Posts
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Just now
This must be one of the most misused phrases in the English language. Singaporeans have taken to mean something that happened in the past, but it actually means something happening presently. "I was about to take the dog for a walk just now. But it's started to rain." What Singaporeans mean is "just then".
Friday, March 21, 2008
Jars of Clay's Much Afraid
Empty again
Sunken down so far
So scared to fall
I might not get up again
So I lay at your feet
All my brokenness
I carry all of my burdens to you
Chorus:
All of these things
I've held up in vain
No reason nor rhyme
Just the scars that remain
Of all of these things
I'm so much afraid
Scared out of my mind
By the demons I've made
Sweet Jesus, you never ever let me go
Oh, sweet Jesus, never ever let me go
So happy to love
Yet so far to go
You lead me on to where I've never been before
[Chorus]
Sunken down so far
So scared to fall
I might not get up again
So I lay at your feet
All my brokenness
I carry all of my burdens to you
Chorus:
All of these things
I've held up in vain
No reason nor rhyme
Just the scars that remain
Of all of these things
I'm so much afraid
Scared out of my mind
By the demons I've made
Sweet Jesus, you never ever let me go
Oh, sweet Jesus, never ever let me go
So happy to love
Yet so far to go
You lead me on to where I've never been before
[Chorus]
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Honesty
Letter published in The New Paper, 17 Mar 2008, p26
Some furore in The New Paper over how netizens were only to keen to say that they would not donate money to a Chinese national suffering from leukemia simply because he wasn't Singaporean. The crux of the article was the discrepancy between Singaporeans' opinion on an online poll and in a face-to-face (F2F) poll.
In the online poll, 80% of respondents said they WOULDN'T donate. In the F2F one, 90% said they WOULD. This is a swing of opinion that is unfathomable. Psychologists say that this is a result of something they call social desirability - interviewees give answers they think the interviewer wants to hear, so as to be accepted by him/her. Even if this was true, this is virtually a 180-degree turnaround!
I don't think by any measure that netizens are more honest - on the contrary, I think the World Wide Web's anonymity has conceived a very vocal minority emboldened by a false sense of bravado to respond to all issues cynically, so as to gain the approval of their peers. It's apparently a popular thing to be anti-establishment, so we hear. Press these people in a F2F interview, and you'll hear a different story.
I conclude that in a poll of opinion, the medium is very important. While anonymity has been proven to be important to honesty in an interview, the rather flippant nature of the netizens' response suggests that online polls and forums aren't the way to go either. Netizens (I hate that word) can easily hide behind fictitious nicknames and avatars and post whatever they want, which is what has happened here. Are they more truthful? No.
I believe the answer lies somewhere in between - an anonymous phone interview perhaps? That's one for the researchers to think about.
Source: The New Paper, 14 Mar 2008, p10
Some furore in The New Paper over how netizens were only to keen to say that they would not donate money to a Chinese national suffering from leukemia simply because he wasn't Singaporean. The crux of the article was the discrepancy between Singaporeans' opinion on an online poll and in a face-to-face (F2F) poll.
In the online poll, 80% of respondents said they WOULDN'T donate. In the F2F one, 90% said they WOULD. This is a swing of opinion that is unfathomable. Psychologists say that this is a result of something they call social desirability - interviewees give answers they think the interviewer wants to hear, so as to be accepted by him/her. Even if this was true, this is virtually a 180-degree turnaround!
I don't think by any measure that netizens are more honest - on the contrary, I think the World Wide Web's anonymity has conceived a very vocal minority emboldened by a false sense of bravado to respond to all issues cynically, so as to gain the approval of their peers. It's apparently a popular thing to be anti-establishment, so we hear. Press these people in a F2F interview, and you'll hear a different story.
I conclude that in a poll of opinion, the medium is very important. While anonymity has been proven to be important to honesty in an interview, the rather flippant nature of the netizens' response suggests that online polls and forums aren't the way to go either. Netizens (I hate that word) can easily hide behind fictitious nicknames and avatars and post whatever they want, which is what has happened here. Are they more truthful? No.
I believe the answer lies somewhere in between - an anonymous phone interview perhaps? That's one for the researchers to think about.
