Simply Shallow

The Greatest Prank Call Ever

2009-03-14T19:11:00.001+08:00

The Day

2009-02-22T22:44:00.002+08:00

Did you remember? Did you not?
Were you afraid of giving the wrong idea? Were you not?
Did you know? Did you not?
Did you care? Did you not?

I am nothing but an ant, scrambling for crumbs of comfort...

Fans of Football...

2009-02-15T00:56:00.000+08:00

From Soccernet:

In England, more than in any other country, there is a tradition of supporters travelling en masse to away games.

Those football fans who regularly follow their team away from home will be familiar with the concept of a "face"; a person you regularly see but rarely know, someone you nod at without saying hello to who reminds you that you're in the right place.

Occasionally you may even give them a name, so in my group of Manchester United matchgoers, we silently greet Dowie, The Ghost, Napalm Death and Mr Milky Milky. There'll be those within United's support who recognise the people I mean, others who won't and some who'll know them by another name entirely - maybe even the one their parents gave them. But one person who everyone could identify - usually by his surname only - was Mike Dobbin.

Dobbin died on January 29 at the age of 61, but in those years he crammed in more United games than seems humanly possible. Born in Prestwich, Manchester in 1947, he began going to Old Trafford as a child and over the course of his life his remarkable devotion to the red cause has cemented him into United folklore.

There are numerous anecdotes and statistics that illustrate Dobbin's loyalty, so here are a few. Despite moving to London to pursue a career in accountancy, he attended every single first-team game - competitive and friendly - from October 1991 until Boxing Day 2008. In all, he watched United on close to 2000 occasions and in 44 different countries, not missing a Euro away from 1965 onwards. On last summer's tour, to get to Nigeria from South Africa he flew via London, claiming it was cheaper that way, but few who knew him were surprised when he showed up at a reserve game at Oxford in between.

Most impressive of all, though, and certainly my favourite piece of Dobbin-related trivia, is that in the Fergie era he has attended more United games than the man himself, Sir Alex having missed a few occasions for family reasons, part-timer that he is.

Dobbin's loyalty wasn't just to the boys on the pitch. As travel secretary of United's London Fan Club, he spent a ridiculous number of hours arranging transport and tickets for those based in the area. He was particularly active during the "Red Army" years of the 70s and 80s when United would take thousands from the capital to every game, even though he didn't agree with the slightly mischievous philosophy of many of its members.

Some may think that this is of no relevance to anyone who isnt a match-going United fan, but they'd be wrong. Every club has its Dobbin, people who encapsulate everything that football was once about, and still is for those with eyes to see.

When Manchester United began life in 1878 as Newton Heath, it wasn't as a business or a brand, but a group of mates kicking a ball around for fun, just the same as nearly every other institution in both the professional and amateur game. That's why the league comprises football clubs and not football teams; the point was that they should be groups of like-minded individuals gathered together for a unified purpose, of which the men selected to take the field were but a constituent part.

Those on the pitch are merely transient, just passing through; incidental to the whole shebang when compared to those who were there before they arrived and will be there long after they've left. United supporters refer affectionately to the team as "the shirts" because ultimately it doesn't matter a stuff who's wearing them as long as they do so with honour and pride; what's important is the people and place it represents. Which is why Mike Dobbin is a mark one, bona fide red legend, woven into the fabric of the club every bit as much, if not more, than Edwards, Best, Law and Cantona.

GettyImages

Until his death, Mike Dobbin had actually attended more United games than Sir Alex Ferguson (and Fred the Red).
The shame is that those playing and running the game continually fail to realise this. Players become ever more remote, content to milk the adulation of the crowd for the duration of the 90 minutes, before insulating themselves from its members the rest of the time behind minders, gates and VIP areas.

Meanwhile clubs have effectively taken on the mantle of the local drug dealer, treating pathetically-addicted supporters like the worst kind of crackhead, while hopelessly in hock to wholesaling television companies whom the FA are entirely unable or unwilling to police.

All this means that any notion of accountability is exactly that - a notion - with the blame for exhorbitant pricing and inconvenient kick-off times passed around the little circle like a Chinese whisper. Nonetheless its members would do well to remember that ultimately there will be a price; not all supporters have the limitless loyalty of Mike Dobbin.

有多少爱可以重来

2009-01-23T23:36:00.001+08:00

Dear W,

Will there be a day when I can restart all over again?

Shihua

歌曲：有多少爱可以重来
歌手：卓依婷专辑：蜕变4

------------☆☆☆☆------------
常常责怪自己当初不应该
常常后悔没有把你留下来
为什么明明相爱
到最后还是要分开
是否我们总是俳徊在心门之外
谁知道又和你相遇在人海
命运如此安排总叫人无奈
这些年过得不好不坏
只是好像少了一个人存在
而我渐渐明白
你仍然是我不变的关怀
有多少爱可以重来
有多少人愿意等待
当懂得珍惜以后回来
却不知那份爱会不会还在
有多少爱可以重来
有多少人值得等待
当爱情已经桑田沧海
是否还有勇气去爱
---music---
谁知道又和你相遇在人海
命运如此安排总叫人无奈
这些年过得不好不坏
只是好像少了一个人存在
而我渐渐明白
你仍然是我不变的关怀
有多少爱可以重来
有多少人愿意等待
当懂得珍惜以后回来
却不知那份爱会不会还在
有多少爱可以重来
有多少人值得等待
当爱情已经桑田沧海
是否还有勇气去爱
有多少爱可以重来
有多少人愿意等待
当懂得珍惜以后回来
却不知那份爱会不会还在
有多少爱可以重来
有多少人值得等待
当爱情已经桑田沧海
是否还有勇气去爱
----end----

黄金路

2009-01-14T23:31:00.001+08:00

Vote The Golden Path for best drama!!

On the brink...

2008-11-27T23:23:00.002+08:00

Finally, after a year or so, I had finished reading Joseph Stiglitz's 2 books on globalisation. The first one "Globalisation and its Discontents" talks about why globalisation had so far failed to live up to its promise of delivering growth and improvements in standard of living around the world. In fact, quite the opposite has happened in many parts of the world. The second book " Making Globalisation Work" then talks about some of the main areas of reforms that needs to be made in order to move globalisation on the right track, including a global reserve system, policies to tackle global warming, trade policies and intellectual property frameworks.

I seldom read, that's a fact and it is not something that I am proud of. But I must say that these 2 books had really opened my naive and ignorant brain somewhat. I do not claim to have the intellectual capacity to be able to critique the policies or ideas that the author had, but I think there are some pretty sound and logical principles that were surfaced (according to my understanding).

1. Humans respond to incentives - to get them to do the right thing, the right incentives must be present.

This sounds perfectly logical, but it is not so easy to implement in real life. Till this day, there had been far too many policies that looked good on paper, but actually failed to provide the right incentives for people to respond in the appropriate manner. The worst policies are actually those which provide the incentives to do the OPPOSITE. The usual reason for this would be too myopic a view on a certain issue, or a certain indicator, for example only inflation, or debt repayment, as compared to the health of overall economy.

2. Globalisation can work - the devil's in the details (management).

In theory, globalisation can and should work. However, what had failed so far is not globalisation itself but its management per se. What is happening right now is that political globalisation lacks way behind economic globalisation, resulting in perverted incentives or opportunities for quick individuals/corporations to make a quick profit at the expense of others. Combining point 1 and 2, this means there is an urgent need to relook at various areas from trade to finance to environment and work out details in policies and contracts that would provide the right incentives.

3. A global phenomenon requires global response, global coordination.

This idea is perhaps the most evident throughout the whole of the second book. It is perhaps the most important idea of all and there are signs of such things happening. It is simple enough to understand, if each and everyone (country) think only about themselves, each would pursue policies that would benefit himself and overall, at best it might not benefit everyone. At worst, it may lead to detrimental effects for everyone. This is blatantly not the way to go when the actions of someone sitting in a comfy office in Wall Street can ultimately lead to my bonus being cut :( It's time to stop being myopic and/or xenophobic. It's time to think global, and to take an interest in global affairs, including the way international affairs are being conducted. And the first step towards achieving that is really to learn more about global affairs.

I really do feel that the world has reached a crossroads of sorts in a lot of areas, areas like global warming, terrorism, international trade, etc etc. The decisions that we will make in the next 5 to 10 years would determine the direction the whole world would take for the long term future. Would our future generations look back on this period and lament our inability to learn from our mistakes, or praise our generation for the bold moves that we took?

"All it takes for evil to succeed is for a few good men to do nothing."

Best of luck Cole!

2008-11-25T23:08:00.002+08:00

I'll be the first to admit that 'Goal King Cole' didn't really quite catch on with me, given that in the first season that I started following United, Cole was missing chances left right centre, with the last game of the season against West Ham especially galling. But nothing can take away the fact that he was nothing short of sensational from 97/98 onwards. The following season saw the arrival of Yorke and that partnership was still the best strike partnership I had ever seen in all these years at United. Both of them were not the fastest, most skillful or strongest strikers ever but somehow both of them had a bit of everything and something more - the understanding. So as yet another of my childhood United heroes hang up his boots, should I also move on?

Taken from the BBC

The highs and lows of Andrew Cole

By Nabil Hassan

Andrew Cole's retirement from professional football this week may have been relatively low key, but his career was anything but.

You just have to look back at his career stats to realise that 'Goal King' Cole was a little bit special.

Only Alan Shearer has scored more goals than him (260) in the Premier League, with Cole notching 187.

Very few are more decorated than him with the Nottingham-born 37-year-old boasting a medal haul that includes five Premier League titles, two FA Cup trophies, the Champions League and the League Cup.

Cole - to put it in simple terms - won it all.

And he was not a bit part player either. His partnership with Dwight Yorke in the 1998-9 season was perhaps the most important ingredient in a United team that won a historic treble.

That season Cole and Yorke were untouchable, the hottest partnership in English football and were revered across Europe.

In all, Cole scored 93 times for the Red Devils, and went on to record 289 career goals.

But for all the success domestically he failed to take that form on to the international stage with Cole making only 15 appearances for England, scoring just once.

Cole talks to BBC Sport and looks back at the highs and lows of his 19-year career that started at Arsenal and ended at his home-town club Nottingham Forest.

BEST MEMORY

"It is hard to pick out one but I'd have to say that winning the treble at Manchester United...I don't think anything is going to top that. It was a special season."

BEST GOAL

"I've scored so many and a lot have been special so it would be difficult to say one.

"But maybe the goal that won us the championship (against Tottenham in 1999 on the last day of the season) in the treble-winning season would be up there."

BEST MANAGER

"Sir Alex Ferguson. He was the only manager who could always get the best out of me.

"I would like to believe that if I go into coaching I will learn something from him."

BEST FANS

"I loved the Manchester United supporters, they were great to me and I also played at St James' Park and they were incredible…I couldn't choose between them."

BEST PLAYING PARTNER

"It would be hard to choose between Dwight Yorke and Peter Beardsley. They were different players but brilliant in their own way."

BEST PLAYER

"There were so many I couldn't pick one, but Eric Cantona would be up there.

"I never feared any opponent but played against some great players like Paolo Maldini and Des Walker in his heyday."

BIGGEST REGRET

"I left Manchester United too early. I was only 30 and could have played on there and that is the only one that wrangles with me."

PLAYING FOR ENGLAND

"I played 15 times so I don't see that as a regret. It didn't work out, but lots of people play a lot for their country but never win a thing domestically. I've done just that and I have no axe to grind."

HANGING UP THE BOOTS

"It was an easy decision to make. I had made my mind up in September to retire from football.

"I went to Nottingham Forest to play as many games as possible and that wasn't happening. I knew I couldn't play all of them but I was only a bit-part player and after everything I have achieved in the game I wasn't going to do that for anybody."

THE FUTURE

"I still love the game, I haven't fallen out of love with it and that is why at some stage I want to return to it. I am doing my coaching badges and my intention is to put in what I've taken out.

"I'm enjoying a bit of break at the moment and having some time on my hands, but I can only do nothing for so long."

Inside North Korea (part 1)

2008-11-25T18:11:00.001+08:00

If you watch all the way to Part 7, you will be amazed.

It really reinforces my belief that bullshit, if repeated often enough, and with enough conviction, will become the truth.

Christmas Carol for everyone!

2008-11-19T11:34:00.001+08:00

Latest Christmas carol for 2008, pretty neat eh?

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wise
Recession is coming to town

It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town!

Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake, OH

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

Live the pain...

2008-11-03T23:30:00.000+08:00

歌名：会呼吸的痛歌手：梁静茹所属专辑：崇拜

在东京铁塔第一次眺望
看灯火模仿坠落的星光
我终於到达但却更悲伤
一个人完成我们的梦想
你总说时间还很多
你可以等我
以前我不懂得
未必明天就有以后
想念是会呼吸的痛
它活在我身上所有角落
哼你爱的歌会痛
看你的信会痛连沉默也痛
遗憾是会呼吸的痛
它流在血液中来回滚动
后悔不贴心会痛
恨不懂你会痛
想见不能见最痛
没看你脸上张扬过哀伤
那是种多麼寂寞的倔强
你拆了城墙让我去流浪
在原地等我把自己捆绑
你没说你也会软弱
需要依赖我
我就装不晓得
自由移动自我地过
我发誓不再说谎了
多爱你就会抱你多紧的
我的微笑都假了
灵魂像飘浮著
你在就好了
我发誓不让你等候
陪你做想做的无论什麼
我越来越像贝壳
怕心被人触碰
你回来那就好了
能重来那就好了

Dangerous...

2008-11-01T12:04:00.001+08:00

Something to remind myself :(

Traffic Dangerous - Click here for the most popular videos

The lonely empty bench by the sea...

2008-10-29T19:43:00.002+08:00

The weather was good, the sea view was soothing.

What was missing was you by my side to share the view with me.

Are you happy with him?

你不是真正的快乐

2008-10-28T23:40:00.001+08:00

Words that I wish I could tell myself...

作词：五月天作曲：五月天

人群中哭着你只想变成透明的颜色
你再也不会梦或痛或心动了
你已经决定了你已经决定了
你静静忍着紧紧把昨天在拳心握着
而回忆越是甜就是越伤人了
越是在手心留下
密密麻麻深深浅浅的刀割
你不是真正的快乐
你的笑只是你穿的保护色
你决定不恨了也决定不爱了
把你的灵魂关在永远锁上的躯壳
这世界笑了于是你合群的一起笑了
当生存是规则不是你的选择
于是你含著眼泪
飘飘荡荡跌跌撞撞的走着
你不是真正的快乐
你的笑只是你穿的保护色
你决定不恨了也决定不爱了
把你的灵魂关在永远锁上的躯壳
你不是真正的快乐
你的伤从不肯完全的愈合
我站在你左侧却像隔著银河
难道就真的抱着遗憾一直到老了然后才后悔着
你值得真正的快乐
你应该脱下你穿的保护色
为什么失去了还要被惩罚呢
能不能就让悲伤全部
结束在此刻重新开始活着

20LEgend

2008-10-05T14:59:00.000+08:00

A long overdue post...copied and pasted for memories sake...

from the Telegraph

There will not be a dry eye in the house at Old Trafford when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, footballing role model, Manchester United icon and the man who put the ball in the Germans' net, steps on to a pitch for the final time

"The pitches already miss him,'' reflected Cristiano Ronaldo.

Solskjaer's millions of admirers will miss him: those flocking to the Stretford End, those in his native Norway, where he is revered as much as Ibsen and Munch, and simply all those around the globe who appreciate dignity and determination.

United players will miss him. Ronaldo spoke for all in the champions' dressing room when he said: "Ole was a fantastic player, with whom I loved to play, not even for the way he plays but also for the person he really is. As a person, he is absolutely fantastic, spectacular, kind and very, very nice. I improved a lot just because I've played side-by-side with him; he taught me lots of things. I also grew up with him and for that I have to say: 'Thank you, Ole'."

Premier League statisticians will miss him. In 151 league starts for United, the 'Baby-Faced Assassin' plundered 91 goals, and 17 more from his 84 outings from the bench. He tore into Spurs' back line, recording seven goals in eight starts. Everton were similarly pounded. He regularly bullied Nottingham Forest's defence. "I'll never forget when he came on as a sub at Forest and within 10 minutes had scored four goals,'' reminisced David Beckham.

As the 35-year-old bows out with a testimonial against Espanyol, all football will miss the man for more than just his goals. Solskjaer has been a wonderful ambassador for the game, and all proceeds from today's match, and a planned telethon, go towards 10 new schools in Africa.

From the moment Solskjaer arrived at United in the summer of 1996, he was obviously special. That pre-season, Alex Ferguson gathered his five new players at the Cliff training ground to talk to the media. Solskjaer was not even the best-known Norwegian in the room. That was Ronny Johnsen. Jordi Cruyff, Raimond van der Gouw and Karel Poborsky were also there, and most of the questions were aimed at them and Johnsen.

Yet there was a sparkle in Ferguson's eye as he introduced Solskjaer. He knew he had uncovered a gem. We had to check the spelling of his name and find out where on earth Molde was, but as I left, a United official whispered: "Fergie thinks Solskjaer will be the best of the lot.'' So it proved.

"I remember seeing him walk into the dressing room and thinking how young he looked – he had such a baby face,'' added Beckham. "As soon as he started training you could see that he had what it took to become a Manchester United player, a great Manchester United player in fact. He was one of those players that, whenever he got the ball, he did something with it."

To understand the essence of Solskjaer it is important to rewind to Dec 5, 2006, when the striker was talking to his friend, Bernt Jakob Oksnes, a well-known reporter in Norway. Solskjaer was musing on what qualities were required to succeed at Old Trafford. "You can't come that far with pure talent," Solskjaer told Oksnes. "You only reach the first team of Manchester United with the hard work and willpower of steel." The next day, Solskjaer took his usual seat on the bench as United took on Benfica in a Champions League group match.

As the game pushed into the later stages, Ferguson gave Solskjaer the nod to warm up as he would soon be replacing Paul Scholes. "I suddenly started to feel very emotional," recalled Oksnes. "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, our man, was doing his warm-up, up and down Old Trafford's grass. And Old Trafford started to sing, Stretford End at first, then North Stand, and then the whole stadium: 'You are my Solskjaer, my Ole Solskjaer; you make me happy when skies are grey.' It was so fantastically loud. The choir of Old Trafford was at its heights."

United fans love Solskjaer because he never embarrassed their beloved club, never clamoured to join Real Madrid nor fell out of a nightclub at 3am. Even when that persistent knee injury drained the life from a fine career, even when he toiled for two years in the gym, no self-pity could be detected. United officials would advise youngsters: "Look and learn from Ole".

As well as the dedication, United supporters love him for all the goals, and one in particular against Bayern Munich to seal the Champions League final of 1999. "I remember sticking my foot out and the ball going in but everything else is a bit of a blur," said Solskjaer, typically modest. Solskjaer always smiled when the phone belonging to United's director of communications, Phil Townsend, reverberated to its ring-tone of "And Solskjaer has won it", Clive Tyldesley's unforgettable commentary from the Nou Camp.

That goal. That willpower. That lack of ego. An intelligent and unselfish footballer, Solskjaer showed tactical versatility, playing on the right, on his own up front, or (successfully) in tandem with Ruud van Nistelrooy. United fans adore him because he was a credit to the club and because he offered one quality they shared: commitment to the cause.

