Saga's Den - Things that ended in the Lion's Mouth

Singaporeans react to controversial New Creation sermon - Insincerity of Pastor. So he is not wrong I presume

2010-06-16T13:56:00.003+08:00

Singaporeans react to controversial New Creation sermon

Read the story below.
I find that he is insincere about making remarks about other religions. I don't think this is the first and not only to Taoism. The rest should have been make fun off. Unlike the lighthouse pastor, he went all the way out to show his sincerity to others that it is a mistake by him and he admit and apologise to all in the public. So far NCC has done nothing and putting up a neutral remark that show no remorse at all. furthermore, the pastor seems to have shrug it off and just kept quiet. Well, silence means "Yes" and so he is standing by his words and do not think he is wrong at all.

You do not make fun of other religions as each person has their right to their own belief. Furthermore, it is always these Mega Churches that is making all these remarks and they always think that they are right. sometimes, i wonder what is their objective? making money and going all the way out to criticise everyone just to make the followers happy and satisfied?

I can say that praying to Jesus is the same and so what would you feel.
they should have an act where all these idiots should be censure and refrain from preaching in public and teaching. like license been withdraw. with no punishment at all, they will go all the way out.

maybe just like a driving license, once your points are up, you can't drive.
what ever religion you have or are, think through your brains before you speak and don't let dont speak through your ass
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That’s the reaction of Singaporeans Yahoo! Singapore spoke to when they were asked to comment on the latest report that a New Creation Church pastor is being investigated for a controversial sermon he gave in 2008.

The Straits Times reports that the Internal Security Department (ISD) is probing Pastor Mark Ng, 48, for a sermon he gave in 2008 in which he mocked Taoist beliefs. In a 10-minute audio clip posted on YouTube, Ng is heard joking with the congregation about Chinese rituals and in one instance, compared praying to Taoist deities to “seeking protection from secret society gangsters”.

This is not the first time a pastor has mocked practices of other religions.

In February this year, founder of Lighthouse Evangelism Rony Tan, 64, was also hauled up and censured by the ISD for making insensitive comments about Buddhist and Taoist beliefs such as re-incarnation and nirvana. The senior Pastor later apologised for his remarks, but not before the issue sparked massive debate in multi-faith, multi-religious Singapore.

Freelance designer Mohd. Mokhtar, 45, told Yahoo! Singapore that he now hopes the government will intervene and put a stop to religious leaders criticising or mocking other faiths.

“It’s already the second time and I won’t be surprised it will happen again so it’s time for them to step in and give them a final warning,” he said.

Aircraft technician Danny Lim, 30, agreed.

“Such comments can harm religious harmony and it’s not right to be criticising other religions.”

Engineer K. Dinesh, 29, added that religious leaders must realise they are constantly under the spotlight and as such, must refrain from talking about other faiths they have little knowledge of.

“I think they should just speak on their own religion and there will not be any issues. It will cause a lot of unrest if they start criticising others.”

Pastor Ng, who heads New Creation’s Chinese ministry, has so far remained silent over the latest issue but a statement posted on the church’s website said that Ng did not intend for his comments to be disrespectful to other races or religions.

It also admitted that the particular sermon has been available for sale at the church bookstore since 2008 until early this year, presumably when Rony Tan was censured.

“We would like to express our deepest apologies to any person who may have been offended by the remarks made by Pastor Mark Ng during a sermon delivered in August 2008,” said the church on its website.

“Pastor Mark offers his unreserved and unmitigated apology to the public for his insensitive comments… He humbly appeals to those whom he has offended to forgive him of this serious indiscretion.”

CHC 17 been called up and more to come.

2010-06-01T10:05:00.002+08:00

Individuals, firms linked to City Harvest Church under probe

SINGAPORE : The founder of City Harvest Church and 16 other individuals and staff involved in the handling of the church's financial affairs are being investigated by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD).

Police confirmed on Monday evening that Reverend Kong Hee and 16 others are assisting in an on-going investigation arising from complaints made to the Commissioner of Charities (COC) on the misuse of church funds.

CAD officers in the morning visited various premises, including the homes and offices of the individuals involved. They secured items such as financial records and computers for their investigation.

As to how long the investigation will take, the police have given the assurance that while it will be thorough, it will be without undue delay.

Earlier in the afternoon, the COC and CAD said in a joint statement that they were investigating some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies related or connected to the church.

They assured the public that despite ongoing investigations, the normal services and religious activities of the City Harvest need not be disrupted. City Harvest is one of the largest churches in Singapore, with a congregation of over 30,000 who regularly pack its venues at Jurong West and the Singapore Expo during sermons.

The church's reach online is even greater - through live webcasts, podcasts and its own broadcast channel. Much of it is driven by its charismatic founder, Reverend Kong. The pastor keeps a Facebook page that has over 30,000 fans, and has his own YouTube channel. He lives in the US with his son and wife, Sun Ho, a successful pop singer.

This is not the first time City Harvest Church has made headlines. It was just in March that eyebrows were raised over the church's S$310 million stake in Suntec City Convention Centre, and the Commissioner of Charities was called in to investigate.

In a statement to MediaCorp, the charities watchdog stressed that this round of investigations is not related to the earlier Suntec case. It added that the case involved more than just City Harvest - it included companies and individuals connected either directly or indirectly with the church. That is why, it said, the police have to be involved.

Depending on the findings, the charity's trustee may be suspended.

The statement continued: "While there was a governance review conducted on City Harvest Church in 2007, the objective and the scope are different from that of an inquiry. "The governance review essentially looks at the organisation's corporate governance with the objective of assessing and helping the charities to improve the way they are run.

"The inquiry on the other hand is a formal investigation into allegations and complaints received to ascertain that there is no mismanagement or misconduct in the administration of a charity." When asked to comment, the National Council of Churches of Singapore, of which City Harvest is a member, said it was too premature to do so at this point.

On the City Harvest's website, a notice to members by Executive Pastor Reverend Derek Dunn stated that the church was "cooperating fully" with investigations, and that services and operations would continue as usual.

MediaCorp understands the church has engaged Christina Ng from law firm Rajah and Tann to represent it.

- CNA
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17 for the first round and more to come. i believe some people will be quickly packing their bags and be on the run after eating into millions of dollars that people pay to god to be blessed. CHC policy - pay more, get blessed more :P

this is just the tip of the iceberg. it has taken years by the authorities but without concrete evidence, the CAD will not make a move. it will be hard to shake it off as all are guilty. So if they just say their prayers on sunday and verbally say that they will repent, does that means that they are guilt free again? LOLz

Police statement on probe into CHC members

2010-05-31T19:03:00.002+08:00

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100531-219396.html

The Office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) and the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) have commenced investigations into some financial transactions involving several individuals and companies, related or connected to the City Harvest Church.

The COC received complaints of misuse of church funds and informed the CAD, when it assessed that some of these financial transactions may need to be investigated by the CAD. CAD officers visited the offices of the individuals and the companies under investigation this morning and have secured records and accounts for the purpose of the investigations. Seven individuals were detained in a raid at 6.30am on Monday by the CAD. During the raid, CAD visited their offices and secured records and accounts as part of the investigation.

COC and CAD have assured that notwithstanding the on-going investigations, the normal services and religious activities of the City Harvest Church need not be disrupted and can continue for its congregation

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Detaining the individuals at 6.30am. seems like the group is planning for a getaway. well, they should check into all these NPOs accounts. believe that there are more than just this 1 single case. but for a start, kill the one at the top first! Well done! BUT they better come out with good results for the public

A forum post on Star Malaysia regarding No Maternity Leave for Women

2010-05-24T15:39:00.003+08:00

Ridiculously generous benefits will bankrupt many firms

I REFER to “Stay in step with the ILO on maternity leave” (The Star, May 21) and agree with the writer that maternity protection is an essential right of working women.

However, no reasonable woman, working or not, would argue that she should be paid while she is not working. Paying a salary to a person that is not fulfilling his or her job description is economically disadvantageous to the employer and to the economy at large.

While the woman gets paid for not working, there is another prospective employee who may have to go hungry and homeless because he can't get a job.

By asking for ridiculously generous benefits, women's rights activists have bankrupted uncountable companies in the West and now they are trying to do the same here.

I wonder if the ILO and similar rights organisations only consider the rights of the workers when formulating their recommendations, or if they also look at the balance sheets of the companies.

A pregnant woman should resign, or take unpaid leave until her child is born and until he is big enough for her to return to work. Pregnant women are already unable to fulfil their duties because their condition does not usually allow them to perform as they should. The position left vacant should be filled by temporary or contract workers.

Women should not be selfish and think they can have it all, and lawyers should consider that human rights are subservient to the performance of the economy. Every right has a price, and having no job gives you no money to pay for your rights.

A business proposition must be equitable to be successful, and by demanding that women be paid although they are not working, while others are practically starving because they can't get a job, the ILO jeopardises the interest of the mother, the child, and the future of the country.

MARISA DEMORI,

Ipoh.

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I am not sure whether this person is a male or female or half half. regarding the maternity leave issue, this person has stir it up. if this happens, no one will want to get pregnant. must be out of the mind.

The London Olympics Mascot is a dick!

2010-05-24T11:09:00.003+08:00

Canadians upset with the British press's treatment of the Vancouver Olympics are having the last laugh after the newly introduced mascots for the London 2012 Summer Games were met with nearly instant derision.

The mascots, Mandeville and Wenlock, can only be described as one-eyed alien Teletubbies that even 1970s-era "Doctor Who" fans would find embarrassingly cheesy.

"I think this one is going to have to grow on people, it's not getting great reviews," CTV London Bureau Chief Tom Kennedy told Canada AM Thursday.

Organizers said the idea for the characters came from two drops of molten steel dropped while making the last girder for London's Olympic Stadium, and the mascots tested well with children.

Olympic organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe said kids don't want cuddly animals as mascots and wanted "something they can interact with and something with a good story behind it,"

The mascots have been given a detailed backstory by children's author Michael Morpurgo.

Organizers had hoped to make about $25 million in merchandising sales of the mascots, Kennedy said.

But perhaps the designers might have thought of including a snickering teenager or two in those focus groups, because the Internet practically overloaded Wednesday in a rush to make comments about the mascots', er, phallic nature.

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I don't think they will see much of the mascot. look like an evil eye like the one in the LOTR. Furthermore, i think the mascot look gay. no offence but how can you differentiate which is male and which is female? One Eye Monster is also another term for Dick Head. Well, they will sure kick themselves in the ass or stick the monster into their ass for choosing this. LOL

2009-11-30T10:54:00.003+08:00

Japanese national lodges successful appeal against six—week jail sentence

SINGAPORE: A Japanese national escaped imprisonment yesterday after he lodged a successful appeal against his six—week jail sentence for assaulting a taxi driver.

Mr Taniguchi Mitsuru left the cab without paying the fare on September 2 last year, after the driver failed to find the passenger’s destination despite driving round the Punggol Estate repeatedly.

Cabbie Lim Hing Soon then pursued Mr Mitsuru to collect his taxi fare but the intoxicated passenger pushed the driver.

Mr Lim, 65, then returned to his taxi to retrieve an umbrella, but fell to the ground during the tussle. The scuffle for control of the umbrella continued and the cabbie suffered a cut on his forehead.

Lawyer Tan Lee Cheng argued that Mr Mitsuru’s actions were in "self—defence", and the case was not one where the passenger laid "direct blows" or "went for the jugular". "The minute he (Mr Mitsuru) saw the taxi driver bleed, he stopped," added Ms Tan.

But deputy public prosecutor Hay Hung Chun argued that a custodial sentence was still appropriate — the passenger could have paid part of the fare and then lodge a complaint with the taxi company instead.

Justice Lee Seiu Kin noted that Mr Mitsuru, 47, feared the cabbie would use the umbrella to hit him. The High Court Judge substituted the Japanese’s jail sentence with a $2,000 fine.

But Justice Lee drew a distinction between this assault and another against a public bus driver.

In that case, Balbir Singh, 45, kicked a bus driver on his leg after being reminded the second time to pay his fare. In appealing against the one—month jail sentence, lawyer S K Kumar argued yesterday that Mr Singh’s assault on the bus was committed in "a spur of the moment" and that he was "in a hurry".

But Justice Lee rebutted the lawyer’s argument, "Half of the people taking bus are in a hurry too."

The High Court Judge noted that the bus driver was merely doing his job when he asked Mr Singh to pay his fare.

"What business does your client have in going around kicking them? He was unreasonable and obnoxious," said Justice Lee, who also noted that the safety of other bus passengers or road users might be at stake.

The High Court Judge said a deterrent message needed to be sent out that attacks against bus drivers would not be tolerated. "If you try this kind of stunt and endanger other people on the bus, we will put you in," added Justice Lee. — TODAY/vm
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This came out in the papers today. looking at the sentences given out, i pity the mr. singh. if he is a white man, i think he will get away with the sentence and maybe sbs will need to compensate him for wasting his time. So the first person to lay hands is not necessary punished becoz he or she can act in self defense. if the guy is a not an expat, i don't think he will get away with not paying for his cab. the judge should consider that he is in an intoxicated state and did not stage his destination clearly and is not able to pinpoint where to stop that leads to the driver circling the area. Giving the driver the benefit of doubt, the jap in much in the wrong. Furthermore that he hit the driver and wounded the driver and get away with only a fine of SGD2,000 which is easily affordable.

What kind of justice system is this... The legal system is there to protect the rich, famous and foreigners and bullying the locals. Kao!

Cushion flies out bus window, work of some "smart" students

2009-09-29T17:44:00.003+08:00

Cushion flies out bus window

THIS was one 13-year-old schoolboy's idea of fun: Open the emergency exit window on the upper deck of a moving double-decker bus and fling out a seat cushion. Fortunately, nobody was injured by his thoughtless act of mischief, but it disrupted the bus service and 40 passengers had to be transferred to another bus. The incident took place on 16 Sep.....

He continued the journey, but 10 minutes later, an indicator light on his console lit up, alerting him that the upper deck emergency exit window had been opened.

He pulled up at the next bus-stop and went to the upper deck to check.

The students had occupied the entire row of seats at the rear, including several of the twin seats.

The emergency window was closed and the latch secured, but he noticed that the bus service number plate displayed at the window was missing. Said Mr Teong: 'It was there when I started my shift. I asked the students if they knew what happened to the number plate, but they ignored me and kept quiet. He then alighted and walked to the back of the bus. 'I wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong,' he explained.

But to his shock, he saw a bus seat cushion on the ground. He said: 'I was quite upset. Some school children can be quite mischievous and rowdy but removing a seat cushion and throwing it out from the upper deck is crossing the line....

The school requested not to be named and did not want to reveal the student's identity as he had expressed remorse for his act of mischief, and that it would like to give him a chance to repent. The student does not have a prior record of misbehaving. The spokesman said: 'He was questioned and reprimanded by the discipline master and made to reflect upon his actions. It was made clear to him that his act of mischief could have injured someone.....

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The school wants to save face so that it requested not be named. Just talking to the kid and let him get away with it. if it hit someone, i wonder will they just talk to the kid. Will they implement a public caning to teach the kids a lesson?

What will the parents do? 13 year old? do you think that they do not know how to think? furthermore just focusing on the guy who committed the act. How about those 10 other accomplices?

Do they teach moral education in school at all? They deserve to be publicly named and shamed. this will warn other kids not to commit similar acts. kill 1 to frighten the 100s

Shame on the School, Shame on the kids. hope they get throw out of the bus window

I wonder why media keep defending Ris Low?

2009-09-29T00:28:00.000+08:00

Not perfect, but she's our best hope

Even at 17, she know what is right and wrong. i am not sure whether using the bipolar illness is a get around excuse. she seems so determine to keep the crown.

2 things to note
1. she was not honest when she sign the form. she should declare that she has a record. what does she mean that she don't know when she sign the form. this is a common term like what we have in most of the applications. if she does not know, it could mean that the rest of her applications is blindly signed or hide on purpose

2. The competition demands someone with a clean background. if she is sent, i wonder how the world media will react to it. does it means that singapore got no more woman? i don't think she is really that great.

till date, there is no sincerity at all from her as she is just having tons of excuses to cover her tracks.

I wonder how much or what treats did she give to the organizers or judges. so far, no one has come out to clarify anything

S'pore reports 1st flu case

2009-05-27T11:45:00.001+08:00

SINGAPORE has reported its first patient infected with the new A(H1N1) flu strain.

The patient, a 22-year-old Singaporean woman, had been in New York from May 14 to 24, and arrived here on Tuesday morning.

While seated in row 55 on Singapore Airlines flight SQ25, she began to develop a cough, but she passed the thermal scanner at the airport later without being stopped, because she did not have a fever at the time.

Later that morning, she went to a general practitioner who decided to send her to Tan Tock Seng Hospital via the special ambulance service 993 meant for suspected Influenza A (H1N1) cases.

Laboratory test confirmed her infection at midnight on Tuesday.

The patient is being treated at the TTH Communicable Disease Centre and is in stable condition.

The Health Ministry said the patient has been vigilant in monitoring her condition and had sought immediate medical attention once she realised she was unwell.

"Her attending GP, through his quick response in activating the 993 ambulance for the patient, had also helped to minimise the spread of infection from this case," said a ministry statement.

The Health Ministry has begun contact tracing of those who have been in close contact with the patient.

They will be quarantined and given antivirals to prevent them from developing the disease.

The ministry asked passengers who had been seated in rows 52 to 58 on the same flight to call its hotline on 1800-333 9999, so that its officers can check on their health condition.

The Ministry has reminded all medical practitioners and healthcare institutions to continue to be vigilant to suspect cases.

Temperature screening for passengers entering Singapore at all checkpoints - land, sea and air - will continue.

All passengers passing through or entering Singapore are given Health Alert Notices on board their flights, advising them to monitor their own health if they have been to affected areas and to seek medical attention immediately if they are not well.

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I think they should quarantine all passengers coming in from the US for at least 7 days before they are release. seems like the whole world is getting infected from flights coming in from US

Food Recycling At Qi JI? OMG? Don't drink the prepack lime juice!

2009-05-19T15:44:00.000+08:00

I was at Qi Ji (famous for popiah) and was quite shocked to see that they recycle the lime juice. they pour new juice (quarter cup), then open the one from yesterday or day before day day before and pour in half and add ice.

OMG!!!! Imagine IF there is a cup of lime juice since last monday that was recycle and recycle, this can carry on as the half cup pouring never ends. you must know that there is a piece of lime in the lime juice and it should be rotten by the 3rd day if this open and recycle plan carries on.

I wonder anyone had any trouble after drinking their lime juice. wonder whether they did the same for their barley or other drinks. Lucky they never state they offer FRESH Lime Juice.

i will not buy prepack drinks from Qi Ji again unless i can verify it is fresh

Boycott of lingerie shops

2009-03-30T09:30:00.001+08:00

RIYADH (Saudi Arabia) - BEFORE her wedding last year, Huda Batterjee went abroad to buy her bridal lingerie - she just couldn't bear the humiliation of discussing her most intimate apparel with a man.

She had little choice: there are almost no saleswomen in Saudi Arabia.

Now a group of Saudi women - sick of having to deal with male sales staff when buying bras or panties, not to mention frilly negligees or thongs - have launched a campaign this week to boycott lingerie stores until they employ women.

It's an irony of the kingdom's strict segregation of the sexes.

Only men are employed as sales staff to keep women from having to deal with male customers or work around men. But in lingerie stores, that means men are talking to women about bras or thongs, looking them up and down to determine their cup sizes, even rubbing the underwear to show how stains can be washed out.

The result is mortifying for everyone involved - shoppers, salesmen, even the male relatives who accompany the women.

'When I buy underwear in Saudi, some salesmen say, 'This is not the right size for you,'' said Batterjee. 'You feel almost taken advantage of. Why is he looking at me in this way?'

So for her wedding trousseau, the 26-year-old went to neighbouring Dubai to shop. She now lives in Virginia with her husband. Heba al-Akki, a businesswoman who supports the boycott, said when she shops for underwear, 'I go to a store, pick this, this and that and leave quickly. It's as if I'm buying illegal stuff.'

The boycott was launched on Tuesday by about 50 women who gathered in the Red Sea port of Jiddah at the Al-Bidaya Breast-feeding Resource and Women's Awareness Center, which is run by Modie Batterjee.

The aim is to push for implementation of a law that has been on the books since 2006 which says only female staff can be employed in women's apparel stores. -- AP

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wonder do they help out their customers?

Church leader gets $500k

2009-03-30T09:26:00.003+08:00

MARCH 30 – The New Creation Church in Singapore, which made headlines for raising $19 million on one Sunday last month for its upcoming multi-million dollar building, pays good money to its staff, too.

The independent church paid one employee between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year, checks by The Straits Times showed.

The church did not confirm if the amount went to its leader, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince, but told The Straits Times that its policy is to “recognise and reward key contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church’s growth and revenue”.