Source: The New Paper, 14 Mar 2008, p10
Dead Sea mud
Was walking in Raffles City when I got stopped with the familiar eczema question. "Here we go again," I thought. Happened to be this non-Asian guy, and we were waiting for Angela to choose jelly bean flavours, so why not?
Turned out he was selling mud from the Dead Sea, supposedly packed with minerals. I tried it on my wrist and must say I could feel the sulphur opening up my pores and everything, and perhaps absorbing the toxins and whatnot.
I was very impressed with his (he was a Jew named Ziv) unimposing attitude. We Singaporeans have much to learn. As he put it, when he tried to sell something, some Singaporeans tried to sell him something too!
Anyhow, it's a discounted $60 for 750ml of it. Expensive for mud, surely, but I was close to giving it a shot. But on Ziv's advice, I'm gonna do some research first. =]
You can find out more, like I did, at http://www.cleopatraschoice.com/dead-sea-mud-benefits.php
Turned out he was selling mud from the Dead Sea, supposedly packed with minerals. I tried it on my wrist and must say I could feel the sulphur opening up my pores and everything, and perhaps absorbing the toxins and whatnot.
I was very impressed with his (he was a Jew named Ziv) unimposing attitude. We Singaporeans have much to learn. As he put it, when he tried to sell something, some Singaporeans tried to sell him something too!
Anyhow, it's a discounted $60 for 750ml of it. Expensive for mud, surely, but I was close to giving it a shot. But on Ziv's advice, I'm gonna do some research first. =]
You can find out more, like I did, at http://www.cleopatraschoice.com/dead-sea-mud-benefits.php
Global warming? What global warming?
While Singapore is in the throes of global warming and rising sea levels, it is perhaps ironic that we have experienced one of our coldest days and months since 1934. 13 Mar 2008 (Thu) was one of the coldest days on record - 21.8C - but I couldn't even remember it. We have record rainfall this month of March, when it is usually preposterously hot, as well as a record low mean temperature of about 25C. What gives? But I'm not complaining - I LOVE THE DRIZZLES!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Mas Selamat Kasturi's escape
Prison Break has its MS (Michael Scofield). Now Singapore has our very own MS: Mas Selamat. By now, you should have heard that Mas Selamat bin Kasturi, the former leader of Jemaah Islamiyah's (JI) Singapore branch, has escaped. While that is worrying enough, the way he escaped is even more worrying.
Firstly, this guy limps real slow. Apparently, he escaped from the not-so-high-security Whitley Road Detention Centre when he was being brought to the toilet. As Angela attests, having gone there on a learning journey recently, there are guards, high fences, cameras and other security features. Are you telling me he gave the guard the slip, hobbled to the gate in prisoner garb and ran away into the forest with no guards in hot pursuit? And that during the time he escaped at 1605hrs, no one raised the alarm?
Something tells me it must be an inside job. How do you explain the relative ease with which he escaped? It's Prison Break on a B-grade scale. According to Minster for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng, an investigation is underway. An explanation is due. I believe heads will roll.
I was also quite perturbed by a guy interviewed at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal for his views on the affair. "I don't feel anything much. Just disappointed, that's all." Oh, I see. Why exactly do you feel disappointed? Did you personally contribute something to his security which explains your disappointment in the lapse? Such apathy.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Gurkhas
We know who they are, but how do you pronounce it? A former police officer volunteered goo-ka, but that sounded terribly rude. Dictionary.com says gur-ka, which sounds more plausible. Little Miss Whoops (Jasmine) suggests asking the Gurkhas themselves. Can you see her walking up to the guards at the Istana? Oh no...
Port Dickson recce
Was that the most tiring recce ever? Yes.
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Off to Port Dickson for a day trip to recce the Church Retreat site. Watch here for updates.
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Off to Port Dickson for a day trip to recce the Church Retreat site. Watch here for updates.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
BBC: Penang abandons pro-Malay policy
The Malaysian state of Penang says it will no longer follow a controversial central government policy favouring ethnic Malays above other citizens.
Penang is one of five states now controlled by the opposition, after elections on Saturday saw big losses for the governing coalition.
