For years, the Singapore government has touted their unity and their reputation as a solid steady ship guiding Singapore in the waters of a big bad world.
However one of the victims of the financial crisis seems to be this unity. Specifically, I am talking about Singapore’s GDP number. In January 2009, the Ministry of Trade & Industry's forecast was at +1% to -2%. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong then said that the economy could shrink by 8 per cent last week. Then Minister Mentor Lee said that the number could even be -10%.
Now I know that things are moving fast but the Singapore government need to be on the same page here. This is still early March. Surely the estimate number can’t go from +1% to -10% in just…what 60 days?
I find it pretty scary that the Singapore government is looking kind of clueless on this matter and are seemingly not on the same page here. More than just a numbers game, these varying figures are worsening sentiments on the ground.
Projection of a country’s GDP is very important so unless the government figure out a firm number, it’s better for everyone that everyone keeps their mouth shut about it.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Data Mining
Since it’s on again, I went to the Career 2009 & Education 2009 exhibition at Suntec today.
I do this almost every year and I must say that it’s almost the same as usually. Despite the talk in the media that there are over 10,000 jobs on offer, the fair is more of an education fair than a career fair
Nothing unusual as that’s the case most of the time. One new thing I immediately discovered is that this time you have to register before you can enter. My immediate question is why!
Why does a Career & Education exhibition required people to register before they can go in? Not only does it make no sense, I have to question where does the data go to. It can’t be to the exhibitors as most of them are schools and companies who have no need for the data. That leaves the jobs seeking companies, but almost all of them require you to register with their own website anyway so they don’t really need the registration at the door.
Clearly this is data mining. Personally I don’t really mind it that much but I question how and why would the biggest career and education fair in Singapore (and in the region) allow this to happen. I hope it will not happen again next year.
I do this almost every year and I must say that it’s almost the same as usually. Despite the talk in the media that there are over 10,000 jobs on offer, the fair is more of an education fair than a career fair
Nothing unusual as that’s the case most of the time. One new thing I immediately discovered is that this time you have to register before you can enter. My immediate question is why!
Why does a Career & Education exhibition required people to register before they can go in? Not only does it make no sense, I have to question where does the data go to. It can’t be to the exhibitors as most of them are schools and companies who have no need for the data. That leaves the jobs seeking companies, but almost all of them require you to register with their own website anyway so they don’t really need the registration at the door.
Clearly this is data mining. Personally I don’t really mind it that much but I question how and why would the biggest career and education fair in Singapore (and in the region) allow this to happen. I hope it will not happen again next year.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Comics this week
War of Kings #1- The great mini-series Annihilation was followed by Annihilation: Conquest; and now Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning follow it up with War of Kings. I admit this first; as good as Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning has been in their cosmic corner of the Marvel U, I had doubts about this series. Black Bolt suddenly becoming the king of the Kree was ridiculous, and I don’t even want to get into Vulcan (third son of the Summer family, enemy of the Starjammers, mad conqueror of the Shi’ar…just thinking of the character make me laugh). However good writing conquer all as Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning put together a issue that spell out everything that is happening and set the tone for the issues to come. I especially enjoy the interaction between Ronan and Crystal and the complex political marriage between the two. The art from Paul Pelletier was also very good. His pencil was steady with not a single miss panel in the whole issue and his work on the battle and its aftermath was absolutely superb. Good script, great art; there’s nothing not to like here. Pick this up
Secret Six #7 - The first story arc conclude with #7 and its one hell of a ride. Issue #7 is basically a big brutal violent free-for-all where the Six go head to head against everyone on their tail. As much as I have enjoyed the road trip, I felt that this issue was a let-down. All the twisted double cross and back stabbing are still there but the big battle was missing something very important. A willingness to fight! When Mad Hatter and Junior showed up, all our anti-heroes did was running around saying they are going to die. As insane of a battle it was, I don’t see the need for that. The Six of them with a Venom-pumped Bane are good enough to take on Junior (Mad Hatter is a pushover), so why all the gloom? Still, I did enjoy the action and the return of Bane. Bane reliving his past was great and that’s the way I think he work best. Not a great finish but Secret Six first arc was good enough to have me back for #8.