Its honorary secretary, Deacon Matthew Kang, added: “Senior Pastor Prince is the key man responsible for bringing in about 95 per cent of our church’s income. I must concede that he has enriched the church and not the other way round.

“Above all, through Senior Pastor Prince’s ministry, many people have experienced the grace and love of our Lord Jesus for themselves and seen how their lives have been transformed and marriages restored.”

The salary disclosure was contained in the church’s last financial year’s annual report submitted to the Commissioner of Charities. It stated the compensation given to its top three key management staff.

One person earned between $500,001 and $550,000, while two others were paid between $150,001 and $200,000. No names were given.

The church had an income of $55.4 million in its last financial year. Over 95 per cent came from tithes and offerings from members. It has over 18,000 members who worship at the Rock Auditorium at Suntec City.

Deacon Kang told The Straits Times last week that Prince had asked to go on a “no-pay scheme” in 2006 but was turned down by the church’s council. He made the same request over a month ago but the council has yet to give him a reply.

The New Creation Church is one of Singapore’s fastest growing churches.

Its business arm, Rock Productions, is partnering property giant CapitaLand to build a close to $1 billion lifestyle hub in Buona Vista.

In an update to members yesterday, Deacon Kang said Prince had given $563,360 to the building project.

For the first time, religious groups now have to follow a set of guidelines, called the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), to ensure they are properly run.

Religious groups like churches and temples, make up about half of the close to 2,000 charities here.

Unlike IPCs, which are allowed to collect tax-exempt donations and have to make public how fully they have adhered to the Code from April 1, religious groups do not have to do so. However, they are encouraged to make such information public.

In 2007, the Commissioner did a governance review of seven religious groups here with annual incomes of over $10 million each. The Straits Times asked all seven, including New Creation, about the salaries of the key officers. Only Trinity Christian Centre and Campus Crusade disclosed the information.

The Trinity Christian Centre, which holds services in Adam Road and Paya Lebar, paid two directors below $150,000 each in 2007.

They are its Senior Pastor Dominic Yeo and resident apostle Dr Naomi Dowdy. The church employs 112 staff and had an income of $17.4 million in 2007.

Singapore Campus Crusade for Christ paid its three top executives – Reverend Chan Chong Hiok, Dr Ho Chiao Ek and Reverend Lam Kok Hiang – below $100,000 each in its last financial year. The group, which provides Christian counselling, training and Christian publications, collected $11 million in “local donations” then.

It pegs its basic salaries to social workers’ pay, which is between $2,000 and $2,700 for a fresh graduate, as stated on the National Council of Social Service’s website.

Leslie Chiang, its director for corporate communications and IT, said: “We use this benchmark as the nature of our work is very similar to what an average social worker is doing – serving the needs of a community.” – The Straits Times

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this is just one of them. who knows how many of them gets 500K a year. also, note that they consider that the money collected as revenue and not donations. So the church is a business organization and not a NPO. Should they be taxed?

I wonder, so many of these churches around, are they preying on the people through the abuse of religon. I know head pastors who draw less than 3k a month and some even much lower. Wonder how much CHC heads draw a year? I suspect that it will be more than 1m a year

Looking for Freelance Flash Programmer

2009-03-25T12:39:00.002+08:00

Hi!

I am looking for a freelance flash programmer to work on a flash game project.
this is a multi player poker flash game. if you would want to have a view, please do to tagged.com and click on the poker game

For those who are keen, please send email to sage_sagacious@hotmail.com

Please state your
1. Price (either per project or man days)
2. Your Portfolio (work that you have completed)
3. Residency (Where you are from)
4. Your contact details

Thanks

Saga

Professional Mistress at work. 5 guys at one time!

2009-03-21T09:24:00.002+08:00

MONEY can’t buy you love but professional mistress Aaliyah Johnson reckons she’s the next best thing— as long as you’ve got millions in the bank.

Stunning Aaliyah has spent three years keeping FIVE megarich love cheats happy at the same time. They are all in their 40s and get the glamour and thrills they crave playing away.

Aaliyah, who describes her lifestyle in our video clip, is just 24 and gets the lavish gifts, lifestyle and cash she lusts after.

Click on pic for the whole story

Woman seeks S'porean cabby who made her pregnant

2009-03-17T22:47:00.002+08:00

A MALAYSIAN woman is distributing pamphlets in Singapore in a bid to track down a taxi driver who she claims had made her pregnant, China Press reported.

The 30-year-old beautician said the man, a Singaporean who was married, had disappeared after she told him that she was pregnant.

She said she had sex with the man, who was in his 40s, during their first meeting.

"I do not know why this has happened. He told me he could get me a work permit," said the woman, who had gone to Singapore to look for a job.

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are you sure that it is so easy to get her in bed at first meeting? this lady seems too innocent to believe. the cabby may have bedded her but not that fast right? i read the chinese papers and a different version of the story is been published. wonder who is telling the truth

Just 8 Prawns and it shows how sucky we are.

2009-03-17T22:28:00.002+08:00

8 prawns killed the day for the whole singapore. mind you, it shows how good singaporean can suck out of a tourist. for $240 and at $20 a kilo for good type of prawns at the market, you can have a whooping 12 Kilos to eat until you drop!

These people at newton never learn their lessons. their act just spoil the image of singapore. haiz... I hope that the tourism board will stop promoting newton and promote other better places as represtative of singapore eating outlets. the more they put newton on the map, it make us look like blood suckers.

i wonder if the tourism board people has any stake in the business of those seafood stalls. no matter what happen, they still let them operate. maybe tourism board receive coffee or protection money from them as advertising fees.

The authorities better wake up and do their work and not laze around in the office!

The rainy season is here but a bit late

2009-03-16T17:34:00.002+08:00

its the rainy season now but seems like a bit late. the rainfall is quite heavy and mostly in the early afternoon which is good as most people are indoors. however, not sure how long this will last but hope that it does not drag too long. will miss the sunshine a lot especially when i am doing the laundry.

$19 million in less than 24 hours! WoW! These people are so rich, who say economy is poor

2009-03-10T10:08:00.002+08:00

THE congregation at New Creation Church raised a whopping $19 million for the construction of its new premises at Buona Vista - in less than 24 hours.

In a show of support, a record number of 22,000 people turned up for services at the Rock Auditorium at Suntec City Mall three weeks ago.

The donations were collected over four services on Feb 15.

In comparison, amonth-long charity drive by NTUC Income, Project Love, raised about $375,000.

Following the success of its fund-raiser, the New Creation Church announced the amount it raised to its members on Feb 22. However, when contacted, the church declined to comment.

New Creation Church-goer Angelique Lee, 26, a full-time student, said her donation was a form of thanksgiving and appreciation "for all that God has blessed me with".

'Attending church has helped to transform my life and make me a better person over time,' she explained.

Graduate student Huang Wei Hsuan, 26, who is not a member of the church, felt that part of the funds could be used to "help those who are really in need, instead of being fully used to construct a new building".

'Is it really a good idea to build a new building now? Should the church members be advised to keep more for rainy days?' he asked. But many others who are not from the church were heartened by the congregation's generosity.

'I feel it's incredible that such kindness, empathy and generosity can be shown in such bad economic times,' said Mr Shawn Chin, 24, a civil servant.

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Raising money for the needy only raised 375k. church raised 19m through 22,000 people. this works out to be about $863 per person. God will love you if you help more people and not putting up a beautiful building in his name (and may not be used by him). However, this is pale in comparison to what city harvest raised previously. if i am not wrong, the papers reported that they have 42m to build their building.

i am not biased against the religion but sometimes we may not need to be so lavish in certain things. i remember those small old churches that give out the good feel. they may be old but give out the warmth.

If this people are more keen to give to those who really need the money, it will be much wonderful, half the amount per person will help much more people in the society.

Also, the money is not taxable, so we will be missing out the $$$$. One thing, since all these organizations are so rich, can any one from IRAS check out their accounts? since so many has kena investigation, these NGOs should openly declared their financial to the public as these are public money and should allow the public to question the usage. Remember, public money is not to be used for business activities that generates income or this should be taxable and religious organisations are not to be involved in business activities.

ERA pays flipping profit to couple; agent and his boss quit

2009-03-07T10:48:00.002+08:00

A COUPLE who successfully sued estate agency ERA Realty Network for flipping their apartment has got back the money that the agents made on it, with interest. ERA yesterday said that it would not be appealing against the decision last month ordering it to pay $257,000 to Mr Yuen Chow Hin and his wife, Madam Wong Wai Fan.

The couple had sold their two-bedroom downtown apartment for $688,000 through ERA agent Jeremy Ang in 2007, thinking it was the best price he could get them. They did not know that the buyer of the unit, Madam Natassha Sadiq, was his boss's wife, who immediately resold the apartment for $945,000. Her husband, Mr Mike Parikh, was a senior group division director at ERA. In a statement responding to queries from The Straits Times, ERA president Jack Chua said yesterday that Mr Parikh and Mr Ang have resigned. The two men have also agreed to make full restitution for the claims against ERA, he said.

Mr Chua said: 'After reviewing the judgment and the results of its internal findings, ERA concurs with the judgment that both Mike Parikh and Jeremy Ang did not act in good faith in the transaction.'

Mr Parikh is believed to still be in the property business. A Straits Times check found a website, with a photograph of him on it, advertising itself as a 'real estate portal'. It featured several properties he had claimed to have sold, and was updated just yesterday.

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I dun think this is the first case. There should be so much more in the market but not reported or not noticed. Since those 2 guys are guilty in the courts, Why are they allowed to practice further? shouldn't their license be revoked or suspend? no one knows who will be the next victim.

Also, Why is ERA not penalized? As the company that hires them and suppose to things in check, they did not do anything and push all responsibilities to the 2 person. Shouldn't ERA be suspend for operations for a period of time as a lesson to the rest of the property companies?

Say, ERA is not allow to process transactions for 2 weeks to 1 month. all their agents can go to other companies until suspension is over or not allow to process transactions.

You will see how they will take actions and keep things in check.

Singapore Legal, haiz... the rich gets the favors while the commoner are always the victims or get to foot the bill and absorb the damage.

Singapore TP fine and demerit list. check here before you speed.

2009-03-03T12:10:00.003+08:00

Please take note of the new pricing from Traffic Police & the map of the Traffic Police where they usually hide their Mobile Speed Camera for your reference.

NEW Price List from TP...
Price increase without further notice.

a.. Speeding:
a.. Exceeding 1 - 20km/h = $130 + 4 demerit points.
b.. Exceeding 21 - 30km/h = $150 + 6 demerit points.
c.. Exceeding 31 - 40km/h = $180 + 8 demerit points.
d.. Exceeding 41 - 50km/h = >$200 + 12 demerit points + Court.
e.. Exceeding 51 - 60km/h = >$200 + 18 demerit points + Court.
f.. Exceeding >61km/h = >$200 + 24 demerit points + Court. !
If you want to be hero and fight the court case yourself, and you lose, you pay the court charges yourself, which will add up to your fine. I guess the court charges is at least $200 and above.

a.. Careless driving = $150 + 6 demerit Points.
b.. Inconsiderate Driving = $170 + 9 Demerit Points + Court.
c.. Dangerous Driving = >$200 + 24 Demerit Points + Court + Vehicle Compounded.
d.. Illegal Racing = >$200 + Vehicle Confiscate + Court.
e.. Fail to put Seat Belt = $120 + 3 demerit points.
f.. Crossing Double White lines = $130 + 4 points.
g.. Phone and Drive = $200 + 12 demerit point + Phone Confiscate. Do not hold your h! p in you r hand when you drive even with loud speaker or ear piece.
h.. Drink Driving
a.. For first offence. = Up to $5000 Fine And, or jail Term + License Suspended + Court.
b.. 2nd time offence = Jail term + Fine + Court.
i.. Making an illegal U Turn when there's no U Turn sign = $70.
j.. Fail to Signal when changing lanes = $70.
k.. Driving at night without headlights or taillights switch on after 7pm = $30.
l.. No Number Plate = $70.
m.. Obstructed Number Plate = $70.
n.. Obscured Number Plate = $70.
o.. Number Plate of Unapproved Type = $70.

As for Demerit Point system:
Let's say you have 0 points on 1st January 2005, and you committed the offence of failing to Put on Seat Belt. So now, you will have 3 demerit points and this will last for 1 Year. If during this 1 year you have no demerit points offence at all, your 3 demerit points will be gone on 1/1/2006. But, if during this one year, From 1/1/2005 - 1/1/2006, you committed another offence with demerit points, your very first offence will be extended for another year until 1/1/2007.

Computer glitch spills wealthy clients' financial info

2009-03-03T11:39:00.002+08:00

A TECHNICAL glitch at Swiss bank UBS gave its wealthy customers in Singapore and Hong Kong a shock last week when they logged on to their online accounts.

The private-banking clients found confidential details of other clients' bank statements and account information instead of their own. Clients' online accounts, though, do not indicate their names.

When contacted, a UBS spokesman confirmed the incident and said the bank was taking it very seriously. Asked how many clients were affected, all she said was that 'some limited account information concerning a small number of UBS wealth-management clients was accessible by a very limited number of other system users'. She added that fewer than five accessed the information.

She told my paper the glitch occurred 'as a result of an inadvertent technical error following an information-technology system upgrade over the weekend of Feb 21'. The bank immediately took steps to rectify the issue. UBS reviewed the circumstances leading to the incident and has implemented measures to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.

The bank also reported the incident to the banking authorities here and in Hong Kong: the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA).

Asked about what MAS would be doing, its spokesman said that 'we are following up with the bank', but did not elaborate. The HKMA said it is 'following up with the bank on any impact... and the remedial measures that should be taken'. Its spokesman added: 'We have requested the bank to submit an investigation report to the HKMA and will examine the matter in detail once the report is available.'

Mr Tan Teik Guan, chief executive of Data Security Systems Solutions, said such accidental leaks of confidential information could lead to 'embarrassing situations for clients and reputation risks for banks'. 'Intentional leakages are more serious as the data... (could be) used for more malicious activities,' he said

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wonder who see what and how much. haha

Merlion kena First Prize! Hit by lightning on the Head!

2009-03-01T11:06:00.003+08:00

From the pics, you can see the damage to the head. the merlion is a singapore symbol status. So been hit by lightning is a damn rare incident.

Does this imply anything to singapore?
Is this a premotion that something is going to happen big time?
Or just pure luck basis?

Btw, merlion got number a not? if have, post here and can buy 4D. haha. Kena the head sure first prize.

Mind your own business, says BMW driver - I got $$$$, can do what i want

2009-03-01T10:59:00.002+08:00

Mind your own business, says BMW driver

I WRITE this with a sense of disappointment after witnessing how ungracious some Singaporeans can be.

While walking my dogs in the vicinity of my condominium recently, I noted that a BMW 7 Series car was parked in one of the two lots reserved for the handicapped. It was not as if the regular parking lots were far away; there were many other regular lots available beside the handicap lots. I approached the driver whose apartment is opposite the handicap lot to move his car to a regular lot, since he neither had a 'handicap' sign on his car nor did he look physically challenged.

He and his daughter told me to mind my own business and said they can park anywhere they want since they have lived in the condominium for 10 years. Subsequently, I went down with my husband to take a photo of his car hoping that he would move his car after seeing us.

He did not.

This drives me to think that, despite Singapore being one of the financial hubs in the world, Singaporeans have failed to prove themselves gracious. In fact, they are narrow-minded. This reminds me of the article, 'A gracious Singapore? Not in my lifetime', published in The Straits Times on 9 Jan, in which Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew commented on graciousness in our society.

I hoped that he would be wrong for once. But numerous incidents around us have proved time and again that he is right. Instances such as the way we reserve tables in food courts by placing tissue packets to 'sleepers' occupying seats reserved for the handicapped serve as reminders that we need more than current efforts to improve graciousness.

Contributor : Wendy Hah

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Taken from asiaone website. so got money means can do whatever you want. so this BMW owner and daughter seems like big f**k. well, if you see this car on the road, just take note and give them the sneer. hope that this guy goes bankrupt and would not be so ya ya. leave in the condo for 10 yrs so what? if he is f**king rich, buy the whole condo block down and park wherever you want.

Drinking holes conspired to ply customers with booze, rob them

2009-02-28T02:23:00.001+08:00

Japan, Feb 27, 2009 - About 30 bar patrons in the Kabukicho entertainment district of Tokyo appear to have been robbed since autumn after being fed alcohol until they were drunk in a ploy organized by several bars in the area, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The police believe a sophisticated operation involving at least five bars has pocketed more than 40 million yen by forcing the customers to drink themselves unconscious and then stealing their cash cards. According to sources, one bar would ply a customer with drink and take him to a nearby ATM to watch him type in the PIN number, while the next would keep the customer drinking and steal his cash card to withdraw money.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the cases as drugging-robberies. 50-year-old company employee from Nerima Ward who had been drinking heavily in Kabukicho died Saturday after a bar manager and three others robbed him and left him on the street early that morning. The man reportedly had been enticed to drink a large amount of vodka mixed with shochu and other beverages at a bar called Mimatsu. His ATM card was then stolen, and the man was abandoned on the street.

The bar's manager, Mitsuko Ogawa, 73, and three others have been arrested on suspicion of drugging-robbery.According to investigation sources, two women who appeared to be bar staff cozied up to the man while he was drinking and accompanied him when he went to withdraw cash from an ATM at a nearby convenience store. The women watched the man punch in his PIN number and then apparently later stole the cash card and used it to withdraw more money.

According to a senior MPD officer, most of the 30 victims who have fallen prey to this scheme since autumn had been customers of four bars in central Kabukicho, including Mimatsu. After becoming intoxicated, the victims, as they stumbled along the road alone late at night, would be invited by young Japanese or foreign women who were part of the ring to go for another drink. When the victim was handed an exorbitant bill, the women would recommend he pay by credit card. If he refused, bar staff would take the extremely inebriated victim to a convenience store and watch him withdraw money with his cash card. At this stage, the victim would be taken to another bar nearby and forced to drink some more, with a bar staffer sometimes even passing alcohol from her mouth to the victim's, until the victim passed out. Bar staff would then pinch the cash card and use it to steal funds from the victim's account.

The perpetrators sometimes placed the card and a small sum of cash back in the victim's wallet and then bundled the victim into a taxi and sent the victim home to help cover their tracks. Last month, the MPD arrested a man whose role at the second bar was to withdraw the money from the victim's account, on suspicion of drugging-robbery. This month, a woman known as "Mama" at a bar used for the follow-up drinking session, and several men, including the bar manager, were arrested on suspicion of robbing a male customer of several hundred thousand yen in December after luring him into a drinking binge. The police are trying to trace the stolen money.

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not a bad idea. get the person drunk and do whatever u like

Quick Test for Symptoms of Stroke

2009-02-27T11:02:00.002+08:00

Someone send this to me, very very helpful as i encounter a victim many years ago where a middle aged lady collapsed by the side of the road, stood there trying to help her and ask her things for about 10 to 15mins and later call ambulance. however, after the incident, i realised that it could be a stroke and if had acted earlier, things could be different (sorry, i do not know the outcome as did not go with ambulance)

They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters....S.T.R.

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word.
I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.
Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency numberimmediatelyand describe the symptoms to the dispatcher..

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

I have done my part. Have you?

Trump to file bankruptcy

2009-02-26T11:35:00.001+08:00

PHILADELPHIA - Trump Entertainment Resorts, Donald Trump's casino group, is expected to file on Tuesday for bankruptcy, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The company's board was scheduled to meet late Monday night to decide whether to authorize the filing, the newspaper reported in its online edition. Otherwise, the casino operator would be forced into bankruptcy involuntarily by creditors, the newspaper said.

Such a filing would mark the third appearance in bankruptcy court for Trump Entertainment, which most recently emerged from bankruptcy proceedings in 2005, the newspaper said. -- REUTERS

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is it a cheap way out? works only in US!

Jobless ex-con asks for more prison time in Taiwan

2009-02-25T21:55:00.001+08:00

TAIPEI (Reuters) – A jobless Taiwan man released from prison two years ago asked police to send him back so he could eat, police and local media said on Tuesday, a grim sign of hard economic times on the island.

When police found the 45-year-old convicted arsonist lying on a street in a popular Taipei shopping district, he requested a return to life behind bars, nostalgic for the 10 years he had already served, the China Post newspaper reported. Wang had also contacted police separately with his request, a spokesman said. Officers who found him bought him a boxed lunch but declined to send him back to prison, the police spokesman said.

"We advised him to keep looking for work," he said. "I don't know why he can't find a job. Maybe employers think he's not suitable or that he's too old." Taiwan is in recession, with a slump in exports leading a record economic contraction in the fourth quarter of last year. Economists see more weakness through most of 2009, given falling demand for Taiwan's electronics goods in overseas markets.

