Hands Around my Neck

2008-10-25T18:43:00.001-07:00

"He who would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will lose both and deserve neither."
-- Benjamin Franklin

2008-09-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

A Tribute to a Singapore Patriot - J.B. Jeyaretnam - Sgpolitics.net

A true son of Singapore - Theonlinecitizen.com

Former opposition MP JB Jeyaretnam dies of heart failure - Yahoo.com.sg

Even when giants fall, we must pick up the torch and continue the dream.

2008-08-28T04:43:00.000-07:00

I have a dream.

2008-08-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

http://singabloodypore.rsfblog.org/

lol

2008-08-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Big Guns

2008-08-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

More praises for our local civil oppressors.

2008-08-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

http://fireopal82.blogspot.com/2008/08/singapore-flag-touches-ground.html

Non-singaporeans being the flag bearer and it slumps on the floor. Look at my awesome pic on the right. Should've picked me instead.

2008-08-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080811/tap-869-singapores-fourth-university-loc-231650b.html

"When the interim campus opens in 2011, it will take in just 500 students. This will gradually be expanded over time until there is an annual intake of 2,500 students."

"No budget has been set for the new campus, but it is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars."

Forgive me for the language but HOW THE FUCK do you spend hundreds of millions of dollars for only a handful of students on land that has already been designated for a previous site for a university? Solid gold toliet bowls? How much money does a liberal arts colleage need? Remember, it's taxpayers money.

2008-08-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

I got conscripted when I was only 17! and yes, I am a uni student atm.

2008-08-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/08/continuation-of-disorderly-behaviour.html

our local gestapo is getting owned in court. Seperation of Powers doctrine my ass.

2008-08-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_south_ossetia

The second cold war? We saw it coming. On the day of the opening Olympics as well. Tsk Tsk, Putin you cheeky sob

2008-08-08T09:12:00.001-07:00

Well, that concludes the opening ceremony for the 29th Olympic games. Pretty neat stuff. Old dudes flying in the sky and a really really reallllly long march past.

2008-08-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Watching the Olympic opening ceremony right now. That's Zhang Yimou alright. Like one of his movies.

2008-08-06T22:53:00.001-07:00

National Day or MP Day - TOC

Anything happening in August? Ermm, Theres this cute girl that I know who has her birthday during August. What? National Day? what's that? oh THAT THING. hahaha, Yeah. I thought it was something important. Narhh it's just another military showcase event. Just like China back in the 50's! All that money spent on cheap (and i do mean lousy) fireworks, propaganda and shit. If you ask me, NDP's theme should be about our National Shame, the abandonment of the greatest generation that created our nation. That being said, Happy Birthday Jaz!

2008-08-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone should watch Generation Kill. A mini-series from HBO about the recon marines into and during the 2nd gulf war. Oh, who will save us from the incompentent officers(had my fair share).

2008-07-28T21:12:00.001-07:00

2008-07-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

Man, this is so epic. We could learn a few things you know.

2008-07-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

I just watched The Dark Knight last night and I cannot stress it enough that everyone should go and watch it. Although nearly as long as a Lord of The Rings movie, you never really get a sense of when it's going to end as a series of climaxes just keep on coming and going.The only thing that irked me is that alot of the 'Bat' Technology is leaning on the ridiculous side but hey, it's Batman and its okay if you let it slide as a way to move plot along (psst, the Bat computer makes its debut). Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne is certainly more entertaining than his growlings as Batman and the character of Rachelle is pretty forgettable but we all know that we came to watch Heath Ledger as the Joker. A masterful performance and a brilliant script. Alert moviegoers will notice the trend of Joker's 'backstory' throughout the movie, it's all just lies but it certainly adds strength to the character.Do not simply go into the cinema thinking to watch a superhero movie but rather a crime thriller where the main protaganist likes to dress up.A honourable mention to the Harvey Dent story too. A movie thats worth every dollar to watch and then to watch again. 4.5/5 Stars and both of my thumbs up. Why so SERIOUS?

2008-07-12T04:49:00.001-07:00

http://sgcomplain.blogspot.com/2008/07/yesterday-i-went-to-shopping-centre.html
Hahaha, omg, enough said.

