Friday, March 23, 2007
Why you should be more considerate...
If you are one of those fuckers who think nothing about giving other ppl's rides a ding or two, hope this video makes you think twice... Remember, somewhere out there there will be a bigger fucker than you...
O'SHEA GOAL - MANCHESTER UNITED VS LIVERPOOL
Down to 10 men, totally outplayed, home of your biggest rivals, vital to get 3 points, last minute winner... Need I say more?
EPMS, or Enhanced Performance Management System
http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/2007/03/of-soldiers-and-teachers.html
Read the post a couple of days ago and it seemed like a rude shock to me that being a very good teacher will only get you an average grade. Why the need to do OTHER things well? Doesn't that seem to run contrary to the logic of outsourcing etc? But then again there will still be problems assessing how good a person is purely by the students' results I guess... I just hope that PB isn't all that I would care about next time
Read the post a couple of days ago and it seemed like a rude shock to me that being a very good teacher will only get you an average grade. Why the need to do OTHER things well? Doesn't that seem to run contrary to the logic of outsourcing etc? But then again there will still be problems assessing how good a person is purely by the students' results I guess... I just hope that PB isn't all that I would care about next time
SAF leaders too young?
Just wanted to copy the article below, right or wrong, perhaps only a real war can tell....
From Today
US soldier takes potshots at SAF
Mindef responds to criticism over inexperienced scholars, soft soldiers, status of Malays
Loh Chee Kong
cheekong@mediacorp.com.sg
ARE Singapore's top military commanders too young and inexperienced?
.
Are they fast-tracked to the upper echelons because of their scholar credentials, while more experienced non-scholars or "farmers" — as they have been unceremoniously labelled — toil in vain?
.
Are soldiers here soft because of the emphasis on safety during training at the expense of realism?
.
And do officers lack professionalism and commitment because mandatory retirement at 45 means many see their time in uniform "as a stepping stone" to a second career in politics or business.
.
These questions, and several others, are the subject of a critique of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) published in United States-based journal Armed Forces & Society. The quarterly circulates some 2000 copies worldwide.
.
The article, which has made its rounds in Singapore and created a stir among the uniformed ranks, was written by an American soldier Sean Walsh, who was stationed at the United States Embassy in Singapore for several weeks in 2004, during his summer break from the US Military Academy.
.
In the article, The Roar of the Lion City, the writer also claimed that women have been held back from holding high posts in the SAF, and that there is a policy to keep Malays out of sensitive areas.
.
Despite his criticism of the SAF, Mr Walsh, who graduated from the US Army Ranger School, concluded his article by saying "there can be no doubt that the SAF is the most competent, well-equipped and best trained force in the whole of South-east Asia" — a claim the SAF itself has not made.
.
He also admitted that the SAF was "more than capable" of defending Singapore's borders, conducting peacekeeping missions and dealing with asymmetric threats in the wake of 911. It possessed a "world-class" special operations force which would not require outside assistance, he noted.
.
So, why the paradoxical praise and criticism of the SAF?
.
Mr Walsh, who is deployed in Germany, could not be contacted, but in his article he pointed to the age of SAF's top commanders — such as Brigadier-General Desmond Quek, who was 39 when he was promoted to the post of Army Chief — and concluded that "youth naturally corresponds to inexperience" and this "casts obvious doubts on their ability to lead in a conflict against battle-hardened troops".
.
However, responding to queries from Today, Col Benedict Lim, director of public affairs at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), said: "The SAF does not seek out wars but will not flinch from putting its soldiers into harm's way to fulfil its primary mission of protecting the vital interests of our country."
.
He also pointed out that the SAF carries out about 70 exercises annually with other countries' armed forces, some of which have considerable combat experience, and has been praised for its professionalism. The SAF has also carried out humanitarian missions, for example during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
.
Defence analyst Dr Alvin Chew told Today that the debate centred on Singapore's defence policy, which is based on diplomacy and deterrence. As such, the relative youthfulness of SAF officers, who are groomed in building bilateral or multi-lateral relationships with foreign militaries, was not a major drawback.