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Hope we will not have such cases here in SG

App Management in iTunes ~ concept

2009-02-24T22:40:00.002+08:00

App Management in iTunes ~ concept
For those with iphone, you will love the conceptual way of managing your apps.
Hope this will be available soon

"As elegant as moving Apps is in the iPhone and iPod touch interface is, I always find myself frustrated that there’s no easy option to manage this inside iTunes. This is the interface I’d love to see on iTunes."

34,000 apply for 'best job' - Did you send in your application?

2009-02-24T10:38:00.002+08:00

SYDNEY - TENS of thousands of people from more than 200 countries have applied for 'the best job in the world' - being paid to loll about on an Australian island - officials said on Monday.

A late rush of more than 7,500 applications over the weekend brought the number people hoping to become 'caretaker' of tropical Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef to 34,684, the Queensland state government said. The deadline for applications was midnight GMT Sunday (8am Singapore time, Monday). 'This has been a phenomenal response and certainly more than we ever anticipated,' Tourism Queensland chief executive Anthony Hayes.

The most interest came from the US with 11,565 applicants, followed by Canada with 2,791, Britain with 2,262 and Australia with 2,064, the government said in a statement. Among the latest applicants were famed US crooner and movie star Dean Martin's son Ricci and a Barack Obama impersonator looking for a change of job. Candidates had to submit a video application in English of up to one minute explaining why they are uniquely qualified for the post.

The job pays A$150,000 (about S$150,000) for six months and includes free airfares from the successful candidate's home country to the island of white sands and clear waters. In return, the winner will be expected to have as much fun as he or she can enjoy - soaking up the sun, swimming, snorkelling, sailing - and to report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates. The successful candidate - who will stay in a multimillion-dollar three-bedroom beach home - must be over 18, a 'fantastic and charismatic' communicator, and able to speak and write English. The campaign is a key element in a drive to promote the northeastern Australian state's 18-billion-dollar-year tourism industry during the tough global economic climate, officials say.

A shortlist of 50 applicants will be announced on March 2, the final 11 candidates will be flown to the island for interviews from May 3, and the winner will be announced on May 6. -- AFP

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did anyone know whether any singaporean apply for it? i think the advertising revenue will be able to cover the costs of the job. it will turn out to be a reality show again.

M1 to loan handsets to subscribers!

2009-02-22T05:03:00.001+08:00

MOBILEONE (M1) customers will be able to loan new handsets worth over $500, and trade them in every 20 months for a new one.

Customers of M1's new Take3 programme, which was launched on Friday, will have to sign up for a 24-month post-paid mobile plan priced from $19 to $201 a month. They can then pick a phone to use for the period, with higher-priced plans for higher-end handsets. Models available include the popular Nokia N71 and the premium LGKF900 Prada II phone that go for over $1,000.

Customers can turn in their borrowed handsets after 20 months to get a new loan. 'Singaporeans love their mobile phones and are always on the lookout for great phone deals,' said M1 acting chief executive Karen Kooi in a statement announcing the new service. The new service, she added, gives customers 'the flexibility that is not currently available in the market'.

'They can now choose not to purchase any handset but yet have the privilege of using any of the latest handset models,' she said. Users will also be able to switch to a different handset after nine months of signing up for their plans, but will have to pay a one-time administrative fee to do so. The Straits Times understands that those who lose or damage the loaned handsets will also have to pay for them.

Although profitable, M1, Singapore's smallest telco, has been bleeding in the post-paid market share to incumbent SingTel since June, when mobile number portability was introduced, and has been under pressure to catch up. NSman Gerald Lim said the service was 'a good idea'.

'You can't get a good price for selling or trading in an old handphone today, so I may as well loan one and not have to worry about what to do with it afterwards,' he said.

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lets wait for the other 2 to start and see whats on offer. iphone or android?

Sex with teen sister-in-law in Singapore

2009-02-22T04:59:00.001+08:00

A MAN who had sex more than a dozen times with his teenage sister-in-law and made her pregnant was jailed for 18 months on Friday.

The 32-year-old father of one pleaded guilty to two counts of having sex with a girl under 16 at a flat in November and December 2007. The security supervisor was 31 at the time, and the girl, 15.

Assistant Superintendent Raj Kishore Rai told the court that the man and his family moved in to live with his mother-in-law in 2006 after his matrimonial home had been repossessed. The accused and the victim, who is his wife's younger sister, became close and started having an affair. Sometime in November 2007 he made sexual advances towards the girl. They had sex for the first time that month. Their last sexual encounter was in December the same year.

Sometime before Christmas, they decided to put a stop to their relationship as they felt it was not proper. She later found out she was pregnant and underwent an abortion in March last year when she was 15 weeks pregnant. District Judge Jill Tan, who took 13 other charges into consideration, said he was not only twice her age but her brother-in-law. He was living in the flat because of his mother-in-law's generosity and abused that trust.

She said that was an aggravating factor, and the sentence must be adequately heavy to reflect the seriousness of his acts. He could have been jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000 per charge.

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i think this is not the only case around and the guy should have take precautions. if he is a muslim, potentially, he can marry the sister as a second wife to redeem for his act

'An expensive affair' car affair - bad luck for this car accident owner

2009-02-22T04:50:00.002+08:00

When researcher Joanna Phua drove along the Pan-Island Expressway in December 2007, she did not expect it to be the start of her nightmare.

It was drizzling and she was driving at 70kmh on the extreme right lane when the taxi in front of her suddenly jammed its brakes. She could not brake in time and her Nissan Latio hit its rear. Then, a Malaysian-registered van slammed into her car's rear. She found out that hers was the fourth car in a five-car pile-up. She suffered only whiplash but her two-year-old vehicle was completely wrecked.

"I was so shocked, I didn't even get out of the car," said Ms Phua, 24. Eventually, she called her regular workshop, requesting a tow truck. But when the people there heard that it was a Malaysian van that hit her, they refused the job. "They were worried they couldn't claim the insurance from the Malaysian side," she said. "So they didn't even want to repair my car."

At a loss, she agreed to let a workshop representative, who had approached her after witnessing the accident, tow her car to a workshop in Woodlands.Although the workshop promised to provide her with a replacement car, this did not happen. It also had problems verifying that the Malaysian van had an insurer.

Reluctant to leave her car in the workshop while awaiting news from the Malaysian side, Ms Phua took it to the official agent for repairs. She had to claim $11,000 from her own insurance. "The next year, my premium nearly tripled from $600 to $1,600 annually," she said. On top of that, she has also received two letters from lawyers representing the owner of the first car in the chain collision, seeking $6,197 in compensation from her. "Usually they claim from the last car, but because the last one is Malaysian, I think he decided to come after me," she said. "For months, I was so worried and didn't dare to drive."

She has left the case to her insurer and the case is still pending. Now, Ms Phua avoids driving in jams as far as possible and always keeps a safe distance from cars in front of hers. "Getting into a pile-up is a really troublesome and expensive affair," she said ruefully.

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I would say this is her bad luck. also, judging from the situation, she could be closing up on the vehicle in front of her and had no space allowance. further, she did not check the rear mirror to see whether the back vehicle is closing up too. if safety precautions are adopted, this accident will not happen. not sure what to say but bad luck for her. i hope that she got the particulars of the malaysian van.

the problem with a lot of drivers is that they think that the vehicle will stop on the spot when they apply brakes and they forget all the safety issues... haiz...

S'porean youth arrested for terrorist SMS hoax

2009-02-22T04:48:00.001+08:00

POLICE yesterday arrested a 19-year old Singaporean male youth in connection with an SMS hoax suggesting a terrorist attack in the Bugis area.The police have been receiving multiple calls from last Friday informing them of an SMS that was circulating.The SMS, which had several variations, stated that terrorists were planning to bomb the Bugis area and that there were many policemen there. It advised the public to avoid the area.

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haiz..... another idiot who played with sms. don't they know that they will be trace down and throw into jail.

2009-02-16T11:47:00.001+08:00

Ministry feels interest rate reduction not good enough

JOHOR BARU: Credit cardholders clamoured for a cut in interest rates and the banks obliged.

But it’s not good enough, as far as the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry is concerned.

Although determining interest rates is out of its jurisdiction, the ministry wants to get involved as the issue concerned the interest of consumers. Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Zain Mohd Dom said he would meet with Bank Negara and financial institutions, possibly this week, to seek a further reduction in credit card interest rates.

He said minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad wanted the meeting held soon, adding that it was the ministry’s view that the interest rate reduction announced by the Association of Banks on Thursday “was not good enough”. “I can’t deny that the interest rates are still high. Although the interest rates have come down, we can’t sit still and say it cannot be reduced by more,” he said here yesterday. The association had announced that credit card interest rates and penalty fees were going down, with cardholders who paid at least the minimum amount promptly over 12 consecutive months (Tier-I) to pay 13.5% in annual interest from March 31, from the present 15%.

For those who paid promptly for at least 10 consecutive months (Tier-II), the interest rate will be 16%, down from 17%. For those who did not fall into both these categories (Tier-III), the interest rate will be 17.5%, a minimal 0.5% reduction from 18%. The present minimum late payment fee of RM10, or 1% of the total outstanding balance will also be reduced to RM5, and the RM100 maximum fee cut to RM75.

However, consumer groups said the reductions were too low, adding that the Tier III reduction of 0.5% was insignificant. “The total credit card debt is RM23bil, and most of those affected are in Tier III. This is the group which needs help,” said a consumer official.Mohd Zain said banks could be persuaded to further reduce credit card interest rates if Bank Negara, as the regulating body, supported such measures.The reduction was also criticised by consumers who felt the Tier III concession was too little and insufficient to help them get out of debt.

There are 10.3 million cardholders in the country. Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu said banks had to offer substantial interest rate cuts if they were serious about helping consumers counter economic difficulties. He urged banks to slash interest rates “without waiting for instructions.”

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Will the Singapore Government adopt a similar stand? lowering interest will free up more resources and less bad debts?

BUT personally, i don't think the Singapore is that "helpful"

Reconsider 5-day week? A DR say we work too less, not productive. WTF???

2009-02-05T00:23:00.002+08:00

MORE free time did not result in more babies, so people should go back to work on Saturdays.

Nominated MP Loo Choon Yong on Tuesday threw up the most provocative suggestion during the Budget debate when he questioned the benefits of the five-day work week. Speaking on the second day of the debate on the Budget Statement, he said the move to a shorter work week by the public sector and then the private sectors in in 2004 could have eroded the Singaporean's work ethic, while not improving the fertility rate in any meaningful way.

The number of live births only inched up to 39,490 in 2007 from 37,485 in 2003. 'We should accept that as a people our procreation talent is not our forte - nothing to crow about,' he said. 'I urge the Government to take steps to determine whether our productivity and competitiveness have been affected by the five-day week and to review the policy, if necessary,' he added. Dr Loo had unleashed this stunner as he voiced concerns over what he called the 'all life and very little work' attitude of the younger generation.

He pointed to Straits Times reports on how to maximise leave by taking advantage of public holidays that fall near weekends as an indication of an erosion of the work ethics. 'I have nothing against our young Singaporeans having fun and partying. But I hope they will work as hard as they play,' he said. Declining productivity was also a concern of Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) although he broached the subject from a different angle. He pegged the dipping productivity figures in recent years to an over-reliance on foreign workers.

===========================================================================

I totally disagree with him. we work 5 days but beyond our normal hours for many. WTF is this DR crowing about? Dr Loo is the Executive Chairman of Raffles Medical Group. Does he have a hidden agenda? We work more days, so easier to get sick becoz of not enough rest and exercise, then his RMG can make more MONEY from us. Is he implying this as an underlying message? now RMG charge so high for medical fees and he want to fleece us some more. if can, do boycott RMG!!! Such an idoit to raise such an issue!

Japanese Style Pac Man

2009-02-04T13:13:00.003+08:00

This is how japanese play pac man on tv gameshow. funny as you see how the ghost change their colors and how 1 guy get whack. hahahaha

MLM Scam - Sunshine chief charged

2009-02-04T11:50:00.002+08:00

THE man behind multilevel marketer Sunshine Empire, which pulled in $189 million from investors here, is facing 20 charges, including running a fraudulent business and criminal breach of trust.

James Phang Wah, 49, appeared in the Subordinate Court yesterday, more than a year after the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) launched a probe into the alleged scam which attracted tens of thousands of unwitting investors. Another man, Sunshine's president (Asia Pacific) Jackie Hoo Choon Cheat, 29, faced 10 charges including running a fraudulent business. Two other people, including Phang's wife, also faced related charges in court yesterday.

The main charge alleged that the two central figures were running a Ponzi-like scheme involving many millions of dollars raised from members of the public. In Ponzi schemes, investors are lured to hand over cash on the promise of high returns - but the returns simply come from funds pumped in by new investors.

The charges allege that Sunshine, based at Toa Payoh HDB Hub, was selling packages which offered returns in the form of cash rebates. The returns were paid from the proceeds of packages bought by later Sunshine participants. According to Deputy Public Prosecutor April Phang, the revenue generated by Sunshine, which has a paid-up capital of $150,000, between August 2006 and November 2007 totalled $189 million.

It is believed that many investors have their money stuck with the company and it is unclear whether they can get it back in full. Phang and Hoo also faced charges of failing to maintain proper accounts.

===========================================================================

its about time that they kena caught. just hope that there is money in the bank to do refunds.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOUR BODY

2009-01-30T12:08:00.000+08:00

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOUR BODY

The human body is a machine that is full of wonder.
This collection of human body facts will leave you wondering why in the heck we were designed the way we were.

-Scientists say the higher your I.Q. The more you dream.

-The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.

-You use 200 muscles to take one step.

-The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.

-Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three.

-A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands.

-A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.

-The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.

-The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

-It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

-The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds.

-At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell.

-There is about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

-Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.

-The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body.

-Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born

-When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.

-Your thumb is the same length of your nose.

At this very moment I know full well you are putting this last fact to the test...now remove your thumb from your nose and pass this on to the friends you think might be interested in comparing their thumbs to their noses as well! :-)

GST credits to double

2009-01-22T22:04:00.001+08:00

GST credits to double
Rebates for service and conservancy and rental charges will also be raised.
TO HELP families cope with the economic downturn, the Government will double the GST credits for households this year.

It will spend $580 million with an immediate GST credit payout on March 1, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Thursday. This will be on top of the allocation of GST credits already planned for in July. 'As before, more GST credits will be given to the low income and the old,' Mr Tharman said. For example, a Singaporean retiree aged 60 or above, living in a four-room HDB flat, will get an additional $400, or a total of $800 in GST credits and senior citizens' bonuses in 2009. 'In the current downturn, the GST has also given us the revenue to provide additional benefits to Singapore households, and especially for low and middle income families,' Mr Tharman said.

He also announced additional rebates for Housing Board service and conservancy and rental charges to relieve household spending. One- to three-room HDB flat owners will get bonus rebates of one month; larger flats will receive one to two months; while eligible rental flats will receive a one-month rental rebate. 'Most households will in fact be receiving benefits this year that exceed what they would have gained if the Government had instead cut the GST by 2 per cent.

'Keeping the GST unchanged has afforded substantial benefits for households, but more importantly, the distribution of benefits favours low and middle-income households. This is the right strategy for the times,' Mr Tharman said. Low income households will receive additional help. The Government will increase the Public Assistance (PA) rate for single-person households by $30 from $330 to $360. It will also top up the Public Transport Fund, to bring it to $10 million to 'ensure that it is sufficient to fund public transport vouchers for all low-income households who need help', said the minister. The ElderCare Fund and Medifund will also get a $100 million top up each this year.

New Mafia Game - King Of Mafia

2009-01-22T20:51:00.003+08:00

King Of Mafia

a new mafia game in town. locations are south east asia based and more lean towards the local context. compared to the others, this has territories for you to find over and earn "protection" money. it seems more interesting as this is new and early birds has better chance to progress faster. The leveling seems faster and regeneration rate is higher.

Try out and see - http://www.kingofmafia.com
for those who sign up using this link below

http://www.kingofmafia.com/register.php?REF=14

You will get better protection and progress faster as i will help you along the way. weapons, money, gold and guidance, i will be there for you

join now to fulfill your criminal mind fantasies

Table of the chinese sixty year calendar

2009-01-21T09:53:00.001+08:00

Good to check which chinese element for the year that you are born in and maybe you can use it to harmonise your environment

Table of the sixty year calendar

The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Western calendar for the years 1924–2043 (see above article for years 1804–1923).

Note: The Chinese symbols in the table for the elements and animal signs are special ones used only in astrology, not the ordinary symbols used in general writing.

	Year	Associated	Heavenly	Earthly	Associated	Year
	1924 - 1983	Element	Stem	Branch	Animal	1984 - 2043
1	Feb 05 1924 - Jan 23 1925	Yang Wood	甲	子	Rat	Feb 02 1984 - Feb 19 1985
2	Jan 24 1925 - Feb 12 1926	Yin Wood	乙	丑	Ox	Feb 20 1985 - Feb 08 1986
3	Feb 13 1926 - Feb 01 1927	Yang Fire	丙	寅	Tiger	Feb 09 1986 - Jan 28 1987
4	Feb 02 1927 - Jan 22 1928	Yin Fire	丁	卯	Rabbit	Jan 29 1987 - Feb 16 1988
5	Jan 23 1928 - Feb 09 1929	Yang Earth	戊	辰	Dragon	Feb 17 1988 - Feb 05 1989
6	Feb 10 1929 - Jan 29 1930	Yin Earth	己	巳	Snake	Feb 06 1989 - Jan 26 1990
7	Jan 30 1930 - Feb 16 1931	Yang Metal	庚	午	Horse	Jan 27 1990 - Feb 14 1991
8	Feb 17 1931 - Feb 05 1932	Yin Metal	辛	未	Ram	Feb 15 1991 - Feb 03 1992
9	Feb 06 1932 - Jan 25 1933	Yang Water	壬	申	Monkey	Feb 04 1992 - Jan 22 1993
10	Jan 26 1933 - Feb 13 1934	Yin Water	癸	酉	Rooster	Jan 23 1993 - Feb 09 1994
11	Feb 14 1934 - Feb 03 1935	Yang Wood	甲	戌	Dog	Feb 10 1994 - Jan 30 1995
12	Feb 04 1935 - Jan 23 1936	Yin Wood	乙	亥	Boar	Jan 31 1995 - Feb 18 1996
13	Jan 24 1936 - Feb 10 1937	Yang Fire	丙	子	Rat	Feb 19 1996 - Feb 06 1997
14	Feb 11 1937 - Jan 30 1938	Yin Fire	丁	丑	Ox	Feb 07 1997 - Jan 27 1998
15	Jan 31 1938 - Feb 18 1939	Yang Earth	戊	寅	Tiger	Jan 28 1998 - Feb 15 1999
16	Feb 19 1939 - Feb 07 1940	Yin Earth	己	卯	Rabbit	Feb 16 1999 - Feb 04 2000
17	Feb 08 1940 - Jan 26 1941	Yang Metal	庚	辰	Dragon	Feb 05 2000 - Jan 23 2001
18	Jan 27 1941 - Feb 14 1942	Yin Metal	辛	巳	Snake	Jan 24 2001 - Feb 11 2002
19	Feb 15 1942 - Feb 04 1943	Yang Water	壬	午	Horse	Feb 12 2002 - Jan 31 2003
20	Feb 05 1943 - Jan 24 1944	Yin Water	癸	未	Ram	Feb 01 2003 - Jan 21 2004
21	Jan 25 1944 - Feb 12 1945	Yang Wood	甲	申	Monkey	Jan 22 2004 - Feb 08 2005
22	Feb 13 1945 - Feb 01 1946	Yin Wood	乙	酉	Rooster	Feb 09 2005 - Jan 28 2006
23	Feb 02 1946 - Jan 21 1947	Yang Fire	丙	戌	Dog	Jan 29 2006 - Feb 17 2007
24	Jan 22 1947 - Feb 09 1948	Yin Fire	丁	亥	Boar	Feb 18 2007 - Feb 06 2008
25	Feb 10 1948 - Jan 28 1949	Yang Earth	戊	子	Rat	Feb 07 2008 - Jan 25 2009
26	Jan 29 1949 - Feb 16 1950	Yin Earth	己	丑	Ox	Jan 26 2009 - Feb 13 2010
27	Feb 17 1950 - Feb 05 1951	Yang Metal	庚	寅	Tiger	Feb 14 2010 - Feb 02 2011
28	Feb 06 1951 - Jan 26 1952	Yin Metal	辛	卯	Rabbit	Feb 03 2011 - Jan 22 2012
29	Jan 27 1952 - Feb 13 1953	Yang Water	壬	辰	Dragon	Jan 23 2012 - Feb 09 2013
30	Feb 14 1953 - Feb 02 1954	Yin Water	癸	巳	Snake	Feb 10 2013 - Jan 30 2014
31	Feb 03 1954 - Jan 23 1955	Yang Wood	甲	午	Horse	Jan 31 2014 - Feb 18 2015
32	Jan 24 1955 - Feb 11 1956	Yin Wood	乙	未	Ram	Feb 19 2015 - Feb 07 2016
33	Feb 12 1956 - Jan 30 1957	Yang Fire	丙	申	Monkey	Feb 08 2016 - Jan 27 2017
34	Jan 31 1957 - Feb 17 1958	Yin Fire	丁	酉	Rooster	Jan 28 2017 - Feb 18 2018
35	Feb 18 1958 - Feb 07 1959	Yang Earth	戊	戌	Dog	Feb 19 2018 - Feb 04 2019
36	Feb 08 1959 - Jan 27 1960	Yin Earth	己	亥	Boar	Feb 05 2019 - Jan 24 2020
37	Jan 28 1960 - Feb 14 1961	Yang Metal	庚	子	Rat	Jan 25 2020 - Feb. 11 2021
38	Feb 15 1961 - Feb 04 1962	Yin Metal	辛	丑	Ox	Feb 12 2021 - Jan 31 2022
39	Feb 05 1962 - Jan 24 1963	Yang Water	壬	寅	Tiger	Feb 01 2022 - Jan 21 2023
40	Jan 25 1963 - Feb 12 1964	Yin Water	癸	卯	Rabbit	Jan 22 2023 - Feb 09 2024
41	Feb 13 1964 - Feb 01 1965	Yang Wood	甲	辰	Dragon	Feb 10 2024 - Jan 28 2025
42	Feb 02 1965 - Jan 20 1966	Yin Wood	乙	巳	Snake	Jan 29 2025 - Feb 16 2026
43	Jan 21 1966 - Feb 08 1967	Yang Fire	丙	午	Horse	Feb 17 2026 - Feb 05 2027
44	Feb 09 1967 - Jan 29 1968	Yin Fire	丁	未	Ram	Feb 06 2027 - Jan 25 2028
45	Jan 30 1968 - Feb 16 1969	Yang Earth	戊	申	Monkey	Jan 26 2028 - Feb 12 2029
46	Feb 17 1969 - Feb 05 1970	Yin Earth	己	酉	Rooster	Feb 13 2029 - Feb 02 2030
47	Feb 06 1970 - Jan 26 1971	Yang Metal	庚	戌	Dog	Feb 03 2030 - Jan 22 2031
48	Jan 27 1971 - Feb 14 1972	Yin Metal	辛	亥	Boar	Jan 23 2031 - Feb 10 2032
49	Feb 15 1972 - Feb 02 1973	Yang Water	壬	子	Rat	Feb 11 2032 - Jan 30 2033
50	Feb 03 1973 - Jan 22 1974	Yin Water	癸	丑	Ox	Jan 31 2033 - Feb 18 2034
51	Jan 23 1974 - Feb 10 1975	Yang Wood	甲	寅	Tiger	Feb 19 2034 - Feb 07 2035
52	Feb 11 1975 - Jan 30 1976	Yin Wood	乙	卯	Rabbit	Feb 08 2035 - Jan 27 2036
53	Jan 31 1976 - Feb 17 1977	Yang Fire	丙	辰	Dragon	Jan 28 2036 - Feb 14 2037
54	Feb 18 1977 - Feb 06 1978	Yin Fire	丁	巳	Snake	Feb 15 2037 - Feb 03 2038
55	Feb 07 1978 - Jan 27 1979	Yang Earth	戊	午	Horse	Feb 04 2038 - Jan 23 2039
56	Jan 28 1979 - Feb 15 1980	Yin Earth	己	未	Ram	Jan 24 2039 - Feb 11 2040
57	Feb 16 1980 - Feb 04 1981	Yang Metal	庚	申	Monkey	Feb 12 2040 - Jan 31 2041
58	Feb 05 1981 - Jan 24 1982	Yin Metal	辛	酉	Rooster	Feb 01 2041 - Jan 21 2042
59	Jan 25 1982 - Feb 12 1983	Yang Water	壬	戌	Dog	Jan 22 2042 - Feb 09 2043
60	Feb 13 1983 - Feb 01 1984	Yin Water	癸	亥	Boar	Feb 10 2043 - Jan 29 2044

