Cycling turns calories into fitness Chuwa said: a group of 60-84 is on a cycling trip around Singapore (140km). This is a great demonstration that cycling produce fit people. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "great to see more blogs about cycling this day. Good to see bicycle is gaining ground here. It good for the cyclist, obviously. It's also good for the drivers- if some people switch from car to bicycle, there will be more road space for the rest of drivers ;-)" Link Bras Basah.Bugis Trishaw Night Tour Joyce blogs about Trishaw Night Tour, an event organised by OMY and Radio 1003 FM. Trishaws（三轮车、人力车） used to be the main transport in the past where taxis（霸王车）was a luxury way of transport. Nowadays, Trishaws are very seldom seen except for the areas in Bugis and Chinatown. Trishaws are now a business mainly for tourists. Maybe the older generations will reminisce about the good old days when they pass by and saw the Trishaws. But for us, the youngsters, we will not care much for them. At most we will be curious for maybe the first time we see the trishaws. I am quite excited yesterday as I have never been on a Trishaw before. How will the ride be like? How different will it be compared to being on the usual ways of modern transport or even being on a bicycle? All I can say is that, it was an unforgettable ride. Link ACTA leak: Now we know who is against transparency - USA, Korea, Singapore, Denmark Dr. Michael Geist said: Throughout the debate over ACTA [ed: a secret, unprecedented copyright treaty that the public isn't able to see or participate in] transparency, many countries have taken public positions that they support release of the actual text, but that other countries do not. Since full transparency requires consensus of all the ACTA partners, the text simply can't be released until everyone is in agreement. Of course, those same countries hasten to add that they can't name who opposes ACTA transparency, since that too is secret. No longer. In an important new leak from the Netherlands, a Dutch memorandum reporting back on the Mexico ACTA negotiation round names names, pointing specifically to which countries support releasing the text and which do not. At the top of the no-transparency list: the U.S., South Korea, Singapore, and Denmark. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Why is our government against internet transparency?!" Link The unbearable heaviness of being A Singapore Taxi Driver's Diary said: Looking for something to say, I asked, “You are not working today?” She gave me an “are you making fun of me?” kind of look and said, “You find me a job and I will work.” I felt stupid. I was quiet for a moment, trying to imagine what other good-natured taxi uncles would do in this case. I then told her that if she was looking for a job she could look in the newspapers, talk to friends, or ask her MPs for help. We were reaching her stop, which was in a carpark next to an HDB block. She took out her wallet, held it in her hand, and said slowly, “Yeah. But I have this arthritis for many years. I have never been in a working condition.” That was what caused her heavy steps, I realized. I tried to cheer her up. “That’s okay. You don’t have to work then. At least you have your husband to support you.” “My husband passed away,” she said under her breath. Her hands stopped opening her wallet. I stuttered, “I…I’m sorry.” She looked at me, her eyes two ice cubes melting under the sun. “You know a month and half ago, in the news, a husband and a son jumped off a building...” As if struck by lightning, I felt a current bolt from my scalp to my feet. “My god. That’s your…” I froze in shock. Recommended by at82: "Touching stories by Dr Cai" Link Alexa ranking of Singapore ministries webpages Singapore Short Stories said: I believe that an Alexa ranking of the government ministries here would be beneficial as we would know which websites are most and least visited by Singaporeans (and maybe foreigners as the minority). From such a list, we can get a glimpse of what ministries that matter more directly or play a more direct and important role in the lives of Singaporeans for them to garner such high volume of traffic daily. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Now Singapore can know which government webpages are the most popular ones among Singaporeans!" Link The Problem with Singaporeans Mr Wang said: I was chatting with an old friend. She's a headhunter specialising in lawyers. 10 years ago, which was probably around the time I first got to know her, her work was mostly about recruiting Singaporean lawyers for local law firms and corporations. ... She made one interesting observation. She says that Singaporeans consistently lose out to the Australians, the Brits and the Indians in one important respect. Singaporeans are not as articulate. They don't speak so well. They are more reserved. So at job interviews, Singaporeans consistently appear to be less capable than they really are. Consequently, the Aussies, the Brits and the Indians often get the job instead. ("In particular, the Indian lawyers," my friend remarked, "are excellent talkers"). My headhunter friend is a little saddened by this. She knows that many of these Singaporean candidates are at least as capable and competent as the