"Ole has admitted he had a limited talent, he is more a product of endless and honest work," said Oksnes. "He is idolised for that. Ole's appearance, his humble approach, and loyalty are much-acclaimed qualities. And now he is the most famous Norwegian of all time. He is bigger than Ibsen, bigger than Munch, in terms of how many people know him around the world. You can find people wearing Solskjaer shirts in Nepal and in Kenya and in Singapore today.

"I asked him what he felt when Old Trafford sang his song, even at times when he was injured. 'I feel proud, but a bit embarrassed as well,' he answered. 'I think to myself: 'Why me?' A little man from Kristiansund.' A legend at Old Trafford."

Solskjaer's own verdict? "I worked for the best manager of all time. I played with the best players in the world and in front of the best fans. I am very proud of what I achieved but very humble as well that I was given the opportunity to do that."

Even now that his playing days are over, he continues to deliver for United as reserve-team manager. As that magical evening in 1999 showed, Solskjaer knows how to influence a game from the bench. Old Trafford will say farewell, and thanks for Munich and all the memories, in style today. The pitch will miss him.

Five great Solskjaer moments:
Aug 25, 1996 - Man Utd 2 Blackburn 2:
An unheralded £1.5 million signing from Molde, Solskjaer marked his United debut by climbing off the substitutes’ bench to score an equaliser that ensured United preserved their 32-game unbeaten home run.

Feb 6, 1999 - Nottm Forest 1 Man Utd 8
Despite only being introduced as a 71st-minute substitute, Solskjaer scored four goals as United claimed the Premier League’s biggest away victory.

Jan 24,1999 - Man Utd 2 Liverpool 1:
After Michael Owen’s early goal in this FA Cup fourth round tie, Dwight Yorke’s 88th-minute equaliser set the scene for Solskjaer to score an injury-time winner against the big rivals.

May 26, 1999 - Man Utd 2 Bayern Munich 1
The moment that Solskjaer became a United icon. Deployed as a late substitute, he delivered another decisive goal, scoring a dramatic injury-time winner to secure the European Cup.

Aug 23, 2006 - Charlton 0 Man United 3
Solskjaer’s goal, the third in a routine victory at the Valley, marked his first strike for the first-team after almost three years out of the game battling the serious knee injury that ultimately claimed his career.

Boy Meets Girl - No More, no more...

2008-10-01T23:26:00.003+08:00

I can still remember the first time I met you - that feeling of excitement that I did not have for a long time. I still remember making a promise to the one up there that I will not waste the chance if He would help me once more.

I still remember the months that followed. My life was brighter and cheerful with you around. For the first time in a long while, I really enjoyed life. I really did.

I don't know how it all started to go downhill. But it did. Maybe I should have been more subtle. Maybe I shouldn't have fallen for you.

Maybe I would still be able to see you then.

But what's left now is merely emptiness. Fragments of memories of happier days gone by to cling onto.

It hurts every night, when I stop whatever I am doing, and try to fall asleep. All that I can think of is you. Asking myself what did I do wrong. Asking myself where was I not good enough. Asking myself why everything turned out this way.

And I really have no answers.

When you told me you were sick, and it started to rain, all I wanted to do was to drive over and give you a lift, so that you did not have to get yourself wet.

When you were unhappy, I wished for you to be happy, hoping that the card would cheer you up.

Whenever you were rushing for your class, and you had no time to eat, I would try to keep the hunger away with some food.

If you would agree, I would protect you forever.

You were on my mind everyday, every moment.

But it just wasn't good enough, and I guess it would never be.

Is this really the end? Do I have any crumbs of hope and comfort to survive on?

I love you, W. I really do.

I hate the Moon

2008-09-18T23:38:00.002+08:00

Today was one of the days whereby I find myself once again questioning the reason for me taking this path.

And the plain truth is once again: I don't know.

A bit of naivety, a bit of desperation, a bit of bo chup-ness and a bit of misinformation all contributed to the path that I took thus far.

I can't honestly say it has been all bad. But so far, to be honest, the bad is indeed tipping the scale slightly.

I can't reconcile how the things I am supposed to be doing are really helping the people who I am supposed to help.

A lot of times, I don't really know how I am supposed to help the people I am supposed to help.

I don't know if I am even value adding to the people I am supposed to help.

And you know what's the worrying thing? Sometimes I think I don't really care at all. I think I am selfish. It's just that I try too hard to influence myself to think I care, when in fact I really don't think I do.

The things in my personal life make me very upset, but yet I have to always try to smile, keep my temper in check etc. It's tiring, and sometimes it's downright meaningless.

I don't feel myself improving in any manner, either emotionally or capacity wise or knowledge wise.

I hate my job. I hate the troublemakers. I hate paperwork. I hate award chasers. I hate KPIs. Most of all, I hate myself.

Never again...

2008-09-05T19:58:00.001+08:00

Will I do silly things.

Will I do so much.

Will I force someone.

Never again.

My ball sense prevails once again

2008-09-01T00:09:00.002+08:00

There's just something about the 6th sense (I prefer to use ball sense) of human beings. It can keep you out of danger, it can also lead you to missed opportunities.

Luckily for me, it has been accurate more often than not.

There's just something about some people which make you refuse to trust them with your lives. And so it proved once again.

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

There are also times when I look at the people walking around on the streets and feel that I am a weirdo. Some of them are obviously hopeless airheads. Some look like they can have an orgasm with a mousepad or on a discussion about why the Demand curve can sometimes slope upwards. Some of them have a way too inflated sense of self importance. Some of them have EQ equivalent to that of a Chinese speaking hoaxster. But yet all of them have a girlfriend. (Let's not quiver over the point that some of their girlfriends also CMI). Yes some of the really hopeless cases all have a gf in tow.

And yet I fail time and time again. There are times when I look in the mirror and feel disgusted at the person I see. So it's no wonder that no one likes me. But there are also times when I think I am so much better than the aforementioned. But facts prove otherwise. I think I am losing the faith slowly but surely.

I will always be the lowest priority. As unwanted as a piece of used disposable undies. I should just give up...

Christian the lion - Full ending

2008-08-16T10:52:00.001+08:00

Christian The Lion - Reunited - From

2008-08-16T10:50:00.001+08:00

This is absolutely amazing...

趙傳 - 愛要怎麼說出口

2008-06-11T23:23:00.001+08:00

只是爱要怎么说出口，我的心里好难受。

=(

All Manchester United Goals In Road To Moscow

2008-05-03T23:45:00.001+08:00

Glory Glory Man United!!

Guy Ritchie Nike Football Next Level

2008-05-03T22:51:00.001+08:00

Nike does it again. Simply brilliant!

Bah!

2008-04-15T23:28:00.003+08:00

The ST Forum

The life of a teacher had been discussed widely for the past few weeks, with some people agreeing that the work of a teacher is tough. But there are also others who dismiss such complaints nonchalantly under the guise of "you haven't seen the real world".

On one hand, the former group would say "if it is so easy, why not you join the teaching profession? After all school ends at 2pm everyday and it is easy money isn't it?". And then the flipside of the argument is "if it is so tough, why not get out? Nobody is forcing you to stay!"

The truth, as is the case most of the time, is probably somewhere in the middle.

Yes we do accept that every job has its own set of problems. I look at my friends with 24 hour duties etc and I am glad that I don't have to do that, well at least not yet anyway. But what we absolutely detest is the way that our work is being dismissed with a cursory wave of the hand as "not real" and "you haven't seen the real world".

What is the real world? Are the students in schools fake? Are the exam results fake? Are the script marking fake? Are the parents fake? Teachers do not really face the threat of retrenchment, but try slacking around as a teacher and see what happens? If your conscience does not get you, your Principal or HOD would be breathing down your neck. Your students would be coming to you for extra help, if not they will complain to their parents that you are incompetent and then you are going to get it again!

At the very least, in the private sector, you really only have 1 boss to answer to. Make your customers happy and your boss is happy. Simple as that. But in the context of education, making your students happy does not equate to making your HOD or Principal happy. Making your students happy is not the same as making parents happy either. You have multiple bosses to answer to! Heck, even making NIE happy may not be the same as making the school happy sometimes. Try having to satisfy 3 or more different bosses with different agendas and demands and see if it is still "unreal".

So next time, before you dismiss teachers as one of the lower rungs of society, do try to think a bit more, and also about how you got to where you are in the first place. Chances are there would be a couple of good teachers along the way who helped you to achieve what you have today. So much for being "unreal".

Cristiano Ronaldo: The Story So Far

2008-04-13T15:38:00.002+08:00

http://indonewyork.com/contents/Berita/Olahraga/CristianoRonaldoStory.htm

http://indonewyork.com/contents/Berita/Olahraga/profil-CR-theboywithadream.html

Last Lecture

2008-03-31T18:09:00.001+08:00

I wish I could say I do that, but perhaps I am a lesser being...

The crazy world that we live in...

2008-03-15T13:15:00.004+08:00

Somehow I am glad that I wasn't born 6 years later. Back in my time, and that wasn't very far away either, all you needed to do was to study hard and get decent grades and off you go to NUS and NTU. Now you need to be a community service hero (doesn't matter if you don't give a damn about your old and dying grandparents), a sports person (doesn't matter if you actually hate running and swear never to step into Macritchie after your cross country days are over), a passionate person in whatever field you choose (doesn't matter if the sole reason you want to work is actually just to earn enough money so that your parents, you, your wife and children will not starve to death), and a school leader (doesn't matter if you entered the club only because it has only 5 members and you are ensured of an exco position).

Do we really need to be like this? Where's the world where you can just enjoy a kickabout with your friends after school? Without worrying whether it is adding value to your CV when you apply for university? Do we REALLY need to keep racing and moving? Are we racing against aliens from outer space? Where is all this going? When are we going to say "yes we have arrived!" and proceed to enjoy happily ever after? Or we condemned to an endless race? Heck even Britain also worried, seems like we are doomed!

Stressed out Varsity Students (Full article)

Numbers game

WELCOME to the university application season in Singapore - described as 'hell' by the 18- to 20-year-olds pouring out in ever-increasing numbers from the polytechnics, junior colleges and private schools.

University admissions officials say they have never seen this level of tension and competition before. It is evident in the increasing number of students going all out to embellish their co-curricular activities record. And the essays that seem just a little too polished and sleekly written.

All this elbowing and shoving for a university place does not surprise SMU's admissions director Alan Goh. As a parent of two daughters in tertiary institutions, he says a university degree is now seen to be the minimum for survival in the new economy.

When Outstanding is just Average (Full article)

Once these Raffles Junior College students, the creme de la creme from Singapore's most pedigreed secondary schools, receive their result slips, their worries break into relief, grins and high-fives.

But a handful dissolve into tears, as if their perfect world has crashed. In between sobbing, most admit that, all things considered, their results are good - sullied perhaps by one B or C. But they fear that the results are not good enough to secure the most coveted scholarships.

Among the triumphant with perfect scores, the rejoicing dies down after they get wind of the fact that there are 58 other RJC students - just like them - who turned in flawless scores.

------

His friend, Mayank Soni, 18, another nine-A scorer who intends to study economics and engineering in the US, is also cautious when assessing his chances of landing a place in either Harvard, Yale, MIT, Cornell or Stanford, which he has applied to.

He founded a new co-curricular activity (a money-management society), won a silver medal in the international biology Olympiad, played cricket for the school and volunteered with the Singapore Association for the Deaf.

But he is bracing himself for the worst. 'Although I have perfect grades, so do 58 others in RJC. And among the applicants to Harvard, I will just be the average, outstanding student,' he laments.

In schools like Harvard and Yale where every other student is a valedictorian, with perfect or close to perfect Grade Point Averages and SAT scores, admissions officers look for other attributes, such as all-roundedness and 'passion'.

Queen opens new Heathrow terminal (full article)

Airport operator British Airports Authority's chairman Nigel Rudd told the BBC yesterday: 'London deserves a first-class airport. We are starting today. This is a new beginning.'

But green protesters worry that the new terminals are just the first stage in a vast new expansion, which as well as the construction of a third runway will see an increase in passenger numbers by up to 100 per cent.

While the Queen yesterday described T5 as 'environmentally responsible', Greenpeace has called it a 'monument to the binge-flying culture'.

Opponents include local people and even London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who are against the plans on pollution and congestion grounds.

But Mr Rudd defended the expansion, saying: 'We have to compete in the world. The nation has to decide whether we want to be a world class nation or a second-class nation.'

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There you have it....run or die.... I think I really need to find a piece of land to go be a hermit farmer....

Boy meets Girl - Episode 3 - The Email

2008-03-15T00:26:00.003+08:00

For nearly 2 days, Sam waited in vain for that elusive email. He must have checked his email at least twenty times per day. The last time he checked his email so frequently was to check whether he had been successful in the ballot for Man United vs AC Milan tickets, clearly Melanie meant something to him.

After the 2nd day of waiting, Sam was just about ready to give up and go to sleep when he heard the sound of incoming email from his MSN. Sam had the un-environmentally friendly habit of leaving his laptop on when he goes to sleep; makes him feel connected to the outside world. "Oh please, let this be the one!" Sam mumbled as he jumped out of bed and headed straight for his laptop.

Sam wasn't to be disappointed.

The title of the incoming email simply said "Contacts". "Yippee!!!" Sam nearly did a mini cartwheel in his room as he saw the email. He quickly opened up the MS Excel file (somehow that's the default program used by EVERYONE when they are compiling contact lists) and scanned for Melanie Tan. Now he had her email and handphone number...

Now what?

Sam stared at his laptop blindly. What should he do now? The usual timid and reluctant Sam is back in action again. "Should I send her an email or sms? Should I add her to MSN? Is this even her MSN address? What should I say?" Even after 2 decades on this planet, Sam is still pretty much a nOOb at chasing skirts.

He reverted back to his usual action of scrolling through his MSN contact list. It was littered with plenty of girls whom he had tried to get to know but things fizzled out quickly enough. And everytime Sam told himself that there would be a next time, another second chance. But Sam suddenly remembered what he prayed/told himself when he stepped out of the seminar room 2 days ago, "if you would give me a second chance, I promise to never let it slip again, NEVER! Just let me have another chance."

Sam slapped himself involuntarily when he thought of this. "Come on Sam! What can be so difficult about sending an email? At worst she will just not reply you and you would not see her ever again! You have not even tried, what second chance do you deserve?" Sam gritted his teeth and drafted a quick email; he decided an sms would be too abrupt.

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

Hey Melanie,

It's Sam here, hope you remember me :) Just wanna drop a note to say that I added you on MSN, hope that's ok with you. Anyway good luck with your practical for the next month. See you back in HQ soon :)

Sam

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

*SENT*

Sam leaned back in his chair. His heart was racing a little bit. He was very excited at the potential reply, but nervous and worried at the same time. "Would she read the email? Is the email address correct? Would she bother to reply?" It has been at least 2 years since he felt something like this. But all his previous attempts had ended up with nothing but tears. Would this be yet another case?

"BAH!" Sam jumped back into bed, determined to push the past memories away as he covered his head with his blanket.

"At least now I can dream again...." and off he drifted to sleep.

isuzu gemini

2008-03-13T05:53:00.001+08:00

Boy meets Girl - Episode 2 - The Introduction

2008-03-11T23:02:00.002+08:00

After what seemed like an eternity, the facilitator of today's session took a break. The facilitator asked the various groups to take this opportunity to do a round of proper self introduction. Sam was very happy at that prospect because he hasn't heard the girl speak since she came late. It was a good chance for him to know a little bit more about her.

The self introductions were generally short. Everyone centred around the topic of what courses they took in university and some of the other careers they had been in before they joined this company. Sam tried to pay attention to the self introductions of the others in the group. He felt that they were at times cliche-d and usually boring. In truth, his own introduction was not much better either. But he didn't quite care, all he was waiting for was for her to speak. Finally, it came to her turn. Her voice was sweet and soothing to the ears; he was smitten. Her name was Melanie and she had just graduated from university. "She must be at least one year younger than me," Sam reasoned to himself after some mental calculations.

"Besides this job, I never really thought of doing anything else," Melanie spoke after some thought. Sam's interest was truly aroused by this statement. "Wow, she must be a very nice girl to have said that." This job isn't the most financially rewarding and requires lots of patience and love - something which Sam was quite ashamed of as he is not the nicest of persons around. She certainly did not need to lie or say that sentence. That statement certainly made a strong impact on Sam, much stronger than he realised it would...

Soon after the self introductions, it was time for tea break. The discussions moved out of the room to the refreshment area. Sam did his usual thing: listening to others speak. He was never the best conversationalist around, and over time had mastered the art of listening to others. But even when listening to others, his attention never shifted away from Melanie. When Melanie moved away from the group to get another cup of coffee, Sam decided to move over to get a cup of tea too. Finally! Some one-on-one chance to speak to her! He helped her to fill her cup and with all his courage, brought up some random topic. To his surprise, her reply was earnest and the conversation continued smoothly. He told her (with some pride) that he went overseas for his degree while she lamented that she missed the chance to go overseas for exchange as she felt that it was way too expensive. He felt that it was a waste as the overseas experience would be really incredible and he began to relate some of his experiences overseas. He felt really excited and nervous when he looked into her eyes as she listened. "Am I appearing to be too obnoxious?" he wondered.

The rest of the day and the day after followed a similar pattern. During the lesson in the classroom, Sam would occupy himself by observing Melanie. Her gentle smile at every joke that the facilitator made attracted him the most. At times, she would look over and Sam would smile back at her, to indicate that the joke was funny to him too. She would also smile back. Ahhhh, it was almost enough to lift him into cloud nine. Whenever there were tea breaks, Sam found small little chances to talk to her, but it was never for long stretches as he was not confident of talking. But each little snippet of information he gained was good enough for him.

Very quickly, the 2 day workshop was fast coming to an end. They would soon be deployed to different branches of the company for practical experience. Sam's mind was racing, should he ask for her number? Would it appear too abrupt?

"God or whoever up there might never give you a second chance you know?"

"But, I don't really know her that well, is it all right to ask for her hp number?"

Sam struggled within himself to come to an answer. In the meantime, the clock ticked towards 530pm. Sam twiddled his pen and notebook and contemplated whether to pass them to Melanie. As he glanced towards her, he noticed that she was feeling a bit cold, and offered to switch places with her. She politely refused. The notebook and pen remained on his table.

"Sigh, I'm such a loser..." Sam's thoughts were cut off by another member of the group. He had offered to compile a contact list for the group! "Yippee!" Sam thought as he did a mental cartwheel. As the note was passed to him, he tried to memorise Melanie's email but could not. He wanted to copy it down but was afraid that the people around him might realise it. Feeling helpless, he had to pass the note on.

"Maybe I will offer to give her a lift to the nearest train station, and then ask for her number," Sam's mind kicked into overdrive. There was just the little question of plucking up the courage to ask though. And also having as little people follow them as possible. But after the session, Melanie seemed to want to ask the facilitator some questions, and the queue was pretty long. At the same time, Sam needed to use the toilet urgently - and most definitely unfortunately. He decided to dash to the toilet quickly and come back to look for her. As you would've guessed it, he came back to a nearly empty room, empty to him anyway as Melanie was nowhere to be seen.