STORY BEHIND YOUR DATE OF BIRTH

2009-01-19T09:42:00.000+08:00

STORY BEHIND YOUR DATE OF BIRTH

If U were born on the 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th of any month U r number 1....

If U were born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, 29th of any month then U r number 2...

If U were born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st, 30th of any month then U r number 3...

If U were born on the 4th, 13th, 22nd, 31st of any month then U r number 4...

If U were born on the 5th, 14th, 23rd of any month then U r number 5...

If U were born on the 6th,15th,24th of any month then U r number 6...

If U were born on the 7th,16th,25th of any month then U r number 7...

If U were born on the 8th,17th,26th of any month then U r number 8...

If U were born on the 9th,18th,27th of any month then U r number 9...

Number 1

You are smart, straight talking, funny, stubborn, hardworking, honest,
Jealous on competing basis, kind hearted, angry, friendly, authorities,
Famous person...always want to be and regarded as first on people
Position, they are often like to be independent, will never be under
Others, self confident people!

You are most likely to fall in love in the younger age, but will get
Marry when you mature! You are likely to have problems with people who have opposite views
And you are most likely to take revenge over your
Enemies in a long time basis. You are a spender, but you will have a good profession in the future.
If you are guy you will be very popular that everybody will have mental attraction and respect at you.
You can go anywhere from the local shop to the heart of the parliament because you are positive and
Well talented in numerous issues!! But in your life you will always have some people who will work hard
To bring you & your name down. This is undercover!! Coz of your smart behavior you will be hated by some
People too...

Your family life is very cool, you will have a very nice partner &
Wonderful children... You are pioneer, independent & original...

Your best match is 4,6,8 good match is 3,5,7 !!!

Number 2

No matter what, you will be loved by every one coz your ruler is the
Moon and every one loves the Moon. Well.. You are a person who day dream a lot,
You have very low-self confidence, you need back up for every move in your life, you
Are very much unpredictable. Means you do change according to time and circumstances,
Kind a selfish, have a very strong sense of musical, artistic talent, verbal communication.
Your attitudes are like the Moon, comes to gloom and fade away so everybody can expect
Changes in you. You can be a next Mahatma Gandhi who does peace love or you can be a
Hitler who wants to destroy the man kind and peace (I mean in the community and your own home).

If you really have a deep thought about your own believe in God you can
Feel the difference which will make you stronger! Most of the time your
Words are a kind of would be happening true! So without any knowledge
You can predict the situation. You will become poets, writers, any
Artistic business people!

You are not strong in love, so you will be there and here till you get
Marry.. If U r a girl you will be a responsible woman in the whole
Family. If U r a man you will involve in fights & arguments in the family or
Vice-versa. Means you will sacrifice your life for the goodness sake of
Your family...You are gentle , intuitive with a broad vision, a power
Behind the scenes, well balanced People!!!

Your best match is 2 ,5 ,9 no other people can put up with you !!!

Number 3

You are a person of hard hearted, selfish most of the times, religious,
Loves to climb up in your life. You always tend to have lots of problems
Within your family in the early stages but you will put up with everything..
You have the strong word power, pretty happy face.. So wherever you go always
You have got what you wanted!!! And from the birth always wanted to work hard in order
To achieve something.. You will not get
Anything without hard work! When you reach a man/ woman age you want other younger
Once to listen to you because you want younger people to respect people older than them.
You do set so many examples to others. Generally you are not a cool person. It's not easy
thing dealing with you. A tough player you are! But once you like someone's attitud! e then
here you go, what can I say? It will be a lasting friendship. You always have respect from others.
Your life seems to have lots of worries and problems but sure they won't be long.. You will always
have brilliant kids!!! You love the money a bit too much so temptation will push you to endless
trying and trying.. If you are a guy then it's over. Looking after your family and help friends, so you
will spend a life time just being generous and kind (except 21st born men). And number 3s you will
be such an example of how to be in the culture & life!!! If you are girl then you have good character
and culture & hardworking attitude. You always follow.. You are a freedom lover, creative, ambition
focused, a person who brings beauty , hope & joy to this world!!!

Your best match 6 ,9. Good match 1 ,3 ,5 !!!

Number 4

You are very stubborn too, very hard working but unlucky in important
matters in life, very cool, helpful, you have rough word power.. Might
put lots of people away from you, you may cause nuisance to others if you are a man,
and you often understands others and their problems well. If you are a girl you are very
good with studies and arts. If you are a guy you spend most of the time after girl friends
(almost) at times, you will have sort of too much fun life with mates & girls. Your friends will
spend your time & money and get away with their life and you will become empty handed and
don't know what to do... So be careful!! You love to spend anyway!!! Your good will is you are
always there to help family and friends. Tell you what you people are little gem! s, specially the girls..
You always fall in love in younger age as well. You often live with disappointments, for an example
you have got a degree in some thing... but you will be unemployed.. or will do very ordinary jobs.
But you will take care of your family very well...All you need to be careful of people who will take
advantage of your kind heart. And beware of your relations too.. You are radical, patient, persistent,
a bit old-fashioned, you live with foundation & order...

Your best Match 1, 8. Good match 5 ,6 , 7 !!!

Number 5

You are very popular within the community, you can get things done by
just chatting..to even enemies! You have a pretty good business mind, you are often
have no-idea what is today is like, or tomorrow is like, you are a person who does anything
when your head thinks "lets do this". You will be famous if you open up a business,
get involve in share dealings, music etc.. Very popular with sense of humor ,you are
the one your friends and families will always ask for help, and you are the one actually
get money on credit and help your friends. You will have more than 1 relationship,
but when u get settle down you will be a bit selfish anyway. Coz your other half will
have a pretty good amount of control in you, be careful! You tend to go for other relationships!
Contacts even you are married at times 'coz your popularity.. You are someone who get along
with anyone coz the number 5 is the middle number.. Changes & freedom lovers you are! You are
an explorer with magic on your face. You learn your life through experience and it's your best teacher!!!

Your best match 1 ,2 ,9. Good match 6 ,8 !!!

Number 6

Ooopppss..you are born to enjoy.. You don't care about others. I mean
you are always want to enjoy your life time, you are a person.. You will be
very good in either education or work wise or business management! You are talented,
kind (but with only people who you think are nice), very
beautiful girls and guys, popular and more than lucky with anything in
your lives. All the goodness does come with you. Your mind and body is just made perfect for love.
You are lovable by any other numbers. But if you are a number 6 man, you will experience kind of
looks from most girls and will involve in more than few relationships until you get married. If you are girl,
most of you will get marry/engaged early. You are ! a caring
person towards your family & friends . If you miss the half-way mark then you are about to suffer physically
and mentally. Generally you will lead a very good inner-home happiness with nothing short of. You are a person of compassion, comfort & fairness, domestic responsibility, good
judgment, and after all you can heal this world wounds to make peace for every life coz you have the great
power of caring talent to make this world of love one step further...

Your best match 1, 6, 9. Good match 4, 5!!!

Number 7

You have got the attraction to anyone out there, you are realistic,
very confident, happy, such a talented individual with your education,
music, arts, singing, and most importantly acting too. You have real problems
with bad temper! If you are a girl, you are popular with the subjects listed above.
You give up things for your parents. I mean you value your family status a lot, you will be
in the top rank when you reach a certain age. If you are a guy you are popular with girls,
you are a very talented too. Most of the number 7s face lots of problems with their marriage life.
Only a very few are happy. You have everything in your life, but still always number 7s have some sort of unfullfilness, such worries all their lifetime. It's probably the Lord given you al! l sort of over the
standard humans talents and you are about to suffer in family life. So you need to get ready looking
for a partner rather than waiting. If you don't, then you might end-up single. So take care with this issue,
ok? You are wonderful, friendly, artistic, happy person.. You are born to
contribute lots to this world!!!

Your best match is 2. Good matches are 1,4 !!!

Number 8

You are a very strong personality, there's no one out there will
understand you. You are very good at pointing your finger at some thing and say "this is what".
You are more likely to suffer from the early ages. I mean poverty. If your times are not good
you might lose either of your
parent and end up looking after your entire family. You often suffer all the way in life.
The problems will not allow you to study further, but you will
learn the life in a very practical way. You are the one who will fight
for justice and may die in the war too. You are normally very reserved with handful of
friends and most of the time live life lonely and always
prepared to help others. Well. once you get married (which is often
late) then your bad lucks will go away a bit and you! u become safe. You will face un-expected
problems such as : the error, government, poisonous animals, accidents. You are some one with
great discipline, persistence, courage, strength which will take you to success. You are a great part
of a family team. You are a fighter!

Your Best match 1 ,4, 8. Good match 5 !!!

Number 9

Hey....you guys are the incompatibles people in the world. You are so
strong, physically and mentally... You are often have big-aims. You will work
hard and hard to get there.
Normally you suffer in the early age from family problems and generally you
will have fighting life.. But when you
achieve what you have done, it's always a big task you have done! You are so much respected in
the community, you are a person who can make a challenge and successfully finish the matter off.
You are very naughty in your younger age, often beaten up by your parents and involve in fights
and you seemed to have lots of injuries in your life time. But when u grow you become calm and macho type.
Love is not an easy matter for you. You are good in engineering or banking jobs coz people always trust you.
Your family life is very good, but will have worries over your children.
Your such qualities are humanitarian, patient, very wise & compassionate.
You are born to achieve targets and serve every one all equally without any prejudice.
You are totally a role model to anybody in the world for a great inspiration.

Your Best match 3, 5, 6, 9. Good match 2

S$206.9 billion overdrawn from bank account

2008-12-31T08:30:00.001+08:00

LONDON - A BRITISH man was left reeling in shock on Tuesday when his bank statement showed him to be 100 billion pounds (S$206.9 billion) overdrawn.

As if the credit crunch was not hitting Britons hard enough, Donald Moffat was temporarily in deep, deep, deep financial trouble - due to a 'technical error'. The 38-year-old, from Irvine on Scotland's east coast, said his wife noticed the somewhat 'major discrepancy of two 50-billion-pound debits' after he logged on to his account online. 'When I saw it... I've been shaking, I've been feeling sick - everything,' the stunned student and part-time care worker told the BBC. 'We knew we still had quite a bit left in the account as we checked last night before we went out. 'This morning I went out to get a few things then, when I came back, my account was overdrawn by that amount.'

Barclays bank said in a statement: 'A technical error caused some customer accounts to be incorrectly debited.' 'The problem was immediately identified and corrected within less than an hour, and all affected customer accounts are now showing correct balances.'

'No customers will be financially impacted by this error. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers.' -- AFP

Cortina Watch Theft - Insider Job - Guy now missing

2008-12-31T08:25:00.002+08:00

SOME signs that the theft of $7.9 million worth of watches and cash from Cortina Watch's Raffles City outlet was an inside job emerged yesterday, and police are now looking for an ex-employee of the store to help in investigations.

The man, 35-year-old Jerry Ee, has gone missing, and his parents told The Straits Times that he has not been home since Dec 26 - a day after the robbery took place. In what appeared to be a related development, his services have been terminated by the watch retailer, and a notice stating that he is no longer an employee and is not authorised to act for the company in any capacity appears in today's Straits Times.

Such ads, industry experts say, are normally taken out when staff of high-end retailers are dismissed or leave the company. This is because such workers often have extremely close relationships with customers. The notices prevent former workers who have been sacked or who have left the company from taking advantage of such ties.

It is not known for how long Mr Ee had worked for the company, or what position he held. When The Straits Times visited his flat last night, his mother and stepfather said they had no clue where he was. They said they had left for Taiwan for an eight-day holiday before Christmas and returned on Boxing Day, and did not think anything of it when Mr Ee did not come home that night. When he did not return after a few days, they became worried but had no way of contacting him. The first sign that trouble might be brewing appeared on Monday, when they arrived home to find a note from the police on their door. The note instructed them to call a number, but they did not.

Yesterday evening, police officers came calling again. They asked for Mr Ee's whereabouts and left without explaining why, said his stepfather, 62, who refused to be named. Mr Ee, who is divorced, has two children. He has custody of his four-year-old son, while his eight-year-old daughter lives with his ex-wife. He is listed as the owner of several telecommunications and air-conditioning companies. Said his stepfather yesterday: 'I just want him to come back so we can settle everything.' Interviews with Raffles City's security guards, other tenants in the mall and several watch retailers also threw up signs of an inside job:

Security guards on duty on the night of the robbery said no alarms went off and there were no signs of a break-in at the store.

Cleaners who worked through the night also said they did not hear anything.

The manager of the Omega boutique, which is just metres away from the affected store, said Cortina employees had told him there was no break-in.

'I know two workers at the Cortina outlet and both told me that it was an employee who did it. Someone else in the industry told me the same thing,' he said. 'It is very possible.'

The Singapore Clock & Watch Trade Association - of which Cortina Watch is a member - is concerned enough about an inside job to call a meeting to advise its members to improve the security of their stores as well as monitor staff behaviour, said its secretary, Ms Geraldine Lim.

The theft of watches and cash took place after Cortina's store closed on Christmas Day.

Police said yesterday that 386 timepieces of assorted brands and $27,000 in cash were stolen.

A check at the store yesterday found that it was business as usual.

At least nine closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were spotted inside the outlet, and about 10 staff members were in the store at any one time.

Other retailers in the mall said they were aware of the theft, but had not been formally told about what happened.

Ms Kat Ang, a boutique assistant at the Omega outlet, said: 'The manager told us about the robbery and sent us e-mails to ask us to be more alert. But we want updates about what is going on, so we can take the necessary precautions.'

A Lesbian affair - "Girlfriend": Husband is the third party

2008-12-29T12:30:00.001+08:00

"Girlfriend": Husband is the third party

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: A lesbian is stalking her former schoolmate and has even accused the woman's husband of being the “third party” in their "relationship".

The 33-year-old woman, known only as Ong, also threatened to use black magic to win the love of the classmate, identified as Chong.

Ong and Chong were classmates in Penang when they were 13.

Chong, now the mother of a month-old baby, said Ong liked to dress like a man and used to follow her back home after school."My friends used to tell me that Ong was interested in me," Chong said at a press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department.

Her ordeal started in August.

"There was no contact between us when I moved to Kuala Lumpur. But in August this year, she found me through a private investigator and visited my shop to profess her love to me," said Chong, an assistant florist at her husband’s shop.

In one of their encounters, Chong rejected her love. Ong shouted back "Awak bini saya!" (You are my wife) and refused to leave when the security guard asked her to do so. Ong also used several telephone numbers to call Chong, sometimes up to 10 times a day. She later met Chong's husband Phuah, 37, and asked him to stay away as he was not her "true husband". She pasted flyers around the shop and sent letters to his neighbours to say that Chong was her wife and she would wait forever for her.

In a recent SMS, Ong told Chong that she would go to Thailand to seek a witch doctor's help to win back her love. Phuah lodged a report at the Dang Wangi police station on Oct 20. "I appeal to Ong's parents to stop her from harassing me because I am already married," Chong said.

Department head Datuk Michael Chong said it had four cases related to lesbianism of which three involved school students.

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interesting. they should refer her to a doctor too

The forgotten ones - the old lady that sells tissue paper - the unsung heroes

2008-12-28T22:17:00.004+08:00

i remember an old lady 2 years back selling tissue papers at the traffic light junction of bugis junction. a frail old lady who will always smile when you buy a packets of tissue paper from her. the wrinkles on her face and the frail look shows how much she has weathered through her life. She is there everyday and every time i go past the junction, i will sure buy a packet of tissue from her. i love to see her smile as it really warms your heart.

however, she disappeared last year, never to be seen again at the bugis junction traffic light. i really wonder why and was thinking what happen to her. has she past away? has she shifted place? has anything bad happened? i don't know and could not get any answers. every time i walked past the place, i just have this sense of hoping to see her again. days, weeks and months went by, the longing is still there. deep down, i would just like to know how is she right now.

last saturday, i was walking towards the lavender mrt station from golden mile, i saw an old lady sitting in a wheel chair, sleeping there but holding to a basket of tissue paper for sale. i just walk up and wake her up to purchase a packet. from the outlook, she look like the old lady that i missed all this while but she look so much thinner. when she held her head up, i was shocked, stunned for a moment before giving her the money and walking away and keep looking back.

She is there in front of me BUT she is on a wheel chair, OMG! what happened? i feel so sad and i feel like crying or i am crying in my heart. is she alright? how come? she look so much thinner now. i just keep walking but keep thinking. for a moment, i feel at a loss. so much looking forward to know how is she but not able to accept the fact.
====================================================================
she is just one of those old people selling tissue papers around us. I told my wife what happened and she too, has her share of sadness.

