Stomp slamming Singaporeans?

When Stomp, The Straits Times' Online portal was launched, I believed that it was an interesting way of getting the news. From people out there who can be on location where things are happening as they are happening.

After some time, I started realising that channels such as "What Bugs Me", "Caught in the Act", "Ugly Commuters", "Motoring Goondus" and "Singapore Sotongs" also are beginning to serve other purposes. One of them being to serve individual "self-righteousness" by posting their peeves about what others do.

To a further extent, it being hosted on the Internet means that what peeves these people have are actually spread around the world.

Should we be supporting this slamming of our own country? I suppose that shame might teach us the lesson of becoming more civic minded and socially responsible but I doubt it will have a lasting effect. Look at what CWO (Corrective Work Order - for littering) has become? Initially, the newspaper coverage and all led to littering offenders being publicly shamed but that was at the initial stage when public interest was high. Now, they don't even bother reporting when CWO is being carried out so what shame is there? It's more like serving a public service sentence now more than anything.

Which is probably whey SPH shouldn't bother keeping those channels in Stomp unless all they're interested in are page view dollars.

Writer's block...

Here I am, instead of trying to write something useful for the mag publisher (which is due in there morning), blogging instead. What's there to blog about?
Dunno really. Spent most of the day wasting away @ C&C Alexandra trying to get the power window fixed.
A job that's supposed to take ½ an hour took closer to 4½hours! :P Why you might ask? Because, they had the part but it was in some warehouse somewhere and they have to get it sent over.
I mean, c'mon...how big is this tiny red dot that we live in? 4 hours to get it? I could've driven myself to the warehouse to collect it and bring the darn thing back for them to replace for pete's sake.
Oh well...at least it wasn't a TOTAL waste. They had a decent enough internet connection with PCs for customers to use so I spent most of my time there trying to sell off stuff that I no longer needed or used...
And all that for what? So that I can pour more into squeezing out more from the car.
Granted it's freakin' ugly but hey, at least it's got a decent motor in it that can punch out some serious torque. One of the guys in our group's already running a dyno proven 300+Nm of torque.
I just realised that feelings that've been buried deep down and left unnoticed can surface with a vengence. Right now I feel pretty crappy which is why I'm banging on the keyboard trying to write something sensible. Ah...to want to write it down yet want to keep it in confidence. That's a major contradiction that I've got to get over. tough but hey, I'm a tough guy ain't I?

Boost

Ever since whenever, I've dreamt of owning a turbocharged car. Now that I've managed to get one, it's as fun as I expected it to be and more.
Being able to tweak the car is even more fun. For the past six months, I've been debating with other owners of the same model of car regarding the issue of Boost Cut. Tonight, after some thought, a little online research and some experimenting, I've finally sorted it out.
Where previously we were limited to 0.8bar of boost, my ride is now capable of 1.2bar which is decent to say the least.
Well, lets just hope that the engine holds out.

Almost half a year on...

If life were a computer game, and I was a character in it, I'd say that the past 10 months or so has given me at least a ton of experience points. However, life is not a computer game (much to my dismay) and experience comes from painful lessons.

Needless to say, the ups and downs just keep coming with downs coming more and more often.

I sold the good ole Mazzy and got myself a Mitsu this time round. It's uglier but at least it outperforms the Mazzy by a huge margin. You'd think that I'd be all excited etc and blog about an event as significant as this but events were happening around me that were bigger than that.

In any case, these couple of weeks have been up weeks so I'm blisfully enjoying myself. I just hope that the downs don't come as hard as they did in Nov/Dec. I don't think I can bear another downer like that.

I was tough getting over it but yeap, I found strengh in myself and worked my way out of the pit. Now, I find someone relatively close to me falling into the same pit and it's a little scary to think that that was how I was 5 or 6 months ago. The only consolation I can give this person is to jump into that pit with him and show him the way out. After all, I've been there before and have an idea of what's inside.

I would should try to update this more often but being as lazy as I am, there will definitely be times where I'll ignore it completely. I just hope that it hasn't put people off reading whenever there are new posts (not that I get alot of readership anyway).

Now, on to commenting other things going on around...

STOMP, the Straits Times web portal for reporter wannabes seems to be getting a pretty decent load of traffic (which I play a part in contributing as well - traffic, not posts). In any case, I'd say it's the best way to get people to do their work for them...for free too.

All they have to do is follow-up after the initial report is posted. How about that! If not for the pathetic speeds, I'd say it's quite an entertaining sight seeing how we're so "concerned" about the people around us. Hahaha!

Well, that's about it for now. Nothing much else to say heh.

Hmm...Upgrades

This picture was taken in 2003 January 16 1519hrs


And this one, 2006 July 12 1143hrs

Obviously the guy has upgraded...keeping up with the times I must say. I guess it wouldn't be nice to post his car number plate on the web so I've deleted it but based on prefix and suffix, you can see that it's the same car...