.
Also, given that fighting a war is not the Republic's most pressing concern, defence analyst Dr Bernard Loo said that early retirement meant that the SAF's best and brightest could be deployed for "broader or higher national purposes — whether it is in running the economy, or running the Government".
.
Defending Mindef's policy to aggressively recruit and offer scholarships to the "brightest and most capable young men and women", Col Lim said that the SAF, like the rest of the public sector, operates on the principle of meritocracy, and those "who do not perform adequately are released".
.
But are Singapore soldiers ready to be stand in harm's way?
.
Mr Walsh wrote that a heavy emphasis on safety and the fact that "any major injury or death causes a very public uproar among parents" has resulted in a force less than ready for deployment.
.
Taking a different view, Col Lim argued that "an emphasis on safety and rigorous, realistic training are not mutually exclusive" and that the SAF prepares its servicemen to "fight, survive and win" in battle.
.
As for women in uniform, Mr Walsh's claimed that one of the SAF's "greatest shortcomings" was that high rank and important commands were closed to most women. Admitting "there was no policy that pushes gender integration for its own sake", Col Lim said that women with proven merit in the SAF currently "command ships and army units, fly combat aircraft and serve in many combat vocations".
.
Perhaps the most controversial claim by the US soldier was that "official discrimination against the Malay population remains an open secret" and those of the race are "systematically kept out" of sensitive areas.
.
Mr Walsh claims that this has two major consequences: It "limits the involvement of the ethnic group most inclined to join the military" and it feeds the "perception of a second-class status among Malays, a fact which terrorist recruiters have taken advantage of before, and they may do so again" — referring to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members arrested in Singapore for plotting terrorist attacks.
.
Addressing this charge, Col Lim said: "The writer's prescription for ethnic integration in the SAF seriously underestimates the challenges of building ethnic and religious harmony in Singapore.
.
"Singapore has made much progress in ethnic and religious integration. Singapore does not gloss over the fact that there is yet more to be done and addresses these challenges directly and openly."
.
Stressing that integration in the SAF would proceed in tandem with nation-building, Col Lim added that there are a good number of Malay SAF officers, some with higher degrees, whose studies were sponsored by the SAF, and whether a Malay SAF officer makes it to a higher appointment depends solely on merit.
.
In fact, Malay officers have risen through the ranks and held senior appointments.
.
"We have Malay pilots, commandos and air defence personnel. Those who have shown the potential to take on higher appointments in the SAF are given every opportunity to do so. Malay officers in the SAF hold key appointments such as Commanding Officer," said Col Lim.
.
"In fact, the proportion of eligible Malays selected for specialist and officer training is similar to the proportion for eligible non-Malays."
.
Mr Zulkifli Baharudin, a Malay community leader and former Nominated MP, said that the JI arrests had shown that some Singaporeans "will not react primarily to our national interests and are not completely colour-blind in our instincts".
.
He added: "We have also seen in the past that events in India and China have had — and I'm putting it mildly — reverberations here."
From Today
US soldier takes potshots at SAF
Mindef responds to criticism over inexperienced scholars, soft soldiers, status of Malays
Loh Chee Kong
cheekong@mediacorp.com.sg
ARE Singapore's top military commanders too young and inexperienced?
.
Are they fast-tracked to the upper echelons because of their scholar credentials, while more experienced non-scholars or "farmers" — as they have been unceremoniously labelled — toil in vain?
.
Are soldiers here soft because of the emphasis on safety during training at the expense of realism?
.
And do officers lack professionalism and commitment because mandatory retirement at 45 means many see their time in uniform "as a stepping stone" to a second career in politics or business.
.
These questions, and several others, are the subject of a critique of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) published in United States-based journal Armed Forces & Society. The quarterly circulates some 2000 copies worldwide.
.
The article, which has made its rounds in Singapore and created a stir among the uniformed ranks, was written by an American soldier Sean Walsh, who was stationed at the United States Embassy in Singapore for several weeks in 2004, during his summer break from the US Military Academy.
