lundi, avril 30, 2007 <html><head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=<$BlogEncoding$>" /> <title>little pink soap dinosaur v3.3</title> <script language='javascript' src='http://www.blogextra.com/backblog/userdata.asp?user=3170'></script> <style type="text/css"> <!-- body { background-color: #DBD7FF;} .Title { font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15pt; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 11pt;} .Title a:link {color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: none;} .Title a:hover { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: none; } .Title a:visited {color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: none;} .smalltitle { font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; color: #660000; letter-spacing: 2pt;} .smalltitle a:link { font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; color: #660000; letter-spacing: 2pt; text-decoration: none;} .smalltitle a:hover { font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; color: #660000; letter-spacing: 2pt; text-decoration: none;} .smalltitle a:visited { font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; color: #660000; letter-spacing: 2pt; 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Version numbers change when I write completely new templates. Modifying templates gets a change in one decimal point.">little pink soap dinosaur v3.3</a></div> <div align="center" class="smalltitle">Dead in sin | Saved by grace | Living in hope | Walking by faith | Surviving on a prayer<br><br><br></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#990000"> <td align="center" class="latin"><a href="http://www.gotquestions.org/sola-scriptura.html" target="_blank" name="opens an entry explaining these mysterious latin phrases...">sola scriptura + sola gratia + solus Christus + sola fide + sola Deo gloria +</a></td> </tr> </table> <!-- END TOP TITLES --> <!-- START THE MAIN BODY --> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr valign="top"> <!-- START THE BLOG POST SECTION --> <td width="75%"> <br> <blogger> <table width="85%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="15" class="PostBorder"> <tr> <td class="BlogText"><p class="BlogDateHeader"><BlogDateHeader><$BlogDateHeaderDate$></BlogDateHeader></p> <p class="BlogItemTitle"> <a name="<$BlogItemNumber$>"> </a><BlogItemTitle><a href="<$BlogItemPermalinkURL$>" title="permalink"><$BlogItemTitle$></a></BlogItemTitle></p> <p class="BlogText"><$BlogItemBody$></p> <p class="BlogPostInfo">[<BlogItemTitle><a href="<$BlogItemPermalinkURL$>" title="permalink"><$BlogItemTitle$></a></BlogItemTitle>]<br> <$BlogItemAuthorNickname$> @ <$BlogItemDateTime$><br> <script language='javascript'>backBlog('<$BlogItemNumber$>','<$BlogTitle$>')</script><noscript><a href='http://www.blogextra.com/backblog/feedback.asp?user=3170&entry=<$BlogItemNumber$>&blogname=<$BlogTitle$>'>Feedback</a></noscript></p> </td> </tr> </table><br> </blogger> </td> <!-- END THE BLOG POST SECTION --> <!-- START THE SIDE BAR SECTION --> <td width="25%" align="right" class="BlogSidebarBorder"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="15" cellpadding="0"> <!-- START ABOUT SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ about +</p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right">F/26/travaillant et<br>étudiant à temps partiel<br> <img src="http://services.nexodyne.com/email/icon/HwSmgDFQ%2BsbqgVIq/amRwYk0%3D/R01haWw%3D/0/image.png" border="0"><br> <a href="http://twitter.com/eilonwy" target="_blank">me@twitter</a></p> </td> </tr> <!-- END ABOUT SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START CBOX SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ cBlox +</p> <!-- BEGIN CBOX - http://www.cbox.ws --> <div align="right" id="cboxdiv"> <iframe frameborder="0" width="250" height="205" src="http://www3.cbox.ws/box/?boxid=2639608&boxtag=5476&sec=main" marginheight="2" marginwidth="2" scrolling="auto" allowtransparency="yes" name="cboxmain" style="border:#EDDEDB 1px solid;" id="cboxmain"></iframe><br/> <iframe frameborder="0" width="250" height="75" src="http://www3.cbox.ws/box/?boxid=2639608&boxtag=5476&sec=form" marginheight="2" marginwidth="2" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="yes" name="cboxform" style="border:#EDDEDB 1px solid;border-top:0px" id="cboxform"></iframe> </div> <!-- END CBOX --> </td> </tr> <!-- END CBOX SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START BLOGLIST SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ blogs +</p> <p class="BlogSidebarBlogs" align="right"> <a href="http://trbcyouth.