And both times, he zoomed past me. :P There have been other instances whereby I've seen the same car...for example, last month, I saw the Lancer that ended up in the ditch along Stevens Road with the same guy (in the picture)driving it.

I didn't have enough time to grab a photo though, unfortunately but sufficed to say, the car was repaired.

Okay, so that's about it for my blogging tonight. Just thought I'd share these little interesting coincidences with my readers (if you're still here).

Technology

You gotta love new technology. It makes one feel like a professional providing the opportunity of "instant replay". It also makes things a heck of a lot more affordable than before.

I find it quite amazing that the younger generation's only opportunity to see what used to be common domesticated farm animals such as a chicken running loose would be at the zoo. Younger generation would equal youths that are below twenty this year. Born circa 1986.

Nothing much was accomplished this week or last. I guess it's time to get off the old butt and start working again. Things might be easier if I had an idea of what everything was about. In any case, it's time to get moving.

A Good Time?

Someone must've have had a good time last night. The evidence left behind is way to compelling. Although I must add that it must've been physically uncomfortable for the floor is cold, hard concrete/ceramic tile.

At least they practiced SAFE SEX...

There's always this thrill of making out and getting naked in public I suppose. That the idea of the possibility of being caught is there. It just turns some people on. But the least they could do is clean up afterwards...the lift was littered with used tissue paper...probably remnants of the activities which included the contents of the wrapper left behind.

Well, whoever's the one that scored, the best muffins and bagels are on their way!

Why oppose?

Not being the ruling party doesn't necessarily mean that one MUST oppose the ruling party. So why are they called the "opposition"?

If I had a political party and if the incumbent kept calling me "opposition", I'd want to set the record straight. I would want to be called the "alternative" party, the alternative choice; anything but opposition.

The word opposition has such negative intonations. It's not there to generate good feeling but more to the tune of discontent. The alternative party doesn't necessarily have to oppose new legislation IF it benefits the country and its citizens. It's a matter of questioning and keeping the ruling party in check.

That's what democracies are all about. A 1 party government doesn't have to mean that it is better to rule. If the ruling party cannot handle any line of questioning and would spend more time and energy countering each other, then they are obviously not fit to govern. If they feel that since they are the majority government, they don't have to listen to anyone else to answer to anyone else. Which to put simply means that they can do whatever they want and nobody would keep check on them.

Since when is that good? Sounds very much like a dictatorship to me. Dictators can give handouts once in a while as well. It doesn't mean that because you give out share and create medisave (which incidentally is your own savings anyway) that a government with an overwhelming majority is not a dictatorship.

The term dictator doesn't mean "Adolf Hitler". It doesn't mean misery and suffering. A dictator is one that rules with total authority. A dictator is one that is domineering. A dictator doesn't have to answer to the people. We are lucky that we have elections once every 5 years. This is so that even if we had a dictatorial government they are answerable AND liable to the people. That keeps them in check because if they screw up in any way, nobody would vote for them the next time round.

"What is the opposition's job? It's not to help the PAP do a better job ... because if they help the PAP do a better job, you're going to vote for me again and they're going to be out of a job for a long time. So their job is to make life miserable for me." - PM Lee in a lunchtime election rally.

To be capable of such thought and bring forth into a speech is selfish to say the least. When is the government about winning and when is it NOT about how best to SERVE the public?

Issn't it quite possible that not EVERYTHING the PAP does is in the best interest of the public? We've learnt to accept whatever's been legislated simply because there've been no opposition in parliament. It is as simple as that.

Is the minority voice actually heard? It's usually drowned out by majority noise.

I'm not here to say who's right and who's wrong. I believe that this General Election is gone to the point of character attacks and inelegent bantering between the parties. So much so that the matters at hand, things that concern everyone has been all but ignored.

Concerns such as means testing for healthcare as it was brought up by Sylvia Lim of the Worker's Party. Does the PAP have a ready reply that's good enough to convince borderline cases that fail to obtain subsidies swing their votes?

I wonder if anyone's done a poll about what the people would like to hear and what the major concerns are for the next 5 years.

Whatever the outcome, I believe that this GE has gone off track and it's sad to see it go this way.

Lack of Respect

Who the heck do they think they are? Total disregard for the MM and the government. Asking questions that shouldn't be asked, interrupting and trying to show that they've got brain? Geez!

One even said that she was afraid of asking a "stupid" question.

From where I was sitting, all the questions asked were stupid. It must've been disheartening for the MM to build up the country to this level only to have those who have never been through the tough times criticize the way it's being run now.

What do they know about politics? If they think that they're so capable, why not run for office? Yes, the people should question the government and keep it on its toes but what should be questioned would be the manifesto and not the method.

Does the govenment have any plans for the future? How can they assure the same quality of government that has been running the country in the past?