She represents a small small percentage in our community in each country. She has directly or indirectly contributed to the good of the whole community but different life and fate awaits everyone of us. i would say that theirs is more harsh than us. even so, we should not have shunned them.

back to the days at bugis junction, when the old lady was selling tissue there, i monitor for half an 15 mins to see what kind of response she would get. the human traffic is so great, at least 200 to 300 people walk past during a busy friday evening, however, just out of so many, only 1 person or lady did purchase the tissue, many just look at her and walk past, maybe with comments or not. Many of these are young people, thinking of what to buy, enjoy, eat or entertain next but missing out the forgotten ones along the way. i was sad and angry as what is the society turning into? people just shunned them becoz they sell tissues? i am out of touch with young people but would like to know why too. i hinted to some that i know but reactions received was quite depressing, mostly would not have notice or would say that someone will do it or just couldn't find a reason to pull out the dollar coin to do a goodwill.

Is this the becoming of an evolving society that kindness just get evolved or evaporated? if someone could think of switching places with the old lady, you would admire and respect her will to live and fight even down to the bottom. they are a bunch of fighters who have nothing to leave for but to fight to the day that they receive deliverance and move on to the next life if any. they could have choose the easy way but they did not and move forward. they do not have good things in life, endure hardship but still in the vicious cycle and yet they still go on. i respect their will and endurance and make me feel so ashamed.
===================================================================

To the volunteers out there who helped this group of heroes, you deserve the utmost respect from anyone and everyone. your sacrificial will bring you good tidings.

I would like to appeal to anyone who came across this, if you happen to see an elderly, a disabled person or someone who needs help in selling tissue paper or lottery tickets just to make the few dollars to live on a day to day basis,

PLEASE be very kind enough to put your hand in the pocket or take out the wallet to find the $1 to $2 that you have. your $$$$ would bring joy to them much more than you giving it to macdonalds.

I would deeply appreciated your kindness too!
if you find what i wrote here is something that is useful, please kindly do help to share and spread, it would help more people regardless whether you are in singapore or in other places.

free mobile downloads on sg wireless? this is a scam, just read the fine prints

2008-12-17T19:52:00.005+08:00

i was hooking up the wireless service at bugis earlier and saw this advertisement when i was connected to the network.

Free downloads? guess again. i click the page further and saw this

The website is here - http://sgw.yuuzoo.com/index.html

the site ask you to click and later tell you that you won "free" mobile games. a pop flash prompt you to enter your phone number to get the games. however, please take a look at the fine print below

if you enter the number to get the "free" games, you allow yourself to SUBSCRIBE to their service where you will be charged $6 a week for 8 downloads or $24 a month for 32 downloads.
Please note that once that you enter your number, you will be AUTOMATICALLY subscribe to the service. This is more like a scam. many kids will not read the fine prints and will subscribe and later be charged for the amount.

Please note that your bill comes every month, so innocently, you will be charged $24 before you realise it and unsubscribe.

I wonder whether can we complain this to ida? i know that the guidelines is very vague on this area but this is not what as it is stated.

people, just beware, this is a common trick. haha. don't fall for it

Runaway bride' cons 10 men

2008-12-11T11:51:00.001+08:00

GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA: A runaway "bride" has left at least 10 men here in distress after conning them of jewellery and cash.

It is learnt that the woman, who resembles Taiwanese supermodel Lin Chiling, agreed to marry more than 10 men over the past few weeks but went missing just before the "weddings".

One of the victims, who only wished to be known as Mr A, described the 30-year-old woman as tall, elegant and pretty. "She lived in an apartment in Batu Ferringhi and was such a smooth operator that none of us realised she was dating other men as well. "It was only after she went missing that all the other grooms found out about one another when we turned up outside her apartment to look for her," he said.

Another victim, a businessman who also wished to remain anonymous, said he waited outside her apartment for many days until a neighbour told him that many men had been going to her home with flowers and gifts.

"Only then did I realise she had been flirting with other men while in a relationship with me," he said.

He added that they had made wedding plans, booked a restaurant for the reception and distributed invitation cards to his friends and relatives. It is learnt that the woman asked for jewellery and a dowry, ranging from a few thousand ringgit to RM10,000 (S$4,100) from each of her future "husbands".

While she had met the grooms' families, none of the men had ever met their future "in-laws". Sources said a few of the men still wanted to marry the woman and were seen waiting outside her apartment, hoping she would turn up. A check with several restaurants in Penang revealed some last-minute cancellations of wedding dinners. They said they were not sure if it was related to the case as the "grooms" had cited personal reasons for the cancellations.

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hope that someone post a pic of her.. would like to see whether she look like lin chi ling

Cisco cop moonlighted - is it because he is a cop and cannot do part time?

2008-12-10T10:36:00.002+08:00

AN AUXILIARY police officer who moonlighted as a car washer and aided a foreign worker to flout a work permit condition was fined a total of $7,500 on Tuesday. M. Subramaniam, 42, was a Certis Cisco lance corporal at the Istana when he obtained a car washer's licence from the Housing Board to do car washing in Sengkang estate on July 18, 2003.

He also admitted to abetting an Indian national, Velayutham Kumar, to work part-time as a car-washer between September 2006 and April last year when Kumar was only allowed to work as a construction worker.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Karen Ang Aiping told a district court that in April 2003, Subramaniam used his wife's name to register a sole proprietorship, Evershine Services, to earn extra money.

Three months later, he obtained a car washer's licence from the HDB. Initially, he would wash cars at Hougang and Sengkang housing estates after his work hours as an auxiliary police officer.

Click here for the full story

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2 things here that would want to highlight

1. are cisco officers not allow to do part time work? although using the foreigner is wrong but from this article, what is the message the reporter is driving at? ALL cisco cops are not allowed to do part time? or others? why should the cisco name be brought up? there are other offenders too but their company name are not mentioned, does this reporter has a grudge to this person?

2. I do not know that you need to have a license to wash cars, LOLz, must go HDB to apply. In this case, how about those indians guys who are washing cars in HDB carparks? do they have a license? if we employ them to wash, are we abetting them in a illegal way? this is something new, so car washers, better display your license at the front of your bicycle.

NUS says that Singaporean comes first in admission, is it true?

2008-12-10T10:31:00.002+08:00

from the straits times

TO ALL parents worrying whether their children will get a university place here, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan has this assurance: 'We are the National University of Singapore. Singaporeans will always come first.'

Professor Tan, 49, a renal-physician-turned-university-administrator who took over as NUS president this month, expects that with the economic downturn next year, more Singaporeans will be counting on a cheaper university education locally.

'NUS will continue to be fair and objective in admitting students,' he says. 'We don't write off those with borderline grades. As in previous years, we will relook their applications, call them in for an interview to see what else they have to offer.'

This year, the admissions office interviewed 3,700 local applicants. Over 1,000 had borderline grades and wanted to be considered under the discretionary scheme where their other achievements are taken into account.

'Interviews take up a huge amount of time and manpower resources, but we will continue this rigorous process,' he says.

'During the interviews, the panel members score candidates separately, so that one doesn't influence the other. 'Every student we admit we must be sure is deserving of a place over another.'

The hot button issue of university places going to foreigners surfaced earlier this year, with a surge in applications to the local universities from 53,853 last year to 58,606 this year. It provoked debate on whether Singapore should reserve its limited education resources for its own population. Of the 14,700 places at NUS, Singapore Management University (SMU) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), one-fifth, or up to 2,940, of places went to foreign students.

Click here for the full article

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i am not sure about this, anyone care to enlighten me? i am a non graduate, never been to university but friends and people complain that it is hard to get in and locals have disadvantage when compared to foreigners.

also, even the head say this but if the lower mgt level does not follows, what is the use of it?

Thailand Crisis - A Country with no controls

2008-12-02T15:18:00.002+08:00

In Thailand,

you have
1. The Monarchy - The KING (who is suppose to the biggest person there)
2. The Elected Government (through elections means countrywide)
3. The Protesters (PAD - who is scheming to replace the democratic system with a dictatorship)
4. The Army (who is suppose to work with the govt or under govt orders)
5. The Judiciary (the courts and judges)
6. The Police (hand in hand with Army)
7. Unknown Rich People (rich and power hungry people out to destroy)

with so many factions and parties around in the country, no matter how or who won or control, there will be someone who will not be happy and will try to bring it down.
if PAD wins, the UDD will protest,
if Govt wins, the PAD will protest,
if Army wins, the Govt will protest
if Monarchy wins, the judiciary will protest
if Police wins, the army will fight.
and blah blah blah.

this is a cycle and peace will not prevail in thailand at all if no one who is strong enough and democratically elected to put all parties to sleep.

Sad to say, thaksin was a wonder, he has done it and thailand prosper so much. they kick him out becoz the lazy middle class can't get much money out of the govt and started it. some rich and powerful people fear him and collaborate to get rid of him.

If anyone wants to save thailand, i think the best candidate will be Thaksin. he has the money, the support, the people, the charm, the brains and the ruthlessness to get rid of those who block the path.

As a bystander, i really wonder what is in the minds of the thai people? is protest going to bring money and food to the table? do you think those rich bastards will help you once they got their aim? you will be so much worse than the worse that you can think.

I really pity them. the educated class are worse than the farmers and uneducated class in the north where they are more realistic.

let see how it goes but bangkok is out of my travel radar for now. Lawlessness will step in and tourists will need to beware... The thai people will change for sure.

Thailand Crisis - PAD ends its occupation of the Government House

2008-12-01T17:32:00.001+08:00

PAD ends its occupation of the Government House
By The Nation

In a shocking move, People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) ended its three-month-long protest at the Government House on Monday.

PAD's co-leader Chamlong Srimuang informed anti-government protesters to abandon the Government House and move to gather at either Don Muang or Suvarnabhumi airports.

"I will lead you to continue the rally against the government at either airport. We will abandon the Government House. PAD's guards are assigned to supervise moving of the equipments and tents to the new rally sites," Chamlong said.

PAD had started the seizure of the Government House on August 26, forcing the prime ministers; Samak Sundaravej and incumbent Somchai Wongsawat, to work somewhere else including Supreme Command office. Somchai who was appointed to the position late October has never had chance to work there.

Chamlong said the Government House was no longer secure as it risked being attacked by pro-government supporters.

"I already alerted police about the insecurity and dangers on protesters protesting in the Government House, but they have done nothing," he said.

Security and protection at Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi airports are much better and

Upon hearing Chamlong, some protesters said they would continue the protest there and would not move to new site.

"It is up to you if you wanted to stay here, but I would not guarantee your security. I don't you to die here," he said.

There would be no protesters but PAD's guards staying overnight at the government House. The move will mean the end of live broadcast of ASTV at the Government House.

PAD provided many vehicles, including six-wheeled trucks, vans and pickups for protesters who wanted to go to the airports.

Thailand Crisis - Constitution Court Collaborate with PAD to bring down govt

2008-11-30T20:35:00.001+08:00

Red-shirt leaders hint the court might be besieged ahead of crucial rulings

Leaders of a pro-government rally hinted Sunday protesters might surround the Constitution Court which is set to rule on party dissolution cases on Tuesday.

The rally, which has attracted thousands of largely-peaceful people in red shirts today, is taking a place in front of the Bangkok city hall, which is just a few minutes walk to the Constitution Court.

The pro-government camp claims the court's decision to wrap up the cases against the People Power, Chat Thai and Matchima Thipataya parties early signalled a conspiracy against the government.

Several thousands have joined the red-shirt protest, which could yet be moved to the Democracy Monument if the current venue could not accommodate more protesters.

Bangkok authorities on Sunday ordered 11 schools in Pranakorn district to be closed on Monday as they are in the areas which would be affected by the gathering of pro-government supporters.

Thailand Crisis - Stranded tourist to be compensated Bt2,000 per day: foreign minister

2008-11-30T13:22:00.000+08:00

Stranded tourist to be compensated Bt2,000 per day: foreign minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sompong Amornwiwat said the government would spend at least Bt1 billion to compensate tourist left stranded because of the besieging the two Bangkok airports.

Sompong was Sunday quoted by Manage Online as saying that each of tourists would receive Bt2 billion a day from the special fund until they could fly home.

Thais, who have been stranded overseas, will receive the same rate of compensations, he said.

He was quoted as saying that he had informed foreign envoys of the compensations.

Thailand Crisis - Tension may worsen with pro-govt rally

2008-11-30T13:16:00.001+08:00

PAD may try to seize seaports if airports takeover fails to force PM out of office

The political situation could become more tense today when government supporters stage a mammoth rally in Bangkok as the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy protesters continue to hold hostage the city's two airports.

The pro-government Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship said yesterday that it would hold a massive rally at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Lan Kon Muang ground this afternoon with as many as 100,000 people expected to take part. The rally venue was scheduled for Sanam Luang but changed later.

Police yesterday increased their presence near Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, which were seized last week by PAD protesters, but made no attempt to disperse them.

Meanwhile the PAD yesterday mobilised more supporters from the provinces to join its rally in Bangkok.

The PAD may also try to seize seaports on the Eastern Seaboard if the takeover of the airports fails to force the premier out of office, Suthi Atchasai, a PAD leader from the East, told protesters at Suvarnabhumi yesterday.

Hundreds of PAD protesters managed to force a group of policemen manning a checkpoint on King Kaew Road, which leads to Suvarnabhumi Airport, to move out of the area. The protesters said the checkpoint was aimed at cutting off their supplies by preventing vehicles with food and drink from entering the protest site.

The pro-government DAAD said yesterday that its planned rally today was necessary as it was highly probable that three coalition parties, including the core People Power Party, would face dissolution when the Constitution Court ruled on the electoral-fraud cases later this week. The DAAD said it would have to deal with the PAD protesters by itself as police appeared to have taken no action against them.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsa-wat yesterday said he was willing to talk with the PAD leaders but would not resign or dissolve the House of Representatives, as demanded by the protesters. "House dissolution and resignation must not be the conditions. This matter is for the political side to implement in accordance with the Constitution," Somchai said.

He also called on the protesters to end their takeover of the city's two airports, for the sake of the country.

"Takeover of an airport is wrong. It is a severe threat to the country's security. The world community's confidence in Thailand is gone. If the takeover continues, Thailand will become isolated. This incident has caused much damage to the country's image as well as its revenue," said the prime minister.

"[The PAD] says the government is causing damage to the country in order to remain in office. My question is: what has the government done to create that damage? And what about the seizure of airports? Is that not damage to the country?" Somchai said.

Somchai said he would remain in Chiang Mai but did not say where the next Cabinet meeting tomorrow would be held.

PAD co-leader Chamlong Sri-muang said early yesterday he was ready to talk with the prime minister but not in Chiang Mai, where Somchai has been staying for fear of a coup. Chamlong said the PAD leaders would talk to Somchai only in person, not on the phone. The PAD co-leader said he expected the ongoing turmoil to end before His Majesty the King's birthday on December 5.

The prime minister gave a national address last night, calling on citizens to do good deeds in honour of His Majesty the King ahead of his birthday.

Thailand Crisis - 50 injured in explosion inside Government House

2008-11-30T13:14:00.000+08:00

4 in serious condition, 3 more explosions heard at ASTV station and Don Mueang Airport

A grenade was launched into the Government House compound minutes late Saturday night, injuring 50 people.

The explosion occurred at 11:50 pm Saturday when the protesters were preparing to rest and leaders of the People's Alliance for the Democracy were about to stop the activities on the stage.

The bomb fell on the roof of a tent on the left side of the stage and fell onto the ground and exploded.

Kittichai Saisa-ard, chief of PAD guards, said 47 protesters were sent to the Ramathibodi Hospital, and four of them were severely injured. He said two other protesters were sent to Phra Mongkut Hospital and another to Vajira Hospital.

The bomb, believed by the PAD to be an M79 grenade, exploded just 200 metres away from the PAD's main stage inside the Government House. It was fired outside the rally ground from a similar direction of the recent attack at the site.

Suriyasai Katasila said guards saw a flash from the direction of the Benjamabophit Hospital so it was believed the grenade was launched from the direction.

PAD guards checked and concluded that the assailant fired the grenade from a building inside the Rajamangala Technology University.

Most of the injured were hit by shrapnel at their face and eyes. Most are women.

Four of the injured remained in the intensive care unit.

They were identified as Kanchana Muennoo, 27, Jitra Jintanatham, 57, Suphana, surname unknown and Pienjai, surname unknown. The four are women. Kanchana's left lung was torn by the bomb shrapnel and doctors had to resuscitate her.

A 60-year-old woman from Kanchanaburi recounted that she was sleeping and woken up with the explosion.

She saw her friends bleeding on their limps.

"The guards ordered us to lie low and I tried to crawl to safety. But I am not afraid. If it's not my time, I'll be all right," she added.

Two explosions were heard at ASTV station on Phra Arthit Road at 12:15 am Sunday morning, just around 20 minutes after the attack at Government House.

Witnesses also heard the gunfire lasting about 10 minutes. No injury was reported.

Later on at 3:55 am, a bomb exploded near a bunker made of tyres at the Don Mueang Airport.

The explosion occurred at the main entrance to the passenger terminal.

Before the explosion occurred, about 7 gunshots were heard from the direction of a warehouse deeper inside the airport compound.

No one was injured in the explosion.

The explosion prompted the PAD to resume its activities on the stage after the activities were ended at 2 am.

Thailand Crisis - Is the PAD democratic?

2008-11-26T14:28:00.002+08:00

Author: Manfred
Date: 24 Nov 2551 19:36

"Democracy" is a very popular word; it has a strong emotional appeal. This word has even been hijacked by dictators, totalitarian regimes and political movements, whose policies and actions are far from being democratic. In Athens, where the word was coined, democracy never existed. Ancient Greece was a slave-holding society. Women were also excluded from any participation in public affairs. The "power of the people" was the power of a few people over the powerless majority of the people.

More than two thousand years later, nothing much had changed. The slave trade was big business, especially for Western colonial powers which like to be seen as the "torchbearers of democracy". The vision of the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment and the French Revolution, "Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood", did not includes slaves, nor the indigenous people of colonised territories.

Democracy arises from the recognition that people will always have different opinions, perspectives and aspirations. Democracy provides mechanisms which enable a society to solve conflicts and avoid confrontations. Political parties, where ideas are discussed and channeled, are essential to any democracy. The centerpiece of democracy are elections, at the local, regional and national levels. Without elections, there is no democracy. The role of the opposition is also of great importance. Without an opposition, there is no democracy. However, in rare cases, usually in times of crisis, political parties set aside their differences and form a government of national unity.

In recent statements the leaders of Thailand's anti-government movement PAD have made clear that they do not want their movement to become a political party and will, therefore, not contest in elections. This means, the PAD refuse to be part of the democratic process. An electoral contest would also show, how much support the movement really has.

The PAD have been protesting for more than five months with the objective of removing the elected government. What have they achieved? Nothing. PAD core leader Chamlong Srimuang is now calling for another military coup d'etat. What the PAD couldn't do, the military should do, for the benefit of the PAD. This clearly reveals an anti-democratic attitude. Besides, what has the coup in 2006 achieved? Yes, Thaksin was ousted. But verything is back to square one. In fact, matters are worse than before the coup.

What do the PAD actually want? According to their most popular slogan, they want "new politics". But what exactly is "new politics"? After months of fruitless protests and illegal actions the public is entitled to know. It would also be in the interest of the PAD to clarify their position. The PAD should spell out in clear language what we have to understand by "new politics", what their platform is, what their goals are and what the means are they intend to use in order to reach these goals.

Empty rhetoric is not helpful.
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This is an article posted on a thai news website.
quite agree with him.
What does PAD wants?
What is the hidden agenda?
Why do they criticize the govt so much that it is not able to function well over the last 6 months?
Where was thailand when the whole world was growing after the coup?

I really had no idea what the F**K this group of people are protesting about except that they are not been paid enough or left out from the corrupted system. overthrowing a govt or their own personal means and gains.

If PAD wins the war, thailand will be set back to 20 years earlier. it could be even worse than cambodia. no investors will go there, even investors steps in, they will need to pay to their nose to PAD. no democratic laws as law makers are the corrupted people themselves.

does the people know what they are fighting for? thaksin is out of the country, so WTF? really dun understand.

SingTel sued by Taiwan firm for the word "MIO"

2008-11-24T17:28:00.001+08:00

A TAIWANESE company has taken SingTel to court for trademark infringement over the word 'mio'.

Mitac International Corporation, a leading provider of computer products, Internet appliances and wireless communications products, had registered a 'mio' mark in Singapore in 2003.

The registration covered the category of goods which include computers, printers, modems PDAs, and mobile phones.

SingTel launched telecommunications services in 2007 such as mio TV, mio Plan and mio Mobile.

The telco argues that it is not liable for trademark infringment as its 'mio' mark is used for services which are not similar to the ones under Mitac's registered trademark.

There is no likelihood of confusion among consumers, says SingTel.

