲黑白
Wo song ni li kai / qian li zhi wai / ni wu sheng hei bai
I send you off to a thousand miles away, you are silent, black and white

沈默年代或許不該太遙遠的相愛
Chen mo nian dai / huo xu bu gai / tai yao yuan de xiang ai
Perhaps a love so far apart shouldn’t exist in this silent era

我送你離開天涯之外你是否還在
Wo song ni li kai / tian yai* zhi wai / ni shi fou hai zai
I send you away beyond the end of Earth, are you still there?

琴聲何來生死難猜用一生去等待
Qing sheng he lai / sheng si nan cai / yong yi sheng / qu deng dai
Where is the zither** sound coming from? It’s hard to predict life and death. [I will] use [my] whole life to wait

Verse 2:

聞淚聲入林尋梨花白只得一行青苔
Wen lei sheng ru ling / xun li hua bai / zhi de yi hang / qing tai
I enter the woods upon hearing the sound of crying, [I] search for a white flower, but only get a row of moss

天在山之外雨落花台我兩鬢斑白
Tian zai shan zhi wai / yu luo hua tai / wo liang xu ban bai
The sky is far away from the mountain, the rain falls on the flower garden, my hair has become white

聞淚聲入林尋梨花白只得一行青苔
Wen lei sheng ru ling / xun li hua bai / zhi de yi hang / qing tai
I enter the woods upon hearing the sound of tears. [I] search for a white pear flower, but only get a row of moss

天在山之外雨落花台我等你來
Tian zai shan zhi wai / yu luo hua tai / wo deng ni lai
The sky is far away from the mountain. The rain falls on the flower garden. I wait for you to come.

一身琉璃白透明著塵埃你無瑕的愛
Yi shen liu li bai / tou ming zhe chen ai / ni wu xia de ai
Wearing clothes of white glossy sheen, the transparency shows dust and your flawless love

你從雨中來詩化了悲哀我淋濕現在
Ni chong yu zhong lai / shi hua le bei ai / wo lin shi xian zai
You come from the rain and transform sorrow into a poem and I am now wet

芙蓉水面采船行影猶在你卻不回來
Fu rong shui mian cai / chuan xing ying you zai / ni que bu hui lai
A lotus floats on the water, it seems as if the shadows of the boat sails are still there, but you still won’t return

被歲月覆蓋你說的花開過去成空白
Bei sui yue fu gai / ni shuo de hua kai / guo qu cheng kong bai
Covered by time, the flower that you said would blossom has become emptiness in the past

夢醒來是誰在窗臺把結局打開
Meng xing lai / shi shui zai chuang tai / ba jie ju da kai
Awakened [from my] dream, who stood by the window sill and opened the ending

那薄如蟬翼的未來經不起誰來拆
Na bo ru chan yi de wei lai / jing bu qi shui lai zhe
The future is as thin as the cicada’s wing and can’t withstand being torn by anyone

Chorus:

我送你離開千里之外你無聲黑白
Wo song ni li kai / qian li zhi wai / ni wu sheng hei bai
I send you off to athousand miles away, you are silent and black and white

沈默年代或許不該太遙遠的相愛
Chen mo nian dai / huo xu bu gai / tai yao yuan de xiang ai
Perhaps a love so far apart shouldn’t exist in this silent era

我送你離開天涯之外你是否還在
Wo song ni li kai / tian yai* zhi wai / ni shi fou hai zai
I send you away beyond the end of Earth, are you still there?

琴聲何來生死難猜用一生去等待
Qin sheng he lai / sheng si nan cai / yong yi sheng / qu deng dai
Where is the zither** sound coming from? It’s hard to predict life and death. [I will] use [my] whole life to wait

Translation notes:
*崖 is romanized as yai, but it is pronounced more as ya
**Even though "琴 (qin)“is a generic term for many string instruments, "zither" will be most accurate for this context as the song is set in olden days China (as in the MV)

From jay-chou.net

Santa's gmail account

2008-12-09T02:00:00.000+08:00

Now that Christmas is coming, Santa would be probably very busy.
Answering emails and requests....

A snapshot of Santa's gmail account (what other email provider would he use? Of course Google whose corporate motto is "do no evil)

(click on image to see large view)

Look at the contact list on his left. God, Jesus Christ, Frosty, Bono? Steve??? HAHA.

And read all his emails. Its damn funny.

- Yahoo! Answers Answer-Jim311 responded to: "Can Elves get Pregn
- Frosty The Snowman. Dude-Check it. I snapped a pic of this chick that I fu
- Elfbang.com. Your subscription-We renewed your subscription to the hottest elf on elf action
- Al Gore, me (7) Re: My Movie-Still haven't watched it yet? It affects you too, the polar ice c

And the funny thing is, Elfbang.com is registered. (by google)
Look like google still knows how to play their pranks.

Link here.