2008-07-03T01:29:00.001-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080703/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_terror_arrests_2
A great thanks to Indonesian Authorities who always seem to fix our own cock-ups.

2008-07-02T06:17:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/07/singapore-press-rushing-to-infernal-self-condemnation/
look me in the eye and say that you have journalistic integrity.

2008-06-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/whose-future-is-%e2%80%9cshining%e2%80%9d-really/
I'm gonna buy a gun and start a war and if you can tell me something worth fighting for.
- Rush of blood to the head, Coldplay

2008-06-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=269

2008-06-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Breaking the uncanny valley in 2009

2008-06-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

aygee on June 25th, 2008 1.17 pm if we’re going to talk about errors:

- the cocaine ringleader who escaped, while on bail.
- Michael Vana, escaped while on bail.

but, on the flip side, his Ministry was very very efficient at
- hanging a naive 18 year old drug mule who the judge even admitted didnt know he was carrying drugs at all,
- stopping James Gomez from leaving Singapore and “interviewing” him for a few days,
- “interviewing” mrbrown,
- sending many police to handle “Cannot Tahan” show,
- stopping and fining speeding motorists

so dont be too harsh on him lah

BUT seriously, looking at the ERP hullabaloo, the main problem i see to all of this is the accountability issue. As i commented on the “ERP” article, i looka at LTA website, everything leads back to Ministry of Transport. The head of LTA only present in a press release quote. People in the lower rungs, are not empowered, and do NOT want to take responsibility for any decisions made. Everything must be passed on to a higher level.

I say the problems we face with HOme Ministry is simply there is no empowerment for junior levels, and the people below are not prepared to take any accountability. They only receive it when things go wrong.

If they change this attitude, where dept heads can make decisions, where officers on the ground are given the opportunity to make decisions, things will be different.

In this case - what likely happened what that senior execs say we need to be efficient, push the queues through, process quickly and dont waste time.

So what happened? people on the ground just execute, and process lor…

Andrew Loh on June 25th, 2008 2.34 pm While the govt can try and explain away the misshaps on ‘operational procedures’, we must not forget the aftermath fiasco of the Mas Selamat escape. The subsequent manner in which the govt gave out false or incomplete information is a responsibility of the higher-ups. This surely, cannot be blamed on the ground troops.

Besides, the latest 3 incidents are not the only ones.

As ‘copyman’ mentioned, it goes way back to 2004, at least:

2004 - Huang Na’s killer escaped on toilet break under police custody.
2006 - Tan Chor Jin (One-Eyed Dragon) escaped to Malaysia, allegedly on a fake passport.
2006 - NKF Richard Yong managed to flee to Hong Kong.
2008 - Mas Selamat Kastari - toilet break again.
2008 - Two detainees’ attempted escape frorm Subordinate Court.
2008 - Ng Ting Hwa, the employee who siphoned almost S$2m from his company, fled to Malaysia when he’s under investigation.
2008 - Gurkhas’ scuffle over salary.
2008 - A retiree unintentionally bypassed Changi Airport’s security using his son’s passport.

So, those who are giving excuses that such things cannot be entirely prevented is missing the point - which is, it is not an isolated incident. Neither are they only recent ones.

The only difference is that Mas Selamat was a high-profile failure which put the spotlight on the MHA and its minister. This, however, was a good thing as it brought attention to all the other previous failures.

Looking at it as a whole, surely the minister must accept some personal responsibility.

My take is that Wong Kan Seng should be replaced.

And if by replacing him we will cause the entire govt to be thrown into “flux” - as ST writer Chua Lee Hoong said - then, I say the govt is not worth the money it is being paid and a general election should be called for the people to decide.

For if the govt can be thrown into ‘flux’ just because one inept minister is removed, what does that say about the govt as a whole?

Harrison on June 24th, 2008 9.23 am We, citizens, are totally appalled and flabbergasted that DPM Wong Kan Seng is not taken to task for the many lapses that had occurred under his ministry, other than delegating the blame on those under his authority.

This is a systemic malpractice openly displayed by PAP and their only reasonable excuse (for themselves) is one of being the ruling party.

