Wednesday, April 30, 2008
This post is for violin players
Now, if your concerts had songs like this, I would be partially inclined to go.
Labels: cliffs of dover, eric johnson, music video
Monday, April 28, 2008
The feeling's mutual, sweetheart
Labels: Politics, propaganda
Death to the (annoyingly persistent) Insurance Salesmen and Financial Planners
One of the most vivid experiences that I can still recall is the day I went down to sign my employment papers. On the way back, Vincent and I were way laid at the MRT by Financial Planners. I decided to be courteous and just listen to their sales pitch which somehow lasted 45 min, then when I said I wasn't interested, the person got annoyed. I said I wasn't interested at the start and they refused to take no for an answer, then after wasting 45 min of my time, they get annoyed? Shove off man..
The next worse thing is this: passing my contact info to such people without my knowledge. This has happened to me twice already. People please, if this person is really so good, just let me know and if I'm interested I'll contact the person myself. Don't pass my number to a person I don't know well and then I have to deal with turning them down myself. My contact list of people whose calls I will not pick up is increasing.
Labels: annoyed
Something to drive away the Monday blues
Saturday, April 26, 2008
China Rocks!
I mean, the authorities could easily order some mass arrest or shooting (but I guess it would be bad PR for the country with the Olympics coming up), another reason might be that the powers that be also agree with what they are doing, but cannot be seen to openly support. So speak up people, speak up for what you believe in before they bring in the tanks.
Labels: Politics
Friday, April 25, 2008
In Anticipation of the Upcoming Iron Man Movie
Geography Lesson 101
Tanzania is above. It is in Africa.
Timbuktu is in Mali, also in Africa. Guess I was wrong.
Class is dismissed.
Labels: geography lesson
Monday, April 21, 2008
My Ode to Singapore
They have a vision for tomorrow, don't question why, just believe
They have a goal for Singapore, we're not in it, believe you me
You and me, we'll do our part, pay our taxes, work to death
They're going to show the world what Singapore can be
At our expense, at our expense
There is something down the road that we can strive for
We are told no dream's too bold that we can't try for
There's a spirit in the air, it's a feeling 33.3% share
We're going to exercise our given right to vote,
Malaysia did it, so can we
What the fish Singapore, where did you go so wrong?
Count on me to try to fix the mess, count on me Singapore
Labels: humour
Let the bodies hit the floor...
Officers responsible for Mas Selamat's escape to be disciplinedBy Lee Foong Ming, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 21 April 2008 1649 hrs
SINGAPORE: Officers responsible for Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainee Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC) will be disciplined and penalised, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said in Parliament on Monday. Mr Wong said this will include those at the junior officer level, all the way up the chain of command to the supervisory and management levels of the detention centre.
The Commissioner of Police and the director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) have also been told to replace all the WRDC officers - as identified in the Committee of Inquiry report - who were responsible for Mas Selamat's escape.
Mr Wong, who had spoken to the officers from the ISD and the Gurkha contingent of the police force, added: "I can see that they feel the disappointment most acutely because they have fallen short of the high standards that Singaporeans have come to expect from them." "This security lapse in WRDC came as a rude and painful shock to them; all the more when the mistakes have turned out to be so simple as to appear silly and incredible. I was shocked and disappointed when first informed of Mas Selamat's escape on 27 February 2008 via a message on my handphone," he said.
While calling this incident a "dark stain" on the successes the ISD had against terrorism, Mr Wong also highlighted some of the department's achievements, and he called for a balance in how the whole episode is viewed. He said, "Do not misunderstand me. I mention these facts not to absolve or excuse the ISD from responsibility for its officers' mistakes or lapses. I mention these facts because we need to be fair and balanced in our judgement and not 'throw the baby out with the bath water'. "Yes, this episode of Mas Selamat's escape is a bad mistake and officers who did not carry out their duties as required will be held accountable. "But ISD - the organisation - and the many dedicated and committed officers who continue to serve in it are resolved to pick themselves up, recover their spirits and move forward relentlessly in their national mission. We must support them in this."