Japanese Girlfriend

2008-12-07T01:47:00.002+08:00

In case you're wondering, this t-shirt screams "Now accepting applications for japanese girlfriend".
You can get this T-shirt here.

I wonder why so many guys are crazy over japanese girls. Is it because they are known to be submissive and less career-minded? Or is because they are fashion conscious and are able to dress up really well? Or is it because of popular AV genre available on the internet?

I thought japanese girls are too submissive, and a little too boring. oh well.

Sybase365 Followup

2008-12-04T03:30:00.000+08:00

My last article about Sybase365 was tomorrow-ed (tomorrow.sg).
From the tomorrow link up, I found others who were duped by Sybase365 as well.

Apparently Sybase365 is pure evil.

Sybase get a lot of subscriptions from internet adverts too.
You can do a google on "sybase 365 singapore".

Anyway, from the comments in tomorrow.sg, I found another blogger, Mr Marine, who blogged about his experience.

Thankfully he was more hardworking and demanded (and got) 100% of his refund.

Read how he confronted Sybase365, his mobile service provider, and his read up on IDA rules, Singapore Flag rules, SPF rules on lucky draws etc etc.
Read it all here.

Yin and Yang Singapore Joke

2008-12-03T18:06:00.002+08:00

An American tourist was visiting a temple in Singapore when he noticed two statues, a man and a woman by the altar.

He asked the monk what was the significance of the two. The monk explained that in the Chinese system of yin and yang, positives must always be balanced by negatives, and having the two statues ensures that the universal balance was maintained.

“This statue of the woman is the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan-Yin.”

“What about the other one?” asked the tourist.

“This one is the God of No Mercy, Kuan-Yew.”

-dedicated to modern singapore's founding father.

4years of misunderstood Polar Bear

2008-11-27T11:27:00.003+08:00

I think the polar bears are doomed.

yes, we can stop global warming (only a few trillion dollars is needed to combat it, we are already throwing money at detroit and wall street, arent we?).
yes, we can keep them in really cold places.

But apparently, japanese zookeepers have misunderstood the gender of a polar bear for 4years. thats 4 years of pushing GI Joe toys, give him toy guys and dressing the bear in cowboy attire and of course calling the bear "Tsuyoshi", a common name for boys.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/170898
(TOKYO) Puzzled Japanese zookeepers have cleared up a mystery over a lack of chemistry between a couple of polar bears as both turn out to be female, a Japanese zoo said Wednesday. Tsuyoshi, a four-year-old "male" polar bear, and his 11-year-old female partner, Kurumi, have been living together since June at the Kushiro Municipal Zoo in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

I wonder how the bear felt for 4years. it must be a tough struggle not to smack that one zookeeper who keep on putting candlelight, aromatic incenses and dressing up the other female 11yo bear (i assume they are quite sure she's a female) to attract Tsuyoshi.

u got to wonder what the japanese were thinking too when they match a 4yo "male" with a 11yo female. i mean think of the age gap. Tsuyoshi seems like a juvenile even for a bear. Or is it common in Japan?

Dancing Queen 1

2008-11-24T17:08:00.007+08:00

Sometimes too much serious stuff can impede the brain.
so Wise of the Day gives u dancing race queen of the day!

Dancing Race Queens. wait for the gif to load fully =)

The dancing queen craze was started by this wonderful gif image file of NaRuJo!

She's the original dancing queen.
=)

More?

haha korean girls are really funny ;)

test

Consumer's complain against errant provider

2008-11-23T13:30:00.002+08:00

The letter below was sent to CASE (Consumers Associations of Singapore), M1 and the IDA.

Much has been complained about errant mobile services providers. Sybase365 has been complained about n-times on the internet. Kudos to this neofik for fighting back and taking the complains all the way not just to get back a justified refund but to point out the wrong practices of such a firm.

I must admit, when my sister was wrongly charged a continuous monthly subscription for a single download of a wallpaper, I fought and settled for only half a refund.
Imagine the countless consumers who let them get away with it and earn much undeserved profits.
Now lets hope CASE or IDA will take this case forward and shut down undesirable business conducts.

Consumers, Fight for your rights!

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

To: Whomever it may concern

Infocomm Development Authority

Misleading information by errant Provider for SMS Premium Rate Services (PRS)

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter with the intent of highlighting a certain case of misrepresentation and misleading of information by Premium Rate Service Provider Sybase 365 with regards to the TMG Quiz Service which was allegedly provided to my mobile number, 9xxxxxxx.

As a current subscriber to M1’s mobile services, I had recently found out in my October bill that I was being charged an extra $40 for ‘Value added services’ which I have allegedly subscribed to. Upon further enquiry with my service provider, I was told to contact the service provider, Sybase365, myself regarding the charges.