Questions such as these pop up in my mind.

Would "poaching" scholars into the civil service followed by joining the party be good enough? How will they ensure that Singaopre is not left behind in the global chase for a better life? Is there any way that the government can help to improve the quality of life here?

These are questions that should be asked. Not questions like "Shouldn't you be retiring?"

If I was the MM, I would shake my head in disgust and pose this back at them, "If the younger generation of Singaporeans thought the way you did, how can I retire?"

It's pathetic...it's political bashing...it's ridiculous. Period.

Outspoken Immaturity

If you've watched the dialogue with MM Lee, just as I have, you be fearful of what today's young think of politics.

Question such as "Do you think you're arrogant" and ..."the playing field is so skewed, it is impossible for us to have a good check" (with regards to the opposition not being able to play politics at a level field)

These questions are questions that demonstrate the immaturity of the young today. After all, the people have voted the PAP into the majority of parliament themselves. Was it because of lack of choice? Perhaps and perhaps not.

Why do are there walkovers? Simply put, because there are no opposition candidates to contest. Is it healthy? No but who will step up and an independant? People are not afraid of voting for the opposition. Not so much as people are afraid to RUN AS the opposition. Politics is a murky world. If you're in the opposition, the majority government will do it outmost to discredit you. Unless you have a squeaky clean past record and a good track record of success, you don't stand a chance because they will dig up everything you've done before.

They won't do anything illegal since these things when found out, will totally discredit them and what they've build so far. The smart people know that. That's why they join the winning party and in Singapore's case, it's not such a difficult choice.

We're comfortable with the goverment now. Yes, once in a while, when a new policy is passed, we make some noise over it but after a while, we learn to accept it. Just as we've learned to accept that there will be little or no opposition.

My question to the PAP is this, "Would new candidates in the PAP be characterised as people following orders? Would they have a mind of their own and if there is a conflict of interest with regards to certain policies, would they be able to sum up the courage and stand up to say "I don't believe that this is what my constituents want".

Sleeping early

There's a wonderful feeling to hitting the sack at 7pm and waking up at 3am...

Well, yes, I do get the full 8 hours shut-eye time but apart from that, being up at 3 gives me the wonderful feeling that I'm fresh and fully awake to do my stuff.

Like write my blog & play Need for Speed Most Wanted.

I'm now driving an Aston Martin DB9...but only in the video game. I wish I had one for real though. The sound effects are alright but I wouldn't say that it's true to the cars themselves.

It's a fun game of dodging the cops etc but the soundtrack's a killah! Pity I can't find any online to stream here.

National Service and Bonuses

I understand the fact that Singapore Permanant Residents can't vote. I also understand that SPRs might not share the same national loyalties or patriotism as citizens. What I don't understand is if that were the case, why I'm serving National Service.

Of course there are sensitive issues with regards to which camp or unit I'm in but sufficed to say that I'm trusted by MINDEF not to leak any military secrets. Yet, I don't receive the NS Bonus. Okay, politically, I understand I suppose. After all, this is an election year with the GE coming up, obviously they have to dangle some carrots from the budget and give it to people who can vote.

But why call it NS Bonus when it's not across the board? I wonder how many SPRs serve NS like I do. And since it's called NS Bonus, I would automatically assume that I am eligible. So far, there hasn't been any statement issued stating that SPRs who served full-time National Service and are currently Operationally Ready with Active In-Camp Trainings are not eligible.

Yes, it's only a $100 but still, money is money and MINDEF should at least make a mention of it. As an SPR, I believe that I'm contributing as much to the nation (National Service wise) as any citizen.

Oh well...something to bring up I suppose.

Typing in the dark

Yessss...I can now type in the dark. Thanks to the new Saitek Eclipse keyboard with illumination. I don't know why, but manufacturers of PC notebooks till now, haven't got it in their heads that with the LCD Monitor so close by, it's almost impossible to see the keys on the keyboard behind the glare of the display.

Unfortunately, the Saitek's an external keyboard. It helps when I hook it up to my laptop but I feel that it's a little cumbersome. Why can't PC Laptop manufacturers get it right? Apple's Powerbooks have illuminated keyboards and they work wonderfully well. IBM's ThinkPads (now marketed as Lenovo) has a keyboard light which works pretty good but that's about the only one that offers built-in illumination.

I just wish that design engineers would steal ideas from one another once in a while. Just so that the provide that little extra value. Oh well...at least I'm enjoying my new kayboard (which incidentally costs $99).

Accident

"Guess what happened? I just drove my car straight into the temporary fence and into a pit. Its still got its ass sticking out but hey, I'll need a tow truck to get it out."

This was probably what the owner was trying to tell someone on his cellphone. I guess due to the wet and slippery condition of the road, he might have tried to take the turn with a little too much gusto.