"Aarghhhhhhh!" Sam grumbled as he walked out quickly to try and catch a glimpse of the yellow Mango top that Melanie had worn that day. Sadly, she was long gone. Sam made his way down the hill and steps to his car dejectedly. Now he had to wait for the group contact list. "I hope that guy compiles the list quickly," Sam muttered to himself as he drove out of the company.

For the next 2 days, Sam checked his email regularly for the contact list. It did not arrive. "Damn damn damn, I should have gotten her number myself, how silly of me!" Sam felt like whacking his brain for his stupidity. Silly thoughts filled his mind as he tried to recall Melanie's email, and whether he had written his own email correctly. "I might never see her again!" Sam wailed in his heart.

Feeling helpless, he prayed to the One up there. "Please God, if you would give me a second chance, I promise to never let it slip again, NEVER! Just let me have another chance."

His email inbox remained empty.

Boy meets Girl - Episode 1 - The Meeting

2008-03-10T23:02:00.003+08:00

"Can't believe I have to wake up at 7am and climb up this stupid hill everyday for the next year or so," Sam thought as he trudged up the steps wearily. Sam had never been the most optimistic of persons. He hated the whole new day at new place sort of thing; the self introductions, the trying-to-be-polite conversations, the awkward silences etc. This was another one of those occasions.

"I hope today ends early," Sam thought as he took out the timetable that he received over the mail. It said the day would be over at 530pm. "Don't think I should hold out too much hope, better to mentally prepare myself for a long day," Sam replied to himself as he struggled to stifle a yawn; clearly he is not a day person.

As usual, Sam was one of the earliest to reach the place. He is always early, especially for official things such as today. He was very afraid of authority, and would rather obey than to get into unnecessary trouble. He scanned the room for a while; there were only 4 people inside, including the facilitator. He mentally decided to avoid all small talk, and hence chose the unoccupied corner of the room. He slumped himself into an empty seat, and proceeded to do his usual routine. It usually consist of him closing his eyes and trying to take a nap in any position. It was his way of telling the world - I am cool. I had a late night, a very happening night and now I am too tired to attend this thing but I am here because I have to. He had always been trying to fit in since young. To fit in, you have to be cool. And this was his way of being 'cool'.

But the truth is he can never really get to sleep, too much of a light sleeper.

It wasn't long before the room started to get filled up. One after another, men and women, the old and young, the hip and the not-so-trendy, trooped into the room. Some came with friends, most came alone. They did the usual thing, scanned the room, chose the seats, sat down and tried to make small talk with their neighbours. As is usually the case, Sam's "corner" is always the last to be filled. It always is.

"Here we go again, same old boring things again." Sam thought. On one hand he wished some nice and pretty girls would come to his corner, on the other hand he didn't really wish to make meaningless small talk. But as the room got filled up slowly, it was inevitable that his part of the room would be filled up too. Not wanting to appear too rude, he started making small talk with the people around him, and they were mainly guys. The chatter of voices soon reached cacophonous levels.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the facilitator spoke. He did some quick self introductions and began to touch on his agenda for the day. He was an entertaining speaker, but the eternal cynic in Sam dismissed it as propaganda or outdated, irrelevant advice. He was listening, but he wished there was something else to occupy his mind instead...

That "something" else soon arrived. She was late. "15 minutes late," Sam thought as he stole a glance at his watch. She came in, spotted an empty seat (about 3 seats away from Sam), and sat down. There was minimal contact with the people around her, and she simply looked in front with barely an expression on her face.

It didn't matter much to Sam though, as he adjusted his seat slightly such that he was facing her side profile. Trained in the fine art of fake-you-are-paying-attention from NS, he was listening AND observing her at the same time. "She is really very pretty," he concluded, his day having brightened up considerably. She was wearing a black cardigan over a blue top, with a pair of berms. He also noticed that she wore a necklace with a cross. She had slightly longer than shoulder length hair, with a clip at the back of her head. He liked her hair a lot. But he liked her smile even more. Whenever the facilitator told a joke, she would smile in such a sweet manner that Sam was totally captivated.

"I think I can sit here all day and see her smile," Sam mumbled to himself. It has been a long time since he felt this warm fuzzy feeling inside him. "Perhaps today might turn out to be quite all right after all!"

Toyota vs Mercedes

2008-02-22T12:46:00.003+08:00

Thought that the article below made quite a lot of sense, compared to some of the nonsense (such as that LTA guy which appeared on Frontline) that we have been subjected to in recent days. It is all very well getting people to retrain and retrain and retrain. But if employers value a cheap Toyota Corolla rather than a Mercedes Benz which is expensive but offers much more, there really is not much point in upgrading yourself to become a Mercedes.

From The Straits Times

She's all for hiring foreigners but...
LINK QUOTA TO FIRM'S PRODUCTIVITY

Labour MP Josephine Teo wants the Government to think twice before giving companies higher foreign worker quotas. She tells GOH CHIN LIAN what led her to write on this issue in a recent NTUC newsletter

By Goh Chin Lian

AS MRS Josephine Teo steps into a lift, a powerful stench sends her reeling as a cleaner - a foreign worker - walks away.

'It was so smelly. I was thinking, 'Was it him? Was he the sweaty one?''

Later, she sees him cleaning the windows of the building with a black dish cloth that was once white, and realises her mistake. The cloth was the smelly one.

'I asked myself, how can they use this smelly cloth and make the whole elevator smell so bad when it didn't smell so bad before he cleaned it?' she tells Insight.

The incident happened six months ago when she was on her way to a meeting at a 'high-end' office in the Central Business District.

But it remains vivid in her memory, and is fodder for the labour MP - along with her encounters of messy hawker centres and dirty public toilets - when she tackles Singaporeans' resentment over jobs landing in the lap of foreign workers when locals can do them just as easily.

'By all means, if bringing in foreigners helps raise standards and output, go for it. But let's think harder when they don't.'

MRS JOSEPHINE TEO, on being careful about raising the foreign worker quota
... more
'If the productivity levels have not improved or even declined, is continued reliance on foreign workers desirable, or indeed sustainable? Wouldn't we worsen the situation by further relaxing the criteria?'

MRS TEO, on her proposal that the Government scrutinise a sector's productivity levels before granting it more foreign workers
... more
'Security, landscape and the town councils - they are the ones that have moved. How about the rest? I think they can move faster.'

MRS TEO, on the need for more sectors to redesign jobs to raise productivity and, in turn, salary levels
... more
At the core of the problem is employers' indifference to improving productivity, she indicates.

Most would rather pay foreign workers a pittance and accept shoddy standards, than improve the job with proper training and tools, expand its scope - and pay Singaporeans more to do it.

Although Mrs Teo eschews words such as 'indifference' or 'pittance', they underscore the stubborn attitude of bosses that prompted her to write a commentary in a recent weekly newsletter of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

In urging the Government to think twice before raising the foreign worker quota, she wrote: 'By all means, if bringing in foreigners helps raise standards and output, go for it. But let's think harder when they don't.'

She took pains, she confesses, to strike a balance in the column to avoid being labelled a typical 'very anti-foreign worker, standard unionist type'.

Indeed, her opening line at the interview was: 'I fully appreciate the contributions of foreign manpower in Singapore at all levels.'

She traces the awareness to her 15 years of working in several government organisations, such as the Economic Development Board (EDB), which markets Singapore to foreign investors, and the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park.

While the Suzhou locals did not always like foreigners and people from other Chinese provinces taking up jobs, they accepted it because 'everybody saw their salaries, their work conditions and their lives improve'.

'Also, for about two years, 2000 and 2001, when my household had three children under the age of four, we coped with the help of two foreign domestic workers!' adds the 39-year-old with a laugh.

'And now that I have only one maid, I have to equip her with better tools like Magiclean dry wiper sheets so she does not have to spend so much time mopping.'

But beyond these experiences, it is her current positions that have led her to see 'a lot more from the worker's standpoint'.

A first-term MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, she is also executive secretary of the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees Union, and assistant secretary-general of the NTUC with an elected seat in its top policymaking body representing workers' interests.

She is also the labour organisation's director of human resources.

She cited especially an encounter with a resident at her Meet-The-People Session. The man complained bitterly about foreign workers, after he was forced to take a $1,200 job when his company closed down and he lost his $2,000 job.

'If my boss didn't have a worker from China, then he'd be short-handed and have to pay me $2,000,' he told her.

But for Mrs Teo, the more pertinent question is: Are these jobs paying the right salary level for a Singaporean to feel he can survive on it and do reasonably well?

For instance, why are there still cleaner jobs that pay $450? 'Part of the reason is that we allow people who are willing to take the job at $450 to come in,' she says.

The way to curb such practices, she argues, is for the Government to step in to demand that companies show proof that their productivity is improving before agreeing to raise their foreign worker quotas.

But does this not amount to micro-managing?

Probably challenged many times on this point, her answer was swift: 'If you're bringing in so many foreigners, shouldn't you take a closer look at which sectors aredeserving of them and which sectors you should maybe let them die an even faster death?'

If shutting the door on foreign workers may be too harsh, Mrs Teo believes such companies should, at least, be given a 'warning sign that it's not sustainable'.

Her proposal for closer government scrutiny stems from her 10 years at EDB, where she was a senior officer and later, head of human resources.

EDB officers, she explains, would look at a project's value-add per worker - which measures productivity levels - before agreeing to a request for investment incentives.

'Hence, with manufacturing, I'm less worried,' she adds.

Her main concern is the services sector. 'It's so broad. Is all the value-add per worker that good? I don't know.'

The sector covers businesses in such diverse areas as transport, wholesale trade, foodcourts and beauty shops. Further, it has many 'small employers' who she believes can raise productivity by redesigning and upgrading jobs for Singaporeans.

'Yes, it may be true that it will be hard for SMEs, but there are SMEs that have made the effort and they have succeeded,' she says, citing the BreadTalk bakery, snack-food chain Old Chang Kee and apparel chain Crocodile.

Other examples can be found in the security and landscaping industries where, in the past three years, NTUC has driven hard - and succeeded - in getting many low-paying jobs upgraded.

NTUC is not sitting still, she adds, disclosing that she is working on a project to upgrade the jobs in yet another service industry:building maintenance.

Since the end of last year, she has been visiting building owners to quiz their maintenance technicians about their job, salary and work conditions.

'My argument is this: Every year, we invest billions of dollars in building factories and tall, beautiful buildings. So, in the next 10 years, Singapore's building assets will grow significantly in value.

'How do you preserve their value? Only if you take very good care of them. So if I were a building owner, I'd be interested in high-quality building maintenance services.'

Industry players have informed her thatowners are willing to spend more on such maintenance, but they face a shortage of technicians who can do the job well, notwithstanding the hiring of foreigners, mainly from Myanmar.

Crucial to tackling this problem, she says, is getting providers of building maintenance services to jump on the job-redesign bandwagon.

Her mission is to convince them to transform jobs like changing a light bulb and carrying out rudimentary checks to managing maintenance schedules or projects.

It would then justify a pay packet bigger than the current $1,000 to $1,300 paid monthly to technicians. The jobs can then be reclaimed for Singaporeans.

She hopes her work will, in a way, deliver a pre-emptive strike before employers cry out for more foreign workers as a quick fix-it, instead of raising standards or productivity.

'Before they ask for more, I will offer them the opportunity to bring more Singaporeans to the sector first.'

Failure

2008-02-15T16:27:00.001+08:00

Not sure if it was due to stress or what, but you didn't seem too happy. Sigh, maybe I am just not good enough. Not good enough to touch your heart...

All I wish is to see that smile again...

What I Bought on Ebay

2008-02-06T23:13:00.001+08:00

Why asian guys can't get white girls

2008-02-06T22:59:00.001+08:00

This is pretty funny...haha

The Flowers of Manchester

2008-02-06T22:03:00.001+08:00

Munich air disaster :(

2008-02-06T10:43:00.000+08:00

Admittedly, there is much to hate about the current Manchester United set up, but if one wants to find out why United are so universally popular, one need look no further than the Munich air disaster. A team so oyung and so talented was so cruelly cut down in its prime. Perhaps critics have a point that it's weird that eulogies are still flowing in whereas people who have died in wars etc are forgotten. But that misses the point altogether. This was a team that defied all odds, by being so young, by defying the FA to participate in the European Cup, by playing attractive attacking football. This was a team that united many people. And may they be remembered forever...

From Soccernet:

The Busby Babes: Munich remembered
Phil Holland
Archive

It is the summer of 1968 and on Wembley's hallowed turf, underneath the famous twin towers and in front of 100,000 fans Manchester United have just beaten Benfica 4-1 to lift the European Cup.

On the pitch the celebrations soon engulf Matt Busby. One by one his players find him, shake him by the hand and embrace him. Each expressing in these brief emotional moments feelings of joy, of thanks, excitement and something more; empathy.

It can be seen best in the fleeting glimpses the archives show of Busby with George Best and with Manchester-born Nobby Stiles, who shares a particularly poignant exchange with his manager.

Ten years on from February 6th, 1958 and Busby and United had achieved greatness.

It was an achievement born out of the necessity to honour the memories of Busby's Babes who died in Munich.

The scale of the Munich air disaster, the sheer tragedy of the events and their subsequent impact is difficult to impart to a new a generation of football fans. This was a team that had achieved considerable success and while so-doing won the hearts of a nation, not just the red half of Manchester.

Two consecutive league championships, a runners-up place in the 1957 FA Cup final, five back-to-back FA Youth Cups between 1953-57, a place in the 1957 European Cup semi-finals and the same again in 1958.

The Busby Babes were on the brink of greatness, the future was theirs. There seemed to be no limit on what they could achieve.

That they had managed to accomplish so much is remarkable in itself, but it was the manner in which it was achieved that endeared so many to that Manchester United team. It was a side that not only played with style and panache, but they did so with players who broke the mould.

The commonly held belief at the time was that to compete at the highest level required experience in every position, blooding a youngster represented a considerable risk. While Busby recognised the importance of experience he believed that youth was an undervalued asset and could give him the edge.

So rather than buying seasoned professionals, as was the norm, Busby built a side around youth; it was a gamble, but one that paid off. The average age of his 1956 championship winning side was just 22. The average age of the side which flew back from Belgrade in February, 1958 after securing a place in the European Cup semi-finals was 23.

Busby is a close as you can get in football to being regarded as a pioneer, as a visionary; with his ground-breaking youth scheme he re-wrote the way football teams were constructed and by recognising the potential of the European Cup he embraced a new frontier.

Under pressure from the English football authorities champions Chelsea did not enter the European Cup in its inaugural season in 1955/56, but despite the same opposition Busby led his championship winners into Europe for the competition's second season and managed to reach the semi-finals where they lost to Real Madrid.

After securing the league title again in 1956/57 United qualified once more for the European Cup in the 1957/68 season, and after their success in the competition the previous season United were automatically amongst the favourites.

Those walking the corridors of power at the Football Association and the Football League were diametrically opposed to the European Cup fearing it would undermine the integrity of the game at home, and so strove to make United's decision to compete as difficult as possible by dismissing any pleas to alleviate fixture congestion.

Under new league rules any team competing in Europe had to be back in England a full 24 hours before their next domestic fixture. In fact United's decision to charter a plane from British European Airways for that ill-fated round trip to Belgrade in February 1958 for the European Cup quarter-final against Red Star owed itself to this ruling.

In the previous round United had struggled to get home in time for their league fixture against Birmingham City when their flight home after a game against Dukla Prague was delayed.

This time Busby wanted no such delays, no such worries ahead of United's vital game on Saturday February 8th against league leaders Wolves, a game of great importance to Busby who was aiming to secure the league title for a third straight season.

So against this background of opposition from the powers that be and restrictive time constraints Busby and his young convention-defying team, which was already on the path to glory, began its last fateful journey together.

Having beaten Red Star 2-1 at Old Trafford a draw would be enough to see them into the semi-finals of the European Cup for the second successive season. On an icy pitch in Belgrade on the February 5th United raced into a 3-0 lead but, perhaps betraying United's youthful naivety, Red Star got back into the game. Nevertheless, despite a 3-3 draw on the day United won 5-4 on aggregate and secured a place in the semis.

The players and club officials enjoyed a cocktail reception at the British Embassy after the game before beginning their journey home the following day aboard BEA Flight 609. The Elizabethan class aircraft, the 'Lord Burleigh', landed in heavy snow for refuelling at the Munich-Riem airport in West Germany. It would never to fly again.

Twice the aircraft tried to take off, and twice it failed. After each attempt the passengers were all asked to return to the terminal building. The second time Duncan Edwards, like some of the other players, was convinced they would not be travelling home that afternoon, and so sent his landlady a telegram which read: 'All flights cancelled. Returning home tomorrow. Duncan.' The telegram was delivered at 5pm.

Despite their reading of the situation the passengers were called to the plane for a third time. In the cabin the laughing and joking of the previous attempts was replaced by a sense of apprehension.

At 3.04pm Captain James Thain attempted a third take off. As a result of the slush and snow on the runway the plane could not reach take off speed and so failed to gain height.

The plane crashed through the airport's perimeter fence and careered into an unoccupied house. The port wing and part of the tail was ripped off and the house caught fire. The port side of the cockpit slammed into a tree, the starboard side of the plane hit a wooden hut causing the fuel truck and tyres it housed to explode.

Twenty-one of the 44 people aboard perished in the crash, while a further two were to succumb to their injuries in hospital. Seven of the players who had played in Belgrade a day earlier died instantly: Geoff Bent (25), Roger Byrne (28), Eddie Colman (21), Mark Jones (24), David Pegg (22), Tommy Taylor (26) and Liam 'Billy' Whelan (22).

Duncan Edwards lost his fight for life 15 days later on February 21, while the careers of Johnny Berry and Jackie Blachflower were ended as a result of the injuries they sustained.

The bodies of the dead were flown back to Manchester and lay overnight in the Old Trafford gymnasium before being collected by the families.

Over 100,000 people lined streets as the hearses delivered their coffins to the stadium and thousands more lined the streets for the subsequent funerals and memorial services, while two minutes of silence were observed at matches across the country.

Busby himself, the father of the team, suffered fractured ribs, a punctured lung and injuries to his legs. So grave was his condition that the last rites were administered in the hours following the crash. Two weeks on and entombed in an oxygen tent Busby was again read the last rites.

Remarkably he recovered enough to continue his convalescence in Switzerland where he was accompanied by his wife, Jean. Busby did not return to Manchester until April 18. He made his journey by rail and sea.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, amid the grief, shock, sorrow and pain there was James Patrick Murphy, Busby's assistant and the man who did all in his power to keep the club functioning.

Manchester United owes a great debt of gratitude to Jimmy Murphy, it is thanks to his dogged determination and devotion that the shattered club and community were able to continue.

Bobby Charlton recalls that on a visit to the Rechts der Isar Hospital in Munich Murphy was a tower of strength as he tended to the injured players and relayed to the infirm the scale of the tragedy and the grief being experienced in Manchester.

In Charlton's autobiography he remembers how Murphy's heartening displays of strength were revealed to have been a brave face worn to protect others: 'One day he was discovered in a back corridor of the hospital, sobbing his heart out in pain at the loss of so many young players.'

Murphy implored the survivors to fight through the suffering for the good of the club and the memory of their fallen team-mates. It was Murphy who took charge as Busby fought for life and Murphy who sought to find the players necessary to field a team for the first game after the disaster.