Mr Wong added that it was absolutely essential to find out whether Mas Selamat had been assisted by anyone inside the centre, as not detecting this could lead to more escapes. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) - through a series of interviews, forensic examination of the site, and polygraph tests - found no evidence to suggest any collusion on the part of Internal Security Department officers, detention centre staff or guards involved. It concluded that the escape was the result of a combination of factors and was not under the control of any one individual.
The attorney-general has thus seen no need to press any charges. However, while there is no evidence to suggest external help in the escape, it is not clear whether Mas Selamat could have secured help after his escape, which is still being looked into. Mr Wong also acknowledged the disappointment and frustration Singaporeans feel over Mas Selamat's escape from detention. "I understand their frustration. This incident should not have happened. But since it did happen, my priority had to be - to establish the full facts of what (happened) and how it happened, and at the same time, galvanise and focus the energies of the home team and its partners, including the community, to tackle the situation at hand," he said.
He added that despite their disappointment over this security lapse, Singaporeans have stepped forward to work with the government to address the immediate challenge. "I am deeply grateful for the way Singaporeans have rallied behind our efforts even as they rightly expect a proper accounting," he said. He thanked the many Singaporeans who have actively put their minds to the problem - to share their ideas and help the security agencies. - CNA/ac
Ah, the dishing out of punishment. Now that the report is out, all the respective blame can be divided to all the individuals. Heads rolling from the top all the way to the bottom. Very rarely does such a thing happen.Labels: mas selamat
Oh Magic 8 ball, where is Mas?
Security agencies believe Mas Selemat is still in Singapore
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 21 April 2008 1731 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore's security agencies believe escaped Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainee Mas Selamat Kastari is still in Singapore, according to the best available information, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said in Parliament on Monday. Mr Wong explained that the Internal Security Department has been in contact with its counterparts in the region, and the regional intelligence agencies have no information on the whereabouts of Mas Selamat in their respective countries. He also said that during the seven-week search, security agencies had found some information which led them to believe that Mas Selamat is still in Singapore. - CNA/ac
What is this crystal ball that they are consulting that leads them to believe that he's still in Singapore? Toilet Wall graffiti that says "Mas Selamat was here" ? Eyewitnesses' accounts that they saw him? If that was the case, wouldn't they at least have a rough location already? Instead of going all brute force and using useless high tech computer programmes?
Side note: notice how his name is spelt differently in the headline and in the article..Labels: bewildered
What the fish Singapore?
Then there's also the fact that no one was "actively monitoring the 2 CCTVs covering the outer and inner perimeter fences at the rear of the Family Visitation Block." Seems to be getting more and more like a really bad B grade movie. High Security does imply that all CCTVs should be monitored at all times. Maybe they didn't get the memo. Anyway, even if no one was monitoring it, don't they have surveilance footage? Like tapes? To show at least how he escaped even if no human saw him?
Edit (This was in the report) : "The COI also notes that the CCTV coverage of the area was in the midst of being upgraded to add motion-detectors. This was part of a major CCTV security surveillance system upgrade for the whole complex. At the time of the escape, there were two CCTV cameras mounted at the location where Mas Selamat climbed out of the Family Visitation Block. However, these camera were not commissioned yet as they were part of the CCTV upgrading and the system was still in its testing and validation stage. As such, at the time of the incident, there were no recording or active monitoring of these cameras. This is very unfortunate because if there had been operational cameras in the right places to record the escape, then we could have an idea as to how he got out of the WRC"
Yup, one big coincidence after another...
Then there's also the fact that there's a point "where the outer and inner perimeter fences converged with an enclosed staircase and walkway leading to the Family Visitation Block was not detected." How long has this facility been functioning? Didn't they get top security experts to come in to check the place out for holes in security? Or did some construction work get done here as well?