Mitac is represented by Senior Counsel Tan Tee Kim and Mr Christopher de Souza. SingTel is represented by Mr Dedar Singh Gill and Mr Paul Teo.

Search widened for cardboard box fugitive

2008-11-24T17:07:00.000+08:00

BERLIN (Reuters) – German police searching nationwide for a convicted drug dealer who escaped from jail by hiding in a cardboard box to be taken away for recycling plan to issue an international arrest warrant for him.

A Viersen police spokesman said the 37-year-old Turkish national, whose seven-year prison sentence for drug dealing runs to 2011, had escaped from the Willich prison by hiding in a cardboard box about to be picked up by a recycling truck.

"Shortly after the truck that he riding in got beyond prison walls, he slit open the box and then cut open the truck's tarpaulin to escape," said Wolfgang Wiese, Viersen police spokesman. "I've never seen anything like this."

Police have been searching in vain for the fugitive since last week, he said. An international search warrant is being prepared in the event he is not found soon, he added.

`The Terminal 2'? Japanese man makes airport home

2008-11-24T16:51:00.002+08:00

MEXICO CITY – Hiroshi Nohara is on a layover at the Mexico City airport. It has lasted almost three months, and he has no plans to leave.

For reasons he can't explain, the Japanese man has been in Terminal 1 of the Benito Juarez International Airport since Sept. 2, surviving off donations from fast-food restaurants and passengers and sleeping in a chair.

At first, he frightened passengers, and airport authorities asked the Japanese Embassy to investigate why the foul-smelling man refused to leave. Now, he's somewhat of a celebrity, capturing Mexico's collective imagination with nearly daily television news reports on his life at the food court.

Tourists stop to pose with him for photographs or get an autograph.

The Tokyo native flew into Mexico with a tourist visa and a return ticket home, but he never left the airport. In an interview Thursday alongside the airport McDonald's, he said he had no motive for his extended stay and doesn't know how much longer he'll remain.

"I don't understand why I'm here," he said through a visiting interpreter originally hired by a television station. "I don't have a reason."

The embassy can't force him to leave, and since Nohara's visa is valid all Mexican officials can do it wait for it to expire in early March.

During his stay, Nohara's wiry goatee has grown into a scraggly mass. His red-tinted hair is speckled with dust and dandruff, and his cream-colored jacket and fleece blanket are dingy with overuse. He smells like he hasn't had a shower in months.

"He's a calm person, a nice man," said Silvia Navarrete del Toro, an airport janitor. "He just sits here and eats all day."

Various stalls in the food court give Nohara free snacks and drinks, sometimes even throwing in hats or coffee mugs with store logos to get free publicity during his frequent television appearances.

Strangers often buy him pastries or hamburgers; he prefers the latter.

He sits with the interpreter, talking and laughing for hours, at a small table covered with cups of cold coffee, packets of ketchup and sandwiches wrapped in foil.

Stroking his facial hair, Nohara said the 2004 film "The Terminal," starring Tom Hanks as an Eastern European man stuck in a New York City airport, was not his inspiration. But he acknowledged the similarities.

"My life," he joked, "is 'The Terminal 2.'"

This is his pic

This person has not take a MRT for 2 yrs. becoz of no seats. OMG!

2008-11-23T10:58:00.003+08:00

I HAVE not taken the MRT for almost two years. Why? The simple reason is that there are no vacant seats. And now the recent news that SMRT will remove more seats to make room for standing passengers makes me not want to take MRT even more.

It is not that I cannot in the MRT, but to me it is more about how comfortable the journey is, and not just reaching my destination. I am sure many Singaporeans will feel the same way I do.

If we buy a car, we have to consider factors like Electronic Road Pricing. If we take a taxi, we have to think of the surcharges. Therefore buses and the MRT are more affordable modes of transport. However, the reason SMRT gives for creating more standing room by removing more seats is ridiculous as it will only benefit SMRT by squeezing in more passengers so it can make more profits.

It is not as if, with fewer seats, fares will go down. In fact, they will go up as the year goes by, with SMRT citing higher costs. My suggestion is that if SMRT cannot manage so many passengers, it should increase frequency even more. If three minutes is not good enough, make less than three minutes. This is what I call a world-class transport system, not making passengers squeeze like sardines.

Camillus Yap

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Online+Story/STIStory_305167.html

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I think this person is not that smart. u need some time and distance between each train to run smoothly. if SMRT is to increase frequency, would this person be willing to pay for the additional train cost? i am shaking my head when i see this article, wonder how foolish a person can be. becoz of no seats, u do not take the train, must be a filthy rich idiot. i believe that many people will not agree on the no seats issue. furthermore, singapore is small, station to station is quite fast. if a young person is asking for seats, then how about those who really requires it. this is no different from the guy who refuse to give up the seat to the pregnant lady and make remarks on her

Got man boobs? Boy bras are a best-seller in Japan - I saw this on the news today! OMG!

2008-11-22T00:23:00.002+08:00

TOKYO - Who said bras are only for women? A Japanese online lingerie retailer is selling bras for cross-dressing men and they've quickly become one of its most popular items.

Since launching two weeks ago on Rakuten, a major Japanese web shopping mall, the Wishroom shop has sold over 300 men's bras for 2,800 yen ($30) each. The shop also stocks men's panties, as well as lingerie for women.

“I like this tight feeling. It feels good,” Wishroom representative Masayuki Tsuchiya told Reuters as he modeled the bra, which can be worn discreetly under men's clothing.

Wishroom Executive Director Akiko Okunomiya said she was surprised at the number of men who were looking for their inner woman.

“I think more and more men are becoming interested in bras. Since we launched the men's bra, we've been getting feedback from customers saying 'wow, we'd been waiting for this for such a long time',” she said.

But the bra, available in black, pink and white, is not an easy sell for all men.

The underwear has stirred a heated debate online with more than 8,000 people debating the merits of men wearing bras in one night on Mixi, Japan's top social network website.

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This is the one! OMG? if wear liao? what do you think will happen if your wife or girlfriend sees it? if give me, i think i will walk out and forget about him.

Buy a car for only S$10,000 - thanks to $2 COE

2008-11-22T00:18:00.001+08:00

Singapore dealers selling smaller models say prices have fallen to record lows on the back of COE premiums for small cars falling to an unprecedented $2 on Wednesday.

The made-in-China, 800 cc Chery QQ now costs $22,999 for the manual model, $5,000 less than originally. And if a buyer goes for this as a weekend car, he need only pay $10,999, down from $12,999. The smaller models put out by other Chinese automobile makers, like the Hafei Lobo and the Chana Benni, are also going at all-time low prices.

The 1,300cc manual Chana Benni now goes for $25,999, and its weekend version, for $13,999.Mid-sized cars are also going at discounts of up to $5,000 offered by retailers who are anticipating that the interest in cars will be fanned anew.The price tag on a 1,600cc manual Honda Civic is now $67,800.

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actually the china cars are not that bad if just use for simple transportation purpose

M'sia pins big hopes on Iskandar - would you shift your home and business to johor?

2008-11-22T00:15:00.002+08:00

PUTERI Harbour, Ledang Heights, Educity, Afiat Healthpark.

These names don't ring a bell to Singaporeans, or even to most Malaysians. But the developers of Johor's Iskandar Malaysia hope these will be as popular as Johor Baru malls and hypermarkets in coming years.

These projects are part of the southern Johor economic zone. Just drive past the Second Link bridge at Tuas and you can see a whole lot of earth being dug up at various places.

Although the Iskandar Malaysia project - previously called Iskandar Development Region - consists of the whole of southern Johor, the jewel of the development, in my view, are those projects centred around Nusajaya near Tuas.

Iskandar, named after the Sultan of Johor, covers 2,217 square kilometres, about three times the size of Singapore. The Nusajaya area could be attractive to Singaporeans because it is closer to home, and one can (mostly) escape the traffic madness of using the Causeway to get across the border.

Another reason is that, Nusajaya and its surrounding areas will have well-planned roads and other infrastructure - unlike Johor Baru which grew organically over the decades, and thus haphazardly, like most big cities.

Iskandar will, among other attractions, have Puteri Harbour, a marina for yachts and sea-facing villas (the houses face green trees of the fenced-up Kranji shoreline).

Puteri Harbour Iskandar Malaysia by Nusajaya Malaysia.
(Damac Properties, a Dubai real estate organisation is developing land as wide as 43.6 acres for commercial development in Puteri Harbour.)
Source: Nusajaya Malaysia

Ledang Heights is being sold as a bungalow enclave for the rich and famous. There's a golf course nearby.

Educity will consist of specialised university faculties and private boarding schools. The promoters see costs being lower than in Singapore.

And then there is Afiat Healthpark which Johor wants to raise as a healthcare hub. There is also a theme park and a financial centre in the works.

Officials say RM40.25 billion (S$17 billion) worth of investments have been committed for Iskandar - nearly half from private sector funds. But Iskandar officials privately ask the same question: Why the limited numbers of Singaporean investors? The lack of interest from major Singapore government-linked companies has been quite pronounced.

I was privately asked yesterday the same questions by the officials when I turned up at the update briefing on Iskandar. My answer was to refer them to what former premier Tun Dr Mahathir said when he was in Johor in March last year, when he was on the attack against the policies of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

I was at that function in Kulai when he spoke to a pro-Umno crowd, expressing his fear that Singaporean Chinese investors will buy up land in Iskandar. Speaking about the British rule over Malaysia before it gained independence, Dr Mahathir had said: "We became slaves in our country because we gave it to others."

He added that "Malays will be enslaved again by foreigners" if the Iskandar plan is followed through. In May this year, the former premier said the same thing when speaking in Johor about Iskandar: "After the land is sold, the Malays will be driven to live at the edge of the forest and even in the forest itself."

"In the end, the area in Iskandar Malaysia will be filled with Singaporeans and populated with only 15 per cent Malays."

He was inferring to Singapore where Malays form 15 per cent of the population. I told these Iskandar officials that except a few, Singaporeans fretted about investing in Johor where they are worried about getting the wrong reception after announcing an investment deal.

True, Dr Mahathir is not in power anymore. But he still wields a big influence among Malays. And then there is another matter that Singaporeans are much worried about when it comes to Johor - crime.

Johor crime rate is "high", people say. Although few Singaporeans figure in the crime statistics, the few horrific stories published in the papers about what happened to those Singaporeans who are crime victims scare many people - be it snatch thefts, car jackings, or house break-ins.

To its credit, the Iskandar Regional Development Authority is working hard to ensure the security of property and people in the development zone. And the developers are upfront about the crime problem.

Go to Iskandar's website and you can click on 'Crime Statistics for Iskandar Malaysia'. The data presented showed that there is a general drop between July and August, although there is a spike in violent crime. Perhaps it would be useful if a longer term trend is shown.

Anyway, the worries about crime persist as long as there are horrible headlines in the papers. Today, I received an email reply to my article about the launch of Iskandar of its Educity education hub, someone emailed me: "You mean get educated and robbed at the same time?"

It wasn't a very fair comment but like it or not, crime and Johor has become synonymous as far as many Singaporeans are concerned. I know of Singaporeans who love to drive to Malaysia, but Johor is just an entry point. They drive quickly north and tend to buy properties in Malacca or Kuala Lumpur instead.

And then there is that old worry that investing in property in Malaysia is bad because the federal or state government, or both, often change the rules. Or that no one offers to help, and the law is seemingly lax, if a developer took their money and then ran away.

So Iskandar officials, will have some way to go to convince Singaporeans that they should invest in the upcoming facilities just across the border. Remove worries about not being totally welcomed and about crime, and then Singaporeans will come in droves as investors, not just as shoppers and food lovers. Or to drive quickly north to Malacca and KL.

http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2008/11/21/malaysia-pins-big-hopes-of-iskandar/comments/1359#comment-1359

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the rate of crime is increasing elsewhere outside the iskandar area. i would presume that people working there would travel out of the area. the security would be different. moreover, the published statistics, how reliable is it? There are many cases which went unreported especially those that happen to foreigners as most of the people do not have trust in the police force.

they need to solve the crime rate, have stable policies and well developed infrastructure and incentives to attract. or else, people would rather pay more to be secure rather than risking lifes over there.

Oh, last thing, the issue with illegal immigrants, this needs to be resolve as they contribute to a portion of the crime rate.

Obama set to nominate Clinton

2008-11-21T14:18:00.000+08:00

WASHINGTON - AN AIDE to Barack Obama's transition team says the president-elect is on track to nominate Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state by next Thursday.

One week after the former primary rivals met secretly to discuss the idea of Mrs Clinton becoming the nation's top diplomat, the two sides were moving quickly toward making it a reality, barring any unforeseen problems.

The transition aide said they have worked out financial disclosure issues that involved her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and that complicated international funding of his foundation, which operates in 27 nations. The aide said the two have had substantive conversations about the post.

As for the incoming administration's national security team, the aide said possible appointments are being worked out. -- AP

Loo campaign targets S'poreans' bad habits - WAIT! are you sure all are the doings of Singaporeans?

2008-11-20T13:16:00.002+08:00

SINGAPOREANS still need to improve their toilet etiquette, as many people continue to litter the floor and not flush after use.

That is the feedback from the cleaners, professionals and toilet assessors my paper spoke to yesterday at the launch of the first Let's Observe Ourselves (Loo) campaign 2008-2010 at the Singapore Zoo.

The Loo campaign is the latest initiative by Restroom Association (Singapore) - RAS - to get people to participate in its Happy Toilet Programme (HTP), launched in 2003.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, was guest-of-honour at the launch. She said that "the public toilet belongs to everyone" and is "a reflection of a society's hygiene standards and graciousness".

However, Ms Tan Puay Hoon, president of RAS, observed that "some of us are very inconsiderate".

Citing examples of toilets littered with dirty paper rolls, she said that Singaporeans clearly lack a "toilet culture".

Public restrooms are assessed and rated by Certified Eco-Assessors (CEA) employed by RAS.

Ms Priscilla Char, 60, one of the eight CEAs, felt that toilet users in general "are quite indifferent" about keeping toilets clean.

"They think that is the cleaner's job," she said.

Nanyang Technological University student Denys Ngo, 23, agreed. "I still see people not washing hands, and some urinals regularly choked with paper," he said.

On a brighter note, Ms Tan felt that Singaporeans' restroom etiquette had probably improved by 10 per cent since HTP was launched.

Some restrooms also have better facilities, such as the female toilets at Century Square in Tampines.

"Some toilets there cater to women, and have sofas for us to rest our legs," said 25-year-old teacher Clarissa Lim.

Currently, only 170 out of more than 35,000 toilet blocks in Singapore have the minimum three-star rating. RAS wants 70 per cent of all toilets to have this rating by 2010.

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i think they are quite wrong to just pinpoint at singaporeans. with about 20% foreigners living in singapore, are they sure that it is the doing of the local citizens? should they not extend it to all people? what if the toilets at little india are mostly used by the foreign indians? should they put the blame on us? how about for the zoo? most people are tourists, not local citizens, so the blame should not be on us.

I agree that a lot of toilets sucks and we need to improve but i hate the tag of putting it on singaporeans. think otherwise, singaporeans mostly are a bunch of hygienic creatures and we eek at this and that, so we will try to keep it clean but there are still a big bunch of dirty fellows around.

They should rephrase and relook at their targets.

Is bond-free S'pore scholarship just 'a stepping stone' for China students?

2008-11-20T13:08:00.002+08:00

A NETIZEN is calling it a free lunch for China scholars - at Singapore's expense.

Many are outraged that a China student, here on a Singapore scholarship, had slipped out of Singapore quietly without completing his studies.

They were responding to a blog post which claimed that a first-year Anderson Junior College (AJC) student, a Chinese national here on a bond-free scholarship, went missing after skipping school for several days.

It is understood that he had used Singapore as a launching pad to move on to study in a US university.

The New Paper asked the Ministry of Education (MOE) how much such a scholarship is worth, but MOE would not disclose this information.

A source from AJC said the student had left without a word.

When queried by The New Paper, AJC principal Susan Leong confirmed that the student had packed up and left in August.

But, in a statement issued jointly with the Education Ministry, Ms Leong said AJC had contacted the boy's family in China when he was found missing, and the family had claimed the boy was with them.

AJC, however, said it has yet to establish contact with the boy himself, or confirm for themselves whether he was indeed with his parents.

Ms Leong said the JC was only in contact with the boy's mother.

She added: 'The college understands that the student had left without permission as his father had taken ill in China and he was unable to contact his family.'

But how did he find out that his father was ill when he could not contact his family? The statement did not address this question.

'The college has maintained contact with his mother since the incident happened, and will continue to monitor the situation and encourage the student to return to Singapore to resume his studies.'

Ms Leong declined to say more.

But some netizens are incensed that the student left without a word.

here for the full news

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20081119-101728.html

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This is not a new issue. this has been ongoing for a period of time and the govt is not doing much things about it. this is still happening and we are like suckers. I am not prejudice against the scholarship but the people in charge should be able to do better and make sure that our investments get the appropriate returns. WE DON"T DO FREE LUNCH!!!

On the other hand, the govt should consider giving out more scholarships to local students. There are so many people who are good to enter the Uni but due to financial issues, missed out the chance. although there are scholarships around, it seems like many go to rich families, giving poor families a miss. this is discrimination!

for sure the local singaporean will be able to contribute back through the scholarship, so why need to go overseas?

will we be able to get some good explanations? now we look like suckers

Woman's 1 cent Electrical debt paid in full. 1 cent also want to chase after.

2008-11-19T22:38:00.001+08:00

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – A 74-year-old blind woman's 1 cent debt to a Massachusetts city has been settled.

People from across the country called Attleboro City Hall on Tuesday offering to pay the 1 cent balance owed by Eileen Wilbur for an overdue water and sewer bill.

Antonio Viveiros, a former city councilor who does not know Wilbur, wrote a check for one penny. He says he was "irked" by the fact that the federal government can spend billions for bailouts, yet a senior citizen was threatened with a lien on her home over 1 cent.

Wilbur's daughter first noticed the letter that warned of a lien and a $48 penalty if the overdue bill was not paid by Dec. 10.

Mayor Kevin Dumas says the whole situation was blown out of proportion
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This is USA. lucky PUB is better. they chase you for $0.10 and above. more than the 1 cent

COE : Small car premium crashes to $2. Hurray! but wait, ERP sure go up!

2008-11-19T18:03:00.002+08:00

Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums for the small car category (1,600cc and below) have hit rock bottom in the midst of softening demand. It crashed to an unprecedented $2 - an almost 100 per cent decrease from the previous price of $10,455.

According to The Straits Times, motor traders were shocked. Nobody foresaw the crash even though the market was soft.

The category received a total of 1,852 bids - one more than the quota of 1,851.

Likewise, premiums for all other categories suffered at least a 30 per cent fall as well.

The premium for Category B (cars above 1,600cc) fell from $8,301 to $4,889, a 41.1 per cent drop.

The premium for commercial vehicles closed at $6,189 from $8,889 - a decrease of 30.4 per cent.

The premium for motorcycles followed the downward trend. It dropped to $1,012 from $1,509.

For the open category, the COE premium tendered at $6,889 from $10,490, a 34.3 per cent decrease.
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Way to go! So COE Drop, ERP will sure go up.

Singer wants cheating wife to shut up or come home - Harlem Yu & Annie Yi saga

2008-11-19T15:09:00.001+08:00

TAIWANESE singer Harlem Yu, whose wife Annie Shizuka Inoh cheated on him, has suggested that she should refrain from making any more statements or return to Taiwan before Chinese New Year, reported China Press.

The daily reported that Yu hoped that his family could enjoy some peaceful time after photos of Shizuka Inoh and Taiwanese actor Huang Wei De holding hands in public were released on the Internet recently.

According to the couple’s friend, Shizuka Inoh had wanted to return to Taiwan from China to discuss her future with Yu.

“However, Yu wanted Annie to give each other some time to cool things off and not say anything else to the media for the time being,” the friend said.

The friend said Yu hoped Shizuka Inoh could consider the feelings of their family members and not hurt them any more.

The daily said both Yu’s mother and the couple’s son Harrison had been forced to stay home after news of Annie’s affair spread.

Yu had since clarified that he and his wife “were not divorced or separated.”

Model divorces hubby to live with tomboy. OMG! will the tomboy go for sex change?

2008-11-19T15:06:00.001+08:00

A PART-TIME model and financial institution employee divorced her husband and abandoned her daughter to be with a tomboy who resembled her favourite male singer, reported Kosmo!.

The woman, known as Azni, started a relationship with the tomboy, who was also her colleague, three years ago and kept it secret from her family.

According to Azni, her husband did not suspect anything until their daughter told him about what the couple did in bed.

“Although my husband felt embarrassed, he still loved me and tried to persuade me to return to him,” she said.

Azni refused and ran away to live with her lover in Kuala Lumpur.