Secret Warriors #2- Last month's debut issue ended with a surprising (and kind of forced) twist, so this issue has to work on the twist. We saw more of the Secret Warriors this issue and that’s a good thing. A simple dinner in a Chinese restaurant ends up being the most enjoyable moment in the issue with Phobos’ powers the centre of it all. For all the title being the Secret Warriors, #2 is more about their enemy Hydra. I never got Baron Strucker as a character. To me he was always a poor imitation of the Red Skull, but seeing him with the rest of the Hydra’s big-wings made sense. The old Nazi got a presence and history that you can understand why the rest fall in line under him. This series is working to be the Secret Warriors against Hydra, so I’ll hold my opinion till they finally met but so far so good.
Secret Six #7 - The first story arc conclude with #7 and its one hell of a ride. Issue #7 is basically a big brutal violent free-for-all where the Six go head to head against everyone on their tail. As much as I have enjoyed the road trip, I felt that this issue was a let-down. All the twisted double cross and back stabbing are still there but the big battle was missing something very important. A willingness to fight! When Mad Hatter and Junior showed up, all our anti-heroes did was running around saying they are going to die. As insane of a battle it was, I don’t see the need for that. The Six of them with a Venom-pumped Bane are good enough to take on Junior (Mad Hatter is a pushover), so why all the gloom? Still, I did enjoy the action and the return of Bane. Bane reliving his past was great and that’s the way I think he work best. Not a great finish but Secret Six first arc was good enough to have me back for #8.
Secret Warriors #2- Last month's debut issue ended with a surprising (and kind of forced) twist, so this issue has to work on the twist. We saw more of the Secret Warriors this issue and that’s a good thing. A simple dinner in a Chinese restaurant ends up being the most enjoyable moment in the issue with Phobos’ powers the centre of it all. For all the title being the Secret Warriors, #2 is more about their enemy Hydra. I never got Baron Strucker as a character. To me he was always a poor imitation of the Red Skull, but seeing him with the rest of the Hydra’s big-wings made sense. The old Nazi got a presence and history that you can understand why the rest fall in line under him. This series is working to be the Secret Warriors against Hydra, so I’ll hold my opinion till they finally met but so far so good.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Strategy & Timing
With the revised Registers of Electors open for inspection, questions abound on whether elections are imminent in Singapore.
The next general elections are only due by early 2012, but most believed that they will be called way before then. With a deep recession on the horizon, chances are that the Singapore government will want to call elections before the pain really come in later this year.
With all the talk on elections, I have a strong suggestion for the opposition parties in Singapore. Forget the by-election strategy.
I never understood why our opposition parties love the by-election strategy. I understand that due to lack of resources, our opposition parties only prefer to fight the ruling PAP at certain seats where they have a chance of winning.
However, the novelty of the strategy has worn off long ago and I always felt that this by-election strategy is self-defeating. Giving a win before the fight is always a bad strategy and this strategy also mean that the PAP do not have to worry about any area which the opposition are not contesting in. So they can just concentrate and bring their resources to bear on contested seats. When comparing resources, PAP will win hands down.
Personally I feel that this is a bad time to hold an election. With a recession on (and growing worse), I think there’s more important things for the Singapore government to worry about than elections. Also there is real anger at the Singapore government on various factors (bad economy, foreigner workers, high cost of living etc), so there’s a good chance the PAP will come in with a loss of seats. That will lessen the mandate of the government which is not something Singaporeans need at the moment. I can understand why the PAP will want to call elections now, but it’s bad timing all around.
Frankly, it’ll be better for Singapore if the elections are held later rather than sooner
The next general elections are only due by early 2012, but most believed that they will be called way before then. With a deep recession on the horizon, chances are that the Singapore government will want to call elections before the pain really come in later this year.
With all the talk on elections, I have a strong suggestion for the opposition parties in Singapore. Forget the by-election strategy.
I never understood why our opposition parties love the by-election strategy. I understand that due to lack of resources, our opposition parties only prefer to fight the ruling PAP at certain seats where they have a chance of winning.
However, the novelty of the strategy has worn off long ago and I always felt that this by-election strategy is self-defeating. Giving a win before the fight is always a bad strategy and this strategy also mean that the PAP do not have to worry about any area which the opposition are not contesting in. So they can just concentrate and bring their resources to bear on contested seats. When comparing resources, PAP will win hands down.