His escape has been described as a "confluence of a number of factors." Yup, complacency on the part of everyone at the detention center.
After reading the report, I took a map of the area and did some investigation of my own. ISD is approximately 500m from both the PIE and Mt Pleasant Rd. Meaning he could have covered that distance in about 5 minutes. Which combining the time it took him to escape from ISD, more than enough for him to head to any road. Cordons were only setup 15 minutes after he escaped. Which isn't that long given that he was supposedly escaping on foot. So it means if the cordon was tight enough (as seen from the stupid placement of guards), he should have been found already, and there shouldn't have been a need to widen the cordon. But he wasn't found in the area, therefore, he managed to get his hands on some form of transportation. But this point wasn't in the report at all.. so many questions.. no answers
Labels: bewildered, law enforcement, mas selamat
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Doing Everything But...
In life also, we are often times faced with such scenarios. But unlike in nature, we have a choice. The electrical current doesn't have a choice to take another path (not that it should). But we do. Sometimes we take every other path/option available except the most obvious and path of least resistance. Disclaimer here: I'm not advocating breaking of laws and all, it's just that in certain situations.
An example would be getting lost while driving. (Ok, after the last sexist post, I shall do one on males). Males hate asking for directions. Reasons would probably be along the lines of pride, we think we have an inbuilt GPS etc etc. The most sensible thing to do would be to stop and ask for directions. But sometimes we just decide to drive on and all. Try to guess directions. Basically "Doing Everything But.."
Something more universal would be like removing a band aid after it's been on for awhile. It hurts like mad if u rip it off at once, so ways and means are tried. Like slowly pry it open and all (which actually hurts a lot more if it's caught on a hair or several strands of hair), but at the end of the day, just ripping it off is best.
I guess watching "The Pursuit of Happyness" has made me abit introspective today.
Labels: food for thought, introspective
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Funny Pictures
Friday, April 18, 2008
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Ok, I kid, it's not the Academy Awards, but it's still a big show and tell. It's the COI findings. This is the end result of a 1 month plus investigation into the escape of "Toilet Break" star himself, Mas Selamat. Well makes sense anyway since the news on him has been drying up. Even the state controlled media doesn't have much to print on him already. I'll do a play-by-play after the findings are out over at Smoke & Mirrors
So far here are the announced categories:
Best Picture: Toilet Break - The Mas Selamat Story
Best Actor:
Best Actress:
Best Supporting Actor:
Best Supporting Actress:
Best New Actor/Actress (aka Breakout Star) : Mas Selamat
Best Scriptwriter:
*Except when challenging other countries, then we always suck thumb and need to concede...
Labels: mas selamat, Politics, screw-ups
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Abandoned in Geylang!
I wish I had brought a camera because there was some interesting sights indeed. First up was this shop which sold only weighing scales. The greenish-blue kind that you see some markets using. And this shop was full of this. Shelves upon shelves of weighing scales. And I think they're doing quite well as they had 3 vans also loaded with weighing scales. I never knew selling weighing scales were such a good business that you could run a business just selling them. Are shops like using them once and throwing them away?
Next up was a tailoring supplies shop (I think.) They had giant spools of thread and giant packets of buttons. And other stuff.
Geylang also has a lot of food places. If it wasn't so sleazy (I'll come to that later) and parking wasn't such a pain, I wouldn' t mind eating there. They had hot pot, steamboat, BBQ, meat on a stick, dim sum even an indoor prawn fishing place.
Lastly, I realised that you shouldn't walk along small narrow lanes in Geylang cause, you see a lot of shady individuals.
Labels: Singapore Sights
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
What's the point of having laws without enforcement?
Then somewhere along the line, something happened. The country became safer with low crime rates. Singapore prospered and all. The law enforcement became laid back also. Less visible criminals made them complacent. That all was needed was to just maintain the status quo. Now I know it seems like I'm leading to the whole complacent remark made by MM Lee, but no I'm not. I'm talking more along the lines of how laws are being subtly broken every day without fear of consequences because there aren't any consequences. No one's actually effectively enforcing them.