Malaysia has had a policy of favouring ethnic Malays in jobs and education for almost four decades.
The large Chinese and Indian minorities have become increasingly angry.
Correspondents say it was largely this anger that led to the dramatic election results over the weekend.
Equal opportunities
Lim Guan Eng was sworn into office as head of state in Penang, after his Democratic Action Party (DAP) won a convincing election victory.
As soon as he was appointed, he immediately targeted the central government's long-standing New Economic Policy favouring ethnic Malays.
"We want to run the state government administration free from the New Economic Policy that only breeds cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency," he told reporters.
"This is also a government that believes in equal opportunity and social economic justice. We are here to build a dynamic Penang for all," he said.
The policy was started in the early 1970s, to increase opportunities for the often poverty-stricken ethnic Malays - giving them preference in jobs, university seats and access to services.
But many Malaysians - even some Malays - say that it has only benefited an elite few.
Election upheaval
The country's large Chinese and Indian minorities - who make up more than a third of the population - have become increasingly critical of what they regard as blatant racial discrimination.
Ethnic Indians held a large protest rally in November which attracted more than 80,000 people.
Mr Abdullah's National Front coalition suffered its worst election result in five decades in Saturday's elections.
It won more than half of all seats in parliament, but still suffered unprecedented losses.
An alliance of opposition parties won seats in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) retained control of Kelantan, leaving the governing coalition in control of just eight states.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7289509.stm
Penang is one of five states now controlled by the opposition, after elections on Saturday saw big losses for the governing coalition.
Malaysia has had a policy of favouring ethnic Malays in jobs and education for almost four decades.
The large Chinese and Indian minorities have become increasingly angry.
Correspondents say it was largely this anger that led to the dramatic election results over the weekend.
Equal opportunities
Lim Guan Eng was sworn into office as head of state in Penang, after his Democratic Action Party (DAP) won a convincing election victory.
As soon as he was appointed, he immediately targeted the central government's long-standing New Economic Policy favouring ethnic Malays.
"We want to run the state government administration free from the New Economic Policy that only breeds cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency," he told reporters.
"This is also a government that believes in equal opportunity and social economic justice. We are here to build a dynamic Penang for all," he said.
The policy was started in the early 1970s, to increase opportunities for the often poverty-stricken ethnic Malays - giving them preference in jobs, university seats and access to services.
But many Malaysians - even some Malays - say that it has only benefited an elite few.
Election upheaval
The country's large Chinese and Indian minorities - who make up more than a third of the population - have become increasingly critical of what they regard as blatant racial discrimination.
Ethnic Indians held a large protest rally in November which attracted more than 80,000 people.
Mr Abdullah's National Front coalition suffered its worst election result in five decades in Saturday's elections.
It won more than half of all seats in parliament, but still suffered unprecedented losses.
An alliance of opposition parties won seats in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) retained control of Kelantan, leaving the governing coalition in control of just eight states.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7289509.stm
Letters to the press
1. Who's gonna unlock the bomb shelter doors in time of an emergency?
2. Why can't we connect the Hougang Ave 7 park connector to Upp Serangoon Rd? After all, park connectors are supposed to connect!
3. Why no performance bonus for Dip Ed-ers? Where's the incentive to go for distinctions?
4. If it's too dangerous for pedestrians for cyclists to be on the pavement, and too dangerous for cyclists to be on the roads, where on earth do we go? We'd prefer the road anytime if it was made safer; the pedestrians really slow you down when they walk ba-long-long.
5. Fines as punishment for everything, from train disruptions to spitting to late payments.
2. Why can't we connect the Hougang Ave 7 park connector to Upp Serangoon Rd? After all, park connectors are supposed to connect!
3. Why no performance bonus for Dip Ed-ers? Where's the incentive to go for distinctions?
4. If it's too dangerous for pedestrians for cyclists to be on the pavement, and too dangerous for cyclists to be on the roads, where on earth do we go? We'd prefer the road anytime if it was made safer; the pedestrians really slow you down when they walk ba-long-long.
5. Fines as punishment for everything, from train disruptions to spitting to late payments.
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