Personally I feel that this is a bad time to hold an election. With a recession on (and growing worse), I think there’s more important things for the Singapore government to worry about than elections. Also there is real anger at the Singapore government on various factors (bad economy, foreigner workers, high cost of living etc), so there’s a good chance the PAP will come in with a loss of seats. That will lessen the mandate of the government which is not something Singaporeans need at the moment. I can understand why the PAP will want to call elections now, but it’s bad timing all around.
Frankly, it’ll be better for Singapore if the elections are held later rather than sooner
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
No Magic Bullet
With the financial crisis endangering their political futures, I can understand why politicians are vowing to fix the problems. The latest is British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (again) who says that there is a chance for a global "new deal" to fix the finance industry within months. Months!
Brown called for a sweeping new global regulatory framework that will overhaul all the global financial institutions and drive a new globalize economy.
Good luck on that.
The thing is that I don’t believe there is any quick fix for the financial crisis. The problems have spread from America to the rest of the world and it is now too far and too wide for any magic bullet to solve. U.S President Barack Obama seems to understand that by painting a grim picture to Americans on the problems facing them, while at the same time trying to sound upbeat that they can beat this.
That’s the way to go. Coming out of this crisis will require a slow, hard grind, not a quick fix because there’s no quick fix. There’s no magic formula to make the problem go away and politicians who say otherwise are giving false hope to the world.
Brown called for a sweeping new global regulatory framework that will overhaul all the global financial institutions and drive a new globalize economy.
Good luck on that.
The thing is that I don’t believe there is any quick fix for the financial crisis. The problems have spread from America to the rest of the world and it is now too far and too wide for any magic bullet to solve. U.S President Barack Obama seems to understand that by painting a grim picture to Americans on the problems facing them, while at the same time trying to sound upbeat that they can beat this.
That’s the way to go. Coming out of this crisis will require a slow, hard grind, not a quick fix because there’s no quick fix. There’s no magic formula to make the problem go away and politicians who say otherwise are giving false hope to the world.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
WoW as Addictive as Cocaine?
A Swedish organization called the Youth Care Foundation report that Blizzard's MMO World of Warcraft (WoW) is dangerous because it is "the cocaine of the computer games world."
In a study on computer game addiction, the Youth Care Foundation has called WoW the most dangerous game in terms of addiction and that "there is not a single case of game addiction that they have worked with in which World of Warcraft has not played a part." In particular, they quote a case in which a Swedish boy was admitted to a hospital after collapsing during a 20-hour World of Warcraft binge last year.
Now I read the Youth Care Foundation deals with forms of addiction but comparing gaming to cocaine is ridiculous. Not to sound uncaring but any idiot who go on a 20 hour binge deserve to be in hospital.
Replace gaming with anything else (exercise, eating, drinking etc) and chances are that the guy will land in hospital. I think this case has less to do with gaming addiction, and more with the boy’s stupidity.
I may not had play World of Warcraft expect for a 10 day free trial, but gaming addiction is something I have doubts about. After all, all the parents need to do is to turn off the switch.
In a study on computer game addiction, the Youth Care Foundation has called WoW the most dangerous game in terms of addiction and that "there is not a single case of game addiction that they have worked with in which World of Warcraft has not played a part." In particular, they quote a case in which a Swedish boy was admitted to a hospital after collapsing during a 20-hour World of Warcraft binge last year.
Now I read the Youth Care Foundation deals with forms of addiction but comparing gaming to cocaine is ridiculous. Not to sound uncaring but any idiot who go on a 20 hour binge deserve to be in hospital.
Replace gaming with anything else (exercise, eating, drinking etc) and chances are that the guy will land in hospital. I think this case has less to do with gaming addiction, and more with the boy’s stupidity.
I may not had play World of Warcraft expect for a 10 day free trial, but gaming addiction is something I have doubts about. After all, all the parents need to do is to turn off the switch.
Monday, March 2, 2009
EPL this month
March is upon us and the title race looks over already. It’s only Man Utd now with both Chelsea and Liverpool falling behind. This is how the teams did in Feb 09.