Through death and injury the United squad was decimated, such was the shortage of players facing Murphy that players were brought in from outside the club and, 17-year-olds were called up from the second reserves.

In stark a illustration of the problems facing the club, United winger Kenny Morgan recalls: 'I was back playing about a month after the crash. I shouldn't have played until the following year. But there were no players at United. All the wingers were killed.'

Morgan, who was only rescued hours after the crash when two German reporters were scouring the wreckage for the film of the Red Star game, never reclaimed the form he showed before the disaster.

On February 19th 60,000 fans crammed into Old Trafford for the postponed FA Cup 5th round tie against Sheffield Wednesday; it was United's first game after the disaster. In the programme for that game 11 blank spaces appeared where the United players should have been.

Amazingly, two of the survivors took the pitch for what was to be a 2-0 win; Bill Foulkes, who Murphy made skipper that day, and Harry Gregg who just two weeks earlier had helped pull survivors from the wreckage, including Charlton and Busby.

United went on to reach the FA Cup final, but lost at Wembley to Bolton Wanderers, they were also defeated in semi-final of the European Cup by AC Milan. As a mark of respect UEFA invited United to compete in the competition the following season, but the invitation was declined.

While tragedy and football are no strangers, from the relatively recent disasters at Heysel and Hillsbrough to the 66-fans who died at Ibrox in 1971 and 1949's Superga air disaster, which claimed the lives of 18 Torino players, the events and aftermath of Munich still resonate.

Perhaps the sense of loss was so acute and is still remembered today because it stemmed from the loss of young, talented people not yet close to fulfilling their potential.

The Babes may not be young by today's standards when 21-year-old footballs are far from a rarity. The same was not true in 1958. The youngest to perish was Eddie Colman just 21 years and 3 months old; the eldest, the captain of the side, Roger Byrne, who died aged 28.

While the city of Manchester and United as a club felt the loss most acutely, Munich was also a tragedy for English football, European football and the game as a whole and perhaps this is why their memories remain so cherished.

Of those that died Tommy Taylor was already an established part of the England national team with 16 goals in 19 appearances, as was Byrne with 33 caps to his name, while David Pegg had just broken into the national side and Duncan Edwards had broken the post-war record as the youngest player to represent England aged just 18, he went on to win 18 caps.

Charlton still says Edwards is the best player he ever saw play the game. That Charlton played with and against players of the calibre of Puskas, Beckenbauer, Pele and Best makes such a statement all the more remarkable and further echoes the tragedy of talent lost.

Another reason the Babes are still important today is that their legacy has always been at the forefront of everything Manchester United stands for and strives to attain, and it is as important today as it was 50 years ago.

From the 'Flowers of Manchester' banner inside Old Trafford to the ethos of fast flowing football, complete with an emphasis on youth, employed by Alex Ferguson today, the memory and achievements of Busby and his Babes informs and moulds the club.

Thirty-one years on from the European Cup triumph of 1968 Manchester United are training at the Camp Nou ahead of their appearance in the final of Champions League.

May 26 1999 is set to be another momentous day in the club's history. By coincidence it will mark the 90th birthday of Busby, who died in 1994 having seen Ferguson end the club's 26-year wait for a league title last won in the season prior to the triumph at Wembley.

On the pitch Alex Ferguson wears a replica shirt from the 1968 triumph. It is at once a gesture which pays homage to those who went before, a show of pride, of honour and of heritage. It is also, in no small part, a canny device designed to inspire his players.

The challenge for Ferguson and his players was to emulate and honour Busby and his players, those who triumphed in 1968 and those who perished in 1958.

In memorium:

Players: Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor, Liam Whelan.

Journalists: Alf Clarke, Don Davies, George Follows, Tom Jackson, Archie Ledbrooke, Henry Rose, Eric Thompson, Frank Swift.

Also killed: Walter Crickmer (club secretary), Bert Whalley (chief coach), Tom Curry (trainer), Capt Kenneth Rayment (co-pilot), Bela Miklos (travel agent), Willie Satinoff (supporter), Tom Cable (steward).

There's nothing in the world I want except...

2008-02-04T22:18:00.000+08:00

You cannot imagine how much joy you bring to me.

With just a little smile, you take away all my frustrations...

United v Liverpool in Fans' Quest for the Holy Grail

2008-02-01T11:39:00.001+08:00

United v Liverpool in Fans' Quest for the Holy Grail

MUST STATEMENT:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 5.00pm THURSDAY 31st JANUARY 2008

MUST, the Manchester United Supporters Trust, is challenging Liverpool's
fans to a race to become the first to attain the Holy Grail of a supporter-
owned football club.

'Share Liverpool FC' was today launched with the aim of raising £500m to
buy-out American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett by persuading 100,000
fans to each pay £5,000.

MUST, with 32,000 members, is the largest Supporters Trust in the country
and began campaigning for supporter ownership during the failed BSkyB bid
in 1998-99.

Since the bitterly-opposed hostile takeover of United by the Glazers in
2005, which brought with it vast levels of debt and hugely inflated ticket
price rises, fans at all clubs are waking up to the fact that something
needs to be done now or we risk losing our national game forever.

MUST chief executive Duncan Drasdo said:
"This is bound to spark fierce competition between the two sets of rival
fans.

"We've been working on our own plans, which we'll reveal later in the
season. But, whilst we believe that supporter-led bids for any of the big
clubs are likely to require a mixture of investment bank finance and money
raised directly from fans, we'll be watching this latest scheme with great
interest.

"There is a huge financial dividend that flows from supporter-ownership,
and we'd hate to see Liverpool being able to take advantage of it before we
can at United."

Supporters everywhere should be greatly encouraged that, in an interview
with the Observer last Sunday, the newly appointed Culture & Sport
Secretary, Andy Burnham MP said that: "The Barcelona model, to me, is how a
football club should be run. They are one of the most pre-eminent names in
world football, yet the club is owned by its supporters on a one-member,
one-vote basis and they control it. That strengthens it because it's never
subject to the whim of one person; it's a collective endeavour. English
football should see that as a big strength. I'd love to see if we could
grow the Barcelona model here."

Drasdo continued:
"Supporter-ownership has a great many advantages, especially when compared
to the rash of exploitative, profit-draining, debt-laden and out-of-touch
regimes that we've seen pervading football in recent times.

"First and foremost, a supporter-owned club is able to re-invest all
profits back into the football club, rather than seeing it being siphoned
off by private owners – whether to pay interest on loans, finance their
other businesses, or simply buy bigger yachts. Currently, at United, that
represents a £70m windfall that could be spent on players.

"Secondly, the increased affinity between 'customer' (supporter) and
'provider' (club) makes the business more attractive to sponsors, as has
been demonstrated in Germany, where supporter-ownership is the norm.

"With supporters' priorities placed at the heart of everything a club does,
the experience for the loyal match-going fan in particular would be greatly
enhanced, leading to an improved atmosphere inside grounds – benefiting
fans and players alike.

"The bottom line is simple: supporters are currently paying for these
takeovers anyway, through increased ticket prices and the like, but will
end up with nothing to show for it. So it makes far more sense for us to
own the clubs ourselves." [ENDS]

MUST's response to Manchester United Financial Results

2008-02-01T11:37:00.000+08:00

MUST's response to Manchester United Financial Results

Summary

United have announced record turnover and profits but the question is - is
this good news for supporters?

On the face of it record profits might appear to be something that
supporters would welcome and certainly if United was a supporter owned club
with all the profits being reinvested then this would be fantastic news.
However, under private ownership, the Glazers will be keen to extract every
penny of profit for themselves and so the extra revenue contributed by
supporters through the huge ticket price rises will be flowing straight
back out of the club with no benefit for the club or its loyal support.

From a supporter viewpoint increased profit is actually bad news if that
increase in profit has been achieved through either reducing expenditure on
the playing squad (both transfers and wages) or through massive hikes in
ticket prices. Both of these factors have contributed significantly to
these profit figures.

As ever, supporters have questions that are not answered by these results
or by the Glazers directly: What is the debt situation? Where is the profit
going? Why are ticket prices still shooting up if profits are so high?

The Glazers will no doubt be paying themselves a juicy dividend out of
these profits – after all there is a large debt to service and they won’t
want to be paying that themselves when they can get Manchester United
supporters to do it for them.

It is about time the Glazers stopped thinking only about their own pockets
and started to look at the long term damage they are doing to the
Manchester United support with more loyal fans being priced out every
season. These profits should be reinvested in the club, putting ticket
prices back to the pre-takeover levels and removing the compulsory element
of the automatic cup scheme would be a good start.

Government has already taken an interest in the abusive ticket prices at
Premier League clubs and these figures can only serve as further evidence
that they need to take action now to protect the ordinary supporter from
having their loyalty exploited for the benefit of already wealthy owners.

Analysis of the headlines in the MUL statement:

Group turnover increased 27% to £210m (2006 - £165m)

This increased turnover figure is attributed by MUL to stadium expansion,
increased sponsorship and on-field success. Interestingly, the substantial
ticket price increases in April 2007 are not mentioned. The new TV deal
does not kick in until next year, so further increases in turnover can be
projected next year, especially if ticket prices rise again (as expected).

Gross turnover (including sales from Nike merchandise and MUTV not
consolidated in these results) rose 21% to £245m (2006 - £202m)

It is not technically correct to include ‘sales’ from the Nike deal and
from MUTV in the gross turnover figure as neither of these companies are
included in the MUL group in accounting terms – Nike is a profit share
arising from a contract and United’s minority stake in MUTV was loss-making
again this year (as in every year since its launch).

EBITDA rose 72% to £79.8m (2006 - £46.3m)

This number exceeds the Glazers EBITDA target in their refinancing business
plan of £73.8m by less than the amount raised by the ticket price rises and
the compulsory Automatic Cup Scheme membership for all season ticket
holders. Why continue to make it painful for loyal supporters when you have
already met your target?

Profit before tax jumped 93% to £59.6m (2006 - £30.8m)

The net profit number was boosted by a couple of exceptional items – an
£11m profit on player disposal and the fact that no interest was payable on
the £575m Senior Secured debt which was transferred into MUL in August
2006, according to a Note to the 2005-6 Accounts. The Accounts show no sign
of that debt still being a liability of MUL. From what David Gill has been
telling journalists recently, it appears that this debt and the outstanding
hedge fund PiK (which stood at some £155m at the 2007 year end) has been
transferred back to Red Football.

Matchday revenue up 30% to £92.6m, (2006 - £71.3m) reflecting successful
expansion of Old Trafford, increasing capacity to over 76,000

The stadium expansion was largely completed and operational in the 2005-6
financial year, so for the year 2006-7 the matchday revenue increase can
largely be attributed to price increases across the board at Old Trafford
(parking, pies & pints etc) and particularly the ticket price rises which
caused such pain to loyal fans on top of two consecutive huge rises in
previous years.

Media revenue up 35% to £61.5m (2006 - £45.5m) due to semi-final appearance
in the UEFA Champions League, finalists in the FA Cup and winning the
Barclays Premier League

This number will undoubtedly increase next year as the new Sky deal kicks
in.

Commercial revenues up 15% to £56.0m (2006 - £48.6m) due to the first year
of the world record AIG shirt and accompanying financial services
sponsorship deals, increase in the Nike contract and new platinum sponsors,
Kumho Tires, Betfred and Hestiun

Who?

So where is the debt?

If the Glazers have taken the debt back into the books of their own company
Red Football, then this is good news for MU supporters in that the debt
becomes the direct liability of the Glazers’ company and is not hanging
over the club, weighing its finances down – the effects of this can be seen
from the results. The reason for doing this is not clear – it may be for
tax reasons, but more likely is the explanation that the Glazers wanted to
clear the debt from MUL in preparation for a securitisation of United’s
matchday and stadium revenues, and banks would look askance at adding a
potential £400m bond liability to a company which already had up to £700m
of existing debt. Of course the securitisation plan was put on hold last
year because of the credit crunch and the resulting inability to do a deal
on attractive terms.

It also needs to be said that even though the debt seems no longer to a
liability of the club, the Glazers will have had to pledge their shares in
MUL to the banks providing the debt finance to Red Football, so any failure
to repay that debt could result in the banks taking ownership and control
of United through the shares. There is still a debt risk hanging over the
club, but it is certainly less dangerous than before.

So where is the profit going?

What is clear is that the increase in net profits from not having to
service the debt will result in a large dividend (up to £40m cash) which is
payable to the owners, and which they can use to service the £660m debt
which is now in Red Football. The question is – will there be enough to
both service the debt and make enough cash available to strengthen the
squad if Sir Alex needs to? The credit crunch has made the debt more
expensive than ever.

So why are ticket prices still shooting up if profits are so high?

Fans are paying ever higher ticket and matchday prices at Old Trafford,
normal practice for the Glazers just as fans of the Tampa Bay Bucs have
experienced, and just as tenants of the Glazers’ trailer parks found to
their cost. Last year’s increase was an astronomical 12% (the third such
rise in a row) despite the Glazers saying in their refinancing documents
that the price rise would be 2.5%. The reason for this would be that the
cost of servicing the £660m debt for the Glazers has risen substantially
because of the current credit crunch - we estimate that the debt interest
bill could run to £52m this year, as against £42m last year. They may well
have to extract more cash from fans just to keep up payments on the debt.

Clearly the higher revenues are mainly driven by the cash being generated
from fans at the stadium. While everyone welcomes the success that the club
is achieving on the pitch and the performances of the team, the effect on
many fans has been substantial. Thousands have now been priced out of Old
Trafford, and for those that continue to struggle to pay for their season
tickets, it is no consolation to see that the hard-earned money they pay
for higher ticket prices is going back to the owners to pay off huge debts
they took on to buy the club.

It's time for the Glazers to consider the many thousands of Manchester
United season ticket holders who were priced out and unable afford their
season tickets this season, some of whom had supported the club for over
forty years. MUST is calling for a ticket price reduction so that the
growing exodus of fans from Old Trafford is stemmed, with the resultant
reduction in atmosphere currently being experienced. The Glazers also
compounded supporters’ hardship by implementing the hugely unpopular
Compulsory ACS (Automatic Cup Scheme) which takes the potential cost of a
season ticket to over £1000 for many. MUST is also calling for the ACS to
be returned to its voluntary status.

If prices go up next season, thousands more traditional supporters will be
on the edge of being 'priced out' of following the club at Old Trafford.

爱一个人好难

2008-01-31T00:01:00.000+08:00

I can't get to sleep, suddenly feeling super duper emo. I guess I need to breakdown once in a while, to let everything out. I really wanna just get super drunk and forget everything, even if it's just for a short while. But life's multiple show means that I still have to play the good son, the promising teacher role, and that means wake up at 7am tomorrow, and the only thing that I am allowed to get drunk on is my tears...

爱一个人好难(国)
苏永康

你说你还是喜欢孤单
其实你怕被我看穿
你怕属于我们的船
飘飘荡荡靠不了岸
时到如今没有答案
我的真心为你牵荡
不管相见的夜多么难堪
渐渐淡淡的说
爱是不爱
想要把你忘记真的好难
思念的痛在我心里纠缠
朝朝暮暮的期盼
永远没有答案
为何当初你选择一刀两段
听你说声爱我真的好难
曾经说过的话风吹云散
站在天平的两端
一样的为难
唯一的答案
爱一个人好难
时到如今没有答案
我的真心为你牵荡
不管相见的夜多么难堪
渐渐淡淡的说
爱是不爱
想要把你忘记真的好难
思念的痛在我心里纠缠
朝朝暮暮的期盼
永远没有答案
为何当初你选择一刀两段
听你说声爱我真的好难
曾经说过的话风吹云散
站在天平的两端
一样的为难
唯一的答案
爱一个人好难
想要把你忘记真的好难
思念的痛在我心里纠缠
朝朝暮暮的期盼
永远没有答案
为何当初你选择一刀两段
听你说声爱我真的好难
曾经说过的话风吹云散
站在天平的两端
一样的为难
唯一的答案
爱一个人好难

The One?

2008-01-27T01:56:00.000+08:00

Because your smile is the 1 thing that can make me smile everytime.

Because of the way you shake your head when someone teases you.

Because of the way you go "har.....?" whenever the answer is not good.

Because of the nice smell of your hair.

Because of the way you stone when you look out the window of my car.

Because of the "anti-vulgarities" campaign.

Because you are mature.

Because you have a cheerful outlook.

Because you always think for others.

Because you are perfect in everyway, as though I dreamed you into life...

Top Gear - Amphibious Vehicles (Part 6)

2008-01-11T03:27:00.001+08:00

Top Gear - 3 Car Coupe Challenge (Part 3)

2008-01-11T02:27:00.001+08:00

Top Gear - 3 Car Coupe Challenge (Part 2)

2008-01-11T02:19:00.001+08:00

Top Gear - 3 Car Coupe Challenge (Part 1)

2008-01-11T02:07:00.001+08:00

SIngapore...lovely island?

2008-01-06T22:42:00.000+08:00

Some interesting reads....

http://www.oikono.com/wordpress/?p=395

http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKSP21069220071221?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

http://www.reason.com/news/show/123474.html

Random...

2007-12-13T00:58:00.000+08:00

One of life's greatest tragedies is having a WRX offered to you on a plate but yet knowing that you can't accept it coz you are not earning enough to maintain it.

Higher road tax, higher insurance, higher petrol bill...

After all, it's not everyday that Santa comes knocking (nor would your father offer you everyday).

But after a good sleep, I am glad that I managed to control myself. Owning a car with my meagre salary is already not financially wise. Owning a turbo charged car is asking for trouble really. Especially with my impatient attitude on the road. Blah blah blah.

Actually, at the end of the day, I am just a loser who doesn't earn enough money to afford a WRX. Period. Who am I trying to kid?

Just as some other things are simply impossible, no matter what you do... Cannot means cannot.

Sometimes I just feel like giving up....totally....

The Most Amazing accident you will ever see!

2007-12-11T13:30:00.001+08:00

I can't say anything except that the driver is a damn lucky guy... What brand of car was he driving???

Mentos/Diet Coke

2007-12-09T19:48:00.000+08:00

Please pump Ron 92, and tell your father, brother whoever to do it too

2007-12-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

Finally some in Singapore bothers to write about such a thing. If your car is a normal car, go pump RON 92 for goodness sake! Stop feeding the petrol cartel with your hard earned money! If most Singaporeans do this then maybe they will think twice about treating us as suckers who can be squeeeeeeeeeeeezed as and when they like. So for the record,

1. Consult your owner's manual when determining what grade of petrol to pump. Most likely, RON 92 will suffice. Yes your bloooody precious Altis only needs 92.

2. There is no performance or efficiency improvement if you pump a higher grade of petrol than your car needs. Read point 1. It's all in the head, probably your lower one too which wants you to impress the chick. V-Power is equivalent to V-Expensive.

3. Higher grade petrol costs more.

4. Higher grade petrol pollutes more.

Need any more reasons?

--------------------------------------------------------------
From Asiaone:

Fuel paradise?

Motorists in Singapore are a high-octane lot, going by the fuels they fill their cars with.

Despite the rise and rise of pump prices in recent years, they still buy more high-octane - and pricier - petrol than the cheaper, lower-octane juice.