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I pity the husband. if later the tomboy kena gun down, you will know who to look for

Phone cards and drinks in taxis soon - Malaysia Only. sounds good. haha

2008-11-18T14:01:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Taxi drivers will be allowed to do side businesses by selling packet drinks and phonecards to passengers.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said this was to help them supplement their income.

“The cabbies can sell drinks or pre-paid cards by collaborating with telcos in their taxis,” he told reporters yesterday after presenting certificates to 135 taxi drivers who completed a course co-organised by the ministry and Malaysian Taxi, Limousine and Hired Car Drivers and Operators Association (Petekma).

Another move to help cabbies supplement their income was to make it simpler for taxis to seek ministry approval to carry advertisements, including placing them on the roof of the vehicle.

He added the ministry had decided to increase the road worthiness of taxis from seven years to 10 years, as long as they received approval from Puspakom.

On new standardised taxis to be specially designed and produced by Proton, Noh said the ministry was working to get the national car manufacturer to trade in the taxis.

Noh also said public transport fares would be reviewed on an annual basis from next year. The last review was in 2005.

“If we review the fares every four, five years the increment will drastic. By making it annual, any increment will be more reasonable and less of a burden to consumers,” he said.

Noh added the ministry had actually completed its fare review but had to re-look it following several incentives recently given for public transportation, including slashed toll rates and fuel incentives.

He said the review would also consider peak hours as well as distance travelled as the ministry wanted to resolve the problem of cabbies not wanting to take passengers during peak hours.

Noh also said the Government would issue 1,000 permits to individual taxi drivers by this year.

A cabinet committee on pubic transportation, expected to be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, will be set up for the purpose.

Petekma president Yusoff Lahir lauded the opportunity given to cabbies to take up side businesses and suggested they could also offer services like selling insurance.

“Of course, cabbies won’t be selling nasi lemak in the taxi,” he said.

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First of all things, they should consider to improve the standards, resort strictly to meters, no touting, no threats, education for drivers etc. now sell drinks, phone cards and later sell chicken wings etc. WTF? mini mama shop? the cars are small enough and now want to sell things inside. haiz... OMG!

Malaysia : Soi Lek: Accept Singapore melamine tests - he knows whats best

2008-11-18T14:00:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry should accept tests done by Singapore laboratories for melamine content on locally manufactured biscuits as the results are faster, said MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Stating that the five laboratories in the country could not cope with the needs of the industry, he added that it took two weeks to obtain the test results but only two days in Singapore.

“The manufacturers here have to wait for the results before getting clearance to export their biscuits,” he told reporters at Wisma MCA here yesterday.

Dr Chua, the party government policy monitoring bureau chief, said the industry players met him last week to discuss their problems.

Before the melamine scare in China, he said the industry exported RM600mil worth of biscuits per year while the domestic market was about one to two times more.

“The export market dropped by 50% while domestic consumption is also down by 30% to 40%,” he said, adding that if this continued manufacturers wouldn’t be able to service their bank loans.

Dr Chua added that he discussed the issue with Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai last Tuesday.

He said if tested biscuits had high content of melamine, they should be recalled and the ministry should announce the manufacturers’ names to protect the safety of consumers.

Liow said the ministry would accept melamine-content tests conducted by Singapore laboratories provided it was through the liquid chromatography double mass (LCMSMS) method that measures content by parts per million.

The laboratories should also be recognised by the Singapore government, he said, adding that the ministry would also consider laboratories using the GCMS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) method.

“Most of the laboratories in the country have the equipment for the GCMS method,” he said, adding that the ministry had sought the Higher Education Ministry’s help to speed up tests by using laboratories at universities.

No to reservation of seats with tissue pack - SMU students, dun waste time, spend it more worthwhile. you are more like a nuisance

2008-11-18T13:33:00.003+08:00

Newly arrived expat Kenneth Wong, who is from Hong Kong, experienced a culture shock when he first visited Maxwell Market for lunch.

He was puzzled by the many tissue paper packets placed neatly on empty tables and seats at the bustling hawker centre.

And office workers were circling the empty tables, clearly looking for somewhere to sit.
What the 27-year-old health planner encountered was the Singaporean practice of reserving a seat by placing a packet of tissue paper on the table, known by the colloquial term “chope”.

The practice made the headlines last week when seven students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) launched a campaign against the act, branding it “socially ungracious”.

They placed 1,000 packets of tissue paper on the seats in Chinatown Complex food centre last Saturday. Written on the packets: “This seat is not taken, it’s yours!”

But many people reckon there is nothing rude about reserving one’s spot with a packet of tissue paper.

Indeed, Mr Wong, who arrived in Singapore last month, said: “It is a practical and creative way to reserve seats instead of standing around with a tray of food turning cold.”

The students’ campaign drew criticism and a few chuckles when LifeStyle interviewed 25 diners last Wednesday at popular food centres in the Central Business District (CBD) such as Maxwell Market, Golden Shoe Complex and Lau Pa Sat.

All but one diner disapproved of the campaign. IT assistant Vijay Padam, 30, griped: “It’s irritating as I don’t know which seats are empty with all these tissue packets on the tables, so I end up buying take-outs to eat in my office cafeteria.”

But time-pressed office workers find it practical to chope, eat and leave.

On why she plonks down a packet of tissue paper, engineering firm trainer Winnie Kwek, 34, who was eating at Lau Pa Sat with a friend, told LifeStyle: “I need to prioritise with only one hour to beat the crowd and finish my lunch before going back to the office. Why waste time queuing for food and then waiting for seats later?”

Yet the group of SMU students, who call themselves Tissue Parody, now plan to push their chop-the-chope drive into eateries in the CBD frequented by the likes of Ms Kwek.

The campaign, which started as a classroom project, has received the support of the Singapore Kindness Movement, which aims to encourage Singaporeans to be more gracious through simple acts of kindness.

However, most diners told LifeStyle that the students’ initiative lacks substance.

Office manager Terence Hong, 33, said: “What the students have done at the Chinatown hawker centre is childish. If tissue reservation is ungracious, they shouldn’t do the same, confusing people with their own tissue packets.”

Headhunter Vinod Balagopal, who is in his early 40s, said: “Students are an idealistic lot. Only when they get into the working world will they realise why we have such ways.”

A spokesman for the students, V.Kumar, 21, said that instead of using personal items such as tissue packets, they would prefer people to “leave a person behind” at the table while the others order their food, as “it is more socially gracious that way”.

However, sociologist Paulin Straughan disagreed with that option. She said “there is no sociability” for the person left behind, as “it is irritating” to repeat that the seats are taken, to diners eyeing the empty places at the table.

Tissue “choping” seems to be uniquely Singaporean. Housewife Ivy Ong-Wood, in her late 30s, a Malaysian now living in Hong Kong, told LifeStyle: “At the tea cafes or cha chan tengs in Hong Kong, people queue outside and are told where to sit. In Malaysia, there is no problem getting seats at the food centres.”

It is so pervasive that companies even have tissue packs specially made with the word “chope” for marketing purposes.

It is not known how or when the tissue reservation system came about, but anecdotal evidence from diners and hawkers suggests it has been going on for more than five years, with many describing it as a “time-saving” and “civilised” mode of reservation.

Still, etiquette consultant Raelene Tan pointed out that it is much “nicer and more dignified” to have someone reserve a table.

And a spokesman for the Singapore Kindness Movement noted that while the students have been criticised for not showing empathy, there is merit in debating such issues in the open. He said: “It raises awareness about how such practices promote a ‘me first’ attitude.”

On that wider issue, Madam Christine Tan, 40, an executive secretary, said: “There are ungracious diners who irk others by hogging the tables at cafes, restaurants, hawker centres and coffee shops. A campaign against such ugly Singaporean behaviour would be more productive.”

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on November 16, 2008. nuisance

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I think the students are tooo tooo tooo free.
First of all, their way of doing things does not solve the root of the problem but creating more issues. I wonder how you derive at the theory that reserving seats is not graceful.

If they got high marks for this, i would really want to slam the lecturer. these groups of pesky nuisance has not step into the society but commenting so much as though they know everything. personally, i want to give them a piece of my mind.

SOLVE THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, it is not the tissue or chopping issue. this is a common problem but through the innovation of the working people, this system was derived and works well.

it is how to get people to move after they have finish the food so that the next party can take over the seats.

seats will never be enough during lunchtime or dinner time but no way to increase the number of seats as it is not economical.

students, wake up from your dream and do your research first and not use your coconut head to think that society is the same in theory and in practice. hope you fail your this module. hahahahaha

Abducted student made sex slave for three months

2008-11-17T23:03:00.001+08:00

A STUDENT was made a sex slave for more than three months by five men in Kuala Lumpur, reported China Press.

The daily reported that the 15-year-old girl was on her way home on Aug 27 when the men, in their 20s, took her by force to an unidentified location where they tied her hands and legs with ropes before taking turns to rape her.

The men bashed her up whenever she refused to give in to their demands. The victim managed to escape on Thursday and realised that she was in Seremban.

An Ampang Jaya police spokesman confirmed the incident, saying the victim had been sent to hospital for medical check-up. No arrest has been made yet.

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3 months long! must be a terrible period of time. the best part is that no arrest has been made yet. i don't think they will be able to arrest anyone later as if i am the culprit, i would run away by now

Cult uses direct-selling method to lure members - MLM Style, haha.. way to go

2008-11-17T20:31:00.002+08:00

There is yet another cult in town and this one uses the multilevel direct-selling method to draw in members, Kosmo! reported.

Among the teachings of this cult is that the more members they pull in, the more solat (prayers) they can "settle". Members would not need to pray or fast as they were considered "pure" for following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad.

However, new members are required to pay RM2,000(S$843) each to the preacher to help them settle the prayers they need replaced.

A follower who only wanted to be identified as Norah said members who did not bring in more members were labelled as "great sinners."

She said everything in this cult was about money.

"The preacher asked me how many sins I had, and I said 'a lot'. After calculating, he said the amount I had to pay was RM28,800. However, I was given a discount. So I only had to pay RM2,000," she said.

Norah said the cult had ambitions of setting up a true Islamic government known as the Mahad Al-Zaiton in Indonesia by 2015.

She said the cost of building this new Islamic state was RM425mil and collections were being made from members in Malaysia and Indonesia since 1993

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MLM style religious group. wonder how many more out there. haha.
But note that some religious groups uses MLM tactics but in a less discreet ways. the use of mental pressure force many people to coerce in to them and been manipulate full time. Look at hardcore ones that preach to you day and night, brain washing etc. you sure can find some similarities

The right to love, marry and procreate? - Quoted from theonlinecitizen.com

2008-11-13T14:02:00.002+08:00

*Leong Sze Hian / Columnist*

I refer to media reports about Singaporeans who have been unable to get permission to marry foreigners, despite repeated appeals to the relevant authorities and their members of parliament (MPs).

Singaporeans with lower-income, lower education, or lower-skilled jobs, find it harder to get permission to marry foreigners.

For example, a Singaporean male sales manager in an electronics shop, age 44, earning $1,700 a month, was denied permission, with the reason that his income was deemed too low to support a family. Now, after more than 20 appeals to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), more than four years, a few MPs, the answer is still no despite his salary having gone up to $2,500 now.

I find it somewhat ironic that a Singaporean can go to a neighbouring country like Vietnam, pay a few thousand dollars, and marry a bride whom he has met only a few days before.

In contrast, if he wants to marry a foreigner who has ever been to Singapore on a work permit or S-employment pass, he has to apply for permission.

Surely, a relationship of many years with a foreigner in Singapore, may be a more lasting and lovely one, than a "few days" bride transaction.

Will such policies contribute to more marriage strife and increasing divorce rates? At the end of the day, it may be the children of such failed marriages, who may bear the brunt of the consequences.

There are also cases of Singaporeans who have to travel to foreign countries periodically to meet their foreign wives and children, because permission to marry was denied.

Some of these Singaporeans may decide to migrate eventually.

I find it somewhat contradictory that whilst we are encouraging procreation, and are aware of the increasing trend of Singaporeans marrying non-Singaporeans, which I understand is now at an all-time high of about 4 out of 10 marriages, that we continue to deny permission to marry in genuine cases.

As our constitution and national pledge say equality for citizens, why do we discriminate against citizens on the basis of their income, education and occupation?

If the theory that intelligence is due more to genes than to the environment is correct, are we not in a sense, making the lives of the genetically disadvantaged even harder, by denying their basic human right to love, to marry, and to have children?

I understand that those who have ever worked in Singapore have to apply to the MOM for permission to marry, whilst others have to apply to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Do they use the criteria of assessment? Why not have just one authority so that the process and criteria may be more consistent?

I would also like to suggest that the criteria be made public, so that Singaporeans don't fall in love with the wrong people. With the foreigner population growing at double digits to more than one million now, this problem may continue to grow.

If we are worried about "sham" marriages to get residency in Singapore, we can perhaps learn from other countries like the United States, which has severe penalties for "sham" marriages, whilst maintaining the right of every U.S citizen to marry anyone they truly love.

I also understand that for Singaporean women, getting permission to marry a foreigner is even harder than for our men, as even higher standards of income, education and occupation are required.

Is this a breach of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW) , of which Singapore is a signatory?

*References:*

"We're not young
anymore<http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,180757,00.html>"
(New Paper, Oct 22).

"If only she hadn't worked here before" (New Paper, Oct 21).———-

republish from http://theonlinecitizen.com/

SingTel freezes hiring - Retrenchment Expected but was she too fast to comment on it?

2008-11-12T17:28:00.002+08:00

SINGTEL, which posted a 12 per cent fall in net profit in the second quarter, has begun cost-cutting measures to help it ride out the downturn, including a hiring freeze and cutback on discretionary expenses, the company said on Wednesday.

SingTel chief executive Chua Sock Koong said at a results briefing that the 'unprecedented' global financial crisis would have a 'negative impact on businesses', including the telco itself. To counter the downturn, she said the group has 'implemented a hiring freeze and we're looking at discretionary expense items, how they can be better managed'.

SingTel, Singapore's largest listed company by market capitalisation and the region's largest telco, will also look at other austerity measures like 'redeploying' staff to do other roles within the organisation and adjusting its variable bonus payout, added Ms Chua.

While she did not rule out retrenchments, she said 'this would be the company's last resort'.

SingTel has over 11,000 employees in Singapore.

For its second quarter ended Sept 30, SingTel reported a 12.1 per cent drop in net profit to $868 million, or 5.43 cents per share, from $988 million, or 6.18 cents last year.

The profit fall was due to subsidies for the Apple iPhone, and foreign currency fluctuations that resulted in lower income from its overseas investments, like India's Bharti Airtel and Indonesia's Telkomsel.

Revenue was up 5.3 per cent rise in revenues to $3.89 billion. SingTel will pay a dividend of 5.6 cents, unchanged from a year ago.

While the current climate is challenging, it also offers some opportunities.

The downturn has made it attractive for SingTel to venture into markets like China and Vietnam, where some companies are now more open to selling a stake in themselves, and at lower prices too, said SingTel's chief executive for overseas operations, Mr Lim Chuan Poh.

He declined to say what stage the discussions are at now.

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If i am the group CEO, i will not make sure a comment that would stir up many issues. just losing a portion of the profits due to unexpected rise in certain losses does not really justify the need to freeze hiring, redeploy or to retrenchment.

If she is smart enough, she should say that Singtel will look be restructuring itself to make it more efficient and effective in managing costs and maximising revenue through current channels and expanded channels overseas.

At least this will keep investors happy, paining a gloom picture does not help at all after what DBS has announce the cut of 900+ staff.

I think the PR side should be sack, helping the group ceo to prepare such info dampens the whole market, dropping 1 cent off the share can kill many people. if first to go, the PR or marketing communications should go.

Employees of singtel, just start to beware of your surroundings as the top are sure to catch you and kick you out.

To Ms chua, sometimes, some kind words will help to soot the people and public. although you are a finance person by training but such a long time in the corporate world should have mold you to use words that are more suitable. Losing a few cents could make you lose your post.

Chen Shui Bian in Jail! God Bless Taiwan

2008-11-12T12:14:00.002+08:00

i was watching the taiwan news on tv. yesterday onwards, it was all about chen shui bian. yesterday night, he complained that the taiwan police beat him up and wants to go to hospital to check for injuries. The police are smart this time as they got video evidence that ah bian was not beaten up. this make him lan lan and also his "green" party who advocates his words.

Working through the night, 3 judges spend time on his case and go into overtime. verdict to put in him in jail was out in the early early morning about 4am. 3 judges are on the case and the vote of 2:1 put him behind bars.

This morning, he was send to jail. finally, you see some justice working in taiwan. Now they are working on the cases and filling writs to summon his whole family. I really wonder what those idiots are thinking when they are supporting this fellow when he outrightly admit taking the money. Revolution??? Your hard earn money been siphon to his pocket and you still clap and support him. hahaha.. wtf? this shows how "intelligent" these people are.

If he is in singapore, he would have long been thrown in jail. after comparing, i believe that our police and legal system is one of the most effective.

Transgender model makes it to America's Next Top Model - Why they never consider those beautiful ones from thailand?

2008-11-11T00:41:00.002+08:00

AMERICA'S Next Top Model raised eyebrows when it featured contestants who were plus-sized, autistic and even partially blind over the years.

But in the current 11th season of the hit US reality series, creator-host-supermodel Tyra Banks took the shock factor one step further and redefined what is considered beautiful all over again.

Because one of the finalists is not even a woman.

Isis King, 23, was born male and is in the process of transitioning into a woman since early last year.

He is the first pre-op transgender contestant on America's Next Top Model and has become its main talking point.

The show's producers had used the super-slender model wannabe in the previous season for a photo shoot to raise awareness about homeless youth.

Click here for the full story ----> Here!

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Err. they should consider those very pretty and beautiful ones from thailand. some of them are currently in modeling. but to pull in tv ratings, this is 1 new trick up their sleeves. how will he or she spend the room with the other models to be? will the rest "abuse" him? hehe... up to you to see the show.

2008-11-11T00:38:00.002+08:00

SLUGGISH and sometimes jerky performance seem to have driven a wedge between the Singapore car buyer and compressed natural gas (CNG), with the love affair set for a possibly unhappy ending.

Some cars retrofitted with CNG kits have been causing problems for owners, who say their cars now face a loss of power or worse.

"One owner was so fed up with her CNG car stalling every other day that she drove back to our workshop and told us to remove the entire kit," says the manager of a parallel import company. The cost of a CNG conversion can range from $3,000 to $4,500, depending on the size of the gas tank installed

The full story ----> here!

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Think about it, falling petrol prices make CNG looks bad. personally, i would not want to have a cng car, you need to find the few stations to top up your cng. However, if you are staying in woodlands, you can consider it as cng prices in malaysia is damn cheap.

the main issue is how the govt will implement taxes to cng. in the end, diesel could be cheaper. so should we switch to diesel?

Lorry with 600 laptops hijacked - beware what u buy, make sure got warranty

2008-11-10T11:35:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): A lorry laden with laptops worth RM1.2 million, on its way to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, was hijacked by six men on Monday night.

The lorry left the Low Yat Plaza in Bukit Bintang here at 9.30pm but was stopped by two cars at the Putrajaya exit along the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway.

It was learnt that the cars boxed the lorry in just after the turnoff and six men armed with parang got out of the cars.

Realising it was a robbery, the lorry driver and his assistant jumped out and fled into nearby bushes.

They made their way to the Putrajaya police station where they reported the incident.

In follow-up operations, police picked up two suspects, aged 32 and 40, at an undisclosed location in the city some 24 hours later.

The lorry and the 600 laptops, however, are still missing.

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Don't be surprised that some will end up in singapore

Bali bombers buried in emotional ceremonies - Treated like heroes for killing. OMG???

2008-11-10T00:55:00.002+08:00

TENGGULUN, Indonesia - Three Indonesian militants executed on Sunday for the 2002 Bali bombings were buried by their families at ceremonies attended by thousands of sobbing supporters shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is great).

The three men from the militant group Jemaah Islamiah -- Imam Samudra, 38, Mukhlas, 48, and Amrozi, 46 -- were executed by firing squad on Nusakambangan island in central Java shortly after midnight, the attorney-general's office said.

The two explosions on Bali's Kuta strip on October 12, 2002 killed 202 people including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians.

The bombers' bodies were flown from the prison by helicopter to their home towns -- brothers Mukhlas and Amrozi to Tenggulun in Lamongan, East Java, and Samudra to Serang in West Java.

Some friends and supporters chanted "Live nobly or die as martyrs" until the bodies of brothers Mukhlas and Amrozi were lowered into the ground. After the burial, supporters stood in the rain and prayed for the bombers.

The full story ----> Click here

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I wonder what they are thinking? you bomb and kill people and get to be a hero. WTF? Maybe those people cheering or worshiping should be thinking what if I am the one that was killed or my close ones been killed in the bombing. Would they still be celebrating? can't really understand.