Top Teams this Month
Manchester United – They are on a roll. Beating all comers both home and away, Man Utd set a defensive record this year. They need to screw-up badly to lose the title now. Anyone think Alex Ferguson will allow that to happen? I don’t think so either.
Fulham- Roy Hodgson proves once and for all what a good manger he is. Even the sale of a key player like Jimmy Bullard has not affected their performance all that much. Like Zola at West Ham, Hodgson has managed to get the most out of his players. He even got them to outplay Arsenal away! If they can improve their away form, don’t be surprise if Fulham are in Europe next season.
Wigan- At the start of the season, some people say that Wigan might be in relegation problem. Then Steve Bruce found a gem in Zaki and the season was safe. Selling Emile Heskey was a risk but it was also a good business as his contract is up at the end of the season. They are safe for the season, and that’s all they ask for.
Surprise Team this month
Chelsea- Luiz Felipe Scolari sure didn’t last long. Guus Hiddink is a good manager but he’s not a long-term replacement as he will only be there till the end of the season. What should worry Chelsea fans is the amount of power the players seems to have. Scolari fell foul of it the same way Avram Grant did. Not good for any future manager of Chelsea.
Disappointing Teams this month
Hull City- After 5 games at the start of the season, Hull City was sixth in the league. That sure seems a long time ago huh? After their dream start, Hull City are now in real danger of relegation. Hull has just registered one victory in their last 17 Premier League matches and are just points above the drop. Boss Phil Brown need to turn things around in a hurry.
Arsenal- Arsenal may have got their man in new signing Andrei Arshavin, unfortunately he’s not the kind of player the Gunners need right now. They need a ball-winner, a defensive midfielder. Manager Arsene Wenger refusal to buy that kind of player is going to cost them dear come end of the season.
Middlesbrough- Middlesbrough is in the bottom 3 and in big trouble this season. Manager Gareth Southgate has a serious problem upfront as none of his strikers can buy a goal. The victory against Liverpool was most needed but unless one of the strikers (looking at you Afonso Alves) starts scoring regularly, Boro may be going down this season.
Top Teams this Month
Manchester United – They are on a roll. Beating all comers both home and away, Man Utd set a defensive record this year. They need to screw-up badly to lose the title now. Anyone think Alex Ferguson will allow that to happen? I don’t think so either.
Fulham- Roy Hodgson proves once and for all what a good manger he is. Even the sale of a key player like Jimmy Bullard has not affected their performance all that much. Like Zola at West Ham, Hodgson has managed to get the most out of his players. He even got them to outplay Arsenal away! If they can improve their away form, don’t be surprise if Fulham are in Europe next season.
Wigan- At the start of the season, some people say that Wigan might be in relegation problem. Then Steve Bruce found a gem in Zaki and the season was safe. Selling Emile Heskey was a risk but it was also a good business as his contract is up at the end of the season. They are safe for the season, and that’s all they ask for.
Surprise Team this month
Chelsea- Luiz Felipe Scolari sure didn’t last long. Guus Hiddink is a good manager but he’s not a long-term replacement as he will only be there till the end of the season. What should worry Chelsea fans is the amount of power the players seems to have. Scolari fell foul of it the same way Avram Grant did. Not good for any future manager of Chelsea.
Disappointing Teams this month
Hull City- After 5 games at the start of the season, Hull City was sixth in the league. That sure seems a long time ago huh? After their dream start, Hull City are now in real danger of relegation. Hull has just registered one victory in their last 17 Premier League matches and are just points above the drop. Boss Phil Brown need to turn things around in a hurry.
Arsenal- Arsenal may have got their man in new signing Andrei Arshavin, unfortunately he’s not the kind of player the Gunners need right now. They need a ball-winner, a defensive midfielder. Manager Arsene Wenger refusal to buy that kind of player is going to cost them dear come end of the season.
Middlesbrough- Middlesbrough is in the bottom 3 and in big trouble this season. Manager Gareth Southgate has a serious problem upfront as none of his strikers can buy a goal. The victory against Liverpool was most needed but unless one of the strikers (looking at you Afonso Alves) starts scoring regularly, Boro may be going down this season.
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