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[<sup>blog</sup>trbc]</a> <a href="http://www.xebell.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[ade<sup>tan</sup>]</a> <a href="http://www.thedepthsofshallowness.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[a<sup>ang</sup>]</a> <a href="http://www.glasswirlings.wordpress.com" target="_blank">[AK47]</a> <a href="http://www.benjaminee.com" target="_blank">[ben<sup>ee</sup>]</a> <a href="http://vinenbranches.livejournal.com" target="_blank">[ben<sup>yeo</sup>]</a> <a href="http://vivadiva.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[bev<sup>p</sup>]</a> <a href="http://crazycheesefactory.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[celesta]</a> <a href="http://www.anotherchanceatlife.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[di]</a> <a href="http://asparageese.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[diana m.l.]</a> <a href="http://www.chochosan.multiply.com" target="_blank">[dim]</a> <a href="http://www.evan-essence.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[evangeline]</a> <a href="http://ditzydiva.multiply.com" target="_blank">[eunice]</a> <a href="http://www.freudiansleep.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[fenfen]</a> <a href="http://twelve12stones.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[ft]</a> <a href="http://sing-songing.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[hyunn]</a> <a href="http://darkred.multiply.com" target="_blank">[jason w]</a> <a href="http://www.jazzymoo.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[jazzy<sup>moo</sup>]</a> <a href="http://www.jermster.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[jerming]</a> <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/fortuity" target="_blank">[jing]</a> <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/~misskuek" target="_blank">[jo-anne]</a> <a href="http://www.jljl.wordpress.com" target="_blank">[julian]</a> <a href="http://www.laureltan.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[laurel]</a> <a href="http://www.strangeknight.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[leon]</a> <a href="http://www.chilliqueen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">[lindsay]</a> <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/~lolitapop" target="_blank">[lolitapop]</a> <a href="http://www.marklim.multiply.com/journal" target="_blank">[mark lim]</a> <a href="http://www.xanga.com/BlueStars" target="_blank">[mayqi]</a> <a href="http://rde.konvolut.net" target="_blank">[mayee]</a> <a href="http://www.ayenforjapan.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[meiyen]</a> <a href="http://www.onethingido.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[merf]</a> <a href="http://www.michelleinfrance.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[mich<sup>france</sup>]</a> <a href="http://www.myfavouritemun.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[muney]</a> <a href="http://www.permanenthiatus.net/snort" target="_blank">[nurul]</a> <a href="http://www.justonceinabluemoon.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[p.s.]</a> <a href="http://www.patheticpeopleondaplanet.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[peiyu]</a> <a href="http://www.praisie.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[praisie]</a> <a href="http://www.superpoorox.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[puden]</a> <a href="http://www.i-am-sambang.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[puchuan]</a> <a href="http://www.contradixion.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[qy]</a> <a href="http://www.rayreflects.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[ray]</a> <a href="http://www.holdupthesky.blogspot.com" target="_blank">['rie]</a> <a href="http://www.shadowfaq.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[shi'en]</a> <a href="http://www.indulge--mi.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[shuhui]</a> <a href="http://www.skinnytwit.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[skinnydrummer]</a> <a href="http://soaps.blogdrive.com" target="_blank">[soaps]</a> <a href="http://stan701.multiply.com" target="_blank">[stan]</a> <a href="http://whatspace.konvolut.net/stee" target="_blank">[stee]</a> <a href="http://www.hahahihaveablogtoo.blogspot.com" target="_blank">[weilong]</a> <a href="http://www.xanga.com/Yimei" target="_blank">[yimei]</a> <a href="http://kiramethyst.multiply.com" target="_blank">[zhizhen]</a> <br><br> <a href="http://mayann.deviantart.com" target="_blank" title="me@deviantArt">[me@deviantArt]</a><br> <a href="http://livejournal.com/users/soapdinosaur" target="_blank" title="Blog@rt">[me@livejournal]</a><br> <a href="http://youtube.com/profile?user=arbitrarysign" target="_blank" title="me@YouTube">[me@YouTube]</a><br> <a href="http://hyperreality.multiply.com" target="_blank" title="me@Multiply">[me@Multiply]</a><br></p> <br> </td> </tr> <!