Upon contacting Sybase 365, I was told by Miss Amy Sarah Kurian that I had incurred a total of $56 of charges for subscribing to their TMG quiz service. Apparently, I had indicated my intention to subscribe to this premium service upon texting back ‘MOON’ on the 13^th September to join this ‘Quiz contest’. (A scanned copy of the SMS transcript provided by Sybase 365 is attached for your reference.)

I contested this claim as I did not know that I had subscribed to this service and asked for a refund of all the charges. However, I was told that the terms and conditions were clearly laid out in both the website and in the SMS that were sent to me. As they refused to refund the charges, I asked for a copy of my SMS transcript with Sybase 365, as attached.

Thereafter, I did a search online and found that there were quite a few users who had subscribed to this ‘Quiz service’ provided by Sybase 365 and were charged for it. The url links are appended for your reference:

http://talkback.stomp.com.sg/forums/showthread.php?t=37836&page=2

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?t=1972437

http://eakky.wordpress.com/2008/05/08/sms-to-winrather-it-is-to-get-conned/

I am highlighting this issue to the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) as it is the authority that was charged with drafting the ‘Code of Practice for Provision of Premium Rate Services’ (http://www.ida.gov.sg/doc/Policies%20and%20Regulation/Policies_and_Regulation_Level2/20070508145556/PRSvcCode.pdf), and I would gather, to be the relevant authority for me to address this issue.

I would like to highlight some points of contentions I have regarding the way I was solicited into allegedly subscribing for this premium service by Sybase 365 and the way the service was provided.

Firstly, I was sent the SMS (please refer to first SMS from Sybase 365 on 13^th September; appendix transcript page 3) to participate in this contest because I had clicked on a MSN weblink sent to me by one of my contacts. I have already checked with the contact who sent me the MSN message and he has indicated that he did not send any such messages to me on 13^th September. As such, I would suspect that this MSN message link was sent to me as a message spam without the knowledge of my contact, an innocent victim of a MSN chat virus.

It is to my knowledge that Premium Service Providers have to adhere to an anti – spam policy and can only introduce the service via internet only (2^nd paragraph on the cover page of attached document from Sybase 365; appendix transcript cover ).

My first point of contention then, is how this service was solicited through the internet. It is of questionable conduct that this advertisement was disguised as a chat invitation without my contact’s consent and knowledge, and a reputable service provider like Sybase 365 would allow its services to be solicited through such means ( The MSN chat log is appended as evidence though the website does not seem to be the same as the one I clicked on 13^th September).

9/13/2008		1:20:57 AM		Legal Counsel		neofik		very funny, look and get :p www.BonusToken.net
9/13/2008		1:26:43 AM		neofik		Legal Counsel		haha wats tat

I was then brought to a website (http://www.wixawin.com/sg/ads/moon.aspx) on participating in some Mid-Autumn festival quiz contest. At the default view, the terms and conditions were hidden from view and I was only asked to enter my mobile number and answer a simple question.

My second point of contention is how the terms and conditions were laid out. No effort was made to bring my attention to the terms and conditions and in fact, only upon scrolling down the webpage would I have known that I am supposed to have agreed with these terms and conditions in tandem with the SMS that was sent to me shortly after when I texted back.

As such, at the point in time when I texted back ‘MOON’ indicating my interest to ‘join the contest’, as shown in the first SMS from Sybase 365, I had no knowledge of the terms and conditions whatsoever. I acknowledge that I had texted back ‘MOON’ with the intention of joining the contest, but I had no idea that joining the contest meant subscribing to their premium service at $4/q as the sentences were laid out separately and I had assumed that I would only be liable for charges should I answer any of the questions.

Under section 2.2.1(a), no advertisement should be presented in such a way that is reasonably likely to confuse or mislead in any way. Under the circumstances, I think you would agree with me that my assumptions above are not without logic, reason or basis. The terms and conditions of the premium service that I was allegedly subscribing to was not apparent and no effort was made to direct my attention to them.

Thereafter, upon seeing the phrase ‘$4 charged’ in the first question SMS, I had assumed that I would be charged only if I answered any of the questions and had not replied to Sybase 365 anymore. I immediately stopped my SMSes to Sybase 365 upon receiving the 2^nd SMS from them on 13^th September. Little did I know that I was being charged $4 for every question that was sent to me.

During the course of the weeks that followed, I had constantly ignored the SMS text messages from Sybase 365 to be spam. In fact, I had looked through one of their SMS with the intention of stopping these spam SMSes. But unfortunately, the SMS I looked through did not state the means to unsubscribe from this service (eg. SMS on 16^th September from Sybase 365), I had assumed thereafter that all the SMS had the same content and did not offer me the information by which to stop these SMSes.

During that first month of the alleged ‘subscription, I was also not informed of the charges that I had incurred cumulatively. The SMSes from Sybase 365 only supplied the information of ‘$4/q’, which I had assumed to be the charges I will incur should I reply to the SMS and answer the question. This seems to contravene with section 2.6.3 of the ‘Code of Practice for Provision of Premium Rate Services’.