Trade statistics show that in 1999, 98-octane (the highest available here) accounted for 82 per cent of petrol sold. Even with pump prices hitting record levels two years ago, 98-octane petrol made up 62 per cent of sales. Figures for 2006 are believed to be similar.`

The irony is, the majority of cars do not need high-octane fuels. Consultant Ong Eng Tong, 63, who is a 40-year marketing and trading veteran of the oil industry, says most Japanese makes will do fine with 92-octane (the lowest rating available here).

He also points out that the higher-octane fuels contain more benzene, a cancer-causing substance. "In most cases, using higher-octane petrol is a waste of money," he says.

Octane refers to the petrol's ability to resist premature ignition in the engine. The higher it is, the more resistant it is.

Most modern engines are able to overcome pre-ignition - which causes what is known as 'knocking' and is detrimental to efficiency - and can run well on lower-octane fuels.

At current prices, the difference between the most expensive and the least expensive fuels is 30.8 cents per litre. If you use 100 litres a month (which is typical), the difference works out to about $370 a year - enough for a very elaborate dinner for two.

So why is high-octane petrol so popular here? Essentially, it has to do with the notion that lower-octane fuels are somehow inferior.

Ms Day-Lin Koh, 29, who drives an Audi A4 1.8T, fills up with 98-octane because she reckons that is what the turbocharged car needs. Ms Koh, a marketing and communications manager, admits however that she filled up with 95 "by mistake" once and "there was no difference".

Little wonder. Audi says 95-octane is the preferred grade for the A4 1.8T. Honda Jazz owner Lee Li Hua, 49, says she alternates between 95- and 98-octane petrol.

"The Honda salesman recommended 98, but it is quite expensive," says the private banker. "So I use it on alternate fillings." Honda says the Jazz will run fine with 91-octane and above.

Businessman Leslie Chia, 42, who drives a high-performance Volvo V70 T5, fills up with 98-octane. "I've tried Shell V-Power in Malaysia, and frankly I couldn't tell the difference," he says, referring to the popular ultra-premium petrol.

Actually, the V70 T5 will operate fine on 95 too, says Volvo. Singaporeans are not the only ones who love high-octane fuel. According to oil companies, motorists in the Asia-Pacific tend to fill up with 98-octane.

In Europe and the United States, the majority goes for 95-octane. And in China, 90- and 93-octane petrols prevail (in fact, 98 is a rarity there).

Even in Japan, touted as the world's most sophisticated market, 91-octane makes up the bulk of petrol sales - although 100-octane is also available there.

Caltex introduced 100-octane petrol here in 1997 but removed it from its range soon after amid accusations by rivals that the fuel was damaging to some engines and detrimental to the environment because of its high benzene content.

Automotive consultant and racing driver William Lyou, 58, notes that only race cars need such high-octane fuels. "We imported 104- and 106-octane fuels for races here," he says.

The high-octane fuels are more resistant to knocking in high-compression high-revving engines, thus allowing these engines to perform optimally.

Shell fuels manager Eric Holthusen says most engines today have knock sensors that prevent damage from knocking. Some manufacturers have also introduced active knock sensors.

"These systems not only protect the engine from knock by retarding the ignition, but they can also advance the ignition when a higher-octane fuel in used so the driver can benefit from better economy or higher performance," he notes.

He says the choice of octane rating is determined by your car maker, as well as 'your personal preference'.

But Life! understands that outside the race circuit, supercars are about the only cars that require a strict diet of high-octane fuels. The others are small three-cylinder engines. These engines are more prone to knocking because of their high-compression nature. Older carburettor engines tend to need high-octane as well.

Mr Lyou runs his Lotus Elise on 95 and his Nissan March and Nissan Latio on 92. "The only time I used 98 was for my original Mini," he reveals.

Octane levels aside, is there a difference between the brands of petrol? Unsubstantiated banter among drivers seems to suggest so.

Oil industry sources say the various brands here are differentiated largely by the types of additives each adds to its fuels. And each will have its own marketing proposition.

Caltex says its petrol with Techron keeps engines clean for better performance, while Shell promises better economy. Esso, on the other hand, claims its fuels have 'friction modifiers' for smoother and quieter operation.

"Just a tankful of Techron can remove the carbon deposits on your car's fuel injectors," claims a Caltex spokesman. Be that as it may, one industry insider claims most fuels here share the same basic recipe.

"High-density petrols give more power but less economy; low-density petrols give better economy but are not so powerful. The petrols here tend to be the low-density variety," he says.

But Mr Lyou says which brand of petrol you use can be a 'seat of your pants' decision.

"Some swear by Esso, others Caltex," he says. "There is no right or wrong."

Read more here

Why you should not smoke...

2007-12-05T23:24:00.000+08:00

Facts about high octane petrol

2007-11-22T22:38:00.001+08:00

Group B Rallying - Tribute

2007-11-21T10:07:00.001+08:00

This is real racing...but check out the stupid idiots who go so close to take photos..

What an absolute disgrace...

2007-11-18T02:58:00.000+08:00

Who is playing anti-football?

One side may not have the skill, but they played with big hearts, tremendous fighting spirit, and attacked the other side all the way.

The other team had players with better technical ability, but did nothing attacking wise, and could only kick the ball far away aimlessly. The sight of Gennaro Gattuso rolling around the field pretending to be injured is honestly quite sickening already. He maybe a very good defensive midfield player, but his whole attitude towards the game stinks. Can somebody please break his leg and end his career? The world of football will be a better place without him.

My heart goes out to all the Scottish players and their supporters today. They have walked the talk and fought long and hard, alas the referee robbed you of your night. Please do not let all the good work be undone like Wales...

Love at First Sight?

2007-11-16T00:13:00.000+08:00

This story is freaking incredible lah! Like fairytale like that!

From Reuters:

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0931018220071109?pageNumber=2&sp=true

New Yorkers rally to help online romeo
Fri Nov 9, 2007 8:21am EST

By Belinda Goldsmith

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A tale of online love inspired usually cynical New Yorkers this week to help a young man find the girl of his dreams after he spotted her on a crowded subway train.

For Web designer Patrick Moberg, 21, from Brooklyn, it was love at first sight when he locked eyes with a rosy-cheeked woman while riding in Manhattan on Sunday night. She was writing in her journal.

The train was so full that he lost her in the crowd when they both got off, so he set up a Web site dedicated to finding the mystery woman -- www.nygirlofmydreams.com.

He drew a picture of the girl, who was wearing blue shorts, blue tights, and a red flower in her hair, and posted his cell phone number, e-mail address and an appeal for help finding her.

It worked.

Within hours Moberg's inbox was overflowing with e-mails and his phone ringing non-stop. He told the New York Post that he even received e-mails offering him love. "Some people said I'm not the girl but you're so adorable, pick me instead."

Tuesday night a friend of the woman contacted him and sent him a picture so he could confirm her identity. "Found Her! Seriously!" a notice on his Web site said.

"We've been put in touch with one another and we'll see what happens."

The mysterious subway brunette was named Thursday as Camille Hayton, an intern at magazine BlackBook from Melbourne, Australia, who also lives in Brooklyn.

"This is crazy. I can't believe it's happening," Hayton, 22, told the New York Post.

But Moberg said he is now pulling the shutters on his love life, scribbling out the cell phone number on his Web site and leaving a message on his phone saying he will do no more interviews.

"In our best interest, there will be no more updates to this website," he wrote.

"Unlike all the romantic comedies and bad pop songs, you'll have to make up your own ending for this."

Some New Yorkers may already, wondering if Moberg had made it sound too easy to find a needle in a haystack in this city of eight million people.

Bastards bullying Singapore senior citizen in his 70s

2007-10-29T22:56:00.001+08:00

This is really too much, bloody assholes... This is why the European empires fell, coz of dogs like these

M1 Indian Restaurant TVC - Director's Cut

2007-10-13T12:02:00.001+08:00

One of the best Singapore advertisements I have seen so far :D

Transport transport transport

2007-09-09T23:32:00.000+08:00

Finally, someone has some interesting and out of the box ideas for the transport system in Singapore. Whether they will work or not is really open to question, but at least someone has the guts to propose sweeping changes to the present system, which is plainly not working well enough for the long term. It is a good start. Please do not let this die down...

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

From The Straits Times

Transport system should try new routes

The Government is undertaking a comprehensive review of Singapore's land transport. Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport Cedric Foo has a few ideas on what it should cover

By Christopher Tan

IF THE head of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport has his way, the duopoly of the public transport industry enjoyed by SMRT Corp and SBS Transit would be done away with.

What Mr Cedric Foo would like to do is to carve up the island into regions and let companies - including foreign ones - bid for the right to operate in each region for a specified tenure.

One year into his role as chairman of the public advocacy group, Mr Foo, 47, makes it clear in an hour-long interview with The Sunday Times that Singapore needs 'to consider alternatives to the current structure' in the year-long Land Transport Review.

There is nothing like competition to ensure an efficient and cost-effective public transport system, he says.

But there is no competition in the current set-up, says the MP for West Coast GRC and group deputy president of shipping group NOL.

'Competition is defined as choice for the commuter. But there is really no choice today.' SMRT runs mostly trains and SBS Transit, buses. Also, bus services along MRT lines have been removed in the name of rationalisation so that commuters would ride the trains and ensure that the heavy investment in trains pays off.

Mr Foo suggests that Singapore adopt the regional operating model that is in use in places such as London, Sydney and the Scandinavian countries.

The Government pays the winning bidders a sum that covers operating costs plus incentives for meeting targets on service, ridership volume and reliability.

Those who excel may be rewarded with bonus payments; and those who fail may not be invited for the next tender.

Fares are collected by the Government, which uses the revenue to award the operating contracts.

He says: 'The fares are set by Government and commuters. And meeting service standards becomes the transport operators' primary concern.'

Such a regime can be applied here, despite what seems like a small market.

Dr Paul Barter, an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy who researches urban transport policies, reckons the approach 'involves assigning a single public agency with responsibility to integrate the planning of routes, timetables and pricing'.

In an article he wrote in Ethos, a Civil Service College publication, he pointed out that the Singapore market is comparable 'to that of the whole of Australia' in terms of total demand.

Professor David Hensher, director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney, also favours the regional operating regime.

He estimates that Singapore could probably have up to 10 operating regions. Sydney, which has 4.2 million people, has 15 bus regions. 'Have enough players so you can benchmark,' Prof Hensher says. 'Small is beautiful.'

Mr Foo, who is also NOL's chief financial officer, is of the view that 'the status quo we have is not optimal because one party is having high returns and either the Government or commuter is paying too much'.

He says the two public transport operators here enjoy returns that are not commensurate with an industry that is 'low-risk, not volatile or cyclical, and where ridership will be growing''.

Public transport companies around the world 'belong to a class of investments that trade more like bonds than shares', while SMRT and SBST enjoy returns which are 'high by any measure'.

According to their latest annual reports, SMRT Corp and SBS Transit posted returns on equity of 22.1 and 20.6 per cent respectively. Singapore Airlines, Asia's most profitable carrier, posted an ROE of 14.9 per cent last year.

But Mr Foo thinks that operators should remain listed companies, as making profit is a powerful incentive.

He does not necessarily buy the argument that Singapore should have one bus operator and one train operator. 'You need buses to feed the trains, and trains take the longer haul.

'That's usually the more efficient way. So for buses to be a real competition to trains may be hard to do.'

But if commuters are to be persuaded to switch from car or cab to bus or train, public transport must offer a competitive alternative in terms of cost, comfort and time.

One way is to to have a 'throughfare' system to ensure that commuters who make transfers do not end up paying more. The removal of bus services along new MRT lines has led to some riders making one or more transfers.

'From a macro standpoint, you want to rationalise the system to reduce overall cost. But the savings should be passed on to those who are affected by the rationalisation,' Mr Foo explains.

'If you ship something from Shanghai to Rotterdam, and the box is transhipped in Singapore and Colombo, you cannot charge the customer more. In fact, you might have to charge lower because of the time delay,' the trained marine engineer explains.

To persuade more people to switch to public transport, he believes that 'demand management measures' for cars such as imposing congestion charges and capping the growth rate of cars should continue to be exploited.

Motorists, he says, must learn to accept these measures. 'If you don't have explicit demand management, costs will also go up - traffic jams, the time, the fuel, the pollution, road rage.

'It will make Singapore less attractive to live in and companies may think twice before investing here.'

At the same time, he thinks the authorities must 'explore intensification of road use''. 'Usually, it's heavy traffic coming into the city in the morning, and the other side of the road is empty. Or heavy traffic going out of the city in the evening, and the other side becomes empty.'

To cater to such uneven demand, Mr Foo says Singapore should explore 'electronic ways' to switch the direction of some lanes in an underused carriageway.

Companies and schools should consider staggered work and school hours; and urban planning can be improved so as to minimise the need for travel.

The Government should also invest 'more aggressively' in land transport infrastructure.

He says he is 'a bit disappointed with the speed' at which new projects - especially MRT lines - are being built.

The parliamentarian says the Government should start planning for new rail lines despite having just started work on the 40km Downtown MRT Line, which is scheduled to be up in 2018.

'I think infrastructure should lead rather than lag demand.'

His suggestion contradicts the current stand that MRT lines should start running only when there are enough users to cover running costs.

'We cannot value infrastructure investment just on ridership. There are a lot of externalites that bring value to the country. When you have infrastructure, the adjacent land increases in value. We need a holistic approach.'

He notes cases such as the North-East Line's Buangkok station. SBS Transit had refused to open it for two years because there were not enough residents in the vicinity.

He says the Government should 'lay the line and sell the flats, rather than the reverse'.

The Government should adopt the same approach to land transport as it does to the expansion of expansion of Changi Airport. 'We were quick to establish a budget terminal. We announced Terminal 3 will be ready next year - well before Terminal 2 is chock-a-block.'

Mr Foo, whose GPC has asked to be 'engaged early' in the Land Transport Review by the Government, says: 'We should not have half measures. We should be bold so as to retain our competitive edge.'

Money money money

2007-09-06T13:20:00.000+08:00

I have written about this issue on this blog quite a few years ago and I shall not repeat it again. But it is sad that the fortunes of the match going supporter, who puts in the most effort to support their team, are being ignored in favour of arm chair supporters like myself. In this world, money talks. Maybe we are still being colonised subconsciously, even our money faced attitude comes from the British...

---------------------------------------------------------------
From Soccernet

When Sunday comes? October fixture farce

A new record will be set on October 6 with only one of the 10 Premier League games starting at the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off.

Eight matches will take place on Sunday, October 7 and another at 12.45pm on the Saturday. Due to the demands of television and involvement with the UEFA Cup, only Aston Villa v West Ham remains at Saturday 3pm.

Fans' leaders are to complain to the Premier League about the timings, claiming that it will be 'a dark weekend' for match-going supporters.

Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation, told PA Sport: 'Fans still very much like the traditional 3pm Saturday kick-off and the decline in that element of the game is a matter of great concern.

'For there to be just one game kicking off at that time is quite extraordinary and it will be a dark weekend for fans.

'It's symbolic of the way things are going but the views of the match-going fan seem to be bottom of the list of priorities. We will certainly bring this up at our next meeting with the Premier League.'

Manchester United v Wigan is the other game taking place of Saturday, October 6 but is kicking off at 12.45pm as it is being televised.

Three other matches are being televised on the Sunday, four more games have been switched because teams involved are playing in the UEFA Cup on the previous Thursday and Manchester City v Middlesbrough has been moved for policing reasons.

The City game was originally due to be played in the last week of the season but as their ground is the venue for the UEFA Cup final, UEFA asked the club to switch their Middlesbrough matches to play at the Riverside on the last weekend of the season.

As United are at home on Saturday, October 6, City have to play on the Sunday.

A Premier League spokesman said: 'It is a combination of factors - teams featuring in Europe, television games and policing issues.

'We always try to give fans as much notice as possible as our research shows that if we do that, then they can make the appropriate travel arrangements.'

Teams involved in the UEFA Cup do not have to play on a Sunday but under Premier League rules they have a right do so if it does not impact on the opposing team.

Saturday Oct 6: Man Utd v Wigan 12:45pm; Aston Villa v West Ham 3pm.

Sunday Oct 7: Arsenal v Sunderland 12pm; Reading v Derby 2pm; Blackburn v Birmingham 3pm; Bolton v Chelsea 3pm; Liverpool v Tottenham 3pm; Man City v Middlesbrough 3pm; Newcastle v Everton 3pm; Fulham v Portsmouth 4.10pm.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær-compilation (Part 3/3)

2007-09-03T02:37:00.001+08:00

Ole Gunnar Solskjær-compilation (Part 2/3)

2007-09-03T02:29:00.001+08:00

Ole Gunnar Solskjær-compilation (Part 1/3)

2007-09-03T02:16:00.001+08:00

Thanks for the memories Ole =)

2007-08-30T02:13:00.000+08:00

As tired and stressed as I am, it wouldn't be fair for me not to post something about the great man who brought so much joy to Reds like me.

Yet another Manchester United hero whom I grew up watching has hung up his boots. And in Ole's case, it was much more frustrating for we were deprived of his services just when he seemed to have finally established himself firmly as a first team regular. And that was on top of his willingness to play the role of a substitute to the best of his abilities. His selflessness was further displayed in the famous hack on Rob Lee to prevent a Newcastle winner, earning himself a red card (without any complaints) in the process. Who can forget the wonderful 4 goal salvo against Forest, the winner against Liverpool in the treble season, and of course THAT goal in Barcelona. Perhaps there is destiny after all, that someone who gave so much loyal service would be the one to score the winner in the biggest game for the club in decades.

His popularity also stems from the fact that he always had the interests of the supporters at heart. None more so than when he became Shareholders United's patron. One of the rare breed who thinks about those cheering in the stands in this age of egoistic overpaid footballers.

I guess I will be only one out of the billions who will be sad at Ole's retirement, but I would still wish him success in whatever roles he takes up in future. He deserves it, unlike some scum who would throw his legend status away to play for the sworn arch rivals.

Thanks for the memories Ole! You were indeed the sunshine in our lives...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11667_2690166,00.html

http://www.manutdnews.co.uk/?p=123

http://www.unitedonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=821&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=25

What's the worth of a banker, compared to an engineer?

2007-08-11T09:31:00.000+08:00

Another letter on the forum which I do agree with to a certain extent. Some young people nowadays are too misguided on the importance of their profession, mistaking importance with glam. I have no doubt that for the world to advance, technological progress is important. That is not to say bankers are useless. Financial intermediaries are important too because they are a more efficient allocation of funds to investment projects. However, they are forever just that, intermediaries, not wealth creators! Think Albert Einstein, think Thomas Edison, you get the picture?

Anyway it's not that I regret studying Econs. I do not, I love Econs, even if I realise I won't fit into the "Albert Einstein world changing discovery" mould. My point is, study what your interests lie in, do not be seduced by the temporary boom or glam factor or certain occupations. And the world will be a better place for it!

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

From The Straits Times

What's the worth of a banker, compared to an engineer?

I TRULY believe that the greatest contributors to the world today are the people who made what the world is today compared to 500 years ago.

Every nation is highly dependent on advance biomedical technologies, telecommunication, the Internet, drugs or aviation, et cetera. Professionals, engineers or research scientists play a major role in these developments since then. They are undeniably the people who contribute to the changing of an era.

