Happy Chinese New Year to all! Huat ah!
To be honest this CNY seems to be more quiet than previous years… In terms of activities, gambling, drinking and sinfulness of it all… It just got less. I wonder if it’s got to do with us getting older and older O_O
Wow. What a great read from The Online Citizen TOC
I too agree that it’s bullshit to say unless we pay our miniters millions, we won’t have talented ministers that will stay away from corruption. Even with their previous pay package, we have many incompetent ministers and corruption exists at all levels in both the public and private sectors. For a greedy person, no money is too much money.
Instead of cultivating future politicians that goes “Some day I want to be a politician so I can earn lots of money. It’s my ticket to becoming a millionaire”, why can’t we spend more effort in instilling national pride and interest in politics in schools so that our children will one day grow up and say “I want to serve my country because I love my country and I want it to become a better place.” I don’t even think our current primary and secondary curriculum have any politics or much unbiased history of Singapore’s politics. We are given the ‘clean’ version of our history, then what difference is there between Singapore and China and North Korea? The problems of our politics in the past should be something that is taught to our children, so that they understand how Singapore came about. We aren’t here today because everyone was nice and smiling and shaking hands with everyone. I want my children to know what’s at stake, what was sacrificed for us to get to this beautiful garden city, I want them to feel proud of Singapore – mistakes and achievements.
It would appear that in the committee’s deliberations, one of the important factors has been on how much to pay the ministers well so that people would not be deterred from taking on the job.
Have we come to this pathetic state? Is there such a paucity of people with a sense of mission in politics that we need to scrape the bottom of the barrel with the dollar sign to entice people to come forward? From the large number of people offering themselves to opposition parties in the last general election, where financial gain for them is less likely than financial liabilities, this cannot be so.
A good political leader should be one with a strong moral conviction to do what he believes in without regard for his life, liberty or monetary reward. If a person is deterred to serve his country and his people because the money is not right, how can such a person be a good political leader?
People who do not recognise their special obligation and duty to society, which has invested so much in them and helped them attain a high status and position and need to be enticed by humongous salaries to serve are really no extraordinary people and could be dispense with.
We should not gloss such people with labels like “talented people” and “good people” when the word “mercenary” would be a more appropriate term. It would really be a service to the country to deter such people from political office. We would be much better out off without leaders who are more interested in their pay cheques than in serving the country.
It’s the last day of the year 2011, December 31st. Finally.
This is been quite a hellish year for me to be honest… Somehow the sound of a new year just sounds more promising… like better things and people to come into my life hopefully.
Will 2012 be the end of the world? Doesn’t really matter. Just gotta keep living the dream…
I have been so busy the past week that I haven’t had the time to upload all these amazing pictures from Nuffnang Awards 2011 ! Bloggers from all over the region were hosted at Mariott Putrajaya Malaysia to attend this awesome party. We were given a guided tour around Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, brought to Zouk to party the night away and another club. I had lots of fun during this trip and made some new friends and got reacquainted with some 
Me with my BB Bernard <3
With Nadnut!
With my awesome friends and bloggers Noel Boyld, Peggy Heng, Clara Dblchin, Fidelis
With Peggy, Dweam (Valerie, Ms Singapore 2011) and Fidelis~
Got to really know Peggy better during this trip and she’s really awesome
With bernng and noel~
Drinking with Dblchin and others 
*omg nadnut is a crazy drinker*
Sorry all the pictures of different shapes and sizes! I’m stealing all these pictures from facebook and other blogs 
With the recent price hikes in Singapore’s transport systems, more and more disgruntled Singaporeans are beginning to feel annoyed with what is happening in Singapore. Some may still defend Singapore’s system and policies, comparing it with neighboring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, and try to convince themselves that Singapore’s transport system isn’t that bad even with all the problems we are facing.
Our transportation is getting from good to bad to horrible. To drive a car in Singapore, you got to apply for COE (Certificate of Entitlement) that costs as much as the car itself. COE is now fluctuating between $30000 and $60000. Taxi prices just rose again, having taxi ‘surcharge’ from 6pm to 10am the following day. So there’s only 8 hours of non-peak periods where you don’t have to pay for surcharge. The taxi companies might as well just add surcharge for the entire day! Now those who can’t afford to drive or take taxis, they have to resort to the MRT – which is failing too! There have been 3 break downs in the past few days! What is wrong with our transport system???