In paragraph 3 of the cover page sent to me by Sybase 365, they stated that they had sent a confirmation SMS stating all the important information regarding the subscription service (SMS on 13^th September 1:28:19: appendix transcript page 2). However, this SMS was sent together with the first question and as can be seen, I actually received the first question before the confirmation SMS. I had then stopped replying after knowing that I will be charged $4 if I answered.

In the context of the above matter, although the confirmation SMS stated and conveyed all the important information as Sybase 365 claimed. I, as a consumer, could not be expected to know the intent and implications of that SMS as confirmation that I have subscribed to their premium service, presented in that manner.

All of these would not have happened if it was stated to me very clearly, with the terms and conditions at the outset, that I was subscribing to a service upon texting ‘MOON’ on 13^th September.

As such, I hope that IDA would take action against Sybase 365 and misrepresenting information in such a way as mislead unsuspecting consumers into subscribing to their Premium Service unknowingly. The code drafted by IDA was a admirable effort to provide an environment whereby both consumers and providers could operate in a manner that was beneficial to both parties. However, it is errant providers like Sybase 365 which misconstrues the meaning behind, and seek to exploit the loopholes in the code.

It is my belief that Sybase 365 did not seek to inform would be subscribers of the charges, terms and conditions of the Premium Service before allegedly subscribing consumers to the service. They had in fact, acted in an ambiguous manner and conducted their business in a way that was deliberately misleading to consumers.

I hope to hear from IDA regarding this matter soon and to direct my efforts to the relevant parties to address my concern if I have been mistaken.

Thank You

Best Regards

Mr Neofik

Contact: 9XXXXXXX

Email: ***

Paris Hilton - Nothing in this world

2008-11-21T16:04:00.002+08:00

I love this lady! Doesnt this MV reminds me when you were 16yo and dreaming.... (for guys only) ;)

MV's words of wisdoms:

-Sometimes a dreamer is a loser
-Sometimes reality is not what it seems
-Sometimes a loser wins
-Dare to dream

Marriage

2008-11-15T06:00:00.001+08:00

"A happy marriage has in it all the pleasures of friendships, all the enjoyment of sense and reason - and indeed all the sweets of life."

- Joseph Addison

To all couples, enjoy a blissful marriage =)

Army quote

2008-11-14T12:56:00.000+08:00

When I lost my rifle, the Army charged me 85 dollars. That is why in the Navy the Captain goes down with the ship.

Dick Gregory

Military reservist training, stage 1 evaluation completed.

the carrot cake conversations

2008-11-13T00:28:00.003+08:00

Dont stay in Singapore for too long.....
..... the beauty dies on you after a while...

From The Carrot Cake Conversations. Singapore local film.

Myth Busted- 5 seconds rule

2008-11-12T14:03:00.000+08:00

I used to think that the 5-second rule is an Asian culture thinking. I mean we care less about bacteria compared to the westerns who seem obsessed about bacteria.

The 5 second rule is a rough guide that food that landed on the table or floor, can be scooped up and eaten safely without fear of contamination, as long as it is scooped up within 5 seconds. Apparently it takes 5 second for food or bacteria to jump onto the food.

Apparently the 5second rule exists in the western world too. Hoo hoo! at least our western counterpart is growing up nicely with healthy doses of dirt and bacteria.

The "five-second rule" is valid when it comes to food dropped on the floor.

BUSTED

This myth yielded a varied number of results, but in the definitive test where the only variable was time the myth was definitively busted. There was no real difference in the amount of bacteria collected from 2 seconds exposure as there was from 6 seconds exposure.

Original episode from the Discovery Channel documentary:- Mythbusters
From the Mythbusters results

MacDonald's roaring good times

2008-11-11T20:21:00.000+08:00

(link)

Seems that MacDonald's business is roaring back, thanks to
1) recession - usually business is better when recession just started as people still go out, but eat at less expensive restaurants.

after a while though, the number of people going out decline as well.

2) good location (real estate)

3) good operating hours (24hours for many outlets)

Energy Tower

2008-11-10T07:00:00.000+08:00

now and then, we all know we are doomed to death either by asteroids or some outbreaks of virus, or some zombie diseases from the cure for cancer, etc etc.

recently the heat is from global warming and deterioration of the environment.

i can't be too optimistic about that given that we have no experience and track record of moving to a new planet.

but now and then, its news like this that brings me joy and hope. and i can continue to burn my coal and fly my private jet plane just for fun.

Going electric with the 'Energy Tower'

"This technology is so fascinating and exciting," Zaslavsky enthuses. And indeed, the benefits the energy tower promises - a cheap, 24/7, eternally renewable source of power, combined with desalinated water, desert agriculture, plus some progress towards healing our planet's wounds - are undeniably huge.
(from Israel 21c)

Summary:-
Energy tower can
1) provide cheap electricity
2) provide desalinated water
3) cool down temperature in desserts region
4) cool down planet to reverse global warming.