There is today an overwhelming response of applicants for university courses on banking and finance. Instead, the number of applicants applying for engineering and science is going down.

Prospective students come to this decision most likely because of the booming financial sector now. These graduates receive higher pay packages compared to those of the other industries.

Banking and finance make only a small impact on the standard of living today compared to science and engineering. For example, a remisier or financial adviser assists an investor to make millions of dollars. They invest their money in funds and securities. This cycle keeps rolling. In what way does this contribute to improve technology to make a better world?

Compare this to engineers or research scientists. Which group makes a greater contribution that changes the world today? Do bankers deserve such income?

Teo Chet Hou

I don't want to be the middleman!

2007-08-11T09:11:00.000+08:00

This is what I have noticed ever since this so called boom in Singapore is taking place. Everyone is talking about jobs in banking and the finance sector, and some are actually totally ignorant about what it entails and just wants to be in it for the glam factor and the money. This is yet another result of micro managing. And this cannot be the case! When will Singaporeans realise that it is important to study what you really like? One moment it's life science, another moment is banking, what will the next fad be? The only constant is yourself!!

And it is common knowledge in growth theory that long term economic growth can only come about through technological innovations. And this can only come about through sciences and engineering! If everybody goes into banking, we will forever be the middleman, helping the super rich to manage their wealth, and never becoming the super rich ourselves! Because we are not creating our own wealth!!!!! Sigh....

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

From The Straits Times

Not enough takers for engineering scholarships

Defence technology agency DSO worries that switch to 'softer' courses will spell trouble for Singapore

By Liaw Wy-Cin

BETWEEN five and 10 of the 40 defence engineering scholarships offered to Singaporeans each year are not taken up.
This could become a serious problem for Singapore.

DSO National Laboratories chief executive Quek Gim Pew told The Straits Times recently that Singapore relies heavily on advanced defence technologies to compensate for what it lacks in size. This means the country needs a continuous supply of engineers in the traditional areas of electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering.

DSO is a defence technology development agency.

Said Mr Quek: 'Most scholarship applicants we interview want to study chemistry and biology and are interested in a career in life sciences, instead of physics and engineering.'

While other sectors can employ foreigners to address the manpower crunch, this is not an option in the highly classified field of defence technology research and development.

The number of scholarship applicants who want to study engineering has decreased by more than 10 per cent from 2002 to this year, he added.

The situation reflects the fact that the brightest students increasingly opt for 'softer' and more glamorous courses - in business and finance, for example.

In recent years, engineering has slipped from its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s as the career of choice among students. The profession had the highest number of job vacancies in the past two years, according to Ministry of Manpower figures.

About one-third of the 3,639 top 10 professional job vacancies last year were in engineering. The proportion was similar in 2005.

DSO has not been able to fill its quota of scholarship places in the past few years, said Mr Quek. And this year, it is 8 to 10 per cent short of its annual target of 40 engineers to conduct research into high-tech weapon systems, for example.

Universities and polytechnics here have also reported a decline in the demand for places in the physical sciences and engineering courses, saying students do not see engineering as promising an exciting career.

In an attempt to arrest the slide, some universities have relaxed criteria for entry to the engineering faculty by allowing those without a physics background to pursue engineering.

And to attract students flocking to courses in business and finance, the universities last year offered engineering double degrees with business courses.

With these options, universities here will hopefully avoid the fates of some others, like Reading in Britain which had to close its physics department due to falling enrolment.

In Singapore, the shortage of local engineers seems to affect smaller companies more than larger ones.

About 75 per cent of Keppel Offshore & Marine's 1,300 engineers are Singaporean, and only 6 per cent of ST Engineering's 2,700 are foreign.

In contrast, most of Sys-Mac Automation Engineering's 20 graduate engineers are from China and Malaysia; only three or four are Singaporeans.

Its managing director Lawrence Sim explained why.

'When I advertised in the local newspapers, I hardly got any response. It was only when I advertised in Malaysia's New Straits Times, could I field candidates for my job vacancies, mainly mechanical engineering positions,' he said.

Fifth Gear - Audi R8

2007-08-06T22:14:00.001+08:00

Dear God, pls give me an R8 =D

Heal the world, make it a better place...

2007-07-30T01:50:00.000+08:00

Just finished watching the Asian Cup final between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. I only started watching from the Japan vs Saudi Arabia semi finals. I am really impressed by the level of football in this tournament. The level of technique was pretty high among the top teams and the pace of play was fast and aggressive. Nice =)

Was rather happy that Iraq won too. Seems to be their destiny, after all that the country had gone through. Hopefully this victory would bring a teeny weeny happiness to the people of Iraq despite all their suffering. They were deserved winners in the final for Saudi lost their heads and were not able to penetrate the sea of white shirts at all. I can't remember the Iraqi goalie having too much to do. But Iraq winning also prompted a question of what if for Singapore. Singapore beat Iraq in the first game of the qualifiers, but in the end the Lions failed to qualify and Iraq gone on to win the whole thing.

Singapore really has a long way to go judging at the high level displayed by Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and even Australia in this tournament. Raddy has turned us into a disciplined and fit bunch but to step onto the next level, ie Asian Cup qualification on a consistent basis and eventually World Cup qualification, we need some seriously technically gifted players. Players like SHunsuke Nakamura, Lee Chun Soo, Younis Mahmoud, Al Qhatani and Malek, Maxim Shatskih. These are the players who can help us win games against top class Asian opposition. How are we going to train these players? I really have no idea, but it is still my hope that one day Singapore can go on to win the Asian Cup and qualify for the World Cup. And you can bet your last dollar I will be dare screaming referee kayu when that happens =))))

Anyway I came across a very interesting thread in a forum recently...

http://www.mycarforum.com/forum/Others_C20/Lite_%26_EZ_F15/Does_religion_matter_alot_in_a_relationship_P1979957

Some very interesting views posted by forumners there. Some are of the opinion that love can conquer all and a compromise can be made. Some firmly believe that marriage is already very complicated, there is no need to introduce another time bomb into the relationship.

Which side are you on?

To be honest, I really can't understand why religion should stand in the way if 2 people really love each other. But that's just me. I wouldn't settle for somebody I like less just because she happen to be same/no religion as me. Similarly I wouldn't give up on someone I really like due to religion. The world does not need to be so divisive... But I guess of course it's easy theorising here behind the computer screen when I do not need to do anything drastic yet.

But the reason I posted this is because, it does mean something pretty impt for me.... and this thread had to be there at this time. Maybe there really is someone up there after all......

The art of acting busy...

2007-07-26T12:42:00.000+08:00

This letter is really accurate, the art of acting busy and acting blur is still essential to survival in the work place. Check out the comments on the letter in The Straits Times online, they are very accurate comments too.

I admit I am guilty of acting busy also. But it is only because people only choose to see when you are slacking. They do not see you staying back in camp to prepare for ATEC while the rest of the battalion are enjoying themselves in Sentosa. They do not see us coming back during offdays to do security checks coz MSD is coming etc. They will only choose to see us play games in the office and make their conclusions straightaway.

From The Straits Times

Bosses need a mindset change

IT IS good that the Civil Service is taking the lead to help employees achieve work-life balance ('Top brass to champion work-life balance'; ST, July 25).
However, middle managers and heads of department need to be educated on the merits of such a policy.

Many a time I have heard comments like 'Going off early will show to others that our department has nothing to do, hence it is better for you not to go off early' and 'We need to show the CEO that our department is very busy, therefore I cannot allow you to leave early.'

Comments like these will only serve to demoralise the workforce and render the policy ineffective.

Statistics...

2007-07-26T12:32:00.000+08:00

Once again this is proof that statistics can be bent in anyway you like. Wouldn't it be more accurate to find the mean or median salary of engineering grads? If that is impossible then don't publish this article at all! After years of emphasising other professions, now you find not enough engine grads. This is one of the major perils of micro managing. Normal demand and supply economics will dictate the number of people going into each profession! If there is anything that this article proof, it is that you must go into mgt if you want high pay, no matter what degree you hold.

From The Straits Times

Lucrative engineering degrees

Many highly paid chiefs of listed firms have degrees in engineering
By Michelle Quah

FINANCE, banking, law and accountancy are often tipped to be the university courses which students hoping for a lucrative career should take.
Too often have we heard parents and peers alike extolling the fiscal benefits of earning one's livelihood in the financial and legal sectors.

But now, a recent bit of research by The Business Times might suggest otherwise.

Our examination of the most highly paid chiefs of listed companies here shows that it is the engineering and hard-science degrees that have stood these professionals in good stead. A BT check of annual reports and corporate websites found that senior executives with engineering degrees form the bulk of top earners from companies in the Straits Times Index (STI).

This list of the 55 best-paid executives of STI companies gained fame when it was distributed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Parliament in April - to illustrate the earning power of the private sector during the debate over the increase in ministerial pay.

An updated version by BT shows how much these executives - mostly CEOs, executive chairmen and managing directors - earn. Their annual pay packets range from above $250,000 to more than $9 million.

RELATED LINKS
Singapore's best paid executives
And engineers feature prominently among the big earners. Seventeen of the 55 executives - that is, 30 per cent, the most of any profession - graduated with engineering degrees.

Science degree holders were the next best achievers, with 12 of them making the top 55 list. It is possible that some of these also specialised in engineering - with most engineering degrees being bachelor of science - but further information was not available.

As a group, accounting, business administration, economics and commerce graduates made up 11 of the top 55. Others, like UOB chief Wee Cho Yaw and DBS Group Holdings chief operating officer Frank Wong, have not said what first degrees they hold but are well-known bankers.

Arts graduates took two positions on the list. Dr Lim Cheok Peng, managing director of Parkway Holdings, is the sole doctor - he is a cardiologist. City Developments executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng is the sole law graduate. And Total Access Communication CEO Sigve Brekke is the sole holder of a degree in public administration.

The others have not stated, either in their companies' annual reports or websites, what first degrees they hold.

The findings should assuage the fears of those who worry that engineering may be less lucrative than other professions.

Such concerns arose when the Government published the benchmark to which civil service pay will be pegged. The median salaries of the top eight earners for six professions used to compute the salary benchmark indicated that the earnings of engineers were a far cry from those of other professions.

Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah addressed those concerns in Parliament, pointing out that some engineers have gone on to do very well as CEOs of top companies. Other than those in the top 55 list, she also said 'that more than 40 per cent of our current ministers and many more top civil servants are engineers by training too'. And 'this shows the flexibility of someone with an engineering background'.

PM Lee picked up on Ms Lee's remarks, saying: 'Lee Bee Wah did us a favour explaining that engineers have done very well and lots of bright students ought to go and study engineering.'

Of the engineers, the most highly paid is Keppel Corp's executive chairman Lim Chee Onn, who took home between $7.25 million and $7.5 million in the financial year just ended. Mr Lim is a science degree holder with a doctorate in engineering.

The trio from Venture Corp - all engineers - also featured prominently. Chairman and CEO Wong Ngit Liong took home between $4.25 million and $4.5 million for the year ended Dec 31, 2006. He holds a first class honours degree in electrical engineering from the University of Malaya.

He was followed by fellow executive directors Soo Eng Hiong and Tan Choon Huat, who were paid between $1 million and $1.25 million in 2006. Mr Soo has a degree in electronics from the University of Southampton in the UK, and Mr Tan has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Liverpool in the UK.

SembCorp Marine group president and CEO Tan Kwi Kin and ST Engineering CEO Tan Pheng Hock - both engineering graduates - also received impressive pay packages last year.

But it is not just engineers working in engineering-related fields who are among the top earners. Many others have made good in other industries.

Property giant CapitaLand's president and CEO Liew Mun Leong graduated from the University of Singapore with a civil engineering degree and is a registered professional civil engineer. He was the fifth-best-paid executive on the list, with a pay packet of $5.14 million in 2006.

Fraser & Neave chairman Michael Fam and Singapore Airlines CEO Chew Choon Seng each took home between $2.75 million and $3 million in FY06. Dr Fam has a first class honours degree in engineering from the University of Western Australia, Perth. Mr Chew has a first class honours degree in engineering from the University of Singapore.

Genting International's executive chairman Lim Kok Thay holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of London; Keppel Land's managing director Kevin Wong holds a first class honours degree in civil engineering from Imperial College, London; and Singapore Press Holdings' CEO Alan Chan holds a diplome d'ingenieur from the Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile in France, which is equivalent to an engineering degree.

THE SEED - Very good story

2007-07-22T22:43:00.000+08:00

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose
a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his
directors or his children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young executives in his company together.

"It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO," he said. "I
have decided to choose one of you."

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going
to give each one of you a seed today - a very special seed. I want you
to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with
what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge
the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received
a seed.

He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get
a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.

Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After
about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about
their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept
checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now,
others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and
he felt like a failure.

Six months went by - still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had
killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had
nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just
kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company
brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that
he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest
about what happened.

Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing
moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed
at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were
beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor
and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young
executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back.

"My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the
CEO.

"Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his
empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front.

Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he
will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his
seed.

Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and
then announced to the young executives, "Here is your next Chief
Executive! His name is Jim!"

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he
be the new CEO the others said?

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a
seed.

I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me
today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not
possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.

"When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another
seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and
honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one
who will be the new Chief Executive!"

Moral:

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.

If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap
later.

County Court papers have been served on Manchester United Football Club Limited.

2007-07-15T12:21:00.000+08:00

County Court papers have been served on Manchester United Football Club Limited.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 13 JULY 2007

The implementation of a compulsory automatic cup ticket scheme (ACS) has been widely condemned by thousands of Manchester United supporters as well as the major independent supporters’ groups MUST, IMUSA and the fanzines.

Now MUST is backing legal action being taken by one of its members against Manchester United over what many season ticket holders at Old Trafford see as an unfair move to force them to join the ACS, in addition to paying a 13-14% price rise on their season tickets next season. On top of steep rises for the last two seasons, it means that many season ticket holders will be paying well over £1000 a year to watch games at Old Trafford, more than twice what they were paying 2 years ago.

County Court papers were served on Manchester United Football Club Limited last week and they now have until 19th July to respond (either admitting or defending the claim) before a date is set for the hearing.

Many supporters cannot afford this kind of increase and the anger among United season ticket holders is growing at what they see as an abuse of their loyalty to the club over many years. Being forced to buy up to £500 worth of additional home cup tickets, whether or not they can actually attend the games (e.g. midweek, school nights for kids), has triggered this anger. Up to now the cup scheme has been voluntary. The change has stirred one season ticket holder to take legal action based on what he regards as a clear breach of contract but MUST has a list, already over 100 and growing daily, of others interested in pursuing similar claims..

MUST has engaged a law firm, Underwoods, to help with initial advice on mounting a class action on behalf of aggrieved ST holders. MUST is also talking to another major City of London firm on ways of challenging the compulsory ACS but as such an action is complex and potentially expensive, the quickest and most cost effective route initially is to support an individual member's claim in the County Court.

The purpose of this is to test the legality of the compulsory ACS through an action alleging (i) breach of contract; and (ii) in the event that the contract is not deemed to be breached, that it is invalid and unenforceable to the extent it requires compulsory ACS membership. The individual taking this legal action is MUST member John Mayall, who renewed season tickets for himself and his son in May at a cost of £1444, receiving confirmation shortly after that his purchase had been successful and that the tickets would be delivered in June. About one week later United wrote to him refusing to supply the paid-for tickets unless he joined the ACS, which would commit him to purchase cup tickets for all home matches at unspecified cost likely to amount to hundreds of pounds. Mr Mayall and his son have not joined the ACS and United officials have been unmoved by his efforts to persuade them that he and his son will not be able to go to midweek games due to cost and school commitments.

We have also heard of similar issues from Irish United fans where it is impossible for them to attend mid-week cup games due to the distance and yet United is unwilling to make any exception to the compulsory nature of the cup scheme. United say that fans can sell their tickets if they do not want them, but if it were that easy to sell them United would not be forcing fans to buy tickets they do not want in the first place. Additionally you can only sell the tickets through United's own system Viagogo - on which they make a profit! Viagogo adds on a charge of about 25% so the seller gets less than they paid and the buyer has to pay more than face value too. Furthermore supporters cannot sell their tickets on Viagogo until United have sold all of their own remaining tickets first. Therefore it will not be available for unpopular midweek matches that don't sell out - exactly the matches where most people would wish to sell the unwanted ticket that the club have forced them to buy. So supporters end up paying for tickets they didn't want and cannot sell and the Glazers have the money in the bank.

Many other fans have joined the ACS under protest, while we understand that over 6,000 fans have not renewed their season tickets at all next season. Those renewers who refuse to join the ACS have been threatened with cancellation or invalidation of their season tickets. We believe all of these fans may have grounds to take action similar to Mr Mayall.

Success in this legal action, and others which will inevitably follow, could ensure that the ACS remains voluntary for all season ticket holders, which would be a victory for loyal fans who feel that they are being exploited by the Glazers to help pay the family’s debts. It could also undermine the Glazers’ efforts to refinance their debt by issuing a bond secured on stadium income (including ‘guaranteed’ ticket income from the ACS) as the banks will shy away from any controversy which jeopardises this revenue.

United say that this system is fairer than at some other clubs where you pay for all cup games up front. That is irrelevant - just because some other clubs are exploiting their supporters loyalty to an even greater degree it doesn’t make it any better for Manchester United supporters. Furthermore United have not so far come clean on what the cup tickets will cost, but they expect fans to sign up agreeing to buy them.

MUST member John Mayall says: “United are threatening to stop me and my son from attending premiership games using the season tickets we have already bought unless we also join the automatic cup ticketing scheme. This would add hundreds of pounds each to the £1444 I have already paid for our season tickets. It’s disgraceful."

"I think the ACS (Automatic Cup Scheme) should be renamed the BCS - the blank cheque scheme. They expect fans to enter into a contract obliging them to buy all cup tickets for all three competitions without knowing what they will cost. In my understanding they could charge outrageous prices for these tickets after fans have signed up and there is nothing they could do about it. I think the OFT should look into this".

“If the Glazers think unwanted tickets for evening cup games would be that easy for fans to sell on through Viagogo then I don’t understand why they are trying to force us to by them in the first place. Why don’t they just sell them themselves?”

MUST Chair Nick Towle added: “As a supporters trust, MUST is responding to the anger of match-going members who have asked us to do something about this decision. We don’t recommend legal action against our club lightly, but attempts to change minds about this have been brushed off. This decision clearly comes from the Glazers, against the advice of senior management we understand, so that they can get fans to pay off more of the debts they took out to buy the club. This shows contempt for many thousands of loyal Reds who have held season tickets for years but who cannot now afford them with the cup games on top.”

“We call on United to return to the status quo now and retain the ACS as a voluntary scheme because it is inherently unfair to force fans to buy tickets they do not want or cannot afford. We are supporting this initial legal action and we expect more will be on the way both from individuals and possibly also on a collective basis”.

that we are still a young species, and we have much to learn...

2007-07-15T12:13:00.000+08:00

From The Straits Times

Escape from hell

Born in a North Korean prison camp, Shin Dong Hyok never knew family life and thought torture was a normal way of life until he learnt about the outside world and escaped at age 23

By Choe Sang Hun

SEOUL - ON NOV 29, 1996, 14-year-old Shin Dong Hyok and his father were made to sit in the front row of a crowd assembled to watch executions.
The two had already spent seven months in a North Korean prison camp's torture compound, and the teenager assumed they were among those to be put to death.