What has our failing transportation system got to do with foreigners and the government? Everything.
The reason why Singaporeans are unhappy with influx of foreigners here is because we are not given preferential treatment. Foreigners are given so much incentive to come to Singapore that us Singaporeans feel as though we’re marginalized and we are the sacrifice to ‘build’ Singapore. With more foreigners pouring into Singapore, I fail to see the immediate benefits of having so many foreign workers but the negative social and cultural corrosion is becoming more obvious.
Our trains are flooded with foreign workers, many of them hard laborers board the trains with a stench of unpleasant body odor. Trains need to keep up with the number of commuters so they increase their frequencies, but our MRTs have been breaking down and SMRT have no idea how to deal with angry and unhappy commuters. Crime rates are increasing, more people are committing suicide. Our birth rates are declining as this society has become so stressful that people have no mood or time to have sex. Inflation and cost of living keeps rising, but our salaries remain stagnant. Some people feel that it is easier to find a job in Singapore if you are a foreigner! I’m not sure if that is true, but I won’t be surprised. Singaporeans are too arrogant to take a job that pays $2000 a month? No, we are not too arrogant. How does someone earn $2000 a month support a family in Singapore when everything is so expensive now??
We are unhappy because we decided to make Singapore our home, our ancestors decided to make this our home. We shouldn’t have to bear the consequences of letting the flood gates open for foreigners by compromising our quality of transport, quality of service, unscrupulous hiring tactics, corroding our Singlish and Singaporeness - all in the name of building Singapore’s economy. Who are we building this economy up for? For them or for us? After building up a world class economy, if foreigners are allowed to enjoy it as much as Singaporeans, then what pride should we have to be a Singaporean? The problem isn’t foreigners, but foreigners that did not pledge their allegiance to Singapore like I did. If you want to stay here, be a citizen! Serve the nation! Learn bloody Singlish!
What the government can look into is setting penalties for Singapore PRs for forfeiting their application for citizenship. Singapore PRs gets almost similar benefits to Singaporean, but they can leave any time since they are holding other nationalities at the same time. What I’ve heard is that some Singapore PRs even buy HDBs, and when they earn enough in Singapore, they sell their HDBs for a profit and return to their home country to retire! How about increasing taxes on foreigners based on income? How about limiting number of houses and cars they are allowed to own in Singapore? How about making it more difficult for Singaporeans to get sacked or retrenched? Besides English tests, how about implementing oral examinations and hygiene lessons for foreign workers!
Perhaps my suggestions may come across as very Nationalistic, but if the government continues the way it does, can Singapore still make it? Let Singapore love us as we love Singapore. Let us feel that this country deserves for us to defend and protect.
Her name was Extremeila, she was quite perculiar
Her eyes wide opened, examining the world
She was spoilt but not broken.
She met a boy, it didn’t matter his name
She examined his every move and being
Completely befuddled.
The boy loved her, oh he did
But Extremeila, being quite perculiar,
Was too easy to break.
The boy told her he loved her so
He would dig his eyes out should his eyes ever
Lusted for another
The boy told her he loved her so
He was willing to forsake his arms if they ever
Showed care towards another
The boy told her he loved her so much
He was going to pluck his heart out to prove that
He loves and loved no other
Extremeila, spoilt and perculiar, Meila
Thought she found her perfect boy
Without eyes, arms or a heart.
Perfection, Meila learnt, was to be broken.
Priss 14122011
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I wonder if this poem is too morbid…
The Muppets are coming to Singapore’s cinemas next month!
I think my favourite Muppets character must be Kermit the frog… And who can forget Kermit singing The Rainbow Connection! It’s become such a classic now.
On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, Disney’s “The Muppets” hits the big screen Dec. 8, 2011.
Catch The Muppets in cinemas this 8 December 2011 and like the Official Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page!
It was a pity I couldn’t attend the launchof Bombay Sapphire Blue Room!