Its articles like that reinforce my beliefs that whatever humans want to accomplish, Yes We Can. Do you think it can be done? Ponder.

Happy Birthday

2008-11-09T00:00:00.000+08:00

On this special day, I would like to wish someone a very happy birthday and may happiness follows him always.

Happy Birthday, Cherub.

Do you count the years you live? Or do you count the years you are going to live?

WowTV from Singapore

2008-11-08T00:10:00.000+08:00

Singapore, where there is only 1 cable tv company (starhub) and 1 near-rival (MioTV by Singtel)...

we are the going to leapfrog and take the leadership for entertainment?

Think Your Tivo Is Cool? Technology From Singapore Puts Tivo to Shame

Love your Tivo? Well, you life may get even better.

Singapore has geared up for the ultimate in personal entertainment with WOWtv, a personalized media experience through streaming broadband channels. Singapore residents can access the media either through the Web, a box on top of their TV set, a portable media player or through 3G.

The entertainment system works basically like on-demand cable, providing viewers with an unlimited all-access pass to moves and TV shows to watch an indefinite amount of times whenver they want to. They can even customize the genre of commercials shown during their programs of choice, allowing 100 percent entertainment during the entire viewing experience.

Described by WOWtv’s CEO as “a lifestyle companion to all…viewers”, he emphasized the ability Singaporeans have to keep their entertainment in their living rooms or bring it with them remotely wherever they choose to go.

(Link from InventorSpot.com)

Funny coz as a Singaporean, I have not heard a single thing about wowtv before.

Michael Crichton

2008-11-07T00:10:00.000+08:00

Michael Crichton - October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008

"Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand," his family said in a statement.

Crichton passed away on November 4, 2008 in Los Angeles at age 66 from cancer.
The world will miss you.

44th POTUS

2008-11-06T00:10:00.000+08:00

because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America

-Barack Obama, the new 44th President of the United States

Congratulations to the 44th POTUS.

8 years ago, the Bush Administration ushered in unilateralism, an American that divides the world into "either you're with us, or against us".

Today, you have the approval of the American people to lead the change to turn the world into a better place.

The next POTUS

2008-11-05T01:34:00.000+08:00

In the next 24 hours, we would be knowing the next President of the United States (POTUS).
He will be either
1) the first african-american president or
2) oldest president elected to a first term (plus first female vice president)

whoever win, will set a new first in America.

If you're not an American, as a global citizen, you will still be affected by the new POTUS.
How will the new president command the failing economy?
How will free trade be affected?
Would it directly affect your job?

(from the Saturday Morning Cereal)
This is why we need a good POTUS. In case aliens attack us!!

Paris Hilton for President

2008-11-04T20:30:00.002+08:00

In the presidential elections, McCain wanted to cast doubts on Obama, and paid for an advertisement portraying Obama as another celebrity, like "Paris Hilton".

Paris Hilton reacted very appropriately, giving sacrastic remarks and commented on talkshows that she may run for president and paint the White House pink if she won.
To reflect criticism with satirical rebuts takes a certain level of intelligence.

"... so thanks for the endorsement, white-haired dude. and I want Americans to know that, I'm like, totally ready to lead"
-Paris Hilton, in spoof attack ads.

This is her latest satire video, made to mock fun at herself and the elections.
I have new found respect for Paris Hilton, even more after the above video.

Military Service for the Nation

2008-11-03T01:00:00.000+08:00

As a recce element in the army, the bad part of training is the heavy weight. the sheer amount of stuff we carry is annoyingly heavy, more than the usual soldier. And worse is the constant, boring refresher courses of all the equipments, from motorbikes, to helicopters to new UAV.
As i reluctantly packed my military gears and head for my annual ICT (in camp training), I think of

"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"

The original speech by John F. Kennedy can be found here.

Myth Busted - Firewalking

2008-11-02T13:46:00.003+08:00

When I was young, I was fasinated by the Hindus ritual of walking over hot coal.
I thought that was wonderful. I wasn't so sure about gods and religions since I couldnt afford the long distance charges in calling god.

I figured out scientifically that it was a result of overwhelming faith in convincing the feet that there was no heat, and to the brain that there was no pain.

I was wrong.

Original episode from the Discovery Channel documentary:- Mythbusters

The act of walking over hot coals is purely a mind-over-matter act and cannot be explained by science.

BUSTED

The Build Team theorized that feet don’t get burned when waling over coals because the ash on the coals forms an insulating layer and also because the foot does not stay in contact with the coals for a long period. When they tried coal walking themselves, they were able to easily crossed the coals. The team noted that they felt confident because of their faith in physics.

Physics, my friend, is a wonderful friend.