-- END BLOGLIST SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START Diving SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ sg.dive +</p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right"> <a href="http://www.bigbubble.com" target="_blank">bigbubble</a> <br> <a href="http://www.renscuba.com" target="_blank">renscuba</a><br> <a href="http://www.ntudivers.com" target="_blank">ntu divers</a><br> <a href="http://www.nusdiveclub.org" target="_blank">nus dive club</a><br> <a href="http://www.waikikidive.com" target="_blank">waikiki dive</a><br> <br> <a href="http://www.asiandiver.com" target="_blank">asiandiver zine</a><br> </p> <br> </td> </tr> <!-- END dive SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START PlacesToGo SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ before i die +</p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right"> Lake Tahoe<br> Teach ESL<br> Borobudor<br> Laos<br> Boro Boro<br> Cambodia (Ankor Wat)<br> Taj Mahal<br> Great Ocean Road<br> CERN<br> RAND<br> Maldives<br> Christmas Island<br> See a penguin in the wild<br> (list will grow longer as I recall)<br> </p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right"> <img src="http://www.world66.com/community/mymaps/worldmap?visited=VAFRCHNLCNMYEGDEJPITUSNZLUAUVNUKTHPHSGID" width="200"><br/> <a href="http://www.world66.com/community">make ur own map!</a> </p> <br> </td> </tr> <!-- END PlacesToGo SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START CREDITS SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ credits +</p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com" target="_blank"><img alt="blog by pyra labs's blogger" src="http://thumbs.fotopic.net/710019000890.jpg "border="0"></a><br> <a href="http://www.sitemeter.com" target="_blank"><img alt="site stats by sitemeter" src="http://thumbs.fotopic.net/712019000890.jpg" border="0"></a><br> <a href="http://www.getfirefox.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Get Firefox!" title="Get Firefox!" src="http://sfx-images.mozilla.org/affiliates/Buttons/80x15/white_1.gif"/></a><br></p> <br> </td> </tr> <!-- END CREDITS SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START ARCHIVES SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ archives +</p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right"><BloggerArchives><a href='<$BlogArchiveLink$>'><$BlogArchiveName$></a><br></BloggerArchives></p> <br> </td> </tr> <!-- END ARCHIVES SIDEBAR SECTION --> <!-- START SYNDICATE/RSS SIDEBAR SECTION --> <tr> <td valign="top" align="right"> <p class="BlogSidebarTitle">+ syndicate +</p> <p class="BlogSidebar" align="right"><BlogSiteFeed><a href="<$BlogSiteFeedUrl$>" target="_blank"><img src="http://thumbs.fotopic.net/809020000003.jpg" border="0"></a></BlogSiteFeed> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LittlePinkSoapDinosaur" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/fbapix.gif" border="0"></a></p> <br> </td> </tr> <!-- END SYNDICATE/RSS SIDEBAR SECTION --> </table> <!-- END THE SIDE BAR SECTION --> </td> </tr> </table> <!-- END THE MAIN BODY --> <!-- START BOTTOM COPYRIGHT PART --> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr valign="top" bgcolor="#990000"> <td> <br> <p class="copyright" align="center"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/" target="_blank"><img src="http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png" border="0"></a> <p class="copyrightbold" align="center">[lpsd 2003-2006.]</p> <p class="copyright" align="center">this site is governed by the <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/" target="_blank">creative commons deed</a>. <br>email to soapdinosaur at gmail dot com for permission to cite.</p> <!-- START SITEMETER COUNTER --> <p align="center"> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript">var site="sm7hyperreality"</script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.2" src="http://sm7.sitemeter.com/js/counter.js?site=sm7hyperreality"></script> <noscript><a href="http://sm7.sitemeter.com/stats.asp?site=sm7hyperreality" target="_top"><img src="http://sm7.sitemeter.com/meter.asp?site=sm7hyperreality" alt="Site Meter" 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dimanche, avril 29, 2007 Libellés : current affairs, humour [Sheer American Stupidity] |