I'll give an example: My place suffers from really bad traffic jams once a week because there's a place of worship there and the people who go there tend to park along the road. It took ages for something to be done. Finally, LTA or whoever painted an unbroken white line to prevent parking. But the problem still persists because people still park there. Why do people still park there? Because no one enforces the law. It's just a white line.
Another example is the whole no smoking in shopping center toilets. Anyone who has ever been to a shopping center toilet knows that that law is just dumb. People flout it all the time. Take whiff of the toilet and you know someone has been smoking there. No one enforces that law at all. So why have it?
I suspect the trend now is to just put up fines and warnings in hope that that alone will deter people. But then there's a new generation of people now in Singapore and having laws without enforcement won't work on them/us.
Labels: law enforcement
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sleazy Insurance Companies or just Sleazy Doctors?
This whole situation raises one big question for me:
- Are the cheaper drugs as good as the more expensive drugs? I know there are generic drugs which are made in countries like India and China which keep the cost down and make drugs affordable for people in 3rd world countries etc. But if they are as good as the more expensive drugs, then why are doctors giving people more expensive drugs? As it is, health care costs are going up. Of course I'm sure there are other reasons like maybe the drug companies are giving the doctors incentives. It's been mentioned in a lot of medical shows like Scrubs, House etc. And if they aren't as good, should the insurance companies even be carrying out such practices?
Labels: food for thought
Monday, April 07, 2008
Male vs Female (Shopping)
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Pretty much the same thing.
Anyway, I realised how similar job interviews are with first dates. I know it's an observation that Jerry Seinfeld did in his very impressive standup comic routine DVD, but I'm just doing a riff off it.
I mean let's look at it. You dress up really well to make a good impression for a job interview and yup, same for a first date. You go in all dressed up, prepared for all the possible questions that might come up and just wanting to dazzle the other party.
Next point, the questionaire/application form. Ok, dates don't really have it, at least not in paper form. But there's the Q&A section. Full name, contact no, e-mail, family, school, hobbies, achievements etc. All that kind of stuff. This is what I'd call the structured question section or short answer section. There's no real wrong answer. It's just.. facts. Unless you're going to lie on this which.. well it happens on both.
After this warm up, (in date time) it would probably be like main course. Here come the free response questions. Like essay questions: What do you hope to do 5 years down the road, what are your strengths and weaknesses, do you want to get married etc etc. Now, you may think there are no right or wrong answers here, but you're wrong. And you know it too. Therefore, during the interview/date, you'll tell the other party what you think they want to hear. You'll make all your flaws sound good. You'll spin a tale so awesome, as long as it impresses the other party.
E.g "What are your long term goals?"
Job interview : Well I hope to move up to management after a few years, to pursue further studies, maybe even start a business of my own (this is what they want to hear).
(This is what you're thinking) : I would really like this job. That's all of my goals for now. If I don't get this job, all my goals mean nothing.
Date: (What they want to hear is pretty much the same thing as the interview. To have some sort of plan)
(This is what you're thinking): I would like a second date.
Then after all the chit chat and all comes the sensitive part. The money. Both events involve money.
Interview ends with negotiation of salary and both parties being uncertain on how to broach. The interviewer doesn't want to offer too low a sum and the interviewee doesn't want to ask too high. So there's this dance.
Date ends with the bill. Now (usually the guy) will need to decide, should he pay all the bill or go dutch? How will this reflect on him? Same for the girl. She's probably thinking, should she pay?
And lastly, the follow-up call. Both the interviewee and the person on the date hope for the follow-up call. Sitting/standing by the phone. But you don't want to seem to eager now. For the job, you want them to think that you have a lot of other offers and for the date, well you just don't want to seem so desperate. Yeah, you're a playeur.
Labels: food for thought, humour