From the Mythbusters results

Go Legoman

2008-11-01T16:19:00.001+08:00

Moral of the story:
You cannot hang the legoman. (Link)

Why locks on 7-Eleven

2008-10-31T22:21:00.002+08:00

If the 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why does it have locks on the door?

economist in me:-
It does not make sense to buy or produce special doors without locks just for 7-Eleven.
It is more economical to install standard doors with locks.

the business thinking in me:-
Not all 7-Elevens are 24hours, especially those in foreign countries.
In singapore, some 7-Eleven in hospitals are not 24hours.

the operator in me:-
in case of emergency, can lock and go.

There are actually many various reasons why 24/7 shops have locks.

One of them from WikiAnswers.
Doors are made that way. They are are manufactured with locks. You can't buy an exterior door that doesn't come with a lock.

Food Security

2008-10-30T15:08:00.000+08:00

Food Security?
I saw an article in The Straits Times about ensuring food security for Singapore, by investing in agriculture farms (i think, vegetables and crops) in China.
They would be led by SFI (Singapore Food Industries), a Government-Linked-Company.

Furthermore, SFI would study the feasibility of setting up pig farms in China.

I can't find the exact article about the argicultural investment by Singapore, but I found a linked article regarding the SFI feasibility studies.

"The long—term objective is to provide supply of food, not just for local consumption, and export to Singapore, which is in line with the overall objective of ensuring food security in Singapore," Mr Mah said.

Generally, if you want food security, you probably mean you want food security in uncertain times, where food supplies are limited and the market is disrupted.

In normal times, you can easily purchase food from the market. Even if prices are high, as long as the market function normally, Singapore, as a relatively wealthy country should not be facing food security issues.

So the grip of it is that countries want to ensure food security in abnormal times. Where money alone may not secure food for your population. This fear was stroked recently with competing demands of food supplies (bio-fuels), and dwindling supplies (droughts in Australia, for example), and many countries restricted the export of food crops. Some countries such as India, Vietnam limited the export of rice, even with adequate supplies for their home countries. These unnecessary restricted stroked panics and created disruption in the market supply, inducing even more exporting countries to exercise caution and importing countries to fear.
(note: thank the credit crisis for putting a stop to inflation and fall in price of your fragrant rice)

So we are worried of food security in irrational times. I am not sure of the wisdom of putting Singapore food farms in the world's most populated country. China has vast amount of mouths to feed, and limited agricultural land. As it is now, it is a net importer of food. Furthermore, as an authoritarian government, the right to rule rest on the responsibilities to take care and feed her citizens. In times of crisis, I believe that the China government would take every opportunity to ensure food security for her own citizens. And I would not blame them for that.

So what kind of a food security is this, investing farms in China?

Gwen - the primary school teacher

2008-10-29T14:48:00.005+08:00

This is the picture on the pages of our local tabloids. No no, NOT the New Paper. The real tabloid, our evening chinese papers LianHe WanBao 联合晚报 (another famous tabloid- Shin Min Daily News 新明日报)

Actually its just another ordinary lady in a rather nice luminous green bikini. No big deal.
But the newspapers make a big fuss out of it because she is a primary school teacher.
They call her "ah-lian primary school teacher"

My first reaction, or rather, my 2nd reaction, uh-hm, is "so?"

So what if she is a teacher? Does it really matter? One should be judged by how professionally you conducted your work, not by how you lead your private life. A primary school teacher cannot wear bikini, nor flock to the beach? This is insane.
And wearing a bikini does not make a girl "ah lian"!!

No wonder MOE is having a hard, uh-hum, time looking for teachers.

To me, as long she does her work properly, her private life should not be an issue.
As I understand it, there are people concerned that she is setting a bad example for students. Although I do not see how can a bikini reflects one's moral values and ethics, I do realise that there are many conservatives and other people around.

So what about you? Should a teacher be allowed her own private saucy life? Or is she expected to mind her attires, even in her personal activities?

Anyway 1 serious topic for you to ponder, and many less serious questions below....

She has a very very nice....pair of tattoos on her back.
At the bottom, look at that......tattoo..such elegant winged design.

What a gorgeous, wonderful, attractive HAT!
I wish i can have that hat. Its really simple and nice.

Ok I'd have to be honest here. I am really attracted at the belly jewellery.
I think belly jewellery is one of the coolest and feminine accessories.

Oh gosh! Look at that elephant.
Such nice water feature.

And lastly, stare hard at this photo.
What do you see?

Yup. One monkey riding a dolphin.
Wherever this place is, I am having a talk with their sculptors.

Singapore, first to dip into recession

2008-10-28T01:00:00.000+08:00

I missed this article, dated 10th October'2008 earlier but here goes...

AFP - Friday, October 10

SINGAPORE, Oct 10, 2008 (AFP) - Singapore has become the first Asian economy to fall into recession, analysts said Friday, after the government revised downward its full-year growth estimate and eased monetary policy for the first time in years.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry lowered the city-state's full-year growth forecast to around three percent, citing a slowdown in the global economy and key domestic sectors.