.
In the article, The Roar of the Lion City, the writer also claimed that women have been held back from holding high posts in the SAF, and that there is a policy to keep Malays out of sensitive areas.
.
Despite his criticism of the SAF, Mr Walsh, who graduated from the US Army Ranger School, concluded his article by saying "there can be no doubt that the SAF is the most competent, well-equipped and best trained force in the whole of South-east Asia" — a claim the SAF itself has not made.
.
He also admitted that the SAF was "more than capable" of defending Singapore's borders, conducting peacekeeping missions and dealing with asymmetric threats in the wake of 911. It possessed a "world-class" special operations force which would not require outside assistance, he noted.
.
So, why the paradoxical praise and criticism of the SAF?
.
Mr Walsh, who is deployed in Germany, could not be contacted, but in his article he pointed to the age of SAF's top commanders — such as Brigadier-General Desmond Quek, who was 39 when he was promoted to the post of Army Chief — and concluded that "youth naturally corresponds to inexperience" and this "casts obvious doubts on their ability to lead in a conflict against battle-hardened troops".
.
However, responding to queries from Today, Col Benedict Lim, director of public affairs at the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), said: "The SAF does not seek out wars but will not flinch from putting its soldiers into harm's way to fulfil its primary mission of protecting the vital interests of our country."
.
He also pointed out that the SAF carries out about 70 exercises annually with other countries' armed forces, some of which have considerable combat experience, and has been praised for its professionalism. The SAF has also carried out humanitarian missions, for example during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
.
Defence analyst Dr Alvin Chew told Today that the debate centred on Singapore's defence policy, which is based on diplomacy and deterrence. As such, the relative youthfulness of SAF officers, who are groomed in building bilateral or multi-lateral relationships with foreign militaries, was not a major drawback.
.
Also, given that fighting a war is not the Republic's most pressing concern, defence analyst Dr Bernard Loo said that early retirement meant that the SAF's best and brightest could be deployed for "broader or higher national purposes — whether it is in running the economy, or running the Government".
.
Defending Mindef's policy to aggressively recruit and offer scholarships to the "brightest and most capable young men and women", Col Lim said that the SAF, like the rest of the public sector, operates on the principle of meritocracy, and those "who do not perform adequately are released".
.
But are Singapore soldiers ready to be stand in harm's way?
.
Mr Walsh wrote that a heavy emphasis on safety and the fact that "any major injury or death causes a very public uproar among parents" has resulted in a force less than ready for deployment.
.
Taking a different view, Col Lim argued that "an emphasis on safety and rigorous, realistic training are not mutually exclusive" and that the SAF prepares its servicemen to "fight, survive and win" in battle.
.
As for women in uniform, Mr Walsh's claimed that one of the SAF's "greatest shortcomings" was that high rank and important commands were closed to most women. Admitting "there was no policy that pushes gender integration for its own sake", Col Lim said that women with proven merit in the SAF currently "command ships and army units, fly combat aircraft and serve in many combat vocations".
.
Perhaps the most controversial claim by the US soldier was that "official discrimination against the Malay population remains an open secret" and those of the race are "systematically kept out" of sensitive areas.
.
Mr Walsh claims that this has two major consequences: It "limits the involvement of the ethnic group most inclined to join the military" and it feeds the "perception of a second-class status among Malays, a fact which terrorist recruiters have taken advantage of before, and they may do so again" — referring to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members arrested in Singapore for plotting terrorist attacks.
.
Addressing this charge, Col Lim said: "The writer's prescription for ethnic integration in the SAF seriously underestimates the challenges of building ethnic and religious harmony in Singapore.
.
"Singapore has made much progress in ethnic and religious integration. Singapore does not gloss over the fact that there is yet more to be done and addresses these challenges directly and openly."
.
Stressing that integration in the SAF would proceed in tandem with nation-building, Col Lim added that there are a good number of Malay SAF officers, some with higher degrees, whose studies were sponsored by the SAF, and whether a Malay SAF officer makes it to a higher appointment depends solely on merit.