It must've slipped cause from the looks of it, the car went straight into the barrier. Anyway, the workers lurking nearby would probably buy some 4Ds with the number plate of the car.

It's a good thing that no one was injured though. At least I saw none.

Mentors...

There seems to be a push towards mentorism in the current political regime in Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew retired from the political limelight (sort of) in 1990 and became Senior Minister taking on a more "consultancy" role with Mr Goh Chok Tong at the helm of the People's Action Party. After his retirement in 2004, he took on the post of Senior Minister and our dear SM Lee become Minister Mentor (a post specially created for him).

It looks as though the older generation still feels the need to "tutor" our new leaders. It's almost as if the entire cabinet is still tied to "mommy's apron strings". I mean, they're so unwilling to let the children grow up and move on. When is this going to stop? Really.

Now, Dr Tony Tan, has made a similar announcement in that he's going to retire from politics but continue to "play a mentor role" (Straits Times, March 26 2006). I'm sure that our younger generation of politicans are more than capable of running the country but I guess it's really hard to let go. Kinda like parenting. It's not easy when a parent finds that the child has grown and is ready to move out. No matter how old you get, parents will still and always treat the child as one. It's the bond that makes us special and different from other animals.

Of course not everybody would agree with all the policies of the current government but seriously, do we actually have an opposition that's worthy of taking the seat of power? Singaporeans are always outwardly complaining about the government but inwardly, they don't do anything. Most are ready to criticize without thought but honestly speaking, without the PAP, would Singapore truely be where it is today?

I'm not pro-PAP but until such a time where there's a better political party that can run our country putting the nation's interests first and not political agenda, I'd stick with the PAP for now.

Camera phones and the 25th century

Lets see...what will happen when 3G mobile telephony takes over the current 2-2.5G? Everyone's gonna have a phone with a camera built-in. It's the natural progression of things issn't it?

But then again, 2G may not be totally phased out. After all, there are still sensitive installations such as military camps that prohibit the use of mobile devices with built-in cameras. Makes you feel a little like James Bond doesn't it?

Trying to sneak a miniature camera into somewhere. Those fellas at MGM never even thought about a mobile telephone with video capabilities. Neither did the producers of Star Trek. They had video conferencing alright but it's usually between two captains stuck on the bridge of their ships.

We've gone beyond the 25th century with regards to this aspect.

Sporty citizens

So we won the gold medal for women's table tennis at the 2006 commonwealth games.

But who really won at the women's table tennis? The top competing teams were dominated by players of Asian (and to be more precise, Chinese) decent. Of course, it being the commonwealth games means that besides england, every other country is basically a migrant country with few or no true "locals".

To what extent would a person be considered "from" a country? Or rather, what qualifications would it take for a person to represent the nation that they're representing? Would citizenship be enough?

It's hard to say and the debate's been going for quite some time here. Trouble is, with globalization, everyone's migrating to where-ever they feel that there are greener pastures. It's almost like as if we've gone full circle and have become nomadic again.

We started as hunter gatherers like a billion years ago without any technology and now that we've "arrived" technology-wise, we've become hunter/gatherers again. What is happening to the world? But I digress...

Of course I should be congratulating the winners for a fantastic effort and all the hard work that they've put in. Yet I can't help but keep thinking, would we be here if not for our foreign talent which we've welcomed with open arms?

After all, if she (or they) had remained in her (or their) home country, success might not have come as easily and the rewards that she's(or they've) reaped here so far wouldn't be as lavish had she(or they) remained behind.

Well, whatever the outcome, with Singapore being such a global city, I can only say that I'm proud of our achievements.

Well done Team Singapore!

Phone contracts

I've got so many concurrent phone contracts running that it's not even funny.

The problem with buying new phones these days is that you keep signing whatever contracts they shove at you. It all started with the purchase of a motorola phone back in 2003...I signed on a 24 month contract and a year later, i purchased a nokia which put me on another 2 years...

After that, it's all a haze. Now, all I know is that the contract will go on till 2007 march...geez.

Tammy wannabes

Read in the paper that there are a couple of Tammy wannabes out there now.

I wonder. Maybe doing a search for "Bukit Batok" and "Airport" might turn up something. But then again, why bother? I prefer the real McCoy.

It's been a hectic week. I wonder why. So many jobs yet the money's not rolling in. Perhaps it has something to do with me not asking for it when it's due. Ah well.
We just love expos. The IT fair ended today and I ended up buying 2 19" LCDs although 1 of them is not for me.

Managed to get a pretty decent bargain though. Philips going for S$459...

Went to the Civil Service Club today. Obviously, the people that go there are not all that civilised. I guess most of the people that've gone there so far are the general public cause it's still open house. Can't wait till they start the club proper and limit to members and guests only. At least then, I can get a bowling lane and can go about knocking down pins without having to make a booking first.