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Encounters with computer games: my Second Life experience  I don't gaming because I generally suck at it, but I look upon the Nintendo era games with fondness, like Contra, Bubble Bobble, Penguin on skates (I think it was also called Winter Wonderland, or something similar), and of course, the evergreen Super Mario Brothers, Luigi and Mario. I actually remember a real-life show which featured them, something like the real-life Spider-man show that used to show on Sesame Street - or some other similar show.I generally sucked at it anyway, so I left the gaming to my brother, but tried all the junk he got - you know, the Nintendo Game Boy, the Sega Game gear, etc, but the only thing I was remotely good at was Tetris, which really isn't in the same league as Sonic the Hedgehog, if you know your computer game history. When the computer game phenomenon, I tried it. My brother went mad, of course (and those of you who know him know that he's STILL a computer game freak, CS and WOWing 24-7.) I TRIED, I really did, to get "into" it, but Sim City took too much planning for a secondary school kid like me who was putting in time and a half for my grades, and DOOM was fun, but only when played with the full IDDQD and the IDKFJ or whatever the other ID-cryptograms were for the unlimited ammo and immortality. My brother, of course, would scoff and go into the dungeons killing monsters with only a pistol - a PISTOL, I tell you! I used NUCLEAR WEAPONS everytime I saw something move! The only game that I actually loved playing was Westwood Studio's Dune - the game made sense: collect $X and move to the next "location". Atreides, Harkonnen, Fremen, Saudukaur - wonderful names that resonated with me, and made the reading of the book (which would happen to me about 5 years down the road) a lot easier. (Incidentally, I've just finished reading the second book, Dune Messiah, today. Interesting stuff.) After Dune, I kind of gave up on computer games, until a while ago, while helping Rie do some training on blogging (which was unfortunately thwarted by earth - literally, since it was the day of the Taiwan earthquake which made Internet access suck for two weeks), I tried Counter Strike with a whole bunch of other n00bie teachers - which was really funny, since the girls kept winning because they just kept their eyes on the prize - i.e. getting the flags - instead of killing people, which seemed to occupy an unhealthy amount of headspace in the male teachers' minds. This fact is quite telling of gender differences. SX tried to make me play Audition with her and laughed at my ineptness, but after that one single time that I downloaded, installed and played the game with her, I gave it up - it wasn't very fun, and it just needed practice, not skill or tactics. I think I'd rather play online chess with the computer. Now, I'm trying Second Life, which didn't sound very fun. There doesn't seem to be anything to DO, except meet people and have virtual sex (which is kind of NOT hot at all). Honestly, after 4 hours of trying it out, my verdict: don't bother.  My avatar at n00bie islandIf you're still reading, then you must be a sucker for punishment, or are just curious about how Second Life works (same difference.) AVATARS. It's a "world" where you can enter, and you create an avatar (or "av" for short) to visually represent you. This is quite exciting because you do get quite a lot of choice of what to do with your face and body and clothes - it's quite advanced stuff like choosing the size, width, depth, colour, shape of your EYES for a start.  my av sitting atop a mountain watching the "sun" setVISITING. After you've created yourself, you can visit "islands", or square plots of land that people, or Linden Labs, have created. There's lots of stuff to "do" there - like casinos, beaches, casinos, car rallys, casinos, art galleries, casinos, porn clubs, strip clubs, pick-up clubs, and have I mentioned CASINOS? You get the idea.  my avatar at a casino, sitting down for money - L$3 per 10 minsBUILD AND SCRIPT. If you want to build stuff, it means that you have to be a crossbreed munkey who can both use AutoCAD and LindenScript, which looks like a bastard form of Java (OMG, this language will NOT LEAVE ME ALONE), in order to build objects that you can either (1) just own and interact with, or (2) sell for Linden Dollars (L$). EARN MONEY. You can also earn money by gambling, or dancing (L$2 for 20 minutes of letting your character stand there and dance - good for when you're sleeping in real life.) Alternate means of earning money would involve taking off items of clothing, and other dodgy activities. But hey, good news is that they haven't found a way to script in HIV/AIDS yet, so it's always safe! I'm not sure what would happen in Mr. Smith got into the world though. HAVE FUN. After you get tired of wandering around doing NOTHING (because sunbathing on the beach means you click a button, and then STARE AT YOUR AVATAR WHO LOOKS LIKE SHE'S HAVING FUN, BUT YOU'RE JUST STARING AT HER HAVING FUN, you can go talk to people. This means using the chat function to say (25m range), shout (100m) or whisper (10m) anything to your fellow Lindens. Now, if you're like me who has an aversion to MUDs and MMPORPGs, there's really no point to this - switch on your MSN or ICQ or Yahoo messenger or Skype, and roll with those; there's NO POINT in picking Second Life as a medium of communication with people you already know. If you don't, have fun chatting with people who will (1) be very very very nice, or (2) proposition you. The latter happens less than you would imagine, thank God. Overview: this is a game for hardcore gamers that are sick of the shooting and the fighting and the general unpleasantness that comes from being in a competitive game. Second Life is Sim City writ large, and writ with a huge profit in mind for Linden Labs. Build, script, and make friends in Second Life. And be happy - it's always safe here. Libellés : technology [Encounters with computer games: my Second Life experience] |
samedi, avril 28, 2007 Libellés : films, humour, movies [Switch off the damn phones!] |
vendredi, avril 27, 2007  Despite the extremely trying nature of this semester, I have discovered two surprising things about myself:1) I quite like history. 2) I'm quite good at statistics. The former is not as surprising as the latter, but I have to say that both are the result of excellent teaching (although my stats teacher wasn't the lecturer but the ex-student assistant!), which just goes to show you: good teachers rock. (Obviously I'll be hating both when I don't understand anything!) [Surprising discoveries] |
jeudi, avril 26, 2007 I've had a pretty shitty week, which included:1) me having to re-do a term paper after it was deleted by a Word system error ON THE NIGHT THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HANDED UP (which has NEVER happened before); 2) me offering to give a ride to my friend to school for exam, only to have her decide on the day itself to take a cab there instead, which resulted in me waiting for her till the last moment to leave, getting stuck in a massive traffic jam as a result, and being the last person in the exam hall - you know, the one everyone was waiting for (thus reinforcing my mother's oft-stated reminder not to bother giving anyone rides anywhere because 好心没好报); 3) me being given a WRONG data set for a statistics examination, resulting in what was a confirmed-score-full-marks A paper turning into a I-hope-I-pass paper because of my teacher's incompetence - and I studied so hard for statistics that OMG I am a GENIUS, I swear; 4) not much of a positive response from the teacher when I requested grading leniency/consideration for HIS MISTAKE, and NO RESPONSE from the head of department; 5) an exam tomorrow which has no precedent papers to practice on. Strangely enough, I don't feel down in the dumps about it. I just don't seem to care about this anymore. And I'm almost worried about not caring. Almost. But for now, I just... don't. [I don't care anymore] |
samedi, avril 21, 2007  Yum yum.Libellés : food [Eating memories] |
jeudi, avril 19, 2007 As Ron will attest to, I have a weak spot for teen chick flicks. The merchandising department invariably picks a fair selection of pop, emo and evocative songs for their soundtrack, and I cheerfully admit that it's sometimes nice to have a bunch of pre-selected songs to listen to in the car - see, for eg, Romeo+Juliet, High School Musical, 10 Things I Hate About You, Grease, and A Cinderella Story.I'll Be - Edwin Mccain The strands in your eyes that colour them wonderful / Stop me and steal my breath / Emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky / Never revealing their depth / Tell me that we belong together / Dress it up with the trappings of love / I'll be captivated I'll hang from your lips /Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above I'll be your