foreigners. It's just that culturally, the typical Singaporean candidate does not feel comfortable aggressively tooting his own horn and singing his own praises at a job interview. This misplaced Asian sense of modesty/humility ends up killing his own chances. Recommended by at82: "You can extrapolate this into a wider context, and see quite clearly how Singaporeans have screwed themselves. The consistent failure of Singaporeans to speak up boldly for themselves has led to adverse consequences, politically, socially and economically." Link Singapore's first Tiger Show? Cat Welfare Society said: The provocatively titled "Tiger Show" welcomes the year of the Mighty Cat in celebration of our humble Community Cats. The show aims to bring together people from all walks of life who have a passion for animal welfare, and most certainly, a soft spot for our feline friends, to gather, to share, to learn and to party! We want to make this year the year * Sterilisation is fully supported by AVA and all Town Councils. * Responsible cat owners show that cats should and must be allowed to be kept as pets in HDB. * Less intolerance for community cats, less ABUSE! Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "A feline-overdose coming Singapore's way so sharpen those claws" Link Temasek sets up its own hedge fund TradecoHoldco said: Sounds like they are setting up a prop desk. Word on the street is that they will still pay their people very little. Also given Temasek’s traditional top down approach, I wonder how they are ever going to get a research edge when they have a high propensity to ignore the opinions of junior people. It also sounds like Ho Ching finally got her margin account size increased ; ) Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Madam Ho finally decided she wants Singapore to be a giant hedge fund" Link First plane solemnisation in Singapore Alvinology said: Rachel and I are the first couple in Singapore to have our solemnisation ceremony on board an airplane – how cool is that? :) It happened at 5.50am on 2 February, 2010, on board Jetstar’s plane, 3K 823 at Changi Airport, Terminal 1. The two witnesses who signed on the certificate were my mom and Rachel’s mom. The wedding solemniser is Justice of Peace, Mr Lim Huan Chiang. The ceremony was short, it was over in around ten minutes. The plane took off on time after that with no delay. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Something cheery and romantic for the upcoming Valentine's Day cum Chinese New Year." Link Best and Cheapest Snack of Singapore Singapore Short Stories said: Day after day, night after night, year after year, the relentless firm kneads of perfectly elastic and flawless dough, the adroit pulling and twisting of the dough into fine balls of a thousand shapes and sizes, the smooth rolling of these with an ancient roller, the sprinkling of rich tau sar into each dough ball, the deft re-kneading of these dough balls and finally the dishing of each dough piece with a modicum of white sesame seed..... Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "This article is really a tribute to the old hawker and his daughter who churns out best hum jim pang at the lowest prices to all of us!" Link 10 things you shouldn't miss at the Singapore Air Show 2010 Klik.TV said ... Thinking of visiting the Singapore Air Show this weekend (6 and 7 February 2010)? Then check out the 10 things you shouldn't miss at the biggest aerospace exhibition in Asia. Oh yes, we do have the exclusive clip of the Stealth Fighter. Link WE NEED SUPPORT FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS..... Decade said: Singapore music has been here for along time, so why are we not getting the support. Observations from trips like Thailand, Indonesia and Japan tells me that locals there strongly support their own music. Places like HMV, Tower Records and the big CD stores thrive on their local music scene. They dedicate one whole floor to selling their local products. In Singapore? I don't even see a corner. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Singapore music, a forgotten art in Singapore?" Link Singapore Post Lost My Wife’s US$400 Parcel And Does Not Care Groovygenie said: The parcel, with a total purchase value of US$385.16, had been declared ‘lost’ by Singapore Post. And this happened while it was in its care! It is painfully obvious from our interactions that Singapore Post does not see any urgency in this matter nor does it feel totally responsible for this blunder. Despite countless calls and information request via emails, no single person at Singapore Post took the initiative or claimed any service responsibility over our case. Recommended by rinaz: "For anyone who has ever bought anything online could empathise and even have a similar experience. Hopefully the situation gets resolved soon. " Link MediaCorp adds 4 new radio stations to their iPhone app punchfire said: "I just noticed this update: MediaCorp has added 4 new radio stations to their iPhone application. You remember that initially they started with only 2. Loving this setup." Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "radio FTW!" Link Singapore Memories: Singapore Singers & Songs QuaChee said: Ho Yeow Sun, the wife of the Pastor Kong from City Harvest Church came out with a few Chinese albums and I bought her first. There were lots of hype for the album and controversies too. Ntevertheless I think her first album is not too bad - it does fulfill its purpose - ie to inspire :) Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "It's a compilation of singers from Singapore - sometimes we never know how talented we are till someone points it out" Link Singaporeans for Haiti Aloysius Low said: Well, if the government only wants to donate US$50,000 for Haiti, and we Singaporeans think it's too little, then how about we do something about it and donate so that we hit at least US$100,000? Every little bit counts, so do you part, and show the MFA and government just how generous we Singaporeans can be. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Stop whining about the Government and do something as a global citizen." Donation link Facebook Group [Agagooga: Donations go to Direct Relief International - an American charity founded in 1948] Resorts World Sentosa - An Inside Look [Pictures] Sparklette said: Are you wondering what it is like on the inside? We take you on a tour through this highly anticipated attraction. Even before the Universal Studios theme park, the country’s first ever casino, and most of the 60 restaurants are open for business, the resort has already amassed a huge crowd on its opening day! Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "The Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort in Singapore launched its first phase to the public on January 20 with 4 new hotels and 10 eateries. Find out what to expect." Link Desperate Call for Help: Loanshark… Sassyjan said: My dad passed away on 31 Oct 2009 [...] (On 13 January 2010) night, my dad’s handphone rung umpteen times. Eventually, I picked it up. The guy claims that my dad owed them $6K and we have to pay up. They say they’ll give us 2 days to decide or they will continue with this. [...] For 2 days I called the Inspecting Officer in-charge - No Answer. Recommended by yuhui: "Highlights the ineffectiveness of our politicians and police in solving the loan shark problem." Link Singapore Courts mass-recruiting Malaysians in JB next Monday to fill vacancies based in Singapore The Temasek Review said: Furniture retail mart Courts will be launching a mass recruitment in exercise in Johor Bahru on 18 January 2010 for Malaysians to fill various positions in Singapore according to a tip-off we receive from a reader. Singaporeans need not apply even if you travel across the Causeway for the interview as they are open to Malaysians only. One may think that these jobs are those shunned by Singaporeans and Courts has no choice but to turn to Malaysians to fill the vacancies, as is often used by leaders of the ruling party to defend its pro-foreigner policy and regurgitated faithfully by the state media. ... Is Singapore Courts recruiting Malaysian workers to work in factories on late shifts? Let us take a look at the positions offered by Courts to the Malaysians: The vacancies needed to be filled by Courts are: product specialists, cashiers, operation executives, assistant accountants, credit officer and customer account assistants. Now these are not highly specialized positions which can only be filled by professionals and talents not available in Singapore or menial jobs shunned by Singaporeans. Any Singaporean equipped with a ITE or “O” level certificate will be more than qualified to take up these jobs. Why is Courts recruiting Malaysians instead of Singaporeans? Recommended by at82: "For unemployed or retrenched Singaporeans who are still looking for a job, they will stand a better chance giving up their Singapore citizenship to become a Malaysian and apply for a job based in Singapore in Malaysia instead" Link Prying a Cake from OCBC's Cold, Hard Fingers kitchen tigress said: Yesterday, I went to OCBC Bank, the one at Marine Parade, and asked for a birthday cake. According to the bank's advertisement, their customers get a cake on their birthday, complete with burning candles and a birthday song. And yes, it was my birthday yesterday. Recommended by Agagooga: "Blogger thinks OCBC's ad means she'll really get a birthday cake on her birthday if she visits an OCBC branch" Link 10 Grossest Foods in Singapore CNN Go said: It's the local version of the "Fear Factor" taste test as we round up the nastiest dishes around... Deep-fried scorpions It takes guts to crunch that shiny black carapace complete with deadly stinger tail. Supposedly good for rheumatism, twitches and convulsions, but some people may start convulsing at the mere suggestion of eating scorpions. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Really that gross?" Link Save the trees, say NO to junk mails from SingPost Alvinology said: In a Sunday Times article yesterday on junk mail at HDB doorsteps, I was surprised to read that SingPost offers a service to help advertisers to deliver their fliers through a bulk mail system called Admail. As these fliers are delivered by our friendly postmen who are able to unlock the anti-junk locking devices on our letterboxes, junk mail seep through. This defeats the entire purpose of HDB installing these devices. Singaporeans wonder why because they do not know their postmen have colluded with the spammers and that Admail is an auto opt-in subscription. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Even our postmen are money grubbers. Any such thing left as public service?" Link Son of Poindexter’s “TOTAL INFORMATION AWARENESS” Singapore Sharon Weinberger said: Nearly four years after Congress pulled the plug on what critics assailed as an Orwellian scheme to spy on private citizens, Singapore is set to launch an even more ambitious incarnation of the Pentagon’s controversial Total Information Awareness program — an effort to collect and mine data across all government agencies in the hopes of pinpointing threats to national security. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Because we can!" Link Investigating and prosecuting sexual offences. The Poultrygeist said: As someone who has faced drunken molestation and heckling in clubs and other public places several times, I can tell you that it's demeaning, embarrassing and offensive. It's not something I would wish to re-live over and over again. Actually much rather than prosecute, I would prefer to resoundingly bitch slap the mofo there and then. How a victim chooses to proceed should be up to her. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Informative post on the procedures of investigation and prosecution of sexual offences, in response to a recent Straits Times article on women demanding very high compound in molest accusation." Link Humiliation of the poor... Lucky Tan said: "I've applied with the govt before. It always comes to nothing." - Mother "Where do you go to apply" - Christopher Lee "The fourth floor of HDB inToa Payoh. I don't understand much English. I only know it is the welfare department. Sometimes, they reject my applications. We go to them because we need help. Otherwise, why bother going to them or subject ourselves to humiliation? I wished I didn't have to go there. They can be so rude. " - Mother "In what way?" - Actress.. "They keep telling you to work. Its okay if I can find a job. But I may not find one that allows me to look after my children. We go to them only because we need help. They shouldn't say 'Look for a job. Don't always expect help' - Mother "How did you reply" - Actress "I kept quiet. Just weep. What else?" - Mother. So the govt helps these poor folks by telling them to look for a job. Having 2 disabled kids is not a sufficient to qualify for help? Recommended by at82: "Here is a family that obviously needs help and are poor due to no fault of their own. They have 2 kids with disabilities and the father has difficulty finding a job. What does the govt do to them? Humiliate them when they ask for help and threaten to evict them from their rented flat due to arrears. The part about govt help starts at 6 minutes 23 seconds into the video." Link A round-up of Singapore's Blogosphere for 2009 Singapore Short Stories said: As the year draws to a close in less than a week’s time, let us recall some of the important and sensational events, which occur in Singapore’s Blogosphere in year 2009. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Useful summary of what 2009 has meant to the blogging world. Have you missed any event? Read this post." Link The thin line between education and propaganda Hear Ye! Hear Ye! said: Reading what Law Minister K Shanmugam is proposing for our education system, the alarm bells went off in my head. He’s proposing to educate Singapore students about politics, and while he has added a disclaimer that he is not in favour of championing a political system over another, it seems to me that ultimately, the aim is to influence students to think that the liberal democracy practised in Europe and America is not applicable to a city-state such as Singapore. Recommended by at82: "The Law Minister wants to peddle propaganda to kids just when I thought they can't get any lower.... " Link How to cancel your Pioneer magazine subscription Alvinology said: Just go to this URL. I cancelled mine once I ORDed years ago. Frankly, the magazine is a waste of paper and money. Help spread the word along to save the Earth as I believe most people will just chuck their Pioneer magazine straight into the waste paper bin without even tearing open the plastic wrapper. Subscription is forced for all NSF at 80 cents per issue (if not I would have cancelled it immediately after getting my first issue). It’s cheap, but it’s still money. Not cancelling it will be wasteful as I am not interested in reading news about SAF. Moreover, there’s the online version which is better for the environment if you really want to read. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Go green. Read Pioneer magazine online instead of wasting paper." Link The Singapore Solution National Geographic Magazine said: To lead a society, the MM says in his precise Victorian English, "one must understand human nature. I have always thought that humanity was animal-like. The Confucian theory was man could be improved, but I'm not sure he can be. He can be trained, he can be disciplined." Recommended by tinkertailor: "Article on Singapore culture, politics, and LKY." Link Five political risks to watch in Singapore Reuters said: Singapore-bashing is a sure-fire way to win political capital in many regional countries. Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Very frank. I like!" Link