Recent cases of lapses in other countries were prominently reported in ST. Eg. A military chief of the US was sacked when some weapons were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan. Any sane person will know that the military chief does not personally oversee and deliver the weapons to intended destination. His sacking was nonetheless a case of transparency and accountability for lapses under his charge.

The danger of a parliament without a strong opposition is best illustrated in this case.

Gary Teoh on June 24th, 2008 9.38 am Another blame game. It is possible Mas Selamat has escaped using other people’s passport .

riconter on June 24th, 2008 9.54 am WKS: yada yada yada…

Mr Ang is no Mas Selamat or some dangerous terrorist. Therefore instead of being relieved, the ICA officer should instead be given a pay raise to guard against further mistakes. The officer need not issue any apology to his superiors either. That would be inline with the fine example set by WKS and LHL. WKS might further add “What to do? It has happened.” LOL

Then again we know Mr Ang is not an opposition politician, because then even innocence and the right passport won’t help LOLL!

Boboshooter on June 24th, 2008 10.17 am How many cock-ups at the lower levels does it take, to be able to say that the guy on top is incompetent?

I can understand the rationale for shielding top people from sometimes violatile public opinion so that they can focus on doing their job well.

However, here, we have 3 dozes of incompetence from 3 different branches of the “home affairs familiy” and still no accountability from the single source of authority who can be said to be overall responsible for all 3 cock-ups.

If this were a top investment bank paying top dollars, the shamefaced person would surely be typing his letter right now, and making a quiet exit. No such luck here. It must surely Pay And Pay to be a mini-star, with all the powers, privileges and perks on par with the world’s best corporate paychecks, but none of the accountability, and at the end of the day, its the small people who will pay.

Copyman on June 24th, 2008 5.43 pm Some of MHA’s achievements:

2004 - Huang Na’s killer escaped on toilet break under police custody.
2006 - Tan Chor Jin (One-Eyed Dragon) escaped to Malaysia, allegedly on a fake passport.
2006 - NKF Richard Yong managed to flee to Hong Kong.
2008 - Mas Selamat Kastari - toilet break again.
2008 - Two detainees’ attempted escape frorm Subordinate Court.
2008 - Ng Ting Hwa, the employee who siphoned almost S$2m from his company, fled to Malaysia when he’s under investigation.
2008 - Gurkhas’ scuffle over salary.
2008 - A retiree unintentionally bypassed Changi Airport’s security using his son’s passport.

If a cat has nine lives…

2008-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/responsibility-responsibility-responsibility/
Akumetsu be your consequence!
http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=397

2008-06-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/06/if-very-sick-man-was-about-to-die.html
Anonymous said...
ICA to peasant: You die your problem.
June 13, 2008 10:22 PM

Pink Plastic Chains

2008-06-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/letter-to-toc/
ROAR, i can punch you in the face and get away scot free. cos the law protects me haha

2008-06-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/university-admissions-employment-and-help-for-the-poor/
Yes, totally. A second rate citizen in my own country. Sooner or later, there will be a tipping point. Oh, by the way. Can I be a PR? it has more advantages than my pink plastic chains.

2008-06-14T01:13:00.000-07:00

Psychic spies from china
Try to steal your minds elation
Little girls from sweden
Dream of silver screen quotations
And if you want these kind of dreams
Its californication
Its the edge of the world
And all of western civilization
The sun may rise in the east
At least it settles in the final location
Its understood that hollywood
Sells californication

Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Celebrity skin is this your chin
Or is that war your waging

First born unicorn
Hard core soft porn
Dream of californication
Dream of californication

Marry me girl be my fairy to the world
Be my very own constellation
A teenage bride with a baby inside
Getting high on information
And buy me a star on the boulevard
Its californication

Space may be the final frontier
But its made in a hollywood basement
Cobain can you hear the spheres
Singing songs off station to station
And alderons not far away
Its californication

Born and raised by those who praise
Control of population everybodys been there and
I dont mean on vacation

First born unicorn
Hard core soft porn
Dream of californication
Dream of californication

Destruction leads to a very rough road
But it also breeds creation
And earthquakes are to a girls guitar
Theyre just another good vibration
And tidal waves couldnt save the world
From californication

Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Sicker than the rest
There is no test
But this is what youre craving

First born unicorn
Hard core soft porn
Dream of californication
Dream of californication

2008-06-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/should-mindef-be-more-transparent-about-servicemen-deaths/
number 16 was my platoon mate, damn mindef

2008-06-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

http://gizmodo.com/5015536/man-banned-from-owning-a-camera-phone-after-secretly-filming-woman-on-the-toilet
hahaha, homegrown perverts

2008-06-07T22:09:00.001-07:00

Griefing

2008-06-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

I just notices something today, I can recite all my alma maters, remember note for note for the guitar for a 20 yr old japanese song but I can't remember my national anthem nor the pledge. It's abit unsettling.

2008-06-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

http://kotaku.com/5013710/rumor-lucasarts-sees-massive-layoffs-outsources-jobs-[updated]
My friends gonna be so excited over the prospect of being a game developer in Singapore. Pity, I grew up with some LucusArts games.

Games as Art

2008-06-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

2008-06-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Shu_Min_elitism_scandal
I know, I know. I'm late to the party but wow, that is one awesome post. //scarcasm off

2008-06-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.indexmundi.com/singapore/debt_external.html
My dad can't afford his medicine anymore and I'm still in school, please release his cpf and medisave. Thank you, with hope.

2008-06-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/06/the-chees-vs-the-lees/

2008-06-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21588458-5007146,00.html
In Singapore, we live in bizarro world thus the opposite is true.

2008-06-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

somebody 2 Says:
March 28, 2007 at 11:27 am
taking gold bars and throwing them at monkeys does not turn the monkeys into leaders…. just a bunch of fat greedy pigs monkeys who think they are worth every cent….

http://intelligentsingaporean.wordpress.com/ministers-salaries/

2008-06-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

http://intelligentsingaporean.wordpress.com/2006/09/21/why-i-would-like-to-leave/

Yea, echoes my sentiments exactly in the months I spent in Canada.

2008-05-31T22:28:00.001-07:00

“The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws”

‘Atlas Shrugged’ - Ayn Rand

2008-05-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Dr Lily Neo: Sir, I want to check with the Minister again on the strict criteria on the entitlement for PA recipients. May I ask him what is his definition of "subsistence living"? Am I correct to say that, out of $260 per month for PA recipients, $100 goes to rental, power supply and S&C, and leaving them with only $5 a day to live on? Am I correct to say that any basic meal in any hawker centre is already $2.50 to $3.00 per meal? Therefore, is it too much to ask for just three meals a day as an entitlement for the PA recipients?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?

Dr Lily Neo: It is cheaper to cook for one person.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: It is cheaper to cook for one person.

The point I was trying to make is that every family will have different needs and preferences. I am not by any stretch of the imagination claiming that what we are offering as public assistance is a generous package. I am not saying that. But what I am saying is that it is enough, by and large, for most families to get by and, for those who have needs over and beyond that, there are other means to do so. If every one was starving on this amount that we are giving and is totally devoid of any other sources of help, Pelangi Home would be overcrowded, and I would be building many, many more Pelangi Homes. So, in the end, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Yes, any one of us, if we search hard enough, may be able to find a family or people who need additional help. But I would also say that any one of us, if we really put our minds to it, is capable of finding those additional sources of help. What I am designing is a system in which public assistance can and should be complemented by other sources of help. I think we can continue arguing this and we can continue finetuning the exact amount that is needed. But let us just bear in mind the fact that the system is set up with a certain amount of tension, and it is a healthy tension.

In fact, I cannot resist saying that I am very disappointed that in the whole debate on MCYS, the Opposition MPs have not participated in this, and I have actually faced real probing questions more from the PAP MPs and the Nominated MPs. Perhaps, they totally agree with my policies, philosophy and programmes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Public Assistance in Singapore : Just enough to give it back to the government but not enough to feed yourself. woot

2008-05-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

"Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack.
All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface.

Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they're conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict."
- Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition PAP member speaking to David Marshall, Singapore Legislative Assembly, Debates, 4 October, 1956