Instead, the guards brought out Shin's mother and his 22-

year-old brother. The mother was hanged, the brother was shot by a firing squad.

'Before she was executed, my mother looked at me,' Shin, now 24, said in a recent interview. 'I don't know if she wanted to say something, because she was bound and gagged. But I avoided her eyes.

'My father was weeping, but I didn't cry. I had no love for her. Even today, I hate her for what I had to go through because of her.'

Shin's story provides a rare glimpse into one of the least-known prison camps in North Korea.

He was a political prisoner from birth. He had known no other life from the day he was born in 1982, in Camp No. 14 in Kaechon, until he escaped in 2005. Guards beat up children, tortured grandparents and, in cases like Shin's, executed family members. But Shin said it did not occur to him to hate the authorities. He assumed that everyone lived this way.

He had never heard of Pyongyang, the capital city 90km to the south, or even of Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader.

'I didn't know about America, or China or the fact that the Korean Peninsula was divided and there was a place called South Korea,' he said.

'I thought it was natural that I was in the camp because of my ancestors' crime, though I never even wondered what that crime was. I never thought it was unfair.'

Since 1992, about a dozen former North Korean prison camp inmates have fled to South Korea. But most were held in the 'revolutionising zone' at Camp No. 15 in Yodok in eastern North Korea. The emphasis was on 're-educating' the prisoners. If they survived long enough to complete their sentences, they were released.

Shin is the first North Korean who came south who is known to have escaped from a prison camp. Moreover, he was confined to a 'total-control zone'.

According to a report released last month by the government-run Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, 'prisoners sent to a total-control zone can never come out. They are put to work in mines or logging camps until they die. Thus the authorities don't even bother to give them ideological education. They only teach them skills necessary for mining and farming'.

The Yodok camp's name has become synonymous with human rights abuses, thanks to the stories of former inmates. But there are at least four other prison camps in North Korea, including Camp No. 14 in Kaechon. These others are far less known because so few have emerged to describe them.

Shin 'is a living example of the most brutal form of human rights abuse', said Mr Yoon Yeo Sang, president of Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights in Seoul, where Shin is taking temporary shelter.

'He comes from a place where people are deprived of their ability to have the most basic human feelings, such as love, hatred and even a sense of being sad or mistreated.'

A North Korean named Kim Yong who came south in 1999 and now lives in the United States said he spent two years in Kaechon, but some refugees have questioned his claim.

Ahn Myeong Cheol, who worked as a driver and guard at four camps before reaching South Korea in 1994, has no doubts that Shin was in a total-control zone. He said that when he met Shin in June, he immediately noticed the telltale signs: the avoidance of eye contact and arms warped by heavy labour from childhood.

'An instruction drilled into every guard's head is: Don't treat them like humans,' the ex-guard said.

According to Shin, the prison authorities matched his father, Shin Kyong Sup, with his mother, Chang Hye Kyong, and made them spend five days together before separating them. This sort of arrangement was known as 'award marriage', a privilege given only to outstanding inmates. An exemplary worker might be allowed to visit the woman chosen as his wife a few times a year.

Shin's brother was born in 1974 and Shin himself in 1982. Young children lived with their mothers, who worked from 5am to midnight. Once they turned 11, children were moved to communal barracks, but they were allowed to visit their mothers if they excelled at their work.

'I got to visit my mother only once or twice a year,' Shin said. 'I never saw my whole family together. I don't think I saw my brother more than a few times.'

There were up to 1,000 children but no textbooks in the school at Valley No. 2, the part of the camp where Shin lived. Pupils were taught to read and write, and to add and subtract, but little more. After school, children worked in the fields or mines. In most of North Korea, villages are decorated with Communist slogans and portraits of Kim Jong Il. Valley No. 2 had only one slogan carved into a wooden plaque: 'Everyone obey the regulations!'

Inmates were fed the same meal three times a day: a bowl of steamed corn and a salty vegetable broth. They scavenged whatever else they could find: cucumbers and potatoes from the fields, frogs, mice, dragonflies and locusts. Shin said he once ate corn kernels he found in cow droppings.

When a teacher found a girl had hidden wheat grains in her pocket, he beat her on the head with a stick. She died the next day.

Shin's life changed in 1996, when his mother and brother were accused of trying to escape. Guards interrogated him in an underground torture cell about a suspected family plot to flee the camp. They stripped and hung him by his arms and legs from the ceiling, and held him over hot charcoal.

During the interrogations he learnt for the first time that his father's family belonged to a 'hostile class' - a category that entailed punishment over three generations - because his uncles had collaborated with the South Korean Army during the Korean War.

Shin owed his unusual escape from the camp to two friends: an older cellmate who helped him recover from his torture wounds, and a man he met in the garment factory where he worked in 2004, who told him about life beyond the camp.

'Everything he told me about the outside world - the food, China - was fascinating,' Shin said. 'I loved his stories. Once I heard about the outside, I thought I would go crazy. I wanted to get out. I couldn't focus on work. Every day was an agony.'

On Jan 2, 2005, when Shin and his co-worker were collecting firewood near the camp's electrified fence and could not see any guards, they ran.

Shin is still struggling to understand what happened next. His friend fell against the high-voltage fence, his body creating an opening.

'I climbed over him, through the hole,' Shin said. 'I ran down the hill like a mad man. I looked back and he wasn't moving.'

In July 2005, Shin reached China. In February last year, a South Korean helped him seek asylum at the South Korean Consulate in Shanghai. He arrived in Seoul last August.

Today, he bears burn scars from the torture and the electrified fence, and walks with a slight limp. He says he has recurring nightmares about being back in Camp No. 14. Awake, he wonders what happened to his father and about the man he left behind at the fence. Did he sacrifice himself to help Shin escape?

Now in Seoul, Shin said he sometimes finds life 'more burdensome than the hardest labour in the prison camp, where I only had to do what I was told'. His limited vocabulary has caused him to twice fail the written driver's licence test. And there is his struggle to reconcile with his dead mother.

'However I try, I can't forgive her,' he said. 'She and my brother severely hurt me and my father by trying to escape. Didn't she think (about) what would happen to us?'

Shin said he sometimes wished he could return to the time before he learnt about the greater world, 'without knowing that we were in a prison camp, without knowing that there was a place called South Korea'.

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

At times reading these stories really puts things in your perspective. Could anything else be worse than not even knowing about the possibility of love? And not even knowing that there is a free world outside?

I wonder how many of you weeped when Bumble Bee was captured and freezed by Section 7. I did. And the words of Optimus Prime could never be more appropriate after reading this article...

that we are still a young species, and we have much to learn...

Mexican Fisherman Joke

2007-07-15T02:43:00.000+08:00

An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

"How long it took you to catch them?" The American asked.

"Only a little while." The Mexican replied.

"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The American then asked.

"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs." The Mexican said.

"But," The American then asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats."

"Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, senor?"

The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions, senor? Then what?"

The American said slowly, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos..."

The Mexican replied, "You mean that is what you will need to do in your lifetime to get to where I am today?"

Daft Hands - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

2007-07-07T14:47:00.001+08:00

You must be kidding me?

2007-07-04T23:23:00.000+08:00

It takes quite a bit to be pissed off at letters in the Straits Times forum these days, given the amount of ridiculous letters that I have read over the last 5 years or so. Such as those letters which actually have the cheek to demand all cyclists (think about the old wobbly uncles and aunties cycling leisurely on their way to the market every morning) stay on the roads andface the might of the bendy buses, concrete mixers, construction lorries etc. I mean seriously? These are the same people who have NEVER cycled on our roads before and think human rights is the best thing since sliced bread. What is needed is a huge dose of common sense and politeness and the problem is solved! Fast, competitive (and by that I also mean the 2 FT workers who 2F2F on Orchard Road and beat the red lights) cyclists go onto the road, uncles and aunties cycling to the market stay on the pavement. Young kids educated on civic responsibility to limit their speed on pavements. Must we really have regulations for everything?

But I digress. Like I said, I wasn't even moved enough by those letters to post them here, until I read the letter below. When I saw the title I was like wow! somebody has guts to point out a customer was wrong in the first place. Until I read that the manager fired his 2 staff in the end ANYWAY coz they are in the service industry.

All together now, WTH???????????? Seriously, this is a world gone politically mad! If the customer is unreasonable beyond doubt, stick to your guns! After all 2 persons' livelihoods are at stake here! I would be extremely pissed if this becomes the United States whereby you can sue your neighbour when you trip over a tile in front of his home because he did not fix it, and you are a bigot and intolerant if you say Merry Xmas instead of a dumb Happy Holidays.

Lighten up world!! I hope the customer is happy he caused 2 persons to lose their jobs.

From Straits Times

Customer who complained of service was unreasonable

I AM writing to clarify Mr Ong Weisheng's letter ('Atrocious manners from Max Brenner staff and supervisor'; ST Online Forum, June 30) pertaining to an incident at my shop on May 30. Following his initial feedback, I conducted an investigation. I also had an eyewitness account from another customer present that the situation was entirely provoked, resulting in the unpleasant exchange between my supervisor and Mr Ong.
I had told Mr Ong he would be updated on the outcome of my probe in an earlier e-mail reply. However, I am not surprised at his lack of patience in allowing due process in the matter as he displayed the same impatience while waiting outside my shop on May 30.

My CCTV recording paints the full picture as follows:

Mr Ong and a friend arrived outside my shop and waited a grand total of 48 seconds before approaching staff who were all busy with a full house inside. Mr Ong and his friend then returned to the queue post and waited a further two minutes before approach the same female employee and that is when the exchange took place with my supervisor joining in to assist the female employee.

Despite Mr Ong's inflated claim of how long he waited and the eyewitness who came forward to vouch for my employee's behaviour, I have asked both staff to resign in view of the fact that we are, after all, in the service industry and that means good service to all - regardless of the situation. Mr Ong has been told of the outcome of my investigation in an e-mail reply.

Kenning Koh

Managing Director

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar

Negative Negative Me

2007-06-30T13:29:00.000+08:00

As it is with every major change in TosH's life, TosH tends to get negative and worry excessively unneccessarily.... However, this time the worries seems to be more macro in nature, things that even the most optimistic of persons will concede that he is rather powerless to do anything about....

1. The environment

You know in secondary school Geography we learnt so much about the problems with the weather, climate etc and I was really quite worried. Melting of glaciers, rising sea water level, desertification, floods, droughts etc seemed so worrying then, but somehow nobody seemed to care about them. As I moved onto JC, I stopped taking Geography and somehow or rather, as they say, out of sight and out of mind. I stopped thinking about these issues, after all, the world could not end in my lifetime isn't it?

But all of a sudden, the shit has hit the fan! The buzzwords are now global warming and climate change. What a drastic change, and it seems like we have less than a decade to really save ourselves, dear oh dear... I must admit I have not been the most devoted environmentalist. I mean I do try and recycle most of my waste now that I have a bin outside my place and I do not use the air con in my room to save electricity... but I am guilty of one of the biggest sins - driving around. Even when it seems taking the bus is possible. I am just too lazy and short tempered to take public transport regularly now... In addition, I really love the feeling of freedom when cruising along the TPE at nigt. So even though the thought of giving up my Altis sometimes crosses my mind, I am still pretty unwilling to do so, will Mother Nature forgive me?

2. Singapore

Don't think I feel comfortable enough to talk about everything here on this public place. But I guess the layman will also know that the income gap, elitism etc are problems that will threaten the long term fabric of this country. I know I do not have the answers, so I am not really willing to be those who only complain with no solutions, but is this really the best that we can do? Can't we have our cake (economic progress, clean government, cosmopolitan) and eat it at the same time (equality, cohesiveness, quality of life)?

3. Myself

OK maybe this is something that I am not so powerless but still.... Even at this stage, I am still not sure if I made the right choice. Will I be able to survive the bond? Or would I be sacked for some gross misconduct? Will I be a good mentor? Will I earn enough money to support my parents and my above mentioned Altis? Will I save enough money for my retirement? And at the risk of sounding very very despo here.. Will I ever get married? If yes, where is THE SPECIAL ONE going to come from? Or is it a case of finding someone whom I can live with, rather than someone I can't live without? What do I do if i manage to survive my bond after 6 years? Go out and get more experience? Take risks? Pursue a PhD and try to find ways to eradicate poverty and global warming profitably? Or would I be forced to stay in even if I do a bad job simply because it might pay well or I have too many commitments? Or will I be happy to stay on coz i am doing a good job?

Questions, questions and more questions, and questions to which I have no answers at all.. Is it really the case that I can only take each day as it comes? What does life have in store for me? I really want to know.... but yet I fear I do not have the energy to keep on going...

Asia fighting poverty by helping poor to save

2007-06-30T13:25:00.000+08:00

From The Straits Times

Asia fighting poverty by helping poor to save

Microfinancing schemes can be useful in reducing income inequality, says NUS professor

By Shefali Rekhi, Assistant Foreign Editor

SMALL loans to help the little people have been taking off in Asia as a way to help tackle poverty in the region.

Microfinancing, as a financial tool, began when Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus started an experiment in 1974, during a famine in his home country, to give the poor small loans.

That proved immensely successful and, through the Grameen Bank that he founded in 1983, he managed to change the lives of more than 6.61 million people.

Today, bringing the 'unbanked' within the formal financial system has become the mantra in financial circles, with the phenomenon fairly widespread in Asia, and many involved in India, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and elsewhere.

According to Washington University's Centre for Social Development director, Mr Michael Sherraden, the potential is enormous, with nearly half the people in the world not having access to secure and low-cost financial services.

Consequently, banking and financial institutions have been widening their reach to add a social dimension to their regular businesses as a way to tap into the untapped cashflow and contribute to reducing income inequality.

In China - where millions live in rural areas under poor living conditions - a local government initiative called the Hu Du Bi project in a county in western China has been attracting the central government's attention. It allows farmers to withdraw money from their social insurance accounts as loans for investments in agriculture.

According to Professor Yang Tuan of the Institute of Sociology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, the default rate has been zero in the past eight years of the scheme, and thousands have benefited.

In India, where close to a quarter of the people live below the poverty line, Basix, founded in 1996, has supported the livelihoods of more than a million rural poor households through microcredit, savings and insurance services.

But the task is by no means easy.

Said British researcher Stuart Rutherford, who heads a non-governmental organisation in Bangladesh: 'When poor people save, sometimes they have a goal, and sometimes not. It >really depends on whether they view it as risk management or are thinking of it (the savings) in terms of a lump sum.'

Accordingly, banking and financial institutions need to devise suitable tools. Mr Rutherford's Safesave Bangladesh has been working to introduce the poor to simple banking services.

The method of financing might also be applied to relatively more affluent Singapore, said Associate Professor Ngiam Tee Liang, head of the Department of Social Work at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

He argued that with globalisation, all countries, including Singapore, need to consider financial inclusion of all sections of society.

'With economic growth, you do not want the economic divide to widen, and you have to understand - how do you empower the low-income poor with facilities to motivate them to save?'

Prof Ngiam was speaking to The Straits Times on the sidelines of a global symposium - Savings, Assets and Financial Inclusion - organised by the NUS, together with Washington University in St Louis, the New America Foundation and the New York University, with Citi Foundation as its lead sponsor.

The three-day event, attended by delegates from across the world, ended yesterday.

Microfinancing follows from a belief that the poor can also save when encouraged to do so.

Many banks and financial institutions have been developing affordable schemes for the poor to do so, and Prof Ngiam said that Singapore could adapt some of the schemes to address the needs of the low-income groups here.

'The notion of saving and the purpose of saving may not be the same for all. We need to understand the dynamics of how people make choices,' he said. 'You cannot have policies for the middle class and just trim them down to the basic model for the poor.'

shefali@sph.com.sg

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

EMPOWERING THE POOR

'With economic growth, you do not want to widen the economic divide, and you have to understand - how do you empower the low-income poor with facilities to motivate them to save?'
ASSOCIATE PROF NGIAM TEE LIANG, who says microfinancing could help reduce income inequality in Singapore

Article 3

2007-06-12T00:30:00.000+08:00

And the Independent:

Brian Viner: I was as ridiculously wide of the mark last week as a penalty hitting the corner flag

Published: 09 June 2007

Hell hath no fury like Manchester United fans scorned, and as the dispenser of some of that scorn, I have this past week been the object of the fury. There have been long periods when emails have been dropping into my in-tray at the rate of about one a minute, not all of them questioning my parentage and making suggestions about my perverse habits in the bedroom, but not all of them not.

My act of provocation was to write last Saturday, in the "Who I Don't Like" item adjacent to this column, that with another league title won and £50m worth of new players already lined up for next season, the United fans who waged a campaign of hatred against the Glazer family should be feeling a little apologetic. I suppose I had in mind the people who burnt effigies and issued threats of violence.

To those United fans who raised my own club loyalties - "I would have thought that an Everton fan with its great history and tradition of loyal support would have understood exactly why many Man U fans remain bitterly opposed to these carpetbaggers taking over our club," wrote a Mr Paul Roby - I replied that I feel the same contempt for the Evertonians who scrawled "Rooney die" on the walls near Goodison Park. The game has no place for such sentiments, whether aimed at wonderful young footballers or rich American "carpetbaggers".

But I am drifting away from the point, which is unequivocal contrition. I have read every email sent from outraged United fans, or at least the relatively temperate ones, and I have also consulted journalistic colleagues who know more than I do about the situation at Old Trafford. As a consequence, I realise that what I wrote was ill-considered, naive, and as spectacularly wide of the mark as a penalty kick hitting a corner flag.

The Glazers, and chief executive David Gill, and even to a certain extent Sir Alex Ferguson, are plainly entitled to the disgust of United fans; indeed, I have been astounded by how low Ferguson has sunk in the estimation of many. None of them question his brilliance as a manager; lots of them question his character. "Lifelong socialist? He's an absolute hypocrite," wrote one of my correspondents. "I would rather go for a pint with Tommy Doc than 'Sir' Alex any day of the week."

My journalistic source, a man with impeccable contacts at Old Trafford, tells me that the Glazers, terrified of a major boycott by fans after saddling the club with debts of over £650m, knew that they had to keep Fergie on-side. "They are also personally scared of him," my friend said, "and he loves that. He's having a much better time than he did in the latter days of the plc."

In the meantime, season-ticket prices have been hiked by 26 per cent since May 2005 and next season, season-ticket holders will not have the option to pay for cup games as well as Premiership games, but will be compelled to do so, taking the cost of most season tickets well over £1,000. Clearly, the fans are being asked to pay off the Glazers' unwieldy mortgage, and Ferguson, as many of them see it, is complicit.

On the new players, the chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust, Nick Towle, wrote: "The money for these transfers does not come from the Glazers. It comes from the club's own funds. The Glazers have not put a penny of their own money into the team and never will. All funds for the team and even for the Glazers to acquire United has been borrowed by the club itself at vast cost to it (£62m a year paid out in interest, confirmed by the Glazers' own spokesman). So who actually pays for these players? Why, the fans of course. One reason why you have not heard from anti-Glazer fans about these transfers is that we are busy preparing legal challenges against the club for (i) raising ticket prices by 11-14 per cent next season, the third large rise in the two years since the Glazer takeover, and (ii) forcing season-ticket holders to join the 'Automatic Cup Scheme'."