.
In fact, Malay officers have risen through the ranks and held senior appointments.
.
"We have Malay pilots, commandos and air defence personnel. Those who have shown the potential to take on higher appointments in the SAF are given every opportunity to do so. Malay officers in the SAF hold key appointments such as Commanding Officer," said Col Lim.
.
"In fact, the proportion of eligible Malays selected for specialist and officer training is similar to the proportion for eligible non-Malays."
.
Mr Zulkifli Baharudin, a Malay community leader and former Nominated MP, said that the JI arrests had shown that some Singaporeans "will not react primarily to our national interests and are not completely colour-blind in our instincts".
.
He added: "We have also seen in the past that events in India and China have had — and I'm putting it mildly — reverberations here."
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Outcasts in their own country, because of love...
Just wanted to take some time to copy the following article. Some of us might find it hard going to find that special someone in our life, and might be grumbling at our fate etc, but I guess we can still count our blessings that we most probably would not be in a situation like the couple below... Love should be able to unite, not separate... sad innit?
P/S, On a side note, as Gary Neville told John O'Shea, he had just completed the dream of a lifetime for many of us, scoring a last minute winner in front of the Kop for Man United in a vital game, now that's what life is all about...
---------------------------------------------------------------
From The Straits Times
March 4, 2007
STAR-CROSSED LOVERS IN WEST BANK
Love under fire
She's Jewish, he's Muslim - and they're treated as outcasts in Israel and Palestine
JERUSALEM - SHE is a 26-year-old Jewish Israeli. Her name is Jasmine Avissar. He is a 27-year-old Palestinian Muslim, Osama Zaatar.
Jasmine and Osama's tale is a love story, and it tells you so much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
They met when they worked at the same place in Jerusalem, and three years ago they got married.
First they tried to live in Israel but the Israeli authorities would not allow Osama to join his wife there.
Then they tried living in the occupied West Bank, but some Palestinians made life difficult for them. Now they've given up and are moving to Europe.
'We ran out of choices of finding any solution to live in either Israel or Palestine,' says Jasmine as she packs her bags.
'We were naive and thought we could win this fight but we can't. So we have to go abroad and start a new life.'
Jasmine already has permission to go. Osama hopes to follow her soon. On the roof of their village home, the sunlight is so harsh you have to squint to look at the view. Stone walls hold earth terraces onto the hillsides, olive trees hundreds of years old dot the landscape.
'I feel like a stranger here,' says Osama. 'Even in my homeland. This place is a holy land, but they're killing each other. It's like it's already a lost cause. Here there's no chance. I just want to start again.'
They are an almost unique couple. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian society has accepted their marriage. On Jasmine's Israeli passport, it still says her marital status is 'under investigation'.
'Our marriage was a human thing. We just fell in love,' she says. 'The society around us is making it political. I feel like a refugee. The moment I decided not to be part of the mainstream, I was told that I was not a part of my country anymore.'
A taxi turns up and Osama helps Jasmine with her bags. The drive takes them through occupied Palestinian lands. They pass a tall grey Israeli army watchtower. They drive through army checkpoints. Israel has been in control here for almost 40 years.
'Even here in Osama's homeland, I am superior as an Israeli,' says Jasmine, as she looks out the window. 'It's easier for me to move around. The soldiers let me through checkpoints. They don't arrest me like they might arrest Osama.'
Jasmine has given up on her own country.
'Jewish people were abused for thousands of years, but my nation has switched from being victims to being abusers,' she says. 'That's hard for me to acknowledge. The Jewish people are occupiers now, and we are racist.'
The car arrives at a final checkpoint. Osama then explains why he has also given up on his own people.
'There were threats. People said if I brought my wife here we'd be in danger. Even my friends said that. They say I am a traitor,' he says. 'It makes me wonder whether I want to be a Palestinian any more. Some see me as some sort of Israeli envoy.'
They turn and walk the short distance to the checkpoint that leads out of the West Bank and into Israel. They put down their bags, and hug one another. There's a short kiss.