crying shoulder / I'll be love's suicide / and I'll be better when I'm older / I'll be the greatest fan of your life And rain falls angry on the tin roof / As we lie awake in my bed / You're my survival, you're my living proof / My love is alive not dead / Tell me that we belong together / Dress it up with the trappings of love / I'll be captivated I'll hang from your lips / Instead of the gallows of heartache, that hang from above I've been dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead / Tuned in, turned on / Remembered the things that you said I'll be your crying shoulder / I'll be love's suicide / and I'll be better when I'm older / I'll be the greatest fan of your life Libellés : music [Teen Flicks] |
mercredi, avril 18, 2007 Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Libellés : humour [Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!] |
mercredi, avril 11, 2007 Paul Wolfowitz and Shaha Riza: Screwed locally, screwed globally the At the same time that my status as a Singaporean status is getting royally screwed over by our loving government (that I've never voted for or against since I'm always in a walkover constituency without opposition), my status as an employee (no matter how temporary) is also being completely screwed over by my warmongering big big boss, as he promotes and pays his (now ex-) girlfriend gajillions - /rant ok, that's an exaggeration, but my income for 2006 was S$13K and I'm not even eligible for income tax YET I get the minimum Econ Restructuring Shares or Singapore Shares because I live in MY PARENTS HOUSE /rant - and now, the shit is really, really hitting the ceiling for him because someone leaked it to a great agency called the Government Accountability Project, which is a place where whistleblowers can go to report ethical crap like this.Why don't we have this in Singapore? Obviously the time has come for us to set in place a Corruption Investigations Board which is INDEPENDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. Separation of powers, anyone? HELLO? Have we stopped pretending we are a democratic country? And now we're banning yet another "politically inflammatory" film because it could "undermine the government"!? HELLO?! I think YOU are the one that needs the reality check - you NEED TO BE UNDERMINED, YOU ARE ASKING FOR IT. You bet your ass I'm angry. See the beautiful train wreck begin to unfold: 22 Mar 2007 Examiner.com Wolfowitz, Riza call it quits 28 Mar 2007 Washington Post Where the Money Is 04 Apr 2007 Washington Post Still stepping out: World Bank prez Paul Wolfowitz and Shaha Riza 06 Apr 2007 Washington Post 'Outrage' at World Bank Over Colleague's Generous Salary 09 Apr 2007 Wall Street Journal Wolfowitz Responds to Controversy Over Staffer 09 Apr 2007 Washington Post Flap Over World Bank's Generous Raises Goes Global 09 Apr 2007 Washington Post Wolfowitz accepts responsibility for promotion 10 Apr 2007 Associated Press Bank Chief Helped Female Friend Get Job 10 Apr 2007 International Herald Tribune World Bank president defends friend's reassignment 10 Apr 2007 New York Times World Bank Chief Seeks to Quell Favoritism Talk The credibility of the WB as an institution has been damaged more in these months by this man's appointment, than anything the WB could ever do to promote its anti-nonAmerican intolerance, like NOT HIRING ME FULL TIME WITH BENEFITS. And you want us to SIT DOWN and SHUTUP while you give your GIRLFRIEND MASSIVE pay increases? And you DARE to tell us that this is not something which should be done because we're not allowed to whistleblow your sorry white ass? You, who on Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 was videoed as licking your comb, then spitting on your hand to smooth your hair before meeting the press? Libellés : current affairs [Paul Wolfowitz and Shaha Riza: Screwed locally, screwed globally] |
lundi, avril 09, 2007 There's always been talk of a huge divide among the elite in Singapore and the average Singaporean, this hornet's nest seems to have pushed it to the forefront of public consciousness.When Singaporeans can only look forward to a "modest" 2.8-3.2% pay hike (TODAY, 9 Apr 2007) as opposed to the 14-33% that the ministers will be getting (CNA, 9 Apr 2007), and when welfare handouts are denied to Singapore mothers who earn $500 a month washing toilets for baby formula, developing a COMPLETELY unjustified and unscientific formula which seems to condone a million-dollar paycheck to a minister who has been unsympathetic and unable to solve the problem, is too bitter a pill to swallow, and