The only good thing to have come out of the Glazer takeover, I have been told time and time again this week, is Bury-based FC United of the Northern Premier League, formed by disillusioned Reds and thriving. I have been invited to a game next season and look forward to it, if I can tear myself away from my perverse bedroom habits.

As for another bedroom habit I have been accused of this week, they say that it makes you blind. Yet I have had my eyes opened, to the determination not only of the Glazers but of all the Americans flooding into Premiership football to make money, not least Messrs Hicks and Gillett at the other end of the East Lancs Road. They are not interested in the trickledown effect, in the grassroots of the game being watered, because they are not interested in the game. I apologise for elevating them on this page last week. I should have known better, and now I do.

Article 2

2007-06-12T00:29:00.000+08:00

And Jim White in the Telegraph....

'Over the last couple of weeks there has been a growing feeling abroad, as demonstrated in newspaper columns and on various radio phone-ins, that the Glazer administration is proving to be nothing like as bad for Manchester United as the naysayers and doom mongers insisted it would when the first family of Florida took over at Old Trafford three years ago.

Consider the evidence, say the Americans' new found supporters: United have won the League, Sir Alex Ferguson tells us he has never been happier in his job, the team have played the most sparkling football imaginable.

What's more, in the last fortnight, Ferguson has embarked on a transfer spending spree that has left his rivals floundering. Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani have been signed for big, big money. Far from being constricted as he once was by limits imposed by the plc, under the Americans' benevolent ownership, the manager has been able to pay whatever is required to bring the top talent to Old Trafford. And in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo's new contract, to pay them to stay once they have arrived. It is all, so we have been told, thanks to Uncle Malcolm and his smiling, hands-off way of doing things.

Anyone who has recently received an invitation to renew their season ticket to Old Trafford, however, will know precisely how way off the mark this new received opinion is. Far from the Glazers cheerily dipping into their bottomless pockets, the demands now popping through letter boxes reveal precisely who is financing not only the development of the team but also the Glazers' very ownership of the club.

To watch United's home Premiership games during 2007-08, season-ticket holders will have to pay 14 per cent more than they did last time round, with typical prices rising from £665 to £760. In short, the kind of above-inflation rise that not even rail companies would impose on their customers. It is important to remember there is no additional benefit to the fan in this new charge: their seat is not to be padded during the summer break, there will be no increase in leg-room or any addition of central heating.

Moreover, this is not the end of the extra cost. A pernicious additional charge is there in the small print, overlooked by many who automatically renew year on year. For the privilege of buying a season pass, holders are obliged to buy tickets for every home cup game.

Now many of them may wish to. But the point is, from now on they will have to. Even if work or family circumstances prevent them from attending a midweek Carling Cup game, they are required to fork out for it. Thus, in effect, if United have a decent cup run, season tickets will be costing as much as £500 more than they did last term.

Where all this extra money is going to is simple: it is to pay down the Glazers' mountainous debt. That plus financing the purchase of the new players whose presence is absolutely essential to maintaining a saleable product. In other words, far from being proven wrong by what has been happening recently, what the anti-Glazer movement said all along is coming to pass: it is the fans who are buying the club for a set of owners they were never consulted about in the first place. The only choice they have in the issue is to walk away and no longer support their team.

Before followers of rival teams snigger too hard into their beer, this is precisely the threat to Manchester City diehards should the Thais take over, or Arsenal fans if the Americans move in. Don't be fooled by glitzy promises of new investment. The only investment the new style of foreign owner makes is in the initial purchase. For everything else, there's the fans.'

Article 1

2007-06-12T00:26:00.000+08:00

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1008/1008808_glazer_protesters_were_right.html

Glazer protesters 'were right'
Stuart Brennan - Comment
11/ 6/2007

I'LL bet those United fans who protested about the Glazer takeover feel really stupid now.

How many times have you heard that said over the past fortnight?

Actually, those United fans who protested long and hard about the occupation of their club feel more justified than ever that they were right to stand up to what amounts to an insidious threat not just to Manchester United, but to English football, and even European football, in particular.

The fact that United have just won the Premiership in thrilling style, have splashed out on three players who could boost them from top English team to a European super-power once more, and continue to play in front of packed houses, is irrelevant.

The argument was never about that.

If you truly think that the Glazer takeover was a good thing, try asking the people who can no longer afford to go and watch their beloved team, on top of 12 per cent price increases in 2006, 14 per cent price increases in 2007, and the introduction of the compulsory automatic cup ticket scheme.

And then consider where this is leading. Talk to people in the Glazer camp and one thing becomes crystal clear - the economic cleansing of Old Trafford is not yet over.

There will be more price increases, more ways of screwing every last penny out of the support, until there is a threat of empty seats. Then the Glazer family will either ease off or cut and run.

United's response is that ticket prices still represent good value for money, and that there is a 14,000-strong waiting list for season tickets.

That last point is a sickening reminder of where United fans now stand. If you don't like it, clear off because we will find someone else to take your place.

United are no longer interested in their traditional fan base. Your average Joe from Stretford turns up at five to three, cheers on the team and then goes home for his tea and a couple of pints in his local boozer. All you get out of that particular economic unit is the price of his ticket.

But if you can get rid of him, and replace him with an economic unit called Henry from Surrey, the club also gets money from his Megastore shopping spree, dining at Red Cafe, museum visit, hotel stay and so on.

Shackles

It makes perfect business sense in the short term, get rid of the old fans, bring in McFans.

And if, or when, the football boom starts to grind to a halt as the yuppies find a new craze, it is the traditional support to whom United will turn, to find that they have discovered the joys of FC United, bird- watching, or DIY on a Saturday afternoon.

When the battle raged over the rights and wrongs of the takeover two years ago, the pro-Glazer lobby said that the family would bring a wealth of business nous, a pedigree of sporting success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and would free the club from the shackles of reporting its every move to the Stock Exchange.

Those people are now smugly pronouncing themselves right, but that was never the issue.

The title success this season was achieved despite the Glazers, not because of them. It was entirely down to the genius of Sir Alex Ferguson and the enduring quality of the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

And the money that has been splashed on Nani, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves is not the Glazers' money. They have not put a penny into Manchester United - the money the club has been spending has been from its support, is a result of last year's windfalls from the sales of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jon Obi Mikel, and from the unexpected bonanza from the sale of overseas TV rights.

What the Glazers have done is take £44m OUT of the club, to pay some of the interest on the debts they incurred to buy United. That money could have been used to peg back prices.

It is curious that at a time which should have been one of great exhilaration for United fans, and then bringing in interesting new players, the internet was full of cries of anguish.

I wrote an article two years ago which claimed that the Glazer era might just coincide with a new era of trophy success, but that many of the club's traditional support would be left with their noses pressed against the window, watching the party going on in what used to be their house.

This is not a `told-you-so' but a warning - the situation will continue to get worse.

Everton vs United - Rooney Goal - 2-3

2007-04-30T14:25:00.001+08:00

It's only in football that you get grown men behaving like idiots =) I miss going to matches!! =(

A Very Good Indian Commercial

2007-04-27T15:17:00.001+08:00

Quite funny...

It's never just about you...

2007-04-26T23:37:00.000+08:00

Those of you have caught the news about 2 days ago would probably have noticed the news about a traffic accident along Changi Coastal Road. If not, can read some of the news here...

Changi Coastal Rd accident

Pictures(warning, could be disturbing)

The extent of the damage is truly disturbing, and the driver probably died instantly =S Being rather bad tempered and a bit of a speed lover myself, I always need to be constantly reminded of such stuff to be a more responsible road user. I can only imagine the fear that the driver felt when he saw the lorry heading towards him at high speed (whether it was the speed of his own car or the lorry doesn't really matter...)

Rumours has it that the driver was racing with another car and in order to overtake he went onto the oncoming lane and it was there that he collided headon with the lorry. To be honest it doesn't really matter now, if he did race, he paid with his life, if he did not, some couple had just lost a son, some girl lost a bf etc etc.

As much as it is to remind myself, let this be a lesson to all too.

SPEEDING, IT'S NEVER JUST ABOUT YOU...

Which is your mindset?

2007-04-26T23:35:00.000+08:00

Read this from some other blog, thought it was pretty interesting.... just to share....
-------------------------------------------------------------

A Chinese walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer.He tells the loan officer that he is going to Taiwan on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000. The bank officer tells him that the bank will need some form of security for the loan, so the Chinese hands over the keys to a new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank. He produces the title and everything checked out.The loan officer agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan.

The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the Chinese for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral against a $5,000 loan.. An employee of the bank then drives the Ferrari into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.Two weeks later, the Chinese returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest,which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says,"Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are alittle puzzled. While you were away,we checked you out and found that you are a multi-millionaire. What puzzles us is,why would you bother to borrow $5,000?"

The Chinese replies: "Where else in NewYork City can I park my car for two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return?"However, its more than funny. Its thinking out of the box and being creative. That's why the client is a millionaire and the bank officers are just employees.This applies to our daily lives as well.

Is yours the millionaire's or the bank employee's mind set ?

For the greater good of Man United, pls let the Glazers die...

2007-04-26T03:41:00.000+08:00

Dear oh dear, you all have been warned, but yet most of you chose to do nothing... and you shall pay the price...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Soccernet

United fans anger after hefty ticket price rise

Manchester United supporters are facing ticket price rises of up to 14% next season.

The Old Trafford outfit have released details of pricings for the 2007-08 campaign, which could yet see them defending the treble.

While a range of measures have been introduced to effectively cut the cost of concessionary tickets, meaning an adult with two children will pay less next season than they did this, full price tickets have risen sharply.

The biggest increases are in the lower tiers of the North and South Stands, which will rise from £665 to £722, while the most expensive seats in the stadium are the upper tier of both stands, which rise over 12% to £836.

In addition, all season ticket holders not currently a member of the club's automatic cup scheme, which forces fans to buy tickets for cup games whether they intend to watch the game or not, will be required to join.

Junior tickets in the Family Stand will be frozen at £190, while all junior tickets in other sections of the stadium will be £10, a 48.7% reduction.

Over 65s will pay £20 or half the cost of an adult ticket in the appropriate section of the stadium, whichever is the lower.

Despite those initiatives, United are sure to be condemned by fans' groups, who warned of hefty increases in ticket prices once Malcolm Glazer completed his controversial takeover two years ago.

However, United officials can argue their move - which bucks the trend of other north-west clubs such as Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan who have cut the price of tickets - is justified given Old Trafford continues to sell out for virtually every home game.

The lowest crowd for any Red Devils' first-team game this season is 61,325 for the recent FA Cup sixth round replay with Middlesbrough, while all 18 Premiership home games have had attendances topping 75,000.

Chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association (IMUSA), Mark Longden, blasted the price hike, insisting there is 'absolutely no justification' for it.

He told PA Sport: 'Clearly, it flies in the face of the thinking all over the country, from Bolton to the Emirates (Arsenal's stadium).

'They have all frozen prices and in some cases reduced them.'

In particular, Longden believes it is hard to justify any price rises given the mammoth new television rights deals sealed by the Premier League in recent months.

'It's just slightly strange with the new money that is coming in from the TV deal - the club is getting £30 extra per seat across the board for the next three years,' he added.

'For every person that goes through the turnstile they could give them £30 back and not be any worse off, so surely there must be some scope for reducing prices or at least freezing them.

'There is absolutely no justification for putting prices up.'

The linking of season tickets to the automatic cup scheme will also prove highly unpopular with fans, Longden claimed.

'If they are tying tickets to going in the automatic cup scheme, that is going to be a step too far for a lot of people at Old Trafford.

'Every time there is a price rise people don't renew but they seem to be able to find new people to fill those seats - but whether that happens this time remains to be seen.'

The reduced prices for concessions were to be welcomed, Longden added, although he dismissed the cuts as 'just a bit of window dressing' in an attempt to appease angry supporters.

Manchester United vs AC Milan 24/04/07 ALL Goals

2007-04-25T13:14:00.001+08:00

Cyril - Magic Revolution = LACOSTE

2007-04-22T23:49:00.001+08:00

All right besides the tricks pls notice the cute Japanese girl in white =)

Manchester United-Roma 7-1 All the goals

2007-04-14T00:15:00.001+08:00

Top Gear Season 9 Episode 6 Part 3

2007-04-13T02:06:00.001+08:00

Top Gear Season 9 Episode 6 Part 2

2007-04-13T01:45:00.001+08:00

Top Gear Season 9 Episode 6 Part 1

2007-04-13T01:43:00.001+08:00

Bugatti Veryon does 407km/h

2007-04-12T20:36:00.001+08:00

Music to a football fan's ears

2007-04-06T23:32:00.000+08:00

From Soccernet

Wigan's Whelan promises cheapest season tickets

Dave Whelan has promised Wigan fans the cheapest season-ticket prices in the Premiership next season should the club avoid relegation.

Earlier this year, the Latics chairman slashed matchday ticket prices to £15 and £20 - depending on opposition - in a bid to boost attendances for the club's final seven league games.

Now Whelan is planning to go one step further for the 2007-08 term should manager Paul Jewell keep the struggling club in the top flight.

'The town is coming round to the idea that Wigan Athletic are a Premier League side,' said Whelan.

'We're going to help next season with ticket prices; we want to fill this ground, we want atmosphere.

'We're going to charge £15, no more than that for all games, while the season tickets are going to be so good and such a keen price.

'We're going to be the cheapest in the land because we do want to continue to build Wigan Athletic's crowds.

'Wigan Rugby League Club are a sell-out against St Helens, which is fantastic, and we want that for Wigan Athletic week in and week out.'

Whelan insists the new television deal that comes into force next season is the reason behind the dramatic reduction, and he feels other clubs should follow suit.

Speaking to Channel M, he added: 'There is no doubt it has to be done across the board.

'There are only four or five teams in the Premier League who can command prices of £30, £40, £50. We cannot go anywhere near that.

'But we've got to grasp the nettle and say to people `bring your family'.

'It's not cheap. Even for four of them, that's still £60 to watch a football match. That's an awful lot of money.

'But there's mountains of money in this game from television etc, to let people watch this game for as little as £10 to £15.

'So let's lower the prices, let's get people back enjoying the game.'

Beware the power of the internet....

2007-04-05T01:55:00.000+08:00

Guess this warning is repeated too often but nobody cares about it until it hits them. But a real story that happened during this week reminds us all not to be too yaya papaya behind the computer screen.

For starters if you have yesterday's Straits Times (040407) then may I refer you the first page of Home section.

The story goes like this... In late 2005, a young man took a MAZDA MX5 for a test drive along Upp Paya Lebar Rd. He flipped the car, crashed it into the opp direction road and in the process killed the young female SE. Time passed by and nothing was heard about the case.

However, recently, this driver went onto an online forum and opened a thread discussing about GOLF GTi vs WRX STi as he was considering changing his car. Nobody knew who that nick was and contributed comments but alas someone from the forum knows the female SE who died and recognised the nick of the thread starter. This guy was perhaps incensed that this guy still had not been brought to justice and was even thinking of changing to another performance ride. Thus he started another thread to remind people of this tragic incident. Initially the driver's details was not revealed but through trawling the internet, forumners unearthed his personal details like photo, home add, work place add, hp number, model of car he drives and even licence plate number. The thread soon spread to other forums like hardwarezone and was eventually picked up by a Straits Times journalist and led to the article today.

The GOLF vs WRX thread

Read the Straits Times Report in this thread

(The thread that the friend started was deleted by moderators...)

I am very uncomfortable with the amount of witch hunting that one can easily do in this internet day and age. Just like the girl in the "elitist" debate a few months ago, one's personal information can easily be dug up if one is determined/bo liao enough to go and trawl through the net. However what makes this case a bit special is that the guy probably dug his own grave... no matter whether he had been convicted of any wrongdoing or not.

Most people misunderstand that the intention is to witch hunt this guy but that is not the main bone of contention. The main issue is that starting a thread to ask which performance car to buy when you cannot even handle a good car like the MX5? Doesn't really show that one is guilty after causing such a tragedy... His various other posts also exhibit that he is still rather reckless and a racer wannabe. Nobody is denying he has the legal right to buy another car but a normal person with conscience would probably think twice about buying a performance car, much less discuss it online. Secondly, why wasn't his driving licence suspended while investigations are still ongoing? If I speed above 60km/h above the speed limit I would be hauled to court immediately, what more flipping a car into the opposite lane and causing 1 death? And why are the investigations taking so long? Surely people's memory would fade the further the time taken?

With the power of the internet, more and more of such things will happen, and this hopefully will make people think twice about posting too much personal information online. Things would also be harder and harder to "sweep under the carpet". So if you have done something wrong, it is wiser to keep a low profile and repent...

I sincerely hope that the investigations can be closed ASAP and the punishment given. RIP to the female SE who died and condolences to the family of the deceased. It probably is painful for them to have this reminded all over again....

Kimchi is the flavour of the month...

2007-04-01T03:44:00.000+08:00

345am in the morning and I still can't get to sleep... Trying to lull myself to sleep with songs from the Korean show Goong's OST.

Korean shows are hopelessly templated. The females would usually be the more inferior in status kind while the males would be rich/famous and invariably would be rather haughty/aloof. But fate would somehow make them come together and eventually the cute little ways of the female would melt the heart of the male.

But still I am a sucker for such shows.

I guess the key in the shows are that the scenes whereby they are happy together (think walking along the street holding hands or running along the beach) are SOOOO rare that when they do come, you just can't help but to go AWWWWWWW.....

The second vital ingredient is that the females must be rather hyper. ie they must be the poor but happy go lucky kind and have a radiant smile. So when they are weeping because of the male once again your heart would go AWWWWWW.....

If you have enough time/budget, throwing in another guy who likes the poor female lead but no matter what he does/say, cannot get her love (for her heart is with the aloof male lead), would not hurt at all...

Add to that a nice OST which interjects the happy/sad scenes at appropriate intervals and you have a recipe for a hit!

Why can't Singapore come up with such "romantic" shows? Coz we are too sceptical about our own local situation. All of us would inevitably go "ZUN BO?" if say a hawker's daughter helping out at the market can fall in love with the son of an MP... you get the drift? Dreams are always more believable if they are overseas. Local artistes also can't cut it. The females are (generally) not pretty enough while the males are even worse, not charismatic at all (Li Nanxing is getting old liao...). Hard to get good "dreamy" locations to shoot in Singapore also. Anyhow you get the drift... I guess overseas markets might actually like our productions if we manage to get one out, but our own people would find it hard to accept it....

All these Korean shows are making me too much of an idealist....

Timeless MV ... Zhang Li Yin (ft. Xiah Junsu) part 1

2007-03-23T14:09:00.001+08:00

Timeless MV ... Zhang Li Yin (ft. Xiah Junsu) part 2

2007-03-23T14:08:00.001+08:00

SeeYA - Scent of a Woman - Engsubbed WithS2

2007-03-23T13:06:00.001+08:00

the first part...with eng subs...

SeeYA - Because I Love You - Engsubbed WithS2

2007-03-23T12:57:00.001+08:00

Part 2 of the touching MV previously....