The move came as the ministry released preliminary data showing that real GDP declined by 6.3 percent in the third quarter after contracting 5.7 percent in the previous quarter, the ministry said.

While it did not describe the economy as being in recession, a technical recession is generally defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction in economic output.

"Singapore will be the first Asia economy to fall into a technical recession," DBS Group Research said in an assessment of the data.

In a move to confront the downturn, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) -- its de facto central bank -- said it was easing monetary policy for the first time in more than four years.

"The Singapore economy has weakened over the course of 2008, alongside an escalation in the turmoil in financial markets and a more severe deceleration in global economic activity," MAS said.

These developments meant new uncertainties for the Singapore economy, while slower Asian growth would restrain activity in a range of service industries such as transportation and tourism, it said.

"The risks to external demand conditions continue to be on the downside, and a more severe global downturn cannot be discounted," the bank said.

The MAS conducts monetary policy through the local currency rather than by setting interest rates.

The Singapore dollar is traded against a basket of currencies of its major trading partners within an undisclosed band known as the nominal effective exchange rate (NEER).

In its semi-annual statement, MAS said it had maintained the policy of a modest and gradual appreciation of the NEER policy band since April 2004 but is shifting to zero percent appreciation.

Singapore is Southeast Asia's wealthiest economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita but is heavily dependent on trade. This makes it sensitive to hiccups in developed economies, particularly key export markets the United States and Europe.

Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a 0.3 percent quarter-on-quarter rise in GDP, the value of goods and services produced in the economy.

Compared with the third quarter of last year, the ministry said Singapore's economy contracted by 0.5 percent in real terms, against 0.8 percent expansion foreseen in the Dow Jones poll.

In August the government had revised down its full-year GDP growth forecast to 4.0-5.0 percent but since then, external economic conditions have deteriorated more than expected, the trade ministry said.

Analysts said the key drag on third-quarter growth was manufacturing, which contracted by 11.5 percent year-on-year, and the surprise was a sharp decline in growth of what has been a booming construction sector.

Construction growth slowed to 7.8 percent from 19.8 percent, while service industries grew by 6.1 percent, marginally down from 7.0 percent in the second quarter, the data showed.

"Services deceleration should get more severe from here on," the US bank Morgan Stanley said in a report.

In a speech Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that although growth is slowing, the financial system is sound and the economy remains competitive.

He said that in recent years Singapore has upgraded and diversified its economy.

"This will mean new and better jobs, even if some old ones are lost," he told a conference.

Morgan Stanley said it expects things will only get worse for Singapore, and the recession will likely be more than just a technical one.

Weeeee....Another FIRST for Singapore. First Asian economy to dip into recession.
Sometimes, aint you proud of us?
With world trade, finances, tourism, and electronics as the bulk of our "diversified" economy, we are usually the first to be affected by such a major downturn.
But honestly, I wonder how can you diversify more against bad economic times? I thought of agriculture but we are limited in land.

Lets hope that we will be the first Asian economy to recover and boom soon.

Happy Deepavali

2008-10-27T23:33:00.004+08:00

Today is Deepavali, or Diwali, a major festival holiday in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism.

Here, read more about it from wikipedia

Deepavali, also known as the festival of lights, marks victory of good over evil and uplifting of spiritual darkness. Symbolically it marks the homecoming of goodwill and faith after an absence, as suggested by the Ramayana.

Well well, we should hope for some homecoming of goodwill and faith now, after the huge void of it in the stock markets in recent months.

With the recession, the huge drop in value of national wealth, what are you planning to prepare for the absence of boom times and good life?

Happy Deepavali to all Hindus and citizens of the world =)

Critics do not need solution

2008-10-26T21:16:00.004+08:00

Being able to criticise does not make me an expert. Not being an expert does not make me unable to criticise.

-cherub' 26th october'2008

Why must one provide the reason why one is unhappy over something, and then provide the solution or alternative?

One view people misunderstood is that they believe that one has no right to criticise anything unless he has an alternate way. If you are not able to provide constructive suggestions, then please do not hold the high ground and criticise.

I disagree.

This view is held by many, uneducated and educated, by professionals like lawyers, teachers, and our favourite politicians.
How many times have our own local politicians lambasted the opposition for criticising the government, arguing that the oppositions has no alternate solutions?

You see pal, you are the government. I pay you your salary to do your job right. And if the majority of your taxpayers said you are doing it wrong, you need to justify your salary and change your policies.
I can't possibly do your job for you.

To generalise this:
I may not be a chef, but I can tell whether a chicken rice dish is done properly.
If it is not tasty, I can simply criticise it.
I have no idea how to brew the sauce, how to cook the chicken or the steam the rice, but that does not mean I can't criticise or reject the dish.