the alienating effect is a terrible thing to behold - at least online, where the sentiment seems to wavering between extreme anger and hopelessness. What's the use of shaking our fists at a government that won't listen anyway? The arrogance of certain ministers (and it's NOT the usual suspect) is simply abominable. We talk of a meritocratic society, but what we've seen is that only the first generation benefits from this system. Only the first generation of nation-builders start from the same starting line - after that, everyone's children are staggered across the economic scale, and different people have different advantages and opportunities. The adage "the rich become richer and the poor become poorer" fulfils itself - but with the talk of the ministerial pay increase, PLUS the many, many times that "government dialogue" leads nowhere, it robs the average Singaporean of hope as well. What's the point of engaging in dialogue when it's obviously hypocrisy on the government's part? They're not going to listen anyway, so why talk? The policy will be enacted, no matter what we say. Do they really think that the lack of a good salary is what's keeping good, bright Singaporeans away from the public sector? It's precisely this sort of arrogant, sleight-of-hand policy tricks that the government pulls on the unsuspecting public that disgusts the bright young Singaporean, and turns him off the public sector. Raising ministerial salaries will only have two effects: (1) it will make bright young Singaporeans sell out their integrity (belief in a good, just system of government that works FOR the people) for the higher salary - "if you can't beat them, join them", and (2) it will just encourage the notion that squeezing into the mould of a public servant is worth the trouble, so the government will simply self-replicate, and then a wonderful public sector entropy will set in. And they wonder why civil servants are devoid of creativity - when the nail that sticks out gets hammered in, who wants to be the odd one with ideas? "MM Lee said last week that the cure for this firestorm over pay is a good dose of incompetent government." (TODAY, 9 Apr 2007) I like conspiracies. Let's see what the next government scandal/expose is about: bribery and corruption, I'd bet. Libellés : current affairs, singapore [Money, money, money] |
samedi, avril 07, 2007    Libellés : travel [Random jokes from my dad] |
vendredi, avril 06, 2007 You know your life is a little tight when...  On MSN:ME says: i need to go now dear... **MooMoo** (We agents need to save the world!!) says: ehhhh??? **MooMoo** (We agents need to save the world!!) says: hv u run out of drugs? They're called STIMULANTS, darling. (and in case you're wondering, mine are of the strong tea, strong coffee, and stacks of chicken essence variety.) Libellés : humour [You know your life is a little tight when...] |
mercredi, avril 04, 2007 Sticks and stones: but what does it all mean? Myanmar and Singapore construction trade negotiation This is horribly geeky of me (yes rie, you may gloat but you may not SAY anything...) but I am rather excited about Myanmar's offer to sell granite, granite chips and sand to Singapore. The political implications of what a long-standing trade deal between both our countries could do for the peculiar polity of ASEAN are rather far-reaching. I don't mean to say that everything's going to change overnight - ASSC is already over 60 years of age, and still under house arrest, and the country's been in a state of international dishonour for yonks. (If she dies under house arrest - and I think she will - it might just anger enough people in D.C. to organise a smackdown, a là Iraq and Afghanistan.) And just last year, the 1997-minted ASEAN member caused a furor when it was slated to chair the ASEAN ministerial meeting. But but but! Selling Stuff to Singapore (check out the amazing alliteration) might open the way for Singapore to be an effective middleman between Naypyidaw and the rest of the world. To me, the dichtomy between political ideologies (almost always invariably set up by the west) is one which takes no prisoners - sort of like the way Cuba, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea are viewed: it's our way, or the highway. Can Singapore function as polemic to the Western view of Myanmar/Burma? "Stand in the gap", so to speak, between the West and the East? Libellés : current affairs, issues [Sticks and stones: but what does it all mean? Myanmar and Singapore construction trade negotiation] |
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