Asked what he hopes for from his new life, Osama replies: 'I want to be able to walk in the street and not be stopped by the Israeli army or police. I want to feel safe. I have never felt that.'
Jasmine smiles. 'I just want to be a normal couple, with normal problems about rent and money,' she says.
'I don't want to have these huge gigantic problems interfering in our marriage.'
Even now though, they are not quite free. Osama cannot go through the checkpoint with Jasmine. They don't know when he will be able to join her in Europe.
They are still a couple caught in the middle of the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
BBC NEWS
P/S, On a side note, as Gary Neville told John O'Shea, he had just completed the dream of a lifetime for many of us, scoring a last minute winner in front of the Kop for Man United in a vital game, now that's what life is all about...
---------------------------------------------------------------
From The Straits Times
March 4, 2007
STAR-CROSSED LOVERS IN WEST BANK
Love under fire
She's Jewish, he's Muslim - and they're treated as outcasts in Israel and Palestine
JERUSALEM - SHE is a 26-year-old Jewish Israeli. Her name is Jasmine Avissar. He is a 27-year-old Palestinian Muslim, Osama Zaatar.
Jasmine and Osama's tale is a love story, and it tells you so much about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
They met when they worked at the same place in Jerusalem, and three years ago they got married.
First they tried to live in Israel but the Israeli authorities would not allow Osama to join his wife there.
Then they tried living in the occupied West Bank, but some Palestinians made life difficult for them. Now they've given up and are moving to Europe.
'We ran out of choices of finding any solution to live in either Israel or Palestine,' says Jasmine as she packs her bags.
'We were naive and thought we could win this fight but we can't. So we have to go abroad and start a new life.'
Jasmine already has permission to go. Osama hopes to follow her soon. On the roof of their village home, the sunlight is so harsh you have to squint to look at the view. Stone walls hold earth terraces onto the hillsides, olive trees hundreds of years old dot the landscape.
'I feel like a stranger here,' says Osama. 'Even in my homeland. This place is a holy land, but they're killing each other. It's like it's already a lost cause. Here there's no chance. I just want to start again.'
They are an almost unique couple. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian society has accepted their marriage. On Jasmine's Israeli passport, it still says her marital status is 'under investigation'.
'Our marriage was a human thing. We just fell in love,' she says. 'The society around us is making it political. I feel like a refugee. The moment I decided not to be part of the mainstream, I was told that I was not a part of my country anymore.'
A taxi turns up and Osama helps Jasmine with her bags. The drive takes them through occupied Palestinian lands. They pass a tall grey Israeli army watchtower. They drive through army checkpoints. Israel has been in control here for almost 40 years.
'Even here in Osama's homeland, I am superior as an Israeli,' says Jasmine, as she looks out the window. 'It's easier for me to move around. The soldiers let me through checkpoints. They don't arrest me like they might arrest Osama.'
Jasmine has given up on her own country.
'Jewish people were abused for thousands of years, but my nation has switched from being victims to being abusers,' she says. 'That's hard for me to acknowledge. The Jewish people are occupiers now, and we are racist.'
The car arrives at a final checkpoint. Osama then explains why he has also given up on his own people.
'There were threats. People said if I brought my wife here we'd be in danger. Even my friends said that. They say I am a traitor,' he says. 'It makes me wonder whether I want to be a Palestinian any more. Some see me as some sort of Israeli envoy.'
They turn and walk the short distance to the checkpoint that leads out of the West Bank and into Israel. They put down their bags, and hug one another. There's a short kiss.
Asked what he hopes for from his new life, Osama replies: 'I want to be able to walk in the street and not be stopped by the Israeli army or police. I want to feel safe. I have never felt that.'
Jasmine smiles. 'I just want to be a normal couple, with normal problems about rent and money,' she says.
'I don't want to have these huge gigantic problems interfering in our marriage.'
Even now though, they are not quite free. Osama cannot go through the checkpoint with Jasmine. They don't know when he will be able to join her in Europe.
They are still a couple caught in the middle of the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
BBC NEWS
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