Gold hits lowest level

2008-10-25T22:43:00.000+08:00

"Gold hits lowest level in a year"

Straits Times, Money Page Headline 24th October' 2008

One of the example how the crisis unfolding is making irrational events, or rather, distorting conventional wisdom.

In moments of crisis, gold is traditionally seen as a safe asset class. In bad times, gold usually benefits in times of uncertainty.
we all know the value of gold as a stable mark of value.

Why the break in wisdom? One reason is that the greenback, after suffering from months of low value, has surged and become a strong and dependable asset class, taking gold's position as a safe asset to park value.
2ndly, fall in gold prices was led by the downfall of commodities prices, including the prices of precious medals such as platinum and silver.

So where can u park your money now?

What recession?

2008-10-24T01:41:00.003+08:00

Are you affected by the financial downturn in America?

Think about it.
How many friends / relatives of yours that is affected severely now?

The latest grapevines revealed that even those in the financial sector remains relatively unscathed. Sure, bonus outlook is probably down, but most jobs are secure.

In most unrelated sectors, the factories are still humming, though expectations of lower output and bad times are here.

The construction sector is having a helluva booming time. They will probably welcome the recession for the cheaper prices of raw materials, and cheaper labour.

The property market is calmer and less active. But prices are still holding steady.

I have heard that this is possibly the biggest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. (i believe it myself too)
If so, how come the bad news arent coming yet?

When?

How much is 1 life worth?

2008-10-23T00:20:00.003+08:00

Would you cause the death of an innocent person to save the live of another person?
How about causing the death of an innocent for the 10 lives?
20 lives?
100 lives?
1000 lives?

Say you are walking on a track and you realised the approaching train's brakes are faulty. If you push the friend next to you onto the track, you can stop the train and save the passengers' lives.
Would you sacrifice an innocent life for the 10 passengers? 100? 1000?

How do you judge the worthiness of lives? by quantity? by how close you are to him?

Defend your rights

2008-10-22T10:08:00.001+08:00

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Paraphrase from Voltaire, "Essay on Tolerance"

Original phrase- "Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write."

There are so many different people, with strongly held beliefs and opinions. It would be counter-productive to prove anyone's worth. I guess that is the real strength of true democracy, which is so lacking in many political systems and religions.
To assert oneself is right and has no room for any deviation is arrogant and simply backwards.

When you argue, do remember to put yourself in the other's shoes and consider all facts. Life would be educating.

Beliefs and differences

2008-10-21T21:15:00.003+08:00

"While you are 100 percent certain that your preferred candidate's stance on issues such as foreign policy and the economy would appeal to any human being with half a brain, there is, in this very same country, an equally large voting bloc which believes that you and your candidate of choice are absolutely insane"

Article from The Onion, a satire website from America.
The Onion is a newsletter with a long history of satirical articles which no holds barred.

The irony aspect of satire is that sometimes it reveals more information and insight than what you can glean from normal news report and commentary. Especially political incorrect information and very simple facts that gets overlooked by over-analysed data and eager journalists.

Many people make up this world, and its really amazing how different beliefs and opinions can be held, and fought over. People who believe in a particular belief, say political party 1, cannot understand why are there so many people supporting the other side. "Isn't this obvious", I've heard this lamenting countless of times.

Personally I feel Obama is the ideal man for the job right now, and the Democratic Party has the greatest potential to right the wrongs and set USA in the correct path. And there is easily another large voting bloc who believe that voting for Obama is insane and nothing less of a Republican victory would do USA justice.

Thats the beautiful thing about democracy.

You need the rabbit

2008-10-20T02:25:00.007+08:00

To be a magician, you must catch the rabbit with the hat, first.

This funny comic is from Cyanide and Happiness, a comic strip that is full of violence, sexual references and disgusting stuff. Very unusual.
In other words, its damn well excellent.

This particular strip strikes out at me in a different way.
We all say the political correct phrases:- "hard work is the key to success".

Hard work is indeed important, but sometimes you need the rabbit before you can start practising magic.
Luck plays a very important role.

Luck can be everything.

Once-in-a-lifetime stock buying opportunity

2008-10-19T12:15:00.000+08:00

"The market could go a lot lower still, but this is either the beginning of the end of the United States as we know it, in which case it doesn't matter how I invested, or it is a once-in-a-lifetime stock buying opportunity."

Scott Adams, Author of Dilbert Comics, from his blog entry

The market has been falling and stocks are clearly undervalued. Even the blue chips are down, with no fundamental problems.
Yes, a recession is looming, and we may be in for a tough time, but if you have the holding power for 10 years or so, i believe this is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Buy USA equities, stocks, or funds. Hold for the long term.
You can't go wrong on that.

my only regret is i splurged most of my savings on loans and expenses.
damn.

Be greedy when others are fearful

2008-10-18T02:25:00.001+08:00

"Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful"

Warren Buffett, from "Buy American. I am"