Maybe this is due to propaganda and brainwashing.

Hope those guys rot in hell than go heaven and frolick with the virgins (for jihad warriors). haha... maybe frolick with some hellish aunties. haha

Accept sacrifices, cutbacks - Hope that they will do much more to help the less wealthy

2008-11-10T00:50:00.002+08:00

THE Government will ensure no Singaporean falls below the poverty line as a result of the financial crisis but it cannot restore people's living standards to what they were pre-crisis.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew gave this assurance today, as he promised measures in next year's Budget to buffer lower-income earners and those without jobs from the impact of higher prices of food and other goods.

He did not provide details but said the Government would need to make a realistic assessment of how much it could afford to give out in additional utilities rebates, Workfare income supplements and other alleviating measures.

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Hope that what MM Lee has spoken will be greatly improved as compare to the current system. The govt should help the less wealthy and less privilege much more. However, those who do not really need assistance, please do not spoil the given benefits or govt will take it back. Trust me, there are a lot of such people. eg. drive mercedes benz to community center to collect free textbooks meant for the less wealthy.

DBS to axe 900 staff - thats quite a number! but lower profit does not mean no profit. so why need to retrench?

2008-11-07T14:52:00.001+08:00

DBS Group, which reported a slump in third quarter net profit, will cut 900 staff from Singapore and Hong Kong or 6 per cent of its workforce by the end of this month to reduce costs, its CEO Richard Stanley said on Friday.

The cuts will be across various business units and at all levels of seniority, said Mr Stanley at the bank's quarterly results briefing.

DBS staff were informed of the impending retrenchment - the bank's first since 2001 - on Friday morning. But affected individuals have not been told yet.

'To be a streamlined organisation, I believe we must run a tighter ship', Mr Stanley told reporters.

'We have been vigilant on costs but as the economy enters a more difficult and uncertain phase, many financial institutions around the world and in Asia have made headcount reductions.'

To be more productive and efficient, he said DBS will have to restructure and streamline the organisation.

'Regrettably, this has resulted in the need to reduce our workforce by six per cent or about 900 people, primarily in Singapore and Hong Kong, by the end of the month.'

DBS earlier on Friday posted a 38 per cent drop in quarterly profit, below expectations, as losses from bad debts quadrupled and it warned the financial crisis has made business challenging.

The bank said on Friday it earned $379 million (in July-September, compared with $610 million a year ago.

Analysts had predicted a net profit of $475 million, according to the average of five forecasts compiled by Reuters.

DBS's result came after its smaller rivals reported below forecast earnings, hurt by writedowns on bad debts including complex products such as collateralised debt obligations.

Singapore's second-ranked lender, United Overseas Bank, posted a 5 per cent drop and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp announced a 13 per cent slide in third-quarter profit.

DBS, which is 28-per cent owned by Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, has benefitted from strong loan growth, but an end to the city-state's property boom and slowing Asian economies are likely to crimp lending and lead to an increase in non-performing loans.

DBS shares dropped 11 per cent in the third quarter, less than the 12.2 per cent drop in OCBC, but more than the 9.8 per cent drop in UOB shares.

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Lower profits does not mean no profits. so what is the rationale for the job cuts? unless you are running a loss, this would justify it. But just a drop does not give you the best reason to kill it off. Since DBS has started it, the rest will just follow. seems like the local government is not following its policies. 2 headed snake, 1 side tell you we will help you, the other side sack you from your job.

I am not biased against FT, but since they cut 900 jobs, they will start recruiting again massively but most will go to FT. So what do we locals get? we get sack and been replace by FTs??? Is this the message that the govt is telling us?

So should we shift to other countries and be a FT where we can be treated better? Think about it. haha...

Taiwanese protests on china relations - SHAME ON YOU! YOU R SO BARBARIC and UNCIVILISED

2008-11-07T01:53:00.002+08:00

TAIPEI - THE streets of central Taipei came to a standstill on Thursday as tens of thousands of protesters chanted slogans and blew air horns to protest closer ties with China being promoted by their leaders.

The demonstrators were determined to express their outrage at the presence of Mr Chen Yunlin, Beijing's top negotiator on Taiwan affairs, who was heading a large delegation of Chinese officials and business people visiting the island.

The protesters, mostly supporters of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), flooded into the plaza in front of the presidential office and were cordoned off from government buildings by riot police.

'Taiwan, China. One country on each side (of the strait),' the demonstrators shouted, waving flags and placards reading, 'Chen Yunlin, get out.'

The cacophony could be heard for kilometres around the plaza as they moved off, on foot and in vans equipped with loudspeakers, towards the hotel on the other side of the city where the Chinese delegation was staying.

Click here for the full story

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For those who has not watch the protest coverage on TV esp from the taiwan news channel on cable. you have missed so much laughter.

the taiwanese people mainly from the Ming Jing Party (where Chen Shui Bian is from, the money sucking ex president) stage rallies and protest walks in areas where the taiwan govt is meeting their china counterparts.

Day 1 - police cordon off the hotel where meeting is held. the protest party surrounded the place and keep shouting and using air horns as to disrupt the process. 1 Funny french guy, yup, a french guy was in the hotel and shouted at the china and taiwan officials. he was saying that taiwanese are not chinese, they do not belong to china and is a country blah blah blah. I wonder what the idiot knows what he is doing? again, it is the french, freedom of speech? human rights??? hahahaha... this is really an embrassment

Day 2 - the ruling party hosted a dinner at a hotel for the china guests, they had their dinner but protesters again surrounded the hotel. even with police guarding and cordoning the place, the protesters beat up the police, scolding them etc. police can't fight back and just retreat. oh my god! this is call "police". the protest was stage and the police manage to breakthrough the protesters at about 2am for the guests to leave the hotel. you should see it on tv, how uncivilized, how barbaric and how idiotic that these group of people are. they are just been manipulate by the political parties (the sore losers) as a political tool.

Educated people fro the opposition saying things that you would not imagine and totally push all responsibility and blame to the govt. got the cheek to say that the govt push the people to protest and they never organise it. WTF??? going back on their words

by the way, china reporters and media people are been attack and beat up by the taiwanese people. Even lady reporters are been threaten. what is this?

Day 3 - Ma Yin Jiu had a morning press conference and he was damn angry, he bang on the speech podium twice. if I am him, i will break the podium. he politely tell the people not to be barbaric and uncivilized as this will damage taiwan image internationally and there are much more good to cooperate with china.

The Ming Jing Party has apply for a protest march in the afternoon. due to Day 2 situation, meetings was been shifted forward. the MJ Party was shocked and quickly communicate all their supporters (all idiots) to quickly gather at specific locations to protest. don't understand, educated people, or is this what taiwan education is all about?

protesters met with police, police setup barricades, protesters tears it down. The MJ party promise that this will be a peaceful walk protest and will not disturb and disrupt the police. however, it turned nasty, protesters throw stone, glass bottles, whatever they can lay hands on at the police. injuring over 40 policemen and more. then the organiser say that it was not peaceful becoz the govt change the timing and they will not follow the original agreement. so violence is expected. OMG??? WTF is this statement? furthermore, they blame the protest on the govt but the govt did not ask you to protest? shirking responsibilities again and want FACE. pride so high.

Nightfall, the protesters surround the hotel again and getting rough, clashes between the protesters and police constantly erupts.

Interviews with the top rich people who are trapped in the hotel display so much anger. imagine these billionaires speaking forcefully on tv condemning the protest.

Day 4 - Tomorrow, the china party is going back. Shit, i wonder anyone will plant a bomb or assassinate them at the airport. lucky thing is that the plane is specially cater from china.

Now i really think twice or three times on the perception of taiwan. from the events, unruly, high pride, false face (just know how to make use of people), insincere, low intelligence, refuse to accept facts and reality and much more.

at this point, although taiwanese are suppose to be highly educated, i wonder what they learn in schools?

God Bless Taiwan.

The party is over! back to work and whats next for Obama? Will he be like JFK No. 2?

2008-11-06T12:50:00.003+08:00

Yup, Obama has won with big margin and shows that the people in the US wants change to happen. He has won and so whats next? I would say that this will be one of the toughest president scope of work at the present moment due to many events that is the legacy of Bush and his republicans and cronies. It will take some time to pick up the pieces and get going.

Right now, there are rumors that Obama is a target for assassination by some white supremacist dudes. not so sure about that but it could well happen. if you look at the results. obama is not gaining grounds on the central states as these are more conservatives states that prefer a white guy like mccain.

I pray that obama stays there and get going with the work he promised and hope that he can do better to get things done.

Space junk falls harmlessly in South Pacific, will it land on our heads?

2008-11-05T14:51:00.001+08:00

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A refrigerator-sized piece of space junk fell harmlessly into the South Pacific Sunday night, according to NASA.

The junk was a tank full of ammonia coolant on the international space station that was no longer needed. Astronaut Clayton Anderson threw it overboard during a spacewalk in July 2007.

Space station program manager Mike Suffredini said Monday that the debris splashed down somewhere between Australia and New Zealand Sunday night. The tank had served as a reserve supply of spare coolant at the space station since 2001.

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What if some small pieces escape from the radar and land our heads? can we claim insurance?
this issue with space debris is growing as too many things up there

OMG! He explains why he didn't give up seat to pregnant woman - what is he thinking about?

2008-11-04T23:55:00.002+08:00

He explains why he didn't give up seat to pregnant woman

Desperate times call for depraved measures. The financial crisis might have hurt more than just our wallets.

Last Sunday an ugly train commuter did not give up his seat to a pregnant woman, and went as far as to explain his selfish choice by saying, "Why should I reward the pregnant woman for bringing one more life into the world?"

In an email to STOMP yesterday, the STOMPer who came across this disturbing scene said,"This man refused to give up his seat for a pregnant woman on the MRT yesterday at around 3pm.

"When asked to give up his seat, he said, 'Life is already full of suffering, why should I reward her (the pregnant woman) for bringing one more life into this world?'

"I took a photo of him after he said that, and he had the cheek to flash a peace sign as I was doing so.

"At this point, the guy seated next to this unreasonable man got up and offered his seat."

In times like these when a pregnant woman's privilege is turned into punishment, one wonders,"Have Singaporeans sunk to a new low of commuter courtesy?"

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I wonder how he treat his mother and father? maybe he is scolding them for bringing him into this world? what will the world be if it is full of such idiots? Can't they see the other beautiful side of life?

If this person is your boyfriend, I would strongly advise you to give up on a person with such a mentality

If this person is your family member, I hope that IF you can talk some sense into him, if not, better stay away, he may kill you for been a nuisance to this world

If this person is your friend or colleague, pls talk to him and tell him he is wrong, if you kena scolded by him, please erase him number from your phone and memory. no point to have such a friend who is so narrow minded. if you ever get into trouble, i bet he will gloat over it as this is your own doing and suffering, who tell you to get born into this world?

If he has a religion, i wonder which religion he is in? wonder what they preach to him?

If he is your worker, word of advice to the boss, just beware that you may lose business becoz of him.

If he is sensible, he should have retract his statement and do some damage control.

what the F@#$%^& does he feel so great in criticizing other people family business? must be an idiot!!!

Buck Up! Singaporeans must work hard and harder, slack, off you go...

2008-11-02T10:42:00.001+08:00

BHUTAN has a yardstick for measuring success which some youth here yearn to have in place of Singapore's relentless pursuit of economic growth.

It was a longing that struck a chord in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, but he was quick to explain why Bhutan's Gross National Happiness index was not suitable for Singapore.

'We are one small island in the middle of a very turbulent South-east Asia. You have to watch your GDP (gross domestic product), because if you are poor, you will be weak; if you are weak, something will happen to you,' he said.

He gave this gentle warning to graduate student Chong Kwek Yan, 25, who posed the question at a dialogue Mr Lee had with 150 students and professionals.

Click here for the full story

PM: Consumer goods prices must fall further - Sorry, this is malaysia

2008-11-02T02:18:00.002+08:00

KOTA KINABALU: There is no reason for consumer goods to remain high with the falling oil prices, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Abdullah said that the government was taking various early-action initiatives to help bring down prices of goods including encouraging hypermarkets and wholesalers to reduce their prices.

“There is no reason for prices to remain at the level it achieved (during oil price increases), it has to be lower with oil prices coming down,” he told reporters here after opening the 23rd of Parti Bersatu Sabah Congress in Kota Kinabalu.

The steps taken by the Government involving the hypermarts were early measures that would help reduce the prices, he added.

The Prime Minister, however, stressed that the effective way to help lower prices was by the consumers themselves who have to ignore goods that had retained high prices even after reduction of fuel prices.

He said consumer associations should play a more active role in checking on traders continuing to charge high prices for food and other goods when the fuel hike affected them.

Abdullah also noted that the international prices of fuel was continuing to drop and would be reflected in oil prices in the country.

Asked if the government would impose a minimum price for fuel if prices continued to fall, he replied that they have not made any decision on it.

“If the price of oil reduces, we have adjust and take appropriate action. Now, what I am talking is about is the present situation and we have yet to make any decision on such a matter (bottomline price for fuel),” he added.

Click here for the full story

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If malaysia is adopting such measures as fuel prices drop drastically from the heights of USD$150 per barrel, how about Singapore or other places?

I don't feel the change at all and consumers are not getting any better as prices still maintain at same prices. Should the Govt start to do something about this? if not, what we as consumer can do? i do hope that prices will start to drop or else we are actually worse off than before...

What are our solutions to this? Govt has been taking care of other issues but I feel that this is a big issue that needs to be addressed

Man had cockroach up nose for 3 days - Yucks!

2008-11-01T17:06:00.002+08:00

THIS is the stuff of nightmares - though in this case, the victim could not even fall asleep.

A Taiwanese man by the name of Zheng Yongcai, 47, endured nasal pain and a persistently running nose for three days.

But the pain didn't go away. Desperation because of a lack of sleep, Mr Zheng checked himself into a hospital on Tuesday morning, reported Apple Daily Taiwan.

The doctor examined him, then pulled a large cockroach, still wriggling, out of his left nostril.

At the sight of the insect, Mr Zheng involuntarily exclaimed: 'Disgusting.'

The creature was 4cm long and 2cm wide and had been buried about 4cm into Mr Zheng's nostril.

The victim said: 'Since something got stuck in my nose three days ago, the pain has kept me from sleeping.

'It felt like there was another living thing struggling inside my body. It was really terrible.'

The doctor who saw him said that this was an extremely rare case and the first he had seen.

He said that the cockroach could have crawled into Mr Zheng's nose while he was sleeping and got stuck there.

When Mr Zheng picked his nose, he may have driven the insect further inside.

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Just imagine that in your nose. i don't think i want to think about it. The guy must have big nostrils. but he must have keep digging the nose and push the cockroach up the nostril.

Controversial Suicide Billboards - Hanging Man Parodies Stock Market

2008-11-01T14:44:00.003+08:00

The current depressing financial situation with oil prices and the federal reserve is proving to be a source of inspiration in advertising. A billboard on top of the Yinji Shopping Mall in Zhengzhou, China has caused a huge controversy for tastelessly capitalizing on the global economical and financial crisis.

The billboard ad features a hanging mannequin that looks like someone has committed suicide. It reads, “It’s better to invest money here than put it into the stock market.”

The ad’s creative director has no problem explaining the decision to use shock imagery.

“We are making fun of the depressing stock market here. And the place the mannequin is hanging is right next to the stock index line,” Jiang Chengpu said.

However, not everyone took it as a cheeky, artistic expression. In fact, residents close by thought it was a real suicide and reported the situation to the local industry and trade bureau. There were complains that young children were terrified by the billboard, which led to the mannequin being taken down.

DBS High Notes, look at how much it has dropped.

2008-11-01T14:13:00.002+08:00

these are the high notes value. for those who have bought it, this is an unexpected turn in the investment.

a word of caution for those who are looking into investments in funds. Please read the fine prints and ask them for the glossary and things you don't understand.

Long term investment possess much higher risks than short term. Just dun be too greedy and plan out your finances.

Obese flight steward grounded

2008-11-01T12:10:00.002+08:00

MANILA - AN OBESE flight steward for national flag carrier Philippine Airlines has been grounded for good by the Supreme Court after a 20-year legal battle, court records released on Friday said.

In a 28-page ruling, the Supreme Court upheld an earlier decision by a lower court that found merit in the termination of Armanda Yrasuegi's contract.

The 217-pound Yrasuegi was dismissed by Philippine Airlines (PAL) after he failed to lose weight as specified under his contract in 1989.

Mr Yrasuegi challenged the dismissal arguing that his weight had nothing to do with the airworthiness of PAL's airplanes in a legal battle that would stretch for 19 years.

He argued that his being fat was a 'sickness and a physical abnormality' that was beyond his control.

But the Supreme Court noted that Mr Yrasuegi repeatedly refused offers of medical assistance to lose weight and ignored weight checks.

It said Mr Yrasuegi ignored suggestions to 'trim down'. 'Thus, his fluctuating weight indicates absence of willpower rather than an illness', the court said.

'Passenger safety goes to the core of the job of a cabin attendant. On board an aircraft, the body weight and size of a cabin attendant are important factors to consider in case of emergency'.

'Aircraft have constricted cabin space, narrow aisles and exit doors', it stressed.

Mr Yrasuegi's ideal weight should have been 75.3kg for his height of 1.73m. -- AFP

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tough luck for this guy but what they mentioned is true given the fact that philippines airlines planes are small and cramp. this guy would have blocked the whole door. those who have been on it would know what i meant. haha...

USD $1999 Motorola Phone. I don't think i want it

2008-10-28T23:16:00.002+08:00

Would you pay USD$1999 for this phone or get a iphone or google phone?
I would not want to pay for it. carrying a vertu gives me more prestige than this
whats your feel?

Here are the features or selling points

16 Million Colors
World’s first 16 million color, circular display with 300 dpi resolution in the mobile phone industry
62 Carat Lens
Created from Grade 1 62-carat sapphire crystal, one of the most scratch-resistant materials on earth
Meticulously Crafted
Stainless steel housing with chemically etched textures and patterns takes nearly two weeks to sculpt, etch and polish
Swiss-Made Main Bearing
At the center of the mechanical heart is a Swiss-made main bearing, which serves as the foundation allowing the blade to rotate with seamless precision
Custom-Engineering
Custom-engineered rotating mechanism has 130 precision ball bearings that drive the assisted-opening blade — like opening the door on a high-end luxury car. On the 100,000th opening, the blade glides with the same fluidity and grace that it did on its first
Tungsten Carbide Coated Gears
Gears composed of Rockwell 50-55 hardened steel are protected with the same coating used in high-performance racing engines
700+ Individual Components
Comprised of features including up-scaled, nickel-chrome-plated exposed screws
CrystalTalk™ Technology
CrystalTalkTM technology delivers supreme clarity and deep resonance to every single conversation an AURA owner has, even in noisy environments
Mirror Polish Finish
PVD coating, the same used when making luxury watches, gives AURA its polished, mirrored shine
Aluminum Keypad
Individual aluminum keys are formed, anodized, spin-finish applied and assembled

Obama headed for win in US elections. The first black president

2008-10-28T17:14:00.003+08:00

looking at projections and polls that have started, it seems like a 1 sided affair with obama garnering most of the votes. The US people will have a first in either a black guy or the oldest president in this race.

The winning formula presented by obama was a need to change. coupled with the financial disaster, the people suddenly realise the need to change and about time that the US wakes up and face the reality.

personally, i hope that obama wins but he need to fulfill what he has promised in his campaign or no point at all.

Foodcourt after renovation, prices go up or food reduce

2008-10-27T22:29:00.004+08:00

its the same story, food court underwent a total facelift, out of business for a month, open with a fanfare big bang and for the poor consumers, either prices will go up or shrink in food portion.

the food court at compasspoint reopen for business after a month of renovation, the place looks good and more stalls. However, after ordering the food, i realized some significant change.

- Prices of some stalls has went up
- the bowls and plates of the food court has changed. it has shrink in size. this means reduce in food portion
- noticed that the food quantity has also been reduce. so pathetic for some stalls.

it is the same story all over, if you ask the stall owners, they will tell you that the rental has went up and they need to reduce this and that blah blah blah...

I feel quite cheated... wonder what others will feel? have you notice the same thing?

Happy Deepavali

2008-10-27T11:51:00.000+08:00

Happy Deepavali to the readers and to the indian community.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Major asia market indexes climb and fall over the last 5 years

2008-10-24T18:51:00.003+08:00

Major asia market indexes climb and fall over the last 5 years
it it a global trend and we can't ignore it. compare the charts and you can find a pattern lurking among it. haha

US - Dow Jones Index

Japan - Nikkei

China - Shanghai

Hong Kong - Hang Seng

Singapore - ST index

This is the STI performance over 10 years

See the trend? do a comparison and you will know. it is the economy cycle. so all better belt up for the tough ride