The Blue Room experience and an art exhibition by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® curated by Kult3D is a celebration of creative talents, where nine commissioned artworks inspired by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® are showcased at dbl O Art Space from now till 18th November 2011, is making an appearance in Singapore for the first time outside of London. Solo designers and collectives participating in the exhibition are Kult3D, Creative Toolbox, kittozutto,Mojoko+SHANG, Clara Yee, Kristal Melson, Dju-Lian Chng, Foo Jia Wen and Tara Thadani.
I’m so curious about the dbl O Art Space because dbl O is famous for being a club… so what has art got to do with clubbing? I should really drop by soon!
dbl O Art Space, Level 2, 222 Queen Street
Opening hours of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Blue Room: Tuesdays – Thursdays: 6pm – 11pm Friday & Saturday: 5pm – 12mn Sundays: 4pm – 8pm Mondays: Closed
My Nuffnang story started about 3 years ago. Then, there were a few competitors in the field of blog management and marketing and I wasn’t sure which companies should I stick with – so I put many advertisers bar in my blog! Haha.
Sure, there was a point I considered doing advertorial for other international (mostly American) marketing campaign sites, but they had all kinds of strange ads! For example, blog post on gambling websites, slot machines, soft porn sites etc. I wouldn’t have wanted my blog to be tainted with those advertorials!
Soon, Nuffnang’s competitors died out one by one and Nuffnang really prevailed and proved itself to be at the top of its industry. They have been always professional and offered top brand names that I would like to feature in my blog.
More than just the attractive advertising rates Nuffnang have pitched my blog for, attending Nuffnang events really makes me feel so pampered. Although at other media events and press conferences, you get to rub shoulders with big bosses and media personnel from the ‘traditional’ media… Nuffnang events often has a special something and really caters to the needs of bloggers like myself..
Power Over Cervical Cancer (POCC) 2010
Come 16 December 2011, 500 bloggers from around the Asia-Pacific region will flock to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 in Putrajaya Marriott. The Awards aims to not only honour the region’s best bloggers, but also to bring together blogger communities from across Asia-Pacific. The Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards is brought to you by Volkswagen Malaysia and Putrajaya Marriott.
Find out how you can win tickets to Nuffnang’s Blog Awards 2011 here! http://awards.nuffnang.com/2011/win-exclusive-invites/
I have seen many teenagers in my facebook account that are not concerned or mindful about what appears on their facebook pages or other social media platforms. I am worried for them because I know most of them take it has harmless fun. With the latest incident with Adelyn Hosehbo, I think it serves as a good warning to other teenagers – be more mindful with what you want the world to see! (Background story: Adelyn Hosehbo posted on facebook that she slapped her mother. Read more at alvinology)
1. Do not add hundreds and thousands of “random” friends on your facebook unless you don’t mind not knowing who has access to your information. It really depends on how comfortable are you sharing your personal information online. With Adelyn Hosehbo’s facebook page, there are quite a few “friends” of hers that are mocking and scolding her publicly on facebook.
2. Check your facebook privacy settings. In Adelyn Hosehbo’s profile page, you don’t need to be her friend to see things posted on her wall. Again, how much would you want to show the world – while not knowing who is reading it.
3. Don’t post things that may potentially be harmful to yourself. Eg. Posting that you slapped your mother, stole a car, commited a murder… things like these should be kept to yourself. If I slapped my mother, I would probably be too ashamed to even tell my closest friends. Your potential employers might actually see all those on your facebook someday… Go get a diary if you really need to pen it down. I wonder if this generation people still use diary or not…
4. Don’t post your school for public to view if you are likely to get stomped. See now everyone in Singapore knows that Adelyn Hosehbo was from Marsling Secondary School. Not a very good image for your alma mater.
5. Last but not least……… If any readers reading this post has violent tendencies like Adelyn, please speak to your school counsellor or approach counselling centres near your home. A list of VWOs in Singapore can be found here http://www.ncss.org.sg/vwocorner/members_list.asp
I do not like STOMP as it is breeding an anonymous self-righteous vigilante platform as I voiced my opinion here before http://www.deadpris.com/2008/12/16/stomp-singapores-most-disgusting-seen/ but these kids should have seen it coming *sigh*
There are always consequences to your actions.
UPDATE 3/11/2011: Seems like Adelyn read my blogpost and changed her facebook privacy setting. Good girl.
